5 NFL Players Who Should Get More Touches in the Second Half of the Season

Brice Butler, WR, Dallas Cowboys

There’s been a need for a second successful receiver for the Dallas Cowboys this year. Dez Bryant was off to a slow start, but the schedule has and will continue to lighten up for him. A year after being one of the most efficient receivers in the league, Cole Beasley has struggled with 0.39 Reception NEP per target, although low Reception NEP per target numbers are common for possession-type wideouts. Terrance Williams has only been slightly better at 0.49, but that's still not very good.

Brice Butler has been targeted just 12 times (incredibly small sample, obviously), but he’s been worth 1.57 Reception NEP per target, and of his eight receptions, two have gone for touchdowns. With Ezekiel Elliott now probably officially suspended, the Cowboys could need to pass more often than the fifth-lowest pass-to-run ratio they’ve had to date. Getting Butler more involved than 31 percent of the offensive snaps and 12 targets would give Dak Prescott another option in the passing game, a much needed one with the current group of receivers not reaching their expected level of impact.