ARI
Week 12 bye week.
ATL
We’ve finally seen Russell Gage begin to separate himself from the pack as he was the only receiver that saw north of three targets. He’s now had seven or more targets in three of his last four games and there’s no reason to think that sort of volume can’t or won’t continue as long as Calvin Ridley remains out of the lineup.
It was a down game for Cordarrelle Patterson the receiver, but Patterson the running back dominated. He has turned into a one of a kind weapon these days. On the flipside, someone we figured would be weaponized once Calvin Ridley walked away from the team was Kyle Pitts. Although he’s been targeted five or more times in all but one game this year, he hasn’t really left his mark and lived up to his ADP.
BAL
We all wanted Rashod Bateman to be the guy or at least a guy in this Ravens offense and it just hasn’t happened up to this point. With the return of Marquise Brown and the 10 targets he saw, Bateman had just four of them and that was a season low. Bateman is not anyone I’m looking to start as the fantasy playoffs approach. He’s a decent stash, but if roster space is needed for someone you’re looking to start, he’s a cut candidate.
Someone you’re definitely not cutting is Mark Andrews as he had another 10 target outing. He’s had 10+ targets in three of his last four games and is now trailing Travis Kelce by just nine overall.
BUF
People were awfully worried about Stefon Diggs earlier in the year until Diggs turned all that volume he was getting into production. The production has continued, as has the volume. He’s up to 100 targets on the year and second amongst the receivers with 79 is Cole Beasley. Emmanuel Sanders has really been hurting in the volume department, notching five or fewer targets in three straight.
Buffalo didn’t really use their backers or the tight ends in the passing game EXCEPT when they were being targeted for touchdowns. Matt Breida had two targets and scored on one and Dawson Knox had three targets and scored twice.
CAR
Things went horribly for Carolina in the passing game but D.J. Moore still saw 10 targets, which is the most from Week 7.
The thing of note here was Ameer Abdullah’s involvement in the offense. He had six targets last week, which was actually the fourth time in five weeks that's happened. Chuba Hubbard was nothing special when Christian McCaffrey was out earlier in the year and if Carolina is ever playing from behind -- which is likely -- Abdullah will be on the field. He has some appeal for GPP formats.
CHI
It was the Moondog show on Thanksgiving as Darnell Mooney was without Allen Robinson and Mooney had a day, notching eight targets and went crazy overall. Mooney has really taken the next step this year, unfortunately at the hands of Robinson’s worst year to date. If Robinson is not on the field, Mooney is a WR2 with WR1 upside.
It was a MONSTER week for Cole Kmet as the breakout has really taken off. He had 11 targets, which was a season high by three. We knew coming in he had a rapport with Andy Dalton and that showed in a massive way on Thanksgiving. Kmet is a TE1 with Dalton under center.
CIN
We learned nothing new from Cincy outside of them being a consolidated passing offense. They really rely on their three receivers and it’s a mixed bag of volume from everyone else.
CLE
Since the departure of Odell Beckham Jr., it’s really been all Jarvis Landry in terms of targets. He’s had 23 targets over his last three games, including 10 in their last game. The 10 targets tied his season high and despite Baker Mayfield’s subpar play, he’s a weekly FLEX with that type of volume in PPR.
It was disappointing to see just one target for Kareem Hunt in his return, so much so that his own dad took to Facebook about it! He doesn’t CARE what you think...go Browns!
DAL
We know how well balanced Dallas’ passing attack can be and that didn’t change with both Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb out. Cedrick Wilson led the team with 10 targets, Noah Brown had nine and Michael Gallup had eight. Michael Gallup actually led the team in routes run, while Wilson ran the fewest. With Dallas getting healthier entering Week 13, expect Brown to take a big step back.
Dallas has really involved the running backs in the passing game more and more as time has gone by. Ezekiel Elliott had eight targets, which was the second time in as many weeks he’s had six or more targets. It’s the fourth time in the last six weeks he’s notched at least six targets. With Cooper and Lamb out, Dalton Schultz was in the limelight like we’ve seen a numerous amount of times this season. Schultz had seven targets and played 51 of 53 pass snaps.
DEN
This is an AWFUL situation for the Broncos right now. Courtland Sutton is droppable if you haven’t done so already, Tim Patrick is too. Jerry Jeudy is really the only receiver that’s worth a damn right now and yet, he only had three targets himself in Week 12. Teddy Bridgewater is not supporting receivers outside of Joe Brady’s offense.
Javonte Williams made a big impact in the passing game with four targets and that’s no surprise considering they compared him to Alvin Kamara earlier this year. Noah Fant didn’t have much impact either, notching just four targets. Tough to trust this offense right now.
DET
I mean, who do you want to trust here? Anyone? Josh Reynolds and Amon-Ra St. Brown are the two we want. Reynolds had five targets, which led the receivers, and St. Brown had four. St. Brown actually played more snaps and ran more routes.
With D'Andre Swift being injured, we should expect Jamaal Williams to pick up a big role in the passing game. Williams is very comfortable coming out of the backfield as he had 34+ targets in each season with the Packers and started this year with a nine target outing.
GB
The game plan against an elite defense was to spread the ball around and spread the ball around they did. Both Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling had nine targets while Allen Lazard had six and Randall Cobb had five. The biggest takeaway from this is WVS with his second straight big target game in a row.
With Aaron Jones back in Week 12, AJ Dillon still saw five targets, which is a really nice workload for a backup running back. Dillon has standalone FLEX value with this type of volume, even with Jones healthy.
HOU
Brandin Cooks has been disappointing lately. Really everyone on Houston is avoidable heading into our fantasy postseason. If you have a lot of Houston exposure, you’re probably not going to be in many fantasy playoffs anyways.
IND
Things got back on track for Michael Pittman as he had 10 targets, his first time clear five with T.Y. Hilton in the lineup. The Colts have turned into a run-first, second and third offense with the way Jonathan Taylor has played. Pittman is still a solid WR2, but he’s the only pass catcher we can trust.
There has also been a shift in passing to the running backs as well. Frank Reich and company have realized that putting the ball in Jonathan Taylor’s hands as much as possible is the best case scenario for the team. He had five targets in this game and has now seen five or more in two of his last three games. This was also Jack Doyle’s third straight game with at least five targets. He’s not the most appealing target in the world, but if you’re desperate at tight end, he’s likely available on your waiver wire.
JAC
Sure it was nice to see Laviska Shenault get nine looks and sure it was nice to see Marvin Jones targeted seven times, but they’re providing us with nothing of substance. Urban Meyer’s offense stinks.
KC
Week 12 bye week.
LAR
The Rams played from behind from the outset of this game and the targets for their receivers were flowing because of it. Both Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. had 10 targets each, while Van Jefferson saw nine. This is the first time that Odell Beckham has been fantasy viable all year and Van Jefferson remains a serious big play threat each and every week. Cooper Kupp is Cooper Kupp. Keep playing Cooper Kupp.
We’ve seen Tyler Higbee take a big step back and is a CLEAR TE2 moving forward with three, sometimes four guys are prioritized before him in the passing game.
LAC
Nothing has changed for the Chargers. Keenan Allen continues to be a terror to opposing defenses. He had his fifth straight double-digit target game and his 116 on the year is third in football. He has a realistic chance at leading the league in that category by season's end at this rate. Shot out to Mike Williams as he’s back reeling in a boatload of targets as well.
With D’Andre Swift going down and Austin Ekeler seemingly getting eight or more looks per week, Ekeler will likely finish as the most targeted running back in the league by season's end. Jared Cook saw five targets to the one Donald Parham saw and on top of that, he ran 20 more routes than Parham did, who ran just 15 total.
LV
With Darren Waller missing all of the second half and in and out of the lineup in the first half, it was once again the Hunter Renfrow show on Thanksgiving. He delivered in a BIG way and will continue to be a plug-and-play on a weekly basis. If you were holding out hope for Bryan Edwards, shed that dead weight before it’s too late (it’s already too late).
Water is wet, Josh Jacobs is involved in the passing game. Four straight games with at least four targets for a guy we never had expectations for in the passing game. Waller had five targets before his exit and Foster Moreau had five targets once he left. He has serious appeal if Waller is forced to miss any more time.
MIA
It’s Jaylen Waddle’s world and we’re just living in it. His 10 targets in Week 12 put him over 100 for the year and right now, he and Myles Gaskin are the only two skill position players you can trust in Miami.
MIN
It’s the same thing every week for Minnesota. Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen will dominate the targets, the receptions, the yards, the touchdowns and then everyone else will fall in line.
Dalvin Cook did have seven targets, but now he is out, so the question is will they use Alexander Mattison in the same facet? That remains to be seen, but Mattison does have two games in which he’s had seven or more targets in this season, so he’s more than capable of being a viable target out of the backfield. Tyler Conklin is still around, but three targets in two straight games brings me back to the original point. This is a consolidated offense.
NE
Over the last six games, Kendrick Bourne has been targeted six more times than Nelson Agholor has been. He’s flashed the big play potential and has been more fantasy viable than Agholor has. Truthfully, Bourne has been the most fantasy viable receiver in this offense, even if Meyers has 40+ targets than him.
Brandon Bolden had four targets, but unless it’s a game in which they’re trailing in, it’s going to be hard for him to have much value and with how well New England has played, they’re not going to be trailing much. Both Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith showed up with decent days in the volume column and they’re only separated by 10 targets this year. Henry’s getting all the glow, however, because he’s scoring all the touchdowns.
NO
The targets were pretty even across the board in Week 12 as five receivers all saw at least four targets, including Ty Montgomerey who mostly lined up in the backfield. It’s really hard to like any of these guys with the current stable of Saints quarterbacks.
NYG
It’s a miracle to see Kenny Golladay notch seven targets in a game at this point. It’s only the third time all year he’s done so. With Sterling Shepard still out and Kadarius Toney banged up, Golladay had to stand out. He’s not a comfortable roster right now, but he’s not the worst guy to have stashed on your bench.
Since returning from injury, Saquon Barkley has six and five targets in his two games back. He’s always been someone active in the pass game as he has 100 target season on his resume. Evan Engram, in the best tight end match-up on the board, may have had six targets but he did nothing with them.
NYJ
The Jets are leaning heavily on Elijah Moore as the season has gone on and he’s responded in a big way. He’s had six or more targets in six straight games and has now had six targets with Mike White, six targets with a combination of White/Josh Johnson, 11 targets with Joe Flacco and six targets with Zach Wilson. It doesn’t matter who the quarterback is, Moore is creating separation and is being fed.
With Zach Wilson at quarterback, we saw the checkdown really take a step back. Ty Johnson had just one target and Tevin Coleman had three. That absolutely kills any value Johnson may have had with Mike White under center.
PHI
It’s a miracle seeing anyone other than DeVonta Smith lead the receiving group in targets, but Jalen Reagor did just that in Week 12. He’s still not fantasy viable because this passing attack is awful under Jalen Hurts and it’s been generally dominated by Smith and Dallas Goedert
PIT
The beast that Diontae Johnson hauled in another 14 targets in Week 12 and has now notched 40 targets over the last three games. If he hadn’t missed a game this year he’d likely be challenging for the league lead and at this rate, he still may. We mentioned it last week, but it was good to see the volume back on Chase Claypool’s side. That continued in Week 12 as he saw another eight targets here. He’s moved himself back into FLEX play category.
Outside of the two receivers, Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth are both very viable in the passing game. Both are weekly starts at this point in the year.
SEA
What a nightmare this passing game has become. DK Metcalf wasn’t targeted the entire first half! WHAT?! I know it’s hard to sit these guys based on name value and what they’ve done the last couple of seasons, but if you have another elite option…….
SF
Another week goes by in which Brandon Aiyuk is the leading target getter for the 49ers. He’s had six or more targets in five of six games and now that Deebo Samuel is going to miss time, there’s no reason to think that can’t continue. He’s a WR2 moving forward.
Coming into Week 12, Elijah Mitchell had nine targets total. He had six in Week 12 and that proves he can be viable as a pass catcher, he just needs the opportunities. George Kittle wasn’t really involved in Week 12, but the injury to Samuel should open up a lot more opportunity for Kittle.
TB
We didn’t see big weeks from Mike Evans or Chris Godwin in this game, but we know that won’t be the case very often, especially with Antonio Brown out. The real winners in the pass game in Week 12 were Leonard Fournette and Rob Gronkowski, as Fournette saw eight targets and Gronk led the team with 10.
TEN
The Tennessee passing game is, well...a disaster. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine had five targets this week and eight last week as he’s really the only viable pass catcher left standing.
WFT
It was going to be interesting how things panned out for Washington with Logan Thomas and Curtis Samuel back and nothing really changed all that much. Terry McLaurin led the team while DeAndre Carter had five. Interesting to see how Carter’s role pans out as Samuel plays more and more snaps on a weekly basis.
It was GREAT to see Antonio Gibson see seven targets. Even in a game J.D. McKissic had five targets, Gibson had seven. That’s the type of stuff he can provide considering he was a college wide out. He has RB1 upside when he’s getting peppered in the passing game. Thomas saw six targets in his debut and he will likely be heavily involved every time out. He’s a TE1 moving forward.