Best Ratios on Catches to Targets From Week Seven

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Wes Welker
Welker has stepped in on three different NFL teams and done an outstanding job. Try to think of another receiver over the last 20 years that has done that. Attached to Welker’s name is his tendency to drop balls. Sunday he snared that few would be able to catch. He finished the night with seven catches on twelve targets.

Jacquizz Rodgers
You do not necessarily have to have a running back that gets fifteen plus carries a game to be fantasy worthy. Those were the old days of fantasy football. Rodgers has been a proficient PPR back with minimal playing time as a Falcon. Now that he is getting the bulk of duties with Steven Jackson injured he is shining even more. His eight catches on nine targets padded his great numbers and drove fantasy opponents crazy.

Jeremy Kerley
Geno Smith reverted back to his old tricks in this game. He threw a pick-six that he had no business letting the ball leave his hand, and had problems fumbling the ball seemingly all day. Yet, he had a few series where he shined and did enough to keep the game competitive against the Patriots. Jeremy Kerley was a calming factor for Smith. When Smith went his direction he completed eight of his ten passes.

Jordan Reed
The Bears could not stop the Redskins ground attack, passing attack, nor RG3 from having revitalized legs. Jordan Reed was one of the shining stars to have a significant day. He all nine passes thrown to him for over 130 yards receiving. You can’t beat a perfect day.

Steve Smith
Never get into a trash talking debate with Steve Smith. He has always been a fuel to the fire type of player. He has had a down year thus far but got back into the fantasy spectrum with a touchdown on nearly seventy yards receiving. He almost had two touchdowns if he didn’t go to on the one-inch yard line. Still he had a solid day and caught all six passes Cam Newton threw to him.

Kendall Wright
The Titans got into a quick early hole against the 49ers. Instead of being able to rely on short passes and a run game, the Titans had to avert to trying to move the football. Jake Locker did decent in his return but could not muster up an all- around performance against a tough 49ers defense. Wright though did have a solid day with nine catches on twelve targets.

Others: Reggie Wayne 5 catches/8 targets, Eric Decker 8 catches/13 targets, Calvin Johnson 9 catches/15 targets, AJ Green 6 catches/8 targets, Riley Cooper 6 catches/7 targets, Dez Bryant 8 catches/16 targets, Cecil Shorts III 8 catches/13 targets, Eddie Royal 4 catches/4 targets, Anquan Boldin 5 catches/6 targets, Jarrett Boykin 8 catches/10 targets, Antonio Brown 6 catches/7 targets

Upgrades/Downgrades for Situational Starters, Roster Depth, and Flex Positions

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Upgrades

Kembrell Thompkins
Thompkins has slowly become a viable weekly fantasy starter over the last four games. Since the New York Jets game he has been a go to target for Tom Brady. With Danny Amendola leaving Sunday’s game with an apparent concussion, Thompkins may continue to be Brady’s top target until Gronk is back.
Eddie Lacy
Who would of thought the Packers would be able to run the football with a platoon of running backs? They’ve been getting it done with Starks, Franklin, and Lacy all season long. With injuries to the Packers receivers they’ll likely turn to it even more. If Lacy stays healthy you have to consider him a top twelve fantasy back now.

Larry Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald fantasy owners were patient with him while he played through a hamstring injury. His explosiveness returned Sunday as he ran for a 70-plus yard touchdown and was involved in the passing game at a higher level. Hopefully his hamstring won’t be a reoccurring issue. When close to 100 percent Fitzgerald is a top fifteen fantasy wide receiver.

Justin Blackmon
How a guy misses four games, plays two, and is right in the thick of things for top wide receiver stats is beyond me. And Blackmon has done this with Chad Henne and Blaine Gabbert as his quarterbacks. It’s looking like Blackmon’s last season at Oklahoma State with how he is performing on a weekly basis on the field.

DeMarco Murray
Murray’s shown to be a Darren McFadden type even when he returns from an injury. His level of play declines after an injury during the season. He has to be dropped from an RB1 to an RB2 and maybe lower if his performance suffers.

Others: Knowshown Moreno, Keenan Allen, Trent Richardson, Nick Foles, Terrance Williams, and Andre Ellington

Downgrades

Le’Veon Bell
Bell had a quality first game as a Steeler with two touchdowns against the Vikings. But his yards per carry is not where you would like it to be. Unless the Steelers are inside the five yard line there is little fantasy value for Bell right now. Going into week seven of the fantasy season you can’t have high question marks like Bell that you’re unsure of. Until that breakout game comes yardage wise he has to be downgraded.

Chris Johnson
Have we seen any long runs from CJ2K yet? No. It’s a sad fate for top prominent backs a few years after their top campaigns. Shaun Alexander, Larry Johnson, Priest Holmes, LT, etc. the list goes on. Yet fantasy owners will keep drafting Johnson as an RB2 thinking he can get that magic back. It’s over. His flex spot has to be considered up in the air even unless you’re in a deep fantasy league.

Colin Kapernick
The apparent lack of receivers to get open is starting to create a weekly imprint to Kapernick’ overall performance. He isn’t having the same rhythm on series to series that he did a year ago. I don’t believe it’s because of a sophomore slump either. He just doesn’t have the capable weapons on the outside for him to throw a comfortable football. Vernon Davis had well over 60 percent of Kapernick’s passing yards Sunday. Michael Crabtree can’t get back on the field soon enough.

Others: Doug Martin, Greg Jennings, Ben Tate, and Anquan Boldin

Top Catches to Targets Post Week Six

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Keenan Allen
The Chargers rookie has not been playing like one over the course of the last couple of games. He is getting open and Philip Rivers is firing the ball his way a bunch. Monday he was the possession receiver the Chargers needed as he caught nine of twelve passes.

Brandon Marshall
Marshall is still targeted in bunches by quarterback Jay Cutler. For Thursday’s game he had nine catches on eleven targets. Brandon appears to be using his size to shield defenders and catch the football in traffic. I’m waiting to see the big plays that we have become accustomed to seeing from Marshall. His hip may be slowing him down a bit but it’s not to the extent that you should be worried.

Josh Gordon
It’s hard to fathom a Cleveland Brown receiver being a top ten to fifteen wide receiver, but Gordon has been consistent enough to garner the fantasy attention. He has been a flat out steal for those that drafted him late pending his suspension or picked him up off waivers after his first breakout game. Sunday he had seven catches on nine targets.

Kyle Rudolph
Matt Cassel made Kyle Rudolph look like the dump off running back as outlets to Cassel’s throws Sunday. Getting the ball to Rudolph was about the only thing that Cassel did right Sunday. It’s obvious holding back a decision on quarterback won’t involve Cassel, only Freeman or Ponder. Rudolph will help Josh Freeman or Ponder.

Antonio Brown
The Steelers offense showed signs of recovery against the Bears. They just couldn’t fight back from a deficit to complete the comeback. Minnesota they also struggled with turnovers. Against the Jets they came to life

DeSean Jackson
Jackson made a statement that he wouldn’t have a problem against the Buccaneers secondary….and he didn’t. He caught all six of his targets while scoring two touchdowns. He continually beat the Buccaneers with crossing patterns that exposed the safeties both times.

Justin Blackmon
Blackmon put on a show against the Denver Broncos that will go unnoticed because of another bad loss by the Jaguars. In two games, Blackmon has jumped right up in the statistical category of season leaders at the receiver position. A remarkable achievement considering he was suspended the first four games. Fourteen catches on twenty targets for 190 yards will put you on the top twelve wide receiver fantasy map.

Others: Victor Cruz 4 catches/5 targets, Jordan Cameron 5 catches/6 targets, Kris Durham 8 catches/11 targets, Heath Miller 6 catches/7 targets, Tandon Doss 4 catches/6 targets, Andre Johnson 7 catches/8 targets, Aaron Dobson 6 catches/10 targets, Vernon Davis 8 catches/11 targets.

Stretching The Field Post Week Six

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Reggie Wayne
Wayne had a nice average with five catches for eighty eight yards. He also had a key drop on a quick slant in which he would have probably eclipsed one hundred yards receiving with. Even Wayne can drop a pass every now and then. Barring injury, Wayne is on his way to having another typical Reggie type season.

DeNarius Moore
Terrelle Pryor is not going to light up the statistic of passing yards. He is still getting acclimated to NFL defenses and struggled tremendously in the second half against Kansas City. Moore is a still a solid fantasy wide receiver for a quarterback like Pryor. He gets separation from defenders and can take quick throws like he did Sunday the distance. His targets of ten didn’t disappoint either Sunday. He finished with four catches for over eighty yards.

Brandon LaFell
LaFell got the big play that broke the game open and led to the rout of the Minnesota Vikings on their home field. LaFell has the capability but until Newton shows a pattern of dependability everyone on Carolina’s offense remains a risk from a fantasy standpoint.

Riley Cooper
It was rather a bit shocking to see Nick Foles have an effortless performance against the Tampa Bay defense. Even Drew Brees struggled a few weeks earlier at Tampa Bay. Foles though was able to drop back and complete deep ball throws consistently to Cooper and Jackson. Cooper had the biggest on a deep sideline touchdown pass. He finishes with four catches for over one hundred yards receiving.

Jordy Nelson
Nelson was driving fantasy owners nuts. Sunday with James Jones and Randall Cobb out instantly sports bars acted like the Packers had no other receiver capable and the Packers should be written off against the Ravens. Nelson still wears a Packers uniform and somehow got behind Ravens cornerback Webb for a deep bomb touchdown. Nelson will have to be Rodgers top target over the next few games until Cobb and Jones are back to full health.

Larry Fitzgerald
It looks like Fitzgerald knows his body better than anyone else. He has taken it easy in practice over the last three to four weeks with a sore hamstring, yet he hasn’t missed any game action on Sunday. You could tell over the last four weeks that he was not 100 percent. But Sunday he had a breakout game and showed signs that his hamstring is near or at 100 percent. He had a key third down conversion that he ran for a 70 yard plus touchdown.

Time to Make a Move: Buy Low and Sell High Players

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Are you the type of fantasy owner that likes to ride their team out? Advancements you do come strictly via the waiver wire as you’re too stubborn to ponder a trade. If so, you’re riding a thin line to improve as your prospects of growing to more of a complete team are being over ruled by your deficiencies to seek out a trade. A buy low and sell high philosophy is always a great strategy in business and works in the fantasy sports world as well.

Sell High

Philip Rivers
In years past it used to be the Chargers poor starts to seasons that turned heads negatively. This year they spun things positively thanks to a new regime with Mike McCoy and Ken Whisenhunt. From a personnel standpoint not much has changed besides signing Danny Woodhead and the drafting of Keenan Allen. It’s the scheme. For the first five games yards have come aplenty for the Chargers. But they’ve never put together a true complete game, even against Philadelphia, as their defense was torched. The success the offense is having now I do not believe will continue. That will cause Rivers to press and diminish his fantasy value when the turnovers appear. Malcolm Floyd is already out, and Mathews left Sunday’s game with what appeared to be a concussion. Danny Woodhead and Ronnie Brown won’t cut it as tail backs. How long can the ageless wonder Antonio Gates remain at full strength? There are too many lingering questions for me to be sold on Rivers having a complete turn around season.

Hakeem Nicks
There are owners in your fantasy league that will take a New York Giants alleged stud receiver. Dating back to the days of Amani Toomer the Giants have been a boom team for receivers over the last ten to fifteen years. With Eli Manning still gunning each week the expected receivers to thrive remain Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz. Rueben Randle’s emergence can’t be overlooked. He is becoming a vital threat each week and digging into the stats of Nicks and Cruz. Cruz is of heavy value to the Giants with a new contract. Nicks on the other hand is continually plagued by injuries. Get what you can for him before his on the field play slides or he ends up injured.

Larry Fitzgerald
Fitz’s yardage numbers are on the decline yet again. After an impressive week one he posted three consecutive weeks of 80 yards or less. This past Sunday he failed to eclipse over 40 yards receiving. There are numerous problems reappearing for the Cardinals offense. They’re based around a poor offensive line and lack of running game. Carson Palmer’s protection has began to erode since week one and it’s causing a dip in big plays. I don’t see the Cardinals fixing their woes anytime soon and that’s a recipe for another poor Fitzgerald season.
Others: Matt Ryan, Doug Martin, Knowshown Moreno, and DeSean Jackson

Buy Low

Cam Newton
Momentum is a catalyst that Cam Newton cannot grasp early in a season. Yesterday he had the Panthers in Cardinals territory several times. On the first Panthers drive Newton had the Panthers inside the Cardinals five yard line, only to see Steve Smith drop a touchdown. A few series later the Panthers went for a fourth and one by throwing the football. It was also dropped—this time by Brandon LaFell. Pinpointing the Panthers offensive woes solely around Newton is a huge mistake. This team needs their playmakers to perform better. Arizona is always a tough team to play on their home field. While the Newton “send him to the bench” chants reign, now is the time to get yourself a steal before he re-arises on the fantasy quarterback boards.

Pierre Thomas
New Orleans is not going to have Drew Brees pull back from the center and hand the football off thirty to thirty five times a game. With the low amount of carries the Saints average Pierre Thomas can be sought for pennies. He has great flex value and even RB2 value in deeper leagues. Out of the backfield he is a constant threat in the Saints short pass attack plans. He scored a couple touchdowns Sunday doing just that.

MJD
Everything is against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Performance has been despicable and even Vegas has created a comedy of the Jaguars. Tabbing them as the biggest underdog ever for their game against Denver. Contrarian views in sports is an ability one has to foresee after all the unexpected events that continually happen. I won’t go to the extreme of saying Jacksonville will win three games, but I do think their offense will grow vastly over the next four weeks. MJD has been a premier back in the NFL for quite some time. Reach out to the MJD fantasy owner and get a bargain steal now.
Others: Joe Flacco, Russ Wilson, and TY Hilton

Top Target to Catch Ratios From Week Five Follow@cimini Vincent Brown San Diego seems to have a rhythm to their offense that is leading to a ton of yardage. Sunday against the Raiders turnovers and a lack of a running game halted success in terms of points. But the Chargers have to be thrilled at how Vincent Brown and rookie Keenan Allen are performing without Malcolm Floyd. Brown caught eight of his nine targets Sunday and can be considered a solid number two/three fantasy wide receiver from here on out. Jimmy Graham There are silly quarterback to receiver/tight end in sync chemistries that are impossible to stop. Similar to how a basketball point guard knows when to throw a cross court alley oop or take over a game is how the connection with Drew Brees to Graham is. Basically Brees is the point guard throwing alley oops to Graham. Half of Graham’s touchdowns have came on jump ball/alley oop throws that Brees knows Graham can get. The Bears were the latest to prove incapable of defending Graham as he caught ten of his eleven targets. Kendall Wright Tennessee mustered a strong comeback effort to take a 17-13 lead in the fourth quarter. Things then unraveled quickly as the Titans couldn’t stop the Chiefs rally. Fitzpatrick struggled in his debut for the Titans for the first half before getting comfortable. Wright caught six of his eight targets with an average of over twelve yards a catch. Fitzpatrick can be a successful fantasy quarterback which means Wright’s chances of having solid weeks will be available over the next month. Reggie Wayne Wayne’s yards per catch are starting to diminish but his overall skillset still has some high strong suits. A few being his route running and hands. Andrew Luck is not going to stop looking for Wayne. He caught six of his nine targets Sunday. Hakeem Nicks 0-5, yes I’ll say that again, the NY Giants are 0-5. I feel bad for Tom Coughlin but the Giants are one of those great teams that fall via the talent pool they’ve kept. Teams are constantly revamping even as a champion. The Giants are learning the hard way that they should have done the same. Nicks has regressed tremendously but has had two good games out of five. Against the Eagles he caught nine of twelve target with over 140 yards receiving. Justin Blackmon Off the bat, Blackmon score a touchdown on a long catch against the Rams. Blackmon finished last season off strong and has the tools to be a top twenty five fantasy receiver. Due to the team he is on and coming off of a suspension many people didn’t know if he’d be in football shape. The Rams have given up a ton of yards this year but don’t be alarmed into thinking Blackmon is a one week wonder. He’ll put up his stats and caught five of nine passes against the Rams. Others That Did Well: Antonio Gates 7 catches/10 targets, DeNarius Moore 5 catches/8 targets, AlShon Jeffrey 10 catches/13 targets, Brandon Pettigrew 4 catches/5 targets, TY Hilton 5 catches/6 targets, Greg Olsen 5 catches/6 targets, Ted Ginn Jr. 4 catches/5 targets, Terrence Williams 4 catches/4 targets, Vincent Brown 8 catches/9 targets, Keenan Allen 6 catches/9 targets, Josh Gordon 4 catches/6 targets Performers That Did Poor: Danny Amendola 4 catches/9 targets, Golden Tate 5 catches/11 targets, Mike Wallace 7 catches/16 targets, Steve Smith 4 catches/10 targets, Larry Fitzgerald 3 catches/6 targets, Andre Johnson 3 catches/10 targets, Robert Woods 5 catches/13 targets