This article is part of our On Target series.
We have all owned Kenny Britt. We all remember his two-game stretch for the Titans before he blew out his knee, when he looked like the best WR in football. We have also all cursed him, cut him multiple times in one season from our team and sworn to never roster him again, and then he gets 32 targets in four games from Case Keenum and has only two single-digit fantasy point performances all season. It's coming from the most unlikely of sources, but the fact that Britt is really the only above-average skill play in the Rams' passing game is creating fantasy opportunity. I'm very skittish on his upside with Jared Goff in at quarterback but realistically, he cannot be much worse than Keenum.
Over the last six weeks of football Matthews has six touchdowns, which is tied for the most in the NFL over that span with Odell Beckham. Matthews was a little bit of a forgotten player as he never really got a chance to establish himself in Miami, but he's someone that popped in my college WR athletic evaluation model and when he would get on the field, he seemed like a guy destined for more playing time. Miami letting go of talented players is nothing new, and even though he had to play behind Andre Johnson to start the year, the old man's retirement paved the way for him to step into a full time role, and he is
We have all owned Kenny Britt. We all remember his two-game stretch for the Titans before he blew out his knee, when he looked like the best WR in football. We have also all cursed him, cut him multiple times in one season from our team and sworn to never roster him again, and then he gets 32 targets in four games from Case Keenum and has only two single-digit fantasy point performances all season. It's coming from the most unlikely of sources, but the fact that Britt is really the only above-average skill play in the Rams' passing game is creating fantasy opportunity. I'm very skittish on his upside with Jared Goff in at quarterback but realistically, he cannot be much worse than Keenum.
Over the last six weeks of football Matthews has six touchdowns, which is tied for the most in the NFL over that span with Odell Beckham. Matthews was a little bit of a forgotten player as he never really got a chance to establish himself in Miami, but he's someone that popped in my college WR athletic evaluation model and when he would get on the field, he seemed like a guy destined for more playing time. Miami letting go of talented players is nothing new, and even though he had to play behind Andre Johnson to start the year, the old man's retirement paved the way for him to step into a full time role, and he is now firmly the WR1 (behind only Delanie Walker in the pecking order) for one of the most efficient QBs in football. The Titans passing game is not heavy on volume, but Marcus Mariota is amazing on a per-attempt basis and Matthews is a strong play in all formats this week.
Without Rob Gronkowski in the lineup, Bennett is averaging 13.4 PPR points per game. Granted, he is being asked to pass block more with Gronk off the field (less than 30 pass blocking snaps since Gronkowski returned to the Patriots lineup), which should open up some targets and playing time for Julian Edelman and Chris Hogan, but Bennett is the clear beneficiary of Gronk missing time. Early reports are that Gronkowski would only miss one week, but I've seen the Patriots play it coy with his health enough times to know that there is almost a zero percent chance that is true. I actually think there is a chance that he sits out until the playoffs. That is RAMPANT speculation on my part, and not something that you should base your decisions off entirely, but we've seen Gronk take these extended leaves of absences almost too many times to count. In leagues where I own Gronkowski (not many), I'm making a move to secure Bennett for the playoff run.
With Jeremy Maclin out of the lineup for the Chiefs, the main beneficiary was not Albert Wilson but rather Hill, who had 13 targets (the most of any KC wide receiver this season) and is averaging exactly one rushing attempt per game. If Maclin continues to suffer through this groin injury for multiple weeks, Hill is a guy that I'm planning on rostering in my 14- and 16-team leagues and starting as well. He's a pretty good fit for Alex Smith because he can adjust to poorly thrown deep balls and has the rare yards-after-catch ability that all WRs who have done well with Smith have possessed. When your quarterback throws the ball four yards through the air on average (note: not the real stat), you have to be able to create yards on your own, and Hill can do that in spades.
Adam Thielen / Cordarrelle Patterson
CP leads all NFL wide receivers who have gotten 40 or more targets in catch rate (percentage of targets turned into receptions) at 83 percent. Doesn't seem very believable, but it's a factual statement and it's indicative of what he has turned himself into. He's never going to be a WR1 or have a first round impact for the Vikings, but he is going to contribute at a meaningful level in the NFL and, much like Ted Ginn, he will find a way to play for at least a decade and have stretches of fantasy value. Thielen is the really interesting one as his deep ball efficiency with Sam Bradford defies imagination. He's relegated former internet favorite Charles Johnson to the bench and averages 14.2 yards per reception in an offense that very rarely takes deep shots. I'm sending out a lot of trade offers for both of these guys in dynasty leagues because 1) Patterson will not be a Viking next year and will be playing for a team that WANTS to use him, and 2) Since CP won't be a Viking, that should open up 2-3 more targets per game for Thielen, who looks like a starting NFL wide receiver.
