On Target is a periodic feature where we examine a combination of pass-catcher data. Some of the analysis will be tied to common stats and some of it will center around modern metrics.
There are a lot of numbers floating around, so let’s try to see what’s what through two NFL weeks.
Thanks to Pro Football Reference and Fantasy Points for the data used in this article.
Those are half-point PPR ranks, the standard scoring format for Yahoo leagues. What do these three players have in common, in addition to being talented receivers?
They’re all tied to a rookie quarterback.
Obviously, the rookie QBs are works in progress. Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix are still looking for their first touchdown pass. The Broncos are 0-2, the Bears should be 0-2 (thanks, Will Levis), and the Commanders are only 1-1 because the Giants are a train wreck, too.
I probably have the most confidence in Sutton justifying his summer ADP because I trust Sean Payton to figure some things out in Denver. Moore and McLaurin don’t offer a similar luxury, as their play-callers are Shane Waldron and Kliff Kingsbury. After watching Waldron mismanage the Seattle offense last year, I’m stunned the Bears hand-picked him to run their 2024 offense. The Commanders have been shockingly vanilla with their deployment of McLaurin, making him easier to defend than he should be.
Cooper’s stat line through two weeks is difficult to accept. He’s been targeted 17 times but has just five catches. It’s strange to see a 29.4% catch rate tied to a veteran player who’s made five Pro Bowl trips.
Cooper is partially at fault, with three drops through two weeks. He only dropped five passes all last year. But Cooper’s also been hurt by Deshaun Watson’s struggles — just 58.8% of the passes to Cooper have been deemed catchable (per Fantasy Points data), as opposed to 100% of the Elijah Moore targets and 71.4% of the Jerry Jeudy targets.
Like most of you, I have low confidence in Watson. But I trust Cooper, and I trust…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy-football-week-3-on-target-darnell-mooney-rashid-shaheed-160109497.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-09-18 16:01:09
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