Redzone Report Week 7
Contents
The Redzone Report takes a weekly look at redzone usage and matchups to identify top options and sleepers for touchdowns in the given week of NFL action. This is a touchdown-centric piece, and the yardage outlook for the highlighted players isn’t a consideration.
Running Backs
Week 6 Touches Leaders
A familiar face was atop the leaders for redzone touches at running back, but Todd Gurley wasn’t alone atop that list. Wendell Smallwood joined him. Just a little further down the list, though, was RBBC teammate Corey Clement. David Johnson, James Conner and Peyton Barber finished in a three-way tie for the third most redzone touches at running back. Last week, I noted that Chris Carson wasn’t far behind Mike Davis in redzone touches in Seattle’s backfield, and the former was part of a multi-back pileup for sixth in redzone touches with four in Week 6. Ito Smith is another back who touched the ball four times in the redzone, and I discussed him a couple weeks ago when he was also on the leaderboard. With Devonta Freeman’s placement on IR, Smith is in the weekly touchdown-or-bust flex mix. One more interesting name I’ll draw your attention to is Alex Collins. He had three redzone touches last week and scored touchdowns on two of them. Teammate Javorius Allen didn’t receive a single redzone touch. Collins’ stock is up.
Top Option
David Johnson (Cardinals) vs. Broncos
YTD Redzone Touches – 16 Week 6 Redzone Touches – 5
Johnson has five redzone touches in back-to-back weeks. His year-to-date total is tied for the 11th most at running back, and he’s punched in five redzone scores. This week, he draws Denver’s extremely giving run defense on a short week in Arizona. The Broncos have coughed up seven rushing touchdowns to running backs this year, tied for the second most allowed to the position, per Pro-Football-Reference. They’ve also yielded one receiving score. Arizona’s offense is still a work in progress with rookie Josh Rosen at quarterback, and that adds to the risk of Johnson delivering a touchdown. However, even as a work in progress, the offense has been considerably better under Rosen’s guidance than it was with Sam Bradford starting. Johnson’s matchup and heavy redzone usage were too good to pass up using him as my top option at running back this week.
Value/Sleeper
Ito Smith (Falcons) vs. Giants
YTD Redzone Touches – 16 Week 6 Redzone Touches – 4
One of the other two backs tied with Johnson for 11th in redzone touches at running back is Smith. The rookie runner was highlighted in the leaderboard analysis from last week’s games, and his usage in the redzone suggests he’s in store for an integral role in Freeman’s absence. The Falcons are a high-scoring offense that should have little trouble hanging points on the visiting Giants in the Monday Night Football tilt, and the Giants have had trouble keeping backs out of the endzone. The Giants are tied for the sixth most rushing touchdowns allowed to backs with five, but they’ve also coughed up the most receiving touchdowns (four) to them this year, putting both Smith and Coleman in a favorable spot to reach pay dirt this week.
Wide Receivers
Week 6 Targets Leaders
Green Bay’s receiving corps has been missing key cogs Geronimo Allison and Randall Cobb, and that’s helped heighten the importance of Davante Adams. Last week, he led receivers in redzone targets with five, and he turned two of them into touchdowns. Teammate Marquez Valdes-Scantling was part of a seven-receiver tie for the second most redzone targets with three, but he failed to score. Alshon Jeffery has quickly emerged as a redzone target hog with seven in three games played, and he scored touchdowns on two of three redzone touches last week. Jeffery’s caught five of seven redzone targets this year and scored three touchdowns in the redzone. If you pegged Cole Beasley as a big performer in Week 6, kudos. I’m not sure what process got you there, but he scored touchdowns on two of three redzone targets against Jacksonville’s vaunted defense. Tyler Lockett has made hay as a big-play receiver, but he’s also a trusted redzone threat for Russell Wilson. He was targeted three times in the redzone last week, and he scored a touchdown. Lockett’s been targeted just four times in the redzone this year, but he’s been efficient reeling in three of those targets and scoring touchdowns on two of them.
Top Option
Adam Thielen (Vikings) at Jets
YTD Redzone Targets – 9 Week 6 Redzone Targets – 2
Much has rightfully been made of the fact Thielen’s ripped off 100-plus yards receiving in all six games to open the season, but he’s no Julio Jones. Thielen isn’t allergic to the endzone. Thielen’s nine redzone targets on the year are tied for the seventh most. He’s caught six of nine redzone targets and scored a pair of redzone touchdowns. One of his two redzone touchdowns came last week against the Cardinals. The Jets have surrendered seven receiving touchdowns to receivers, a total that’s tied for the 11th most this year.
Value/Sleeper
Devin Funchess (Panthers) at Eagles
YTD Redzone Targets – 5 Week 6 Redzone Targets – 1
Funchess isn’t really a sleeper, but he’s pretty cheap at the major daily fantasy sites, thus he qualifies as a value play at receiver. Even with Greg Olsen back, Funchess received a redzone target. His touchdown reception was a 23-yard grab against Washington, so it wasn’t a redzone score. However, he does have a redzone touchdown on one of his five targets in the redzone this year. The Eagles have struggled mightily with wideouts this year, and they’ve allowed seven receiving touchdowns to them. Fire up Funchess with confidence.
Tight Ends
Week 6 Targets Leaders
There was a two-man tie for the most redzone targets at tight end last week. One of the leaders, Zach Ertz, is no surprise. The other, Jeff Heuerman, is a surprise. However, Heuerman probably shouldn’t be a surprise with at least one redzone target in five straight games. Ertz, on the other hand, is a mainstay on the leaderboard with redzone targets in all six games this year and multiple looks in the redzone in four of six games. Speaking of mainstays on the leaderboard, Eric Ebron was targeted two more times last week, bringing his position leading total to 14 on the year. Both O.J. Howard (two) and Cameron Brate (one) received redzone targets for the Buccaneers.
Top Option
David Njoku (Browns) at Buccaneers
YTD Redzone Targets – 2 Week 6 Redzone Targets – 2
As you can see, Njoku’s year-to-date redzone target total is identical to his total in Week 6. The second-year tight end has already emerged as a favorite of rookie Baker Mayfield between the 20’s, and last week’s usage suggests he could be a favorite in scoring position going forward, too. Njoku turned one of his two redzone targets into a one-yard touchdown. He has a cake matchup with the Buccaneers this week. Tampa Bay’s three touchdowns allowed to tight ends this season is tied for the fourth most.
Value/Sleeper
Jeff Heuerman (Broncos) at Cardinals
YTD Redzone Targets – 8 Week 6 Redzone Targets – 3
As I said in the write-up for the leaderboard above, Heuerman tying for the position lead in redzone targets in Week 6 probably shouldn’t have been a surprise. Only three tight ends have reached double-digit redzone targets this year, so there aren’t a lot of redzone target hogs at the position. Heuerman’s total of eight on the year is sixth most among tight ends. He’s yet to convert any of those looks into a touchdown this year, but he faces a Cardinals defense that’s ceded a couple scores to tight ends this year. A continued heavy workload in the redzone will eventually bare fruit, and I’m thinking that happens this week.