NFL Target Analysis: Week 14

With the way injuries hit in Week 14, trustable wide receivers are even harder to come by than usual. It’s unfortunate, but you’re probably going to have to rely on at least one volatile receiver for the fantasy semifinals. Guys who are starting to climb up the target list with two or three big games like Zach Pascal or Robert Woods suddenly look like great fantasy options. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the notable target numbers from Week 14 and the entire season.

Target Analysis

• Any concerns about Christian McCaffrey getting a lighter workload were unfounded. He had a season-low 11 carries but matched his season-high with 11 receptions on 12 targets. He hasn’t found the end zone in two weeks, but he remains the safest running back in fantasy.
• Robby Anderson has seven receptions for 100+ yards on double-digit targets in each of his last two games. Those games were against Cincinnati and Miami, so I’m not going to use him in the fantasy playoffs against Baltimore or Pittsburgh. I probably won’t draft him next year, either. Let us not forget he had five targets or fewer in four straight games before breaking out against the two worst teams in the NFL.
• I hope Gerald Everett returns next week so we don’t have to think about playing Tyler Higbee for fantasy. Like Robby Anderson , Higbee had seven receptions for 100+ yards in each of his last two games. Higbee has a better Week 15 matchup than Anderson, but I still don’t trust Higbee. He is a borderline fantasy starter if Everett is out.
• D.J. Chark bounced back after a couple of rough weeks with 10 targets, catching nine for 75 yards. Chark isn’t exactly safe, but I still think he’ll be worth playing down the stretch.
• After the week Tyler Higbee just had against the Seahawks, we have to take a long look at Ian Thomas for Week 15. Thomas had a nice week himself in Week 14, catching five of 10 targets for 57 yards and a touchdown. I think I would rather play Tyler Higbee , but it’s close.
• I think at this point, Robert Woods is nearly a must-start, and I think I’d play him ahead of Cooper Kupp . I don’t really expect this to last, but Woods now has at least nine targets, six receptions, and 95 yards in four straight games.
• I still don’t trust Zach Pascal , but much like Robert Woods , it’s getting harder not to. Pascal has finally strung two good games together, with at least nine targets and 74 receiving yards in consecutive games. I still think at New Orleans is a tough matchup, despite all the points the 49ers scored last week.
• Don’t be fooled by the box score; not all of Devin Singletary ’s eight targets were check-downs. Allen just barely missed Singletary on a long touchdown that would have tied the game late, and Singletary lined up out wide multiple times. He certainly looks like a legit RB2, especially if he continues to get so much work in the passing game.
• Mike Evans is eighth on the target list despite getting just two on Sunday before leaving with a hamstring injury. With Evans done for the season, there are a lot of targets to go around, and while my guess is that at least one of Jameis Winston ’s targets will pop this week, good luck guessing who. Chris Godwin was basically double-covered for the entire second half, and while that probably won’t stop Jameis from throwing his way, it could make completions harder to come by. If I had to pick Tampa pass catcher to take a chance on, it would probably be Breshad Perriman , but Justin Watson , Cameron Brate , O.J. Howard and all three running backs will likely be involved as well.
• Most of Jordan Akins ’s nine targets were check-downs in garbage time, but not all of them. Some were check-downs earlier in the game. He only caught four of those nine targets for 49 yards, but he did have two red zone targets. I’m not playing him except maybe for DFS, but it wouldn’t hurt to have him on your radar.
• Christian Kirk is tied for 36th on the target list for the season, though he’s played in just 10 games. Kirk caught eight of nine targets Sunday for 85 yards, but his three touchdowns are holding him back. Kirk looks relatively safe against Cleveland and Seattle the next two weeks, but I think he has a chance to fly a bit under the radar for 2020 as well.