NFL
Week 13 Fantasy Football Market Share Report: Julian Edelman Is a Red Zone Monster

The fantasy playoffs are here, and it's no time to get cute with your lineup. But that's the thing -- only you know what you have and what type of ceiling and floor your team possesses in the most important time of the season.

So although you can go with the players who got you there, it's also prudent to get the players in your lineup who could provide an instant boost to your roster.

But overall, don't stress your decisions. Do your homework and trust the process.

Here are some usage trends worth noting from last week that (hopefully) can help aid you in your roster moves.

Rushing Market Shares

Benny Snell

Benny Snell Jr. hasn’t had the job to himself, but he continues to stand out in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ rushing attack.

Without James Conner last week, Snell handled 16 carries for 63 yards and caught his lone target for four yards. He had more than twice as many carries as Jaylen Samuels (seven) and accounted for 16 of the Steelers' 26 running-back carries.

Conner's status is up in the air, and with Pittsburgh getting a great matchup versus the Arizona Cardinals in Week 14, Snell could be a viable flex option if Conner is once again out.

Darwin Thompson

The legend that is Darwin Thompson, running back for the Kansas City Chiefs, grew a little larger in Sunday’s win over the Oakland Raiders.

His work wasn’t staggering, but his timing is impeccable. With no return in site for Damien Williams and a banged-up Darrel Williams likely out for Week 14, Thompson is in line to share the work with LeSean McCoy.

In Week 13, Thompson had 11 carries for 44 yards and an impressive short rushing touchdown. He was a preseason phenom, and Thompson may deliver on that hype at the most important time of the year for fantasy owners.

Receiving Market Shares

Russell Gage

Russell Gage hit the New Orleans Saints for 5 catches and 51 yards with one touchdown on nine targets. He totaled 53 air yards, according to AirYards.com.

His 20 percent market share isn’t anything to get ecstatic about, but back-to-back productive weeks in a Julio Jones-less offense is the sticking point. In the last two games, Gage has caught 13 of 19 looks for 138 yards and a score. He's accounted for an 18 percent target share in that time.

Per reports, Atlanta isn't planning to shut down Julio, but that tune may change soon with the Falcons having nothing to play for. If Julio sits, Gage needs to be rostered.

Kelvin Harmon

Kelvin Harmon hasn’t had much playing time to show what he’s got. But this past Sunday, Harmon caught three of his five targets for 51 yards, leading the team in receiving. Harmon led the team with a 20 percent target share for the week.

His 17 yards per catch, including a 26-yard catch and run, showed the rookie's ability to be a deep threat for the Dwayne Haskins.

With the season lost, Washington may give Harmon all the work he can handle opposite Terry McLaurin the rest of the way.

Red Zone Market Shares

Peyton Barber

After dominating carries on Sunday, Peyton Barber, running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, re-established himself as a back to count on near the red zone. In his postgame press conference, Bruce Arians said he benched Ronald Jones for pass protection issues.

How long will Jones be in the doghouse? Who knows.

But Barber is already seeing 37.3 percent of the red zone carries for Tampa Bay, and he stands to benefit greatly if Jones is relegated to a bit-part role.

Julian Edelman

Julian Edelman is hardly thought of as a red zone threat, but he’s currently leading all receivers in red zone targets with 18.

Edelman is seeing 26.1 percent of the red zone targets for the New England Patriots and has four red zone touchdowns on the year.

That figure should rise as the Patriots and Tom Brady lean on their reliable options, which -- right now -- include basically just Edelman and James White, who is second in receiving red targets in the NFL with 17. Facing the Kansas City Chiefs this week, the Pats could have to go to the air more often.

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