Wide Receiver Snap Counts and Target Trends - Week 16 Analysis

Your wide receivers remain essential components toward your primary goal of capturing fantasy championships. Congratulations to all of you who were able to win your leagues in Week 16. If you are involved in a Week 17 matchup that will determine your league champion, an expanding assortment of tools is available that can provide you with an extensive level of knowledge regarding this critical position.

Those results are contained in this weekly statistical breakdown of multiple categories, which is designed to help you fulfill your championship aspirations. This will be the 16th installment that will examine game-specific data, including updated totals for targets, first downs, red-zone targets, snap counts, and a compilation of advanced statistics. The information that is contained in this weekly report will analyze how various receivers are being utilized, and how effectively they are capitalizing on their opportunities.

This massive collection of data also supplies the foundation from which the numbers that are generated in various categories can be evaluated. This week’s article will bolster your efforts to determine which wide receivers should be in your Week 17 lineups. Pro Football Reference, PFF, NextGenStats, Rotowire, Rotoviz, and Football Outsiders were all used as resources in compiling this data. Good luck in your matchups.

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Week 16 Target Leaders 

Keenan Allen led all wide receivers in targets for four consecutive weeks (11-15). However, he was sidelined during the Chargers' Week 16 matchup with AFC West rival Denver (hamstring). That enabled Stefon Diggs to seize the league lead (158) after he captured 11 targets during Buffalo's Week 16 matchup against New England.

He gone. @stefondiggs | #BillsMafia

? #BUFvsNE: https://t.co/06mt3vGXF6 pic.twitter.com/NGbH8Xyo5g

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) December 29, 2020

DeAndre Hopkins is second (150), after collecting 11+ targets during his last four contests. Allen is third overall (147), followed by Allen Robinson (146), Davante Adams (1430, Diontae Johnson (140), Tyreek Hill (135), and Calvin Ridley (131).

Robby Anderson is next with (129), followed by Terry McLaurin (126), Cooper Kupp (124), Robert Woods (122), and Amari Cooper (121). D.K. Metcalf, and JuJu Smith Schuster. are the only other receivers that have the eclipsed 120 targets through Week 15. Tyler Lockett is next (118), followed by Justin Jefferson (113), and three receivers that are tied with 107 - Cincinnati teammates Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, along with D.J. Moore. Mike Evans, Adam Thielen, and Brandon Cooks are among the seven additional receivers that have accumulated 100+ targets entering Week 17.

Diggs leads all receivers with 48 targets from Weeks 13-16, while Hopkins is second with 47. He is followed by Johnson (46), Ridley (45), Adams (44), Jefferson (41), and Aiyuk (40). Only those seven receivers have eclipsed 40 targets during their last four matchups. Robinson is next (38), followed by Smith-Schuster (36), Beasley, (36), and two receivers that are tied with 35 targets - Woods, and Marvin Jones. Nelson Agholor and Hill have collected 34 targets, while Hilton and Tee Higgins have all captured 31.

Four receivers are in another tie with 30 targets - Sterling Shepard, Metcalf, A.J. Brown, and Russell Gage, while  Michael Gallup has been targeted 29 times. Five different receivers have collected 28 – D.J. Chark, Cam Sims, Cooper Kupp, Jamison Crowder, and Jerry Jeudy, while five receivers are tied with 27 targets - Anderson, Thielen, Landry, Jakobi Meyers, and Laviska Shenault. Lockett, Cooks, Allen, and Evans spearhead a group of 27 additional receivers that have been targeted 20+ times since Week 13.

Johnson leads all receivers with 27 targets since Week 15. Diggs is second (24), while Ridley and Hopkins are tied for third during that span (23). They are followed by Adams (22), Jefferson (21), Jeudy (20), and three receivers that are tied with 19 targets - Evans, Shepard, and Smith Schuster. Robinson and Moore have both been targeted 18 times, while Cooks, Jamison Crowder, Darius Slayton, and Sims have captured 17. Woods, Hill, and Meyers are tied with 16, while eight different receivers have attained 15 targets during that two-game span - Anderson, Gage, Higgins, Aiyuk, Beasley, Jalen Reagor, Marvin Jones, and Mecole Hardman.

Adams (11.0), Allen (10.5), and Diggs (10.5) had remained the only three receivers to retain an average of 10+ targets per game for seven consecutive weeks. However, they have now been joined by Hopkins (10.0), and Johnson (10.0) after those two receivers combined for 26 targets in Week 16.

Johnson also joins Allen and Adams as the only three receivers that have been targeted at least 10 times during 10 different matchups throughout the season. Diggs has collected 10+ targets in nine contests, while Hopkins has accomplished it eight times. Hill and Ridley have captured 10+ targets in seven different matchups.

Largest Weekly Changes

Jerry Jeudy’s rookie season has included multiple sequences of favorable usage that have been blended with diminished target totals. After averaging 8.0 targets per game from Weeks 1-3, that average dropped to 4.3 from Weeks 4-7. He was tied for third among all wide receivers with 40 targets (10 per game) from Weeks 8-11, but then averaged just 3.5 per game from Weeks 12-15. But his usage surged once again during Denver’s Week 16 matchup with the Chargers as Jeudy’s season-high 15 targets were the most among all wide receivers.

That was pretty‼@Juiceup__3 | ? CBS?https://t.co/tI5aUTu7te pic.twitter.com/ql4tkPMetz

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) December 27, 2020

Diontae Johnson has now collected 10+ targets in eight of his last 10 matchups after accumulating 14 during the Steelers’ Week 16 encounter with Indianapolis. He now leads all wide receivers with 114 targets (11.4 per game) since Week 7. Johnson’s teammate Smith-Schuster was one of two receivers to garner 13 targets, which was his highest weekly total since Week 10. That tied him with Robinson, who has averaged 10.2 targets per game since Mitchell Trubisky re-emerged under center in Week 12, Hopkins has now captured at least 10 targets in four consecutive matchups, after receiving 12 from Kyler Murray in Week 16. Adams has also accrued 10+ targets in four straight games, which tied Hopkins and Adams with Evans - who captured 10+ targets for the third time this season.

Sterling Shepard was the fourth receiver who attained 12 targets in Week 16, which was his highest weekly total since Week 15 of 2017. Ja’Marcus Bradley was signed as an undrafted free agent by Cleveland in May, and was elevated from the Browns’ practice squad after the team’s primary receivers were placed on the reserve COVID-19 list. Bradley proceeded to play on 77 snaps, and collect 11 targets from Baker Mayfield. Seven different receivers accumulated 10 targets, including Justin Jefferson, who has now captured 10+ targets in four of his last five matchups,  That tied him with Christian Kirk, who attained a double-digit target total for the first time since Week 17 of 2019. Five other receivers accumulated 10 targets while completing the list of 16 receivers that reached that total during the matchups of Week 16 - Andersen, Moore, Cooks, Mike Williams, and Josh Reynolds.

Bradley led Cleveland wide receivers with 11 targets after he had failed to register a target entering Week 16. That resulted in an automatic rise of +11, which was the largest week-to-week increase among all wide receivers. Jeudy's aforementioned 15 targets were collected one week after he was limited to just five. That weekly increase of +10 was the second-largest in Week 16.

Jeudy's teammate DaeSean Hamilton was targeted nine times during Denver's matchup with the Chargers. That was also his highest total since Week 15 of 2019. Robinson was averaging 9.6 targets per game during the seven games that Nick Foles was functioning as Chicago’s starter (Weeks 3-10) -  prior to the aforementioned rise to 10.2 per game with Mitchell Trubisky (Weeks 12-16). His weekly increase of +8 tied him with Williams and Reynolds.

Williams attained a double-digit target total for the first time this season when Justin Herbert distributed 10 to the four-year veteran. Reynolds had averaged just 1.7 targets per game from Weeks 13-15 before he collected 10 in Week 16. That tied a season-high and it was also his highly weekly total since Week 10. Smith-Schuster attained 10+ targets for the second time during his last four outings, and his 13 targets represented a weekly rise of +7. Thielen had only been targeted three times in Week 15. But his nine targets during Minnesota’s Week 16 matchup resulted in a weekly increase of +6. That tied him with Kirk, who established a season-high with his 10 targets in Week 16.

Brandon Aiyuk had collected at least 10 targets during four of his last five matchups entering Week 16, while also leading all wide receivers with 29 targets in Weeks 14-15. However, he was limited to just two targets during San Francisco’s Week 15 matchup with Arizona. That massive decline in usage resulted in the largest week-to-week reduction of -11.

Marvin Jones had been fourth among all receivers with 44 targets from Weeks 12-15 and had accrued 10+ during four of his previous six matchups. But he experienced his lowest weekly total since Week 4 (2) which resulted in the second-largest weekly decline (-9).

Richie James attained the second-highest target total of his career in Week 15 (7). But he was only targeted once during the 49ers’ Week 16 matchup which created a decline of -6. That tied him with Noah Brown who failed to register a target just one week after he had achieved his career-high (6).

Week 16 Air Yards

Calvin Ridley continues to lead all wide receivers in air yards and is the only player in his position who has eclipsed 2,000 for the season (2,029). Tyreek Hill is second overall (1,745), followed by D.K. Metcalf (1,600), Stefon Diggs (1.578), Jerry Jeudy (1,446), Allen Robinson (1,374), A.J. Green (1,333), and D.J. Chark (1,318). No other receivers have surpassed 1,300 yards entering Week 17. Justin Jefferson is next (1,298), followed by D.J. Moore (1,294), Tee Higgins (1,289), Mike Evans (1,282), Marvin Jones (1,279), and Davante Adams (1,270). DeAndre Hopkins is next (1,260), followed by Chase Claypool (1,233), Marquise Brown (1,215), McLaurin (1,210), Darius Slayton (1,209), and Adam Thielen (1,207). That completes the top 20 receivers in this category, while these players are also the only receivers that have attained at least 1,200 air yards through the matchups of Week 16.

54 yards from @CalvinRidley1‼

?: FOX pic.twitter.com/U3JasLiWJz

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 27, 2020

Ridley also leads the position in percentage share of air yards (39.6), followed by Metcalf (39.2), Marquise Brown (38.40, Moore (37.7), Hill (36.7), Jefferson (35.7), and Diggs (35.4). McLaurin had been cemented atop this category since Week 11. However, he has now dropped to eighth (34.6). He is followed by Anderson (34.5), Adams (33.5), Slayton (33.4), Thielen (33.2), and Hopkins (31.8). Robinson is next (31.6), followed by Damiere Byrd (31.5), and Jeudy (31.0). A.J. Green (30.4), and A.J. Brown (30.1) complete the list of 18 receivers that are averaging a percentage share of 30+.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling continues to lead all wide receivers in targeted air yards at 17.6, while Jalen Guyton is second (15.7). He is followed by Ridley and Breshad Perriman each tied at 15.6. Gabriel Davis is next (15.4), followed by Mike Williams (15.2), Scott Miller (15.1), Nelson Agholor (14.7), and two receivers that are tied up at 14.4 - Chark, and Rashard Higgins. Jeudy is next (14.1), followed by Marquise Brown (13.9), Green (13.9), Jalen Reagor (13.8). Metcalf (13.7), and Slayton (13.7). Hill (13.2), Evans (12.8), Moore (12.8), and James Washington (12.8) complete the top 20 in this category.

Week 16 First Downs

DeAndre Hopkins has 111 catches in 2020, setting a new franchise single-season record. pic.twitter.com/75jWBo1Yjk

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) December 27, 2020

DeAndre Hopkins continues to lead all receivers in first downs (73). Stefon Diggs and Davante Adams are tied for second (69), followed by Allen Robinson (66), Calvin Ridley (62), Keenan Allen (61), and D.K. Metcalf (61). Tyreek Hill is next (57), followed by Cole Beasley (53), and four receivers that are tied with 52 first down receptions - Amari Cooper, Justin Jefferson, Mike Evans, and Tee Higgins. Tyler Lockett is next (51), while Terry McLaurin, Adam Thielen, and D.J. Moore, are tied with 49. Robby Anderson and A.J. Brown have been targeted 48 times, while Brown’s teammate Corey Davis has collected 47. Three receivers are tied with 45 first down receptions - Cooper Kupp, his teammate Robert Woods, and Marvin Jones, while JuJu Smith-Schuster, Brandin Cooks, and Russell Gage, are all tied with 44. Diontae Johnson, and Michael Gallup, are among the six additional receivers that have the eclipsed 40 first down receptions through the matchups of Week 16.

Week 16 Red Zone Targets

.@AaronRodgers12 with TD pass No. 4️⃣ tonight!#TENvsGB | #GoPackGo

? NBC
Watch live ? https://t.co/Rx5eGctCI0 pic.twitter.com/WbLvU2qz5M

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) December 28, 2020

Davante Adams leads all wide receivers with 25 red zone targets, after receiving three from Aaron Rodgers during Green Bay’s matchup in Week 16. Calvin Ridley and Adam Thielen are tied for second overall (19), while four different receivers have been targeted 18 times - Tyreek Hill, Allen Robinson, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mike Evans. DeAndre Hopkins and Keenan Allen have both collected 17 targets, while Stefon Diggs, Jarvis Landry, and Russell Gage have captured 16.

Tyler Boyd received 15 targets prior to his concussion, while three different receivers are tied at 14 - Amari Cooper, Brandon Aiyuk, and Zach Pascal. Eight receivers have attained 13 targets – D.K. Metcalf, Robby Anderson, Cooper Kupp, Nelson Agholor, Marvin Jones, Chase Claypool, Christian Kirk, and David Moore, while Terry McLaurin, and A.J. Brown, are among the nine additional receivers that have collected 12 red zone targets through their matchups in Week 16.

Adams also leads the position with 18 targets inside the 10-yard line. Evans is second in this category (14) while Thielen and Hill are tied for third (12). Hopkins and Aiyuk have both collected 10 targets, while four receivers have attained nine - Ridley, Metcalf, Claypool, and Kirk. Seven different receivers have received eight targets inside the 10-yard line -Robinson, Landry, Gage, Cooper, Agholor, and CeeDee Lamb, while Justin Jefferson and Smith-Schuster are among the eight receivers that have been targeted seven times inside the 10-yard line.

Adams also leads all wide receivers with 11 targets inside the 5-yard line. Evans and Aiyuk are tied for second (8), while four receivers have been targeted seven times - Thielen, Ridley, Cooper, and DeVante Parker. Hill, Lamb, and Lockett have captured six targets, while Hopkins and Robinson are among the seven receivers that have attained five targets inside the 5-yard line.

Week 16 Snap Counts 

DeAndre Hopkins leads all wide receivers with 996 offensive snaps entering Week 17. Stefon Diggs is second overall (934), followed by Robert Woods (928), Michael Gallup (925), D.K. Metcalf (923), and Tyreek Hill (901). Terry McLaurin is next (899), followed by Marvin Jones (889), Tyler Lockett (886), Keenan Allen (874), Jalen Guyton (869), JuJu Smith-Schuster (867), and Amari Cooper (863). Damiere Byrd is next with 861 offensive snaps, followed by Adam Thielen (850), Mike Evans (846), Cooper Kupp (842), and Allen Robinson (840). Darius Slayton is next (826), followed by Justin Jefferson (822) and Tee Higgins (802). No other receivers have reached a total of 800 offensive snaps from Weeks 1-16.

McLaurin leads in offensive snap count percentage (94.0), followed by Hopkins (92.4), Metcalf (92.3), Thielen (91.5), Marvin Hall (91.4), Diggs (91.2), and Byrd (91.0). Breshad Perriman is next (90.3), followed by Marvin Jones (89.7), Chad Hansen (89.6), Denzel Mims (89.4), and both Woods and Lockett at 88.6. Cooks is next (87.2), followed by Gallup (87.0), Brandon Aiyuk (87.0), Moore (86.5), Slayton (86.5), Hill (85.9), and Chris Godwin at 84.5.

Ja'Marcus Bradley led all wide receivers in offensive snaps during Week 16 matchups. Hopkins was second (75), followed by Hall (74), Gabriel Davis (72), and both Cam Sims and Larry Fitzgerald with 71. Perriman and Tim Patrick were tied with 69, while Woods and Christian Kirk were tied with 68. Greg Ward was next (66), followed by Tee Higgins (64), and three receivers that were tied with 63 offensive snaps – Smith-Schuster, and Jet teammates Jamison Crowder and Denzel Mims. Mike Evans, Russell Gage, and Alex Erickson were tied with 62, while Metcalf, Sterling Shepard, and Zach Pascal were tied with 61. Cooper Kupp was the only other wide receiver who was involved in at least 60 offensive snaps in Week 16.

Five different receivers played on 100% of their teams’ offensive snaps in Week 16 - Gabriel Davis, Perriman, Sims, Byrd, and Jakobi Meyers. D.K. Metcalf was next (96.8), followed by Cooks (96.2), Chad Hansen (96.2), Shepard (95.3), Bradley (95.1), and Marvin Jones (94.3). Lockett was next at 93.7, followed by Aiyuk (92.9), Smith-Schuster (92.7), Lynn Bowden (92.1), and Hopkins (91.5). Hall was next (91.4), followed by Crowder (91.3), Mims (91.3), Jalen Guyton (91.2), and Gage (91.2). Richie James (91.1), Woods (90.7), Jefferson (90.6), and Ward (90.4) completed the list of 25 wide receivers that were involved in over 90% of their teams' offensive snaps in Week 16.

5 Things I Noticed

1.If Russell Wilson has been contained on your roster throughout the season, or if you invested in D.K. Metcalf or Tyler Lockett during your draft process, then you have experienced the euphoria of benefiting from Seattle’s highly productive passing attack from Weeks 1-9. Unfortunately, if this scenario applies to you then you were also forced to experience their statistical decline beginning in Week 10.

Wilson was ninth among all quarterbacks in passing attempts entering Week 10 (297/37.1 per game) and was seventh in completions (211/26.4 per game). The well-chronicled ‘Let Russ Cook’ effect had also propelled him to fourth in passing yardage (2,541/317.6 per game) while allowing him to construct a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 28:8 during that sequence.

But from Weeks 10-16, those per-game averages have dropped to 21.9 completions, 32.1 attempts, and 212.9 yards per game. His touchdown to interception ratio also diminished to 10:5 during that sequence. That includes the results from Seattle’s Week 16 matchup with NFC West rival Los Angeles when Wilson was limited to 20 completions and 225 yards.

Metcalf and Lockett were both among the top 12 in targets through Week 9 - Lockett (70/8.8 per game), Metcalf (68/8.5 per game), while each receiver was also contained within the top 15 in receptions - Lockett (53/6.6 per game), Metcalf (43/5.4 per game). Metcalf was also second overall in receiving yards (788/98.5 per game) and second in touchdowns (8). Lockett was also fourth with seven touchdowns, and 15th in yardage (615/76.9 per game). However, both receivers were on the threshold of a definitive drop in each category.

From Weeks 10-16, Metcalf’s per-game averages have dropped to 7.4 targets, 5.3 targets, and 70.6 yards per game, while Lockett’s averages have been reduced to 6.9 targets, 5.0 receptions, and 49.9 yards per game. After combining for 15 touchdowns from Weeks 1-9, Metcalf and Lockett have combined for just three from Weeks 10-16. Metcalf was also fourth overall in air yards entering Week 10 (946), while Lockett was 11th overall (728). Metcalf has maintained a presence in that category since Week 10 and remains eighth overall (564). However, Lockett dropped to 31st in air yards from Weeks 10-16 (447).

Metcalf was also WR3 in scoring entering Week 10. But the reduction in usage and output dropped him to WR17 from Weeks 10-16. Lockett experienced an even larger decline, as he plunged from WR5 (Weeks 1-9) to WR34 (Weeks 10-16).

The plunge in production has been consistent throughout multiple categories, which had a negative impact on the scoring of any fantasy GMs that inserted Wilson, Metcalf, and Lockett into their lineups since Week 10. Seattle will conclude the regular season with another divisional showdown with San Francisco. If you are participating in a Week 17 matchup, Metcalf should remain cemented in all lineups. But Wilson and Lockett are no longer unquestioned starters if you can locate more favorable alternatives.

2. The suspension of Will Fuller was examined in this section following Week 12, as it forced managers to search for alternative options. It also created a potential obstacle for Deshaun Watson who appeared to have encountered a sudden dearth of dependable weapons beyond Brandin Cooks.

Watson is 10th in attempts (142) from Weeks 13-16, but fifth in completions (104), and third in passing yards (1,257 during those contests, while averaging 35.5 attempts/26.0 completions/314.3 yards per game. He had been averaging 33.3 attempts, 23.5 completions, and 291.7 yards per game from Weeks 6-12, which represented his last six games with Fuller still available within Houston's receiving arsenal. Watson had also stockpiled 15 touchdowns during that sequence but has built a 6:1 touchdown to interceptions ratio since Week 13.

Cooks was in the process of constructing a highly productive seven-game from Weeks 5-12 while averaging 8.1 targets, 6.0 receptions, and 83 yards per game. That usage and production had vaulted him to seventh overall in receiving yards, 18th in targets, and 15th in receptions.

DW4 puts it right on the money ?

?: FOX
?: https://t.co/Nm64mQkAPf pic.twitter.com/3wKAYlEXaG

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) December 27, 2020

Cooks was contending with neck and foot issues entering Week 14. That ultimately sidelined him during Houston's AFC South matchup with Indianapolis. However, he has still collected a team-high 25 targets (8.3 per game) during the Texans’ four matchups despite his one-game absence. He has also accumulated 18 receptions (6.0 per game), and 265 yards (88.3 yards per game) during that span. Cooks also leads the Texans in air yards per game (120.7), and percentage share of air yards (34.3) during that sequence.

Coutee had only performed on 68 offensive snaps (38.6%) from Weeks 1-12, while accumulated just 9 targets, 6 receptions, and 38 receiving yards during those matchups. But he is averaging 6.0 targets, 5.3 receptions, and 68 yards, and 53.8 air yards per game since Week 13. The third-year receiver has also attained a 17.9 target share, and a 17.8 percentage share of air yards during his last four matchups.

Chad Hansen was originally drafted by the Jets in 2017. He then managed to progress through four additional organizations (Patriots, Titans, Broncos, Saints) before landing with Houston in 2019. However, he still did not procure a target between 2017 and early December. But his fantasy relevance ignited as his importance within the Texans passing attack rose dramatically in Weeks 13-14. He averaged 7.0 targets, 6.0 receptions, and 78.5 yards per game during Houston’s first two contests following Fuller’s suspension. But those averages have decreased to just 3.0 targets, 1.5 receptions, and 31.5 yards per game since Week 15. He has accrued 247 air yards since Week 13 and is second behind Cooks in percentage share of air yards (20.5).

It appears that Watson will perform in Week 17 despite the hand injury that he incurred during Houston’s Week 16 matchup. That should compel fantasy GMs to keep Cooks in all lineups. Hansen's declining usage in Weeks 15-16 is concerning. But an appealing matchup with Tennessee keeps him viable as a WR3/WR4 option. That also applies to Coutee, although his foot issue should be monitored.

3. There are several wide receivers whose usage and output have surpassed expectations from both a season-long perspective and also in the results from their recent matchups. That includes Nelson Agholor, who signed a one-year contract with Las Vegas last March. That transaction understandably did not provoke a significant response within the fantasy community. But Agholor capitalized on his opportunity by ascending into the Raiders’ WR1 role. This elevated him firmly into the fantasy landscape while also providing an unforeseen resource for fantasy GMs. 

NELSON AGHOLOR. 85 YARDS. #RaiderNation

?: #MIAvsLV on @NFLNetwork
?: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/Gd3pMdskDl pic.twitter.com/nLA5lPbEm7

— NFL (@NFL) December 27, 2020

Even though the Raiders remain dead last in targets that are distributed to the wide receiver position (44.9%),  Agholor has sustained his status as the team's most prolific wide receiver throughout most of the season. Since Week 6, Agholor has averaged 6.7 targets per game. He is also 13th among all receivers with 34 targets (8.5 per game) since Week 13 and is also eighth overall in receiving yards during that sequence (342/85.5 per game). He has captured a 22.7% target share and leads all Raiders in air yards (55), and percentage share of air yards (40.0) during that span.

Agholor also leads all Raider wide receivers from Weeks 1-16 in targets (78/5.2 per game), target share (16.0), receiving yards (839/55.9 per game), while leading the team in air yards (1,137), and percentage share of air yards (28.6). He easily leads the Raiders with eight touchdowns, which also places him in a tie for eighth overall. Agholor has also ascended to fifth overall in Football Outsiders’ DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) and should be considered as a viable WR3 option by anyone who is competing for a championship in Week 17.

.@michael13gallup CAN'T ? BE ?STOPPED

? #PHIvsDAL on FOX pic.twitter.com/Y2dfFhGCZA

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) December 27, 2020

Michael Gallup began the season with a more favorable outlook than Agholor. However, there were legitimate reasons for concern surrounding the formidable competition for targets that would exist for the third-year receiver. The first-round selection of CeeDee Lamb, blended with the presence of Amari Cooper to provide the rationale for tempered expectations for Gallup's degree of involvement, and his dependability for the managers who drafted him.

From Weeks 1-7, Gallup easily trailed Cooper and Lamb in each major receiving category, as he had attained 36 targets (5.1 per game), accrued 19 receptions (2.7 per game), and manufactured 371 yards (53 per game). Cooper led Dallas in targets (72)/10.3 per game), receptions (53/7/6 per game), and receptions (583/83.3 per game).

Cooper also led the team in air yards (616), and also in percentage share of air yards (26.8). Lamb was a clear second in targets (56/8 per game), receptions (36/5.1 per game), and receiving yardage (497/71 per game).

But since Week 8, Gallup leads the Cowboys in targets (61/7.6 per game), receptions (36/4.5 per game), touchdowns (4), and is second in receiving yards (423/52.9 per game). Cooper leads the team in receiving yardage during that sequence (490/61.3 per game). But he is second to Gallup in targets (49/6.1 per game) and is tied for second with Lamb in both receptions (33/4.1 per game) and touchdowns (3).

Gallup also leads Dallas in air yards (601), and percentage share of air yards (28,0) during that eight-game span. He should remain in all lineups during the Cowboys’ NFC East showdown with the Giants.

4.Unfortunately, other wide receivers have been unable to sustain the numbers that they attained earlier this season. Anyone who started Corey Davis in their Week 16 matchups became acutely aware of this unwanted development.

The fourth-year receiver was limited to a season-low two targets when Tennessee traveled to Green Bay. The production-inhibiting coverage from Jaire Alexander was undoubtedly a factor. However, his disappointing usage also perpetuated a recent trend of favorable production that are interspersed with disappointing results during a growing percentage of his other matchups.

He has been relegated to averages of 3.7 targets, 2.3 receptions, and 48 yards per game since Week 14. This dwells far below his averages from Weeks 1-13 (7.0 targets/5.3 receptions/80.1 yards per game). He is also a distant second to A.J. Brown in air yards (437/289), and percentage share of air yards (41.0/27.1) since Week 14.

He has also averaged 5.3 targets, 3.9 receptions, and 72 yards since Week 9, although those averages have been bolstered by his performances in Weeks 11 and 13. Davis accumulated 18 targets, 15 receptions, and 292 yards during those two contests. But if you extract his numbers during those two matchups, then his averages drop to 4.3 targets, 3.2 receptions, and 47.3 yards per game. Davis has also failed to exceed three targets in four of his last eight matchups.

However, Davis has delivered several highly productive performances during the season, which has propelled him to career-highs in receiving yards (945) and 100-yard performances (5), while he is also six catches away from achieving a career-best reception total. Managers who insert him in their Week 17 lineups could also be rewarded, as he will be the beneficiary of an enticing matchup with Houston.

The encouraging numbers that rookie Michael Pittman was delivering from Weeks 9-12 have also dissipated in recent weeks. Pittman had averaged 6.8 targets, 4.0 receptions, and 62.8 yards per game during that four-game sequence. He also led the Colts in all three categories (27 targets/16 receptions/251 yards) by a considerable margin, while also pacing the team in target share (17.8), air yards (268), and percentage share of air yards (25.2).

But he has averaged 4.5 targets, 3.0 receptions, and a meager 36.3 yards from Weeks 13-16. That placed him third behind T.Y. Hilton in each category. Pittman also dropped to third on the Colts behind Hilton and Zach Pascal in air yards (169), and percentage share of air yards (16.7).

Pittman has also encountered a concussion issue and his status for Week  17 is unclear. However, anyone who has retained him on their rosters should not be considering him in this week's lineups. Hilton has easily surpassed him as the Colts‘ WR1 during his statistical resurgence from Weeks 13-16 (7.8 targets/5.0 receptions/81.8 yards per game).

5. The sudden absence of Jarvis Landry, and Rashard Higgins in Week 16 was an unexpected development for any fantasy GMs that had originally planned to start either receiver in their lineups. But that does not diminish the accomplishments of Baker Mayfield and his primary receiving weapons from Weeks 12-15. 

From Weeks 1-11, Mayfield was just 26th among all quarterbacks in both passing attempts (265/26.5 per game), and completions (161/16.1 per game), and was also 27th in passing yards (1,850/185 per game). His completion percentage was also 60.98% as he also averaging 6.0 yards per attempt. But from Weeks 12-15, Baker Mayfield was 10th in attempts (141/35.3 per game) and seventh in completions (99/24.8 per game). He was also third in passing yards 1,232/308 per game), while his completion percentage rose to 71.3% during that four-game stretch. Mayfield assembled 10 touchdown passes from Weeks 12-15 after he manufactured just 15 during his first 10 games.

Touchdown @God_Son80❗

?: https://t.co/jyHm6MrARd pic.twitter.com/mW6mzXJMIk

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) December 21, 2020

Landry was also averaging 5.7 targets, 3.8 receptions, and 47.1 yards per game from Weeks 1-11. But he vaulted to ninth in targets (38), fourth in receptions (29), and 13^th in yardage (318), as his per-game averages improved significantly (9.5 targets/7.3 receptions/79.5 yards). Landry led Cleveland in each category during that sequence, and also scored three times - after failing to register a touchdown from Weeks 1-11. Landry was also located at WR49 in scoring entering Week 12 but soared to WR9 from Weeks 12-15.

Higgins had been relegated to per-game averages of 2.9 targets, 2.3 receptions, and 36.2 yards per game from Weeks 1-11.  But his averages improved to 6.5 targets, 4.3 receptions, and 63.5 yards per game from Weeks 12-15. He also vaulted to 12th among all receivers in air yards (332), and 17th in receiving yards (254). Higgins also led the Browns in percentage share of air yards (30.4) and is currently in the process of establishing new career highs in yards per reception (15.5), and yards per target (11.1). He was just WR88 in scoring prior to Week 12. But he ascended to WR21 from Weeks 12-15.

Mayfield only completed 28 of his 53 passes with his transformed receiving weaponry in Week 16. Undrafted free agent Ja’Marcus Bradley led Cleveland’s wide receivers with 11 targets, while Marvin Hall was a distant second with two. But Landry and Higgins should resurface as Mayfield’s primary options when the Browns conclude their regular season against Pittsburgh. That will also be beneficial if you have either receiver on your roster, and are competing for a league championship this week.

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