Week 7 By the Numbers
Arian Foster is out of this world. We’re all talking about Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees and what they’ve done over the last few weeks, but where’s the Arian love?
He’s scored a touchdown in every game except for one. He’s already got 9 on the ground, which is 4 more than any other running back. He’s averaging 18.5 non-PPR points per game. To put that into perspective, that’s almost 4 points more than Ray Rice, the second best running back.
If you want to make an argument about Aaron Rodgers in the early first round – fine. I’ll listen, but still tell you that you’re wrong.
But for the fantasy owners who drafted Aaron Rodgers over Arian Foster…shame on you.
Here are some more fun numbers from Week 7, as well as the rest of the season:
Week 7 Numbers
Mike Wallace led the league with 15 targets.
The problem with this is that he only had 8 catches. And he couldn’t catch a ball to save his life. Look for Antonio Brown to continue to be the one Ben looks to in clutch situations, and hope Mike Wallace can get the deep ones he’s known for.
Jeremy Kerley had 11 targets.
He’s become Mark Sanchez’s favorite target, but I still don’t know if that’s saying much. If he’s not owned in your league, get him as a bench player and bye week fill-in.
Chris Johnson was the only running back with a yards per carry average of 10 or more.
It was against the Bills, and his numbers are a little skewed with the long touchdown he had in the first half. As I mentioned many times before, I have no idea what to think of CJ right now. If you’re an owner, just hope he can keep it up.
There were 7 running backs who rushed for 100 or more yards in Week 7. During Week 6, this number was 2.
On this list of seven we had names like LaRod Stephens-Howling and Jonathan Dwyer. It was a good week for running backs.
Brandon Myers and Owen Daniels led all tight ends in targets.
Myers continues to see looks from Carson, but I can’t slot him as a playable until he gets into the end zone. Owen Daniels, of course, is a solid weekly play at tight end.
Dustin Keller caught all 7 passes that went his way.
After battling injury throughout the season, Jets tight end Dustin Keller looks to be back and healthy. He could be an interesting pickup considering the Jets’ lack of receiving help for Sanchez.
Fred Jackson led all running backs with 11 targets.
It’s no secret that the Bills have two talented running backs that can catch the ball out of the backfield, but Jackson’s 11 targets were nearly double the amount of CJ Spiller’s 6.
Rashad Jennings had 7 receptions on 9 targets for 58 yards.
Clearly the number one waiver wire pickup this week, Jennings is going to be a huge play in both PPR and non-PPR leagues while MJD is out.
Josh Freeman led all quarterbacks in passing yards.
The takeaway here is not that Josh Freeman is an every week starter, but rather the New Orleans defense is an every week start againster.
Andrew Luck threw the ball deep 34.5% of his attempts, which was good for second in the NFL this week.
“Deep” is defined by 15 yards or greater. It’s quite frustrating if you’re a Luck owner because he didn’t do much through the air. I do expect him to continue to have success in fantasy terms because of the Colts’ soft schedule.
Some Year to Date Statistics
Aaron Rodgers has 12 touchdowns over the last 3 weeks. That’s 4 more than the quarterback in second, Drew Brees.
His play has been out of this world good, and for early-round quarterbackers, your pick is becoming more and more worthwhile.
Marcel Reece has as many targets as Arian Foster.
They’re both at 25. It doesn’t mean much, but it’s an interesting stat.
Despite his struggling start, Darren McFadden is fourth among running backs with 25 receptions.
This is just another reason to not “sell low” on DMC. He’s touching the rock, and given his talent, he’s going to perform consistently eventually.
Ahmad Bradshaw has been the second best fantasy running back over the last 3 weeks.
And Shonn Greene is third. Greene’s is due to his big game against Indy, while Bradshaw is showing he can be a sustainable back. I had him pre-season ranked in the top 12 overall, and many people criticized the decision. I think he’s showing me, and everyone else, why.
Josh Gordon, over the last three weeks, has been the third best fantasy wide receiver.
The crazy part? He’s done it with just 7 receptions.
Larry Fitzgerald leads the NFL in targets over the last 5 weeks.
The issue with Fitzgerald isn’t the amount of looks he gets. It’s the changing of quarterbacks, and the lack of skill at the quarterback position. I get that he had these same guys throwing him the ball last year, but things look to be different in 2012. He’s averaging the 24th most points at wide receiver. That’s not what you want out of an early second round pick.