Taking a look at the Week 12 targets and touches leaders can go a long way in projecting where fantasy points may come from in the near future. Each week, I break down which running backs lead the way in touches, including red zone opportunities. Most of the top performers in touches and targets on a week-to-week basis are not only owned in most leagues, but started as well. This will give us a clearer view of where touchdowns may come from; a huge plus for the DFS players out there. As you’ll see below, Nick Chubb continues to appear inside the top 10 since the Carlos Hyde trade. Gus Edwards makes a second straight showing and Josh Adams checks in for the first time. Will Austin Ekeler take the full workload from Melvin Gordon, or will a certain rookie stand in the way?
Week 12 Touches Leaders
- Nick Chubb – 31
- Ezekiel Elliott – 31
- Christian McCaffrey – 28
- Gus Edwards – 23
- Sony Michel – 23
- Josh Adams – 22
- Leonard Fournette – 21
- Joe Mixon – 21
- Aaron Jones – 21
- LeGarrette Blount – 20
Gus Edwards, RB – Baltimore Ravens
Edwards did it again! After finishing in the top 10 in carries and touches in Week 11, Edwards followed it up with another strong performance. He has zero catches in two games, but still finished fourth in touches in Week 12. Edwards topped his 17 carries for 115 yards, with 118 yards on 23 attempts. Alex Collins missed last week’s game with a foot injury and started the week on the sidelines, which is great news for ‘Gus the Bus’.
The matchups for the rest of the season are pretty solid as well:
Atlanta Falcons – 10th-most rushing yards allowed per game.
Kansas City Chiefs – most fantasy points allowed per game to RB’s.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – sixth-most fantasy points allowed per game to RB’s; most points allowed.
Josh Adams, RB – Philadelphia Eagles
Adams finally broke out in Week 12 after leading the Eagles’ in rushing yards in the three weeks prior. While it’s true Adams led all Philly backs in yards in Week 8, 10 and 11, he only totaled 161 yards on 23 carries in those three games. In Week 12, Adams had 22 carries for 84 yards and scored a rushing touchdown for the second straight game. He picked up most of the work in the red zone and his 10 red zone carries are four behind Corey Clement for the team high. Clement was still involved, but it’s clear Adams has taken over. This week’s matchup against Washington is not as nice as last week’s against the Giants (498 rushing yards allowed last 4 games), but Adams is a mid-level RB2 the rest of the way.
LeGarrette Blount, RB – Detroit Lions
LeGarrette Blount surprised everyone on Thanksgiving by racking up 20 touches for 103 yards. Blount found the end zone twice, which is not much of a surprise considering he was getting most of the goal-line carries even with a healthy Kerryon Johnson. With Johnson out last week, and possibly again, Blount becomes a borderline flex play in deep standard leagues. Both his touchdowns came in the red zone last week and that’s all you’re hoping for. The matchup against the Rams likely means a whole lot of Theo Riddick, but Blount should see 10-15 carries should KJ miss another. Detroit should want to run the ball a bit to keep the Jared Goff and company on the sidelines.
Overall Touches Leaders
- Todd Gurley – 253
- Ezekiel Elliott – 233
- Saquon Barkley – 222
- James Conner – 218
- Kareem Hunt – 207
- David Johnson – 200
- Christian McCaffrey – 196
- Alvin Kamara – 192
- Melvin Gordon – 185
- Adrian Peterson – 185
Austin Ekeler, RB – Los Angeles Chargers
Melvin Gordon is expected to be sidelined for the next couple weeks due to an MCL sprain, so Ekeler moves into the RB2 conversation, especially in PPR formats. Gordon averaged 18.5 touches per game and Ekeler could certainly flirt with that number with Gordon sidelined. Ekeler had 12 carries and five catches on seven targets in Week 7’s win against the Tennessee Titans when Gordon was out. Ekeler also had 10 catches on 11 targets (see below) last week and has five games this season with at least three grabs. Justin Jackson is interesting in deeper standard formats as I expect him to get 5-7 touches a game, but Ekeler saw just about every snap in Week 7 and I expect that to be the case this week in Pittsburgh. That may be a different story in Week 14 against the lowly Bengals. That could be a Jackson game and it’s very possible he out-carries Ekeler over the next couple weeks.
Week 12 Targets Leaders
- Juju Smith-Schuster – 17
- Julio Jones – 14
- C.J. Uzomah – 13
- Antonio Brown – 13
- Calvin Ridley – 13
- George Kittle – 12
- Emmanuel Sanders – 12
- Jermaine Kearse – 12
- Austin Ekeler – 11
- Christian McCaffrey – 11
C.J. Uzomah, TE – Cincinnati Bengals
C.J. Uzomah is an option for those in need of help at the tight end position. Uzomah had 13 targets last week, and eight from Jeff Drisek who will start in place of the injured Andy Dalton this week. Problem is, Uzomah only caught six of his 13 targets for 39 yards. It also sounds like A.J. Green will return this week which likely means less work for Uzomah. With that said, inexperienced QB’s tend to lean on their TE’s and it’s rough out there for a tight end.
Overall Targets Leaders
- Julio Jones – 125
- Adam Thielen – 124
- Antonio Brown – 122
- Odell Beckham Jr. – 115
- Stefon Diggs – 114
- Davante Adams – 114
- Jarvis Landry – 111
- Zach Ertz – 111
- Juju Smith-Schuster – 110
- DeAndre Hopkins – 102
Jarvis Landry, WR – Cleveland Browns
Jarvis Landry remains a huge talking point again this week after another mediocre performance. Landry has five catches for 52 yards in his last two games. He has been held to 50 or fewer yards in four straight games and five of his past six. In fact, he’s posted 50 or fewer yards in six of Baker Mayfield’s eight games. His one solid game came against the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Landry tied a season-low with five targets in Week 12 and it’s been five in two straight games now. I’d be looking for better options at this point.
Overall Red Zone Rushing Attempts
- Todd Gurley – 55
- Alvin Kamara – 41
- Saquon Barkley – 33
- Christian McCaffrey – 31
- James Conner – 31
- Ezekiel Elliott – 28
- Sony Michel – 27
- Kareem Hunt – 27
- Adrian Peterson – 26
- Lamar Miller – 24
Sony Michel, RB – New England Patriots
I’m slightly concerned that Rex Burkhead will cut into a little of what Sony Michel has been doing. It’s quite possible that Burkhead takes away from James White in the passing game, which is tough for owners because White ranks inside the top 10 in red zone targets. Burkhead was used inside the red zone earlier this season and last season when healthy. Michel is the back I want in NE, but we could be headed for a crowded committee again.
Overall Red Zone Targets
- JuJu Smith-Schuster – 23
- Davante Adams – 23
- Alvin Kamara – 21
- Michael Thomas – 20
- Odell Beckham Jr. – 19
- Zach Ertz – 18
- Eric Ebron – 18
- DeAndre Hopkins – 17
- Travis Kelce – 17
- James White – 17
Eric Ebron, TE – Indianapolis Colts
Eric Ebron scored two touchdowns in Week 12 and now has 12 in 11 games with the Indianapolis Colts. That’s more than he had in four years with the Detroit Lions. Ebron had seven targets last week and remains a huge threat inside the red zone for Andrew Luck who has the third most passing attempts in the RZ – one off the league high. Jack Doyle is ruled out for the rest of the season so Ebron owners can expect more work in the passing game.
Overall Passing Attempts
- Jared Goff – 74
- Drew Brees – 74
- Andrew Luck – 73
- Eli Manning – 66
- Patrick Mahomes – 65
- Ben Roethlisberger – 62
- Deshaun Watson – 57
- Tom Brady – 57
- Kirk Cousins – 54
- Aaron Rodgers – 54
Deshaun Watson, QB – Houston Texans
Deshaun Watson has the Browns in Week 13, followed by Colts, Jets, and Eagles. It doesn’t get much juicier than that! There should be a ton of scoring opportunities for this offense inside the red zone. Watson hooked up with Demaryius Thomas twice in the red zone. This is a good look for Watson who can also call his own number in the RZ.
Get more Chris Meaney on his new podcast, By Any Means. Each week he’ll bring in guests from around the industry to break down all the fantasy news you need to know for your march to the championship.
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