Wide Receiver Snap Counts and Target Trends - Week 15 Analysis

Your wide receivers remain essential components toward your primary goal of securing league championships. As many of you prepare for your Week 16 matchups, an expanding assortment of tools is available that can provide you with an extensive level of knowledge regarding this critical position. Those results are contained in this weekly statistical breakdown of multiple categories, which is designed to help you fulfill your championship aspirations.

This will be the 15th installment that will examine game-specific data, including updated totals for targets, first downs, red-zone targets, snap counts, and a compilation of advanced statistics. The information that is contained in this weekly report will analyze how various receivers are being utilized, and how effectively they are capitalizing on their opportunities. This massive collection of data supplies the foundation from which the numbers that are generated in various categories can be evaluated.

During these final weeks of the season, all noteworthy changes in usage and production will be blended into the equation. That will bolster your efforts to determine which wide receivers should be in your Week 16 lineups. Pro Football Reference, PFF, NextGenStats, Rotowire, Rotoviz, and Football Outsiders were all used as resources in compiling this data. Good luck with your matchups this week.

Week 15 Target Leaders 

Keenan Allen only performed on 36% of the Chargers’ offensive snaps in Week 15 as he contended with a hamstring issue. That dramatically impacted his target total (3). However, that did not prevent him from maintaining his overall lead for the season (147). Stefon Diggs has elevated into a tie with Allen, followed by DeAndre Hopkins (138), Allen Robinson (133), and Davante Adams (131). Tyreek Hill is next with (129), followed by Terry McLaurin (126), Diontae Johnson (126), Calvin Ridley (122), Robby Anderson (119), and two receivers that were tied at 115 - Cooper Kupp, and Amari Cooper. Kupps’ teammate Robert Woods is next (114), followed by Tyler Lockett (113), D.K. Metcalf (112), Tyler Boyd (107), and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Justin Jefferson is next at 103, which currently leads all rookies. He is followed by Cole Beasley (102), and Marvin Jones (101). That completes the list of 20 receivers that have collected 100+ targets through the matchups of Week 15.

.@JoshAllenQB ➡ @StefonDiggs

55 yards. Wow.

?: #BUFvsDEN on @NFLNetwork
?: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/TYgmNmXBkP pic.twitter.com/HcsEQoXqWD

— NFL (@NFL) December 19, 2020

Diggs leads all wide receivers in targets that were accumulated from Weeks 12-15 (46). Ridley and Johnson are tied for second during that span (45), while Jefferson and Jones are tied at 44. Hill is next (43), followed by Hopkins (42), Adams (41), Woods (39), and three receivers that are tied with 38 receptions - Robinson, Landry, and Aiyuk. Allen, Beasley, and Metcalf have all captured 35 targets, followed by Agholor (34), McLaurin (33), Smith-Schuster (32), and two receivers that are tied with 30 receptions during that span - Russell Gage, and Michael Gallup.

T.Y. Hilton and Marquise Brown are tied with 29, followed by A.J. Brown 28, and three receivers that are tied with 27 receptions - Jakobi Meyers, Chase Claypool, and Tee Higgins. Rashard Higgins and Sterling Shepard are tied with 26, while four receivers complete the list of 32 players that have been targeted 25+ times since Week 12 - Michael Thomas, Cooper, Lockett, and Lamb.

Aiyuk leads all wide receivers with 29 targets during the matchups of Weeks 14-15.  Diggs is second overall with 27, followed by Ridley (26), Hopkins (22), and three receivers that are tied with 20 targets - Beasley, Adams, and Marvin Jones – whose recent numbers will be examined in the 5 Things I Noticed section. Jefferson is next (19), followed by Robinson, Samuel, and McLaurin all tied with 18. Seven different receivers have all attained 17 targets during that two-week span - Gage, Agholor, Anderson, Hill, Slayton, Landry, and Laviska Shenault; while Lynn Bowden, and Robert Woods have both captured 16 targets.

Three receivers are tied with 15 – Rashard Higgins, Meyers, and A.J. Brown, while six different receivers are tied at 14 – Allen, Metcalf, Chase Claypool, Tee Higgins, and Jacksonville teammates Chark and Keelan Cole. Four additional receivers have been targeted 13 times - Hilton, Smith-Schuster, Marquise Brown, Gabriel Davis – while a whopping 10 receivers have all been targeted 12 times since Week 14 - Jalen Reagor, Mecole Hardman, Tyron Johnson, Antonio Brown, Evans, Lockett, Byrd. Sterling Shepard, Jamison Crowder, and Mack Hollins. Gallup, Greg Ward, and Emmanuel Sanders are among the collection of 12 additional receivers that have been targeted 10+ times during their last two matchups.

Adams (10.9), Allen (10.5), and Diggs (10.5) have been the only three receivers to average 10 targets per game since Week 9. That remains the case despite Allen’s diminished usage in Week 15. Allen still leads his position by capturing at least 10 targets in 10 different matchups. Adams and Johnson have attained 10+ targets in nine contests, while Diggs has accomplished it in eight different games. Hopkins, Hill, and Ridley have each been targeted at least 10 times in seven different matchups.

Largest Weekly Changes

The birthday boy @CalvinRidley1 is ballin' ?

?: FOX pic.twitter.com/2guHW7Vstl

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 20, 2020

Calvin Ridley has averaged 9.4 targets per game throughout the season, which has been fueled by the seven games in which he has received 10+. He has also captured a double-digit target total in three consecutive matchups. But even with those accomplishments, the 14 targets that he received established a season-high. It also vaulted him atop the league lead among all receivers during the matchups of Week 15.

Diggs has now collected 10+ targets in five of his last six matchups, after capturing 13 during Buffalo’s encounter at Denver. That ties him with Johnson and Aiyuk - who has now accumulated 10+ targets in four of his last five matchups. Terry McLaurin‘s 12 targets in Week 15 represented his highest weekly total since Week 6, while Marvin Jones has now captured 12 targets in three of his last four matchups. DeAndre Hopkins has accumulated 35 targets during his last three contests, including the 11 that he received in Week 15. Justin Jefferson has now accrued 10+ targets in four of his last six matchups. Five different receivers were targeted 10 times while completing the list of 13 receivers that attained a double-digit target total in Weeks 15 - Adams, Hill, Beasley, Gage, and Meyers.

D.J. Moore was sidelined due to multiple issues (ankle/reserve/COVID-19 list) during Carolina's Week 14 matchup. But he returned in Week 15 to capture 8 targets. That weekly increase of +8 was the largest among all wide receivers. Brandin Cooks was also experiencing multiple issues (neck/foot) that prevented him from playing in Week 14. But he re-emerged to collect seven targets in Week 15 which resulted in a weekly rise of +7.

Terry McLaurin’s aforementioned weekly target total fueled a week-to-week improvement of +6. That tied him with Mecole Hardman, whose nine targets tied his career-high. McLaurin and Hardman were joined by Johnson whose weekly total also rose by +6 after he accrued 13 targets in Week 15. That was also matched by Cam Sims whose target totals extended their wild fluctuations since Week 12 (0/9/2/9). Noah Brown was the fifth receiver to experience an increase of +6 after he established his own career-high during the Cowboys' matchup with San Francisco. Jakobi Meyers registered a double-digit target total for the first time since Week 9. His weekly increase of +5. tied him with CeeDee Lamb, who has now collected at least seven targets during three of his last four matchups.

One week ago, Keelan Cole collected a season-high 12 targets, which propelled him to the second-highest increase of the week. But he was only targeted twice in Week 12, and the weekly decline of -10 was the largest among all wide receivers. Robinson remains fourth overall in targets for the season while averaging 9.5 per game. But he experienced his second-lowest total of the season in Week 15 (5), which created the second-largest weekly decrease of -8. That tied him with Allen, who had averaged 12,8 targets per game from Weeks 11-14, and 10.5 throughout the season. But he was only targeted three times as he attempted to play with a hamstring issue in Week 15.

Robby Anderson’s five targets were the fewest since Week 6 and also tied his season-low. That total also occurred one week after he collected 12 targets, which resulted in a decline of -7. Mack Hollins was targeted just three times in Week 15 after he had garnered a career-high 9 during Miami's matchup in Week 14. His decline of - 6 tied in him with Breshad Perriman, who was only targeted once during the Jets' Week 15 matchup with the Rams. Hunter Renfrow, Lavista Shenault, Rashard Higgins, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Steven Mitchell experienced a weekly reduction of -5.

Week 15 Air Yards

Calvin Ridley leads all wide receivers in air yards entering the matchups of Week 16 (1,867), while Tyreek Hill is second (1,672). D.K. Metcalf is third (1,510), followed by Stefon Diggs (1,466), Allen Robinson (1,286), Marvin Jones (1,267), Jerry Jeudy (1,260), Justin Jefferson (1,238), and Terry McLaurin (1,210). Marquise Brown has accumulated 1,195 air yards, followed by D.J. Chark (1,188), while DeAndre Hopkins and A.J. Brown are tied at 1,175. D.J. Moore is next (1.170), followed by Davante Adams (1,162), Adam Thielen (1,148), Robby Anderson (1,120) and Mike Evans (1,100). Tee Higgins is next (1,097) followed by Darius Slayton (1,095) Mike Williams (1,092), and Chase Claypool (1,089). Tyler Lockett, Amari Cooper, and Keenan Allen are among the seven additional receivers that have collected over 1,000 air yards through Week 15.

Great catch by Terry McLaurin, had to come back to the ball hanging up a little bit, went over the DB and made the catch pic.twitter.com/W59ZQUDupO

— Mark Bullock (@MarkBullockNFL) December 20, 2020

Terry McLaurin has sustained his league lead in percentage share of air yards (40.2). Brown is second overall (39.9), followed by Metcalf (39.8), Ridley (38.2), Hill (37.3), Moore (37.0), and Jefferson (35.9). Diggs is next (35.8), followed by Robby Anderson (35.5), Slayton (33.9), Thielen (33.3), and Hopkins (33.0). Damiere Byrd is next (32.3), followed by Adams (32.0), Robinson (31.7), and two rookies that are tied at 30.4 – Claypool and Jerry Jeudy.  A.J. Green (30.1) is the only other wide receiver with an average of 30+.

Marquez Valdes Scantling leads all wide receivers in targeted air yards (17.6). Jalen Guyton is now second overall (16.9), followed by Henry Ruggs (16.5), Mike Williams (15.9), Calvin Ridley (15.6), and Scott Miller (15.4). Denzel Mims is next (15.0), followed by his teammate Breshad Perriman (14.8), Gabriel Davis (14.6), and two receivers that are tied at 14.4 - Nelson Agholor, and Rashard Higgins. First-year receivers Jeudy and Jalen Reagor are tied with Marquise Brown at 14.3, followed by Chark (14.0), Metcalf (13.9), Green (13.8), and Slayton 13.6. Darnell Mooney completes the top 20 in this category at 13.4.

Week 15 First Downs

DeAndre Hopkins! UNREAL. #RedSea

?: #PHIvsAZ on FOX
?: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/4dWJuGxOxQ pic.twitter.com/u5if6NKznI

— NFL (@NFL) December 20, 2020

DeAndre Hopkins leads all wide receivers in first down receptions (71), which is ten more than both receivers that are tied for second - Stefon Diggs and Keenan Allen. Davante Adams is next (60), followed by three receivers that are tied with 58 - Allen Robinson, Calvin Ridley, and D.K. Metcalf. Tyreek Hill has collected 54 receptions, while Cole Beasley has captured 53. Amari Cooper and Terry McLaurin are tied with 49, followed by Justin Jefferson and Tyler Lockett with 48.

Corey Davis and Tee Higgins have accumulated 47 first down receptions, followed by D. J. Moore (46), Robby Anderson (45), Mike Evans (45), and four receivers that are tied with 44 – Marvin Jones, Adam Thielen, and A.J. Brown. Tyler Boyd (43) is next, followed by Jarvis Landry (43), Robert Woods (42), three receivers that are tied with 41- Brandon Aiyuk, CeeDee Lamb, and Russell Gage, and followed by Brandin Cooks and Diontae Johnson with 40. No other wide receivers had eclipsed 40 first down receptions entering Week 16.

Week 15 Red Zone Targets

Davante Adams continues to lead all wide receivers in red zone targets (22). However, five different receivers are now tied for second overall with 18 targets - Tyreek Hill, Calvin Ridley, Mike Evans, Adam Thielen, and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Keenan Allen is next (17), while four different receivers are tied with 16 targets inside the 20 - DeAndre Hopkins, Jarvis Landry, Allen Robinson, and Russell Gage. Tyler Boyd has collected 15 targets, while both Stefon Diggs and Brandon Aiyuk have attained 14.

Six different receivers have been targeted 13 times – D.K. Metcalf, Cooper Kupp, Marvin Jones, Nelson Agholor, and Zach Pascal. Terry McLaurin, Robby Anderson, and A.J. Brown spearhead a group of nine different receivers who have collected 12 targets, while CeeDee Lamb and Diontae Johnson, are among the six receivers that have been targeted 11 times. Cole Beasley and Justin Jefferson join seven other receivers with 10 targets entering Week 16.

Adams also leads the position with 15 targets inside the 10-yard line. Evans is second in this category (14) followed by Hill (12), Thielen (11), Aiyuk (10), and two receivers that are tied with nine targets inside the 10 - Hopkins and Metcalf. Eight different receivers have captured eight targets - Ridley, Landry, Russell Gage, Nelson Agholor, Chase Claypool, CeeDee Lamb, Christian Kirk, and Sammy Watkins. Robinson and Lockett join five other receivers that have attained seven targets inside the 10-yard line.

Adams also leads all wide receivers with 10 targets inside the 5-yard line. Evans and Aiyuk are tied with eight targets, while DeVante Parker has been targeted seven times. Five different receivers have captured six targets - Hill, Thielen, Ridley, Lamb, and Lockett, while five receivers have been targeted five times inside the 5-yard line - Hopkins, Cooper, Green, Tee Higgins, and Zach Pascal.

Week 15 Snap Counts 

DeAndre Hopkins leads all wide receivers with 921 offensive snaps entering Week 16. Terry McLaurin is second overall (899), followed by Stefon Diggs (878), Keenan Allen (874), Michael Gallup (867), D.K. Metcalf (862), and Robert Woods (860). Tyreek Hill is next (858), followed by Marvin Jones (839), and Tyler Lockett (827) completing the top 10 in this category. Jalen Guyton has performed on 817 snaps, while Amari Cooper is next with 812. Damiere Byrd (811), and JuJu Smith Schuster (804) are also among the 14 receivers that have been involved in at least 800 of their team's offensive snaps. Adam Thielen is next (794), followed by Allen Robinson (791), Mike Evans (784), Cooper Kupp (782), Darius Slayton (771), and Justin Jefferson completing the top 20 with (764). Tee Higgins (738), D.J. Moore (717), and Calvin Ridley (703) are among the group of 13 additional receivers that have performed on 700+ offensive snaps from Weeks 1-15.

McLaurin leads all wide receivers in snap count percentage during the matchups of Week 15 (94.1). Hopkins is second (92.5), followed by Diggs (92.2), Metcalf (92.0), Thielen (91.8), Damiere Byrd (90.5), Marvin Jones (89.5), and Breshad Perriman (89.2). Perriman’s teammate Denzel Mims is next (89.1), followed by Woods (88.5), Lockett (88.3), Chad Hanson (87.9), Tyreek Hill (87.4), and Michael Gallup (87.4). D.J. Moore is next (87.0), followed by Godwin (86.7), Cooks (86.7), Aiyuk (86.6), Slayton (86.5), and Robinson (85.6). Adams, Allen, and Jefferson are among the 12 additional receivers that have remained involved on at least 80% of their teams’ offensive snaps entering Week 16.

Hill led the position in total offensive snaps during the matchups of Week 15 (84). His teammate Watkins and Aiyuk were tied for second with 80. They were followed by McLaurin (78), Cam Sims (77), Mack Hollins (70), Cooks (68), Gabriel Davis (68), and Stephan Diggs with 67. Lynn Bowden and Justin Jefferson were tied with 66, while Hopkins performed on 65 snaps. Agholor and Thielen were tied with 64, while Perriman and Hansen were next with 63. Godwin and Adams 60 were the only other receivers who eclipsed 60+ snaps in Week 15. Smith-Schuster, Ridley, Marvin Jones, and Russell Gage were among the 14 additional receivers that were involved on 55+ snaps.

Tee Higgins performed on 100% of Cincinnati’s offensive snaps in Week 15, which led all receivers. Cooks with second (98.6), followed by McLaurin (97.5), Jefferson (97.1), Perriman (96.9), Adams (96.8), and Patriot teammates Jakobi Meyers and Damiere Byrd at 96.4. Sims was next (96.3), followed by Hollins (95.9), Hopkins (95.6), Aiyuk (95.2), and Thielen (94.1). Diggs, Hanson, Lockett, and Gage were among the eight additional receivers that eclipsed a 90% snap count in Week 15.

5 Things I Noticed

1. If Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are contained on your rosters, you should plan to deploy them as WR2s this week. But your enthusiasm does not approach the level that would exist if Antonio Brown was not operating as an ongoing threat to siphon their opportunities.

Prior to the Buccaneers’ Week 15 matchup in Atlanta, Brown had accumulated 34 targets (6.8 per game) from Weeks 9-14. That included the season-high 13 targets in Week 11. Otherwise, his weekly target totals (5/8/3/5) resulted in a 5.3 per game average. He had also collected 25 receptions (5 per game) and 217 yards (43.4 per game) through Week 14. That relegated him to WR65 in point per game scoring during that sequence.

Float like a butterfly, sting like AB ?

?: #TBvsATL on FOX pic.twitter.com/awpX5CuPDL

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) December 20, 2020

However, he collected five of his seven targets in Week 15, while also generating his first touchdown as a Buccaneer. That 46-yard score enabled Brown to establish a season-high 93 yards. This is an encouraging development for managers who had secured Brown when he resurfaced from his suspension.

In six games with all three receivers in the lineup in Tampa Bay’s lineup, Brown has collected now 41 targets (6.8 per game), 30 receptions (5.0 per game), and 310 receiving yards (51.7 per game). Evans leads the trio in targets 47 (7.8 per game), receiving yards (406/67.7 per game), air yards (654), percentage share of air yards (27.9), and touchdowns (4). Godwin is tied with Brown for the team lead in receptions (30/5 per game) but trails both Evans and Brown in targets (39/6.5 per game), and is second to Evans in yardage (344/57.3 per game).

Godwin was averaging 7.3 targets, 6.3 receptions, and 69.8 yards per game through Week 8. But those averages have declined with Brown’s presence placing constraints on Godwin’s opportunities. Evans was averaging 5.8 targets, 3.8 receptions, and 46.6 yards per game from Weeks 1-8, and the seven-year veteran's numbers have not been impacted by Brown to the degree that has been absorbed by Godwin - even though Evans’ production would be elevated without Brown in the lineup

Evans has also collected 11+ red zone targets since Week 9, which places him second among all receivers. He is also tied for the league lead with eight targets inside the 10-yard line. He had only been targeted seven times inside the red zone from Weeks 1-8 although six of those passes were captured inside the 10. Evans also leads Tampa Bay in target share (20.2), air yards (581), and percentage share of air yards (278.9) since Week 9.

It should be noted that the transformation in receiving weaponry has not been completely beneficial to Tom Brady. He had built a 20:4 touchdown to interception ratio prior to Brown’s arrival. But that ratio had degenerated to 10:7 from Weeks 9-14 before he produced two scores in Week 15.

Both Godwin and Evans will conclude the season with numbers that reside below their usage and output during 2019. Godwin averaged 8.6 targets, 6.2 receptions, 95.2 yards per game, last season, while Evans averaged 9.1 targets, 5.1 receptions, and 89 yards per game.

2. The Saints were undergoing two transitions within their passing attack during their Week 15 matchup with Kansas City. It was the first contest in which Drew Brees had been spearheading the offense since Week 10, while the team was also entering their second sequence of games without Michael Thomas operating as the primary receiving weapon. But both the reemergence of Brees and the absence of Thomas also launched Emmanuel Sanders into greater relevance as the fantasy postseason approaches its conclusion. 

Brees suffered his protracted rib issue during the first half of New Orleans' Week 10 matchup with San Francisco. At the time of the injury, he was 19th in passing attempts (33 per game) but ninth in completions (24.3 per game). He was also 16th in yardage (2,196/244 per game) while averaging 7.0 yards per attempt.

Sanders was on the reserve COVID-19 list in Weeks 7-8. But he still accumulated a team-high 42 targets (6 per game) while Brees was guiding the attack from Weeks 1-10. The 33-year old receiver also led the team in receptions (31/4.4 per game) receiving yards (347/49.8 per game) and tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns (3). Sanders also averaged 7.8 targets, 5.8 receptions, and 72.3 yards per game in games with Thomas out of the lineup during that sequence. Those numbers were fueled by his performance in Week 5 when he collected season highs in targets (14), receptions (12), and receiving yards (122).

Taysom Hill connected on 82 of his 114 passing attempts during his four starts. That placed him 22nd among all quarterbacks in completions (20.5 per game) and 24th in attempts (28.5 per game). Michael Thomas led the Saints in targets during the sequence when Hill was spearheading the offense (37/9.3 per game/33.3 target share). He also paced the team in receptions (30), receiving yards (343), air yards (376), and percentage share of air yards (49.1). Sanders was a distant second in each category (17 targets/15.3 target share/13 receptions/157 yards/158 air yards/20.6 percentage share of air yards).

OK DREW. 51-yard BOMB to Sanders! ?

?: CBS | #SAINTS pic.twitter.com/Gfp2sxYoi7

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 20, 2020

Thomas would have continued to function as the Saints’ WR1 after Brees had returned, However, the placement of Thomas on injured reserve (ankle), and Tre'Quan Smith's ankle injury provide Sanders with an excellent opportunity to lead the Saints in each category. This transpired in Week 15, as Sanders paced New Orleans’ wide receivers in targets (5), receptions (4), and receiving yards (76). His yard per reception (19.0) and yard per target (15.2) averages both established new season highs.

Brees did not display the usual degree of efficiency in Week 15, as he only connected on 15 of his 34 passing attempts. His 44.1 completion percentage was the lowest since Week 1 of 2012. However, he should gain proficiency while locating Sanders as his primary receiving weapon beyond Alvin Kamara. This elevates Sanders into a viable WR3 option during the remaining playoff matchups.

3. Several veteran wide receivers have rewarded fantasy GMs with a surge in usage and production during their recent matchups, which has provided a boost to anyone who has inserted them into their starting lineups. That includes several players that have emerged as dependable WR3 options.  

Stafford to @MarvinJonesJr for the score❗#DETvsTEN | ? CBS | #OnePride pic.twitter.com/CXSx0vvWRQ

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) December 20, 2020

Marvin Jones has become a highly-productive performer for Detroit during Kenny Golladay’s extended absence. He has also emerged as a genuine resource for any fantasy GMs who ignored the recommendations to drop him earlier this season. He now resides 20th overall in targets (101/7.2 per game) entering Week 16. From Weeks 10-15, he is fifth among all receivers in targets (60/10 per game), second in air yards (831), fourth in percentage share of air yards(43.9), sixth in receptions (40/6.7 per game), and eighth in receiving yards (471/78.5 per game).

Since Week 12 he is second among all receivers in air yards (657), is fourth in percentage share of air yards (44.0), and targets (44/per game), and sixth in receptions (28/7 per game). His recent numbers have also propelled him to sixth overall in air yards from Weeks 1-15 (1,267),  while he is also 19th in percentage share of air yards (29.4). He has attained a 20.4 target share and has generated seven touchdowns. Jones has already surpassed 100 targets for the first time since 2017 and has tied his career-high in receptions (65).

Stefon Diggs has commandeered his place among the league’s top tier receivers during his exceptional season. However, his teammate Cole Beasley has been quietly accumulating the most prolific numbers of his career. The nine-year veteran has been targeted 31 times since Week 13 (10.3 per game), which places him eighth among all wide receivers. He is also sixth in receptions (22/7.3 per game), and receiving yards (283/94.3 per game), during that sequence, and is also 13^th in air yards (288/96 per game).

Cole Beasley with the laser focus ? #BillsMafia #BUFvsDEN pic.twitter.com/DG1bLCYL7k

— Bills Cold Front Report (@ColdFrontReport) December 20, 2020

His recent numbers have propelled him to 16^th in yardage from Weeks 1-15 (950/67.8 per game). He is also 11th with 15 receptions of 20+ yards. He has already established new career highs in receptions and receiving yards, and is just five targets away from achieving a new high in that category. Beasley had entered 2020 having exceeded 100 yards in just four different games during his career. But he has delivered five 100-yard performances this season.

From Weeks 3-9, Russell Gage averaged 4.4 targets, 2.9 receptions, and 31 yards per game. He was also third among Atlanta's wide receivers in each category during that span (31 targets/20 receptions/219 yards, while also failing to generate a touchdown during those seven contests. However, Gage's involvement within the Falcons' passing attack has increased sizably since Week 11. His per-game averages have risen substantially to 8.4 targets, 4.8 receptions, and 58.6 during his last five matchups. Gage is second among Atlanta receiving options in targets (42), receptions (24), and receiving yards (293) during that sequence and has also produced two touchdowns.

.@GageRussell threw a TD last week...

AND CAUGHT ONE THIS WEEK!

?: FOX pic.twitter.com/dtizwj22Ls

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 20, 2020

He is also 11th overall in air yards (437) while attaining a 22.6 target share, and a 24.7 percentage share of air yards during those contests. Julio Jones’s protracted battle with his hamstring could keep the 31-year old cemented to the sideline during Atlanta's remaining matchups. That would allow Gage to sustain his recent usage and production, while compelling managers to utilize him as a WR3.

4. The results have been less favorable for several other receivers during the recent matchups. That includes Christian Kirk, who has averaged just 3.7 targets, 2.3  receptions, and 16.3 yards per game since Week 13. The third-year receiver had averaged 5.8 targets, 3.4 receptions, and 49.6 yards from Weeks 1-12 and had also generated six touchdowns. He has maintained an 87.7 snap share during those three matchups. However, passes are simply not being distributed with the same frequency that occurred through Week 12. Kirk is just fourth in target share on the Cardinals (10.4) during that span - behind DeAndre Hopkins, Chase Edmonds, and Dan Arnold.

He is also fourth in yardage and is tied for third in receptions with Arnold and KeeSean Johnson. He has also dropped to third on the team in air yards (104), and also in percentage share of air yards (13.6). These are clear indications that Kirk's role within Arizona's aerial attack has diminished to a level that should prevent all managers from including him in their lineups.

A burgeoning collection of issues that have permeated Denver's offense include questionable play-calling, ineffective usage of personnel, and the deficiencies in Drew Lock’s performances. These shortcomings have conspired to suppress the usage and production of both Tim Patrick and Jerry Jeudy. Patrick has only averaged 3.8 targets per game since Week 12 while being limited to 2.5 receptions, and 23.5 yards per game during that span. Patrick had averaged 7 targets per game from Weeks 6-11 while attaining a 19.1 target share. He had also averaged 4.0 receptions and 70.8 yards per game and was also 10^th among all receivers with 525 air yards.

Patrick also surged to 18th overall in targets from Weeks 9-11 (23/7.7 per game) and was 16th in receiving yards (209/69.7 per game). But his diminished weekly targets totals since Week 12 (2/4/5/4) have fueled a statistical decline that has removed Patrick from the list of viable WR3 options during the postseason.

That principle also applies to Patrick’s teammate Jeudy, whose opportunities have also diminished during his recent matchups. He had been averaging 7.7 targets, 3.7 receptions in 58.9 yards from Weeks 1-11. His 77 targets also led all rookies while placing him 15^th among all receivers. From Weeks 8-11, Jeudy was tied for third among all receivers with 40 targets (10 per game), while garnering a 25.2 target share. He also led the league in air yards (604), and was eighth in percentage share of air yards (41.3).

But his usage began to plunge in Week 12 when Jeudy was only targeted once. During his last four matchups, he has only averaged 3.5 targets, one reception, and an infinitesimal 16.5 yards per game. He has also averaged 42.5 air yards per game during those contests, as the trajectory of his statistical decline remains similar to Patrick’s. It has also transformed what was once a promising rookie season into an underwhelming level of usage that cannot be trusted by fantasy GMs.

5. Fantasy GMs who invested a 5th round draft selection on D.J. Chark during their draft process were envisioning a return on their investment that vastly exceeded what they have actually received. His ADP appeared to present sizable value, based upon his WR16 finish during 2019. But his 2020 production has not matched the results from his previous season.

Chark generated eight touchdowns and surpassed 1,000 yards in 2019 while averaging 7.9 targets, 4.9 receptions, and 67 yards per game. As he enters Week 16, Chark is currently averaging 7.3 targets, 4.1 receptions, and 53.7 yards per game, That places him on pace to finish the season with 102 targets, 57 receptions, and 751 yards. That will clearly fail to reach his season totals during 2019 (118 targets/73 receptions/1,008 yards).

He is also WR44 in points per game scoring and has only eclipsed 10+ targets twice during the season. Chark has also reached 75 yards in just three different matchups, after accomplishing it in six different contests during 2019. He has been negatively impacted by multiple injuries (chest/ankle/ribs) while also operating with three different signal callers during the year.

From Weeks 1-7 with Gardner Minshew spearheading the offense, Chark led the Jaguars in targets (41) air yards (543), and percentage share of air yards (32.1) despite being sidelined in Week 3 (chest). However, Laviska Shenault led the team in receptions (29) while Keelan Cole paced the team in receiving yards (374) during that span.

Seventh-round round draft selection Jake Luten replaced Minshew from Weeks 9-11 as  Chark led Jacksonville in targets (25/8.3 per game) receptions (15/5 per game)  and receiving yards (243/81  per game) in those contests. Cole averaged just 4.7 targets, 2.7 receptions, and 26.3 yards per game during that span.

However, Cole re-emerged as the team leader in targets (20/5.9 per game) when 31-year old Mike Glennon was inserted under center from Weeks 12-14. Rookie Collin Johnson led the Jaguars in receiving yards (195), while Chark was only available for two matchups during that sequence (ribs). However, he averaged eight targets, two receptions, and 28.5 yards per game.

Minshew replaced Glennon in Week 14, then resurfaced as the starter during the team's Week 15 matchup with the Ravens. However, the re-insertion of Minshew under center did not fuel a rise in usage or production for Chark. 17 of Minshew’s 29 passing attempts in Week 16 were distributed to wide receivers. That includes the five that were launched to Chark, which was his lowest total since Week 10. Regardless of whether Minshew or Glennon is guiding the Jaguar offense this Sunday, managers should not utilize Chark as anything beyond a low-end WR3.

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