One of the things we point out in this space multiple times a year is that targets are not created equal. It is nice to see Terry McLaurin , Jerry Jeudy and Logan Thomas tied for 14th with 24 targets this season, but targets from Dwayne Haskins or whoever is the quarterback in Denver these days are just not as valuable as targets from good quarterbacks or in good offenses. Sometimes beggars can’t be choosers, and I think Terry McLaurin is good enough to produce for fantasy almost no matter the situation, but this is an important consideration nonetheless. There is a reason we’re not particularly interested in Greg Ward despite his 11 targets in Week 3.
Justin Jefferson caught seven of nine targets for 175 yards and a touchdown Sunday, and while we’ve probably seen his best game of the season, it certainly looks like he has emerged as the number two receiver in Minnesota. Jefferson is probably at least a couple of weeks away from being a fantasy starter, but his emergence should make it more difficult for defenses to completely key in on Adam Thielen . Thielen has 12 catches on 21 targets this season, and I think he is a buy-low candidate.
Tee Higgins grabbed the headlines with two touchdowns, but I think his nine targets are just as important. A.J. Green was only targeted six times after getting 22 targets through the first two weeks of the season. I’m not sure this offense is good enough to support any fantasy receiver outside of Tyler Boyd , but Higgins has a chance to surpass A.J. Green in the next week or two.
Drew Sample crashed back down to earth after he had nine targets in Week 2. Any hope that he would be playable even in deep leagues appears to have been misguided.
It is probably time to start considering Logan Thomas a borderline fantasy starter. He is limited by his offense and his quarterback, but Thomas is third among tight ends in targets and tied for ninth in receptions. Thomas is probably safer than Mo Alie-Cox , who only had three targets Sunday, though Cox might have a higher ceiling.
It was nice to see Keenan Allen get 17 targets Sunday, matching his total from the first two weeks of the season. In two games with Justin Herbert starting, Allen has 20 receptions on 29 targets for 228 yards and a touchdown. Allen looks like a borderline WR1 moving forward.
Zach Ertz had a season-high 10 targets Sunday, and while I don’t necessarily want to draw a straight line between Dallas Goedert ’s injury and Ertz’s fantasy production, I think I would be prepared to see high if Ertz has a couple more good games with Goedert out.
Mike Davis caught eight of nine targets for 45 yards and a touchdown in Week 3, while Curtis Samuel caught all four of his targets for 45 yards. Davis is at worst a flex play right now, but Samuel is the more dynamic player, and I think it is possible he will start seeing more targets than Davis in the near future.
Noah Fant and Jerry Jeudy each caught five passes on 10 and eight targets, respectively, but neither figures to do a whole lot for fantasy catching passes from Brett Rypien. Fant is still usable based on the nature of the position, but I don’t think there is a ton to separate him from guys like Thomas and Alie-Cox right now.
I think Calvin Ridley is better suited to being the number two to Julio Jones , but he still managed to catch five of 10 targets for 110 yards. Ridley was tackled at the one to deny him his fifth touchdown of the season, but at least we know we are starting him regardless of Julio’s status.
DeVante Parker has caught 14 of his 17 targets this season, but for only 169 yards and one touchdown. Parker’s hamstring injury hasn’t kept him from taking the field, but it does appear to have limited his explosiveness. Seattle’s defense hasn’t been scary through three games, so you’re probably still starting Parker, but I would be prepared to bench him if he doesn’t perform against the Seahawks.
It seems like three weeks ago James Robinson caught all six targets for 83 yards against Miami. Robinson cannot match Chris Thompson ’s prowess as a pass-catcher, but it is nice to see they are willing to pass to him. Robinson isn’t exactly a three-down back, but he may not be totally dependent on game script, either. This is the same team that targeted Leonard Fournette 100 times last season, and it appears Robinson will be used similarly going forward.
The way people are talking about Scotty Miller, you would think he had 14 targets last week, not 14 targets on the season. He will likely benefit if Chris Godwin misses the next week or two, but it is worth noting Godwin was out Week 2 and Miller was only targeted three times in that game. I get why Miller should be rostered and perhaps even started if you are dealing with injuries, but I think he’s being overrated for DFS.