Things are beginning to normalize atop the board of targets and touches in the NFL. The playmakers around the league are seeing more opportunities to do what they do best -- and fantasy football enthusiasts are starting to reap the benefits. It's time to look at this week's leaders of opportunity.
Targets
It's no longer a coincidence that Matt Forte is always near the top of this list. After seeing another 13 targets on Sunday, Forte is turning into a bigger threat as a pass-catcher than as a runner. OK, maybe that's an exaggeration, but not by much. In the past two weeks, Forte is tied for the third-most targets in the league (25) behind only Demaryius Thomas and Julio Jones. Stretch that out over the past three weeks and Forte is tied for fourth with 31 passes thrown his direction. Dual-threat backs are no longer the wave of the future. Their time is now. And Matt Forte is their leader.
If you're going to jump on the Mohamed Sanu train, you should do it soon. Without A.J. Green in the lineup, the ball was thrown in Sanu's direction a lot. Green is expected to miss Week 7's contest against the Indianpolis Colts, which could mean more of the same for Sanu. While the Bengals wideout should still be a nice part of the game plan once Green returns, those target numbers could take a steep decline.
Golden Tate's numbers on Sunday turn out to be an interesting study in the value of a target. Having Calvin Johnson on the field as a decoy for Weeks 4 and 5 meant Tate saw fewer targets (10 and 9, respectively), Megatron's presence allowed Tate to get down the field for big plays. As a result, he posted 250 yards and a score across those two games. On Sunday without Johnson, Tate had a season-high 12 targets but managed only 44 receiving yards. There's a reason some guys aren't No. 1 receivers. Tate's performance in Week 6 proved it.
Other notables:Greg Olsen (11), Jordan Reed (11), Robert Woods (10), Dez Bryant (10), Antonio Brown (10)
Touches
DeMarco Murray continues to be beastly for the Cowboys and fantasy general managers. Through six games, Murray is on pace for 424 rushing attempts, which would break Larry Johnson's record of 416. It would also be nearly double Murray's career high of 217 carries. Last week, I wondered if he could maintain this pace all season long. I also said you shouldn't worry about it and enjoy the ride as long as it continues. Both of those statements remain valid.
Matt Forte. See above.
It's reassuring to see the Eagles working LeSean McCoy back into the offense. After having just 10 carries in the loss to San Francisco, Shady has rebounded with 46 carries and six pass targets in the next two contests. It would be nice to see him visit the end zone again soon, but touchdowns are fickle beasts. As long as Philadelphia keeps feeding McCoy the football -- and just as importantly, opening holes along the front line -- he will find his way into a touchdown or three. At least his game in Week 6 was enough to allow fantasy GMs to exhale a little bit.
Am I the only one who thinks Le'Veon Bell doesn't get the football enough? He had 18 carries and six targets this week, but with what he's done when he has the ball, it feels like that number should get closer to 30 in each game. So far this season, Bell has averaged .642 fantasy points per touch (carries + receptions). As a comparison, Matt Forte is scoring .644 points per touch and DeMarco Murray is at .678 ppt. Hey Mike Tomlin, help a brotha out.
Other notables:Joique Bell (18+3), Bishop Sankey (18+1), Trent Richardson (17+0), Lamar Miller (14+3), Jerick McKinnon (11+6)
Marcas Grant is a fantasy editor for NFL.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarcasG.
