Reader's Guide
As you read, you may run into some colors in the text. Blue text is a good matchup for that team's offensive players. Red text is a bad matchup. Some other key items are below:
- All red/blue highlighting in tables is relative to the entire NFL, even when showing a limited number of teams.
- All reference to fantasy points assumes DraftKings scoring rules unless otherwise specified.
- All stats reference the full 2018 season unless otherwise specified.
- All fantasy points rankings are on a per-game basis to account for bye weeks unless otherwise specified.
Announcement
This week, we're trying something different. We're going to be more table-heavy to provide the full picture behind each stat presented. The idea here is to provide you with more data to draw your conclusions. We'll also include the full tables for certain items as appendix sections to the article.
If the data is confusing or overwhelming, check the bottom of the article for how to get a hold of me. Twitter is the best way to get a fast response. E-mail is the better way to ask a longer question.
Of course, when there are action items, those will still be called out as usual.
- Follow the Targets
- Strengths vs. Weaknesses
- The Weakest Links
- **NEW FEATURE** Under Pressure
- Follow the Targets Appendix
- Strengths vs. Weaknesses Appendix
- NSOS vs. DvP Appendix
Follow the Targets
This section will examine which offensive positions have the most success through the air against certain defenses.
Wide Receivers
Below are the top-10 defenses in terms of how often wide receivers are targeted against them.
| DEFENSE | WR Tgt% | WR Rec% | WR Yd% |
| Carolina Panthers | 70.1% | 66.5% | 71.7% |
| Baltimore Ravens | 68.7% | 64.2% | 69.7% |
| New England Patriots | 68.7% | 60.5% | 63.9% |
| Buffalo Bills | 66.9% | 63.8% | 66.3% |
| San Francisco 49ers | 64.4% | 58.3% | 70.7% |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 64.3% | 59.9% | 67.6% |
| New Orleans Saints | 63.2% | 55.4% | 67.2% |
| New York Giants | 63.0% | 62.8% | 69.7% |
| Cleveland Browns | 62.0% | 57.4% | 58.7% |
Below are the top-10 offenses in terms of how often these teams target their wide receivers.
| OFFENSE | WR Tgt% | WR Rec% | WR Yd% |
| Los Angeles Rams | 66.7% | 66.3% | 74.9% |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 66.4% | 64.8% | 72.8% |
| New York Jets | 66.4% | 63.1% | 73.0% |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 65.7% | 63.7% | 75.0% |
| Houston Texans | 64.7% | 66.0% | 69.4% |
| Arizona Cardinals | 62.5% | 60.6% | 61.1% |
| Cleveland Browns | 62.4% | 59.4% | 69.6% |
| Miami Dolphins | 61.6% | 58.8% | 65.3% |
| Seattle Seahawks | 61.4% | 59.5% | 70.0% |
Commentary and Action Items
- Cleveland targets its wide receivers on 62.4% of its passing attempts, the seventh-highest ratio in the NFL.
- Buffalo opponents target wide receivers 66.9% of their passing attempts, the fourth-highest ratio.
- The Jets gain 73.0% of their passing yardage via wide receivers, the third-highest ratio.
- The Giants allow 69.7% of their passing yardage via wide receivers, the fifth-highest ratio.
Typically, Cleveland's WR1 would be a suggested play in this kind of profile, but once again, Odell Beckham will be dealing with an elite cornerback. The presence of TreDavious White makes Jarvis Landry a strong play once again this week.
The process says to trust Jets wide receivers again, but last week makes it difficult. Jamison Crowder led the team in targets by a wide margin last week, so he's the preferred option. But don't forget about Robby Anderson in DFS GPPs due to his deep ball acumen. If you'd rather disregard the Jets entirely, that's advisable as well.
Running Backs
Below are the top-10 defenses in terms of how often running backs are targeted against them.
| DEFENSE | RB Tgt% | RB Rec% | RB Yd% |
| Chicago Bears | 25.5% | 26.7% | 20.2% |
| Washington Redskins | 25.3% | 26.7% | 20.1% |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 24.9% | 28.9% | 20.6% |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 24.4% | 25.1% | 17.3% |
| Indianapolis Colts | 24.4% | 25.8% | 16.8% |
| Tennessee Titans | 24.3% | 28.0% | 18.9% |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 23.8% | 25.9% | 25.5% |
| Dallas Cowboys | 23.6% | 26.9% | 19.4% |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 23.2% | 26.4% | 16.5% |
Below are the top-10 offenses in terms of how often these teams target their running backs.
| OFFENSE | RB Tgt% | RB Rec% | RB Yd% |
| Chicago Bears | 30.1% | 32.8% | 21.2% |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 28.4% | 36.2% | 25.3% |
| New England Patriots | 27.8% | 33.0% | 28.1% |
| Denver Broncos | 26.2% | 31.7% | 20.0% |
| New Orleans Saints | 26.0% | 29.6% | 21.1% |
| Green Bay Packers | 25.5% | 31.7% | 24.7% |
| Minnesota Vikings | 25.3% | 27.0% | 19.4% |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 24.5% | 34.1% | 24.5% |
| Washington Redskins | 23.2% | 26.3% | 23.8% |
Tight Ends
Below are the top-10 defenses in terms of how often tight ends are targeted against them.
| DEFENSE | TE Tgt% | TE Rec% | TE Yd% |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 28.0% | 28.9% | 23.5% |
| Minnesota Vikings | 27.0% | 26.5% | 23.3% |
| Indianapolis Colts | 26.4% | 25.8% | 22.7% |
| Arizona Cardinals | 26.1% | 27.6% | 30.1% |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 25.3% | 26.8% | 27.1% |
| Denver Broncos | 24.3% | 24.7% | 23.8% |
| Dallas Cowboys | 24.3% | 26.3% | 27.2% |
| Green Bay Packers | 24.0% | 25.8% | 21.6% |
| Chicago Bears | 23.1% | 25.7% | 27.3% |
Below are the top-10 offenses in terms of how often these teams target their tight ends.
| OFFENSE | Photos provided by USA TODAY Sports
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