NFL Fantasy Football Red Zone Report: Week 10

Paying attention to who is getting targeted and/or getting carries in the red zone and down near the goal line are both very important in all fantasy formats. Touchdowns are major point boosters in PPR leagues and even more so in standard. The weekly report will be a one-stop shop where you can find all the information you could possibly need when it comes to the red zone. Each week I will point out some notable performances for that week and then include season totals. Let’s dive in!

Red Zone Targets

Odell Beckham – Beckham was only targeted three times in the red zone this week, but he hauled in two of them for a pair of touchdowns. Beckham now has three red zone touchdowns on the season (all in the last four weeks) and we can expect more on the way. He should have a field day in Week 11 as the Giants take on the Bucs and their awful defense. Play him everywhere.

Michael Thomas – Thomas picked up five targets in the red zone this week and he hauled in all five of them, with two of them going for touchdowns. He has a ridiculous red zone catch percentage of 85% (the highest of any player with at least 10 targets) and leads the NFL in red zone receptions with 17. Remarkably, that 85% mark is actually lower than his overall mark of 90% as he has hauled in 78 of 87 targets this season. He is having an incredible season.

Zach Ertz – Ertz was targeted three times in the red zone this week and he caught all three of them. Two of them went for touchdowns and he is now fourth in the NFL with five red zone receiving touchdowns. He is also one of only seven players with at least 10 receptions in the red zone this season. Ertz currently has a 32% target rate in the red zone and it’s far from surprising to see him continue to grab touchdowns; he finished 2017 third in red zone receiving touchdowns with eight.

*The below tables are the top-10 in targets for the season in the red zone and inside the 10 yard line. Take note that targets inside the 10 are also included in inside the 20.

Red Zone Carries

Leonard Fournette – Fournette made his long awaited return to action this week and what a return it was. He carried the ball four times in the red zone and punched one of them into end zone for his first touchdown of the year. He also hauled in two passes in the red zone and took one of them to the house for a touchdown. Fournette is a touchdown machine. After scoring 10 in his rookie season and two in this game he now has 12 touchdowns in 16 career games. Of course, the glaring downside with Fournette is not what he does when he’s on the field, but how many games he spends off the field.

Kerryon Johnson – Johnson carried the ball four times in the red zone and found the end zone on one of them. He also hauled in a pass for a touchdown for a two touchdown day. The rookie back is having a great season and the two touchdowns give him three for the season. He has hauled in 81% of his targets in the passing game and is averaging 5.4 yards per carry on the ground (sixth among backs with 50+ carries), showing off the versatility of an every down back.

Ezekiel Elliott – Zeke did Zeke things in the Cowboys 27-20 win over the Eagles. He finished with five red zone carries and a touchdown on the ground while also added in one red zone reception for a touchdown. His overall line for the game was 19 carries for 151 yards (7.9 YPC) and a touchdown with six receptions for 36 yards and a touchdown. It was the best game of the season for the superstar running back. He has a nice matchup with the Falcons this week and should be in line for another big game.

*The below tables are the top-10 in carries for the season in the red zone and inside the five yard line. Take note that carries inside the five are also included in inside the 20.

Red Zone Passing

Drew Brees – Brees seems to make this report on a weekly basis, but I guess that can be expected when you score nearly 37 points per game. This week he had two red zone passing touchdowns on eight attempts and also ran one in on a quarterback sneak. Personally, I thought it was pretty stupid to have Brees do a quarterback sneak (an unnecessary injury risk) with the Saints already leading 38-7, but he came away from the play fine and I am sure fantasy owners and DFS players who rostered him did not mind. Brees now has 16 passing touchdowns in the red zone with zero interceptions. He should be the MVP runner-up (Mahomes) as of right now, in my opinion.

Eli Manning – Manning only had six red zone pass attempts this week, but he made the most of them with three touchdowns. The three touchdowns got him over the double-digit mark as he now has 10 for the season with only one interception. He is only completing 42% (26-of-59) of his red zone pass attempts this year which is only higher that Rodgers, Rosen, Bortles, and Fitzpatrick among quarterbacks with at least 20 attempts. Luckily for Manning, the Giants have the Bucs on their schedule this week (the Bucs rank dead last in red zone defense).

Carson Wentz – Wentz makes the cut this week in a pretty down week for quarterback red zone stats. He had six pass attempts and two of them went for touchdowns. He also rushed once, but failed to find the end zone. Wentz ranks very low in red zone completion percentage at just 51%, but he has a 12/0 touchdown to interception ratio and has done a great job of making sure the Eagles get points when they drive the field.

*The below tables are the top-10 in pass attempts for the season in the red zone and inside the 10 yard line. Take note that pass attempts inside the 10 are also included in inside the 20.

Team Defense Red Zone Stats

Carolina Panthers – The Panthers entered Week 10 as the second worst red zone defense in football and they made sure to keep it that way. They allowed the Steelers to score touchdowns on all four of their red zone drives in route to their 52-21 loss in Pittsburgh. They are allowing opposing offenses to score touchdowns on 83% of their red zone drives - just a completely abysmal number – and it’s without a doubt something they need to sure up if they want to make any noise in the playoffs (assuming they make it).  

Washington Redskins – The Redskins defense was impenetrable in the red zone this week as they held the Bucs from scoring a touchdown on any of their five red zone drives. It was a key factor in their 16-3 win and they are now allowing touchdowns in the red zone at a very solid 50% of the time. This defense is good, simply put. They should be in line for another strong week in the red zone as the Texans are only scoring touchdowns on 46% of their red zone drives (27^th in the NFL).

*The below table shows the red zone stats for all 32 teams. How many attempts have been made against each team, how many touchdowns were converted, and the percentage of how often those red zone drives result in touchdowns.