Market Share Report: Sammy Watkins Returns to Relevancy
Target Market Shares
1. Ladarius Green Springs to Life
When Ladarius Green signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, you knew things could get tasty in a hurry. He was finally free of Antonio Gates' shadow with the San Diego Chargers, and he had access to one of the league's best offenses. That's the recipe for fantasy delight.
Then he done blowed the top off in Week 13.
Green set career highs in targets (11), receptions (6), and yards (110) all in the same game while still being on a limited snap rate. He wound up playing 48% of the snaps, a mark that could have been higher had the game been closer, but it's pretty obvious this genie's out of the bottle.
Green's matchups the next few weeks aren't necessarily great for tight ends. But based on his usage in Week 13, it seems like he's the equivalent of the Steelers' No. 2 or No. 3 receiver. He's going to have some silly potential as long as the snaps continue to rise, and we may want to give him a crack despite some spots that don't appear overly conducive to fantasy goodness.
2. Amari Cooper's Workload Lags Behind Michael Crabtree's
Amari Cooper knows a thing or two about blowing up. He has four games this year with 129 yards or more, making the optimism around him easy to understand. But there are some troubling signs here, especially relative to his teammate, Michael Crabtree.
Over the past three weeks, Cooper has never exceeded seven targets. Crabtree hasn't been below that mark in the same span, snagging 24 targets the past two weeks alone. Check out this table, which compares the usage of the two since their Week 10 bye.
| Player | Targets | Targets Per Game | Target Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Crabtree | 31 | 10.3 | 30.1% |
| Amari Cooper | 16 | 5.3 | 15.5% |
Part of this is surely due to matchups with the target gap being so large, and Cooper could still be dealing with the after effects of a back injury. Whatever the reasoning, we need to at least take notice of this.
Cooper can have huge games in the yardage department without warning, so there will be incentive to invest in tournaments. But until we start to see his usage go back up, it may be time to pull back the reins so we're not wasting shares on a damaged asset.
3. Sammy Watkins Is Usable Again
Sammy Watkins' final line of 3 receptions for 38 yards isn't going to blow anybody's doors off, and it isn't going to give you faith that he's back to being fully healthy. But pretty much everything else about Watkins' Week 13 will make your insides all tingly.
Watkins finished the game with a team-leading 9 of 35 targets, his highest target total of the season. He did that while playing 68% of the snaps, up from 46% in his first game off of injured reserve. The production may not have been there, but from a usability standpoint, these marks were truly encouraging.
The Buffalo Bills' next three games are all ones in which Watkins could be very usable. In reaction to his usage, it may be time to dive in right away to snag Watkins before pricing adjusts to his revived role even if the production isn't there yet.
