Wide Receiver Snap Counts and Target Trends - Week 4 Analysis

Your wide receivers remain essential components toward your primary goal of securing league championships. As the season unfolds, an expanding collection of tools are available that can provide you with an extensive level of knowledge regarding this critical position. Those results provide the foundation for this weekly statistical breakdown of the wide receiver position, which I will be constructing for a fourth consecutive season.

This will be the fourth weekly installment that will examine game-specific data, including updated totals for targets, first downs, red-zone targets, snap counts, and a blend of advanced statistics. The information that is contained in this report will analyze how various receivers are being utilized, and how effectively they are capitalizing on their opportunities. It is also designed to help with your roster decisions throughout the season.

As the season progresses 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 lineups, and which are worthy of remaining on your rosters. Statistics from our newly designed player pages at RotoBaller were included during the compilation of data, while Pro Football Reference, NextGenStats, Rotowire, Rotoviz, PFF, and Football Outsiders were also used as resources in the creation of this report.

Week 4 Target Leaders

.@CooperKupp in traffic, no problem! ? pic.twitter.com/N7OVcg8Cn6

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) October 3, 2021

Cooper Kupp is the only wide receiver who has collected at least 10 targets during all four of his matchups. His weekly totals have steadily increased since the Rams’’ season opener (10/11/12/13), and this favorable usage has propelled him to the league lead in this category (46). Davante Adams is currently second overall (45), followed by Keenan Allen (44),  D.J. Moore (43), Calvin Ridley (42), Deebo Samuel (42), Jakobi Meyers (41), and Stefon Diggs (41) completing the list of seven receivers who have accrued 40+ targets.

Brandin Cooks has now been targeted 39 times during his first four contests, while  Tyreek Hill and Terry McLaurin have both captured 38. Mike Evans and Justin Jefferson have both collected 37 targets followed by Michael Pittman (36), Diontae Johnson (35), Mike Williams (35), Adam Thielen (34), and D.K. Metcalf (33). Three different receivers are tied with 32 targets - Cole Beasley, DeVante Parker, and CeeDee Lamb, while DeVonta Smith and Marvin Jones are tied with 31. Chris Godwin, (30) Tyler Boyd (30), Hunter Renfrow, and Jaylen Waddle (30) complete the list of 27 receivers who have accumulated 30+ targets during Weeks 1-4.

DALLAS COWBOYS RETAKE THE LEAD ON A 35 YARD TOUCHDOWN PASS TO Amari Cooper#CARvsDAL

pic.twitter.com/zY01lHbV7z

— Dallas Nation (@Dallas__Nation) October 3, 2021

Four receivers have assembled 29 targets - Amari Cooper, Corey Davis, Sammy Watkins, and Chase Claypool - who reached that total despite his absence during Pittsburgh’s Week 4 matchup in Green Bay (hamstring). Three receivers are tied with 28 targets entering Week 5 - Courtland Sutton, Marquise Brown, and Laviska Shenault Jr. - who will be discussed further in the 5 Things I Noticed section. JuJu Smith-Schuster has accumulated 27 targets, while three receivers are tied with 26 (Emmanuel Sanders/Kenny Golladay/Darnell Mooney). Five additional receivers have captured 25 targets, which complete the list of 43 receivers who have registered at least 25 entering Week 5 - DeAndre Hopkins, Robert Woods. Tyler Lockett, Henry Ruggs III, and Ja’Marr Chase.

Adams leads all wide receivers in total targets since Week 3 (29). He is followed by Meyers (26), Kupp (25), Moore (24), Ridley (24), Samuel (22), and Mike Evans (22). Diggs, McLaurin, and Michael Pittman have all collected 20 targets during that two-game sequence, followed by Tyreek Hill (19), Cooks (18), Justin Jefferson (18), and five receivers that are tied with 17 targets since Week 3 - Waddle, Boyd Metcalf, Davis, and Adam Thielen. Four receivers are tied with 16 targets (Smith, Parker, Odell Beckham, and Khalif Raymond), while Beasley and Claypool have each accrued 15 during that two-game span.

Glad to have you back, Diontae Johnson pic.twitter.com/xBVuDtxhc4

— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) October 3, 2021

Nine receivers are averaging at least 10.0 targets per game - Diontae Johnson (11.7), Cooper Kupp (11.5), Davante Adams (11.3), Keenan Allen (11.0), D.J. Moore (10.8), Calvin Ridley (10.5), Deebo Samuel (10.5), and two receivers who are tied at 10.3 (Jakobi Meyers/Stefon Diggs).

In addition to Kupp’s four consecutive weeks of 10+ targets, six other receivers have attained team double digits during three of their first four matchups (D. J. Moore, Calvin Ridley, Deebo Samuel, Keenan Allen, Stefon Diggs, and Diontae Johnson). Kupp has already exceeded the number of games in which he was targeted 10+ times last season (3), while Moore's three games with double-digit targets are approaching his 2020 total (5). Ridley's 42 targets place him two targets ahead of last year's total from Weeks 1-4 (40), while Samuel's 42 targets are easily the most of any four-game sequence during his career.

Josh Allen scrambles and Stefon Diggs somehow makes a phenomenal catch. What a duo pic.twitter.com/sF3htjh2Ds

— Ben Brown (@BenBrownPL) October 3, 2021

Diggs' 10.3 targets per game average and target total (41) both outpace his Week 1-4 numbers from last season (8.8/35), which culminated with his league-leading total through Week 17 (166).  Johnson has now reached 10 targets in 13 of his last 18 regular-season matchups, which dates back to Week 1 of 2020.

Week 4 Weekly Changes  

15 wide receivers were targeted at least 10 times during their Week 4 matchups. That includes the four receivers who collected the highest total of the week (13). Three of these four players - Kupp, Ridley, and Johnson -  attained season highs with their usage, while McLaurin reached 13+ targets for the second time this season. Kupp’s escalating weekly totals were mentioned in the previous section. However,  Ridley’s targets have also increased each week (8/10/11/13). This has also fueled his gradual rise toward the league lead in this category, while his 22.5% target share in Weeks 1-2, climbed to 31.6% in Weeks 3-4. Johnson leads the league with an 11.7 target per game average while attaining his season-long total (35) in just three games. McLaurin’s weekly totals have been erratic (4/14/7/13). But that does not diminish what he has accomplished this season, which will be examined further in the 5 Things I Noticed section.

DJ Moore IS A MAGICIAN!

?: FOX pic.twitter.com/wnoQsShVTK

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) October 3, 2021

Five receivers collected 12 targets in Week 4. That includes D.J. Moore who has achieved that total in two consecutive games. That tied him with Deebo Samuel who has also accrued 12 targets in two different matchups this season. Jakobi Meyers also received 12 targets in Week 4 and has now captured 12+ in two consecutive games (14/12). Anyone who invested a first-round selection on Tyreek Hill had to be ecstatic with his three-touchdown performance in Week 4. The 12 targets that he received from Patrick Mahomes were more than he had attained in Weeks 2-3 combined (4/7). It was also the second game this season in which he has reached double digits. Mike Evans also collected 12 targets which established his new season-high.

Davante Adams captured 11 targets while becoming yet another receiver who has reached 10+ during each of these last two games. He was joined by Antonio Brown who had entered Tampa Bay’s Week 4 matchup with 10 targets for the season. Tyler Boyd also attained 11 targets after entering Cincinnati’s Week 4 matchup averaging 6.3 per game from Weeks 1-3. Robby Anderson also collected 11 targets which might provide some semblance of relief to concerned managers. Anderson’s teammate Moore has clearly surpassed him as Sam Darnold’s preferred weapon. But Anderson’s weekly total matched the 11 targets that he had received from Weeks 1-3 combined.

Stefon Diggs garnered 10 targets for the second consecutive week and has now reached double digits in three of his four outings. He was joined by DeVonta Smith who achieved 10+ for the first time in his brief career. Five different receivers were targeted nine times in Week 4 - DeVante Parker, Josh Reynolds, Jamison Crowder, and rookies Ja’Marr Chase and Kadarius Toney, D.K. Metcalf and Adam Thielen were among the nine receivers who captured eight targets during their Week 4 matchups.

Anderson’s 11 targets were distributed one week after he had been targeted just twice in Week 3.  That fueled the largest week-to-week increase among all receivers (+9). Amon-Ra St. Brown entered Week 4 with 10 targets from Weeks 1-3. But he attained a career-high eight targets in Week 4, which also resulted in a weekly rise of +7.

McLaurin’s 13 targets in Week 4 were collected one week after he had been targeted seven times. That created a weekly increase of +6. It also tied him with newcomer Toney, whose nine targets improved his weekly total by +6. Eight different receivers experienced week-to-week increases of +5 - Hill, Boyd, K. J. Osborne, Deonte Harris, Quez Watkins, Rashard Higgins, and Randall Cobb, and James Proche, as each of those receivers also attained their season highs in Week 4.

Cole Beasley had stockpiled 13 targets twice from Weeks 1-3. But he was limited to just two targets in Week 4,  which created a weekly plunge of -11. Rookie Jaylen Waddle collected the highest total of his career in Week 3 (13). But he also was relegated to his lowest total of the season in Week 4, which resulted in a weekly decline of -9. Four different receivers experienced a decrease of -7 in Week 4 -Adams, Jalen Reagor, Christian Kirk, and Collin Johnson. However, Adams' weekly decline occurred after he collected a league-high 18 targets in Week 3.

Week 4 Air Yards

Stefon Diggs has ascended into the league lead in air yards (537). Brandin Cooks is second overall (519), followed by Tyreek Hill (497), and two receivers that are tied at 493 - Davante Adams, and Courtland Sutton. Mike Evans is next (471), followed by Calvin Ridley (453), Henry Ruggs (446), DeVonta Smith (445), Marquise Brown (445), D.J. Moore (437), and second-year receiver Justin Jefferson (428). Terry McLaurin is next (425), followed by Emmanuel Sanders (417), DeVante Parker (414), and D.K. Metcalf (405). No other receivers have reached 400 yards entering Week 5.

Move the sticks, @sammywatkins!

Under 6 minutes to play in the fourth quarter. Tune in on CBS. pic.twitter.com/mHoiU9goMR

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) October 3, 2021

Sammy Watkins is next with (397), followed by Corey Davis (396), Michael Pittman (384), Cooper Kupp (383), Keenan Allen (370), Jakobi Meyers (366), Chase Claypool (363), Kenny Golladay (361), and Golladay’s former teammate Marvin Jones (359). Mike Williams (358), and Ja’Marr Chase (356) are the only other wide receivers who have accumulated 350+ air yards during their first four matchups.

Cooks leads all receivers in percentage share of air yards (56.9%). He is followed by Ridley (48.0%), Odell Beckham (47.0%), Metcalf (46.1%), McLaurin (46.1%), and Hill (44.1%). Smith is next (43.9%), followed by Chase (43.7%), Jefferson (42.8%), Pittman (41.7%), and Claypool (40.6%). Darnell Mooney has also eclipsed 40% (40.5), followed by Sutton (39.6%), Parker (39.3%), Adams (38.7%), and Diggs (38.5%). Moore is next (37.7%) followed by Johnson (37.3%), Samuel (36.8%), CeeDee Lamb (36.4%), and Tyler Lockett (35.5%) completing the list of 22 receivers who have attained a percentage of 35+.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling leads all receivers in targeted air yards (20.4), followed by Odell Beckham (18.6), Courtland Sutton (17.3), Ruggs (16.6), Sanders (16.4), Marquise Brown (16.1), Robby Anderson (15.6), A.J. Brown (15.3), Smith (15.2), and Nelson Agholor (15.2). Christian Kirk is next (14.8), followed by Antonio Brown (14.6), Chase (14.4), and Parker (14.0). Golladay is next (13.9), followed by three receivers that are tied at 13.8 - Davis, Van Jefferson, and Dyami Brown.

Week 4 First Downs

Word to your mama, @cheetah is BACK ? pic.twitter.com/kctxWWBCNe

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) October 4, 2021

Tyreek Hill entered Week 4 with 12 first down receptions. But he has soared into a tie for the league lead with 21 entering Week 5. He is joined by D. J. Moore, who captured five first down receptions during Carolina’s Week 4 matchup in Dallas. Davante Adams is third overall (19), followed by three receivers who have all collected 18 receptions - Cooper Kupp, Deebo Samuel, and Justin Jefferson. Four receivers are tied with 17 catches (Keenan Allen/Mike Williams/Terry McLaurin/Chris Godwin), while Mike Evans is next (16), followed by four receivers who are tied with 15 receptions Brandin Cooks, Stefon Diggs, Amari Cooper, and Kenny Golladay.

Five receivers have accrued 14 receptions - Calvin Ridley, Adam Thielen, Tyler Boyd, D.K. Metcalf, and Emmanuel Sanders, while four additional receivers have garnered 13 catches - Michael Pittman, CeeDee Lamb, Marquise Brown, and DeVante Parker. Robert Woods, Tim Patrick, DeVonta Smith, DeAndre Hopkins, and Hunter Renfrow have accumulated 12 first down receptions during their first four matchups.

Week 4 Red Zone Targets

Cooper Kupp, Keenan Allen, and Zach Pascal are currently in a three-way tie for the lead league in red zone targets (9). Mike Williams has collected eight targets inside the 20, while Mike Evans and Calvin Ridley have both captured seven. Eight different receivers have been targeted six times in the red zone - Davante Adams, Stefon Diggs, Chris Godwin, Michael Pittman, Amari Cooper, Robert Woods, Cole Beasley, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine.

Jamison Crowder, Justin Jefferson, DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green, and have all received five targets inside the 20.

JAMISON CROWDER TD AND IT'S A TIE GAME❗

(Via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/IA6G0rWA5j

— Jets Videos (@snyjets) October 3, 2021

Pascal leads all receivers with seven targets inside the 10 followed by Kupp (6), Pittman (5), and Green (5). Three receivers are tied with four targets inside the 10 (Allen/Williams/Ridley/Moore), while Adams Diggs and Wood, and among the seven receivers who have collected three. Kupp leads all wide receivers with four targets inside the 5 and is followed by a massive list of 12 receivers who have been targeted twice.

Week 4 Snap Counts

Adam Thielen continues to lead all wide receivers in offensive snaps (262). He is followed by Chris Godwin (253), DeAndre Hopkins (248), Jakobi Meyers (239), and three receivers that are tied with 238 snaps - Calvin Ridley, Michael Pittman, and Keenan Allen. Justin Jefferson is next (236), followed by Emmanuel Sanders (233), Stefon Diggs (232), Mike Evans (227), and Zach Pascal (227), Terry McLaurin (226), and D.J. Moore (225). Marvin Jones is next (222), followed by DeVonta Smith (220), A.J. Green (218), Cooper Kupp (218), CeeDee Lamb (217), and Deebo Samuel (215). Sammy Watkins and Amari Cooper are tied at 214, followed by Mike Williams (213), Robert Woods (212), and two receivers are tied with 210 - Courtland Sutton and Bryan Edwards. Tyreek Hill, Robby Anderson, and Davante Adams are among the eight additional receivers who have accumulated at least 200 offensive snaps entering Week 5.

Even when Terry McLaurin is covered, he’s open. pic.twitter.com/j9djDwjuml

— USA TODAY NFL (@usatodaynfl) October 3, 2021

Terry McLaurin has also maintained his league lead in snap count percentage (98.3%). Thielen is second in this category (96.7%), followed by Meyers (95.2%), Godwin (94.1%),  Hopkins (93.2%, Kupp (92.4%), Michael Pittman (91.5%), Jones (90.6%), and Ridley (90.5%). No other wide receivers have been involved in 90% of their team’s offensive snaps. Woods is next (89.8%), followed by Smith (89.8%), Metcalf (89.6%), Darnell Mooney (89.1%), Tyler Lockett (88.6%), Zach Pascal (87.3%), and Justin Jefferson (87.1%). Ja’Marr Chase is next (86.8%), followed by Brandin Cooks (86.6%), Keenan Allen (86.6%), Diontae Johnson (84.6%),, Mike Evans (84.4%), Tyreek Hill (83.9%), Adams .83.6%), Corey Davis (83.4%), Deebo Samuel (82.6%). D.J. Moore, Courtland Sutton, and A.J. Green are among the 11 additional receivers that have been involved in at least 80% of their team’s offensive snaps.

Five Things I Noticed

1. Terry McLaurin’s 13 targets on Week 4 represented the eighth time he has attained a double-digit target total in 33 career games, while he has also accomplished it during three of his last six regular-season matchups. McLaurin also exceeded 120 receiving yards for the fourth time in his career when he accrued 123 during Washington’s matchup with Atlanta. McLaurin also scored twice against the Falcons which was the second time that he has generated two touchdowns since his arrival in Washington (2019).

It’s a touchdown for #WashingtonFootball! @TheTerry_25

?: #WASvsATL on FOX
?: NFL app pic.twitter.com/WtIlIkBmrh

— NFL (@NFL) October 3, 2021

His performance propelled him to 10th overall in targets (38/9.5 per game) 12th in receptions 25/6.3 per game) and seventh in receiving yards (354/88.5 per game). His 31.4 target share easily leads The Football Team, while placing him seventh among all receivers. He is also pacing Washington in receptions, receiving yards, air yards (425), percentage of air yards (46.1), and red zone targets (4). Through his first four games this season, He is also fourth among wide receivers in yards before catch (264), eighth in first down receptions (17), and his 65.8% catch percentage is the highest of his career. McLaurin has also accrued a 34% target share in three full games with Taylor Heinicke under center. Heinicke had been elevated into a starting role when Ryan Fitzpatrick suffered a hip subluxation after playing just 16 snaps during Washington's season opener.

Heinicke has completed 82 of his 118 attempts since emerging as the starter, with a completion percentage that places him eighth overall (69.5%). Heinicke has also constructed an 8:3 touchdown to interception ratio and is currently seventh overall in touchdown percentage (6.8%). He is also 10th in yards per attempt (8.1,), and 11th in air yards per attempt (8.3), and 28th in intended air yards per attempt (7.6). But his average rises to 17th in completed our yards per attempt 4.0. He has also distributed 64% of his passes to Washington's wide receivers during his three starts, which places The Football Team 12th overall.

Adam Humphries is second among Washington wide receivers in target share (12.4%), although eight of his 15 targets were collected in Week 2. Humphries' numbers should soon be surpassed by Curtis Samuel who made his season debut in Week 4. The former Panther performed on 24 snaps (37% share) while collecting all four of his targets. Samuel was returning from a protracted groin issue that emerged in June, which impacted his usage during his initial game action of the year.

Samuel was limited to 19 yards and averaged 4.75 yards per reception while performing from the slot on exactly half of his snaps. His routes could expand during the upcoming weeks, as he had averaged 11.8 in that category from 2018-2020. His matching 4.8 yards per target average also dwelled below his average of 7.5 from 2018-2020, while his uncharacteristic aDOT (-1.3) did not resemble his average during his final three seasons Carolina (11.3). The extended absence of Logan Thomas (hamstring) should only enhance the importance of McLaurin and Samuel to the aerial attack. However, McLaurin will remain Washington's most critical receiving weapon by an enormous margin. He will also dominate The Football Teams' target and yardage percentages and will be unchallenged as the team's WR1 with both Heinicke and Fitzpatrick - when the 38-year old resurfaces later this season.

The #Titans have ruled out WR’s AJ Brown and Julio Jones for their week 4 matchup on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/CsPzB8SKUS

— TWSN (@TWSN___) October 1, 2021

2. The problematic hamstring injuries that sidelined A.J. Brown and Julio Jones in Week 4 temporarily derailed their ability to generate fantasy points, while forcing managers to locate alternative options for their lineups. Brown had appeared primed to easily surpass 1,000 yards for a third consecutive season entering Week 1 while benefitting from the arrival of Jones. The former Falcon had been infused into Tennessee’s receiving arsenal following a June trade that extracted him from Atlanta. Jones departed the Falcons having stockpiled 1,320 targets (9.8 per game), 848 receptions (6.3 per game), and 12,896 yards (95.5 per game) during his 10 seasons, and provided the prospects of operating as a highly productive presence to complement Brown.

Brown had attained a team-high 23.0% target share in Weeks 1-2, However, he was limited to eight snaps in Week 3 before his troublesome hamstring forced him to the sideline. He still led Tennessee in targets entering Week 4 (19/6.3 per game) but had been restricted to seven receptions (2.3 per game) and 92 yards (30.7 per game) prior to his absence.

Jones was averaging 6.0 targets, 4.0 receptions, and 68 yards per game from Weeks 1-3. He was also second on the Titans in targets prior to their Week 4 matchup  Jones was also leading the team in receptions (12/4.0 per game) and receiving yards (204/68 per game).

But their hamstring issues presented other Tennessee wide receivers with an opportunity to operate with expanded roles in Week 4. when the Titans faced the Jets. Chester Rogers was third among Titan wide receivers in targets (13/4.3 per game and receiving yards (90/30 per game) prior to the contest. He had also accrued seven receptions. This tied him with second-year receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who had gained relevance in Week 3 by tying for the team lead in targets (4), and pacing the Titans in receptions (4), and receiving yards (53), during their matchup with the Colts.

However, it was Josh Reynolds who ultimately led the Titans in targets during Week 4 (9/18.4% share). He had been contending with a lingering foot issue, which had limited him to just 11 snaps, and prevented him from registering a target from Weeks 1-3. However, he resurfaced to perform on 78% of the Titans’ snaps. Reynolds also collected six of those nine targets, and generating 59 yards, while leading the team in air yards (137), and percentage share of air yards (33.9%).

Westbrook-Ikhine was second among wide receivers in target share (16.3%). But he only garnered three of his eight targets, while being limited to 29 yards. Rogers finished with a target share of 12.2%, as he captured five of his six targets, and led Titan wide receivers in yardage (63). The usage for Reynolds, Westbrook-Ikhine, and Rogers is likely to fluctuate while Brown and Jones are sidelined, which leaves managers hoping that Tennessee’s most critical receiving weapons reemerge quickly.

Ridin' through your block like DEEBO!@treylance09 finds @19problemz for the 76-yard touchdown!

? @NFLonFOX#SEAvsSF pic.twitter.com/xueViLAOJU

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) October 3, 2021

3. Deebo Samuel entered his third season averaging 5.7 targets, 4.1 receptions, and 54.2 yards per game. But his numbers have surged significantly during San Francisco’s first four matchups, as Samuel is currently averaging 10.5 targets, 7.0 receptions, and 122.5 yards per game. He has soared to the league lead in both receiving yards (490), and yards after catch (270), is also fourth among all receivers in targets (42) and fifth in target share (32.3%), receptions (28), and first downs (18).

Samuel had also averaged 12.9 yards per reception during his first two seasons. However, that average has risen to 17.5, which also tied him for fourth overall in that category. His 9.4 yard per target average in 2019- 2020 has also increased to 11.7 - which places him ninth overall. Samuel’s 7.0 aDOT also represents a significant rise from last season’s average of 2.2.

Samuel was selected in Round 8 during the majority of drafts with an ADP (89) that placed him 26 spots behind teammate Brandon Aiyuk (63). But Samuel has ascended into the 49ers’ RB1 responsibilities, while Aiyuk’s disengagement from Kyle Shanahan’s doghouse has yet to produce the favorable level of usage and output that he experienced last season. The results have also failed to match the optimistic expectations that had fueled his ADP.

Aiyuk had led the 49ers in targets 96 receptions 60 and receiving at 7:48 as a rookie while averaging 8.0 targets 5.0 receptions and 62.3 yards per game. Aiyuk also averaged a league-high 12.4 targets per game from Weeks 8-15 last season. But his current per-game averages of 2.8 targets, 1.5 receptions, and 14.5 yards per game underscore the enormous gulf between offseason expectations and the actual results from his uninspiring 2021 numbers.

Aiyuk entered Week 3 with a grand total of two targets after averaging just 32 offensive snaps in Weeks 1-2. His snap share has risen to 76.5% since Week 3. But he is still averaging just 4.5 targets, 2.5 receptions, and 26 yards per game during that span. His averages in yards per reception (9.7) and yards per target (5.3) have also declined when contrasted with last season (12.5/7.8).

San Francisco signal-callers Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance have combined to average 34.2 attempts per game. They have targeted 49er  wide receivers on 59.2% of their passes, with Samuel's aforementioned share (32.3%) easily leading the team. Aiyuk's target share is just 8.5%, although it has improved from 3.8% in Weeks 1-2 to 11.7% since Week 3. Mohamed Sanu has collected 11 targets since Week 3 but does not loom as a threat to prevent Aiyuk from functioning as the 49ers' WR2. However, Samuel is clearing commandeering the majority of opportunities and is easily operating as the 49ers’ top receiving weapon.

Check out the filthy release by Jakobi Meyers on Richard Sherman. Dusted him. #Patriots pic.twitter.com/CO4jV9rQCq

— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) October 4, 2021

4. Jakobi Meyers has ascended into the select group of nine receivers that are averaging 10+ targets per game entering Week 5, which has been fueled by his expanded involvement in Weeks 3-4. Meyers had attained a team-high 22.7% target share while being targeted 15 times by Mac Jones during New England's first two matchups while collecting 10 of those passes (5 per game) and generating 82 yards (41 per game) during that sequence. Those numbers were sufficient for Meyers to lead the team in targets while placing him second in receptions and third in receiving yards.

However, Meyers’ snap share has risen to 28.0% in Weeks 3-4, as Jones has distributed 26 targets to the third-year receiver. Meyers has responded by capturing 17 receptions (8.5 per game) and producing 164 yards (82 per game). Meyers also leads New England in air yards (252) and percentage share of air yards (29.3) during his last two contests, while operating almost exclusively in the slot. The surge in usage has vaulted Meyers into seventh among all wide receivers in targets (41/10.3 per game) and receptions (27/6.8 per game) from Weeks 1-4.

The Patriots have altered their target distribution following White’s season-ending hip injury, as White had led the team in receptions (12/6 per game) and receiving yards (94/47 per game) entering Week 3. New England had also ranked 27th in targets to wide receivers entering Week 3 (47%) while ranking fourth in targets to running backs (27.3%) - which was the result of White’s extensive role as a pass-catcher. Since Week 3, the Patriots have risen (slightly) to 22nd in targets distributed to wide receivers (57%) while dropping to 18th in targets that have been launched to running backs (19.4%).

Kendrick Bourne’s increased usage and output since Week 3 has not been as pronounced as the expanding numbers for Meyers. But Bourne had averaged just 3.0 targets, 1.5 receptions, and 13.5 yards per game during New England’s first two contests while performing on 48.5% of the Patriots’ offensive snaps. However, his snap share has increased risen to 69.5% since Week 3, while he is second on the Patriots in receptions (11/5.5 per game) and receiving yards (154/77 per game) during that two-game span. He is also tied for second with Agholor on the team in targets (13/6.5 per game), while his target share has risen from 9.1% in Weeks 1-2 to 14.0% since Week 3.

Meyers’ 93.7% snap share has been exceeded by just two receivers, and he remains cemented as an integral component within New England’s reshaped passing attack. This also provides managers with a reliable WR3 option. Bourne can be added as a potential flex option if his current surge in usage continues.

Now THAT'S a throw ?

Trevor Lawrence, on the run, connects with Laviska Shenault on the 52-yard bomb.

? @NFL pic.twitter.com/Xyin7RcO3V

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) October 1, 2021

5. Rising expectations surrounding Jacksonville’s wide receivers began to emerge immediately after the Jaguars made Trevor Lawrence the first overall selection in last April’s NFL Draft. The surge in optimism was propelled by the hope that Lawrence’s infusion under center would be beneficial for managers who invested in D.J. Chark, Laviska Shenault Jr., and Marvin Jones during their draft process.

Chark would begin his fourth season with improved play at quarterback, which ignited sentiment that he could rekindle the level of a production that he delivered during 2019  (118 targets/7.9 per game), (73 receptions/4.9 per game), (1,008 yards/67.2 yards per game). Shenault was entering his second season with the size, strength, and versatility to improve upon the numbers from his 2020 rookie season (5.6 targets/4.1 receptions/42.9 yards per game). Jones had finished at WR18 in scoring last season while establishing new career-highs in targets (115/7.2 per game), and receptions (76/4.8 per game). He was also beginning his 10th professional season, after averaging 6.9 targets, 4.2 receptions, and 62.3 yards per game from 2016 to 2020 with the Lions.

After four games with a fully reconstructed passing attack, Jacksonville is currently ranked 11th in pass play percentage (61.9%), as Lawrence is distributing 66.1%, of his throws to Jaguar wide receivers. He has completed 81 of his 142 attempts (57.0%). He has accumulated 873 passing yards (218.3 per game) while averaging 6.1 yards per attempt, and 4.6 air yards per attempt. Lawrence is 12th overall in intended air yards per attempt (9.2) - but just 23rd in completed air yards per attempt (3.9).

Jones has operated as the most productive weapon within the aerial attack and is leading the Jaguars in target share (22.8%), targets (31/7.8 per game), receptions (20/5.0 per game), and receiving yards (218/54.5 per game). Jones’ 92.3% snap share is 20% higher than any other Jaguar, while he easily paces the team in red zone targets (4).

Now THAT'S a throw ?

Trevor Lawrence, on the run, connects with Laviska Shenault on the 52-yard bomb.

? @NFL pic.twitter.com/Xyin7RcO3V

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) October 1, 2021

Shenault has ascended into second behind Jones in target share (19.9%), after commandeering 31.8% share when Jacksonville faced the Bengals. Shenault is also second in targets (28/7 per game), receptions (19/4.8 per game), and receiving yards (194/48.5 per game), while his 99 yards in Week 4 established a new career-high. He had been averaging 5.9 yards per reception, 5.5 yards per target, and an aDOT of 5.0 prior to Week 4. But those averages rose to season highs in each category against the Bengals (16.5/14.1/6.9).

Chark had entered Week 4 with a 19.3% target share and was second on the team in targets (22/7.3 per game), and receiving yards 154/51.3 per game). But he had only caught seven of his targets, and his catch rate was a lowly 31.8%. The broken ankle that he sustained has ensured that he will not fulfill the expectations of his Round 10 ADP. However, Chark’s absence will increase the likelihood that Shenault can function as a flex option for managers, while Jones should continue to operate as a high-end WR3.

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