Week 8 Fantasy Football WR/TE Snap & Target Report: Are Calvin Ridley, Elijah Moore, Zach Ertz, Khalil Shakir Standard League Starting Options After Their Big Games?
Morgan takes a look at important usage numbers for fantasy football pass catchers coming out of Week 8.
It’s time for another fantasy football story on the usages of wide receivers and tight ends.
Also be sure to check out the running back usage article.
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Most Targeted
Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb was the top-targeted pass catcher in week 8. He made 13 grabs on 17 targets, going for 146 yards and two scores. Lamb hasn’t lived up to his preseason fantasy hype, but this is the kind of game that could get him going for the remainder of the season.
Tennessee’s Calvin Ridley had 15 targets this past week. He made 10 grabs for 143 yards. What’s notable here is that this was the first game without DeAndre Hopkins around, and if Ridley remains heavily involved, he could be a weekly starting option in all league types.
New Orleans’ Chris Olave returned after missing time with a concussion and went for 107 yards on eight catches and 14 targets. Olave doesn’t have Rashid Shaheed to deal with anymore, and should get Derek Carr back at some point, so Olave could be headed toward a big second half of the season.
New York Giants’ Malik Nabers had 13 targets, making seven grabs for 71 yards. It wasn’t his biggest game, but the rookie wideout was heavily involved again and remains a must-start fantasy player.
Baltimore’s Zay Flowers, Kansas City’s Travis Kelce and Cleveland’s Elijah Moore all had 12 targets.
Flowers turned his targets into seven catches and 115 yards. It was another great fantasy showing for Flowers, but with the recent addition of Diontae Johnson, these kinds of performances might dry up for Flowers.
Kelce looked like his old self in week 8. He went for 90 yards and a touchdown on 10 catches, even though Hopkins made his Chiefs debut in that game. Kelce is still Patrick Mahomes top passing target.
Moore went for 85 yards on eight catches. After the trade of Amari Cooper, Moore is one of the receivers who has a chance to step up. He might not be the top target for Jameis Winston, but there’s room for Moore to be a weekly contributor too.
Cincinnati’s Ja'Marr Chase, Arizona’s Trey McBride, Washington’s Zach Ertz and Denver’s Courtland Sutton all had 11 targets in week 8.
Chase is one of the best fantasy wideouts in the game, and needs to be starting every week. He had 54 yards and a touchdown on nine receptions.
McBride continued his hot streak, catching nine passes for 124 yards. He’s been the Cardinals’ best pass catcher over the past several weeks and is another player you have to start at this point.
Ertz had 77 yards on seven receptions this past week. He’s had 29 targets over the past three games, and is a good weekly starting option in all formats now.
Sutton had 100 yards on eight grabs. After a zero-target game in week 7, Sutton bounced back in week 8. There might be some inconsistent showings along the way, but Sutton’s upside makes it hard to not play him every week.
Tampa Bay’s Cade Otton and Buffalo’s Khalil Shakir each had 10 targets this past week.
Otton went off for 81 yards and two scores on nine grabs. He’s got 10 targets in back-to-back games, and should be here to stay with Chris Godwin out for the season - Otton will remain heavily involved until Mike Evans can return from his injury.
Shakir went for 107 yards on nine catches. Since Cooper was acquired, Shakir has 17 targets and two big fantasy showings. He’s a solid fantasy option in all formats, but a slightly better asset in PPR setups.
So Many Snaps
Giants’ Darius Slayton led all receivers with 72 snaps played in week 8. It led to him going for 108 yards on four receptions and seven targets. Slayton should remain a solid fantasy asset even with Nabers and Wan'Dale Robinson around because of the volume passing stats the team will put up as they try to keep pace with other teams.
Nabers was second in snaps with 71. Robinson finished with 62 offensive snaps.
Tennessee’s Nick Westbrook-Ikhine played 70 snaps. It led to him going for 39 yards and a touchdown on two catches and four targets. Westbrook-Ikhine is a name to keep tabs on, and maybe give some starts to in deeper leagues and when he’s going up against a favorable defensive matchup.
Cleveland’s Jerry Jeudy played 67 snaps. Cedric Tillman was on the field for 62 snaps. Jeudy had 79 yards on five receptions and eight targets, while Tillman went for 99 yards and two scores on seven grabs and nine targets.
There’s plenty to be sorted out in Cleveland, but Jeudy, Tillman and Moore (plus David Njoku) all had good fantasy outings in week 8. In favorable matchups, they all make decent starting options going forward.
Buffalo’s Keon Coleman was on the field for 63 snaps. He led the team’s pass catchers in snaps played by 19, and Coleman finished with 70 yards and a touchdown. Eventually, I expect Cooper to start producing more for the Bills, but for now, Coleman and Shakir look like the best fantasy starting wideouts from the Bills.
Atlanta’s Drake London played 62 snaps this week. He led the team’s pass catchers in snaps played, but it only resulted in a 34-yard day on four catches and six targets. His targets have decreased in each of the past four games, but there really hasn’t been any pass catchers who have stood out in any of those contests consistently, so I’m not all that worried about London.
Chicago’s Keenan Allen played on 97% (61 snaps) of the team’s offensive snaps. D.J. Moore played 60 snaps, while Rome Odunze was at 47. Allen had the best day, but only 39 yards on two catches and seven targets. Moore was held to 27 yards on two catches and four targets, while Odunze had 41 yards across three catches and six targets.
The Bears’ pass catchers haven’t been very consistent this season, and that’s because quarterback Caleb Williams hasn’t been consistent. It makes all the pass catchers risky starting options in any format.
Be Wary Of…
Los Angeles’ Chargers’ Ladd McConkey had a big fantasy day, but it was a bit of an outlier performance because he scored two touchdowns. He still had 111 yards on six catches and targets, but usually you aren’t seeing those final lines with that amount of catches and targets.
Kansas City’s Xavier Worthy had just 37 yards on four catches and eight targets, but a touchdown made his fantasy day look pretty good overall. He’s a boom-or-bust fantasy option at this point.
Carolina’s Xavier Legette had a similar line, with 34 yards and a touchdown on four grabs and seven targets. It was a positive showing for the rookie wideout, but his fantasy day was definitely boosted by the touchdown, so don’t get fooled by that.
Buffalo’s Dalton Kincaid had 31 yards and a score on four catches and seven targets. Kincaid has been pretty underwhelming as a fantasy player this season, and outside the touchdown, he posted more below-average numbers in week 8. Maybe the touchdown can get him going, but I need more evidence before I believe it.
Arizona’s Michael Wilson was another player who benefitted from scoring a touchdown. He had 31 yards and a score on five catches and six targets. It was a good outing for those of you who played him in a deeper league, but touchdowns in two of the past three weeks are masking otherwise poor performances.
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