Target Practice, Week 3: Kendall Wright, rated rookie
Most of us were expecting Tennessee rookie Kendall Wright to see a significant early season workload, with Kenny Britt was suspended for the opener, then placed on a snap-count in Week 2. But it's nice to see Wright's targets hold steady with Britt playing 41 snaps on Sunday against the Lions. Both receivers ranked near the top of the Week 3 target board, drawing 11 opportunities each.
With three games now in the books, Wright leads all NFL rookies in targets (25) and catches (14), by significant margins. He benefits from the same friendly fantasy setup that Jake Locker enjoys, as described by Mr. Pianowski on Monday. The Titans will find themselves in shootouts all season, often playing from behind, and they can't/won't/shouldn't run the ball (ever again).
Wright hasn't given us a huge stat line just yet -- his 14 catches have produced just 102 yards and one score -- but, again, volume hasn't been an issue. His upcoming schedule has every-other-week appeal. The rookie may not yet be in the circle of trust, but he's definitely in the circle of interest, deserving an uptick in ownership.
Full target leader board below, in traditional Arcade colors...
• It would be an exaggeration to say that Percy Harvin catches everything, but that's pretty close to the truth. Percy has hauled in 27 balls on 32 chances, which is silly. Sure, it has a lot to do with the routes he's running, but 27-for-32 would be an excellent rate for a back or a tight end.
• As you can see above, the Steelers peppered their primary receivers with targets in Week 3, facing an over-matched Raiders secondary. Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown and Heath Miller each had double-digit looks. Ben Roethlisberger has said of Miller, "We're trying to get him to the Pro Bowl," and the effort is evident in his target totals. This week, Denver's receivers get to feast on the Raiders.
• No, Donnie Avery didn't actually do all that much with his nine targets last week, but it's worth noting the total. Rookie TY Hilton had the long touchdown and the big yardage total, though he didn't have an edge in snaps or targets. In any case, with Austin Collie (knee) sidelined rest-of-season, both Avery and Hilton are on the map for fantasy owners.
• Damaris Johnson led Philly in targets, receptions and yards on Sunday (11-5-84), filling in for the injured Jeremy Maclin (hip). But with Maclin presumably returning in Week 4 for the Sunday nighter against the Giants, there's no obvious reason to jump all over Damaris.
• The Ramses Barden spin is similar to Johnson's, as Hakeem Nicks (foot) is expected back in Week 4. New York's offense is clearly capable of supporting a third ownable fantasy receiver, but Martellus Bennett is filling the role nicely.
• And while we're talking No. 3 receivers: Kevin Ogletree just missed this week's target leader board, as he had seven balls thrown his way, catching five balls for 57 yards. I'm not making any promises about Ogletree's Week 4 output against the Bears, but I definitely think he can be more than a one-hit fantasy wonder.
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