5 Wide Receivers Who Drastically Outperformed Their Teammates in 2016
Pierre Garcon, Washington
Pierre Garcon is an impending free agent, so he's a bit different in this equation. Even if Washington isn't giving him more targets, some team should because he was cookin' this year.
All three of Garcon, DeSean Jackson, and Jamison Crowder had solid metrics largely because Kirk Cousins was one of the more efficient passers in the game. But even compared to quality competition, Garcon stood out.
| Wide Receiver | Targets | Target NEP | Target NEP per Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pierre Garcon | 114 | 60.01 | 0.53 |
| DeSean Jackson | 100 | 39.11 | 0.39 |
| Jamison Crowder | 99 | 33.85 | 0.34 |
Overall, Garcon was sixth in Target NEP per target among those with 80 targets, with Jackson 19th and Crowder 25th. Again, all of these guys were good, but Garcon was the best.
With Garcon's contract status, we have some broader implications here. For him, he could wind up being a big fantasy boon if he winds up on a team where he'll have less competition for targets than he had in Washington. If he comes back, the targets may be frustrating, but he'll still be a solid fantasy asset.
Additionally, if Garcon leaves (and the same is true for Jackson, who could also be out the door), we may have some reason for concern around Cousins. Garcon was tremendous this year, and Jackson has a history of boosting quarterback performance. If one or both leave, that's a ton of last talent around the signal-caller.
He will be getting first-round pick Josh Doctson back after an Achilles injury cut his season short, but we'll need to see how this situation plays out before expecting Cousins to duplicate his fantasy deliciousness in 2017.
