If you happened to miss the AFC Targets Report that was released earlier today, you can check it out right here. For those unfamiliar with the formatting of the article, five players will be examined based on their targets and how it’s correlating to production on the field. The first number in parentheses is the total number of targets for said player followed by the percentage of targets caught. To the right, the targets will be shown on a week-to-week basis.

Matt Forte – (55 targets/83.6% targets caught) 9-8-7-6-12-13

If you could have predicted a running back would be leading the NFL in catches through the first six weeks of the season, go ahead and buy yourself a lotto ticket because that’s exactly what Matt Forte is doing. He has 46 catches, 16 more than the next closest running back in Fred Jackson and two more than Julio Jones. After seeing his targets drop in each of the first four weeks, Forte has seen an astounding 25 targets the last two games and has managed to catch 10+ balls in both games. In Week 6, Forte rushed 17 times for 80 yards and caught 10 passes for 77 yards.

Forte is only averaging 4.0 YPC which would be his lowest rate since 2009, but the average will surely improve and owners won’t care too much as long as he’s racking up receptions. The 28-year-old Tulane alum is on pace for a 264-1,064-5 rushing line and a 123-1,003-3 receiving line. He’s not going to keep catching 10 balls a game and faces a tougher matchup against the Miami Dolphins this week, but his usage in the passing game ensures him 20+ touches, and he’s a matchup-proof RB1. There is no back I’d rather own in PPR formats than Forte.

Jordy Nelson – (68/63.2%) 14-16-7-12-3-16

Much like Forte in the RB realm, Nelson is my top option at the wideout position in any format. Nelson is just edging out Antonio Brown for top dog status at WR in PPR formats. Nelson has seen 68 targets, one behind Julio Jones for most in the NFL. He’s averaging 11.3 targets a game and it might be higher if not for the meager three targets he saw in Week 5 due to the game against the Vikings becoming a blowout in the Packers favor. With that kind of workload, it’s easy to fathom how Jordy has a 43-632-5 line through the first six games. Those numbers extrapolate to a 115-1,685-13 pace over the 16-game season. Nelson already has three 100-yard games which helps explain how he’s averaging 105.3 receiving yards a game.

Aaron Rodgers and Nelson have a special rapport, and it’s a sight to behold when it happens. The 29-year-old is at the peak of his powers and he’s in a perfect situation in a top-5 offense playing alongside a top-3 quarterback. While expecting Nelson to regress somewhat is perfectly fine, just don’t expect his production to drop off too much. Nelson is a matchup-proof WR1 who has a chance to lead the league in yards and catches. Nelson gets to expose the Panthers secondary in Week 7.

Vincent Jackson – (60/41.7%) 9-7-9-10-12-13

The insertion of Mike Glennon as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting quarterback has been a godsend for Jackson and his fantasy value. While V-Jax received his fair share of targets from Josh McCown, Glennon has done a much better job of getting him the ball. After two straight solid games, Jackson had a bit of a clunker in Week 6 as he caught only four of 13 targets for 66 yards.  He was inches away from getting his feet in bounds on what would have been a 30-yard touchdown so owners can hang their hat on that. Jackson is the definition of boom-or-bust so that’s not an issue here as owners should be expecting that.

The most important item to take away is that Jackson is averaging 10 targets a game and should be able to provide WR2 value with that kind of usage. His 60 targets are good for fifth most in the NFL. For the season, V-Jax sports a 25-344-2 line over Tampa Bay’s first six games. He’s also only averaging 13.8 yards per reception, which would be a career-low. These numbers are certainly discouraging for those who spent a mid-round pick on him, but as alluded to earlier, Glennon being the quarterback is great news for his outlook from here on out. The Bucs are on bye in Week 7.

Cordarrelle Patterson – (32/51.5%) 5-7-5-4-4-7

Based on the early returns, it’s safe to say that Patterson won’t be living up to his draft day value unless he turns his season around in a hurry. After busting out in Week 1, Patterson hasn’t found pay dirt since while not being able to top four catches or 61 receiving yards in any game. Even worse is the fact that he has rushed exactly two times since his 3-102-1 effort on the ground in the opener. Whether it be an issue with Norv Turner and his gameplan, Patterson’s sub-par route running, or likely a combination of both, his usage to this point has been extremely perplexing. C-Pat caught only two of eight targets in Week 6, and he admitted afterwards his hip wasn’t 100 percent.

C-Pat has a 17-204-0 receiving line for the year, and he is showing absolutely no signs of breaking out of this prolonged slump. He’s not even the most targeted wideout on the team, that nod would belong to Greg Jennings. Averaging 5.3 targets a game isn’t going to cut it in the Vikings offense unless you’re the undisputed number one option, and that doesn’t seem to be the case for Patterson. Until you see signs of life, he’s best left on the bench as a WR4/WR5. It’s sad that I even had to type that sentence but facts are facts.

Reuben Randle – (49/57.1%) 3-7-10-10-10-9

In the wake of the devastating injury to Victor Cruz (patellar tendon), Randle stands to benefit from the unfortunate news. With Cruz out of the fold, that leaves Randle, Odell Beckham Jr., and Larry Donnell as the top three targets for Eli Manning in the passing game. Randle has seen a healthy 39 targets the last four weeks even with Cruz in the lineup, so predicting an extra 2-4 targets a game isn’t unreasonable. Randle didn’t do much in Week 6 as he caught five passes for 58 yards, but the New York Giants as a whole didn’t do much on offense so give him a pass for the off game.

On the flip side, his play this year hasn’t been stellar as he’s failed to corral a number of catchable passes and his season line of 28-247-2 is rather underwhelming. Randle is averaging a paltry 8.8 yards per reception which is a bit worrisome considering he’s not exactly a PPR dynamo. His skill set is better suited for standard formats. Owners will have to hang their hat on him being the preferred red zone option for Manning. Averaging 8.2 targets a game, fire up Randle as a WR2/WR3 against the Cowboys in Week 7.

Thanks for reading and be sure to comment below with any questions, remarks, or corrections you may have concerning the article. You can follow me on Twitter @MattMoczy.