Week 2 AFC Targets and Touches
Week 1 is officially in the books. That means it’s time to look at player opportunity and usage stats.
For some background on how this data should be used and my goals for this column, head here. As always, I’ll caution readers that football is a very small sample size sport. We only have 16 relevant weeks to go off of and the fantasy landscape can change on a dime. We have to keep our heads on a swivel and at the same time make sure we're careful not to overreact to a one game sample.
Let’s get to the Week 2 AFC Targets and Touches Report.
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Baltimore Ravens
Targets: Steve Smith, Justin Forsett (7), Crockett Gillmore and Kyle Juszczyk (4), Kamar Aiken 3, Marlon Brown, Maxx Williams, and Michael Campanaro (2), Buck Allen 1
RB Touches: Justin Forsett (14 attempts, 4 catches) 18, Buck Allen (9 att., 1 catch) 10
Red zone Targets: Steve Smith 2, Kyle Juszczyk, Crockett Gillmore, and Justin Forsett (1)
Red zone Carries: None
CBs Thrown At (via PFF): Jimmy Smith 11 (Allowed: 7 receptions-60 yards), Kyle Arrington 6 (6-42), Lardarius Webb 5 (2-24)
Analysis: With Breshad Perriman (knee) still out, the Ravens pass offense centered around Steve Smith and Justin Forsett. That’s not a huge surprise. Forsett saw 18 touches but only posted a 14-43 rushing line against a stout Broncos’ front-seven. Better days are ahead for the Ravens offense.
Buffalo Bills
Targets: Percy Harvin 5, LeSean McCoy and Charles Clay (4), Sammy Watkins 3, Robert Woods 2
RB Touches: LeSean McCoy (17 att., 3 catches) 20, Karlos Williams (6 att.), Anthony Dixon (3 att.)
Red zone Targets: None
Red zone Carries: LeSean McCoy 3, Anthony Dixon 2, Karlos Williams 1
CBs Thrown At: Stephon Gilmore 15 (7-110), Nickell Robey 8 (5-31), Ronald Darby 7 (5-41)
Analysis: Per PFF’s Mike Clay, Colts’ shutdown CB Vontae Davis shadowed Sammy Watkins on all 23 of his routes – hence Watkins paltry three targets. It also doesn’t help the Bills were 65.5% run-heavy in Week 1. Watkins came into the year as a boom-or-bust WR3 in fantasy and nothing has changed.
Cincinnati Bengals
Targets: Tyler Eifert 12, A.J. Green 8, Giovani Bernard 6, Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones (3)
RB Touches: Jeremy Hill (19 att.), Giovani Bernard (8 att., 6 catches) 14
Red zone Targets: Tyler Eifert and A.J. Green (2), Mohamed Sanu, Gio Bernard, Ryan Hewitt, and Marvin Jones (1)
Red zone Carries: Jeremy Hill 8, Giovani Bernard 2
CBs Thrown At: Dre Kirkpatrick 7 (3-31), Adam Jones 7 (5-42), Leon Hall 5 (3-5)
Analysis: Bow to Tyler Eifert. He led the team in targets (12) and posted a nutty 31.4 PPR fantasy points against the Raiders trailing only Rob Gronkowski in TE scoring on the week (32.4 PPR points). Eifert put himself on the top-tier TE radar with his performance on Sunday. 27.7% of the Bengals offensive plays came in the red zone and Jeremy Hill saw eight carries on the 18 total red zone plays.
Cleveland Browns
Targets: Andrew Hawkins 6, Gary Barnidge and Brian Hartline (5), Taylor Gabriel 4, Travis Benjamin and Jim Dray (3), Malcolm Johnson and Isaiah Crowell (2), Rob Housler and Shaun Draughn (1).
RB Touches: Isaiah Crowell (12 att., 2 catches) 14, Duke Johnson (7 att.), Shaun Draughn (1 att.)
Red zone Targets: Rob Housler, Andrew Hawkins, and Shaun Draughn (1)
Red zone Carries: Isaiah Crowell 2
CBs Thrown At: Joe Haden 7 (6-99-1), Tramon Williams 5 (3-19), K’Wuan Williams 2 (2-37-1)
Analysis: The only Browns’ players you should be seriously interested in for season-long fantasy purposes are Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson. Their workload split is worth monitoring in the near future. Another thing to note: Jets’ WR Brandon Marshall beat Joe Haden on Sunday for 5-56-1.
Denver Broncos
Targets: Emmanuel Sanders 12, Demaryius Thomas 11, C.J. Anderson 8, Jordan Norwood 5, Owen Daniels 2, Andre Caldwell and Virgil Green (1)
RB Touches: C.J. Anderson (12 att., 4 catches) 16, Ronnie Hillman (12 att.)
Red zone Targets: None
Red zone Carries: Ronnie Hillman 1
CBs Thrown At: Chris Harris Jr. 5 (4-13), Aqib Talib 4 (2-25), Bradley Roby 3 (2-11)
Analysis: I’m not overly worried about the Broncos offense yet. The Ravens sacked Peyton Manning four times and pressured him a total of 13 times while holding Denver to just one play in the red zone. I’m also not even remotely close to panicking about C.J. Anderson. He saw eight targets in a game where the Broncos struggled to move the ball, which is a good sign for his role. I would keep an eye on his sprained toe and Ronnie Hillman's Week 2 workload. The Ravens run defense also proved to be a formidable unit in Week 1; Anderson and Hillman combined for 24 carries and both had seven carries that went for two or fewer yards.
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Houston Texans
Targets: DeAndre Hopkins 13, Nate Washington 11, Cecil Shorts 8, Ryan Griffin 4 Keith Mumphery 3, Alfred Blue and Jonathan Grimes (2), C.J. Fiedorowicz, Chris Polk, and Garrett Graham (1)
RB Touches: Alfred Blue (9 att., 1 catch) 10, Jonathan Grimes (6 att., 1 catch) 7, Chris Polk (5 att., 1 catch) 6
Red zone Targets: DeAndre Hopkins 4, Cecil Shorts, Jonathan Grimes, and Nate Washington (1)
Red zone Carries: Jonathan Grimes 2, Chris Polk and Alfred Blue (1)
CBs Thrown At: Kareem Jackson 6 (6-52-1) and Johnathan Joseph 5 (2-11)
Analysis: In the offseason we thought DeAndre Hopkins would see plenty of volume with Andre Johnson now in Indianapolis and that became a fact Week 1. QB play between Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett will always be a concern, but Hopkins is more than talented enough to transcend the situation and dominate weekly. I wouldn’t put seeing 160 targets (10 targets per-game) past him this year. Also, don’t mess with the Texans RBs until Arian Foster (groin) is back. Grimes, Blue, and Polk rotated into a 44:22:14 snap-split Week 1.
Indianapolis Colts
Targets: T.Y. Hilton 14, Donte Moncrief 11, Andre Johnson 10, Dwayne Allen 6, Phillip Dorsett and Frank Gore (3), Tyler Varga and Coby Fleener (1)
RB Touches: Frank Gore (8 att., 2 catches) 10, Josh Robinson (4 att.), Tyler Varga (1 att., 1 catch) 2
Red zone Targets: Dwayne Allen, T.Y. Hilton, Andre Johnson, and Donte Moncrief (2)
Red zone Carries: Josh Robinson 2
CBs Thrown At: Darius Butler 6 (6-119-1) and Vontae Davis 2 (0-0)
Analysis: T.Y. Hilton is “day-to-day” with a bruised left knee suffered against the Bills. If he can’t go in Week 2, expect Andre Johnson and Donte Moncrief in 2-WR packages with Phillip Dorsett moved around the formation in 3-WR sets. Don’t be alarmed by Frank Gore’s 10 total touches in Week 1 – he missed some snaps due to calf cramps and was negatively affected by game-script.
I’m ready to place Vontae Davis in the top CB conversation. He shutdown Sammy Watkins in Week 1 and is coming off of a 2014 season in which he allowed just 41-444-0 while thrown at 92 times. He didn’t shadow opposing WRs in 2014, but if he starts following top WRs across formations routinely -- like he did against Watkins -- DFS-ers need to take note.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Targets: Rashad Greene 13, Allen Hurns 7, Allen Robinson 6, T.J. Yeldon 4, Denard Robinson
RB Touches: T.J. Yeldon (12 att., 3 catches) 15 and Denard Robinson (5 att., 2 catches) 7
Red zone Targets: Allen Robinson and Rashad Greene (2) and Allen Hurns 1
Red zone Carries: T.J. Yeldon 1
CBs Thrown At: Aaron Colvin 5 (2-14), Davon House 3 (1-37), Dwayne Gratz 2 (1-6)
Analysis: Better days are hopefully coming for Allen Robinson. Panthers top CB Josh Norman didn’t shadow Robinson for all of his routes, but Robinson still only caught one of his 6 targets for 27 yards. He did see two red zone targets in Week 2 and that will likely continue as long as Julius Thomas (hand) is on the shelf.
Kansas City Chiefs
Targets: Jeremy Maclin 9, Jamaal Charles 8, Travis Kelce 6, Albert Wilson 3, De’Anthony Thomas 2, Knile Davis 1
RB Touches: Jamaal Charles (16 att., 5 catches) 21, Knile Davis (6 att., 1 catch) 7
Red zone Targets: Jamaal Charles and Jeremy Maclin (2), Travis Kelce 1
Red zone Carries: Jamaal Charles 1
CBs Thrown At: Marcus Peters 13 (8-122-2), Jamell Fleming 11 (8-85), Phillip Gaines 6 (3-40)
Analysis: I learned my lesson about fading Travis Kelce in DFS this past weekend. Jeremy Maclin leading the Chiefs in targets Week 1 is certainly encouraging for his future usage. Out of the gates, Andy Reid fed Jamaal Charles 20-plus touches after averaging just 16.4 touches per-game in 2014.
Miami Dolphins
Targets: Jarvis Landry 12, Jordan Cameron 7, Rishard Matthews 6, Greg Jennings and Kenny Stills (3), Lamar Miller 1
RB Touches: Lamar Miller (13 att., 1 catch) 14, Damien Williams (1 att., 1 catch) 2
Red zone Targets: Jarvis Landry 3, Jordan Cameron 2, Damien Williams, Rishard Matthews, and Kenny Stills (1)
Red zone Carries: Damien Williams 1
CBs Thrown At: Jamar Taylor 8 (7-54), Brent Grimes 4 (1-4), Brice McCain 4 (3-49)
Analysis: Jarvis Landry will be a staple in my cash game lineups on DFS sites this year; he gets a ton of unsexy low-depth looks but that will continue to provide a safe weekly floor. I wouldn’t be shocked if he ends up averaging 8.5-9 targets a week. I’m not concerned about Lamar Miller. He was in a tough matchup against a solid Washington front-seven and game-script wasn't in his favor. Miami ran the ball just four times in the first half.
New England Patriots
Targets: Julian Edelman 12, Rob Gronkowski 8, Dion Lewis 5, Danny Amendola 3, Brandon Bolden 2, Aaron Dobson and Scott Chandler (1)
RB Touches: Dion Lewis (15 att., 4 catches) 19 and Brandon Bolden (5 att., 1 catch) 6
Red zone Targets: Rob Gronkowski 4, Julian Edelman and Scott Chandler (1)
Red zone Carries: Dion Lewis and Brandon Bolden (2)
CBs Thrown At: Malcolm Butler 11 (10-151-1), Bradley Fletcher 5 (4-65), Tarell Brown 5 (2-28)
Analysis: There’s not much to say here besides Rob Gronkowski has to be a weekly consideration in cash games and tournaments on DFS sites. His consistency and ceiling is absolutely unmatched at the position. It’ll be interesting to see the Pats’ RB rotation now that LeGarrette Blount is back from his one-game suspension.
New York Jets
Targets: Brandon Marshall 9, Chris Owusu 6, Bilal Powell 4, Eric Decker 3, Chris Ivory and Kellen Davis (1)
RB Touches: Chris Ivory (20 att., 1 catch) 21 and Bilal Powell (12 att., 2 catches) 14
Red zone Targets: Brandon Marshall 2, Eric Decker, Chris Ivory, and Bilal Powell (1)
Red zone Carries: Chris Ivory 7 and Bilal Powell 2
CBs Thrown At: Marcus Williams 7 (3-38), Darrelle Revis 6 (3-37), Buster Skrine 2 (1-11), Antonio Cromartie 1 (1-54-1)
Analysis: I knew there would be some games where Brandon Marshall would cannibalize the Jets’ targets, but I didn’t think it would be in Week 1 with Marshall matched up against Joe Haden. Later in the week we’ll have a decent idea if Colts’ shutdown corner Vontae Davis will shadow Marshall on MNF. One other thing to monitor: Eric Decker may be the Jets’ slot receiver this year. He ran 81.8% of his routes from the slot against the Browns.
Oakland Raiders
Targets: Amari Cooper 9, Michael Crabtree 8, Latavius Murray 7, Mychal Rivera and Clive Walford (2)
RB Touches: Latavius Murray (11 att., 7 catches) 21 and Taiwan Jones (3 att., 1 catch) 4
Red zone Targets: Marcel Reece 2, Rod Streater and Michael Crabtree (1)
Red zone Carries: None
CBs Thrown At: D.J. Hayden 9 (7-67-1), T.J. Carrie 5 (2-24), Neiko Thorpe 3 (3-38-1)
Analysis: As long as Derek Carr (thumb) is healthy, I think 9 targets per-game may be close to Amari Cooper’s weekly floor this year. Latavius Murray is Oakland’s lead dog as Roy Helu was a healthy scratch in Week 1. Game-script will always be a factor in Murray’s weekly outlook, but seeing 7 targets certainly helps.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Targets: Antonio Brown and Heath Miller (11), Darrius Heyward-Bey and Markus Wheaton (7), DeAngelo Williams 1
RB Touches: DeAngelo Williams (21 att., 1 catch) 22
Red zone Targets: Heath Miller 3, Antonio Brown 1
Red zone Carries: DeAngelo Williams 6
CBs Thrown At: William Gay 7 (5-37), Antwon Blake 4 (4-41), Cortez Allen 3 (3-33)
Analysis: There’s honestly not much to say here. Le’Veon Bell is back from suspension in Week 3 and one major thing carried over from the beginning of last season: the Steelers’ offense is less potent without Martavis Bryant. In 2014 when Bryant suited up, the Steelers averaged 31.2 points/game versus 20.6 points/game without him. Pittsburgh put up 21 points Week 1 in New England.
San Diego Chargers
Targets: Keenan Allen 17, Danny Woodhead 7, Steve Johnson and Ladarius Green (6), Melvin Gordon 3, Malcom Floyd 2
RB Touches: Melvin Gordon (14 att., 3 catches) 17 and Danny Woodhead (12 att., 4 catches) 16
Red zone Targets: Steve Johnson, Keenan Allen, Ladarius Green, and Danny Woodhead (2), Malcom Floyd 1
Red zone Carries: Danny Woodhead 6
CBs Thrown At: Jason Verrett 4 (1-6), Brandon Flowers 4 (2-39), Patrick Robinson 4 (2-27)
Analysis: Keenan Allen was spoon fed targets in Week 1 and I’m certainly interested to see if Phillip Rivers comes back in Week 2 and gives him 7-plus looks. Steve Johnson is the Chargers’ slot receiver for now, as he ran 85.4% of his routes from the slot in Week 1. Melvin Gordon didn’t receive a single red zone carry (Danny Woodhead had all six), which means Gordon’s weekly TD floor and ceiling is capped unless he completely usurps Danny Woodhead. That may not happen this year.
Tennessee Titans
Targets: Kendall Wright and Bishop Sankey (4), Delanie Walker 3, Harry Douglas and Justin Hunter (2)
RB Touches: Bishop Sankey (12 att., 2 catches) 14 and Terrance West (13 att.)
Red zone Targets: Delanie Walker, Harry Douglas, and Bishop Sankey (1)
Red zone Carries: Terrance West 3, Bishop Sankey 1
CBs Thrown At: Blidi Wreh-Wilson 6 (2-18), Coty Sensabaugh 3 (1-18), Perrish Cox 2 (1-6)
Analysis: The Titans’ Week 1 game-script doesn’t leave much actionable data here. Tennessee completely obliterated the Bucs’ on the road -- they were up 35-7 at halftime and only threw the ball four times in the second half.
