The name of the game in fantasy football is volume. That's why it's so important to take note of which wide receivers are seeing a significant target market share and how each team splits up its backfield opportunities. Each week, Matt Harmon and Matt Franciscovich will break down the week's wide receiver targets and backfield touches leaders with takeaways you can use for your fantasy football teams going forward. We won't bore you with any more introductory comments here, let's dig into the good stuff from Week 9.
*NOTE: This article will be updated with data from the Sunday Night and Monday Night games the following day, so check back for more information as games wrap.
Arizona Cardinals
Touches: 39 | Carries: 37 | Receptions: 2
Taking advantage of the San Francisco 49ers soft run defense as thousands of running backs before him have, Adrian Peterson ran wild in Week 9. He logged a career-high 37 rush attempts for an outrageous 159 yards on the ground with an additional eight receiving yards. Peterson clearly has some gas left in the tank, but let's not overreact to the matchup against San Francisco who has not only been one of the worst teams in the league this season, but in terms of allowing big games to running backs, SF ranks dead last. Peterson didn't find the end zone, but it doesn't matter. Peterson has a quick turnaround as the Cardinals play the Seahawks on Thursday night to start Week 10. Don't expect another 39-touch workload for the veteran.
Honorable mention(s):Kerwynn Williams had two carries for six yards.
Target share: 31% |Targets: 13 | Receptions: 7 | Yards: 73
Volume can keep a wide receiver's floor afloat even when a poor quarterback takes over for an injured starter. Such was the case with Larry Fitzgerald today, who amassed 70 yards on nine targets. If he continues to maintain that type of funnel usage, he won't completely bottom out as a fantasy player. No other player on the team cleared four targets. Of course, the caveat that this game was against the 49ers, should be asserted.
Honorable mention(s):John Brown (a 52-yard catch) and Jaron Brown (a red zone touchdown) both made big plays today, but those were their lone catches. These two are mere weekly dice rolls with Carson Palmer gone.
Atlanta Falcons
Touches: 15 | Carries: 11 | Receptions: 4
Despite concerns about a shoulder injury coming into the game, Devonta Freeman played as Atlanta's primary back on Sunday against the Panthers. He played 67 percent of the Falcons snaps and logged 11 carries for 46 yards adding 18 receiving yards on his four receptions. It was a tough matchup against Carolina, so expectations should have been tempered heading in for Freeman. He should have a better fantasy outing against Dallas next week.
Honorable mention(s):Tevin Coleman only had six touches in the game but ended up scoring late in the fourth quarter on a 19-yard catch and run. Coleman had just five rush yards on five carries. He's nothing more than a matchup-based flex going forward.
Target share: 32.4% |Targets: 12 | Receptions: 7 | Yards: 73
Julio Jones hit double-digit targets for the third time this season and posted a 2017-high 118 yards. He could have had a truly monster game but dropped a cake-walk touchdown where he was wide-open in the end zone. On the year, Jones averages 8.5 targets per game, which is making it harder to complain about his volume. The issue is just game-to-game consistency. Jones had three games with 13-plus targets but another three with less than seven.
Honorable mention(s):Austin Hooper garnered six targets in back-to-back games from Week 8 to 9. Over his last five games he has target totals of seven, nine, one, six and six. That game against New England with the single digit adds worry to his streaming prospects, as does the fact that he has didn't clear 50 receiving yards in any of those weeks.
Baltimore Ravens
Touches: 14 each | Carries: Collins: 13, Allen: 7 | Receptions: Collins: 1, Allen: 7
Javorius Allen and Alex Collins split backfield touches down the middle with 14 each against the Titans. Allen finished with more yards, 65 total, thanks to his work as a receiver. He saw eight targets and hauled in seven receptions for 44 yards. Allen was dropped in some leagues after Collins' success last week, but Buck remains a solid PPR option.
Honorable mention(s): Collins totaled 46 yards on his 14 touches and was somewhat of a disappointment after his big Week 8 game. He played just 29 snaps compared to Allen's 35, which may be a game script situation. When (if) the Ravens are leading, Collins will likely be the volume back. When the Ravens are trailing, Allen will see more playing time. It makes sense and is something to keep in mind when deciding which Ravens' running back to start in fantasy. Baltimore has a Week 10 bye.
Target share: 19.2% |Targets: 10 | Receptions: 7 | Yards: 41
With Joe Flacco doling out 52 pass attempts, the target totals for all the Ravens pass-catchers were inflated. Ben Watson led the way with 10 in an ineffective aerial day for Baltimore. Watson hasn't crossed the 50-yard mark since Week 2. He's seen five or more targets in four games during that stretch, too.
Honorable mention(s):Jeremy Maclin is starting to turn his season around with 11 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown in the last two games since missing the Vikings game in Week 7. Seeing 62 percent of targets from the slot, he has a valuable role in the Ravens offense.
Buffalo Bills
Touches: 12 | Carries: 12 | Receptions: 0
It was a rough go for the Bills offense against the Jets on Thursday night. Buffalo couldn't get the run game going as evidenced by LeSean McCoy's 25 rush yards on 12 carries. The Jets defensive front was putting immense amounts of pressure on the Bills offensive line and stymied the bread and butter of Buffalo's attack -- the run game. McCoy surprisingly didn't haul in a pass either (he was only targeted once). But no reason to panic, McCoy remains one of the elite running backs in all of fantasy. He remains a weekly must-start, especially next week against the Saints, and might be a buy-low target after a slow game.
Honorable mention(s):Mike Tolbert had seven touches for 16 yards. He's has no stand-alone fantasy value but is a handcuff stash for McCoy owners.
Target share: 25% |Targets: 10 | Receptions: 7 | Yards: 81, TD
Veteran receiver Deonte Thompson popped up for another big game with 81 yards and a touchdown on a team-high 10 targets. This is not worth chasing as the Bills were in ultra-negative game script throughout the second half and had to uncharacteristically take to their air in catchup mode. With Kelvin Benjamin likely active for his first game with his new team next week, Thompson has probably seen his time in the sun for Buffalo come and go.
Honorable mention(s):Zay Jones was in and out of this game with injuries but managed to post the best game of his young career. Coming into this game with a sub 40 percent catch rate, Jones snagged six of his seven targets against the Jets. Benjamin's addition will mix up the target pecking order but having Jones face softer coverage and potentially play fewer snaps as the X-receiver will be good for his weekly outlook.
Carolina Panthers
Touches: 20 | Carries: 15 | Receptions: 5
Rookie Christian McCaffrey scored his first rushing touchdown of the season and finished Week 9 with 94 yards from scrimmage on his 20 touches. After recording just one touch in the first quarter, McCaffrey tied for the team lead in receptions and vastly out-played Jonathan Stewart. The rookie has been a PPR stud all season, but finally had himself a solid outing for standard formats too, as his 66 rush yards marks a season-high. He'll be an RB2 option next week against the Dolphins.
Honorable mention(s): If you haven't yet, its time to cut Jonathan Stewart. He rushed for just 21 yards on 11 carries and lost two fumbles. That line resulted in -1.9 fantasy points for Week 9. Cam Newton led the Panthers in rush yards with 86 and scored a rush touchdown of his own.
Target share: 30.4% |Targets: 7 | Receptions: 5 | Yards: 86
Devin Funchess wasted no time in establishing himself as the new No. 1 receiver in town with a team-high seven targets on an afternoon where the running game actually worked. Funchess caught five of seven and averaged a whopping 4.8 yards of separation on his targets, per Next Gen Stats. He averages a healthy 8.1 targets per game since Week 3.
Honorable mention(s):Curtis Samuel clearly saw a usage bump with Kelvin Benjamin out of the picture. The rookie led the wide receivers by going out for 76 percent of the team's plays. Samuel drew five looks from Cam Newton, and had a mix of deep and short passes with an 8.2 average air yards on his targets.
Cincinnati Bengals
Touches: 16 | Carries: 13 | Receptions: 3
Joe Mixon drew the start for the Bengals with Jeremy Hill inactive due to a pregame injury. Mixon logged 13 carries for just 31 yards on the ground, but he did score a rushing touchdown to save his fantasy day. Mixon added 15 receiving yards on his three receptions. The rookie played on 76 percent of the Bengals snaps, and remains the primary back as he has for weeks. Unfortunately, his upside is capped with the abysmal play of Cincy's offensive line.
Honorable mention(s):Giovani Bernard logged just two touches for -6 yards. Mixon is the only Bengals back worth owning in fantasy, as has been the case for weeks. Cincinnati will play the Titans in Week 10.
Target share: 23.5% |Targets: 4 | Receptions: 3 | Yards: 15
Target share: 23.5% |Targets: 4 | Receptions: 1 | Yards: 13
It's wild to see fellow rookie Josh Malone get a gameday jersey over top-10 pick John Ross, a healthy scratch today. These two players only led the team in target because A.J. Green was tossed for a fight. They only amassed four because the team ran just 39 plays against Jacksonville.
Honorable mention(s): None.
Dallas Cowboys
Touches: 27 | Carries: 27 | Receptions: 0
Staving off suspension for at least one more week, Ezekiel Elliott came through for his fantasy owners with 93 yards and a touchdown on his 27 carries. Zeke's floor in standard over the last six games was 13.2 points back in Week 5. As long as he's active, you're obviously playing him. Dallas heads to Atlanta next week, and the Cowboys will either have Zeke or they won't. That's some insider info right there.
Honorable mention(s):Alfred Morris had one carry for 11 yards and based on reports from earlier in the week, he'd slot in as the starter in the rotation with Rod Smith and Darren McFadden if Zeke's suspension does kick in.
Target share: 35.5% |Targets: 11 | Receptions: 6 | Yards: 73
Dez Bryant was likely headed for his first 100-yard game of the season but left late in the game with an ankle sprain. Terrance Williams popped up for a big game, snagging all nine of his targets for 141 yards. He also left the game early. Cole Beasley amassed just 24 yards but was the recipient of both of Dak Prescott's passing touchdowns.
Honorable mention(s): While all three of the top wide receivers torched the Chiefs, Jason Witten was the lone non-wideout to catch a pass in Week 9. Kansas City continues to hemorrhage production to wide receivers.
Denver Broncos
Touches: 9 | Carries: 9 | Receptions: 0
The Broncos run game was virtually non-existent against Philadelphia. C.J. Anderson started the game but was injured in the first half, though he did return. But by the time he was back the Broncos were losing by a huge margin, so, as has been the case over the last month or so, he didn't produce in an unfavorable game script. Anderson totaled just 13 rush yards on his nine carries. Fantasy owners may want to consider other options ahead of next week's game against the Patriots.
Honorable mention(s):Devontae Booker logged eight touches for 30 total yards. Even in garbage time, Booker didn't do much, mostly because Brock Osweiler played poorly. Jamaal Charles logged eight touches for 24 total yards. Until Denver figures things out on offense, this is a backfield to avoid for fantasy purposes.
Target share: 32.4% |Targets: 12 | Receptions: 8 | Yards: 70, TD
All Demaryius Thomas needed to get into the end zone for the first time was for the Broncos to turn to Brock Osweiler. Clearly. In all seriousness, Thomas' touchdown total was due for some progression considering the volume that was on his plate. Quarterback play had nothing to do with that. Paxton Lynch may well start in Week 10, who looked anything but ready in the preseason.
Honorable mention(s): Whether due to the blowout game script or his questionable status coming in, Emmanuel Sanders was only on the field for 45 percent of the team's plays. Sanders will get to test his injury once again against New England on Sunday Night Football in Week 10.
Houston Texans
Touches: 13 | Carries: 10 | Receptions: 3
Lamar Miller posted 91 scrimmage yards on his 13 touches against the Colts. In a game that came down to the final possession for Houston, Miller saw just 10 carries throughout. He played on 75 percent of the Texans snaps and remains the team's primary back despite seeing one fewer carry than his rookie teammate D'Onta Foreman. The Texans head to Los Angeles to take on the Rams next week.
Honorable mention(s):D'Onta Foreman logged 11 rush attempts for 37 yards, working in on 27 percent of the snaps behind Lamar Miller. Foreman's workload was a welcome sight after he didn't see a single touch last week, but the fantasy output wasn't much to write home about. The double-digit carry workload was encouraging, but Foreman remains a bench stash for fantasy purposes.
Target share: 36.4% |Targets: 16 | Receptions: 6 | Yards: 86, TD
DeAndre Hopkins will continue to see a massive amount of volume even with Deshaun Watson out of the mix. His 16 targets led the team and he inhaled a whopping 42.5 percent of Tom Savage's intended air yards on the day. Of course, Hopkins will not be as efficient with those targets as he was with Watson but the floor side of his fantasy value didn't fall out from under him. He just does not have access to the same ceiling. Volume will keep him in the high-end WR2 mix.
Honorable mention(s):Will Fuller, on the other hand, did see his value crash. Despite seeing a healthy eight targets, Fuller snagged just two catches on the day. If he continues averaging the 18.7 air yards per target he did against the Colts, it will be tough for him to maintain any level of predictability with Savage at the helm.
Indianapolis Colts
Touches: 20 | Carries: 17 | Receptions: 3
Frank Gore racked up 20 touches for 77 yards from scrimmage against the Texans in Week 9. The veteran played 59 percent of the snaps and despite narratives that Marlon Mack might begin taking over more of the workload, Gore proved that he remains the Colts primary runner. Gore will be a low-end flex option against the Steelers next week.
Honorable mention(s):Marlon Mack registered nine touches, all rush attempts, for 28 yards against Houston. Just one of Mack's touches came in the second half. He played 43 percent of the snaps and remains a bench stash for the time being. Mack will have his weeks, but this wasn't one of them.
Target share: 30% |Targets: 9 | Receptions: 5 | Yards: 175, 2 TDs
Target share: 30% |Targets: 9 | Receptions: 8 | Yards: 63
After three straight games with less than 30 yards receiving, T.Y. Hilton popped back up for his second 170-plus yard game of 2017. He tied a season-high with nine targets and scored twice. Hilton has been a volatile asset this year, which should be expected given the current construction of the Colts offense. His blowup games were all predictable, however, coming in games against weak pass defenses and played indoors.
Honorable mention(s):Jack Doyle has target totals of seven, 11, seven, 14 and nine over his last five games. He's clearly developed into Jacoby Brissett's safety valve and gets the bulk of the higher-percentage targets. He had five or more catches in each of those games.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Touches: 23 | Carries: 20 | Receptions: 3
Shocking fantasy football managers around the globe on Sunday morning was the news that Leonard Fournette would not play as punishment for violating team rules. A scramble to the waiver wire ensued, to add Chris Ivory and T.J. Yeldon before kickoff. Ivory was the feature back with 69 rush yards and 34 receiving yards for 103 scrimmage yards on the day. He couldn't find the end zone, though. Ivory should be relegated to the fantasy bench when Fournette returns to face the Chargers next week, but he remains a hold.
Honorable mention(s):T.J. Yeldon saw 13 touches for 52 yards from scrimmage as Ivory's backup. The duo's snap count was a close split with Ivory leading the way 37 to 35. Keep an eye on Fournette's status, but Yeldon is a likely drop ahead of Week 10.
Target share: 32.4% |Targets: 12 | Receptions: 8 | Yards: 75, TD
For the third time this year, Marqise Lee hit double-digit targets. He has yet to go over 100 yards in any game because this passing game won't ever offer that kind of a ceiling. However, it's clear that when they do open up the playbook for Blake Bortles, Lee turns into the funnel receiver. Without Leonard Fournette (suspended for violating team rules) this was one of those days. Bortles threw a season-high 38 pass attempts despite Jacksonville controlling this game throughout.
Honorable mention(s): Rookie Dede Westbrook is a player some are excited about but he was not activated off IR in time to play in this game. Perhaps he comes back next week. However, no matter what you think of his ability, the context of his status as a Day 3 rookie entering into a low-volume pass offense without much room for more bodies should be present.
Kansas City Chiefs
Touches: 13 | Carries: 9 | Receptions: 4
Kareem Hunt's nine rush attempts matched a season-low and his 6.1 standard fantasy points is his lowest total all year. Hunt was scripted out with the Chiefs trailing in the second half. The rookie did haul in four receptions for 24 yards in addition to his 37 rush yards, but the workload just wasn't there against Dallas. Some folks are panicking because Hunt isn't delivering like he did early in the season, but ahead of the Chiefs Week 10 bye, he's a clear buy-low candidate. Hunt only faces one unfavorable matchup for the rest of the season (Bills, Week 12) but should continue to return RB1 value down the stretch and into the fantasy playoffs. Fear not, Hunt owners!
Honorable mention(s):Charcandrick West had six touches for 31 yards in a change-of-pace role behind Hunt. He's a handcuff stash but has no standalone value.
Target share: 27.3% |Targets: 9 | Receptions: 7 | Yards: 73
Travis Kelce posted another big game, leading the team in targets, catches, yards and scoring a red zone touchdown. He has touchdowns in each of the Chiefs last three games and the team prepares to head into a bye.
Honorable mention(s):Demarcus Robinson has stepped right into the Chris Conley role after the latter hit IR. That means going out for large number of snaps without many targets following. Robinson was on the field for 98 percent of the team's plays against the Cowboys but saw just two targets. After seeing eight targets in Week 7, he has just three in the last two games combined.
Los Angeles Rams
Touches: 18 | Carries: 16 | Receptions: 2
Todd Gurley had his way with the Giants in Week 9, racking up 104 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. The Rams beat up on New York, dropping 51 points of offense in the rout. Gurley remains one of the most elite running backs in fantasy football and remains a weekly set-it-and-forget-it must-start. Gurley should be just fine against a banged-up Texans defense in Week 10.
Honorable mention(s):Malcolm Brown logged 15 carries in mop-up duty in the fourth quarter, but don't read too much into this. All of his work came in the second half when the Rams pulled their starters, leading by, like, 40 points or something.
Target share: 22.7% |Targets: 5 | Receptions: 4 | Yards: 70, 2 TDs
Target share: 22.7% |Targets: 5 | Receptions: 3 | Yards: 54
The Rams put the hurt of the Giants today to the tune of six offensive touchdowns. All of the pass-catchers got in on the action, as Jared Goff threw four touchdowns on just 14 completions. Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp led the way with five targets but the "everyone involved" approach is right up Sean McVay's alley.
Honorable mention(s):Sammy Watkins came away with a 67-yard touchdown against the Giants' undermanned secondary but it was his lone catch of the day. With just two targets in Los Angeles' first game coming off the bye, Watkins still isn't involved enough in this offense to trust. He does get a decent matchup against the Texans next week, however.
Miami Dolphins
Touches: 14 | Carries: 9 | Receptions: 6
Sans Jay Ajayi, the Dolphins backfilled was pretty much an even split in every way between Kenyon Drake and Damien Williams. Drake was the touch leader though, and collected 104 yards from scrimmage, 69 rushing and 35 receiving on his 14 touches. Drake also out-snapped Williams by a count of 34 to 28. This split is likely what we can expect going forward, with extreme unpredictability. There's a chance coach Adam Gase says the phrase "hot hand" in a press conference the coming weeks.
Honorable mention(s):Damien Williams ended up being the best fantasy options out of Miami's backfield thanks to a first-quarter receiving touchdown. Williams only logged 14 rush yards on his seven carries (it's almost like running behind Miami's offensive line is difficult) but he hauled in all six of his targets for 47 receiving yards and the score. Williams seems like the go-to in the red zone, as Drake didn't have a single red zone look. Miami faces Carolina next Monday night.
New Orleans Saints
Touches: 17 | Carries: 16 | Receptions: 1
Mark Ingram gained 79 yards from scrimmage on his 17 touches but didn't manage to find the end zone against the Buccaneers. After losing two fumbles last week, it seemed like the Saints made a statement early, giving rookie Alvin Kamara more work out of the gate. Kamara is the real story from Week 9.
Honorable mention(s):Alvin Kamara had himself a day. On 16 touches, Kamara dropped 152 total yards, 68 rushing and 84 receiving, and two total touchdowns against the Bucs. Kamara was effortlessly eating up huge chunks of yardage with his touches, constantly slipping away from would-be tacklers on his way to a huge game. Kamara's 25 standard points marked a season high and his touch total and average yardage during the Saints six-game win streak have been RB1 material for fantasy owners. Use him with confidence against the Bills in Week 10.
Target share: 40.7% |Targets: 11 | Receptions: 8 | Yards: 65
Michael Thomas continues to have one of the most secure floors at the position this year with tremendous volume. He's hit double-digit targets in every other game this season. However, he hasn't scored since the win over Miami in London and has yet to clear 90 yards this season. Since the Saints went on their six-game win streak, Drew Brees has thrown 30 or fewer passes in all but two games. It's hard for any player in this offense to have a ceiling with that play-calling split, outside of the two running backs, of course.
New York Giants
Touches: 18 | Carries: 16 | Receptions: 2
Orleans Darkwa led the Giants backfield with 16 carries for 71 rush yards against the Rams and added eight receiving yards on two catches. The Giants were blown out and it was a terrible game script for their backfield. Darkwa didn't have a single touch in the fourth quarter. He remains the primary back in New York, but that doesn't mean he'll return a ton of fantasy value. But next week, Darkwa could be a sneaky sleeper against the 49ers, so you'll want to find room in a flex spot to get him in the lineup.
Honorable mention(s):Wayne Gallman registered nine carries for 41 yards. If anything were to happen to Darwka, Gallman is next in line for carries, but he's merely waiver wire material at this point.
Target share: 26.3% |Targets: 10 | Receptions: 7 | Yards: 73
Evan Engram continues to be a complete volume monster. He has 29 targets over the last three weeks since the wide receiver injury crisis and has scored in each contest. There are not many locked-in assets like this at the tight end position.
Honorable mention(s):Sterling Shepard got back in action and immediately drew nine targets. He's about all they have at the wide receiver position after Odell Beckham, Brandon Marshall and Dwayne Harris went on IR. Shepard should push for five catches every single week, a feat he's accomplished in all but one of the games he played start to finish this season.
New York Jets
Touches: 18 | Carries: 14 | Receptions: 4
Veteran back Matt Forte enjoyed his biggest fantasy outing of the 2017 season against the Bills on Thursday night. Forte, who led the Jets backfield with a 47 percent share of snaps, logged 18 touches for 96 yards from scrimmage and scored twice. Even with Bilal Powell and Elijah McGuire rotating in, Forte was able to come through for fantasy owners who might have needed his services with six teams on bye. Don't expect another 20-plus fantasy points from him next week, but he'll be an upside flex play against Tampa Bay in Week 9.
Honorable mention(s):Bilal Powell saw nine touches, all rush attempts, for 74 yards including a 51-yard scamper in the third quarter. He still looks more explosive than Forte, but seemingly remains the secondary option. McGuire, the rookie, logged 14 touches, the majority of which came in mop-up duty in the fourth quarter. He's seemingly taken a back seat to the veterans in recent weeks but remains a deep league stash in case of injury to Forte or Powell, neither of whom should be considered durable.
Target share: 30% |Targets: 6 | Receptions: 2 | Yards: 38
Jermaine Kearse continues to play a big role in the passing game and led the team in targets on Thursday night. However, he's cleared 60 yards receiving in just one game since Week 2. Kearse is not a priority fantasy option right now.
Honorable mention(s): On the other hand, Robby Anderson continues to cook. Anderson scored against the Bills to make it three-straight games with a trip the end zone. A legitimately talented player who seems to have the faith of Josh McCown, Anderson is having a breakout season.
Oakland Raiders
Touches: 16 | Carries: 14 | Receptions: 2
In his return following a one-game suspension in Week 8, Beast Mode was featured out of Oakland���s backfield. He saw a season-high 57 percent of offensive snaps, rushed for 57 yards and two touchdowns and added six receiving yards on two receptions. As game-script dependent as they come, the majority of Lynch���s production came in the second half with the Raiders in the lead. Beast Mode is a matchup-based play but you���ll have to try and predict when Oakland should be winning in order to roll him out in fantasy. The Raiders have a Week 10 bye.
Honorable mention(s):Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington split 10 total touches for 28 scrimmage yards. They both took a back seat to Lynch. The unpredictability of this backfield has become quite the headache for fantasy owners, but there���s a chance this duo sees an upswing in usage in Oakland���s Week 11 game against New England.
Philadelphia Eagles
Touches: 13 | Carries: 12 | Receptions: 1
So the Eagles went out and traded for Jay Ajayi last week, but it was Corey Clement who ended up being the fantasy star in the Philadelphia backfield in Week 9. Clement gained 51 rush yards on his 12 carries, but scored THREE total touchdowns in the game, two rushing and one receiving ... against DENVER. Carson Wentz and his Eagles dropped 51 points on the "no fly zone" and Philly's running backs combined for four scores. Ajayi did score one of his own on an impressive 46-yard run in the second quarter. The new acquisition led the backfield with 77 rush yards on his eight carries and should be a high-end RB2 going forward.
Honorable mention(s):LeGarrette Blount logged nine carries for 37 yards and Wendell Smallwood, who may be the odd man out, had five carries for 25 yards. For what it's worth, the snap count broke down thusly: Clement - 26, Ajayi - 17, Blount - 16, Smallwood - 6.
Target share: 39.3% |Targets: 11 | Receptions: 6 | Yards: 84, 2 TDs
With Zach Ertz out of the mix, Carson Wentz's eye of favor turned to Alshon Jeffery. In a tough matchup against the Broncos secondary, Jeffery totaled 11 targets and scored a season-high two touchdowns. With the amount of air yards and deep targets going his way, Jeffery is always capable of a blowup performance. It was tough to predict that game coming against Denver, of course. One must hope the rapport between Wentz and Jeffery is starting to become more ironclad.
Honorable mention(s): It made sense that slot receiver Nelson Agholor might see a slight uptick in usage with Zach Ertz vacating the middle of the field. That did not come to fruition. Agholor saw just four targets while backup tight ends Trey Burton and Brent Celek split eight targets between them.
San Francisco 49ers
Touches: 21 | Carries: 12 | Receptions: 9
With Pierre Garcon out, Carlos Hyde led the 49ers in both receiving (84 yards) and rushing (41 yards). He rushed 12 times and caught nine receptions on 11 targets and was the centerpiece of the San Francisco offense. Hyde got ejected in the fourth quarter but at that point, he had done his damage from a fantasy standpoint. Hyde didn't score in the game but his nine receptions helped him finish as the fifth-highest scoring back in PPR formats. He'll be a low-end RB1 against the Giants next week.
Honorable mention(s):Matt Breida had just three touches in relief of Hyde, two of which came in the fourth quarter after Hyde was ejected. Breida remains a handcuff stash but has little stand-alone value.
Target share: 21.6% |Targets: 11 | Receptions: 9 | Yards: 84
Carlos Hyde snagged a season-high nine catches. He had not snagged more than five since Week 1. His big receiving game may have been a factor of Pierre Garcon going on IR and George Kittle missing stretches of this game.
Honorable mention(s): With Garcon out, Aldrick Robinson and Marquise Goodwin both collected eight targets. However, they both came down with just two catches.
Seattle Seahawks
Touches: 11 | Carries: 9 | Receptions: 2
If Seattle had a run game, their offense might be unstoppable. But when Russell Wilson is consistently out-rushing his running backs, this is a backfield to avoid for fantasy purposes. Thomas Rawls finished the game against Washington with 39 rush yards and 31 receiving yards, so his final line wasn't terrible for not scoring a touchdown. But his seven standard points marked a season-high. That's right, Rawls reached his ceiling for the season with 70 yards from scrimmage. Seattle has a Thursday night tilt against Arizona coming up, and it'd be wise to avoid Rawls or any other Seahawks back in that game.
Honorable mention(s): This was supposed to finally be Eddie Lacy's game. There were storylines heading into Sunday that he'd be "prominently" featured out of the Seattle backfield, but Lacy got injured in the first quarter after just seven touches. He totaled 34 yards in the first quarter but didn't return after the injury. The Seattle running backs might be cursed.
Target share: 29.2% |Targets: 12 | Receptions: 7 | Yards: 108, TD
Doug Baldwin has target totals of 12, 10 and 12 over the last three weeks. He had a big game against the Giants with 92 yards and a touchdown and went for 108 and a touchdown against Washington today. However, sandwiched between them is a six-catch for 54 yards outing against the Texans in Seattle. That's the encapsulation of the Doug Baldwin weekly experience in fantasy football. The floor games aren't nightmares but he'll miss his ceiling on a routine basis.
Honorable mention(s): After the duo popped up for big games last week, Paul Richardson and Tyler Lockett went quiet against Washington, combining for just 51 yards on five catches. Richardson went out for more plays (64 to 51) but Lockett drew more targets (eight to three). Lockett and Wilson just missed on a few big-play chances. Both of these talented players are appealing, but not 100 percent predictable plays on a weekly basis.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Touches: 13 | Carries: 11 | Receptions: 2
Week 9 was an all-around disaster for the Tampa Bay offense. Peyton Barber led the backfield with 34 rushing yards on his 11 attempts as Doug Martin was benched after being completely ineffective against the Saints. Martin gained just seven yards on eight carries and was basically benched in the second half. Hopefully, this isn't a trend going forward, but the state of the Bucs offense is a major concern. They get the Jets at home next week.
Honorable mention(s):Charles Sims had just two touches, both receptions, for 11 yards. He's not worth owning in any fantasy format.
Target share: 22.2% |Targets: 6 | Receptions: 1 | Yards: 13
It was a nightmare outing for the Buccaneers passing offense. Their quarterbacks doled out 28 targets and completed just 53.6 percent of their throws. As a team, they averaged 4.8 yards per attempt. Not to bury the lede here, but Jameis Winston was replaced by Ryan Fitzpatrick midway through this game, as it appeared Winston couldn't complete the game with his shoulder injury. Winston hasn't looked right of late and there's a cloud of mystery surrounding this whole situation. These are dark days in the Tampa Bay offense as the team careens to a 2-6 record.
Honorable mention(s): None.
Tennessee Titans
Touches: 11 | Carries: 9 | Receptions: 2
DeMarco Murray had one more touch than Derrick Henry in Week 9 and probably would have had more had he not missed playing time due to injury. Murray dealt with the injury from early in the second quarter until the second half started. He totaled just 41 scrimmage yards against a tough Ravens defense. Murray has been banged up seemingly all season but he keeps toughing it out. He faces the Bengals next week, where he'll be a low-end RB1.
Honorable mention(s):Derrick Henry totaled 36 scrimmage yards on his 10 touches, but he did manage to find the end zone. It was an oddly unproductive game for the Titans backfield. It would be nice if either Murray or Henry would emerge as the go-to so we didn't have to deal with this committee situation. That's probably not happening though.
Target share: 25% |Targets: 7 | Receptions: 5 | Yards: 70, TD
In Corey Davis' grand return to the lineup, Rishard Matthews was the top receiver. He led the team in targets, air yards and wide receiver playing time. Corey Davis was on the field for 75 percent of the plays, clearly usurping Eric Decker (44 percent), who still snaked a touchdown. Davis is worth holding on fantasy rosters right now, considering the Titans were quick to get him right back out there but we'd like to see something from him before starting.
Honorable mention(s):Delanie Walker came into this game questionable after suffering an injury in the Titans win over the Browns prior to their bye week. However, he showed no limitations in his usage. He caught all five of his targets and led the Titans' tight ends by going out for 62 percent of the plays.
Washington Redskins
Touches: 14 | Carries: 14 | Receptions: 0
Rob Kelley came into Sunday questionable with an ankle injury, but he didn't seem limited at all by it during the game. He served as the Redskins' primary back on early downs, only seeing work on first and second down situations. And despite playing fewer snaps than Chris Thompson, Kelley found the end zone not once, but twice. He gained just 18 yards on his 14 carries, but the two touchdowns saved his day for anyone who started him in fantasy. He's a low-ceiling, touchdown-dependent running back, but that's nothing new. He has a tough matchup against the Vikings next week.
Honorable mention(s):Chris Thompson played 33 snaps compared to Kelley's 23, but totaled just 31 yards on eight touches. He still finished second on the Redskins in receptions with four, but he now has just one touchdown in his last five games which has limited his fantasy ceiling. Thompson should bounce back from a production standpoint next week against Minnesota.
Target share: 30% |Targets: 9 | Receptions: 6 | Yards: 72
It was all too predictable that Vernon Davis would turn in a big game with Jordan Reed sidelined. Davis led the team with nine targets, a clear season-high for the veteran tight end. While he's produced with Reed in the lineup, being the clear top threat gives him access to a real predictable ceiling. If Reed misses Week 10, Davis will once again be a clear TE1 against the Vikings.
Honorable mention(s):Josh Doctson has target totals of five, three and five since taking over the X-receiver job in place of Terrelle Pryor. Washington's offense remains far too spread-out to trust any of these wideouts, even though Doctson is legitimately ascending as a player and routinely flashes big plays every week. Ryan Grant led the way among the wide receivers, going out for 93 percent of the plays.
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-- Follow Matt Harmon on Twitter _@MattHarmonBYB_ and Matt Franciscovich @MattFranchise.
