Week 4 Fantasy Football WR/TE Snap & Target Report: Are Wan'Dale Robinson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Xavier Legette and Others Worth Roster/Starting Spots?

Morgan takes a look at important usage numbers for fantasy football pass catchers coming out of Week 4.

Finding consistent fantasy pass catchers can be difficult, so I’m here today to try and help.

We’ll look at usage numbers from week 4 to try and identify some possible starting options for week 5 and beyond, along with pointing out some standouts and other interesting numbers.

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Target Leaders

The best way for a pass catcher to be a good fantasy option is by getting targets.

Nico Collins and Malik Nabers led the league with 15 targets in week 4. 

Collins turned 12 catches into 151 yards and a touchdown. He’s a must start in all leagues.

Nabers also had 12 receptions, going for 115 yards, but no scores. Nabers is another must start, as long as his concussion doesn’t limit him.

Wan'Dale Robinson and Mike Evans had 14 targets each.

Robinson is rostered in just 44% of leagues according to FantasySP data, and that’s far too low for that kind of stat. He turned his 11 catches into 71 yards, making him a solid flex option in standard leagues and a good PPR starting option.

Evans had eight catches, going for 94 yards and a touchdown. He’s dealing with an injury now, but if he’s playing, he needs to be in your starting lineups.

Diontae Johnson and Dontayvion Wicks each got 13 targets in week 4.

Johnson has 27 targets over the two weeks Andy Dalton has been the starter, making him a great starting option in all leagues. He went for 83 yards and a score on seven catches in week 4.

Wicks had just nine targets coming into week 4, but a lopsided score and teammate Christian Watson going down with an injury opened up some opportunities for Wicks. He only had five catches, but for 78 yards and two touchdowns. He’s a flex starting option in week 5, but I’d warn fantasy owners to not read too much into his numbers from last week.

Most of the other wideouts with double-digit targets are already good weekly starting options (DK Metcalf, Christian Kirk, Drake London, George Pickens, Terry McLaurin, Chris Olave, Tee Higgins), but there’s a few others who aren’t nearly as recognizable to fantasy owners.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba had eight catches for 51 yards across 12 targets. His targets have been all over the place this season, and the Seahawks threw a ton in week 4, so I wouldn’t expect that many targets going forward. It does make him an intriguing flex option though.

Rashid Shaheed tallied eight catches for 83 yards across 11 targets. He’s usually a boom-or-bust fantasy guy, but week 4’s performance was maybe a step toward playing him every week.

Xavier Legette got 10 targets in week 4, catching six for 66 yards and a touchdown. With Adam Thielen out and Dalton at quarterback now, the fantasy outlook for Legette has definitely improved. He’s a flex option in standard leagues now.

Jakobi Meyers had five catches for 49 yards across 10 targets in week 4. It’s not a great final line, but with Davante Adams requesting a trade, Meyers should be consistently involved in the Raiders’ passing game going forward. He’s a player to add and stash, if you don’t feel like starting him yet.

Snap Leaders

Another good way to maximize fantasy potential is by having your players on the field a bunch. Game flow can change from week to week, but playing a ton of snaps is still very important.

Smith-Njigba played 76 snaps in week 4, which was three more than Metcalf and 12 more than teammate Tyler Lockett.

Tampa Bay tight end Cade Otton played 73 snaps, which was seven more than Chris Godwin and 14 more than Evans. At a weak fantasy tight end position, playing a guy like Otton at least gives you a chance to score a few points.

Jets tight end Tyler Conklin didn’t do much offensively, but he did play 68 snaps. That trailed only one teammate, Garrett Wilson. That makes Conklin another decent fantasy option despite some poor fantasy showings so far.

Green Bay TE Tucker Kraft played 65 snaps and turned in good results with 53 yards and a touchdown across six catches and nine targets. He was a popular waiver target this week, and because he’s playing so much, he’s another fantasy TE to start if you are really struggling for production there.

Green Bay wideout Romeo Doubs played 65 snaps as well, which is notable with Watson being banged up. Doubs hasn’t done much this season, but Jordan Love usually spreads things around, and that makes Doubs a player to keep tabs on the next few weeks.

Allen Lazard continues to play a bunch, and with his buddy Aaron Rodgers throwing to him, he’s been a decent fantasy option most weeks. He’s a better deep league play, but could be used in standard leagues in a pinch against the right defensive matchups.

Which Team’s Pass Catchers Should You Avoid?

The Patriots fit the bill. The team threw for just 82 yards in week 4, with 22 targets. Ja'Lynn Polk led the way with seven targets, just had just three grabs for 30 yards.

The Dolphins need to be mentioned as well. With Tua Tagovailoa out, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle have really struggled. I know it would be hard to ever sit either wideout, but based on what we’ve seen the past two weeks, you should be at least considering it.

I’m going to throw the Ravens into the mix as well. No pass catcher had over 26 yards or three targets in week 4. Baltimore played a weird game against the Bills, so maybe it was just a one-week outlier, but even looking at the season-long numbers, you might be best served to avoid their pass catchers.

The Titans are definitely in the mix. No pass catcher went over 31 yards or four targets in week 4. DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley are deep league options, but should probably be avoided at all costs in standard leagues.

Denver’s pass catchers are definitely on this list. Courtland Sutton had a solid game, but nobody else even went for positive yardage in week 4. Sutton is a risky flex play in standard leagues at best.

Be Wary Of

This final section will mention some of the better-scoring fantasy pass catchers in week 4, but guys who either had big plays or a touchdown to mask otherwise poor usage numbers.

Sutton is on the list after going for 60 yards and a touchdown on just three catches. He did have nine targets though.

D.J. Moore had just six targets in week 4, but he turned three catches into 22 yards and a touchdown. With a rookie quarterback throwing to him, more games similar to this could happen, and without a score, Moore’s low fantasy score could lead to a fantasy loss.

Xavier Worthy will be a popular starting choice going forward with Rashee Rice no longer around, but his week 4 line of 73 yards and a score came on just three catches and four targets. He’s a big-play target at this point in his young career.

Parris Campbell had a touchdown to prop up his 17 yards on four catches and targets. He’s only a fantasy option if A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are out, but really shouldn’t be trusted outside really deep leagues.

Jordan Addison returned in week 4 and had 72 yards and a touchdown, but on just three catches and four targets - a rushing score propped his fantasy score up more. Justin Jefferson will continue to dominate in the receiving game, leaving Addison as a flex option at best in standard leagues.

Jameson Williams only had two catches and targets, but a 70-yard touchdown really made his fantasy day look good. Be mindful of his boom-or-bust potential as you make your start decision on him.

AJ Barner was a waiver option at a weak TE spot, but a touchdown pumped up his 27 yards on two catches and targets day. He also only played 35 snaps, so he’s not a very good fantasy option unless the snaps go up.

Jauan Jennings actually performed better than I expected with Deebo Samuel Sr. and George Kittle back, going for 88 yards, but it also was on just three catches. He did get six targets, but I’d expect those to go down as Kittle and Samuel get back into the groove of things. At some point, you’d also expect Brandon Aiyuk to show up, so be careful starting Jennings moving forward.

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