Targets WR – 2019 Regular Season
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I continue to look back at the 2019 Regular Season and those statistics that I utilize most. Those being the same as the site name, my Targets and TDs pages for 2019. Two weeks ago I reviewed the Targets RB – 2019 Regular Season, last week I reviewed the Targets TE – 2019 Regular Season and this week I will continue with Targets and how they relate to the Wide Receivers from 2019.
Earlier in the NFL off-season I spoke about the top 100 targeted players in the NFL with the Targets – 2019 Regular Season. Of those 100 players 67 were Wide Receivers (38 of which were in the top 50!). When talking Targets, the position that comes to mind is Wide Receiver.
Targets are the opportunities a player sees that usually lead to more catches and receiving yards. I believe Targets are also more consistent than their counterpart Touchdowns. If you find a trend or opportunity for those players getting the targets you will have the edge! This week let’s look at top Wide Receivers in Targets in 2019!
Top 10 WR in Targets/Game
Since you can already reference my review Targets – 2019 Regular Season to see the top 10 targeted wide receivers. I took the top 30 targeted wide receivers from 2019, calculated their average targets and total yards per game. Then I ranked the 30 by their average targets per game (instead of total targets for the year). Below you will see the top 10 wide receivers for targets per game in 2019. It may be wise to keep these names at the ready come the 2020 Fantasy Football season if they find themselves with similar opportunities.
| Player | Targets | TD’s | Games Played | Targets/Games Played Avg. | Total Yards | Total Yards/Games Played Avg. |
| Michael Thomas | 185 | 9 | 16 | 11.56 | 1,716 | 107 |
| Davante Adams | 127 | 5 | 12 | 10.58 | 997 | 83 |
| Julio Jones | 157 | 6 | 15 | 10.47 | 1,391 | 93 |
| DeAndre Hopkins | 150 | 7 | 15 | 10 | 1,183 | 79 |
| Allen Robinson | 154 | 7 | 16 | 9.63 | 1,149 | 72 |
| Julian Edelman | 153 | 6 | 16 | 9.56 | 1,144 | 72 |
| Keenan Allen | 149 | 6 | 16 | 9.31 | 1,215 | 76 |
| Robert Woods | 139 | 2 | 15 | 9.27 | 1,249 | 83 |
| Tyler Boyd | 148 | 5 | 16 | 9.25 | 1,069 | 67 |
| Mike Evans | 118 | 8 | 13 | 9.08 | 1,157 | 89 |
There were only 4 wide receivers from the list above to get 100+ receptions on the season: Michael Thomas, DeAndre Hopkins, Keenan Allen and Julian Edelman. You have to feel good about Davante Adams and Mike Evans if you get a full season out of them in 2020 with the averages that they put up in 2019. Robert Woods is in an interesting spot if he is targeted similarly, he only had 2 Touchdowns in 2019!
Top 11-20 WR in Targets/Game
| Player | Targets | TD’s | Games Played | Targets/Games Played Avg. | Total Yards | Total Yards/Games Played Avg. |
| D.J. Moore | 135 | 4 | 15 | 9.00 | 1,215 | 81 |
| Chris Godwin | 121 | 9 | 14 | 8.64 | 1,341 | 96 |
| Jarvis Landry | 138 | 6 | 16 | 8.63 | 1,184 | 74 |
| Cooper Kupp | 134 | 10 | 16 | 8.38 | 1,165 | 73 |
| Odell Beckham Jr. | 133 | 4 | 16 | 8.31 | 1,045 | 65 |
| Christian Kirk | 108 | 3 | 13 | 8.31 | 802 | 62 |
| Michael Gallup | 113 | 6 | 14 | 8.07 | 1,107 | 79 |
| DeVante Parker | 128 | 9 | 16 | 8.00 | 1,202 | 75 |
| D.J. Chark | 118 | 8 | 15 | 7.86 | 1,028 | 69 |
| Courtland Sutton | 124 | 6 | 16 | 7.75 | 1,129 | 71 |
Christian Kirk stands out as the guy in position to be #2 behind DeAndre Hopkins in Arizona this year. Michael Gallup looks like the real deal and hopefully he plays all 16 games in the 2020 season. Is it crazy to like D.J. Moore over Odell Beckham Jr.?! The stats speak for themselves.
Top 21-30 WR in Targets/Game
| Player | Targets | TD’s | Games Played | Targets/Games Played Avg. | Total Yards | Total Yards/Games Played Avg. |
| John Brown | 115 | 6 | 15 | 7.67 | 1,067 | 71 |
| Jamison Crowder | 122 | 6 | 16 | 7.63 | 837 | 52 |
| Amari Cooper | 119 | 8 | 16 | 7.44 | 1,195 | 75 |
| Kenny Golladay | 116 | 11 | 16 | 7.25 | 1,190 | 74 |
| Cole Beasley | 106 | 6 | 15 | 7.07 | 778 | 52 |
| Tyler Lockett | 110 | 8 | 16 | 6.88 | 1,052 | 66 |
| Larry Fitzgerald | 109 | 4 | 16 | 6.81 | 804 | 50 |
| Dede Westbrook | 101 | 3 | 15 | 6.73 | 687 | 46 |
| Curtis Samuel | 105 | 6 | 16 | 6.56 | 757 | 47 |
| D.K. Metcalf | 100 | 7 | 16 | 6.25 | 911 | 57 |
Other Takeaways
- 100+ Targets a year and you are more than likely looking at a productive wide receiver for your fantasy football team.
- 150+ Targets a year and you should be in the top 5 wide receiver conversation.
- It looks like if you grab a wide receiver that gets 7+ Targets and 60+ Total Yards per game that they could do you well for you!
WR’s outside Top 30
Below are some Wide Receivers who were not in the Top 30 of Targets but they also didn’t play a whole season in 2019. Their Targets/Games Played Average is right there and better than some of your Top 30 wide receivers from 2019. Let’s see if these guys can stay healthy in 2020 as they may hold good value for you.
| Player | Targets | TD’s | Games Played | Targets/Games Played Avg. | Total Yards | Total Yards/Games Played Avg. |
| Sterling Shepard | 83 | 3 | 10 | 8.30 | 648 | 65 |
| Golden Tate | 85 | 6 | 11 | 7.73 | 692 | 63 |
| Preston Williams | 60 | 3 | 8 | 7.50 | 428 | 54 |
| Tyreek Hill | 89 | 7 | 12 | 7.42 | 883 | 74 |
| Alshon Jeffrey | 73 | 4 | 10 | 7.30 | 492 | 49 |
| Calvin Ridley | 93 | 7 | 13 | 7.15 | 900 | 69 |
| Marvin Jones | 91 | 9 | 13 | 7.00 | 779 | 60 |
| John Ross | 56 | 3 | 8 | 7.00 | 510 | 64 |
Targets – WR Final Thoughts
So as you are reviewing the wide receiver position for 2020, keep in mind their targets! I am not even mentioning the half point and full point per game production/benefit from wide receivers that get more targets and most likely more receptions. Targets lead to receptions, which lead to receiving yards that contribute to a players total yards each year!
The more the NFL leans on the passing game, the more valuable the wide receivers are that catch those passes. Do you pick all the highlighted players that are high in targets in the first few rounds of your 2020 drafts? Maybe not. Although when you compared to others around their average draft position, I would tend to lean towards the player that is getting more targets than not. Feel free to reference the Targets and TDs pages to see who has gotten the looks and end-zone appearances through the 2019 regular season.
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