Welcome to the Target Trends article for Week 3! Do two weeks make a trend? That’s debatable, but the important thing is that we now have more information than we did one week ago. Now that we are multiple weeks in, we can start examining the season-long target leaders to kick off the article each week and track the trends as they evolve throughout the season.
Malik Nabers is the early-season target leader with 25 through two weeks. CeeDee Lamb isn’t far behind with 24, while Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Chris Olave each have 23 targets thus far.
Somewhat surprisingly, Juwan Johnson leads all TEs with 20 targets through two weeks. Jake Ferguson checks in next with 18. There are three TEs tied with 16 targets, including Brock Bowers and Trey McBride, the top two drafted players at the position.
Out of the backfield, Christian McCaffrey is back and leading the way with 17 targets. De’Von Achane is the next closest with 14 targets. Jahmyr Gibbs (13) and Bijan Robinson (12) check in next.
I’ll continue to lead off this article with season-long target leaders, and now let’s check out this week’s target trends heading into Week 3.
Target Trends
Ja’Marr Chase – 16 targets, 14 rec
It wasn’t quite a career high for Chase, but it is the highest target total in Week 2. Unfortunately, Joe Burrow exited the game with a toe injury that will cost him most of the season. While less than ideal for Chase, backup Jake Browning seemed to know his assignment, targeting Chase 11 times. It isn’t a death knell for Chase, but his ceiling is certainly lowered with the absence of Burrow.
Malik Nabers – 13 targets, 9 rec
Wan’Dale Robinson – 10 targets, 8 rec
As mentioned in the introduction, Nabers is the current league leader in targets. That isn’t surprising given last year’s performance, but few (if any) people expected this kind of production from Wan’Dale Robinson. He’s been a PPR cheat code in the past, but Russell Wilson was targeting him deep this week against Dallas. We’ll see if the 16.7-yard aDOT continues, but his target count keeps him fantasy relevant regardless.
Brian Thomas Jr. – 12 targets, 4 rec
The targets are fantastic, but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen such a brutal catch rate. Through two games, BTJ has only caught five of his 19 targets. That 26.3% catch rate is surely unsustainable, and his fantasy managers need to keep faith, stay the course, and wait for the positive regression to come.
Davante Adams – 13 targets, 6 rec
Fun fact…Adams’ 1,529 career targets are more than any other active player, yet still more than 1,000 behind the 2,564 career targets of Jerry Rice. He remains fantasy relevant at nearly 33 years old and has, through two weeks, one more target than teammate Puka Nacua.
Jake Ferguson – 12 targets, 9 rec
CeeDee Lamb – 11 targets, 9 rec
These numbers are a bit boosted by the fact that Dak Prescott threw the ball 52 times in their overtime win against the Giants. Still, it’s encouraging to see CeeDee near the top of the target earners list. Jake Ferguson is a nice bonus as well, and will be fantasy relevant if he can maintain the 21% target share he has seen through two games.
Jakobi Meyers – 12 targets, 6 rec
Jakobi Meyers just gets targets. He’s far from the flashiest player in the league, and he may not win you a week, but he is about as safe as it gets. He won’t find the end zone every week, but when he does, your fantasy lineup will be in great shape.
Amon-Ra St. Brown – 11 targets, 9 rec
ARSB fell flat in Week 1 against what, in hindsight, may be the best defense in the NFL. He turned things around in Week 2 and put up the kind of performance we expected out of the first-round draft pick. There may be ups and downs, but St. Brown is likely to be one of the most targeted players in the league again this season.
Rome Odunze – 11 targets, 7 rec
Has Rome overtaken DJM as the WR1 in Chicago? That appears to be the case after a Week 2 performance that included the first multi-TD performance of his career. There’s a long way to go, but the Bears’ WR situation needs to be monitored closely moving forward.
Mike Evans – 11 targets, 5 rec
Emeka Egbuka is the new hotness in Tampa, and rightly so, but let’s not forget about Mike Evans. The 13(!) year vet is still commanding targets. Another fun fact: my very first Ballers’ article from 2019 was about Mike Evans. Here we are in 2025, with Evans as fantasy relevant as ever.
Jauan Jennings – 10 targets, 5 rec
We weren’t sure if Jennings would even play in Week 2, then he went and balled out for ten targets and enough fantasy points to make him the WR12 on the week. There are plenty of question marks moving forward with Mac Jones for a few more weeks, but it seems like Jones is safe enough to slot into most fantasy lineups.
Tetairoa McMillan – 10 targets, 6 rec
Bryce Young threw the ball 55(!) times in Week 2 and was underwhelming when compared to preseason expectations. Still, the rookie got home with ten targets and a WR15 finish. Hunter Renfrow stole the show with two TDs, and Ja’Tavion Sanders also saw nine targets, but Tet projects to be the fantasy asset you need from Carolina.
De’Von Achane – 10 targets, 8 rec
Achane has been a PPR cheat code out of the backfield throughout his three-year career, and it isn’t slowing down this season. The Dolphins’ offense showed signs of life in Week 2, and Achane will be arguably the biggest beneficiary if they continue to put up points.
A.J. Brown – 8 targets, 5 rec
It was a much better underlying stat line for AJB in Week 2, though the results weren’t great. His eight targets amounted to a healthy 38% target share, though the 27 receiving yards left a lot to be desired. He’s due to have some big games eventually, but it’s been rough sledding for everybody in the Philly passing game when Jalen Hurts has just 253 passing yards and no TDs through two games.
Zach Ertz – 8 targets, 6 rec
Ertz is the fantasy TE that cannot be ignored. We thought he was aging out and would be replaced by the “Sinnott-or”, but here he is with an 18.8% target share through two weeks. Terry McLaurin (9) and Deebo Samuel (8) got their fair share of targets, but Ertz appears to be around for another year in fantasy.
Drake London – 4 targets, 3 rec
The fantasy industry, including myself, projected London as one of the top target earners this season. That may still be the case, but it’s tough to command targets when Atlanta can win against a hapless Minnesota offense that only puts up six points and 198 yards of offense. There should be better days ahead for London.
Matthew Golden – 2 targets, 0 rec
Golden hasn’t connected with Jordan Love yet, but the big plays seem inevitable.
Matthew Golden could be a problem once he builds more chemistry with Jordan Love
pic.twitter.com/7t7xcu6ICj
— Underdog (@Underdog) September 12, 2025
With Jayden Reed out, there are more targets to go around for Golden and the rest of Green Bay’s WR corps. It’s tough to play it before you see it, but a Golden breakout could be on the horizon.
Kayshon Boutte – 1 target, 1 rec
The fantasy score looks good when your only target turns into a TD, but Boutte managers should probably be concerned. One target, which equated to a meager 11% target share, is something to be noted. Boutte feels like the WR1 in New England, but with Stefon Diggs returning to health and Kyle Williams acclimating to the pros, he may not be fantasy relevant for long.
from Fantasy Footballers Podcast https://ift.tt/VwPaQSk
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