Targets - 2011 Year End Report- 08/06/12

BACK +

One of my favorite stats to gauge the quality of a fantasy player is Targets. Take a look at who had the most targets last year at the RB, WR, TE positions in 2011.

You'll win with our Draft Kit:

Spread The Fire

Facebook

targets 2011 report graphic

Targets - 2011 Year End Report

The 2011 season has ended. We laughed, we cried, we Tebowed. Most likely, we watched stats like hawks as we dominated our fantasy leagues.

What makes Pyro so helpful with that domination, is that here, we don’t just focus on traditional stats like yardage and touchdowns. Those don’t paint the whole picture and on their own, they’re poor predictors of activity and future performance. Total touches though, which is what we analyze through a microscope, gives you a much better scope of just how active a player is in an offense and how likely he is to repeat his performance. For you newbies, total touches is carries + receptions for running backs, and passing targets for wideouts and tight ends.

So, who were the mon-stars this season?

At running back, target leader Maurice Jones-Drew had 343 carries, 42 more Atlanta’s Michael Turner, which coupled with his 43 receptions, gave him a total of 386 touches. As impressive as his 1980 total yards 11 total TDs were, they were not as many as the second most targeted guy, Ray Rice, had. His 2068 total yards and 15 total TDs easily put him in the top 3. Last year’s target leader Arian Foster was third across the board in targets, total yards, and total touchdowns, despite missing 3 games. Don’t be surprised if he makes it back to the top next year.

At wide receiver, Roddy White was once again the most targeted receiver in the league, duplicating last year’s 179 total targets. His production totals though, 100 receptions, 1296 yards, and 8 TDs were a bit of a dip from last year by 15 catches, 93 yards, and 2 TDs. It’s nothing drastic, but it’s worth noticing. Rounding out the top was the little engine that can Wes Welker with 173 total targets and the most catches in the league with 122 and of course, Megatron Calvin Johnson, who despite not cracking the 100 reception mark led the league in yards with 1681 and TDs with 16 (7 more than the next guy).

At tight end, Jimmy Graham was the surprise of the season. No longer having to compete for targets with Jeremy Shockey, Graham became the league’s most targeted tight end and led the league with 99 receptions and was second in the league with 1310 yards and 11 TDs. In terms of total production, though the top tight end in the league was the Incredible Gronk, Rob Gronkowski who had 17 more yards and 6 more TDs than Graham on 23 fewer targets. Also of note is Tony Gonzalez, who continued to defy the calendar and improved his yardage total by over 200 yards. That’s not surprising, considering that he remained in the top six in targets.

There you have it, last season’s top targets. These charts and analyses aren’t quite a crystal ball, but they sure can make it easier when preparing for next year. Good night, and good luck to all y’all.

Targets - 2011 Year End Report Running Back Chart

RB targets from 2011