The name of the game in fantasy football is volume. That's why it's so important to take note of which wide receivers are seeing a significant target market share and how each team splits up its backfield opportunities. Each week, Matt Harmon and Matt Franciscovich will break down the week's wide receiver targets and backfield touches leaders with takeaways you can use for your fantasy football teams going forward. We won't bore you with any more introductory comments here, let's dig into the good stuff from Week 6.
*NOTE: This article will be updated with data from the Sunday Night and Monday Night games the following day, so check back for more information as games wrap.
Arizona Cardinals
Touches: 26 | Carries: 26 | Receptions: 0
Adrian Peterson, who was traded to the Cardinals earlier in the week, posted 134 rush yards and two touchdowns against the Buccaneers in Week 6. No, that's not a typo. It happened. Peterson is very much alive and well after being stalled out in New Orleans. He looked like the old AD we knew years ago, just a tick slower. Peterson was making defenders miss in space, running with power and toughness and efficiently gaining huge chunks of yardage. He might not put up 25 fantasy points on a weekly basis, but he seems to fit in well with the Cardinals offense. Wow.
Honorable mention(s): With Peterson dominating, nobody else in the Cardinals backfield did much. As long as he's healthy, he's the go-to. Andre Ellington was targeted once, and Kerwynn Williams had three carries.
Target share: 50% |Targets: 11 | Receptions: 10 | Yards: 138, TD
The arrival of Adrian Peterson did indeed change the landscape of the Cardinals offense. Coming into Week 6, the Cardinals led the NFL with a 69.9 passing play percentage, but fed Peterson 26 carries to just 22 pass attempts for Carson Palmer. One player it didn't affect was Larry Fitzgerald, who inhaled a whopping 50 percent of the team's targets. Fitzgerald is pacing for a 162-target finish this season. He annually dominates early in the season before slowing down in the months of November and December. It remains to be seen if he's headed for another late-season slump, but it's tough to imagine considering he's been the one consistent threat in this offense through six weeks.
Honorable mention(s): The impact of Peterson and the birth of a running game may well affect the ancillary players in Arizona. No. 2 receiver John Brown was second on the team with just four targets. Andre Ellington came in with 32 targets over his last three games but saw just one go his way against the Buccaneers.
Atlanta Falcons
Touches: 11 | Carries: 9 | Receptions: 2
Freeman led the Falcons with 68 rushing yards but only had nine attempts in the game. He had a tough time finding room to run against the Dolphins front and only had two touches the entire second half. Furthermore, 44 of Freeman's 68 yards came on one run in the second quarter. Other than that, it wasn't a pretty outing. It's also the first game this season in which Freeman failed to score.
Honorable mention(s): After Freeman's 44-yard run in the second quarter which brought Atlanta inside the red zone, Tevin Coleman came onto the field to vulture the score from his teammate. Coleman matched Freeman's nine rush attempts and had 32 yards on the ground. Freeman remains the lead dog in this backfield, as he far out-snapped Coleman by a count of 41 to 17. They'll look to get back on track against the Patriots next week.
Target share: 26.5% |Targets: 9 | Receptions: 7 | Yards: 48
Austin Hooper now has 16 targets in his last two games after seeing just two in each of his first three games. A big stat line didn't come against the Dolphins today, but this is encouraging usage for the second-year tight end. He was also on the field for over 90 percent of the team's plays. With the Falcons going to New England next week, Hooper will once again be a viable play.
Honorable mention(s): A good process play, Taylor Gabriel jumped up to an 84 percent playing-time share and snagged eight targets with Mohamed Sanu out. The results didn't come through, however, as Gabriel caught just four of his targets for less than 10 yards per reception. Gabriel did lead the team with a 31.7 percent share of Matt Ryan's intended air yards, so the usage was indeed there. With that in mind, he'll be back on the radar again next week in New England.
Baltimore Ravens
Touches: 15 | Carries: 15 | Receptions: 0
Alex Collins played about half the snaps (21) of Javorius Allen (46) but out-touched, and out-rushed his teammate. Collins totaled 75 rush yards against the Bears thanks in part to a big gain of 30 yards in the second quarter. It wasn't an overly productive day for Collins but with Terrance West inactive, the Ravens leaned on him more to spell Allen. We could see more of him next week against the Vikings, though it's a tough matchup.
Honorable mention(s): Allen totaled 13 touches against the Bears Sunday He had 10 rushes and three receptions for 66 yards from scrimmage. Allen only saw five first-half touches, in what ended up being an overtime loss but was on the field for 75 percent of the team's snaps, signaling that he's still the primary back despite the limited production. He gets a boost in PPR formats next week against Minnesota.
Target share: 19.5% |Targets: 8 | Receptions: 6 | Yards: 28
Benjamin Watson drew eight targets against the Bears today, tying a season-high set back in Week 2. He's eclipsed five targets in three of his games but finished with four, three and one in all the others. That's some painfully inconsistent usage without any real pattern to stomach. This was also his fourth-straight game with under 10 yards per reception, as well.
Honorable mention(s): With Jeremy Maclin inactive and Breshad Perriman suffering a mid-game injury, Michael Campanaro and Chris Moore stepped up to both play 46 percent of the team's plays. Moore drew seven targets and led the team with a 27.2 percent share of Joe Flacco's intended air yards.
Carolina Panthers
Touches: 14 | Carries: 4 | Receptions: 10
McCaffrey led the Panthers with 10 receptions on 14 targets, scored a receiving touchdown and rushed for eight yards on Thursday night. The rookie remains a solid PPR asset but his production as a runner is concerning, with just 104 rush yards through six weeks.
Honorable mention(s): The Panthers backfield, between Jonathan Stewart, McCaffrey, Fozzy Whittaker and Curtis Samuel, combined for SEVEN rushing yards against the Eagles. There is something very wrong with Carolina's ground attack and it needs to be fixed. Cam Newton led the team with 71 rush yards and a touchdown. For now, McCaffrey remains the only startable player of this group, and only in PPR formats.
Target share: 26.9% |Targets: 14 | Receptions: 10 | Yards: 56, TD
With Cam Newton registering a career-high 52 pass attempts, there was plenty of volume for the receivers to inhale. And yet, Christian McCaffrey still led the team in targets, just as he does on the year. The rookie's passing game work has been an asset to Carolina, despite his disappointing early returns as a runner. Kelvin Benjamin was just behind McCaffrey with 13 targets. He looked fantastic and was completely in-sync with Cam Newton.
Honorable mention(s):Devin Funchess was a disappointment for fantasy owners with just three catches for 36 yards, but his usage was all still positive. He collected nine targets, was on the field for 86 percent of the team's plays and averaged 11.1 air yards per target. Funchess is still on track for a breakout season.
Chicago Bears
Touches: 37 | Carries: 36 | Receptions: 1
The Bears running backs earned rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky his first career win. Jordan Howard was basically the entire Chicago offense save for scoring, as he handled the rock 37 times against Baltimore. At the end of regulation, Howard had 113 rush yards, and picked up another 53 on a single run in the overtime period, for 166 total. Howard is becoming one of the toughest running backs in the NFL and he always seems to find a way to produce. He's got a tough matchup against the Panthers next week, but will be a low-end RB1 again.
Honorable mention(s):Tarik Cohen handled the ball 15 times against Baltimore, but totaled just 32 rushing yards on 14 carries and added 14 receiving yards on one catch. But where Cohen really came through was on a trick play in which he threw a touchdown pass to Zach Miller. Didn't see that coming, but it simply goes to show just how talented of a weapon the rookie is. He'll be a risky flex play next week against Carolina.
Target share: 25% |Targets: 4 | Receptions: 2 | Yards: 42, TD
With Mitchell Trubisky throwing just 16 passes, Dion Sims needed just four to lead the team. The Bears ran out multiple tight ends on a whopping 52 plays against the Ravens and 10 of their 21 passing plays. Sims went out for 87 percent of the team's plays and Zach Miller for 71 percent. Miller caught his touchdown on a trick play where Tarik Cohen threw the ball.
Honorable mention(s): With the Bears living in two-tight end sets and running the ball with authority, slot receiver Kendall Wright was on the field for 29 percent of the team's plays. Tanner Gentry (95 percent) and Tre McBride (71 percent) led the way but neither caught a pass.
Cleveland Browns
Touches: 14 | Carries: 12 | Receptions: 2
Yet again, Isaiah Crowell was underwhelming with 73 scrimmage yards on 14 touches. It's not a shock as he matched up against the Texans, but really just more of the same of what we've gotten all season from the Crow. The Browns offense struggled with Kevin Hogan under center, and there was really no bright spot here. Crowell remains a bench stash but is not startable unless you find yourself extremely desperate at running back.
Honorable mention(s):Duke Johnson's touchdown streak ended in Week 6 as he didn't score for the first time in three straight games. Johnson had just eight touches against Houston, with five carries for 40 yards and three receptions for negative one yard. It's difficult to find consistency in the Browns offense with the quarterback change, but the team should produce next week against the Titans.
Target share: 19.4% |Targets: 7 | Receptions: 3 | Yards: 25
Ricardo Louis continues to see solid volume with seven targets today after getting eight, nine and six in the three games prior. Unfortunately, it hasn't amounted to much. Louis has just one game with more than 70 receiving yards and finished with less than 35 in four others. The Browns passing offense is a wreck.
Honorable mention(s): For whatever the reason, the Browns cannot figure out a way to get their talented duo of tight ends on the field at the same time. Seth DeValve snagged a touchdown today after David Njoku got into the end zone last week. Njoku recorded just two catches for zero yards and neither player was on the field for more than 54 percent of the plays.
Denver Broncos
Touches: 9 | Carries: 9 | Receptions: 0
Denver's run game was scripted out early on as the Broncos fell behind and were playing catchup for the majority of the game. That meant only nine carries for C.J. Anderson which he gained just 17 yards on which was a complete shock considering the Giants had allowed 139 rush yards per game heading into Sunday. Jamaal Charles actually out-rushed Anderson with 19 yards on his five carries. Charles added one reception for two yards. Anderson is one of the bigger busts at running back for Week 6, but will look to right the ship next week against the Chargers, another soft run defense.
Honorable mention(s):Devontae Booker played a big role as a pass-catcher late in the game, racking up 78 receiving yards on four catches. This was likely just due to game script, but Booker is a name to keep an eye on as he gets healthier. Booker missed the first part of the season with a wrist injury and if his playing time continues, he could eat into Anderson's fantasy value.
Target share: 26.9% |Targets: 14 | Receptions: 10 | Yards: 133
The Broncos weren't afraid of targeting Janoris Jenkins in this game. Nine of Demaryius Thomas' 14 targets came while in Jenkins' coverage and he caught seven for 103 yards. Emmanuel Sanders suffered an injury in this game, and if he were to miss time, Thomas would become an instant funnel receiver and approach WR1 status. He's yet to score this season, but that's certainly coming.
Honorable mention(s):A.J. Derby led the team in playing time, going out for 65 percent of the team's plays, but drew just four targets. It's worth monitoring whether Derby gets any bump in the event of a multi-week Sanders absence.
Detroit Lions
Touches: 14 | Carries: 14 | Receptions: 0
Ameer Abdullah was underwhelming against the Saints with just 14 carries for 54 yards and zero receptions Sunday. The Lions were trailing by a large margin for much of the game, so it was a pass-heavy game script (Matthew Stafford attempted 52 passes). In games that are close, the Lions will try to grind out with Abdullah, but if they get out of hand, as was the case Sunday, he'll lose second-half work to Theo Riddick.
Honorable mention(s): Riddick finished the game Sunday with seven touches for 53 scrimmage yards. He hauled in five receptions on seven targets and rushed twice for eight yards. Riddick has basically been a non-factor in fantasy for most of the season save for Week 1, but this seemed like a good situation for him to thrive. It didn't pan out. The Lions defense has major issues and the offensive line simply cannot protect. Detroit has Week 7 off to rest with a bye and will hope to straighten some things out.
Target share: 27.5% |Targets: 14 | Receptions: 6 | Yards: 96, TD
Marvin Jones came into this game averaging just 5.2 targets per game but erupted for a team-high 14 today. He only corralled six of them for catches. This was, indeed, the shootout many expected it to be and came against a team with a weak secondary. Unless Golden Tate's injury is serious (left with a shoulder issue), it would not be wise to chase this line from Jones.
Honorable mention(s):Kenny Golladay took some practice reps this week but still couldn't go with his hamstring injury. As long as he hasn't fallen behind in his absence, he will take the No. 3 job back from T.J. Jones, who saw nine targets today.
Green Bay Packers
Touches: 14 | Carries: 13 | Receptions: 1
Aaron Jones led the Packers backfield with 41 rush yards on 13 carries and added one catch for one yard on four targets. Overall, it was not a productive day for the Packers offense, for a lot of reasons. The matchup against the Vikings in Minnesota was far from favorable. And when Aaron Rodgers was carted off the field after just four pass attempts with what could be a season-ending collarbone injury, the bottom fell out of the Green Bay offense. The other storyline here is the return of Ty Montgomery after a few weeks off with broken ribs. Still, Jones was the team's lead back from a volume standpoint, and it's not out of the question for that to continue.
Honorable mention(s): Montgomery "started" the game, taking the first snap for the Packers, but he was far out-snapped by Jones by a count of 42 to 20. He also went into the medical tent for a bit, but did return. Still, there's reason to believe Montgomery isn't yet 100 percent healthy, and that could limit his upside for a few weeks. Add to it the absence of Rodgers, and all fantasy assets in the Packers offense take a blow in terms of value, including the backfield. We'll see how they fare at home next week against the Saints.
Target share: 27% |Targets: 10 | Receptions: 5 | Yards: 54, TD
Of course, the big news from this contest is Aaron Rodgers' potentially season-ending collarbone injury. Whatever comes next, it's a massive downgrade for every player in the Packers offense. Davante Adams was the top target today with a team-high 10 targets and leading the wideouts in playing time with 98 percent play participation. Not only did he get respect from his own team, the opponents showed him some, as well. The Vikings chose to not shadow Jordy Nelson with Xavier Rhodes, and instead Adams drew his coverage on 27 of his 40 pass plays. Adams hauled in three catches for 21 yards against Rhodes and collected the rest of his production against other players.
Honorable mention(s): After drawing 22 targets in the first two games, Randall Cobb has just 12 in his last three. He hasn't gone over 50 yards in any of those contests. It looked like the veteran slot man had some strong bounce-back potential after a hot start, but is firmly behind Adams and Nelson in the pecking order.
Houston Texans
Touches: 18 | Carries: 15 | Receptions: 3
Lamar Miller totaled 81 rush yards on his 18 carries against the Browns and played 66 percent of Houston's snaps. About half of his production was on the ground (41 yards) and half was through the air (40 yards). The Texans had a big lead late, so they gave some work to big rookie D'Onta Foreman in the second act. Still, Miller remains the primary back for the Texans and has a favorable upcoming schedule following a Week 7 bye.
Honorable mention(s): Foreman enjoyed some volume in the second half, with eight of his 12 touches in the game coming after halftime. The rookie totaled 59 rush yards, over half of which came on a single 39-yard run in the second quarter. He had a couple of chances to score from inside the 5 yard-line but failed to convert the short yardage situation. It was his fourth game this season with double-digit touches. Foreman remains a bench stash for now, but is one of the more valuable handcuffs in fantasy.
Target share: 27.6% |Targets: 8 | Receptions: 3 | Yards: 52
DeAndre Hopkins registered a season-low four targets today but saved his fantasy owners with a red zone touchdown. His volume is not a concern going forward, as he's drawn double-digit targets in four of his six games this season. Perhaps the team wanted to take advantage of a matchup with Ryan Griffin instead. The Browns had been whipped by tight ends heading into this game.
Honorable mention(s):Will Fuller now has five touchdowns on eight catches this season. That's bound for some regression, of course, but Fuller is consistently in position for big plays. The lack of volume makes him a highly volatile play but if you need a strictly ceiling-type flex play, it's hard to turn down Fuller with Deshaun Watson playing at a high level.
Indianapolis Colts
Touches: 12 | Carries: 10 | Receptions: 2
Frank Gore rushed for 49 yards on 10 carries and added 18 receiving yards on two catches Monday night against the Titans. His 67 scrimmage yards was his lowest total since Week 3, but the 49 rush yards were just about what he's been averaging on a per-game basis this season. Without a touchdown, Gore's standard fantasy value is capped, but he's usually good for two or three receptions every week. The Colts were in a passing script in the second half as the team gave up an early lead, so Gore only had five touches after halftime. Gore played 40 percent of his team's snaps and remains a low-end flex as Indy's primary back. He'll face a soft Jaguars run defense next week.
Honorable mention(s):Robert Turbin finished with seven touches against and did most of his damage as a pass-catcher with 37 receiving yards on four receptions. Turbin left the game with what is reportedly an elbow injury and will be further evaluated. He made some crucial first down plays for the Colts in the second half, but the volume is an issue in terms of fantasy usage. Rookie Marlon Mack, who only had two carries, could see an expanded role if Turbin's injury leads to missed time.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Touches: 23 | Carries: 21 | Receptions: 2
Leonard Fournette rushed for well over 100 yards for the second straight game, posting 130 on the ground on his 21 carries, and found the end zone for the third time in two games. His touchdown came on his first touch of the game on a 75-yard run. He had a scary moment late in the game going down with what looked like a hyperextended knee (guess). The team tweeted that he was healthy to return to the game, but they held him on the sideline for the remainder of the fourth quarter. Keep an eye out for updates, but it seems like he avoided a serious injury.
Honorable mention(s):Chris Ivory had a huge role as a pass-catcher out of the backfield leading the Jaguars with nine receptions on 10 targets for 74 yards. He had just two rush attempts for three yards. If Fournette does end up missing time, Ivory has looked good in a limited role this season and would need to be added off waivers. The Jaguars face the Colts in Week 7.
Target share: 28.6% |Targets: 10 | Receptions: 5 | Yards: 83
Target share: 28.6% |Targets: 10 | Receptions: 9 | Yards: 74, TD
With the team in a negative game script, despite playing at home, Jacksonville had to open it up with 35 pass attempts. It tied a season-high for Blake Bortles. Week 6 was Marqise Lee's second with double-digit targets. Allen Hurns has done that just once and has four games with four or fewer targets. If you're so inclined to chase trailing passing numbers in Jacksonville when they face good teams, it appears Lee will get the volume.
Honorable mention(s): Outside of Lee and a random Chris Ivory 10-target game, there was nothing else to speak of in Jacksonville's passing offense.
Kansas City Chiefs
Touches: 14 | Carries: 9 | Receptions: 5
Kareem Hunt totaled 100 yards from scrimmage against the Steelers, but most of his damage was done as a receiver, with 89 yards through the air and just 21 rushing. With his performance, Hunt became the only player in the Super Bowl era to record 100 scrimmage yards in each of his first six games, per NFL Research. He's been a revelation for fantasy owners this season and just keeps producing, one way or another. It's a bit concerning that this was his third straight game without a touchdown, but the Chiefs offense as a whole struggled against Pittsburgh. Hunt will be just fine next week as an RB1 against the Raiders on Thursday night.
Honorable mention(s):Akeem Hunt had one rush for three yards. AKEEM Hunt.
Target share: 21.9% |Targets: 7 | Receptions: 5 | Yards: 34
Target share: 21.9% |Targets: 7 | Receptions: 5 | Yards: 37
The players you would expect to lead the team in targets for the Chiefs did just that, as Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill both saw seven. With Week 6 being a bit of a "turn back into a pumpkin" moment for Alex Smith, neither did much with the volume. Hill suffered an injury late in this contest.
Honorable mention(s): With Chris Conley on IR and Albert Wilson missing this game, Demarcus Robinson stepped up to take 91 percent of the team's plays and De'Anthony Thomas jumped on for 62 percent. The players they were replacing weren't fantasy factors and it's unlikely either of these two will be, as well. The nine targets between the two netted just four catches.
Los Angeles Chargers
Touches: 34 | Carries: 25 | Receptions: 9
Melvin Gordon posted 150 scrimmage yards and two total touchdowns, and stands as fantasy's highest scoring running back for Week 6 with 27 standard points. He was targeted a season-high 12 times as a receiver and hauled in nine catches for 67 yards and a score, while rushing for 83 and a touch on the ground. Gordon is the definition of a workhorse, as he played 89 percent of his team's snaps. It's also his second straight game with at least 50 receiving yards, which obviously boost his fantasy floor. Gordon will again be an RB1 option next week even in a tough matchup against Denver.
Honorable mention(s):Austin Ekeler had one carry for one yard.
Target share: 34.3% |Targets: 12 | Receptions: 9 | Yards: 67, TD
Don't let the fact that Melvin Gordon led the team in targets distract from the fact that two clear favorites have emerged in the crowded Los Angeles passing attack: Keenan Allen and Hunter Henry. Even though Allen only posted 45 yards on five catches, he still maintains that rock solid PPR floor thanks to nine targets. He averages 10 per game. After a rough start to the year, Hunter Henry is back and locked-in as tight end starter in fantasy. His usage couldn't be better with 15 targets combined over the last two weeks. He was on the field for 83 percent of the team's plays, while Antonio Gates went out for 57 percent.
Honorable mention(s):Mike Williams on the field for just 11 plays in total but his return did seem to dig into the playing time of Tyrell Williams and Travis Benjamin. Both wideouts set a season-low in snap percentage.
Los Angeles Rams
Touches: 24 | Carries: 23 | Receptions: 1
Todd Gurley posted 116 rush yards on his 23 carries against the Jaguars leaky rush defense Sunday. But for the second-straight game, Gurley failed to find the end zone leaving his yardage as his only source of fantasy points, so the 100-plus yards was welcome. Gurley had 14 rushes of five-plus yards and the team stuck with him with a lead in the second-half. He's about to begin a run of tough matchups starting with Arizona in Week 7, but he should remain an RB1 in fantasy.
Honorable mention(s):Malcolm Brown had three carries for 17 yards and scored a touchdown on a blocked punt.
Target share: 33.3% |Targets: 7 | Receptions: 5 | Yards: 70
Sean McVay corrected course after going far too pass-heavy against the Seahawks last week. The Rams doled out just 21 pass attempts against the Jaguars star-studded secondary and put the ball in Todd Gurley's belly 23 times. As such, Robert Woods led the team with just seven targets.
Honorable mention(s): Today marked third-straight game with one or fewer catches for Sammy Watkins. We simply cannot rely on anyone in the Rams' offense for predictable passing volume week-to-week. It's clear that the Rams and Jared Goff won't force the ball to Watkins in bad matchups.
Miami Dolphins
Touches: 26 | Carries: 26 | Receptions: 0
FINALLY. Jay Ajayi rushed 26 times and totaled 130 yards against the Falcons. He was doing work from the get-go grinding out some big chunks of yardage in the first half. He had three 18-yard gains and a 15-yarder and averaged 5.0 yards per carry in the game, helping the Dolphins to an unexpected road win. We've been saying it for a while now: Ajay will get the volume, its just a matter of the Miami offense being able to move the ball.
Honorable mention(s):Damien Williams rushed the ball four times for nine yards and caught three passes for 14 more. In the even Ajayi goes down, Williams figures to be the next man up.
Target share: 42.4% |Targets: 14 | Receptions: 5 | Yards: 54, TD
With DeVante Parker out for this game, Jarvis Landry became the clear funnel receiver. By adding 14 targets today, Landry far and away leads the team in targets with 57 on the season. His targets are almost exclusively of the short variety, however, as he averaged just 5.7. Right in line with his season average of 6.0. With usage like that, he will never have much of a yardage ceiling and will need to find the end zone to be usable in non-PPR leagues.
Honorable mention(s): Parker's absence also brought about less three-wide receiver sets, which Miami runs most of its offensive plays out of normally. Leonte Carroo was the No. 3 receiver but was on the field for just 38 percent of the plays. The second tight end, Anthony Fasano, was on the field for 69 percent of the plays.
Minnesota Vikingss
Touches: 21 | Carries: 16 | Receptions: 5
For the second week in a row, Jerick McKinnon was explosive, productive and all-around awesome both on the ground and as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. He totaled 99 all-purpose yards and scored twice against the Packers. McKinnon's 16 rush attempts was only one more than Latavius Murray's workload, but don't let the box score deceive you. McKinnon was by far the better running back on Sunday. He has an upcoming home matchup against a Ravens team that has not played well against running backs.
Honorable mention(s): Murray got some work early in the game, and had one nice 10-yard rush in the first quarter. He finished with 15 carries for a mere 28 rush yards and had one catch for nine yards. It looked for a minute like he was developing a "hot-hand" which we had seen reports about earlier in the week. But as stated, McKinnon got hot and the Vikings offense was simply better with the smaller, more athletic back on the field than with Murray. Murray had one shot at a short-yardage touchdown in the second quarter, but he lost a yard on his rush. McKinnon came in on the same drive and ended up getting the score. The playing time was about even between the two backs, but it'll be hard for the Vikings to keep McKinnon of the field the way he's been playing.
Target share: 36.1% |Targets: 13 | Receptions: 9 | Yards: 97
With Stefon Diggs out, Adam Thielen predictably became the Vikings funnel receiver. He led the team in target share, catches and yards. His positional alignment and deployment didn't change much, however. Thielen has 60 percent of his targets from the slot on the season, and saw eight of his 13 from the inside today. If Diggs is to miss any more games, Thielen would be a rock-solid bet for strong volume.
Honorable mention(s):Michael Floyd went out as the starter in two-wide receiver sets with Adam Thielen to start the game, but suffered a calf injury mid-game. That paved the wave for Laquon Treadwell to finally start to build some momentum. He ended up going out for 41 plays, second-most among their wideouts. While he only saw three targets, he caught all three of them and made one eye-popping grab for 25 yards. It's worth tracking whether he can get rolling if Minnesota suffers more injuries to their pass-catchers.
New England Patriots
Touches: 11 | Carries: 11 | Receptions: 0
Dion Lewis didn't have a huge workload, but he was efficient when his name was called, totaled 52 rush yards on his 11 attempts and got a goal-line touchdown. He had three separate nine-yard runs, and an 11-yarder in the third quarter. Lewis saw an increased role after Mike Gillislee lost a fumble in the second quarter and was benched until the second half. More shrug emojis for the Pats backfield this week ... what else is new?
Honorable mention(s): Gillislee finished the game with 10 carries for 44 yards. As stated, Gillislee lost a fumble in the second quarter and was sent to Bill Belichick's dog house. That opened the door for the Lewis goal-line touchdown. Gillislee did get a few more attempts in the second half but it was another overall disappointing fantasy outing. With the Patriots defense still struggling to let the offense get out to big leads, Gillislee's ceiling will be capped since he's more of a clock-salter. He remains without a single reception this year. James White had four catches for 22 yards and added three rushes for 23 yards. White and Lewis pretty much split the snap count down the middle with 28 and 27 snaps respectively.
Target share: 26.3% |Targets: 10 | Receptions: 6 | Yards: 83, TD
After missing last week's Thursday night tilt with the Buccaneers, Rob Gronkowski got right back on track in Week 6. Since his two-catch game in Week 1, Gronkowski has been strikingly consistent. He has at least 80 yards in each of his last four games and has four total scores.
Honorable mention(s): His nine targets today represented a season-high for Brandin Cooks. He's pacing for a 109-target finish for the year. Chris Hogan's streak of consistent production snapped today, with just one catch on four targets. He did suffer an injury in this game but was still on the field for 92 percent of the team's plays.
New Orleans Saints
Touches: 30 | Carries: 25 | Receptions: 5
With Adrian Peterson out of the way, Mark Ingram thrived against the Lions, rushing 25 times for 114 yards and two touchdowns and he added five receptions (which led the team) for 36 yards. I had written up Ingram ahead of Week 6 as a sleeper going up against a Lions defense that had previously been tough against running backs. He came through and then some, posting top-five fantasy numbers (25 points) at his position for the week. With a 68 percent share of the snaps on Sunday, Ingram remains the clear-cut lead back despite Alvin Kamara's strong play.
Honorable mention(s): Kamara, the rookie, had 14 touches on his 29 snaps in a high-scoring affair in the Superdome. He rushed for 75 yards on just 10 carries and added four receptions for 12 yards. Kamara is a legitimate weekly starter in PPR formats and offers some stand-alone value in standard scoring, though his touchdown upside will be limited with Ingram getting the goal-line looks. The Saints have themselves quite the dynamic duo, and with Peterson gone, they both should thrive. The Saints play an injury-plagued Packers at Lambeau next week.
Target share: 19.3% |Targets: 6 | Receptions: 3 | Yards: 11
A matchup with Darius Slay and a game that saw more than its fair share of defensive returns coupled to ruin Michael Thomas' day. Drew Brees chucking two picks didn't help, either. The entire Saints offense suffered in the wake of a lack of the multitude of pass-focused long drives we're used to.
Honorable mention(s):Willie Snead remains off the fantasy radar, as he's still not back from a post-suspension injury. He took the field for just 29 percent of the team's plays.
New York Giants
Touches: 22 | Carries: 21 | Receptions: 1
Orleans Darkwa rushed for 117 yards on his 21 carries against the Broncos on Sunday night. There were a lot of surprises in this game, including Darkwa's success from the Giants' backfield. His biggest play was a 47-yard run in the second quarter, and while he failed to find the end zone, it marked his second-straight game with at least 13 standard fantasy points. He's on the waiver wire radar ahead of Week 7, though there's always a real chance the Giants come back to Earth in the coming weeks. Still, Darkwa is the team's best running back and should be owned in fantasy football.
Honorable mention(s):Wayne Gallman rushed nine times for 27 yards and added two receptions on three targets for five receiving yards. Gallman has been unimpressive in his opportunities this season, and the primary role seems like Darkwa's to lose at this point. The Giants take on the Seahawks in Week 7.
Target share: 41.2% |Targets: 7 | Receptions: 5 | Yards: 82, TD
With all the injuries in the Giants wide receiver corps, Evan Engram is in a great position to produce all year. He far and away led the team in targets against the Broncos. No other player had more than three. It's worth noting that the Giants did seem to take the air out of their pass game balloon amid all the injuries. This was the first game where Eli Manning had fewer than 30 pass attempts and put the ball in Orleans Darkwa's belly 21 times.
Honorable mention(s): The wide receiver corps was an obvious red light in fantasy this week going into Denver but we still learned some clues about their usage to assess for future matchups. Roger Lewis (89 percent) and Tavarres King (85 percent) were the clear top two receivers. They managed just two catches between them. Sterling Shepard will usurp them when he returns but Lewis will be worth tracking as a talented young player.
New York Jets
Touches: 17 | Carries: 9 | Receptions: 8
Matt Forte returned from injury and led the Jets backfield with 81 yards from scrimmage, 59 of which came as a receiver. Forte hauled in eight receptions to tie for the team lead in catches, and had 22 rush yards on nine carries. For a few weeks now, the Jets runners have not been getting much done on the ground.
Honorable mention(s): Remember a few weeks ago when both Elijah McGuire and Bilal Powell had huge touchdown runs? Ah, memories. McGuire had just 22 yards on 10 carries against the Patriots and didn't see a single target as a pass-catcher. The Jets get the Dolphins at home next week. Forte will be an interesting flex in that game.
Target share: 26.7% |Targets: 12 | Receptions: 4 | Yards: 76
Robby Anderson got the volume today with 12 targets, but Jermaine Kearse had almost equaled his production (4-79 to 4-76) on just four targets. This duo makes some sense as deep wide receiver plays when the Jets are projected to get into a pass-heavy game script, as Josh McCown hit a season-high 47 pass attempts today.
Honorable mention(s): The only Jets player seeing consistent passing game work is Austin Seferian-Jenkins. He registered a season-high 11 targets against the Patriots and averages 7.3 per game. At this point, he's a TE1 that you feel safe about starting.
Oakland Raiders
Touches: 13 | Carries: 13 | Receptions: 0
Marshawn Lynch posted a respectable and hard-fought 63 rush yards on his 13 carries against the Chargers on Sunday. Beast Mode's snap percentage, (53 percent) didn't move much from where it's been all year. But with Derek Carr back, the Raiders didn't need to lean on Lynch the way they did last week. Many were looking for more from him considering the Chargers dismal rush defense, but unless Lynch finds the end zone, he's not going have much fantasy upside. On Thursday night, He'll face a Chiefs defense that allowed 179 rush yards to Le'Veon Bell in Week 6.
Honorable mention(s):Jalen Richard rushed twice for negative one yard. Cordarrelle Patterson had three rush attempts and took one to the house on an explosive 47-yard run.
Target share: 33.3% |Targets: 10 | Receptions: 6 | Yards: 52, TD
With Amari Cooper's struggles, the Raiders wisely continue to rely on Michael Crabtree. After missing their game against Denver in Week 4, Crabtree has 18 targets combined over the last two weeks. The veteran wideout hasn't approached the century mark in receiving yet this season, but he's hit 80 yards and/or scored a touchdown in every contest outside of the Raiders' disaster cross-country loss to Washington in Week 3. Crabtree also has six catches in every game outside of that one, as well.
Honorable mention(s): One could call this progress for Amari Cooper. After three-straight games with single-digit yardage totals, the third-year wideout made it to 28 on five receptions against the Chargers. Cooper remained limited in practice with a knee injury throughout the week headed into this loss.
Philadelphia Eagles
Touches: 14 | Carries: 14 | Receptions: 0
Blount has emerged as the Eagles' most reliable running back over the last few weeks. He had big gains of 11, 14 and 18 yards Thursday night against the Panthers but despite a couple of carries inside the 10-yard line, he failed to find the end zone. Blount finished with 67 rush yards on his 14 attempts and is averaging 5.6 yards per carry on the season. Expect more of the same when Blount faces the Redskins next Monday night.
Honorable mention(s):Corey Clement and Kenjon Barner split eight touches for a total of 18 yards. You're not starting anyone except Blount in Philly's backfield (until Wendell Smallwood gets healthy).
Target share: 33.3% |Targets: 10 | Receptions: 4 | Yards: 71
Alshon Jeffrey checked in with 10 targets, his second-highest total on the season. The Eagles certainly tried to get him rolling in the vertical game, as he owned a 45.1 percent share of Carson Wentz's intended air yards. That led to some low percentage looks, which helps explain why he caught just four of his 10 targets. Much of this game is quite similar to Jeffery's entire 2017 campaign, where he has a 50 percent catch rate and has the seventh-highest share of his quarterback's intended air yard among all wide receivers. As he gets comfortable with his new team and quarterback, Jeffery will remain a volatile asset.
Honorable mention(s):Nelson Agholor was on the field for 79 percent of the team's plays, out-working Torrey Smith (57 percent). He came away with his second touchdown in consecutive games. Averaging just five targets per game, Agholor doesn't have the volume to be a predictable fantasy asset, but he's truly made the leap as an individual player.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Touches: 35 | Carries: 32 | Receptions: 3
Le'Veon Bell posted 179 rush yards and a touchdown on his 32 attempts against the Chiefs, and added three catches for 12 yards. Following a Week 5 loss in which the Steelers handed off to Bell just 15 times against the Jaguars, the team doubled his workload and ended up handing the Chiefs their first loss of the season. He looked as unstoppable as he's ever been and is paying off his first-round fantasy draft value and then some.
Honorable mention(s):James Conner had two carries for 14 yards, and is the clear-cut handcuff to Bell. He's no more than a deep league bench stash though.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Target share: 41.6% |Targets: 10 | Receptions: 8 | Yards: 155, TD
With the Steelers riding the ground game on the road in Kansas City, Antonio Brown was the only passing game player to produce. He's gotten the better of the Chiefs secondary in the majority of his reps against them since 2015.
Honorable mention(s): It does appear that JuJu Smith-Schuster has passed Martavis Bryant in the pecking order. He was on the field for 42 plays to 33 for Bryant. Both players only came away with three targets apiece. Bryant reportedly asked to be traded at some point this season.
San Francisco 49ers
Touches: 18 | Carries: 13 | Receptions: 5
Despite popular belief, Carlos Hyde remained the 49ers lead back on Sunday, seeing 77 percent of his team's snaps. He had just 28 rush yards on his 13 attempts but found the end zone twice. Hyde added five receptions for 47 yards, padding his all-purpose yardage total and fantasy floor a bit. The only thing holding Hyde back from being great in fantasy is his team's offense on the whole. Quarterback Brian Hoyer was benched Sunday for C.J. Beathard, so there will be some unstable performances ahead. Hyde will be a high-end RB2 next week against Dallas.
Honorable mention(s): Hyde's backup, Matt Breida, was relegated to just six touches after out-playing his teammate a week ago. He totaled 36 scrimmage yards, but Hyde remains the one-and-only fantasy starter in this backfield while he's healthy.
Target share: 25.5% |Targets: 12 | Receptions: 5 | Yards: 55
The 49ers made a quarterback switch, benching veteran Brian Hoyer for rookie C.J. Beathard. Kyle Shanahan indicated this would be a change they'd stick with for the foreseeable future. The move didn't affect Garcon's usage much. He still led the team in targets, with eight of his 12 coming from Beathard. Hoyer wasn't playing well enough for this to change how we should view Garcon going forward.
Honorable mention(s):George Kittle didn't come through with the fantasy production many hoped for in a great matchup following his strong Week 5 line against Indianapolis. However, the usage was still encouraging. Kittle was on the field for a whopping 91 percent of the team's plays and saw eight targets, trailing only Garcon. Seven of his eight looks came from Beathard. Kittle remains on the streaming radar heading into a Week 7 date with the Cowboys.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Touches: 15 | Carries: 14 | Receptions: 1
Doug Martin posted 64 scrimmage yards on his 15 touches, scored a touchdown and put up a 2-point conversion for the Buccaneers Sunday. Even in an extremely negative game script, at one point the Bucs were down 31-0, Tampa Bay continued to use Martin in high-value situations. He's seemingly just getting warmed up, and in games where the Bucs can run more, he'll continue to produce. Though it's been promising that he's delivered for fantasy owners in two-straight pass-heavy scripts. He'll look to keep it going next week against the Bills.
Honorable mention(s):Charles Sims had four catches on five targets for 45 receiving yards. He's barely a viable PPR bench stash at this point. Jacquizz Rodgers had three carries for a single yard. It's Doug Martin or bust in the Bucs' backfield.
Target share: 19% |Targets: 8 | Receptions: 3 | Yards: 95, TD
Target share: 19% |Targets: 8 | Receptions: 6 | Yards: 76, TD
Mike Evans had more than enough going against him in this game. Not only did he lose his quarterback Jameis Winston mid-way through the game, but he had to tango with shutdown corner Patrick Peterson. When the Cardinals star defender aggravated a quad injury, Evans promptly scored a 37-yard touchdown against Justin Bethel. Cameron Brate has target totals of four, six, nine and eight in his last four games and scored a touchdown in every one of them. He's become an every-week TE1 play in this offense.
Honorable mention(s):DeSean Jackson found the end zone but this was also his third game out of five this season with less than 40 yards receiving. The Cardinals provide a soft-landing spot for No. 2 wide receivers, so a solid fantasy day in Week 6 was to be expected. In fact, most were hoping for a bit more. Averaging just six targets per game, Jackson is the same volatile asset as ever.
Tennessee Titans
Touches: 20 | Carries: 19 | Receptions: 1
Derrick Henry slapped 145 scrimmage yards (131 rushing) and a touchdown on the Colts Monday night, which equates to 20.5 standard fantasy points, enough for a top-5 performance among running backs in Week 6. But were it not for a ridiculous 72-yard touchdown run when he was simply salting the clock away with less than a minute to play, he would have finished with 59 rush yards for the game. If you didn't see the run, you need to. How a man that large can move that fast is beyond my comprehension. The Titans coaching staff had said they wanted to get the second-year back more work, and they gave it to him. Henry played 38 snaps compared to DeMarco Murray's 37 in the game. He may have stand-alone value going forward if the duo continues to split the workload 50/50. He gets the lowly Browns defense next week.
Honorable mention(s): Murray logged 16 touches, 12 rushes and four receptions, for 87 total yards and a touchdown. Going by the eye test, Murray didn't look like he was 100 percent healthy, but whatever was ailing him, he played through it. Murray's ability as a pass catcher seems to go overlooked, but there is a lot of added fantasy value there. With Marcus Mariota still dealing with a hamstring injury, expect the Titans to employ a run-heavy approach again next week in Cleveland. Murray will have RB1 upside even if he's not at full strength.
Washington Redskins
Touches: 20 | Carries: 16 | Receptions: 4
Chris Thompson was electric as a pass-catcher yet again, going for 105 yards through the air on his four receptions. He wasn't very successful as a runner, with just 33 yards on the ground on 16 carries. His efficiency remains unsustainable, but he keeps coming through. Granted, it was a nice matchup against a 49ers defense that has struggled to limit opposing backs. He remains a role-player, but that role is growing. He'll be a must-start in PPR formats next week against the Eagles.
Honorable mention(s): Rookie Samaje Perine had 12 touches totaling 47 yards from scrimmage and scored a receiving touchdown to salvage the day for fantasy owners who may have started him. Perine was slated to have a high-volume role with Rob Kelley inactive but ended up being outplayed by Thompson, not surprisingly. Perine has not been spectacular when given opportunities this season, and will only have value when Kelley is out.
Target share: 13.9% |Targets: 5 | Receptions: 4 | Yards: 105
In addition to Chris Thompson, Washington also has four other players tie for the team-lead in targets (five) - Ryan Grant, Terrelle Pryor, Jamison Crowder and Jordan Reed. As if we needed another reminder, today reinforced the notion that Jay Gruden's offense is predicated on spreading the ball around to its multitude of weapons. It makes trusting any of these pass-catchers on weekly basis dicey business.
Honorable mention(s):Josh Doctson hauled in his second touchdown in his last three games but is not yet getting enough playing time to trust for fantasy purposes. He was only on the field for 25 percent of the team's plays today. Jordan Reed came into this game without being listed on the injury report, which is huge for him, but Vernon Davis remained a factor. He went out for 66 percent of the plays and collected four targets.
You can rely on NFL.com's Touches and Targets column for great fantasy advice. Just like you can rely on FedEx Ground for fast and affordable shipping.
-- Follow Matt Harmon on Twitter _@MattHarmonBYB_ and Matt Franciscovich @MattFranchise.
