Fantasy Football Snap & Target Report Week 16: Amari Cooper, Kyren Williams, Puka Nacua
Cam takes a look at some of the most important usage numbers for fantasy football coming out of Week 16.
It is amazing that week after week the numbers are so similar. Invariably every week, between 15 and 20 receivers are targeted 10 or more times and between 10 and 15 running backs get 20 or more touches. The names aren’t always the same (although most are), but it never fails.
This week there were 18 receivers with 10 or more targets and 12 RBs with 20 or more touches. With only two weeks left in the season and most fantasy leagues entering their championship, it is paramount to pick the right players. Aside from merely listing all the players who had big weeks out of those 30 players, I’m going to focus on the players best suited to duplicate their big production for their teams, and hopefully your fantasy team, in Week 17.
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Fantasy Football Snap & Target Report Week 16
Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Target Leaders
Cleveland’s Amari Cooper had a game for the ages this past week. He caught 11 of 15 targets, getting two TDs and a ridiculous 265 receiving yards. That output is more than most QBs throw in a game. However, this week the Browns are up against a spirited Jets team who will not quit. Cooper will be going up against Sauce Gardner, who surely saw what Cooper did this past week. There is no way he is going to allow Cooper to come anywhere near duplicating last week’s performance.
Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown has been a monster for the Lions and a big reason they won the NFC North. This past week he caught 12 of 14 targets for 106 yards and a TD. And he was on the field for a whopping 78 snaps. The Lions go to Dallas this week to play a desperate Cowboys team that plays much better at home. They have a fantastic defense with a staunch front four, which will cause QB Jared Goff fits. Between the Cowboys needing the game badly and a potential letdown effect for the Lions, look for St. Brown’s production to dip this week.
The Rams have been playing great football as of late and will look to keep up the momentum heading into the Meadowlands to play the Giants. The Giants played a spirited game this week against the Eagles but came up short in the end. They have a terrible secondary which QB Matt Stafford should feast on, and he has multiple options. This past week, both Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua had over 10 targets, but Nacua was far more effective. Kupp was targeted 12 times but only caught six passes for 52 yards. He was on the field for 70 snaps. It is getting more and more evident that there is a changing of the guard in Los Angeles with Nacua quickly developing into a WR1. He had one fewer snap and one less target, but the rookie caught nine passes for 164 yards and a TD.
The Eagles are at home this week against the Cardinals, who have absolutely nothing to play for. They won a big game this past week against the Giants and have seemingly righted the ship on their way to back-to-back division titles. This is the kind of game that Jalen Hurts will absolutely steamroll to move into playoff mode. This means that A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert will all have monster games. This past week, Brown caught only six out of 11 targets. He is basically getting double-digit targets each week. He will surely have a better catch percentage than 55% this week. Goedert has been targeted nine times in each of the last two weeks and is always a security blanket for Hurts. Smith’s targets have been down each of the last two weeks, with only five. But he's still on the field nearly as much as Brown and still making catches despite not getting his number called. On a team like the Eagles, with so many weapons, it is imperative to keep everyone involved, which means Smith’s going to have a big game this week.
Fantasy Football Running Back Touch Leaders Week 16
On the ground, Kyren Williams has been a beast for the Rams. He was again over 20 touches in 55 snaps. And he again rushed for over 100 yards. I hate crossing sports when making a comparison, but one is apt for the Rams: They play similarly to a basketball team that employs an inside-out offense. The Rams have Kupp and Nacua for Stafford to get the ball downfield, but that just opens up the running game for WIlliams. Look for his snaps, touches, and yardage to continue to excel.
Similar to Williams in Los Angeles, D’Andre Swift has a big role in Philadelphia. With Goedart, Brown, and Smith for Jalen Hurts to get the ball to, it opens up the running game for Swift. This past week he had 20 touches on 43 snaps. He gained 92 yards and had a TD.
The Lions have a two-headed monster in Detroit. RBs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs each had 19 touches this past week, with Gibbs being the more productive back. He was on the field more than Montgomery, 46 to 31 snaps, and outgained the veteran 80 yards to 55 yards. Montgomery scored a TD while Gibbs had two TDs. HC Dan Campbell knows it will be tough to air it out against the Cowboys' defense this week and will try the ground-and-pound approach. Both RBs will get their share of touches and production, with Gibbs getting a slight edge.
And of course, my weekly Christian McCaffrey portion of this report. By his standards, he had a pedestrian game. The Niners kept shooting themselves in the foot with QB Brock Purdy throwing for interceptions, which made it tough for McCaffrey to gain any traction. He did manage to lead all RBs with 70 snaps and he did have 20 touches. But under normal circumstances, with that many snaps, he should have had 30 or more touches. In his limited activity he still managed 131 total yards and his 21st TD of the season. McCaffrey doesn’t have two pedestrian games in a row. And with two games left in the season, he is moving up the MVP ladder, with more chatter going his way. With Purdy throwing up a stinker, it is evident that McCaffrey is the MVP of the Niners. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson will probably get the award, but don’t be surprised if McCaffrey gets fed the ball early and often and puts up a couple of monster games to end the season.
#week-16 #snaptarget
