We’re a third of the way through the NFL season and the red zone targets are starting to pile up for some offensive weapons. The trouble is, the targets aren’t necessarily equating to touchdowns. Emmanuel Sanders and Jason Witten still lead the league in red zone targets with 12 a piece, but Sanders has just two touchdowns while Witten still has zero! Jordy Nelson’s five touchdowns (seven catches on 11 targets) is by far the best conversion rate at the top of the heap, making him a great DFS play. But, the rest of the top 10 is lackluster at best. Tyrell Williams, Brandon Marshall and Demaryius Thomas all have 10 targets a piece. However, Williams has zero red zone touchdowns, while Thomas and Marshall have just two apiece. Volume hasn’t always equaled production in 2016.

Here’s the Red Zone recap:

TARGET MONSTERS:

Only three players had four targets in the red zone in Week 6: Dennis Pitta, Anquan Boldin and Pierre Garcon. None of these three are considered “big time” fantasy contributors. In fact, two of the three may be on the waiver wire of your league(s). They should, most likely, stay there in shallow situations.  Only Boldin hauled in a score, but it is Pitta whose match-up against the Jets this coming weekend bears carry-over appeal into Week 7. Pitta and Mike Wallace are both worthwhile DFS investments against the hapless Jets’ secondary.

The big-name starts who found the end zone did so on big plays. Odell Beckham and Brandin Cooks, for instance, did their damage in yards after the catch, not from inside the 20. This is due, in part, to some of the worst secondary play I’ve seen overall in the NFL in recent memory. Communication breakdowns are rampant, corners keep playing for turnovers instead of position, and tackling has been abysmal. This is all great news for bonus scoring leagues, but the red zone has been a quieter place as a result, especially from the stars of the league.

MOST EFFICIENCT:

The Browns continue to keep Terrelle Pryor on a roll. Pryor caught all three of his red zone targets for two touchdowns. The same can be said for Rams receiver Kenny Britt, who’s always had talent but questionable maturity issues. Can Britt become a viable WR3 in fantasy and build on this performance? The chances are unlikely based upon history. However, in deep leagues he’s worth the speculation.  

Last year, Eric Decker was about as consistent a fantasy receiver as one could ask for in terms of point totals. This year, that mantle has been passed to the Cowboys’ Cole Beasley. In the absence of Dez Bryant, Beasley has continued to be the “go-to” target for Dak Prescott and Sunday his 2-for-2 with two touchdowns inside the red zone were another example of Beasley’s incredible value. He’s a weekly stalwart foundation builder in DFS lineups and should continue to thrive even after Bryant’s return. It’s the possibility of Tony Romo coming back that could be bigger potential negative.

ONES TO WATCH:

As I mentioned earlier, Dennis Pitta will be a threat this Sunday, but Thursday, it’s the Packers’ Ty Montgomery who bears your more immediate attention. Montgomery’s workload will increase greatly in the absence of Eddie Lacy and his red zone attention should stay consistent. He received three targets last week and caught two of them. Martellus Bennett may have had a letdown compared to his Week 5 performance, but he caught both of his red zone targets last week and the Steelers will have no answer for the Patriots’ offense this weekend. Todd Gurley owners need to stay strong. The RB1 continues to see red zone action (3-for-3 on his Week 6 targets) and eventually that volume will show itself in the stat line. 

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Joe Pisapia (@JoePisapia17) is the eight-time best-selling author of the Fantasy Black Book Series for baseball and football. He hosts The Fantasy Black Book Tues and Thurs 8-10pm est and Sunday Game Day 8-11am on FNTSY Network Radio.