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Target Acquired: Surprise Target Grabbers from Week 3 and Possible Breakouts for Week 4

By Keith Allison (Flickr) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Demetri Raftopoulos examines which NFL wide receivers and tight ends saw a surprisingly high number of targets in Week 3 of the fantasy football season and could become a desirable waiver target and add for Week 4.

Injuries continue to sweep through the league, leaving the question of "who will I start instead" to loom around fantasy lineups. A week-to-week, matchup-based option could always help answer that. Paying attention to targets is always important, regardless of how many lead to actual receptions.

Here is a look at the surprise target grabbers from Week 3, and a look at possible breakout options for Week 4 based on the usage they are seeing in the passing game.

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Surprise Week 3 Target Grabbers

Terrelle Pryor, Sr. - Cleveland Browns 

What a showing this week for Terrelle Pryor. With Corey Coleman out because of a broken hand, Pryor emerged as the number one target for rookie quarterback Cody Kessler. Little did anyone know that Pryor would share some snaps at center with Kessler. We can thank Hue Jackson's versatile play-calling for the bloated stat line. Pryor finished the day with eight receptions on 14 targets for 144 yards, rushed for 21 yards on four carries, and completed three of five pass attempts for 35 yards.

It would be unrealistic to expect this type of production from Pryor on a weekly basis, but with Coleman likely missing four to six weeks, Pryor will be the Browns' WR1 again Week 4. He has a favorable matchup against a Redskins team that has allowed the third-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season.

Adam Humphries - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

With the Buccaneers playing from behind for most of Sunday's contest against the Los Angeles Rams, Jameis Winston attempted an insane 58 passes. This benefited a couple receivers on Tampa Bay, including Adam Humphries. Humphries broke out for a surprising nine receptions on 12 targets for 100 yards.

Humphries' production, receptions, targets, and receiving yards have all increased from week to week, but the same might not be the case against the Denver Broncos Week 4. The defending Super Bowl champions have allowed the third fewest fantasy points to receivers this season, according to Yahoo! Sports, and held the Cincinnati Bengals to only 206 yards through the air last week. Humphries isn't an option Week 4.

Kyle Rudolph - Minnesota Vikings 

Minnesota's offseason and start to the regular season have been filled with quite a few key injuries to their offensive unit. But they keep finding ways to win, thanks largely in part to their defense, and to specific, overshadowed performances. Kyle Rudolph, a borderline TE2 heading into Week 3, was targeted by Sam Bradford 10 times, reeling in seven of them. He accumulated 70 yards and found the end zone once, posting a very solid fantasy day, specifically in PPR formats for those who took the chance on him last week.

Rudolph has seen eight targets or more in all three games this season. Rudolph does face a difficult matchup this week against a New York Giants team that hasn't allowed a touchdown to tight ends yet this season. Rudolph, despite the all the extra targets, is a touchdown-dependent starter in standard leagues.

 

Possible Week 4 Breakout Options

Cole Beasley - (WR, DAL)

Dak Prescott has certainly looked Beasley's way often, targeting him 25 times in three games this season. Beasley has made the most of the looks with 20 receptions so far. Beasley has become Prescott's favorite option for underneath routes and really provides the young quarterback with a safety net out of the slot.

High volume aside, Beasley has yet to find the end zone, and could struggle to do so against a relatively stingy secondary of the San Francisco 49ers. That being said, I wouldn't worry too much about the Niners slowing down the Cowboys' recent offensive production. San Francisco has allowed 27.7 points per game, ninth-most in the league. Beasley is more of a WR4, but he has a lot of appeal in deeper PPR leagues.

Michael Thomas - (WR, NO)

With Willie Snead questionable to return in Week 4 after missing last week's contest versus the Atlanta Falcons, another opportunity could potentially open up for Michael Thomas to produce. Thomas finished Monday night's shootout with seven receptions on 11 targets for 77 yards and a touchdown. It was the young receiver's best performance of the season while he proved capable of meshing with New Orleans' pass-heavy offense.

Thomas has a healthy matchup this week against a San Diego Chargers defense that has allowed 322.0 yards in the air per game, third-most in the NFL, according to ESPN.com. Thomas is behind Brandin Cooks on the depth chart but outperformed a nearly non-existent Cooks against the Falcons.

Jamison Crowder - (WR, WAS) 

Crowder will likely be one of the most popular adds off the waiver wire this week after another productive showing. Facing the divisional rival Giants Week 3, Crowder caught four passes for 78 yards and a score. He was targeted seven times, bumping his target-total up to 25 for the season. His looks have slightly decreased since Week 1, but he should see the same range of seven to 10 when the Redskins host a struggling Cleveland Browns defensive unit. The Browns are allowing a bloated 294.3 passing yards and 28.0 points per game, and have relinquished the fourth-most fantasy points to wideouts so far this season, according to Yahoo! Sports. He should be started in PPR leagues.

Other Options: Steve Smith (WR, BAL) vs OAK, Kevin White (WR, CHI) vs DET, Zach Miller (TE, CHI) vs DET

 


Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!




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