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Week 6 fantasy football waiver wire targets, trade candidates and start or sit roster decisions based on PFF routes run

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) celebrates with wide receiver Chase Claypool (11) in the end-zone after catching a fifty yard touchdown pass against the Denver Broncos during the first quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Opportunity is king in fantasy football, and chasing target volume has always been a winning strategy — especially in PPR leagues. PFF premium stats offers proprietary data that goes well beyond the box score, including routes run for every player from different alignments. 


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Targeting players who are running a high percentage of routes is a good strategy for identifying breakout candidates and waiver wire additions. This weekly report will look at the previous week's rate of routes run per dropback compared to larger samples to find running backs, wide receivers and tight ends who are garnering more or less opportunities in the passing game.

Last week's article highlighted the likes of Kyle Pitts, Robert Woods, Ricky Seals-Jones and D’Andre Swift as players whose usage was likely to transform into fantasy production sooner than later.

Published Monday, Oct. 11. This data does not include the Monday Night Football game between the Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts

WIDE RECEIVERS

Rate of routes run per dropback | Weeks 1-5
Player % of routes run per dropback
DeAndre Hopkins 98%
Adam Thielen 97%
Terry McLaurin 97%
Michael Pittman Jr. 97%
Justin Jefferson 96%
Cooper Kupp 96%
Jakobi Meyers 96%
Brandin Cooks 95%
Ja'Marr Chase 95%
Zach Pascal 95%
Tyler Lockett 94%
DeVonta Smith 94%
Darnell Mooney 93%
Marvin Jones Jr. 92%
Chris Godwin 92%
D.J. Moore 92%
Deebo Samuel 91%
Keenan Allen 91%
Davante Adams 90%
Tyler Boyd 90%

DeAndre Hopkins’ slow start to the season is hard to grasp — he’s been running routes at the highest rate among all wide receivers. But the Cardinals have added competition in the passing game, with A.J. Green, Rondale Moore, Chase Edmonds and Christian Kirk all in the mix for targets.

Over the past four weeks, Hopkins owns just a 19% target share, which ranks outside the top 30 wide receivers. The five-game sample size is big enough to suggest Hopkins' days being a locked-and-loaded weekly top-five option are no longer realistic. I’d be looking to sell high after Nuk’s 28% target share led to a top-15 weekly finish in Week 5.

Rate of routes run per dropback | Week 5

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