Wide Receiver Sleepers, Risers, Breakouts for Fantasy Football - Targets, Air Yards, Snaps Trends for Week 17

Phil analyzes fantasy football wide receiver risers and fallers, looking at last week's targets and receptions to find Week 17 (2023) buy-lows or sell-highs.

Congratulations to all of you who are playing for a fantasy championship. Your wide receivers remain essential components toward your primary goal of capturing your league's title, and 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, targets per route run, red zone targets, yards per route run, snap counts, and a compilation of additional 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 to everyone in your matchups this week.

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Targets

Garrett Wilson has emerged as the new league leader in targets as he has accumulated 153 entering Week 17. That includes the season-high 15 that he secured in Week 15, which was the sixth time this season that he has eclipsed 13+.

A.J. Brown has now accumulated 152 targets while securing 8+ in 13 of his 15 matchups this season. He has also eclipsed 10+ in eight different contests while attaining 13+ five times.

CeeDee Lamb is now third overall with 151 targets after he attained a double-digit total for the fourth consecutive game in Week 16. Lamb has also captured 9+ in nine consecutive outings while stockpiling a league-high 109 (12.1 per game) since Week 8.

Keenan Allen had accumulated a league-high 150 targets from Weeks 1-14 before his heel injury forced him to the sideline in Weeks 15-16. He was also averaging a league-best 11.5 per game prior to his absence and had eclipsed 9+ in 12 of his 13 matchups. His total still places him fourth overall entering Week 17.

.@AsapPuka is unreal.

RT to #ProBowlVote | @NFLonPrime pic.twitter.com/SKReJ2IkG7

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 22, 2023

Puka Nacua has captured 146 targets after he accumulated 11 in Week 16. Nacua had eclipsed 10+ targets during five of his first seven matchups this season but had not registered a double-digit total from Weeks 8-15.

Davante Adams was targeted six times in Week 16, which expanded his overall total to 146. Adams had attained double-digit totals during four of his five previous matchups from Weeks 10-15 while averaging 11 per game during that span.

Tyreek Hill has been targeted 146 times after collecting 14 when Miami hosted Dallas. Hill had averaged 6.0 per game in Weeks 13-14, but has now captured at least nine targets in 11 different matchups while eclipsing 13+ four times.

Stefon Diggs has accrued 145 targets even though he has averaged 6.5 per game since Week 15. He has secured double-digit totals in eight different matchups but has only accomplished it twice since Week 8. His numbers will be examined further in the Five Things I Noticed section.

Amon-Ra St. Brown has also secured 145 targets after he captured 14 during Detroit’s Week 15 matchup with Minnesota. St. Brown has now eclipsed 9+ in eight of his last 10 contests. He has also accumulated 111 targets since Week 6, which is second overall during that span.

Michael Pittman Jr. played in 21 snaps before sustaining a concussion in Week 15. He was sidelined in Week 16 while his season-long total remained stationary at 143. Pittman Jr. had stockpiled a league-high 40 targets from Weeks 12-14 while averaging 13.3 per game.

Ja'Marr Chase had collected 132 targets from Weeks 1-15 before he was sidelined by an AC joint sprain in Week 16. He had averaged 6.7 per game from Weeks 9-15, after averaging 12.1 per game from Weeks 1-8.

Chris Olave has now accumulated 129 targets, after collecting 13 in Week 16. That was his sixth double-digit total of the season but his first since Week 7. Olave had also averaged 6.5 per game during his previous two matchups prior to Week 16.

Joe Flacco and Amari Cooper are playing on rookie mode 🤣
pic.twitter.com/6q5obWugRB

— PFF (@PFF) December 24, 2023

Amari Cooper has now accrued 128 targets, which has been fueled by the league-high 37 that he has stockpiled since Week 14. Cooper has also eclipsed 14+ twice during that three-game sequence.

Adam Thielen has also captured 128 targets after he collected eight in Week 16. Thielen has averaged 6.2 per game since Week 12, after averaging 10.6 per game from Weeks 5-10.

Mike Evans has accumulated 123 targets after eclipsing 8+ for the fifth time in seven contests. Evans has also averaged 8.5 per game since Week 6. DeAndre Hopkins (120) completes the list of 16 wide receivers who have secured 120+ targets from Weeks 1-16. Hopkins had averaged 11.0 per game from Weeks 13-15, but was limited to just four in Week 16.

Seven wide receivers are averaging at least 10 targets per game from Weeks 1-16 --  Keenan Allen (11.5), Tyreek Hill (10.4), Amon-Ra St. Brown (10.4), Garrett Wilson (10.2), Michael Pittman Jr. (10.2), CeeDee Lamb (10.1), and A.J. Brown (10.1).

Target Risers And Fallers

15 different wide receivers accumulated 10+ targets during their matchups in Week 17. That includes Garrett Wilson, who accrued 15. That tied his career high, which was established in Week 13 of his 2022 rookie season. He has now collected at least 10 targets in eight different matchups since Week 1.

Amari Cooper also accumulated 15 targets, which was his highest weekly total since Week 1 of the 2021 regular season. Cooper has now secured double-digit target totals in four different matchups during the season, including two of his last three contests. He has also eclipsed 8+ targets 10 times.

Touchdown @amonra_stbrown‼️ #ProBowlVote #DETvsMIN |📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/AJjvjfLY43

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) December 24, 2023

Amon-Ra St. Brown was also targeted 14 times in Week 16. It was the sixth time that he has captured 11+ throughout the season and the third time that he has accomplished it during his last six games.

Tyreek Hill also collected 14 targets in Week 16, which was the ninth time that he has attained a double-digit total during the season. He has also averaged 10.8 per game since Week 6.

The 13 targets that Chris Olave collected in Week 16 represented his second-highest total of the season. He has now eclipsed 9+ in nine of his 14 matchups this season and has attained 11+ four times.

NINE AND DIME! @NFLonCBS | @CooperKupp | #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/j9gbVbV9rX

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 17, 2023

Zay Flowers was targeted 13 times in Week 16, which established a career-high. He has now eclipsed 10+ in five different matchups during his rookie season, including two of his last three.

Cooper Kupp was targeted 12 times in Week 16, which tied his season high. Kupp has reached double digits in four different contests, including two of his last three. He is also averaging 10.0 per game since Week 14.

Rashee Rice also accrued 12 targets when Kansas City hosted Las Vegas in Week 16. Rice has now captured at least nine targets in each of his last five outings while accumulating 50 (10 per game) since Week 12.

Puka Nacua so far tonight:

8 Receptions
148 Receiving Yards
1 TD

😤🔥

pic.twitter.com/Judb1kumfG

— NFL Retweet (@NFLRT) December 22, 2023

Deebo Samuel captured 12 targets in Week 16. That tied his season-high, which was established in Week 3. However, those are the only two games in which Samuel has secured a double-digit total this season, and he had averaged 4.6 per game from Weeks 4-15.

Puka Nacua’s 11 targets in Week 16 represented his highest weekly total since Week 7. However, Nacua has also garnered at least seven targets during all 15 of his matchups and has averaged 9.3 per game since Week 14.

Chris Godwin also collected 11 targets in Week 16 and has now eclipsed 11+ in three consecutive outings. Godwin has also captured 34 targets and 11.3 per game since Week 14. Tyler Lockett also assembled 11 targets in Week 16. That was the third time that he has secured a double-digit target total this season. It was also the first time that he had accomplished it since Week 10.

A.J. Brown also accumulated 11 targets in Week 16 and has now secured double-digit totals in four consecutive outings. He has also accumulated 47 targets during that sequence (11.8 per game), which ties him for the league lead.

CeeDee Lamb has been targeted 10 times in each of his last four contests. He has also secured double-digit totals in eight different matchups this season. Justin Jefferson also collected 10 targets in Week 16, which was the second consecutive game in which he has attained that total. Jefferson has now eclipsed 10+ during five of his eight matchups throughout an injury-shortened season.

The career-high 13 targets that Zay Flowers attained in Week 16 were collected one week after he had been limited to just two in Week 15. That fueled his week-to-week rise of +11.

The aforementioned 15 targets that were registered by Garrett Wilson in Week 15 were collected just one week after he had been limited to a season-low of four. That fueled a week-to-week rise of +11. Amari Cooper’s 15 targets in Week 16 were accumulated just one week after he had been targeted eight times by Joe Flacco. That launched Cooper’s weekly rise of +7.

Terry McLaurin has captured 11+ targets during two of his last four matchups. However, he has also failed to exceed five targets during the other two contests in that span. That includes his five-target outing in Week 16, which transpired after he had been targeted 12 times in Week 15. All of which resulted in his week-to-week drop of -7.

Davante Adams was targeted six times in Week 16, which was his lowest total since Week 6. That also occurred one week after he had secured 12 targets from Aidan O'Connell in Week 15, which resulted in his week-to-week decrease of -6.

Air Yards

DeAndre Hopkins leads all wide receivers in air yards for the second consecutive week while accumulating 1,806 from Weeks 1-16. Amari Cooper has risen to second overall (1,796), followed by A.J. Brown (1,765), Chris Olave (1,701), Mike Evans (1,687), Garrett Wilson (1,567), and Calvin Ridley, who has accrued 1,548 air yards entering Week 17. Tyreek Hill is next (1,540), followed by Davante Adams (1,519), CeeDee Lamb (1,491), Stefon Diggs (1,467), Keenan Allen (1,463), and D.K. Metcalf, who has accumulated 1,417 yards.

A.J. Brown leads all wide receivers with a 45.5% air yards share entering Week 17. Davante Adams is second (44.4%), followed by Garrett Wilson (44.2%), DeAndre Hopkins (44.1%), Tyreek Hill (43.1%), D.J. Moore (41.9%), D.K. Metcalf (40.9%), and Chris Olave (40.8%). Mike Evans is next (40.2%), followed by Brandon Aiyuk (40.1%), Amari Cooper (39.7%), Keenan Allen (39.6%), George Pickens (39.4%), and Tee Higgins, who has attained an air yards share of 38.9%.

Amari Cooper led all wide receivers with 283 air yards in Week 16. Justin Jefferson was second overall (213), followed by Tyreek Hill (164), Puka Nacua (150), and two receivers who were tied at 129 -- Rashid Shaheed, and D.J. Chark. Calvin Ridley was next (127), followed by Chris Olave (121) and two receivers who accrued 116 yards in Week 16 -- Gabe Davis, and Tyler Lockett. Stefon Diggs was next (115), followed by Alec Pierce (111), A.J. Brown (109), Quentin Johnston (109), and Jerry Jeudy, who accumulated 108 yards in Week 16. 

Amari Cooper led all wide receivers with a 65.1% air share during his matchup in Week 16. A.J. Brown was second (56.5%), followed by Puka Nacua (54.0%), Tyler Lockett (51.3%), Rashee Rice (51.2%), Davante Adams (48.2%), Tyreek Hill (45.8%), Jakobi Meyers (45.4%), George Pickens (43.9%), Gabe Davis (43.6%), Chris Godwin (43.3%), Stefon Diggs (43.2%), and Jerry Jeudy, who secured an air yards share of 42.9%. Garrett Wilson was next (42.1%), followed by Quentin Johnston (41.9%), Justin Jefferson (40.9%), and CeeDee Lamb, who attained an air yards share of 40.3% in Week 16.

Routes

Garrett Wilson leads all wide receivers with 622 routes run from Weeks 1-16. Stefon Diggs is second overall (610), followed by Adam Thielen (605) and two receivers who have accumulated 601 routes -- teammates Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson. Ja'Marr Chase is next (599), followed by Alec Pierce (590), Elijah Moore (571), CeeDee Lamb (564), DeVonta Smith (559), DJ Moore (555), Calvin Ridley (554), and two receivers who have accumulated 552 routes -- Keenan Allen and Michael Pittman Jr.

Josh Downs led all wide receivers with 59 routes run in Week 16. Garrett Wilson was second (55), followed by Alec Pierce (51), Calvin Ridley, (50), Joshua Palmer (46), Noah Brown (44), and three receivers who accumulated 42 routes -- Justin Jefferson, Chris Godwin, and Robert Woods. Mike Evans was next (41), followed by four receivers who ran 40 routes in Week 16 -- CeeDee Lamb, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Tyler Boyd, and Jason Brownlee.

Targets Per Route Run

Tyreek Hill has been targeted on 37.4% of his routes from Weeks 1-16, which leads all wide receivers. Davante Adams is second overall (32.2%), followed by Puka Nacua (29.5%), Jaylen Waddle (29.5%), A.J. Brown (29.1%), Amon-Ra St. Brown (28.3%), Brandon Aiyuk (28.3%), Aiyuk’s teammate Deebo Samuel (28%), and Keenan Allen, who has been targeted on 27.2% of his routes. Cooper Kupp is next (27.1%), followed by DeAndre Hopkins (27.0%), CeeDee Lamb (26.8%), Nico Collins (26.7%), and Chris Olave, who has been targeted on 26% of his routes entering Week 17.

Stefon Diggs was targeted on 44.4% of his routes in Week 16, which led all wide receivers. Tyreek Hill was second overall (40.0%), followed by Amari Cooper (38.5%), Gabe Davis (35.3%), Amon-Ra St. Brown (35.0%), Puka Nacua (34.4%), Chris Olave (34.2%), Cooper Kupp (33.3%), and Tyler Lockett, who was targeted on 30.6% of his routes. Cedrick Wilson Jr. was next (27.8%), followed by Garrett Wilson (27.3%), Jameson Williams (27.3%), and Chris Godwin, who was targeted on 26.2% of his routes.

Yards Per Route Run

Tyreek Hill leads all wide receivers with an average of 4.21 yards per route run entering Week 17. Brandon Aiyuk is second overall (3.66), followed by Nico Collins (2.97), Deebo Samuel (2.89), Jaylen Waddle (2.88), Justin Jefferson (2.77), Puka Nacua (2.68), A.J. Brown (2.67), CeeDee Lamb (2.52), and Amon-Ra St. Brown, who is averaging 2.50 yards per route run. Amari Cooper is next (2.37), followed by Mike Evans (2.32), Keenan Allen (2.25), and Rashee Rice, who is averaging 2.19 yards per route run.

Gabe Davis led all wide receivers with an average of 7.65 yards per route run in Week 16. Amari Cooper was second overall (6.79), followed by George Pickens (6.29), Puka Nacua (5.13), Tee Higgins (3.68), Justin Jefferson (3.36), Jaylen Waddle (3.33), and Marvin Mims Jr., who averaged 3.32 yards per route run. Chris Olave was next (3.24), followed by D.J. Chark (3.16), Romeo Doubs (3.04), and Khalil Shakir, who averaged 3.00 yards per route run.

Red Zone Targets

CeeDee Lamb leads all wide receivers with 26 red zone targets from Weeks 1-16. Calvin Ridley and Rashee Rice are tied for second overall with 23, while Amon-Ra St. Brown and Davante Adams have collected 22 targets. D.K. Metcalf has been targeted 21 times, while Tyreek Hill and Ja'Marr Chase have accrued 20.

Lamb and Tyreek Hill have collected a league-high 13 targets inside the 10-yard line. Rice and St. Brown have been targeted 12 times, while Chris Godwin and Keenan Allen have accumulated 11. Hill also leads all wide receivers with eight targets inside the 5-yard line. Lamb has been targeted seven times, while Chase and Mike Evans have both collected six.

Cooper Kupp led all wide receivers with six targets inside the 20 during the Rams’ matchup in Week 16. Amari Cooper was targeted four times in Week 16, while four different receivers collected three targets -- Garrett Wilson, Jameson Williams, Calvin Ridley, and Trenton Irwin. Kupp and Williams also led all wide receivers with three targets inside the 10-yard line, while Kupp also paced his position with three targets inside the 5-yard line.

Snaps

DeVonta Smith leads all wide receivers with 966 offensive snaps entering Week 17. His teammate A.J. Brown is second overall (927), followed by Alec Pierce (925), Adam Thielen (902), D.J. Moore (896), Amon-Ra St. Brown (867), and Puka Nacua, who has accumulated 863 offensive snaps. Garrett Wilson is next (857), followed by Gabe Davis (844), Calvin Ridley (842), Amari Cooper (840), and Michael Pittman Jr., who has played on 833 snaps from Weeks 1-16.

DeVonta Smith also leads all wide receivers with a 96.4% snap share entering Week 17. Alec Pierce is next (94.5%), followed by A.J. Brown (92.5%), Garrett Wilson (92.3%), Davante Adams (91.6%), DJ Moore (91.5%), Michael Pittman Jr. (91.4%), and Ja’Marr Chase, who has secured a snap share of 90.8%. Adam Thielen is next (90.4%), followed by Amon-Ra St. Brown (90.3%), Cooper Kupp (90.1%), and Jakobi Meyers, who has attained a snap share of 89.5%.

Garrett Wilson led all wide receivers with 81 offensive snaps during his matchup in Week 16. Amon-Ra St. Brown was second (76), followed by A.J. Brown (72), Jason Brownlee (70), DeVonta Smith (69), Alec Pierce (68), Cooper Kupp (67), Puka Nacua (66), and Deebo Samuel, who played on 65 offensive snaps in Week 16. Samuel’s teammate Brandon Aiyuk was next (64), followed by Josh Downs (63) and two wide receivers who accumulated 62 snaps -- Elijah Moore, and Demarcus Robinson.

Cooper Kupp and Alec Pierce both played on 100% of their team’s offensive snaps in Week 16. Amon-Ra St. Brown was third overall with a 98.7% snap share, followed by Puka Nacua (98.5%), Justin Jefferson (98.1%), A.J. Brown (97.3%), Deebo Samuel (95.6%), Garrett Wilson (95.3%), and Brandon Aiyuk, who attained a snap share of 94.1%. Joshua Palmer was next (93.9%), followed by DeVonta Smith (93.2%), Darius Slayton (93.2%), Terry McLaurin (93.1%), and DeVante Parker, who secured a snap share of 92.9%.

Five Things I Noticed

1. This week's Five Things I Noticed section will include a breakdown of several exceptional performances that were delivered in Week 16. However, no wide receiver replicated the outstanding numbers that were stockpiled by Amari Cooper during his matchup in Houston.

The 15 targets that were distributed from Joe Flacco to Cooper in Week 16 tied him for the league lead with Garrett Wilson. That was the second time since Week 14 that Cooper has collected 14+ from Flacco. The connections between both players have been beneficial to Cleveland’s restructured offense, and also for the fantasy managers who relied on Cooper during their postseason matchups.

Coop broke so many records that we had to turn the graphic into a video to show them all 😅 pic.twitter.com/gjA3cI62Pt

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) December 24, 2023

Cooper also maximized his opportunities while erupting for 265 yards. That surpassed his previous career-high and also established a new franchise record. Copper’s total was also the highest among all wide receivers in Week 16, as he eclipsed 200+ yards for the fourth time in his career.

first play of the ballgame goes for 53 yards 😱#CLEvsHOU on CBS & NFL+ pic.twitter.com/O1S04lZe9j

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) December 24, 2023

Cooper also secured a season-high 11 receptions, which placed him second overall in Week 16. That was also his highest total since Week 1 of the 2021 regular season. Five of those catches generated 20+ yards, while Cooper also garnered two receptions of 40+.

Cooper also led all wide receivers with 283 air yards in Week 16, while he also secured a league-high 65.1% air yards share. He also generated multiple touchdowns for the first time since Week 17 of 2022, and Cooper’s output propelled him into the league lead with 51.5 points in Week 16.

Flacco ➡️ Cooper: 3 tgt, 3 rec, 150 yds, 1 td 🤯#CLEvsHOU on CBS & NFL+ pic.twitter.com/QShGIDouvB

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) December 24, 2023

Cooper has now captured a league-high 37 targets (12.3 per game) from Flacco since Week 14. Flacco has also completed 81 of his 131 attempts (61.8%) while accumulating a league-high 1,053 yards (351 per game).

Cooper is also tied for the league lead with 22 receptions (7.3 per game), while his 451 yards during that three-game sequence is 153 more than second-place Puka Nacua during that span.

right down the sideline!!

beauty of a ball from Joe 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/GTdUrIcfRb

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) December 17, 2023

Cooper has also accumulated a league-best 561 air yards and is pacing the league with a 50.5% air yards share. He has also been targeted on 28.5% of his routes and is fourth with an average of 3.47 yards per route run. Cooper has also averaged a league-high 28.4 points per game.

Cooper and Flacco will face Flacco's former team when Cleveland hosts the Jets in Week 17.  Even though that is not necessarily a favorable matchup, Cooper's recent statistical success should compel you to keep him cemented in your lineups.

2. The Week 16 matchup between the Cowboys and Dolphins featured the league’s top two offenses in scoring (Miami 31.5 per game, Dallas 30.8 per game). The contest would also provide a stage for two of the top-tier wide receivers to showcase their capabilities.

Tyreek Hill was resurfacing after being sidelined for the Dolphins' Week 15 matchup with the Jets. Hill had secured the league lead in scoring with an average of 24.8 per game. He was also averaging 10.2 targets per game and had attained career-best averages in receptions (7.5) and yards per game (118.6).

Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill with his second touchdown vs. Washington. This time this one goes for 60-yards. #NFL #FinsUp #NFLTwitter

pic.twitter.com/7lLe6oKgQp

— Justin David Kish • Sports Journalist (@JustinDavidKish) December 3, 2023

Hill had also constructed career-highs in yards per target (17.7), yards after catch per reception (6.2), air yards share (42.8%), games with 100+ yards (eight), games of 150+ yards (five), targets per route run (37.2%), and yards per route run (4.34).

CeeDee Lamb was second only to Hill with an average of 21.6 points per game entering Week 16. He had also secured career-best averages in targets (10.1), receptions (7.4), and yards per game (93.3). He has also surpassed his previous highs in targets per route run (26.9%), red zone targets (24), yards per target (9.3), air yards share (36.6%), games of 100+ yards (six), and games of 150+ yards.

Lamb had also entered Week 16 having accumulated a league-high 37 targets (12.3 per game) from Weeks 13-15. He was also pacing the league in receptions (25/8.3 per game), was seventh in air yards (312), and eighth in receiving yards (240/80 per game).

Lamb’s prospects of delivering a highly productive outing were partially dependent upon Dak Prescott’s ability to perform effectively on the road. Prescott was completing 63.2% of his passes, averaging 216.3 yards per game, and had only manufactured an 8:5 touchdown to interception ratio away from AT&T Stadium.

Prescott’s numbers rose considerably at home, where he had completed 74% of his passes, and averaged 303.6 yards per game while building a stellar 20:2 touchdown to interception ratio.

Prescott eventually connected on 20 of his 32 attempts (62.5%) in Week 16, while generating 253 yards and producing two touchdowns.

CeeDee Lamb showed up for his fantasy managers

🔹 6 catches
🔹 132 total yards
🔹 1 TD
🔹 25.2 PPR Points pic.twitter.com/7yCZezYBWI

— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) December 25, 2023

He also distributed a team-high 10 targets to Lamb, who has now eclipsed 10+ during each of his last four matchups. Lamb has also accumulated a league-high 109 targets (12.1 per game) since Week 8. He also collected six receptions in Week 16, and has now secured 6+ during nine of his last 10 matchups.

CEEDEE LAMB TO THE HOUSE
pic.twitter.com/Gw9tyF2zZc

— PFF (@PFF) December 24, 2023

Lamb also surpassed 100+ yards for the seventh time this season, while generating 118 in Week 16. He also attained a season-high 19.7 yards per reception and tied his season-high in yards after catch (64). He also secured an air yards share of 40.3%, was targeted on 25% of his routes, and averaged 2.95 yards per route run. Lamb also generated a touchdown for the sixth time in his last seven games.

Hill captured a team-high 14 targets from Tua Tagovailoa, which was the ninth time that he has eclipsed 10+ He also collected nine receptions, and has now secured 9+ in six different contests. Hill also accrued 99 yards and has now exceeded 90+ in nine matchups this season. Hill also finished third among all wide receivers with 164 air yards and was fourth with an air yards share of 45.8%. He was also targeted on 40% of his routes and averaged 2.83 yards per route run.

Hill and Lamb remain cemented among the top five wide receiving options for their Week 17 matchups, as Miami travels to Baltimore and Dallas hosts Detroit.

3. The numbers that Stefon Diggs assembled from Weeks 1-9 were embraced by fantasy managers, who had selected him in Round 1 of their drafts (ADP 8/WR4).

Diggs had captured a league-high 97 targets (10.8 per game), including 11+ in six of his nine contests during that sequence. He had also collected a league-best 70 receptions (7.8 per game) when eclipsing 8+ in five different matchups.

Diggs was also third overall with 834 yards (92.7 per game) during that span, while rising to second with five games of 100+. Diggs had also vaulted to third in air yards (1,047), sixth in air yards share (42.9%), and third in scoring, while averaging 21.7 per game. He had also been targeted on 25.0% of his routes while averaging 2.15 yards per route run.

However, Diggs’ usage and production have diminished sizably from Weeks 10-16 He is just 21st overall with 48 targets (8.0 per game) during those contests. He is also 32nd in receptions (26/4.3 per game), just 56th with 236 receiving yards (39.3 per game), and 52nd with an average of 9.3 points per game during that sequence.

He was also 41st in air yards (420) while his air yards share plunged to 28.6%. Diggs was also targeted on 21.6% of his routes while averaging just 1.06 yards per route run.

Diggs’ numbers in Week 15 contributed to his statistical decline as he was limited to five targets, which tied his season low. He also registered four receptions, which was the fourth time in five games that he had failed to exceed that total. Diggs was also limited to less than 50 yards for the fourth time in five outings when he registered 48.

His Week 15 numbers were a byproduct of the Bills’ increased reliance on their rushing attack, as they ran the ball 49 times. Buffalo was ranked 16th in run play percentage (42.2%), but that percentage rose to 44..5% after the Bills registered a 75.4 run play percentage in Week 15.

Josh Allen also established new lows in passing attempts (15) and completions (seven) in Week 15 after entering the matchup with Dallas averaging 36.5 attempts/24.5 completions per game. Buffalo’s Week 16 visit to the Chargers appeared to provide Diggs with an opportunity to resurrect his numbers while assembling his most prolific outing since the first half of the season.

Stefon Diggs.

👀#BillsMafia @BuffaloPlus pic.twitter.com/6ALQezc6G0

— Dan Fetes (@danfetes) December 24, 2023

Allen only accumulated 21 attempts, although Diggs was targeted eight times during the matchup -- which was the 10th time this season that he had secured 8+. Diggs was also targeted on a league-high 44.4% of his routes, and he garnered five receptions, which was the most that he had attained since Week 12.

However, he only assembled 29 yards, which was the second time during his last three games in which he failed to reach 30. It was also the fifth time in his last six contests that he registered less than 50 yards.

Stefon Diggs' fantasy finishes in his last 6 games:

WR57
WR56
WR13
WR57
WR46
WR66

Are you benching him in the fantasy championship?

— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) December 26, 2023

He also averaged 1.61 yards per route run, which was the fifth time in six contests that he has failed to reach 1.70. Diggs was also limited to just 3.63 yards per target, and established season lows in yards per reception (5.8) and yards after catch (6.0).

Diggs also generated 7.9 points and has now averaged 7.7 since Week 14. He will have one additional opportunity to deliver a productive outing for fantasy managers when the Bills host New England in Week 17.

4. Many fantasy managers maintain a commendable level of diligence throughout the offseason and continue that unwavering commitment throughout the regular season -- all toward a goal of winning league championships.

When these efforts are rewarded by exceptional performances during the fantasy postseason, the euphoria that ensues is well-deserved. This certainly applies to anyone who elevated George Pickens into their lineups before Pittsburgh hosted Cincinnati in Week 16.

Pickens had entered the matchup with a 22.2% target share, which was second on the Steelers behind Diontae Johnson (24%). He was also 18th among all wide receivers with 1,217 air yards, 14th in air yards share (39.1%), and 13th in yards per reception (15.7).

GP had himself a night 😤 @FastTwitchDrink #ProBowlVote George Pickens pic.twitter.com/uOX7Wv3ML7

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) December 24, 2023

Pickens was also averaging 6.5 targets, 3.7 receptions, and 58.1 yards per game. Those averages diminished even further from Weeks 8-15 as he averaged 5.4 targets, 3.1 receptions, and 39.3 yards per game.

Pickens had also failed to reach 50 yards during six of his eight matchups during that span. He had also scored three touchdowns from Weeks 1-15 -- all of which were generated between Weeks 1-8.

However, Pickens’ statistical eruption in Week 16 should easily defuse any lingering disappointment that had emerged during the regular season, as he delivered his most prolific outing of the year.

86-YARD TOUCHDOWN ‼️

📲: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/T87FSnfvVk pic.twitter.com/d9oUDFFNIv

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) December 23, 2023

This included his 195 yards, which eviscerated his previous career high. Pickens also generated an 86-yard touchdown in the first quarter and later delivered a 66-yard score during the third quarter, which resulted in the first multiple-touchdown performance of his career.

WE COOKIN'

📲: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/T87FSnfvVk pic.twitter.com/riNFqrrlTC

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) December 23, 2023

He also finished ninth overall with a 43.9% air yards share in Week 16 and was 16th with 105 air yards. Pickens’ performance also propelled him to second among all wide receivers with 35.5 points in Week 16.

Tee Higgins also constructed his most productive outing of the season. This transpired at an opportune time for frustrated fantasy managers who had him contained on their rosters throughout his disappointing regular season.

Higgins captured a team-high eight targets from Jake Browning during that same Week 16 matchup in which Pickens delivered his career-best numbers. That was the sixth time that Higgins has eclipsed 8+ this season while he also collected five receptions -- which was his highest total since Week 9.

Higgins to the 🏠#ProBowlVote x Tee Higgins pic.twitter.com/M8aEenmWAm

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) December 23, 2023

Higgins also eclipsed 100+ yards for just the second time this season while accumulating a season-high 140. That was also his highest yardage total since Week 11 of the 2022 regular season. His 17.5 yards per target and 28 yards per reception were both the second-highest of the season. 

Higgins also accumulated 25 points, which placed him 10th among all wide receivers. That was Higgins' second-highest total of the season and the most points that he had accrued since Cincinnati’s matchup in Week 2.

Since Week 15, Higgins is seventh among all wide receivers with 201 yards (105.5 per game) and is tied for the league lead with three touchdowns. He should operate as a WR2 for fantasy managers in Week 17 when the Bengals travel to Kansas City.

5. Chris Olave’s numbers during his second season have not provided the same level of frustration that has been absorbed by fantasy managers who have retained George Pickens and Tee Higgins on their rosters throughout the regular season. 

His usage and output have fluctuated, which has resulted in disappointing numbers during various weeks of the year. However, fantasy managers who were depending upon him in Week 16 were rewarded as he established season highs in multiple categories.  

🤙#Saints | @FedEx pic.twitter.com/O9J1kMXLU0

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 22, 2023

Olave had attained a 25.7% target share from Weeks 8-14. He had also been limited to five targets, four receptions, and just 28 receiving yards in Week 14, then was sidelined with an ankle injury in Week 15. However, Olave reemerged to commandeer a 32.5% target share in Week 16 while stockpiling a team-high 13 targets from Derek Carr. That was the sixth time that he had attained a double-digit target total this season, but also the first time that he had accomplished it since Week 7.

He also collected a season-high nine receptions after averaging 5.5 per game from Weeks 8-14. Olave delivered yet another season high in receiving yardage (123) while eclipsing 100+ for the fifth time this season.

Carr to Olave makes it an 8-point game #Saints | 📺: @NFLonPrime (WDSU locally) pic.twitter.com/36QXcX8bps

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 22, 2023

Olave also exceeded his previous season high in yards before catch (91) while registering 13.7 yards per reception. He also finished eighth among all wide receivers with 121 air yards in Week 16 and attained a 33.8% air yards share. He was also targeted on 34.2% of his routes while averaging 3.24 yards per route run.

Olave had secured a 25.8% target share from Weeks 1-7 while averaging 9.7 targets, 5.6 receptions, and 67 receiving yards per game. He had also risen to third overall with 884 air yards during that sequence while attaining an air yards share of 39.6%.

He experienced a slight decline in his targets per game average from Weeks 8-14 (8.0). He failed to secure a double-digit target total, although he also garnered 8+ in five of his six outings during that span. His yards per game increased to 74.5. However, there were sizable fluctuations in his yardage during those matchups, as he eclipsed 114+ yards twice, but failed to exceed 46 yards in three other contests.

Olave just reached 1,000 receiving yards for the season 🙌

He becomes the 3rd Saint (Colston and Thomas) to earn 1,000 yards in his first two NFL seasons.#Saints | @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/X4AoJXE7hU

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 22, 2023

His numbers in Week 16 have propelled him to 12th overall with 129 targets (9.2) per game from Weeks 1-16. He is also 14th in both receptions (81/5.8 per game) and receiving yards (1,041/74.4 per game). His five games with 100+ yards placed him seventh overall, while he is also fourth in air yards (1,701) and eighth in air yards share (40.8%). He has also been targeted on 26% of his routes and is averaging 2.09 yards per route run.

Olave is also 16th overall with an average of 15.1 points per game after generating 23.3 points in Week 16. He is firmly positioned to remain Carr’s primary receiving option during his Week 17 matchup at NFC South rival Tampa Bay.