The total target numbers for the first 4 weeks are starting to round out the variations and give us a better view of who the "guys" will be. So let's see what is up in Targetville, U.S.A.
The numbers by each name are targets for week 4 and then in the parenthesis are the total year to date targets.
All snap count data comes from our friends over at Pro Football Focus.
Arizona Cardinals
Larry Fitzgerald - 11 (35), Early Doucet - 6 (21), Todd Heap - 6 (20), Andre Roberts - 0 (17), Beanie Wells - 2 (8), Jeff King - 1 (6), Anthony Sherman - 2 (4), LaRod Stephens-Howling - 1 (2)
The running attack of Beanie Wells was the story of this game, but we can glean a little from the target numbers. First off, the break out of Andre Roberts isn't happening. Early Doucet beat him in targets 6-0. Doucet would be the speculative add in deeper leagues, but he’s still not getting enough work to be consistent. Todd Heap once again had a decent amount of looks and is worth monitoring as he becomes a part of the regular game plan. Alfonso Smith didn't see much work, but both of his carries were in the red zone and he averaged 8 yards a tote. He is the handcuff for Wells.
Atlanta Falcons
Roddy White - 11 (45), Julio Jones - 17 (37), Tony Gonzalez - 9 (33), Harry Douglas - 0 (13), Jacquizz Rodgers - 1 (9), Michael Turner - 2 (7), Ovie Mughelli - 1 (3), Michael Palmer - 1 (2)
He didn't get into the end zone, but this was Julio Jones' "break out" game with 17 targets to Roddy White's 11. Those numbers will fluctuate based on coverage, but don't be surprised when Jones leads in target numbers off and on this season. There's a very good chance he stays a solid WR2. Gonzo continues to get his targets even while Jones and White get theirs. His incredible body control and hands (or hand) allow him to get the ball even though he can’t separate like he used to.
Baltimore Ravens
Ed Dickson - 12 (32), Anquan Boldin - 2 (30), Ray Rice - 5 (25), Torrey Smith - 6 (15), Vonta Leach - 3 (11), Dennis Pitta - 1 (7), Ricky Williams - 1 (4), LaQuan Williams - 1 (4)
It would be nice if Ed Dickson could start catching some of these targets. He's ranked 4th in targets for tight ends with 32, but 13th in receptions. That 50 percent catch rate is ranked so low I don't want to talk about it. His misses aren't all his fault of course, but that percentage going to have to go up before he’s a top 10 fantasy tight end like his targets indicate.
Boldin was obviously Revis'd but good. The passing game as a whole reeked. Just hold your nose and move on.
Buffalo Bills
Stevie Johnson - 6 (36), David Nelson - 3 (30), Donald Jones - 8 (29), Fred Jackson - 8 (17), Scott Chandler - 2 (14), Brad Smith - 4 (5), C.J. Spiller - 1 (4), Naaman Roosevelt - 1 (2)
The Bengals pass defense slowed down the hot Bills offense and kept most of their playmakers in check. David Nelson only saw 3 targets to Donald Jones' 8. Those two need a clicking offense to both be serviceable. It will be difficult to predict which one will see the targets on any given game day. This game is the downside of Scott Chandler. He sees so few targets that he must get into the end zone to be worthwhile. He's not worthwhile.
C.J. Spiller had only 4 looks. I only bring him up because of his name. He’s of no use in fantasy right now. Unlike Fred Jackson who gets the Eagles anemic rush defense at home in week 5. That smells like victory.
Carolina Panthers
Steve Smith - 10 (41), Greg Olsen - 7 (27), Legedu Naanee - 11 (25), Jeremy Shockey - 5 (20), Jonathan Stewart - 4 (18), Brandon LaFell - 6 (16), DeAngelo Williams - 1 (10)
The 11 targets for Legedu Naanee just shows you how badly the Panthers need Brandon LaFell to step up. Three of those targets were in the red zone and he leads the team with 9 on the season, but has zero touchdowns. If he were a better receiver I'd say grab him, but it's hard to see these target numbers continuing with such poor production. Greg Olsen now has 2 touchdowns and is second on the team with 27 targets. He should continue that pace and is worth a fantasy roster spot with Cam Newton at the helm.
Jonathan Stewart was on the field for 45 plays to DeAngelo Williams' 27 and they both had 12 looks with Stewart getting 2 red zone looks to Williams' 1. The fact that Cam Newton is the goal line back does limit both of their upside (Stewart's more since he'd probably be the goal line back) but with Stewart acting as the passing down back, he is the guy I want in this race.
Chicago Bears
Matt Forte - 5 (33), Johnny Knox - 4 (23), Devin Hester - 2 (21), Dane Sanzenbacher - 2 (17), Roy Williams - 1 (9), Kellen Davis - 1 (9), Sam Hurd - 2 (6)
Twelve total targets for guys not named Matt Forte tell you all you need to know there. Until the offensive line and/or a receiver steps up, there isn't going to be much fantasy production non-Forte-wise.
Cincinnati Bengals
A.J. Green - 10 (33), Jermaine Gresham - 7 (28), Jerome Simpson - 3 (25), Andre Caldwell - 5 (22), Brian Leonard - 2 (7), Cedric Benson - 1 (6), Andrew Hawkins - 3 (3), Bernard Scott - 2 (2)
It's once again good to see A.J. Green get his proper allotment of targets. He is easily the best receiver in Cincinnati and proves it when they throw him the ball. So far he's been targeted 4, 14, 5, and 10 times. Surprisingly he's had good games when he sees double digit targets.
Jermaine Gresham caught his second touchdown and has seen his targets each week average 7 a game. That's good news especially since he is also seeing a red zone target each week.
Cleveland Browns
Ben Watson - 9 (30), Mohamed Massaquoi - 9 (28), Greg Little - 8 (21), Josh Cribbs - 8 (20), Peyton Hillis - 6 (18), Montario Hardesty - 9 (13), Evan Moore - 2 (12), Alex Smith - 2 (11), Brian Robiskie - 3 (7), Owen Marecic - 1 (3), Jordan Norwood - 1 (2)
Colt McCoy tossed the rock 61 times on Sunday. That's quite a few rock tosses. Even at 350 yards passing that's just 5.7 yards per attempt. Quantity doesn't always equal quantity. These target numbers are skewed beyond belief. Almost every receiver had a season high in targets. And of course not one player had over 57 yards.
Montario Hardesty and Peyton Hillis both had 16 looks a piece. After his sickness and weight loss that is understandable for Hillis but Hardesty has looked good enough to continue eating into Hillis' work.
Dallas Cowboys
Jason Witten - 10 (42), Miles Austin - dnp (24), Dez Bryant - 5 (17), Felix Jones - 7 (16), Kevin Ogletree - 2 (15), Laurent Robinson - 10 (15), Tashard Choice - 5 (9), John Phillips - 3 (7), Martellus Bennett - 3 (6), DeMarco Murray - 1 (3)
With Miles Austin out, Jason Witten and Laurent Robinson picked up the target slack while Dez Bryant got the end zone work. They are on their bye this week, which should give Austin time to get healthy and he will most likely regain his target hoggage, but Robinson looks like he earned the WR3 spot.
Felix Jones was on the field for 46 plays to Tashard Choice's 26. After the bye that number will probably grow even farther apart with Jones getting his shoulder healthy.
Denver Broncos
Eric Decker - 10 (36), Brandon Lloyd - 11 (29), Willis McGahee - 2 (16), Daniel Fells - 3 (15), Matt Willis - 1 (10), Lance Ball - 2 (9), Knowshon Moreno - 1 (4)
Denver has been playing nice with us fake footballers by focusing their targets and touches on three players. As long as Lloyd, Decker and McGahee keep getting the bulk they should be startable in fantasy.
Detroit Lions
Calvin Johnson - 13 (41), Brandon Pettigrew - 9 (31), Jahvid Best - 8 (28), Titus Young - 5 (21), Nate Burleson - 4 (20), Tony Scheffler - 1 (6)
Now four games in it looks like the trend of Titus Young usurping Nate Burleson in targets should continue. It also looks like Brandon Pettigrew is going to see consistent enough targets as well. Both Pettigrew and Young are on the rise and Scheffler and Burleson are on the decline. I know which horses I want to hitch my wagon to.
Green Bay Packers
Greg Jennings - 7 (33), Jermichael Finley - 6 (24), Jordy Nelson - 6 (21), James Starks - 6 (15), Donald Driver - 4 (14), James Jones - 3 (12), Randall Cobb - 3 (8), John Kuhn - 1 (6)
The target numbers at four weeks in Green Bay are giving us a pretty good picture of who needs to be owned right now in fantasy. Driver, Jones and Cobb are going to have their days, but they just aren’t going to see the ball consistently.
Houston Texans
Andre Johnson - 5 (37), Owen Daniels - 7 (23), James Casey - 1 (11), Jacoby Jones - 1 (10), Arian Foster - 5 (7), Kevin Walter - 1 (6), Joel Dreessen - 1 (5)
With Andre Johnson out it was the Arian Foster show and there's no doubt that will be the plan going forward for the Texans while AJ rests his hammy. Jacoby Jones will "replace" Johnson, but he's had trouble doing much with his shots in the past and the same is true for Kevin Walter. Since they will be in run mode for the most part we will probably see more James Casey on the field and I envision them getting him and Owen Daniels more looks going forward.
Indianapolis Colts
Reggie Wayne - 8 (40), Pierre Garcon - 8 (29), Austin Collie - 7 (27), Dallas Clark - 4 (23), Joseph Addai - 2 (12), Brody Eldridge - 1 (3)
The good news is that Curtis Painter is better than Kerry Collins. How that translates from week to week has yet to be seen, but he did help Pierre Garcon break out with a big game and looked more poised in the pocket. The targets were pretty even for the receivers, but Dallas Clark was needed to block and is not getting the looks he used to. There is some fantasy life left in Indy, but it's yet to be seen how spread out it will be.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Mike Thomas - 11 (40), Jason Hill - 9 (19), Marcedes Lewis - 7 (12), Maurice Jones-Drew - 4 (11), Deji Karim - 1 (7), Zach Miller - 3 (7), Jarett Dillard - 3 (5), Cecil Shorts - 2 (4), Brock Bolen - 1 (2)
Mike Thomas continue to get targeted like he's on a poster at the post office. (The post office is this old timey thing where parcels of goods were sent and delivered). Of course in the Jaguars offense with Blaine Gabbert at the helm there is little upside to all those looks, but it's hard not to believe they will continue to grow together. Jason Hill and Marcedes Lewisalso saw a bump in targets and are worth monitoring as Gabbert gains more confidence.
Kansas City Chiefs
Dwayne Bowe - 9 (31), Dexter McCluster - 4 (20), Steve Breaston - 5 (15), Leonard Pope - 1 (13), Keary Colbert - 4 (8), Le'Ron McClain - 4 (6), Jackie Battle - 1 (3), Jake O’Connell - 1 (2)
There's not much to like here. With absolutely no wide receivers on the Chiefs worth targeting besides Dwayne Bowe it is going to get more and more difficult for him to continue posting the numbers he has so far. The targets should continue and make him at least useable, but the upside has fallen.
Miami Dolphins
Brandon Marshall - 8 (39), Davone Bess - 5 (26), Brian Hartline - 5 (23), Reggie Bush - 2 (14), Anthony Fasano - 4 (14), Steve Slaton - 1 (3), Charles Clay - 2 (3), Lex Hilliard - 1 (2), Jeron Mastrud - 1 (2)
Who knows who the quarterback will be long term, but Matt Moore is the guy for now and in that case it seems the only trustworthy receiver is going to be Brandon Marshall. He is going to dominate the looks no matter who is behind center.
Reggie Bush had an okay game, but isn't going to get goal line work or a big workload even with Daniel Thomas out. As long as Thomas is back after the bye there's no reason to think he won't get the bulk of the work.
Minnesota Vikings
Percy Harvin - 7 (24), Visanthe Shiancoe - 8 (18), Bernard Berrian - 6 (17), Michael Jenkins - 1 (17), Adrian Peterson - 1 (11), Kyle Rudolph - 4 (9), Devin Aromashodu - 2 (6), Toby Gerhart - 1 (4)
Percy Harvin’s usage is on the rise and that is very good news. He's now on a normal wide receiver No. 1 or No. 2 snap count and as long as he stays on the field and is getting 7 targets he is useful. Plus, he had 4 rushes for 67 yards which is a nice little addition to your fantasy stats. If they can find him 11 looks a game it will be hard stopping him from nearing 100 total yards a game.
New England Patriots
Wes Welker - 14 (57), Rob Gronkowski - 5 (27), Deion Branch - 4 (26), Chad Ochocinco - 2 (11), Danny Woodhead - 0 (8), Julian Edelman - 1 (6), Stevan Ridley - 2 (3), Matt Slater - 1 (3), BenJarvus Green-Ellis - 1 (3)
The Wes Welker Three Hours of Power continues to play every Sunday on your local stations. 57 targets for the season is nuts-o-rama. It turned into the Welker, Ridley and Green-Ellis show against the Raiders and all other receivers had to watch from the stands. Of course that is the way of The Hoodie. He saw something he wanted to exploit and that's the way he went. Next week Ochocinco and Branch could have 100 yards a piece (but probably won't).
Stevan Ridley outplayed Benjarvus Green-Ellis once again, but not insanely so. BJGE was on the field for 40 plays to Ridley's 20 and as Ridley's number moves up, which it should, he’ll become even more valuable.
New Orleans Saints
Jimmy Graham - 14 (36), Darren Sproles - 7 (35), Robert Meachem - 6 (26), Lance Moore - 6 (19), Devery Henderson - 1 (17), Pierre Thomas - 4 (14), Marques Colston - 3 (12), Mark Ingram - 2 (4)
Darren Sproles isn't going anywhere, but neither is Mark Ingram. Yes, Sproles is outperforming Ingram, but they are so different that they really aren’t taking away from each other's looks. Pierre Thomas on the other hand is taking away from both of them. Ingram's 17 carries is a nice sign, but getting vultured at the goal line by a fullback is as irritating as it gets. The looks are going to continue to be split fairly evenly between the three with Sproles the only consistent player and that's only in PPR leagues.
The receivers are a bit of a mess right now with the exception of Jimmy Graham. With Colston being eased back into the rotation it's difficult to foresee how the workload will sort out. Right now Meachem and Henderson are getting the most snaps, but Colston will take over for one of them. I believe Henderson will see less snaps as Colston sees more, but it's not a lock.
New York Giants
Hakeem Nicks - 14 (37), Mario Manningham - 5 (19), Victor Cruz - 9 (18), Ahmad Bradshaw - 5 (17), Jake Ballard - 3 (8), Henry Hynoski - 2 (6), Brandon Jacobs - 1 (6), Danny Ware - 1 (2)
The big surprise from this game was the demotion of Mario Manningham to WR3. He could still have lingering effects from the concussion or just be in a slump, but whatever it is, Victor Cruz is taking advantage. I'm not ready to write off Manningham quite yet though. His skill set is better than Cruz's and he could and should get back on track.
Hakeem Nicks reasserted himself as a top 5 wide receiver and as long as he's getting double digit targets he will stay there.
New York Jets
Dustin Keller - 8 (31), Santonio Holmes - 11 (27), Plaxico Burress - 8 (25), Derrick Mason - 3 (21), LaDainian Tomlinson - 3 (18)
This game set NFL football back at least three decades. The only thing we can really glean from this debacle is that Keller, Holmes and Burress continue to get the bulk of the targets.
Oakland Raiders
Denarius Moore - 5 (20), Darren McFadden - 6 (18), Darrius Heyward-Bey - 7 (17), Derek Hagan - 5 (16), Kevin Boss - 5 (7), Michael Bush - 4 (7), Chaz Schilens - 1 (6), Jacoby Ford - 2 (6), Rock Cartwright - 1 (2)
The target breakdown here makes it difficult to rely on any Raiders receiver. The Patriots pass defense is the worst in the league right now and there was no true star to emerge. Yes, Heyward-Bey went over 100 yards, but he's not becoming the first read every time and hopefully he won't because the upside of Moore and Ford is much higher than Heyward-Bey's. The talent is there, but I'm only using these guys as bye week fillers until one steps up.
Philadelphia Eagles
Jeremy Maclin - 11 (36), DeSean Jackson - 9 (30), Jason Avant - 8 (24), LeSean McCoy - 9 (19), Brent Celek - 4 (16), Steve Smith - 0 (7), Owen Schmitt - 1 (4), Clay Harbor - 3 (4)
Going against a tough run defense and poor pass defense the Eagles went to the air. The target breakdown went as expected with Maclin, Jackson and McCoy getting the bulk, which is nice because that's the way it should be!
Steve Smith didn't see any targets so don't worry about him just yet. Brent Celek is losing targets to Clay Harbor now. Delete fantasy and tight end from your brain when thinking of the Eagles (unless they are opposing tight ends).
Pittsburgh Steelers
Antonio Brown - 10 (33), Mike Wallace - 4 (31), Hines Ward - 4 (23), Heath Miller - 3 (17), Emmanuel Sanders - 2 (13), Rashard Mendenhall - 2 (9), Mewelde Moore - 0 (4), David Johnson - 2 (3), Isaac Redman - 1 (2)
Antonio Brown leads the Steelers in targets through four weeks. That doesn't sound quite right does it? He sure isn't taking advantage of them yet, but I believe he can. But for now he's only worthwhile in PPR leagues.
Both Mewelde Moore and Rashard Mendenhall look like they'll be out next week and Isaac Redman should get the bulk of the carries. He can't do much worse than Mendenhall.
San Diego Chargers
Mike Tolbert - 8 (31), Vincent Jackson - 4 (30), Ryan Mathews - 5 (23), Malcom Floyd - 3 (18), Randy McMichael - 6 (15). Patrick Crayton - 1 (8), Vincent Brown - 2 (3), Kory Sperry - 1 (2)
Mike Tolbert regained some ground with a goal line touchdown and 8 targets, but was still outplayed by Ryan Mathews. It looks like Tolbert isn't going away, but Mathews is playing too well to lose much ground.
Vincent Jackson was in and out of the game with an injury, but no receiver stepped up to fill his void. Vincent Brown did start to see more work and got a couple targets. If I had to wager on what receiver emerges from the dump heap it would be him.
Seattle Seahawks
Ben Obomanu - 4 (18), Doug Baldwin - 6 (18), Sidney Rice - 6 (16), Zach Miller - 6 (15), Justin Forsett - 4 (15), Mike Williams - 5 (14), Marshawn Lynch - 4 (11), Leon Washington - 1 (5)
Sidney Rice has fit right into the offense and even though I'd like to see more than 6 targets he is making good use out of the few he's getting. Doug Baldwin had a decent game with 6 targets as well, but has been very inconsistent. It will be tough even for Rice to stay consistent in this offense, but his skill level should help.
San Francisco 49ers
Vernon Davis - 6 (23), Michael Crabtree - 9 (17), Josh Morgan - 3 (14), Frank Gore - 2 (11), Delanie Walker - 3 (10), Ted Ginn - 1 (8), Kendall Hunter - 5 (7), Kyle Williams - 1 (2)
He didn't have a huge game, but Michael Crabtree had 9 targets and 5 receptions. I'm guessing his foot is back on track. He's worth keeping an eye on.
The Frank Gore/Kendall Hunter drama before the Eagles game probably made many bench Gore and then he goes and has his best day of the season. That's fantasy football unfortunately. Gore finished with 40 snaps to the "starter" Kendall Hunter's 24. He played through his injury and looked good doing so. This was a nice step for him.
St. Louis Rams
Mike Sims-Walker - 6 (27), Danario Alexander - 8 (23), Lance Kendricks - 9 (21), Brandon Gibson - 1 (21), Cadillac Williams - dnp (17), Greg Salas - dnp (11), Steven Jackson - 8 (9), Austin Pettis - 7 (9), Michael Hoomanawanui - 1 (6), Billy Bajema - 2 (6)
There were a lot of pass attempts in this game and not many receptions. The Rams are perfecting that so far this season. The only good that I see coming out of this is Danario Alexander's usage remains high and his knee is still attached to his leg. He has a ton of talent and if he can stay on the field the production will come around.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mike Williams - 8 (31), Earnest Graham - 6 (28), Kellen Winslow - 6 (26), Preston Parker - 7 (21), Arrelious Benn - 1 (14), Luke Stocker - 4 (8), LeGarrette Blount - 2 (5), Kregg Lumpkin - 3 (5)
Preston Parker emerged from his one target day last week to get back to his normal 7 targets and this time he got into the end zone. He's still only on the field in 3-4 receiver sets, but is making things happen when he gets a chance. After Mike Williams it's hard to trust any of the receivers, but maybe Parker can turn into that guy.
Earnest Graham continues to rack up the PPR points and has 9, 5, 8, 6 targets through the first four weeks and looks like a good bye week filler even though LeGarrette Blount is getting the majority of the playing time now. Thankfully.
Tennessee Titans
Nate Washington - 4 (31), Chris Johnson - 2 (21), Lavelle Hawkins - 4 (13), Jared Cook - 6 (13), Damian Williams - 4 (9), Craig Stevens - 1 (6)
There were a total of 10 receptions in this game and three of them were touchdowns. That's 30 percent for you mathmagicians out there. That at least makes the 6 targets for Jared Cook seem healthy. Don't worry about Nate Washington's 4 targets. He had 7, 11, 9 targets through the first three weeks and then 4 due to Joe Haden and 20 total pass attempts. He's the No. 1 guy and it will usually show in the targets.
Washington Redskins
Santana Moss - 10 (35), Jabar Gaffney - 4 (25), Fred Davis - 6 (22), Tim Hightower - 3 (14), Chris Cooley - 2 (12), Roy Helu - 0 (6), Donte' Stallworth - 1 (6)
Rex Grossman put up some putrid numbers against one of the worst pass defenses in the league, which is not helping his receivers. Right now Moss is the only safe-ish play.
The big news is Ryan Torain, who took over the lead back role. He fits Shanahan's cut and go zone blocking scheme and will most likely be the guy until he gets hurt or something else happens. Tim Hightower and Roy Helu will likely share the passing downs and change of pace runs. Torain is the guy to own, for now.