Hidden Stat Line: Targets, Routes & Snaps from Week 2

If you didn't catch it already, check out Hidden Stat Line: Week 2 Backfield Usage for Every NFL Team. In addition to the usual stat leaderboards and team-by-team recaps, this week's edition includes a 1-10 ranking of the top RB waiver adds this week.

The injury bug didn't have as much of a fantasy impact at other positions, but we still have plenty to discuss in our usage breakdowns below, focusing on wide receivers and tight ends. It was an especially big week for the TE position, though in some cases the pretty stat lines weren't backed by heavy usage in terms of snaps, routes or targets (REGRESSION WARNING).

We also saw some encouraging performances from rookie wide receivers, including KJ Hamler, Chase Claypool and CeeDee Lamb. On the other hand, we'll take a closer look at disappointing veterans like DJ Chark and T.Y. Hilton, hoping to find explanations for the lackluster production.

Due to time constraints, the game-by game recaps will initially be posted Tuesday afternoon with only 11 of 16 games available (TNF plus the 10 early Sunday contests). We'll add the other five games and stat leaderboards as soon as they're ready for consumption.

(Snap totals, snap shares, carries and targets come from pro-football-reference.com. Data on dropbacks and routes run comes from Pro Football Focus. Stats on air yards and target share come from RotoWire's advanced stats pages.)

Bengals (30) at Browns (35)

Bengals

• C.J. Uzomah suffered an Achilles tear midway through the fourth quarter, finishing with 51 percent of snaps and 4-42-1 on six targets. Sample was extremely busy after Uzomah's exit, catching five of seven targets for 33 yards over the final eight minutes of the game. No. 3 TE Cethan Carter played only 8 percent of snaps, so we could see Sample — a 2019 second-round pick — in a three-down role as soon as Week 2.
• Sample and Uzomah combined for 67 routes runs on Joe Burrow's 68 QB dropbacks Thursday night. Per PFF, the two tight ends have combined for 106 routes and only 10 pass-blocking snaps through two weeks (Giovani Bernard tends to be the sixth blocker on pass plays when the Bengals use one).
• Mike Thomas went 4-31-1 on 35 percent snap share, and John Ross went catchless on two targets across 30 percent snap share. (Ross had 2-17-0 on five targets and 84 percent of snaps Week 1, so it appears he dropped from a starting job to the fourth or fifth spot.)
• Green committed two drops, including one in the end zone. He doesn't look like his peak self at all, but he's come awfully close to big numbers. His Week 1, which ended with 5-51-0 on nine targets, was defined by an overthrown deep ball that should've been a long touchdown and a push-off penalty that negated what would've been the game-winning TD. Green is getting high-value opportunities, but that won't necessarily remain the case if he continues to struggle.
• Eight targets for Boyd is actually pretty disappointing for a game that saw Joe Burrow chuck it 61 times. Boyd is running the most routes and has a solid 11-105-1 receiving line through two games, but his 13.4 percent target share is way down from last year's 24.0 percent. It's still a small sample, of course, and coach Zac Taylor still loves to throw.
• The Bengals used 11 personnel on 88 percent of snaps, and went either four-wide or five-wide on 5 percent of plays. They don't even roster a fullback, and they rarely used multi-TE formations even before Uzomah was hurt. Their Week 1 gameplan was also among the most spread-heavy in the league, though a smidge less drastic — three or more WRs on 84 percent of snaps.

Browns

• Hooper bumped up from 77 percent snap share in the opener, but his targets only rose from two to four as the Browns ran the ball down the Bengals throats. There's still some hope for Hooper, given that he's a full-time player who has run routes on 71 percent of Baker Mayfield's dropbacks. That said, the volume clearly won't be what it was in Atlanta last year.
• The Browns ran only 40 percent of their snaps from 11 personnel, which actually was up from 34 percent in the Week 1 blowout loss at Baltimore. Kevin Stefanski seems to really like rookie TE Harrison Bryant, who caught one of two targets for 14 yards while playing 52 percent of snaps in Thursday's win. Either that or Stefanski doesn't like any of his WRs besides Beckham and Landry.
• Speaking of which... it's a little concerning to see OBJ & JL losing so many snaps, but the former is at .82 routes/dropback this season and the latter at .79, so it isn't cause for all-out panic.
• Even with the minimal use of 11 personnel, Landry has run 58 percent of his routes from the slot so far, per PFF. Also, he was highly effective when working outside the past two years, despite what you may have heard. His problem is the same as everyone else's in this offense — they seem to love running, and Mayfield is still hard to trust (these two things may be related).
• Hodge is at five targets and 56 percent snap share through two weeks. The No. 3 receiver in this offense may not get many chances, but Hodge at least seems to have the job locked down. Meanwhile, Rashard Higgins has played only 16 percent of snaps.

Vikings (11) at Colts (28)

Vikings

• This was another low-volume game for the Minnesota offense, with only 21:35 of possession and 47 offensive plays. The Vikings have run 96 plays this season, 19 fewer than any other team.
• Thielen went 3-for-3 on the opening drive and 0-for-5 thereafter. Johnson and Jefferson combined for one reception and 22 yards prior to the final, garbage-time drive.
• Thielen has 16 targets through two games, while no other Viking has more than seven (Johnson). Thielen also lead the team with 59 routes, which is 14 more than second-place Jefferson. It's still totally possible for a second fantasy-viable pass catcher to step up, but the TEs are still in a timeshare, and neither Johnson nor Jefferson has clearly emerged ahed of the other.
• FWIW, Jefferson got three more snaps than Johnson in the opener, while Johnson got 13 more Week 2. Jefferson has run 82 percent of his routes from the slot, with three catches (for 56 yards) and a drop on four targets (37 routes), per PFF.

Colts

• Parris Campbell left with a knee injury after only two snaps. It sounds like he'll be out for a while, perhaps even the entire season.
• Hilton essentially served as the No. 3 receiver — one of the bigger WR usage surprises from Week 2. Granted, he was still on the field for the vast majority of pass snaps, and he got wide open for a 44-yard TD before committing one of the worst drops of his career. Hilton saw 80 percent of snaps and 19.6 percent target share Week 1, so it's not like he's clearly being pushed out of the passing game. For the time being, he can be viewed as a WR3/4 type, i.e., still worth starting in most leagues with 12 or more teams.
• Alie-Cox filled in for an injured Jack Doyle (knee/ankle), who saw four targets on 73 percent snap share and .70 routes per dropback in Week 1. Alie-Cox took on a similar role, and while his first target was a catchable pass that turned into a red-zone interception in tight coverage, he bounced back strong with gains of 16, 14, 33, 21 and 27. He's listed at 267 pounds, and he had 15 catches on 596 offensive snaps through his first two years in the NFL. But man does he move well for a guy that big.
• Pittman got a huge big bump from his Week 1 usage (53% snaps, 4.3% target share, .51 routes/db). He probably won't see a ton of targets, but he at least offers upside as a second-round pick, whereas Pascal we've already witnessed being mediocre for multiple years.

Giants (13) at Bears (17)

Giants

• Sterling Shepard was busy early, catching two of four targets for 29 yards and adding a six-yard carry before he left after 15 snaps with a toe injury. He reportedly has turf toe, which won't be a season-ender but could keep him out for a few weeks. The bigger news, of course, is that Saquon Barkley suffered an ACL tear. That's bad news for the Giants' chances to score points, but it could mean a few more targets to be spread around elsewhere.
• C.J. Board played only 17 percent of snaps but caught each of his three targets for 32 yards. Maybe the Giants give him a look instead of Ratley while Shepard is out.
• Slayton and Engram are tied for the team lead with 15 targets, which is only 18.5 percent share. The passing game has been spread out more than expected, with Board and Kaden Smith getting five targets apiece, plus Barkley and Dion Lewis combining for 15. Anyway, things should start to narrow soon enough, likely in favor of Engram, Slayton and Tate.

• Oops.

Bears

• Despite his late-game heroics the prior week, Anthony Miller got only 40 percent snap share and .52 routes per dropback, finishing with two drops and zero catches on three targets. We did warn you about Miller, whose 4-76-1 receiving line in the opener came with just 42 percent snap share and .55 routes per dropback. It appears he's just the slot guy for three- and four-wide formations, which the Bears have used on 56 percent of snaps (down from 71 percent last year).
• For a second straight week, Robinson and Graham were the only guys to go over 60 percent snap share and .65 routes per dropback. Even with Ted Ginn demoted to healthy-scratch status, the Bears rotated Mooney and Wims at the No. 2 receiver spot.
• Mooney has caught each of his six targets for 74 yards and a TD, so he's at least making a case to have the No. 2 job all for his own, even if it hasn't happened yet. Wims has caught three of four targets for 18 yards and a TD of his own, but you could argue he's redundant with Robinson, being a bulkier possession receiver and what not. Mooney is a fifth-round rookie out of Tulane, with 4.38 speed at only 5-10, 176 pounds.
• Graham's solid Week 1 gave way to more of what we saw in Green Bay last year... plenty of routes, but very few targets. Maybe it was rash to be encouraged by the Week 1 usage, considering he was eighth among TEs in routes run last year, but only 18th in yards. Even so, it looks like Graham or Mooney are the best bets to emerge as steady contributors behind A-Rob.
• Through two weeks, Robinson ranks No. 8 in target share (28.6 percent), No. 8 in air yards (239) and No. 7 in air-yard share (40.1 percent). The stats will come.

Falcons (39) at Cowboys (40)

Falcons

• Apart from the four player listed above, Falcons wide receivers and tight ends have accounted for only one target this year. The RBs have seen 14 targets, while Ridley/Jones/Gage/Hurst have combined for 72.
• Hurst saw a dip from 78 percent snap share Week 1, but his routes per dropback stayed steady at .80. He simply lost a few blocking snaps to Luke Stocker.
• Jones dropped what should've been a 41-yard touchdown pass from Gage, who lined up for direct snaps twice. Jones is dealing with a hamstring injury, which might explain the lack of targets, but his snap/route usage was normal.
• Ridley is second in the NFL with 309 air yards, two spots ahead of Jones (277). The third-year pro is No. 2 in red-zone targets (five) and tied for second in targets inside the 10-yard line (three).

Cowboys

• Schultz is tied for third in the league with four RZ targets. He lost a fumble Sunday, but he otherwise played a great game, and the target/route/snap usage is the best you can hope for outside of the handful or so of every-down TEs (Kelce, Kittle, Engram, Ertz, Waller, Higbee).
• Gallup's 10.7 percent target share through two weeks is a little concerning. He's way behind Cooper (27.4 percent) and Lamb (19.0 percent). It should even out a bit, but it's also possible Gallup is the loser if Lamb is more heavily involved than Randall Cobb was last year.
• Cooper is 12th in target share (27.4 percent) and ninth in air yards (234).

Lions (21) at Packers (42)

Lions

• They should've fired Matt Patricia, traded Matthew Stafford and drafted Tua Tagovailoa. The upside scenario for this roster was 10 wins and an early playoff exit, while the downside scenario is what we're now seeing. Sorry, Lions fans.
• Hockenson's early performance is a silver lining, but it's a at least a little concerning that he's seen only 12.7 percent target share (and 44 air yards) with Kenny Golladay (hamstring) inactive. Hockenson has earned 63 percent of his yards after the catch, producing 13.1 YPT with a 4.9 aDOT. Those rate numbers aren't sustainable, but it is possible — perhaps even likely — that his strong work leads to more targets.
• Hockenson has been at .60 and .66 routes per dropback through two weeks, so he's still missing out on some pass-catching opportunities on the approximately one-third of snaps he doesn't play. The good news? The Lions have used him as a blocker on only five of his 57 pass-play snaps, per PFF. There's still every-week TE1 upside if Hockenson becomes an every-down player and the Lions pull their act together in general
• Marvin Hall scored a 24-yard touchdown but saw only two targets and 29 percent snap share as the No. 4 receiver.
• Jones is at 21.1 percent target share, which is good, but maybe not quite what was expected without Golladay playing?

Packers

• Adams left in the third quarter with a hamstring injury. It doesn't sound serious, and he might have returned to the game if the Packers had needed him.
• This was the second week in a row with Lazard getting more snaps and routes but Valdes-Scantling seeing more targets. MVS saw a bump from his 54 percent snap share the previous week, likely because Adams missed the fourth quarter.
• The Packers have used 11 personnel on 35 percent of their plays this year. Part of that is playing with multi-score leads after halftime, but even in the first half of games they've only used 11 on 44 percent of snaps.
• Valdes-Scantling is tied for 11th in the league with 224 air yards, as his 17.2 aDOT is third-deepest among all players with double-digit targets (behind only DeSean Jackson and Mike Williams, a.k.a. the usual suspects).
• Lazard has run 63 percent of his routes from the slot, far more than MVS (38 percent) or Adams (28 percent). However, Adams has drawn eight targets on 18 slot routes, while Lazard is at 5-for-41, per PFF.
• Tonyan is basically the same thing as 2019 Jimmy Graham, running a bunch of routes without drawing many targets.
• Packers RBs have accounted for 28.6 percent of team targets, the third-largest share in the league. The WR target share (60 percent) is 18th, so really it's the TEs that have been missing out at Aaron Jones' expense. That might seem odd given that the Packers average 1.38 TEs on the field per snap, but it's not so odd once we look at who those tight ends are (Tonyan, Jace Sternberger, Marcedes Lewis, Josiah Deguara have all been getting some playing time).

Bills (31) at Dolphins (28)

Bills

• TE Dawson Knox suffered a concussion, finishing with a 38-yard catch and a lost fumble on three targets. Tyler Kroft ended up playing 51 percent of snaps but wasn't targeted.
• Diggs handled 94 percent snap share and .98 routes per dropback Week 1. He obviously dominated the game, but the dip in playing time makes me wonder if he got banged up at some point along the way? He also had a pair of drops, so he could've had an even bigger game.
• Brown and Beasley had similar route/snap usage as Week 1, but the Bills didn't throw as many passes and Diggs hogged more targets.
• Diggs is No. 7 with 253 air yards, and Brown is No. 13 with 220. Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley are the only other teammates both above 200.
• The 11.5 aDOT seems like a good compromise for Diggs. Last year, it was a career-high 14.9 but he only drew 94 targets. The year before, he had an 8.8 aDOT and 149 targets but averaged only 10.0 yards per catch. Why use Diggs as a possession receiver OR a deep threat when you can use him as both? Scoring more points is #good, even if it makes Mike Zimmer feel like less of a man.

Dolphins

• It probably doesn't matter in light of his career-best performance, but Gesicki actually saw a dip from his Week 1 marks of 73 percent snap share and .79 routes per dropback. Anyway, he now leads all TEs with 163 air yards and 31.2 percent air-yard share
• Williams has caught three of 12 targets for 67 yards, but he's essentially an every-down player and doesn't appear to have any competition for the starting job.
• Parker's hamstring injury from the previous week apparently wasn't a factor.

49ers (31) at Jets (13)

49ers

• TE Ross Dwelley saw one target on 64 percent snap share. No. 3 receiver Trent Taylor got three targets on 46 percent share.
• Reed had a huge day filling in for George Kittle (knee), with all his production coming before the end of the third quarter.
• Bourne saw 92 percent snap share and .97 routes per dropback in the season opener, catching two of five targets for 34 yards. His playing time fell off a bit Sunday, but he's the only Niners pass catcher with more than three targets in both games.
• RBs have accounted for a league-high 35.6 percent of the team target total, while WRs are at 37.3 percent (second lowest). Only the Saints and Raiders have similar RB-WR target share splits.

Jets

• Jamison Crowder (hamstring) was inactive, while Breshad Perriman (ankle) and Chris Hogan (ribs) suffered injuries during Sunday's game.
• Josh Malone played 65 percent of snaps and caught four of six targets for 16 yards. He was sent back to the practice squad Monday, lol jets.
• Chris Herndon was a DFS lineup killer. He and Mark Andrews were pretty much the only TEs that didn't have a million yards and multiple TDs this week.
• Through two weeks, Herndon ranks 24th among TEs in snaps (88) and is tied for 26th in routes run (43). The Jets are tied with Houston for the second-fewest plays run (115) on offense.
• Berrios had a nice game filling in for Crowder. Does Adam Gase design his offense to optimize slot receiver stat lines, rather than trying to score points or win? If so, he's great at what he does. If not... yeah.

Jaguars (30) at Titans (33)

Jaguars

• The Jags had eight players finish between four and seven targets. Chris Thompson, James Robinson and TE James O'Shaughnessy.
• Chark has meager 10.9 percent target share through two weeks, but his snap and route numbers are right in line with expectations. He got 84 percent snap share and .93 routes per dropback in Week 1.
• Cole leads the team with 18.8 percent target share. His 6.2 aDOT is way down from 9.9 in 2018 and 10.7 in 2019, but he's getting more snaps, routes and targets. He's run 73 percent of his routes from the slot, per PFF, up from 54 percent last year.
• Conley bounced back a little, after getting 32 percent snap share and one target in the season opener.
• Eifert's snap share was up only a tick from 56 percent the previous week, but his routes/db jumped from .57 to .72 and his targets from one to six. He scored a TD from 19 yards out and saw two other targets in the red zone. He also leads the Jags in air yards so far, albeit with only 91.
• Shenault added five carries for 37 yards, taking eight snaps in the backfield, seven in the slot and 26 out wide, per PFF. He only had two backfield snaps (and one direct snap) in Week 1.

Titans

• WR Cameron Batson got two targets and a carry on 55 percent snap share, while Kalif Raymond played 45 percent of snaps but didn't touch the ball. A.J. Brown (knee) was inactive.
• I've already said this a million times, but Jonnu still doesn't run a ton of routes, even when he has a big game. Anthony Firkser stole nine routes and four targets, plus Smith was used as a pass blocker five times, per PFF. Even with A.J. Brown inactive, Smith's value boils down to TDs and his big-play ability, rather than any sort of volume stability. He'd be an every-week fantasy starter in some offenses.

Los Angeles Rams (37) at Eagles (19)

Rams

• Gerald Everett played 43 percent of snaps, and Van Jefferson got 38 percent. Jefferson caught four of five targets for 45 yards, after going 1-of-3 for 31 in the opener... maybe he pushes Reynolds aside soon?
• Not sure it's legal to be worried about someone coming off a three-TD game, but I am legally required to mention that Higbee sunk to .50 routes per dropback, blocking on seven of his 22 pass snaps and also losing some work to Everett on 3rd-and-long. (I swear I'm not the fun police, just a humble usage service.)
• Everett had a 6-2 snap advantage over Higbee on third downs with four or more yards to convert. That's not a huge deal in and of itself, but it does make us wonder if Higbee will come off the field in two-minute drill situations and/or catch-up mode — neither has happened yet, as they're off to a 2-0 star and were on defense right before halftime in both games.
• Woods added 3-19-1 on the ground, and Kupp got 2-19-0.
• Woods leads the team after two games with 23.6 percent target share, but they haven't had to throw much.
• Jefferson leads the team with 93 air yards and an 11.6 aDOT, while Kupp's microscopic 3.6 aDOT has been cancelled out by catching nine of 11 targets and averaging 8.8 yards after the catch.
• The Rams have used 11 personnel on 69 percent of snaps, and 12 personnel on 28 percent. Last year it was 73 percent and 21 percent, respectively.

Eagles

• After rotating his wideouts in the season opener, Doug Pederson went with a narrow rotation Week 2. Including Miles Sanders, the Eagles had five skill-position players who played more than three-quarters of the snaps. J.J. Arcega-Whiteside had the sixth-most snaps at only 23 percent.
• Jackson saw each of his nine targets in the second half.
• Goedert fell way short of his Week 1 production, but he saw nice boosts from 79 percent snap share and .62 routes per dropback in the opener. He'll do big things if he gets this kind of route/snap share more consistently and the Eagles offense is even half-decent.
• Jackson is third in the NFL in air yards (286), with a 17.9 aDOT leading all players with double-digit targets. Reagor has a 19.8 aDOT, but on only eight targets.

Broncos (21) at Steelers (26)

Broncos

• The Broncos had five WRs get significant playing time, with DaeSean Hamilton at 44 percent of snaps and Courtland Sutton at 40 percent (Sutton suffered an ACL tear). Sutton saw six targets, Hamilton three.
• Hamler made his NFL debut after a hamstring injury cost him most of training camp and Week 1. He took 31 snaps out wide and only 17 from the slot, per PFF, with the Broncos choosing to keep Jeudy as the primary slot guy.
• Jeudy played 68 percent of the snaps in 11 personnel but only five of 19 snaps (26 percent) in other packages, i.e., Jeudy was mostly just used as the slot man for three-wide formations. Even after the Sutton injury, Jeudy logged just 1-of-12 snaps in heavier personnel packages in the second half (Patrick led the way with 10, Hamler got 7, Hamilton had 5)
• Here are the snap and target numbers from after halftime (39 snaps) with Sutton out of the game :

1. Hamler - 31 snaps, 4 targets
2. Patrick - 30 snaps, 2 targets
3. Jeudy - 22 snaps, 3 targets
4. Hamilton - 20 snaps, 2 targets

Steelers

• Chase Claypool only played 37 percent of snaps but caught each of his three targets for 88 yards and a touchdown. Washington has looked okay, but it could be hard to keep Claypool in such a limited role as the year moves along. Even if the current split holds, Washington won't have much fantasy value running routes on only half or two-thirds of QB dropbacks (he was at .69 in Week 1).
• Vance McDonald played 55 percent of snaps and caught one of two targets for three yards.
• Johnson led the Steelers in targets for a second time in as many weeks. He's mostly been catching shorter passes (7.3 aDOT, 6.5 YPT), but he did have a 28-yard reception in the end zone and one other deep target in Sunday's win. His 32.9 percent target share through two week is second to only DeAndre Hopkins (35.7).
• Smith-Schuster's 4.3 aDOT is a little more worrisome, down from 9.2 in 2019 and 8.7 in 2018. He's never going to be a deep threat, but this usage mostly puts him in the company of tight ends.
• Ebron's snap and route usage is as good as anyone could've hoped for, but his target share sits at only 11.0 percent. It'll get better if he continues to linger around 70 percent route participation, but there's probably something to the idea that the Steelers simply have better receiving options out wide. Ol' McDonald ain't the problem, that's for sure.

Panthers (17) at Buccaneers (31)

Panthers

• Thomas is in a timeshare with Chris Manhertz, who played 54 percent of snaps Week 1 and 49 percent Week 2. Thomas still got .69 and .66 routes per dropback, but he's somehow been targeted just twice on 58 routes.
• Samuel saw eight targets Week 1 but actually had more carries (four for 26 yards) Week 2. He could see some extra work on the ground while Christian McCaffrey (ankle) is out.
• Moore is now fifth in the league for both target share (29.7 percent) and air-yard share (47.2 percent), with his 11.8 aDOT actually deeper than Anderson's 10.2
• Anderson also cracks the Top 25 for both target (24.2) and air-yard share (33.2).

Bucs

• Miller simply kept his role from Week 1, while Watson stepped in as the "replacement" for Chris Godwin (concussion). Both were quiet, and Godwin will be back for Week 3.
• Seems like the Gronk thing isn't happening. He's getting plenty of snaps overall, but he's run just .51 routes per dropback in consecutive weeks, drawing four targets on 39 routes. He probably needs more routes to make a fantasy impact, and he definitely needs to be targeted on a higher percentage of his routes.
• Tampa RBs have accounted for 27.5 percent of the targets, fifth most in the league. Maybe throwing to running backs is a Tom Brady thing, not a Josh McDaniels thing.

Washington Football Team (15) at Cardinals (30)

WTF WFT!

• Washington basically has three pass catchers who always are on the field, with No. 3 WR Dontrelle Inman (68 percent snap share) and backup TE Marcus Baugh (23 percent) the only other guys above 9 percent.
• Thomas saw even more work Week 2, coming off 74 percent snap share, .86 routes/db and eight targets in the opener. His receiving line (8-63-1) doesn't look great, but he's tied with McLaurin for 17th in the league in target share (26.6 percent). Even if it's all based on volume rather than efficiency, Thomas is in play as a low-end TE1. His 134 air yards are fourth-most among TEs.
• Sims has now seen only eight targets on 68 routes, but he's caught six of them for 103 yards, making a case for more work.  He's run 78 percent of his snaps from the slot, per PFF, and he also gets some work outside in two-receiver formations, thus the 83 and 91 percent snap shares through two weeks. Some of the targets that have been going to Thomas should eventually make their way toward Sims.
• McLaurin is 23rd in air yards (171) and 25th in air-yard share (32.9 percent). He put up 3-60-1 on a single drive early in the fourth quarter of Sunday's loss.

Cardinals

• Kirk has seen 11.4 percent of the targets but 31.6 percent of the air yards, with his 20.4 aDOT deepest in the league among all players with five or more targets. It's strange, to say the least, considering his aDOT was 9.6 and 9.3 the past two years, and he averaged only 10.4 yards per catch in his first year with Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray. Kirk has run only 20 percent of his routes from the slot, per PFF, down from 42 percent last season. Five of his nine targets have been 20-plus yards downfield.
• The numbers won't stay this drastic, but it does make sense that the Cardinals would use Kirk as more of a modest-volume deep threat now that they have Hopkins leading the league in target share (35.7 percent) while sporting a TE-like 5.4 aDOT. In addition to the lack of production, it's a little concerning to see Kirk's snap share drop from 77 percent in Week 1 to 61 percent in Week 1, with routes/db going from .88 to .70. (Personally, I'm flirting with dropping Kirk in a 12-team league that starts only two WRs and one FLEX.)
• Maxx Williams (ankle) was ankle, which allowed Arnold to improve on Week 1 marks of 55 percent snap share and .59 routes/db. Opportunity = squandered.
• Fitzgerald is sitting on 17.1 percent target share and a 3.5 aDOT through two weeks. Looks like he may squeeze out another year or WR4/5 status in PPR leagues, but there's no upside unless Hopkins misses games.

Chiefs (23) at Chargers (20) - OT

Chiefs

• Watkins took a hard hit early in the fourth quarter and sat out the rest of the game. Between the fourth quarter and overtime, Robinson played 88 percent of snaps and Hardman got 84 percent. It was Hardman who made the bigger splash, catching two of three targets for 30 yards, plus a two-point conversion. He also saw an unofficial deep target on a play where the defense jumped offsides. To be fair, Robinson also contributed, catching two of three targets for 22 yards.
• The Chiefs used 11 personnel on 84 percent of snaps, up from 60 percent in Week 1. That includes 12-of-12 snaps in the first quarter, so it appears to have been based on gameplan rather than falling behind.
• Fifty-three total routes and 98 percent route participation for a tight end... that's rare, and so is Kelce's talent. He was at .91 routes per dropback last week, and he's a regular leader of the stat (among others) for his position.

Chargers

• Jalen Guyton played 52 percent of snaps and caught a 14-yard TD on two targets, while No. 2 TE Virgil Green logged 42 percent without seeing any passes. The fifth skill player on the field, whether it's Guyton or Green, mostly is just used as a blocker/distraction — the same thing we saw last season with Andre Patton.
• Tyrod Taylor was supposed to be the cautious one, but he sent nine targets to Williams and only one to his running backs (Week 1), while Justin Herbert threw to Williams four times and the RBs seven times.
• Allen and Henry both have seen eight or more targets in back-to-back games to start the season. In terms of target share, they rank fifth and 16th in the NFL, respectively.

Ravens (33) at Texans (16)

Ravens

• Nick Boyle played 78 percent of snaps and got one target, with Willie Snead adding two targets on 63 percent of snaps. Relative to the season opener, Baltimore used a little more Boyle and a little less Andrews.
• Concern/disappointment is relative, but it's at least mildly disappointing to see Andrews at 58 percent snap share and .66 routes per dropback, down from his Week 1 career-highs of 71 percent and .87 r/db.
• Brown isn't playing a ton of snaps, but he basically only comes off the field for run plays. He's run routes on 80 and 88 percent of dropbacks the first two weeks, despite neither game being close in the fourth quarter. He's got 25 percent target share and 38.9 percent air-yard share, with 10-143-0 on 12 targets. The touchdowns should come.
• Boykin was mostly just a blocker and clear-out guy as a rookie, but he's at 18.8 percent target share through two games, with a 6.2 aDOT. The Ravens are using him as a chain-mover, and he's done his job well with 7-75-0 on nine targets (the same number of targets as Andrews... for now).

Texans

• Fuller put up a goose egg, following 86 percent snap share, .80 r/db and 32.3 percent target share (with an 8-112-0 line) in the season opener. He was bothered by a hamstring injury, which had him in and out of the game throughout the afternoon. Yup, another hamstring injury.
• Akins put up 2-39-1 on two targets Week 1, logging 88 percent of snaps and .80 routes per dropback. This time, the heavy snap/route usage led to more targets, though part of that was Fuller being gone.
• Cooks saw his volume shoot up, coming off 57 percent snap share, .48 routes/db and five targets in the season opener. It looks like he's the No. 1 guy if/when Fuller misses time.
• Kenny Stills played 47 percent of snaps, and Darren Fells got 41 percent. There's no question Akins has usurped Fells as the No. 1 tight end, though Fells did put up 2-23-1 on four targets, recapturing the red-zone prowess we saw in the middle part of 2019.

Patriots (30) at Seahawks (35)

Patriots

• New England RBs accounted for only 14 carries and seven targets, with six of those carries coming on the first drive. It was all Cam Newton after that.
• The Patriots now lead the league in percentage of targets (74 percent) that have gone to wide receivers. That would represent a huge change from the Tom Brady era.
• TE Ryan Izzo played 97 percent of snaps but saw only two targets. He's now second at his position in snaps (133) and 16th in routes run (56), but he's drawn only three targets, putting him at nine catches on 401 career offensive snaps.
• Edelman was in the game for 45 of the 48 plays from 11 personnel, but only six of 23 snaps in all other packages. While his production obvious didn't suffer, the lack of playing time in two-receiver sets is worth noting because it's happened in two straight games and marks a departure from recent years. Edelman has played only 11 of New England's 38 snaps (29 percent) in 12 personnel or 21 personnel this year, compared to 235 of 272 (86 percent) from those same packages last year. Maybe it ends up costing him targets and yards, or maybe it doesn't matter because the Pats do most of their passing from 11 personnel anyway and don't have anyone else to throw to. It's been the latter so far.
• For most of the night, Harry had a lot of snaps, routes and targets, without much production to show for it. Then he caught three of four passes for 42 yards on the final drive, moving New England to the 1-yard line on his final reception. It was his second RZ target of the night, and he also converted a fourth down early in the game despite taking a helmet-to-helmet hit.
• Harry has seen three of New England's eight RZ targets this year, and two of four inside the 10-yard line. Edelman has three and one, respectively.
• Edelman and Harry are tied for seventh in the NFL with 29 percent target share through two games. Edelman is 11th in air yards (224) with a surprisingly deep 12.4 aDOT, while Harry has been living on the quick throws with a 5.2 aDOT. Edelman leads the league in team air-yard share (51.5 percent).

Seahawks

• Will Dissly played 49 percent of snaps and had a nine-yard gain on his lone target. No. 4 receiver Freddie Swain got 19 percent snap share and scored a 21-yard TD on his only target.
• Metcalf is No. 2 in team air-yard share (50.9 percent), with a 14.8 aDOT on 14 targets (23.3 percent share) through two weeks.
• Lockett is 15th in the NFL in target share (26.7), but his 8.7 aDOT is way down from last year's 12.3. That's probably just a small sample thing, as he's surrounded by the same players and coaches as last season, and his slot route percentage is actually down from 69 to 61, per PFF.
• Olsen got a boost from his Week 1 snap share (66 percent) and routes per dropback (.56), but he didn't do anything with it. He's now been targeted on only five of 47 routes (10.6 percent), which may be unsustainably low but also seems related to him being old and both Lockett and Metcalf being awesome. Olsen could still score a decent number of TDs, or he could just lose more work to Dissly as the year moves long.

Saints (24) at Raiders (34)

Saints

• With Michael Thomas (ankle) inactive, Smith increased his snap share by 23 percentage points, Sanders by 25 percentage points, and Harris by 42 percentage points.
• Alvin Kamara led the team in targets (nine), catches (nine) and receiving yards (95).
• Cook's snap share was identical to Week 1, and his routes/db barely ticked up — from .68 to .71. The Saints might end up giving him more targets with Thomas out, but it doesn't appear the TE will be used on more snaps as a means of compensation.
• Smith saw only one target on 25 routes in the season opener, so we shouldn't assume he's the No. 1 receiver over Sanders while Thomas is out. The snap/route difference was minuscule, and Sanders obviously has a track record.
• Smith worked the slot on 61 percent of his routes last year, but he was targeted on only 10 of those 176 routes (5.7 percent), compared to 15 of 111 (13.5 percent) when lined up elsewhere. He then lined up in the slot on 13 of 25 routes (52 percent) in the season opener, but that dropped to 38 percent Week 2, while Harris got 78 percent of his routes inside. It looks like no Thomas means more outside snaps for Smith, who has done better when he's avoided the slot.  

Raiders

• Zay Jones scored a 15-yard TD on his lone target while playing only 22 percent of snaps, and Nelson Agholor picked up 19 yards on one target while logging 19 percent. Their involvement, while limited, helps explain why no Vegas WR was over 61 percent snap share.
• Waller was the only Raider to see more than three targets. Ten guys saw between one and three, including both backup tight ends and fullback Alec Ingold (who scored a short TD).
• Ruggs had two unofficial targets wiped out by penalties, including a 29-yard pass interference to convert a third down right before the two-minute warning. Four of his eight targets this season have gone 20 or more yards downfield, resulting in one catch for 45 yards, per PFF.
• Waller is the only Raider to run a route on three-quarters of QB dropbacks in a game this year, and he did it in both games (.90 and .83). Ruggs has been the closest behind him, with .73 and .62 routes/db, plus the third-most targets (eight) on the team. Josh Jacobs is No. 2 with nine.
• The huge MNF performance pushed Waller ahead of DeAndre Hopkins as the league leader in target share (38.7 percent).
• The Raiders are last in the league in percentage of targets going to WRs (31 percent).

Week 2 Leaders

Double-digit Targets

40+ Routes

2.5+ Yards per Route (15-route min.)

2020 Leaders

Team Target Share

Air Yards