Week 5 Target Report: Broncos' Thomas proves he's fantasy's top WR

We’ve added another element to the target report this week. As always, the first two numbers are the player’s overall targets and red zone targets. However,
Week 5 Target Report: Broncos' Thomas proves he's fantasy's top WR
Week 5 Target Report: Broncos' Thomas proves he's fantasy's top WR /

We’ve added another element to the target report this week. As always, the first two numbers are the player’s overall targets and red zone targets. However, it’s also useful to know how often a player is on the field and how his recent usage might be changing in recent weeks. Thanks to the snap data at Pro Football Focus and 4For4 Football, we can now highlight those numbers. The third number next to a player’s name is the overall percentage of his team’s snaps that he has played. The final number is how many snaps he played in his team’s last game. Those two numbers can help fantasy owners identify players trending in the right direction in terms of snaps played (hello, Justin Hunter!) As a reminder, target numbers include plays nullified by penalty.

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Arizona Cardinals

Larry Fitzgerald – 33, 8, 87, 91
Michael Floyd – 30, 2, 88, 95
John Brown – 24, 4, 55, 66
Andre Ellington – 21, 3, 68, 86
John Carlson – 11, 0, 89, 97

There has to be someone out there with a shoulder nerve they aren’t using that they can donate to Carson Palmer, right? It has been downright maddening watching Floyd’s potential breakout season spoiled by quarterback follies. And now, he and Fitzgerald may have to suffer through a stretch of games with Logan Thomas as the starter with Drew Stanton injured. It really is a shame, but it’s going to be hard to have much optimism for either Arizona receiver unless Palmer can get back on the field.

• Catch up on everything you missed from Week 5 in the NFL

Atlanta Falcons

Julio Jones – 59, 4, 91, 99
Roddy White – 31, 3, 95, 96 
Devin Hester – 22, 0, 41, 60
Harry Douglas – 17, 1, 72, N/A
Devonta Freeman – 15, 3, 18, 22
Levine Toilolo – 14, 2, 86, 99
Jacquizz Rodgers – 13, 2, 31, 26
Steven Jackson – 12, 1, 39, 36
Antone Smith – 8, 1, 14, 15

We’ll take a greater look at the Falcons’ backfield later in the week, but no nominal starter is playing a smaller share of his team’s snaps than Jackson. That is not a good thing. Game flow dictates the absolute number of red zone targets, but, come on Matt Ryan and Dirk Koetter. Four red zone targets for Jones in five games? That’s shameful. The Falcons have given their running backs four times the rushing attempts in the red zone that they’ve given Jones targets. They have to allow their best player more opportunities to make plays near the goal line. 

• Wilson helps 'Hawks escape D.C. | MMQB: Aging QBs rule Week 5

Baltimore Ravens

Steve Smith – 51, 10, 71, 83
Torrey Smith – 32, 2, 78, 85
Justin Forsett – 27, 2, 59, 72
Owen Daniels – 23, 5, 73, 97
Bernard Pierce – 3, 0, 24, 10
Lorenzo Taliaferro – 1, 0, 20, 15

The numbers above should make it clear that Forsett is the main man in the Baltimore backfield. We knew heading into last week that he was the only back with a concrete role in the offense, and now we know that he is locked in as the lead back. I’ve been touting Daniels as a top-10 tight end for the rest of the season, and we saw a slice of that last week. He caught five of his seven targets for 70 yards, and played on nearly every snap. At this point, Torrey Smith should come incredibly cheap. Your eyes do not deceive you. He is on the field more frequently than Steve Smith. The problem isn’t with his usage, but with opportunities and drops. He has caught just two of his eight deep targets. There’s still some value here. I’d try to get him at what should be a rock-bottom price. 

Buffalo Bills

Sammy Watkins – 45, 5, 96, 99
Robert Woods – 33, 2, 92, 94
Fred Jackson – 32, 4, 57, 65
Scott Chandler – 19, 2, 70, 61
C.J. Spiller – 16, 2, 42, 35
Mike Williams – 16, 5, 51, 37

Despite the poor quarterback play in Buffalo, Watkins has to be considered at worst a WR3 nearly every week. He gets an average of nine targets per game, with one of those coming in the red zone. He has been on the field for nearly every single snap the Bills have had this year. Even with the unfortunate combination of EJ Manuel and Kyle Orton throwing him the ball, those are phenomenal usage numbers. A lesser receiver could put up respectable fantasy numbers with that much volume. An elite talent like Watkins can do even more. We’ll discuss it more later in the week, but the numbers above show just how far Jackson is ahead of Spiller.

Carolina Panthers

Kelvin Benjamin – 51, 5, 89, 85
Greg Olsen – 43, 6, 95, 94
Jason Avant – 21, 1, 52, 41
Jerricho Cotchery – 20, 1, 78, 80
Philly Brown – 14, 0, 23, 8
Mike Tolbert – 11, 0, 48, N/A
Jonathan Stewart – 7, 0, 48, N/A
Darrin Reaves – 7, 1, 48, 70
DeAngelo Williams – 2, 0, 34, N/A


Benjamin had his first really bad game of the season, catching just three passes for 38 yards a week ago, but he also got 11 targets. The Bears too often gave Olsen a free release, and he made his former team pay by catching six of his nine targets for 72 yards and two touchdowns. We might just have to rename this section of the targets the Weekly Benjamin and Olsen Update. They’re the only players in this offense worth thinking about at all, anyway.

Chicago Bears

Alshon Jeffery – 45, 5, 81, 97
Martellus Bennett – 45, 11, 89, 91
Matt Forte – 43, 6, 91, 91
Brandon Marshall – 39, 10, 90, 97
Santonio Holmes – 12, 1, 47, 34 

Forte is blowing away his running back brethren in targets, leading the field by six. His 91 percent of snaps played is also far and away the most among running backs. DeMarco Murray is second at 80 percent. Forte’s late fumble helped to bury his real-life team, but his fantasy owners are reaping all the benefits of him being truly the best player in the Chicago offense. He finally found the end zone last week, racking up 166 yards on 29 touches (12 receptions). Marshall was on the field for nearly every play last week, but he’s dealing with an injury and is still clearly not himself, with only six catches over the last three weeks. 

Cincinnati Bengals

Mohamed Sanu – 29, 4, 92, 100
A.J. Green – 28, 4, 64, 90
Giovani Bernard – 21, 1, 73, 81
Jermaine Gresham – 14, 3, 91, 96
Brandon Tate – 11, 0, 58, 31
Jeremy Hill – 6, 0, 26, 21  
Dane Sanzenbacher – 5, 2, 28, 23
Marvin Jones is expected back this week and that will throw this whole situation into flux. You can ignore the fact that Green has been on the field just 64 percent of the total snaps in the games he has played. That owes to the fact that he left Week 2 early in the first quarter. Sanu has played just as much as a healthy Green, and it’s hard to envision him shunted to the sidelines. Jones will likely play at the expense of Tate, but he’s going to wrest plenty of targets from Sanu, who has caught just one of his four red zone targets, and it did not go for six points. Despite Sanu’s success this year, Jones is the secondary receiver in Cincinnati that fantasy owners want.

Cleveland Browns

Andrew Hawkins – 42, 3, 72, 74
Miles Austin – 26, 4, 66, 64
Taylor Gabriel – 21, 5, 57, 53
Jordan Cameron – 16, 3, 71, 94
Travis Benjamin – 12, 3, 33, 34
Terrance West – 4, 1, 45, 14
Isaiah Crowell – 2, 0, 30, 19
Ben Tate – 2, 0, 47, 66

After sitting out because of a shoulder injury Week 2, Cameron played 85 percent of Cleveland’s snaps in Week 3 and 94 percent last week. Until Josh Gordon returns, he’s the only really threatening pass catcher on this team. Hawkins will continue to get plenty of targets, but he’s not a huge red zone weapon or deep threat, evidenced by his paltry two catches for more than 20 yards. You can safely ignore Benjamin, who had two touchdowns last week but has played fewer snaps than Hawkins, Austin and Gabriel every game. The latter, however, could be interesting. He has five red zone targets and has caught three of his five deep targets for a total of 140 yards.

• Superlatives: Hoyer, Browns make history | Which 3-2 teams will stick?

Dallas Cowboys

Dez Bryant – 45, 4, 83, 91
Terrance Williams – 28, 7, 82, 87
Jason Witten – 27, 1, 100, 100
DeMarco Murray – 20, 2, 80, 88
Cole Beasley – 19, 2, 46, 45

Murray is on the short list for NFL MVP so far, but he may not be able to hold up under all the touches he is getting this year. Only Matt Forte has played a higher percentage of his team’s snaps among running backs. Witten’s disappointing statistical season clearly has nothing to do with usage, as he hasn’t missed one snap. It’s simply a scheme thing, and that’s bad news if you’re invested in him. Williams has made the most of his red zone targets, catching four of them with three going for scores, and with the Cowboys heading to Seattle this week, he could very well see a healthy dose of Richard Sherman. Bryant got another red zone target this week, catching it for his fourth touchdown.

Denver Broncos

Demaryius Thomas – 48, 9, 94, 98
Emmanuel Sanders – 45, 4, 96, 95
Julius Thomas – 24, 9, 94, 95
Wes Welker – 16, 0, 75, 84
Montee Ball – 10, 2, 68, 37
Jacob Tamme – 5, 1, 25, 7
Ronnie Hillman – 4, 0, 35, 48
C.J. Anderson – 1, 0, 12, N/A

There’s the Demaryius Thomas we all expected to see this season. After his huge game, he’s on pace for 84 receptions, 1,468 yards and 12 touchdowns. His target numbers are huge, he’s getting the ball in the red zone, and he’s now making big plays. Thomas is the No. 1 receiver for the rest of the season, narrowly edging Jordy Nelson. Welker played on 65 percent of Denver’s snaps in his first game back and 84 percent last week. Sanders’ snap percentage did tick down, but he was still on the field for 95 percent of the snaps a week ago. With this offense, they can both be WR2s.

Detroit Lions

Golden Tate – 42, 3, 81, 82
Calvin Johnson – 37, 5, 70, 45
Reggie Bush – 28, 4, 46, 37
Eric Ebron – 17, 4, 41, 60
Joique Bell – 16, 1, 50, N/A
Jeremy Ross – 10, 0, 60, 73
Brandon Pettigrew – 8, 1, 63, 60
Joseph Fauria – 6, 2, 37, N/A
George Winn – 4, 0, 58, 58

Injury Watch: Megatron likely out 1-2 weeks, Ball bracing for the worst

Two weeks ago, Ebron set a career high by playing on 51 percent of Detroit’s snaps. He broke that a week later by getting on the field for 60 percent of the team’s plays against the Bills. He caught just two of his four targets for eight yards, but he just barely missed out on his second touchdown of the season. Pettigrew’s usage has been flat, but he just doesn’t factor into the passing game. Ebron could have some nice value going forward, especially if Johnson is forced to miss time. The same is true of Ross, who would start in Johnson’s absence.

Green Bay Packers

Jordy Nelson – 55, 11, 93, 70
Randall Cobb – 35, 9, 90, 78
Davante Adams – 18, 4, 55, 81
Andrew Quarless – 15, 4, 65, 57
Eddie Lacy – 13, 3, 64, 50
Jarrett Boykin – 7, 2, 64, N/A
Jeff Janis – 2, 0, 11, 20

The Packers’ dismantling of the Vikings last week was too surgical for Nelson’s owners. He played just on just 70 percent of Green Bay’s snaps with the team cruising to a 42-10 victory. This should be an anodyne statement, but Nelson should be considered one of the top-three receivers for the rest of the season, along with Demaryius Thomas and Julio Jones. Adams finally showed up last Thursday, playing on more than four-fifths of the team’s snaps and finding the end zone. He’s worth grabbing if you have the roster space, as he could blow up as Green Bay’s No. 3 receiver.

Houston Texans

Andre Johnson – 46, 7, 89, 86
DeAndre Hopkins – 34, 3, 96, 100
Arian Foster – 18, 2, 74, 81
Garrett Graham – 14, 1, 70, 61
Alfred Blue – 4, 0, 28, 19

While Hopkins has been on the field more frequently than Johnson, it’s the latter who has more overall and red zone targets by a wide margin. Ryan Fitzpatrick is doing a number on their fantasy value, though. I’d be wary of both in a short week against the Colts. Blue remains a necessary handcuff, but don’t expect him to play other than a cursory amount so long as Foster is healthy.

Indianapolis Colts

T.Y. Hilton – 51, 4, 71, 87
Reggie Wayne – 46, 6, 82, 85
Hakeem Nicks – 25, 6, 57, 60
Trent Richardson – 21, 3, 48, 49
Ahmad Bradshaw – 20, 8, 48, 51
Dwayne Allen – 20, 6, 68, 72
Coby Fleener – 20, 5, 61, 51

Roundtable: Ranking the top five fantasy quarterbacks going forward

While Allen and Fleener have shared Andrew Luck’s love equally this season, Allen has been on the field for more snaps in every game. You can’t count on both of them being starters, so that’s a good enough tiebreaker. If you own one, you want it to be Allen. Hilton and Wayne have both been remarkably consistent, and this offense helps them both be a factor all over the field. Wayne has six deep targets this year, while Hilton has eight. Neither has a drop on said targets. Both should be considered WR2s for the rest of the year.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Allen Hurns – 35, 2, 91, 98
Allen Robinson – 34, 4, 64, 91
Marqise Lee – 15, 1, 81, N/A
Cecil Shorts – 13, 1, 75, N/A 
Clay Harbor – 12, 0, 91, 89
Denard Robinson – 9, 0, 29, 34
Toby Gerhart – 8, 1, 47, 18
Storm Johnson – 0, 0, 13, 13

There is so little value in this passing game. Hurns and Robinson are relevant in the depth they provide fantasy owners with a few heavy bye weeks on the horizon. Lee would fall into that same category if he could ever get healthy. After that, there just isn’t anything to like here. Robinson is the most useful player, given that he has racked up his 34 targets in just four games.

Kansas City Chiefs

Travis Kelce – 27, 6, 48, 58
Dwayne Bowe – 25, 2, 81, 86
Donnie Avery – 22, 4, 72, N/A
Anthony Fasano – 20, 3, 93, 94
Knile Davis – 14, 3, 48, 14
Jamaal Charles – 12, 4, 52, 78

The usage numbers for Kelce are shameful. He’s easily the best weapon in the Kansas City offense not named “Jamaal Charles.” How he has played fewer than 50 percent of the team’s snaps this year is mind-boggling. When he’s on the field, Alex Smith can’t help but throw him the ball. Despite his low usage, he leads the team in overall and red zone targets. If Andy Reid would just get out of his way, he’d be a top-five tight end.

Miami Dolphins

Mike Wallace – 36, 6, 68, 47
Brian Hartline – 28, 6, 85, 81
Charles Clay – 23, 4, 74, 57
Lamar Miller – 17, 4, 58, 51

While Wallace made his money by being a deep threat in Pittsburgh, his red zone efficiency has made him a weapon this year. He has caught four of his six red zone targets, finding the end zone on three of those receptions. He had also played in at least 70 percent of the snaps in each of the Dolphins’ first three games. Miller will dominate the backfield for at least the next two weeks, and potentially the next three. Miami’s upcoming schedule includes the Packers, Bears and Jaguars. Miller should feast.

Minnesota Vikings

Greg Jennings – 29, 6, 87, 94
Jarius Wright – 24, 4, 55, 78
Cordarrelle Patterson – 24, 1, 79, 52
Matt Asiata – 21, 4, 56, 56
Jerick McKinnon – 15, 1, 30, 38
Rhett Ellison – 7, 0, 52, 52

We can go ahead and throw out last week’s numbers for the Vikings. The blowout loss to the Packers shouldn’t have too much bearing on the team as the team likely won’t have to worry about Christian Ponder as their starter, barring any further injury to Teddy Bridgewater. The rookie quarterback definitely elevates this entire offense, but I wouldn’t trust Patterson until he actually shows something on the field. The bottom line is he has been his own worst enemy this year. He needs to improve his route running if he’s going to perform with any measure of consistency this season.

New England Patriots

Julian Edelman – 49, 8, 88, 79
Rob Gronkowski – 38, 7, 57, 79
Brandon LaFell – 27, 3, 67, 88
Shane Vereen – 25, 1, 47, 40
Danny Amendola – 13, 1, 42, 22
Tim Wright – 10, 2, 19, 22
Stevan Ridley – 4, 0, 45, 58
Aaron Dobson – 4, 0, 28, 13

Fact or Fiction: Brady bouncing back; be wary of Lions' Stafford

Here is Rob Gronkowski’s snap percentage for each of the Patriots’ five games this season: 44, 42, 59, 72, 79. Unsurprisingly, he had his best game of the season last week, catching six of his 11 targets for 100 yards and a touchdown. The Patriots waived Kenbrell Thompkins, which could tell owners a lot about what they think of Aaron Dobson and, more likely, Brandon LaFell. The latter played every snap a week ago and 88 percent of the team’s snaps last week. Those of you in deep leagues may want to consider adding him this week. He’s worth a few-week tryout.

New Orleans Saints

Jimmy Graham – 49, 9, 69, 20
Brandin Cooks – 42, 5, 75, 75
Marques Colston – 31, 4, 72, 68
Pierre Thomas – 25, 3, 40, 32
Kenny Stills – 15, 1, 55, 48
Travaris Cadet – 14, 4, 14, 18
Khiry Robinson – 6, 0, 32, 48
Mark Ingram – 5, 0, 28, N/A

The Saints’ Week 6 bye comes at a perfect time with Graham nursing a shoulder injury. The injury is a mild sprain, and it isn’t thought to be serious. There’s a good chance he won’t miss any time. This has not been the explosive offense we’ve grown accustomed to seeing, and Drew Brees and his receivers simply aren’t connecting on deep balls. They’ve hooked up just four times on 13 attempts that traveled at least 20 yards in the air. Ingram played well before breaking a bone in his hand, but he played on fewer than 30 percent of the team’s snaps in Week 1 and Week 2. Robinson has played on at least 30 percent in each of the last three weeks, and more than 40 percent in two of those games. Don’t assume that Ingram will automatically take over as the primary runner.

New York Giants

Rueben Randle – 41, 11, 89, 93
Victor Cruz – 38, 2, 94, 94
Larry Donnell – 32, 11, 79, 76
Rashad Jennings – 14, 2, 59, 32
Andre Williams – 8, 1, 35, 53
Odell Beckham – 6, 2, 51, 51

Those numbers above are accurate. Yes, Randle and Donnell have 11 red zone targets apiece, nine more than the next highest, fantasy-relevant Giant. Given all the attention heaped upon Randle this year, I don’t see Beckham siphoning away too much fantasy value. In fact, I see the addition of another adept receiver as more reason to buy into this offense. I’d look into the purchase prices of both Randle and Cruz this week.

New York Jets

Jeremy Kerley – 33, 4, 76, 91
Eric Decker – 25, 3, 62, N/A
Jeff Cumberland – 20, 5, 86, 91
Jace Amaro – 18, 0, 34, 47
Chris Ivory – 12, 1, 42, 39
Chris Johnson – 12, 1, 37, 32

There is probably less to excite fantasy owners here than there is in Jacksonville. Decker is a WR3 when he’s healthy, but he’s still working his way back from a hamstring injury. There’s not a whole lot the rest of these guys can do given the way Geno Smith – and, last week, Michael Vick – have been playing quarterback. It’s Ivory or bust for the Jets.

Oakland Raiders

James Jones – 30, 4, 72, 88
Andre Holmes – 22, 1, 51, 92
Denarius Moore – 20, 1, 75, N/A
Mychal Rivera – 19, 0, 66, 63
Darren McFadden – 13, 0, 70, 68
Rod Streater – 13, 1, 50, N/A
Marcel Reece – 13, 1, 38, 25
Maurice Jones-Drew – 0, 0, 39, 26
Latavius Murray – 0, 0, 11, 6

It’s easy to see why the Raiders picked up Kenbrell Thompkins off the scrap heap. This team is desperate for any receiver with a pulse, and Thompkins actually had a few splash plays for the Patriots last season. He may not start right away, but he should be out there in two-wide sets with James Jones before long. Having said that, stay away from Thompkins: there is zero value in this passing attack.

Philadelphia Eagles

Jeremy Maclin – 57, 8, 91, 93
Riley Cooper – 34, 6, 91, 93
Jordan Matthews – 33, 5, 58, 45
Zach Ertz – 28, 3, 59, 40
Darren Sproles – 22, 2, 32, 27
LeSean McCoy – 20, 2, 72, 74
Brent Celek – 12, 4, 68, 79

Fantasy Fast Forward: Time to downgrade McCoy; more from Week 5

Sproles has played on more than 30 percent of the Eagles’ snaps only once, and that was in the team’s Week 2 matchup with Indianapolis. With as few plays and touches as he gets, he’s strictly a matchup guy. Cooper is always going to be out there in two-wide sets for his blocking skills, but he was again out-targeted by Matthews a week ago. Still, it’s not like either receiver had a big game, though Cooper did find the end zone. With the offensive line troubles the Eagles are having, Maclin is the only trustworthy pass catcher here.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Antonio Brown – 54, 9, 93, 88
Heath Miller – 33, 7, 94, 94
Markus Wheaton – 30, 2, 84, 82
Le’Veon Bell – 28, 4, 77, 66
Justin Brown – 18, 6, 67, 54
LeGarrette Blount – 5, 2, 18, 26

The Steelers don’t seem to trust Brown or Bell, which is weird given that they’re each one of the best players at their respective positions. It would be nice to see both guys, especially Bell, given more opportunities to make plays in the red zone. Other than that, there isn’t a whole lot interesting here. Brown and Bell are studs, Miller and Wheaton are borderline starters.

San Diego Chargers

Keenan Allen – 35, 6, 95, 85
Eddie Royal – 31, 3, 66, 51
Antonio Gates – 30, 6, 68, 54
Malcom Floyd – 21, 3, 77, 45
Donald Brown – 18, 4, 46, 30
Ladarius Green – 11, 4, 25, 51
Branden Oliver – 8, 2, 32, 55
Ryan Mathews – 4, 0, 32, N/A

The low snap counts for all of San Diego’s regulars last week reflect the fact that they were well in control of the game in the fourth quarter. Something worth noting here, though, is the greater usage of Floyd than Royal. Floyd has been on the field more than Royal in every game, except last week. He plays in more two-wide sets because he has a superior run blocker, similar to the breakdown between Riley Cooper and Jordan Matthews in Philadelphia. Royal has more targets, and his ability to stretch defenses horizontally is a really nice weapon in the red zone. I still prefer Royal.

San Francisco 49ers

Michael Crabtree – 37, 6, 70, 60
Anquan Boldin – 35, 5, 89, 86
Steve Johnson – 20, 5, 31, 7
Brandon Lloyd – 15, 1, 45, 34
Vernon Davis – 14, 1, 74, N/A
Frank Gore – 6, 0, 64, 56
Carlos Hyde – 6, 3, 31, 43

The numbers above should tell you everything you need to know about the 49ers’ offensive identity. During a game in which Davis did not play, the percent of snaps played for Crabtree, Boldin, Johnson and Lloyd were all below season average, and Colin Kaepernick threw just 26 passes. Meanwhile, Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde combined for 150 yards on 28 carries, and the Niners managed to come from behind to beat the Chiefs 22-17. This is a team that is at its best when it is pounding the run. Besides Crabtree, fantasy owners should be wary of anyone in the San Francisco passing game.

Seattle Seahawks

Percy Harvin – 25, 2, 61, 58 Doug Baldwin – 23, 2, 87, 91 Marhsawn Lynch – 16, 3, 67, 66 Jermaine Kearse – 12, 2, 83, 90 Robert Turbin – 3, 1, 23, 21 That Lynch leads the Seahawks in red zone targets should tell you all you need to know about this passing game. If it doesn’t, the fact that Harvin has played on just 61 percent of the snaps all year should do the rest. The reason why Harvin was a risky pick wasn’t just because of his injury history. It was also because he needs to make big plays in limited time on the field. That just hasn’t clicked for him this year, and he’s averaging one red zone target every two games. He’s no better than a WR3.

St. Louis Rams

Jared Cook – 32, 4, 73, 80
Brian Quick – 31, 3, 77, 78
Kenny Britt – 17, 1, 62, 61
Lance Kendricks – 16, 2, 65, 50
Austin Pettis – 13, 3, 35, 43
Zac Stacy – 12, 1, 48, 39
Benny Cunningham – 11, 1, 44, 54 
Chris Givens – 9, 0, 24, N/A
Tavon Austin – 6, 0, 30, 30 

What jumps out most obviously here is that Stacy has played on just 4 percent more snaps than Cunningham this year. That’s alarming for someone many fantasy writers were touting as a sure-thing RB2 during draft season. Austin Davis carved up the Eagles last week, and while they feature one of the worst pass defenses in the league, give credit where it is due with the Rams’ quarterback. Davis showed good pocket presence and nearly led the Rams all the way back from a 27-point, second-half deficit. He makes Quick a reliable fantasy option, and has breathed life into Cook and Britt.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Vincent Jackson – 46, 6, 99, 100
Mike Evans – 28, 3, 75, N/A
Louis Murphy – 21, 4, 74, 89
Bobby Rainey – 19, 1, 55, 35
Brandon Myers – 16, 1, 69, 35
Doug Martin – 10, 0, 59, 65
Austin Seferian-Jenkins – 10, 0, 78, 95


In the last two weeks, Seferian-Jenkins has played 98 and 95 percent of Tampa Bay’s snaps. Meanwhile, Myers has played 43 and 35 percent, after playing at least 95 percent in each of the first three weeks. The changing of the guard has already happened. It hasn’t mattered in fantasy leagues yet, but Seferian-Jenkins is big and athletic, and could be a huge red zone weapon for Mike Glennon, especially with Evans out another couple of weeks. Deep leaguers should be keeping an eye on the rookie out of Washington. Murphy’s increased usage is a direct result of Evans’ injury. Unless you’re desperate at receiver, ignore him.

Tennessee Titans

Kendall Wright – 37, 4, 82, 81
Delanie Walker – 35, 7, 76, 85
Justin Hunter – 31, 3, 81, 97
Nate Washington – 26, 3, 88, 71
Dexter McCluster – 9, 2, 30, 24
Bishop Sankey – 4, 0, 28, 32
Shonn Greene – 2, 1, 27, 26

Look at that nice big number at the first right next to Hunter’s name. The 6-foot-4 speedster played on 97 percent of Tennessee’s snaps last week, and caught three passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. He’s the most dangerous weapon in a struggling offense. You can bet he’ll continue to be out there a whole lot going forward. If Jake Locker is healthy enough to play this week, Hunter, Wright and Walker could all be in for big days with Jacksonville up next. The Jaguars have been terrible against the pass this season, allowing a league-high 8.3 yards per attempt.

Washington Redskins

Pierre Garcon – 42, 1, 84, 89
DeSean Jackson – 38, 4, 67, 91
Niles Paul – 29, 3, 64, 80
Andre Roberts – 29, 6, 69, 64
Roy Helu – 20, 0, 39, 51
Alfred Morris – 4, 0, 57, 49

Garcon got just three targets last week, but that had a lot to do with Richard Sherman. Jackson torched the Seahawks for 157 yards and a touchdown on five catches. These two remain interchangeable as the top receiver in Washington, and are both high-end WR2s for the rest of the season. It’ll be interesting to see what happens to Paul’s usage if Jordan Reed is able to return from his hamstring injury this week. Both are undoubtedly talented receivers. Don’t count out Washington deploying both along with Garcon and Jackson, with Morris as a lone back. That would get all their best playmakers on the field at the same time.


Published
Michael Beller
MICHAEL BELLER

Michael Beller is SI.com's fantasy sports editor and a staff writer covering fantasy, college basketball and MLB. He resides in Chicago and has been with SI.com since 2010.