NFL Targets: Red Zone Breakdown
Plenty of touchdowns happen from a distance, but the vast majority of offensive scores cross into the defense’s 20-yard line, making Red Zone NFL Targets an interesting stat line fantasy owners love. There’s just something exciting about your team or fantasy players approaching that solid chalk line. There’s even an entire network in-season dedicated to jumping back and forth to all teams that are in the red zone.
In an effort to improve your chances of picking the guys who are most likely to be in favorable conditions to score touchdowns, it’s necessary to look at results from the past season and analyze changing circumstances that might help predict favorable opportunities this year.
With that said, using NFL All 22 film and data from our friends at Pro Football Reference , here is a detailed look at all red zone results from the 2015 season, and analysis that we hope will bring insight about how all 32 teams use their personnel in and around the red zone.
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Red Zone Target Breakdown
Not much went right for Baltimore’s offense last season, which was a surprise to some with Mark Trestman replacing Gary Kubiak as the play-caller. Injuries were a big part of those deficiencies, as the Ravens starting QB, RB and WR1 all missed significant time last season. 15 players caught passes in the red zone for the team last season, which was the highest total in the NFL.
QB Joe Flacco was decent in the red zone, throwing for the 6th most red zone yards-per-game and tossing 10 scores and two interceptions in 10 games. He’s expected to be fully recovered from his ACL injury in time for training camp, but Flacco’s fantasy value is limited and he’ll remain a QB2 or streaming option.
Free-agent signee Mike Wallace looks like a good fit for Joe Flacco’s strong arm, and should be active near the stripe as well. Steve Smith came back for one more season and should lead the club in looks in his final year, and 2014 first-rounder Breshad Perriman is still looking to make his first impact. Since the Ravens are expected to utilize a committee backfield and multiple tight ends, it’s fair to assume that they will have a lot of different players featured in this area once again.
| Name | Tgt | Rec | TD | %Tgt |
| Javorius Allen | 10 | 6 | 1 | 13.2% |
| Kyle Juszczyk | 9 | 7 | 4 | 11.8% |
| Steve Smith | 9 | 2 | 1 | 11.8% |
| Kamar Aiken | 8 | 6 | 4 | 10.5% |
| Crockett Gillmore | 8 | 5 | 3 | 10.5% |
| Jeremy Ross | 6 | 3 | 0 | 7.9% |
| Justin Forsett | 5 | 4 | 0 | 6.6% |
| Maxx Williams | 4 | 2 | 0 | 5.3% |
| Daniel Brown | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3.9% |
| Jeremy Butler | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3.9% |
| Michael Campanaro | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2.6% |
| Chris Givens | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2.6% |
| Lorenzo Taliaferro | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2.6% |
Red Zone Targets
Red Zone Target Breakdown
The Bills were a run-first team, so by design, QB Tyrod Taylor‘s red zone yardage totals were poor. Taylor only racked up 90 RZ passing yards last season, but did boost his fantasy value by running for three short-yardage scores, and his 77 rushing yards were second only to Cam Newton amongst quarterbacks. Taylor remains a high-upside QB2, and one of the best draft values on the board.
Because Buffalo tended to rely on the run in the red zone, 14 of Taylor’s 20 touchdown passes came from over 20 yards last season. When the club does look to pass near the goal line, they typically relied on their wideouts. WR Sammy Watkins will be the focal point, and new addition Leonard Hankerson should be fairly active as well.
Starting tight end Charles Clay saw only three targets and caught one pass in 13 games. While both RB LeSean McCoy and Karlos Williams are solid fantasy options, they combined for only five RZ targets last season. When you see the Bills on third-and-goal, expect the ball to go their wideouts.
| Name | Tgt | Rec | TD | %Tgt |
| Robert Woods | 7 | 4 | 2 | 17.9% |
| Sammy Watkins | 6 | 3 | 1 | 15.4% |
| Chris Hogan | 5 | 4 | 1 | 12.8% |
| Chris Gragg | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10.3% |
| Charles Clay | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7.7% |
| Percy Harvin | 3 | 2 | 0 | 7.7% |
| LeSean McCoy | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7.7% |
| Karlos Williams | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5.1% |
| Anthony Dixon | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.6% |
| Marcus Easley | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.6% |
| Mike Gillislee | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2.6% |
| Dan Herron | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2.6% |
| Nick O’Leary | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.6% |
Red Zone Targets
Red Zone Target Breakdown
With offensive guru Hue Jackson now in Cleveland, and two of the Bengals’ top-3 wideouts on other teams, 2016 will be a transitional year for Cincinnati’s offense. Under Jackson, the Bengals used the run to set up play-action opportunities. New offensive coordinator Ken Zampese is likely to do the same, but with a new receiving corps.
Even though he missed three games, QB Andy Dalton‘s 19 red zone touchdowns were tied for 11th in the league. He also finished 14th with 265 passing yards. 28.8% of Dalton’s red zone targets last season went to two receivers, Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu, who are no longer with the club. Free-agent Brandon LaFell and rookie Tyler Boyd should be their replacements, but it could take a while for an offense with a new play-caller and two new wideouts to start clicking.
TE Tyler Eifert was remarkable in the red zone last season, catching 12 of 15 passes for 106 yards and 11 scores. But Eifert had offseason ankle surgery and his availability for Week 1 is now questionable. Both RB Gio Bernard and Jeremy Hill will remain busy, but the real benefactor for the Bengals’ passing attack could be WR AJ Green, who already led the team in red zone looks last season (18) and could set a career-high in 2016.
| Name | Tgt | Rec | TD | %Tgt |
| A.J. Green | 18 | 9 | 7 | 27.3% |
| Tyler Eifert | 15 | 12 | 11 | 22.7% |
| Marvin Jones | 12 | 7 | 2 | 18.2% |
| Mohamed Sanu | 7 | 4 | 0 | 10.6% |
| Jeremy Hill | 4 | 3 | 1 | 6.1% |
| Giovani Bernard | 3 | 2 | 0 | 4.5% |
| Jake Fisher | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4.5% |
| Ryan Hewitt | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3.0% |
| Rex Burkhead | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.5% |
Red Zone Targets
Red Zone Target Breakdown
The Browns were the league’s least-efficient offense in the red zone last season. Cleveland QB’s completed only 37 of 95 attempts (38.8%) and the receiving corps caught only four RZ touchdowns. With a new front office, coaching staff, quarterback, and receiving corps, it will be hard to envision those numbers being as bad again in 2016.
37.8% of the targets received in Cleveland last season are no longer with the club. The only wideout on the Browns who caught a red zone touchdown last season was Marlon Moore, who is a long-shot to make the new roster. In short, this is a new-look Browns offense and three rookies, Corey Coleman, Rashard Higgins, and Jordan Payton could all vie for looks.
The loan bright spot for the Browns passing game last season was TE Gary Barnidge, who saw the sixth-most targets (23) in the NFL and scored eight of the team’s 13 touchdown receptions. A career journeyman, 2015 sticks out as a potential “one-year wonder” season for the soon-to-be 31-year-old, and he’s unlikely to command that many looks in and around the goal line again.
| Name | Tgt | Rec | TD | %Tgt |
| Gary Barnidge | 23 | 9 | 8 | 26.4% |
| Travis Benjamin | 14 | 4 | 1 | 16.1% |
| Brian Hartline | 12 | 7 | 2 | 13.8% |
| Andrew Hawkins | 8 | 3 | 0 | 9.2% |
| Duke Johnson | 8 | 6 | 1 | 9.2% |
| Taylor Gabriel | 5 | 2 | 0 | 5.7% |
| Marlon Moore | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3.4% |
| Terrelle Pryor | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3.4% |
| Dwayne Bowe | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2.3% |
| Darius Jennings | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2.3% |
| Isaiah Crowell | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.1% |
| Rob Housler | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.1% |
| Malcolm Johnson | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.1% |
Red Zone Targets
Red Zone Target Breakdown
The defending Super Bowl champs overall had very pedestrian red zone passing numbers. QB Peyton Manning, who used to thrive in this area, attempted only 46 throws from this part of the field, with seven scores. Brock Osweiler threw for four more yards than Manning. Both quarterbacks from last year are no longer with the club, so Gary Kubiak will look to rookie Paxton Lynch and veteran Mark Sanchez to do a little better job running the bootleg plays that Kubiak prefers.
All seven of Osweiler’s red zone touchdown went to wide receivers, while Manning tossed only two to wideouts- both caught by Emmanuel Sanders. All three of the red zone touchdowns Demaryius Thomas caught came from Osweiler. 22.2% of the RZ targets from 2015 are no longer Broncos, but TE Owen Daniels was the vast majority of that production.
RB CJ Anderson caught all six of his passing targets, while teammate Ronnie Hillman, who is considered a better “change-of-pace” and passing option, caught only two of his six looks. The club re-signed Anderson away from Miami, so expect the fourth-year back to be busier this year.
| Name | Tgt | Rec | TD | %Tgt |
| Demaryius Thomas | 21 | 11 | 3 | 25.9% |
| Owen Daniels | 12 | 5 | 4 | 14.8% |
| Emmanuel Sanders | 11 | 5 | 3 | 13.6% |
| Jordan Norwood | 7 | 5 | 0 | 8.6% |
| C.J. Anderson | 6 | 6 | 0 | 7.4% |
| Andre Caldwell | 6 | 4 | 2 | 7.4% |
| Ronnie Hillman | 6 | 2 | 0 | 7.4% |
| Bennie Fowler | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3.7% |
| Virgil Green | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3.7% |
| Cody Latimer | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3.7% |
Red Zone Targets
Continue Reading Jody Smith’s AFC Red Zone Breakdown
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Red Zone Target Breakdown
The Texans were a defensive-led team that took advantage of a weak AFC South to sneak into the playoffs. With all the issues the Texans had with injuries to RB Arian Foster and lousy play for quarterbacks, head coach Bill O’Brien should be commended for rallying his team to consecutive 9-7 finishes. Although QB Brian Hoyer had middle-of-the-pack red zone stats, a large percentage of his numbers came in games in which Houston trailed and were ultimately meaningless garbage-time numbers.
Tight ends play almost no part of O’Brien’s offense, and Houston’s top-three wideouts received 58.2% of the club’s red zone targets. Unsurprisingly, WR DeAndre Hopkins tied for sixth in the league with 23 RZ targets and his 106 receiving yards were fourth in the league. Even with the team boosting their receiving corps in the 2016 NFL draft, Hopkins should continue to be a red zone target hog this season.
Houston’s quarterbacks also targeted their running backs 14 times last season, which represented 18.9% of the team’s total red zone throws. That should mean that newly-signed RB Lamar Miller, who was criminally under-used in Miami, and fifth-round RB Tyler Ervin should be plenty active near the stripe in 2016.
| Name | Tgt | Rec | TD | %Tgt |
| DeAndre Hopkins | 23 | 12 | 6 | 31.1% |
| Nate Washington | 13 | 5 | 2 | 17.6% |
| Cecil Shorts | 7 | 5 | 2 | 9.5% |
| Jonathan Grimes | 6 | 5 | 1 | 8.1% |
| Arian Foster | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5.4% |
| Garrett Graham | 4 | 1 | 1 | 5.4% |
| C.J. Fiedorowicz | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4.1% |
| Ryan Griffin | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4.1% |
| Jaelen Strong | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4.1% |
| Alfred Blue | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2.7% |
| Chris Polk | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2.7% |
| Keith Mumphery | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.4% |
| J.J. Watt | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.4% |
Red Zone Targets
Red Zone Target Breakdown
Despite his overall struggles last season, QB Andrew Luck was solid in the red zone. Luck completed 63.9 of his RZ passes, which was No. 3 in the league among starting quarterbacks. Luck also threw 11 red zone touchdowns in seven games- a pace of 25 over a 16-game season. With a solid supporting cast, Luck should bounce back and return to elite fantasy signal-caller status.
Just under 40% of the red zone targets for the Colts from last season no longer play in Indianapolis. That should mean a big boost for WR Donte Moncrief, who is the club’s biggest wideout and should command the most targets in single coverage. Moncrief’s five RZ scores from last season led the club. Now that TE Coby Fleener is in New Orleans, TE Dwayne Allen will also see an increase in role near the goal line, and could challenge Moncrief and TY Hilton for the team lead in touchdown targets.
Tight ends accounted for 24.3% of Indy’s red zone targets last season, but running backs received only eight such throws (10.2%.) There’s not a lot of talent behind starter Frank Gore, so the lack of RB-involvement in the red zone is likely to continue. This should further boost the value of the club’s receivers.
| Name | Tgt | Rec | TD | %Tgt |
| T.Y. Hilton | 15 | 7 | 3 | 19.2% |
| Donte Moncrief | 12 | 8 | 5 | 15.4% |
| Coby Fleener | 11 | 6 | 2 | 14.1% |
| Andre Johnson | 11 | 5 | 4 | 14.1% |
| Griff Whalen | 5 | 4 | 1 | 6.4% |
| Dwayne Allen | 4 | 2 | 1 | 5.1% |
| Jack Doyle | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5.1% |
| Frank Gore | 4 | 2 | 1 | 5.1% |
| Ahmad Bradshaw | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3.8% |
| Phillip Dorsett | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.3% |
| Joe Reitz | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.3% |
| Zurlon Tipton | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.3% |
Red Zone Targets
Red Zone Target Breakdown
The second-year leap for QB Blake Bortles can be summed up by looking at his red zone productivity. Bortles finished sixth in the NFL in red zone passing yards (325) and fifth with 25 touchdown passes. The Jaguars offense scored 40 touchdowns last season, and Bortles threw or ran for 37 of them.
Jacksonville’s offense was primarily focused on getting the ball into the hands of their play-making wide receiver duo, Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns, who combined for 55% of the Jags’ passing yardage and 69% of the touchdown receptions. In the red zone, the Allen Brothers saw 38% of the targets but caught 69% of the touchdowns. TE Julius Thomas was the only other member of the Jacksonville offense to see double-digit red zone targets, and those numbers may increase as the offense becomes more balanced.
It’s doubtful that the Jaguars can build a winner by relying so heavily on the passing attack. Last year, the running backs accounted for only three touchdowns- a 7.5% clip. That number isn’t sustainable, and the club signed RB Chris Ivory to improve their short-yardage rushing. With Ivory and second-year RB TJ Yeldon splitting carries, the Jaguars red zone passing numbers are likely to decline.
| Name | Tgt | Rec | TD | %Tgt |
| Allen Robinson | 22 | 15 | 12 | 23.9% |
| Allen Hurns | 13 | 8 | 5 | 14.1% |
| Julius Thomas | 10 | 5 | 3 | 10.9% |
| Bryan Walters | 9 | 4 | 0 | 9.8% |
| Denard Robinson | 7 | 4 | 0 | 7.6% |
| Rashad Greene | 6 | 4 | 2 | 6.5% |
| Marcedes Lewis | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6.5% |
| Marqise Lee | 5 | 3 | 1 | 5.4% |
| Clay Harbor | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4.3% |
| T.J. Yeldon | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4.3% |
| Toby Gerhart | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2.2% |
| Corey Grant | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.1% |
Red Zone Targets
Red Zone Target Breakdown
Andy Reid tends to spread the ball around in the red zone, preferring to rely on his starting running backs and tight ends more than most clubs. When he was healthy, RB Jamaal Charles was active as both a runner and receiver inside the 20, and TE Travis Kelce led the way with 13 red zone targets.
QB Alex Smith has done a good job of avoiding turnovers but has limited upside. Smith was steady, but unspectacular in the red zone last season, with 234 passing yards and 16 touchdowns tosses. After hearing all offseason about how the Chiefs’ wideouts failed to haul in a single TD reception in 2014, Kansas City wide receivers accounted for 11 of Smith’s 16 scores in 2015. WR Jeremy Maclin led the way with 81 yards and six TDs.
RB Charcandrick West did a solid job replacing Charles, finishing third on the club with nine red zone looks. But West only hauled in two of those receptions, while Charles caught 100% of his passes. While West and Spencer Ware played well in reserve and could actually cut into Charles’s playing time, Charles has been a solid scorer throughout his career and should continue to command the most snaps inside the 2o.
| Name | Tgt | Rec | TD | %Tgt |
| Travis Kelce | 13 | 6 | 4 | 18.3% |
| Jeremy Maclin | 13 | 10 | 6 | 18.3% |
| Charcandrick West | 9 | 2 | 0 | 12.7% |
| Chris Conley | 8 | 4 | 2 | 11.3% |
| De’Anthony Thomas | 7 | 6 | 1 | 9.9% |
| Albert Wilson | 7 | 3 | 1 | 9.9% |
| Jamaal Charles | 4 | 4 | 1 | 5.6% |
| Demetrius Harris | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4.2% |
| Jason Avant | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.4% |
| Frankie Hammond | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.4% |
| Brian Parker | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.4% |
| Anthony Sherman | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.4% |
Red Zone Targets
Red Zone Target Breakdown
New head coach Adam Gase has coaxed career years out of QBs Peyton Manning and Jay Cutler, so with cautious optimism, we hope that he can do the same for beleaguered Ryan Tannehill. Last year, Tannehill tossed three red zone interceptions, which tied for fourth most in the league. Even with Miami’s tendency to avoid trying to run near the goal line, Tannehill still only finished 18th in red zone passing yards. For Tannehill to take the next step, he’s going to have to improve his play inside the 20.
Known as more of a slot option and not for his red zone prowess, WR Jarvis Landry‘s 22 looks in that area of the field easily led Miami and were tied with Allen Robinson for eight in the NFL. While Landry hauled in 11 of those throws, he only managed to catch three touchdowns, where Robinson had 12. Gase is expected to funnel the passing game through X-receiver DeVante Parker, who has a size and presence that the Dolphins’ receiving corps was missing most of last year. That will likely mean less red zone targets for Landry.
Inefficiency in the red zone was the name of the game for the entirety of Miami’s pass-catchers. Tannehill completed only 45% of his throws, and Miami’s second, third, and fourth-most targeted players combined to catch only eight of 27 passes. The most startling number is that Miami only threw nine red zone passes to their running backs last year- a number that will almost certainly rise dramatically this year, to the benefit of RB Jay Ajayi and Kenyan Drake.
| Name | Tgt | Rec | TD | %Tgt |
| Jarvis Landry | 22 | 11 | 3 | 32.4% |
| Jordan Cameron | 14 | 6 | 3 | 20.6% |
| DeVante Parker | 8 | 1 | 1 | 11.8% |
| Kenny Stills | 5 | 1 | 1 | 7.4% |
| Lamar Miller | 4 | 2 | 1 | 5.9% |
| Dion Sims | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5.9% |
| Damien Williams | 4 | 4 | 1 | 5.9% |
| Greg Jennings | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2.9% |
| Jake Stoneburner | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2.9% |
| Jay Ajayi | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.5% |
| Matt Hazel | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.5% |
| Rishard Matthews | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.5% |
Red Zone Targets
Red Zone Target Breakdown
Along with the New York Jets, the Patriots were one of two clubs to have multiple players command 20+ red zone targets. TE Rob Gronkowski and WR Julian Edelman accounted for 46.5% of New England’s red zone looks and combined for 15 touchdowns. That pair’s 28 red zone receptions was also the most by any pair of teammates.
Speaking of Gronkowski, his dominance in and around the goal line was on display in 2015. Even when you group tight ends in with wide receivers, Gronk finished second in the NFL in targets (25), receptions (16), and tied for third in scores (10.) Inside the five, Gronkowski caught eight of 13 targets for seven touchdowns- also the second-highest figure in the NFL. Defenders just don’t have the ability to stop Gronk, so expect more fantastic figures again this season.
QB Tom Brady was his usual stellar-self last season and played tremendously in the red zone. Brady led all QB’s in red zone passing yards (432), completions (62) and touchdowns (30.) Brady’s also adept at QB-sneaks, taking four attempts for an additional four rushing touchdowns.
| Name | Tgt | Rec | TD | %Tgt |
| Rob Gronkowski | 25 | 16 | 10 | 25.3% |
| Julian Edelman | 21 | 12 | 5 | 21.2% |
| Danny Amendola | 12 | 8 | 3 | 12.1% |
| Scott Chandler | 9 | 6 | 4 | 9.1% |
| James White | 9 | 6 | 2 | 9.1% |
| Brandon LaFell | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7.1% |
| Dion Lewis | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5.1% |
| Aaron Dobson | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4.0% |
| Keshawn Martin | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3.0% |
| LeGarrette Blount | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2.0% |
| Brandon Bolden | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2.0% |
Red Zone Targets
Red Zone Target Breakdown
New York’s red zone offense was all about getting the ball into the hands of their play-making wide receivers, Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. That duo was the only pair of wideouts in the league to both exceed 20 red zone targets, and Decker’s 28 looks and 36.8% target share were both league-leading figures.
Decker and Marshall accumulated 64.4% of the red zone looks for the Jets last season- the most of any two teammates. In fact, all the other wide receivers on New York’s roster last season combined to receive only seven red zone targets. Running backs and tight ends combined for 19- two less than Marshall got alone.
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick played remarkably well in the red zone when compared to his pedestrian career-t0-date numbers. Fitzmagic was sixth in RZ touchdowns (23) and eighth in passing yards (310.) These figures all reek of “career-year” and are almost certainly not sustainable for New York’s 2016 offense. Should the Jets and Fitzpatrick, a free agent, not comes to terms, the drop-off to Geno Smith or Christian Hackenberg will be catastrophic for all Jets skill-position players.
| Name | Tgt | Rec | TD | %Tgt |
| Eric Decker | 28 | 12 | 10 | 36.8% |
| Brandon Marshall | 21 | 11 | 9 | 27.6% |
| Bilal Powell | 7 | 4 | 1 | 9.2% |
| Chris Ivory | 5 | 5 | 1 | 6.6% |
| Kellen Davis | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3.9% |
| Devin Smith | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3.9% |
| Jeremy Kerley | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2.6% |
| Tommy Bohanon | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.3% |
| Jeff Cumberland | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.3% |
| Quincy Enunwa | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.3% |
| Chris Owusu | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.3% |
| Stevan Ridley | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.3% |
| Zac Stacy | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.3% |
| Kenbrell Thompkins | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.3% |
Red Zone Targets
Red Zone Target Breakdown
QB Derek Carr was really good overall but had some issues in the red zone. Carr’s 43.4% completion percentage was third-worst among starting quarterbacks last season. When targeting his top-2 wideouts, Carr completed just six of 23 attempts. The good news here is that the Raiders still don’t appear to have a long-term answer at running back, so they’ll remain a pass-first squad.
Even though WR Amari Cooper enjoyed a tremendous rookie campaign, he was surprisingly under-used and inefficient in the red zone. Cooper amassed 130 targets in his first season, but a mere seven of them (5.3%) came in the the red zone. Of those seven looks, Cooper only hauled in three balls. Oakland will have to do a better job of getting the ball to their star pass-catcher if Cooper is going to reach WR1 status. Michael Crabtree almost doubled Cooper in red zone targets, but also only caught three balls- a terrible 23% completion percentage.
Carr had more success when throwing to his backs. FB Marcel Reece and RB Roy Helu combined to catch all six passes thrown their way, for five scores. Overall, wide receivers saw 60.7% of targets, tight ends 25% and running backs got 14.3%. Interesting note- starting running back Latavius Murray saw 53 targets last year, but none came in the red zone.
| Name | Tgt | Rec | TD | %Tgt |
| Michael Crabtree | 13 | 3 | 2 | 23.2% |
| Seth Roberts | 9 | 5 | 5 | 16.1% |
| Amari Cooper | 7 | 3 | 2 | 12.5% |
| Clive Walford | 7 | 2 | 2 | 12.5% |
| Mychal Rivera | 6 | 2 | 1 | 10.7% |
| Andre Holmes | 4 | 2 | 2 | 7.1% |
| Marcel Reece | 4 | 4 | 3 | 7.1% |
| Roy Helu | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3.6% |
| Taiwan Jones | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.8% |
| Jamize Olawale | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.8% |
| Lee Smith | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.8% |
| Rod Streater | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.8% |
Red Zone Targets
Red Zone Target Breakdown
With the year-long suspension for WR Martavis Bryant and retirement of TE Heath Miller, 34.9% of Pittsburgh’s red zone targets from 2015 are now unaccounted for. A healthy RB Le’Veon Bell will command a big role as both a runner and passer, but there will still be a lot of opportunities for WR’s Markus Wheaton, Sammie Coates, or free-agent TE Ladarius Green to make a scoring impact.
WR Antonio Brown was his usual fantastic self all over the field but really excelled in the red zone. Brown’s 25 targets and 16 receptions were tied for No. 2 in the NFL. He also hauled in eight touchdowns- six of which came inside the 10-yard line. Both of those figures were top-10 totals, and Brown’s 29.1% red zone target share was the fifth-highest total in the league.
QB Ben Roethlisberger was middle-of-the-pack with 73 red zone pass attempts and 235 yards, but he boasted a 16-0 TD-to-INT ratio. As Todd Haley‘s offense has evolved into a pass-first unit, the Steelers should once again be counted on to be busy near their opponent’s goal line, and that assures that there will be plenty of fantasy scoring coming from Pittsburgh’s skill-position players.
| Name | Tgt | Rec | TD | %Tgt |
| Antonio Brown | 25 | 16 | 8 | 29.1% |
| Martavis Bryant | 16 | 6 | 4 | 18.6% |
| Markus Wheaton | 15 | 7 | 3 | 17.4% |
| Heath Miller | 14 | 9 | 2 | 16.3% |
| DeAngelo Williams | 5 | 2 | 0 | 5.8% |
| Le’Veon Bell | 4 | 3 | 0 | 4.7% |
| Darrius Heyward-Bey | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3.5% |
| Jesse James | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.2% |
| Matt Spaeth | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.2% |
Red Zone Targets
Red Zone Target Breakdown
San Diego’s red zone targets last season were quite diverse. Wideouts got a 40.3% share, while tight end (32%) and running backs (25%) were also involved. The return of offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt should be a boost to the Chargers scoring. In 2013, QB Philip Rivers finished as the QB6 with Whisenhunt as his play-caller and the San Diego passing game was top-5 in passing yards and touchdowns, while also finishing No. 2 in net yards-per-attempt.
Overall, we love drafting Rivers as a terrific fantasy value this season, but one of the first things fantasy fanatics will want to monitor in training camp and the preseason is how Whisenhunt distributes the passes in his new offense. Just under 21% of San Diego’s red zone target share from last season are no longer with the club. Free-agent WR Travis Benjamin has the size to make an impact in that area, and will replace the retired Malcom Floyd as the team’s main vertical threat.
RB Danny Woodhead‘s 15 red zone targets led all NFL running backs, and Woodhead also finished 12th in the league by accumulating 50% of San Diego’s red zone carries. At 31, this could be the year that Woodhead’s role in the red zone starts to decline. WR Keenan Allen enjoyed his finest pro season as a rookie with Whisenhunt as the play-caller. As a rookie, Allen saw 19 red zone targets and caught six RZ touchdowns- both of which would have led the club last season.
| Name | Tgt | Rec | TD | %Tgt |
| Danny Woodhead | 15 | 10 | 5 | 20.8% |
| Antonio Gates | 13 | 6 | 5 | 18.1% |
| Steve Johnson | 10 | 7 | 3 | 13.9% |
| Ladarius Green | 8 | 5 | 3 | 11.1% |
| Keenan Allen | 6 | 5 | 2 | 8.3% |
| Dontrelle Inman | 6 | 4 | 3 | 8.3% |
| Malcom Floyd | 4 | 1 | 1 | 5.6% |
| Javontee Herndon | 3 | 2 | 0 | 4.2% |
| Melvin Gordon | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2.8% |
| John Phillips | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2.8% |
| Donald Brown | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.4% |
Red Zone Targets
Red Zone Target Breakdown
TE Delaine Walker has become one of the most consistent and reliable pass-catching tight ends in the league. Last year, Walker nabbed 12 of 15 red zone targets and scored four touchdowns- all team highs. That 80% catch rate was also the highest in the NFL for any player that received 10 or more red zone looks.
While fellow rookie Jameis Winston was good in the red zone in 2015, QB Marcus Mariota was far more impressive. Mariota’s 61.9% red zone completion percentage was fourth in the NFL for quarterbacks that passed for more than 15 attempts. Mariota also did not throw a single red zone interception last season, while throwing 15 touchdowns- despite playing in only 12 games.
The current regime in Tennessee, head coach Mike Mularkey and offensive coordinator Terry Robiske plan to implement an “exotic smashmouth” offense, consisting of a run-heavy gameplan with RB DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry grinding out the clock, and plenty of designed runs for Mariota. While this could still benefit Mariota’s fantasy value and set up play-action opportunities in the red zone, it doesn’t bode well for a Titans’ receiving corps that only got 37.5% of all red zone throws last season.
| Name | Tgt | Rec | TD | %Tgt |
| Delanie Walker | 15 | 12 | 4 | 26.8% |
| Dorial Green-Beckham | 9 | 4 | 3 | 16.1% |
| Harry Douglas | 6 | 4 | 2 | 10.7% |
| Anthony Fasano | 6 | 3 | 2 | 10.7% |
| Kendall Wright | 5 | 3 | 2 | 8.9% |
| Bishop Sankey | 4 | 2 | 1 | 7.1% |
| Craig Stevens | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5.4% |
| Dexter McCluster | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3.6% |
| Jalston Fowler | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.8% |
| Justin Hunter | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.8% |
| Tre McBride | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.8% |
| Phillip Supernaw | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.8% |
Red Zone Targets
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Senior Writer Gridiron Experts. 2012 FantasyPros Most Accurate Fantasy Expert. Member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. 26-year fantasy football veteran. Featured on NFL.com, Fantasypros, Football Diehards annual magazine, local AM sports radio, podcasts everywhere and SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio. Once scored 4 touchdowns in a single game for Polk High School.
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