Target Breakdown: WR & TE Usage Report + Week 15 Waivers Preview

Box Score Breakdown

Backfield Breakdown

Target Breakdown ⬇️   

Weekly Injury Report 🚑

New Injuries

• WR Demarcus Robinson (shoulder)
• TE Will Dissly (shoulder)

Dissly's run as a low-end TE1 seems to be over, with the Chargers reportedly expecting him to miss "a couple of weeks" after an early exit from Sunday's loss to the Chiefs. It sounds like he'll be back for the real-life playoffs but maybe not before the end of fantasy playoffs, leaving Stone Smartt as the Chargers' top pass catcher at tight end for now.

For the Rams, Robinson's potential absence this Thursday against the 49ers likely would thrust Tutu Atwell back into a top-three role. Atwell tends to see the ball a good amount when he's on the field, although that's partially because he gets most of his playing time when the Rams are without Cooper Kupp and/or Puka Nacua (which won't be the case Thursday).

Missed Week 14

• WR Ladd McConkey (knee / day-to-day)
• WR George Pickens (hamstring / week-to-week)
• WR Keon Coleman (wrist / day-to-day)
• WR Cedric Tillman (concussion / day-to-day)
• WR Romeo Doubs (concussion / day-to-day) 
• WR Jalen Coker (quad / week-to-week)
• WR Josh Reynolds (IR - finger / eligible since Week 10)
• WR Treylon Burks (IR - knee / eligible since Week 11)
• WR Roman Wilson (IR - hamstring / eligible sinceWeek 13)
•   WR Bub Means (IR - ankle / eligible since Week 14)
• WR Simi Fehoko (IR - elbow  / eligible since Week 14) 
• WR Chris Olave (IR - concussion / eligible Week 15)
• WR Marquise Brown (IR - shoulder / possible return Week 16-18)

• TE Dalton Kincaid (knee / week-to-week)
• TE Tyler Higbee (knee / week-to-week)
• TE Luke Musgrave (ankle - IR / eligible to return since Week 11)
• TE Dallas Goedert (knee / IR - eligible to return Week 18)
• TE Taysom Hill (ACL / out for season)
• TE Theo Johnson (foot / out for season)

Stock Report 📊

I'm focusing on role/usage more so than results/performance here, although there are certainly cases where the two are related or poor per-target efficiency can't just be written off as a small-sample or matchup problem. Unless otherwise specified, statistics shown below are from Week 14.  'SZN' is used to denote full-year stats.

• TPRR = Targets per Route Run
• YPRR = Yards per Route Run
• TS = Target Share
• AYS = Air Yardage Share

Trending Up 📈

Wide Receivers 📈

Jauan Jennings - 8 tgts, 85 AY (7-90-2)  /  SZN: 29% TPRR, 2.9 YPRR

Puka Nacua - 14 tgts, 5 carries (178 yards + 2 TDs)  /  SZN: league-high 38% TPRR, 3.6 YPRR

Jordan Addison - 12 tgts, 154 AY (8-133-3)  /  35 tgts, 410 yards, 5 TDs past four games

Jaylen Waddle - 12 tgts, 99 AY (9-99-0)  /  25 tgts, 296 yards past three games

Adam Thielen - 86% routes, 11 tgts, 129 AY (9-102-0)  /  SZN: 23% TPRR, 2.3 YPRR

Brian Thomas - career high in targets (12) for second straight game (10 in Week 13)

Amari Cooper - 14 tgts, league-high 221 AY (6-95-0), but only 59% route share still

DeAndre Hopkins - 68% routes, team-high 9 tgts, 136 AY (4-32-1)

Joshua Palmer - 94% routes, team-high 9 tgts, 134 AY (6-78-0)

Jalen McMillan - 88% routes, 7 tgts, 62 AY (4-59-2)

Sterling Shepard - three straight games with either six or seven targets (22% TS)

Tim Patrick - 7 tgts, 49 AY (6-43-2)  /  four straight games with 26+ yards, 3+ tgts

Tutu Atwell - 3 tgts, 37 AY (3-45-0)  /  Demarcus Robinson injured

Tight Ends 📈

George Kittle - 6 tgts, 46 AY (6-151-0)  /  24% TS with McCaffrey out this season

Trey McBride - three straight games with 12+ targets

Sam LaPorta - four straight games with 6+ targets

Juwan Johnson - 71% snaps, 79% routes, 5 tgts, 43 AY (4-50-1)

Daniel Bellinger - 78% snaps, 80% routes, 7 tgts, 39 AY (5-38-0)

Michael Mayer - 80% snaps, 67% routes, 9 tgts, 64 AY (7-68-0)

Stone Smartt - 71% snaps post-halftime, 3 tgts, 41 AY (3-54-0)

Trending Down 📉

Wide Receivers 📉

Jayden Reed - 44% snaps, 57% routes, one target on 12 routes

A.J. Brown - 4 tgts on 25 routes  /  17 tgts past three games

Deebo Samuel - 3 tgts on 21 routes  /  12 tgts, 76 total yards past three games

Parker Washington - 2 tgts on 29 routes  /  SZN: 14% TPRR, 1.1 YPRR

Allen Lazard - 1 tgt on 32 routes  /  SZN: 16% TPRR

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine - 2 tgts on 31 routes  /  SZN: 14% TPRR

Tight Ends 📉

Cade Otton - 15% TS in three games since Mike Evans returned from injury

Ja'Tavion Sanders - 49% snaps, 57% routes, 1 tgt

Cole Kmet - zero tgts on 26 routes  /  SZN: 14% TPRR

Mike Gesicki - 28% snaps, 3 tgts (3-24-0)

Waivers Look-Ahead ±

*Only includes players rostered in 60 percent or less of Yahoo Leagues

Wide Receivers

Potential Starters

1. Adam Thielen - 53% 
2. Cedric Tillman - 34% (concussion)
3. Christian Watson - 51%
4. Joshua Palmer - 16%
5. DeMario Douglas - 22%
6. Elijah Moore - 22%
7. Quentin Johnston - 40%
8. Rashod Bateman - 25% (knee) 
9. Alec Pierce - 15%
10. Devaughn Vele - 13%
11. Sterling Shepard - 7%
12. Xavier Legette - 28% 
13. Tim Patrick - 1%
14. Tutu Atwell - 2% 
15. Marquez Valdes-Scantling - 38%
16. Dontayvion Wicks - 15%
17. Wan'Dale Robinson - 35%
18. Mike Williams - 9%
19. Jalen McMillan - 5%
20. Kayshon Boutte - 4%

Potential Drops

1. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine - 42%
2. Tyler Lockett - 46%
3. Keon Coleman - 41% (elbow)
4. Diontae Johnson - 38% (suspension)
5. Brandin Cooks - 19%
6. Ricky Pearsall - 16%

Tight Ends

Recommended Adds

1. Hunter Henry - 40%
2. Zach Ertz - 44%
3. Dalton Schultz - 54%
4. Cole Kmet - 51%
5. Noah Gray - 22%
6. Juwan Johnson - 10%
7. Noah Fant - 19%
8. Grant Calcaterra - 4%
9. Stone Smartt - 0%
10. Michael Mayer - 0%

Potential Drops

1. Cade Otton - 80% (shallow leagues)
2. Kyle Pitts - 83% (shallow leagues)
3. Mike Gesicki - 16%
4. Dawson Knox - 8%
5. Luke Schoonmaker - 6%