X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Target Acquired: Surprise Target Grabbers from Week 3 and Possible Breakouts for Week 4

By Keith Allison (Flickr) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Injuries continue to sweep through the league, leaving the question of "who will I start instead" to loom around fantasy lineups. A week-to-week, matchup-based option could always help answer that. Paying attention to targets is always important, regardless of how many lead to actual receptions.

Here is a look at the surprise target grabbers from Week 3, and a look at possible breakout options for Week 4 based on the usage they are seeing in the passing game.

Editor's Note: Be sure to check out FantasyAces DFS contests. New users that sign up on Fantasy Aces and make a $20 deposit will receive RotoBaller's full season NFL Premium Pass for free (including Premium DFS), normally a $59.99 value. Expert DFS research, sample lineups, matchup ratings and lots more!

 

Surprise Week 3 Target Grabbers

Terrelle Pryor, Sr. - Cleveland Browns 

What a showing this week for Terrelle Pryor. With Corey Coleman out because of a broken hand, Pryor emerged as the number one target for rookie quarterback Cody Kessler. Little did anyone know that Pryor would share some snaps at center with Kessler. We can thank Hue Jackson's versatile play-calling for the bloated stat line. Pryor finished the day with eight receptions on 14 targets for 144 yards, rushed for 21 yards on four carries, and completed three of five pass attempts for 35 yards.

It would be unrealistic to expect this type of production from Pryor on a weekly basis, but with Coleman likely missing four to six weeks, Pryor will be the Browns' WR1 again Week 4. He has a favorable matchup against a Redskins team that has allowed the third-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season.

Adam Humphries - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

With the Buccaneers playing from behind for most of Sunday's contest against the Los Angeles Rams, Jameis Winston attempted an insane 58 passes. This benefited a couple receivers on Tampa Bay, including Adam Humphries. Humphries broke out for a surprising nine receptions on 12 targets for 100 yards.

Humphries' production, receptions, targets, and receiving yards have all increased from week to week, but the same might not be the case against the Denver Broncos Week 4. The defending Super Bowl champions have allowed the third fewest fantasy points to receivers this season, according to Yahoo! Sports, and held the Cincinnati Bengals to only 206 yards through the air last week. Humphries isn't an option Week 4.

Kyle Rudolph - Minnesota Vikings 

Minnesota's offseason and start to the regular season have been filled with quite a few key injuries to their offensive unit. But they keep finding ways to win, thanks largely in part to their defense, and to specific, overshadowed performances. Kyle Rudolph, a borderline TE2 heading into Week 3, was targeted by Sam Bradford 10 times, reeling in seven of them. He accumulated 70 yards and found the end zone once, posting a very solid fantasy day, specifically in PPR formats for those who took the chance on him last week.

Rudolph has seen eight targets or more in all three games this season. Rudolph does face a difficult matchup this week against a New York Giants team that hasn't allowed a touchdown to tight ends yet this season. Rudolph, despite the all the extra targets, is a touchdown-dependent starter in standard leagues.

 

Possible Week 4 Breakout Options

Cole Beasley - (WR, DAL)

Dak Prescott has certainly looked Beasley's way often, targeting him 25 times in three games this season. Beasley has made the most of the looks with 20 receptions so far. Beasley has become Prescott's favorite option for underneath routes and really provides the young quarterback with a safety net out of the slot.

High volume aside, Beasley has yet to find the end zone, and could struggle to do so against a relatively stingy secondary of the San Francisco 49ers. That being said, I wouldn't worry too much about the Niners slowing down the Cowboys' recent offensive production. San Francisco has allowed 27.7 points per game, ninth-most in the league. Beasley is more of a WR4, but he has a lot of appeal in deeper PPR leagues.

Michael Thomas - (WR, NO)

With Willie Snead questionable to return in Week 4 after missing last week's contest versus the Atlanta Falcons, another opportunity could potentially open up for Michael Thomas to produce. Thomas finished Monday night's shootout with seven receptions on 11 targets for 77 yards and a touchdown. It was the young receiver's best performance of the season while he proved capable of meshing with New Orleans' pass-heavy offense.

Thomas has a healthy matchup this week against a San Diego Chargers defense that has allowed 322.0 yards in the air per game, third-most in the NFL, according to ESPN.com. Thomas is behind Brandin Cooks on the depth chart but outperformed a nearly non-existent Cooks against the Falcons.

Jamison Crowder - (WR, WAS) 

Crowder will likely be one of the most popular adds off the waiver wire this week after another productive showing. Facing the divisional rival Giants Week 3, Crowder caught four passes for 78 yards and a score. He was targeted seven times, bumping his target-total up to 25 for the season. His looks have slightly decreased since Week 1, but he should see the same range of seven to 10 when the Redskins host a struggling Cleveland Browns defensive unit. The Browns are allowing a bloated 294.3 passing yards and 28.0 points per game, and have relinquished the fourth-most fantasy points to wideouts so far this season, according to Yahoo! Sports. He should be started in PPR leagues.

Other Options: Steve Smith (WR, BAL) vs OAK, Kevin White (WR, CHI) vs DET, Zach Miller (TE, CHI) vs DET

 


Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Roman Dolidze13 mins ago

Set For A Rematch
Max Scherzer14 mins ago

Throws Successful Session On Friday
Marvin Vettori22 mins ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Cooper Kupp33 mins ago

Cowboys Not Considered Favorites For Cooper Kupp
Chidi Njokuani36 mins ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Laviska Shenault Jr.41 mins ago

Signing With Bills
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos51 mins ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
NFL52 mins ago

Jonah Jackson Signs Extension With Bears
Riley Greene58 mins ago

Expected To See Time In Center Field
Aaron Rodgers1 hour ago

Vikings Seriously Considering Adding Aaron Rodgers
Kurt Holobaugh1 hour ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Noah Murdock1 hour ago

Could Make Opening Day Roster
Cooper Kupp1 hour ago

Cowboys Making Push For Cooper Kupp
Luke Raley1 hour ago

Could See Time Against Left-Handed Pitching
Alexander Hernandez1 hour ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Donovan Solano1 hour ago

Could See Time As Designated Hitter
George Kirby2 hours ago

Receives Injection
Yordan Alvarez2 hours ago

To See Most Time As Designated Hitter
Cody Gibson2 hours ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear2 hours ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Quinton Byfield2 hours ago

Scores In Fifth-Straight Game
Jesper Bratt2 hours ago

Posts Second-Straight Three-Point Performance
Brendson Ribeiro2 hours ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Tristan Jarry2 hours ago

Picks Up Third-Straight Victory
Diyar Nurgozhay2 hours ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
Adin Hill2 hours ago

Shuts The Door On Thursday
MMA3 hours ago

Seung Woo Choi In Dire Need Of Victory
Sam Bennett3 hours ago

Strikes Twice In Victory
Brady Tkachuk3 hours ago

Suffers Minor Injury On Thursday
Kevin Vallejos3 hours ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 104
Jack Kochanowicz9 hours ago

Making Case For Fifth Rotation Spot
Miles Sanders9 hours ago

Returning To NFC East With Cowboys
Carson Williams9 hours ago

Chandler Simpson, Carson Williams Shine In Spring Breakout Win
Boston Red Sox10 hours ago

Boston's Top Three Prospects Homer In First Spring Breakout Game
Brice Matthews10 hours ago

Among Three Astros Prospects Reassigned On Thursday
Colorado Rockies10 hours ago

Charlie Condon Believed To Have Suffered Significant Wrist Injury
Jayson Tatum11 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Friday's Game
Jaylen Brown11 hours ago

Questionable For Friday Night
Garrett Wilson11 hours ago

Will Be Unquestioned WR1 In 2025
Cooper Kupp12 hours ago

Jaguars Not Interested In Cooper Kupp, Whose Price Is "Insane"
Spencer Shrader12 hours ago

Reunites With Colts
Kyle Allen12 hours ago

Lions Add Kyle Allen For QB Depth
Alexander Mattison12 hours ago

Heads To South Beach
Taylor Heinicke12 hours ago

Chargers Bring Back Taylor Heinicke On One-Year Extension
Scottie Barnes12 hours ago

Could Miss Another Game
Lance Lynn12 hours ago

Cubs Discussing Contract With Lance Lynn
P.J. Washington12 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Friday
De'Andre Hunter12 hours ago

Tagged As Probable For Friday
Jack Leiter12 hours ago

Kumar Rocker Competing For Final Rotation Spot
Tyler Mahle12 hours ago

Pitches In Minor-League Game
Donovan Mitchell12 hours ago

Ruled Out For Friday
Aaron Gordon13 hours ago

Uncertain For Friday
Trey Lyles13 hours ago

Available To Play On Thursday
Jamal Murray13 hours ago

Expected To Play Friday
Nikola Jokić13 hours ago

Nikola Jokic Tagged As Probable For Friday
Jonathan Kuminga13 hours ago

Upgraded To Available On Thursday
Bailey Horn14 hours ago

Traded To Detroit
Ryan Loutos14 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Sam Darnold14 hours ago

Mike Macdonald, Seahawks Excited About Sam Darnold
Matt Strahm14 hours ago

Will Be Evaluated Again On Saturday
Charlie Lindgren14 hours ago

Gets The Nod Against Kings Thursday
Domantas Sabonis14 hours ago

Out Again On Thursday
Nick Castellanos14 hours ago

Dealing With Illness
Filip Gustavsson14 hours ago

Starts Against Rangers Thursday
Joe Flacco14 hours ago

Visits With Giants
Jonathan Ornelas14 hours ago

To Begin Season At Triple-A
Connor Zary14 hours ago

Suspended For Two Games
Rui Hachimura14 hours ago

Listed As Day-To-Day
Gerson Garabito14 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Olamide Zaccheaus15 hours ago

Inks Deal With Chicago
Dougie Hamilton15 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Regular Season
Rasmus Ristolainen15 hours ago

Unavailable Thursday
LeBron James15 hours ago

Considered Day-To-Day After Road Trip
De'Aaron Fox15 hours ago

To Miss The Rest Of The Season
Gardner Minshew II15 hours ago

Signs With Kansas City
Nikita Kucherov15 hours ago

Out Against Flyers
Lonzo Ball15 hours ago

Sidelined Against Brooklyn
Yegor Chinakhov15 hours ago

Sits Out Thursday's Game
Josh Giddey15 hours ago

Officially Out On Thursday
Damian Lillard15 hours ago

Good To Go Versus The Lakers
Yves Missi15 hours ago

Out Thursday Against Magic
Giannis Antetokounmpo15 hours ago

Cleared To Meet The Lakers
Jaxson Hayes16 hours ago

Out Against Milwaukee
Stone Smartt17 hours ago

Jets Sign Stone Smartt To One-Year Deal
Houston Texans17 hours ago

Texans Acquire Ed Ingram From Vikings
Los Angeles Chargers18 hours ago

Chargers Adding Defensive Lineman Naquan Jones
Los Angeles Chargers18 hours ago

Chargers Signing Da'Shawn Hand To One-Year Deal
Washington Commanders19 hours ago

Sheldon Day Re-Signing With Commanders
Ivan Barbashev19 hours ago

Returning On Thursday
Igor Shesterkin19 hours ago

Starting On Thursday
Neal Pionk19 hours ago

Misses Second Straight Practice
Nikolaj Ehlers19 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Thursday
Andrei Svechnikov20 hours ago

Doubtful For Friday
Nikita Kucherov20 hours ago

A Game-Time Call On Thursday
Brandon Montour1 day ago

Scores Twice In Victory
Dylan Guenther1 day ago

Nets Game-Winner Over Anaheim
Jacob Bridgeman2 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard2 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips2 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith2 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala2 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick2 days ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler2 days ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter2 days ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim2 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy2 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa2 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre2 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth2 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young2 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim2 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas2 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele2 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy2 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA2 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman3 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee3 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Power-Steering Failure Foils Tyler Reddick's Bid For Potential Victory
William Byron4 days ago

Recovers From Being Trapped A Lap Down To Finish Sixth
Josh Berry4 days ago

Gives Wood Brothers Team Best Run Since 2021
Alex Pereira4 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 313
Magomed Ankalaev4 days ago

Becomes The New UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion
Justin Gaethje4 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Rafael Fiziev4 days ago

Loses Third Fight In A Row
Ignacio Bahamondes4 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC 313
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Scores His Third Consecutive Victory Of The Season At Phoenix
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Strong Phoenix Performance Falls Short Of Victory
Chris Buescher4 days ago

Quietly Earns A Top-Five Finish At Phoenix
Alex Bowman4 days ago

Leaves Phoenix With His Best Finish At The Site Since 2016
Zane Smith4 days ago

Quietly Nabs His First Phoenix Top-10 Finish
Jalin Turner4 days ago

Retires After UFC 313 Loss
Iasmin Lucindo4 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 313
Amanda Lemos4 days ago

Dominates At UFC 313
King Green4 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC 313
Chase Elliott5 days ago

Is Chase Elliott Worth Rostering At Phoenix This Week For DFS?
Joey Logano5 days ago

Will Be A Top Contender To Win At Phoenix
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Is Difficult to Recommend As A DFS Option
Carson Hocevar5 days ago

Is Not An Ideal Driver To Add To Phoenix DFS Lineups
Brad Keselowski5 days ago

Is A Solid DFS Choice For Phoenix Lineups
Austin Cindric5 days ago

Could Be Worth Using In Phoenix Tournament Lineups
Kyle Busch5 days ago

Should Fantasy Players Roster Kyle Busch At Phoenix?
Michael McDowell5 days ago

Is Michael McDowell Worth Rostering For Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Ty Gibbs5 days ago

Is A DFS Recommendation Despite Inconsistent Track History At Phoenix
Austin Dillon5 days ago

Is Austin Dillon Worth Rostering In DFS For Phoenix This Week?
Cole Custer5 days ago

Is An Underrated DFS Value Pick For Phoenix Lineups
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

DFS Value Likely Hinges On How Much He Leads
Chase Briscoe5 days ago

Despite Strong Phoenix Record, Chase Briscoe Qualifies Inexplicably Poorly
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF