Every week there are a few players who get you excited, and these are the guys that you will casually name drop, so you can say “I told you so” next week after they blow up in fantasy football. These are my guys. The guys that if I was still a high school girl, I’d have pictures of in my locker. Players that I would dreamily watch walk down the halls and doodle hearts around their names in my school books. These are my PPR Heartthrobs.
Serious Crush:
Julian Edelman
Edelman is currently the 11th-most targeted player with 28 targets. Currently catching an impressive 79% of passes thrown his way, he is definitely making the most of this opportunity, and solidifying himself as Tom Brady’s go to guy. Another encouraging stat? Brady has thrown for a passing touchdown in every game so far this season. I expect to see him in the endzone this week with the Kansas City Chiefs offering little opposition to the New England Patriot Passing game
Steve Smith Sr
Smith has been targeted already this season 32 times, with a 56% catch rate. Joe Flacco has thrown already this season 122 times. That number is only four off of Andrew Luck‘s attempts, who is currently leading in attempts with 126. So he is the most targeted player on a pass-heavy team? This certainly seems to be a recipe for success in a PPR format. Couple that with the fact that The Ravens are playing against a Carolina Panthers’ Defense that seemed to struggle without pass rusher Greg Hardy, and also allowed two touchdowns to Steelers’ Antonio Brown. I see big things this week for Steve Smith.
Martellus Bennett
For those of you who have read my previous articles I think you can see a trend with my writing, and Martellus Bennett. Matthew Berry can’t seem to stay away from RGIII and Torrey Smith, and I can’t seem to stop talking about Bennett. But lets’ look at the facts: Bennett has the same amount of targets as Brandon Marshall, both at 26, has a whopping 77% catch rate and Bennett has recorded a touchdown in every game this season. His numbers are pretty similar to standout tight end Jimmy Graham, with the difference being Bennett has produced more in the endzone. It is worth noting that this week Bears are facing a Green Bay Packers’ defense that ranks sixth against the pass, however, Bennett did not fail to produce against The Buffalo Bills, or the San Francisco 49ers, so don’t be afraid to let him ride. The Black Unicorn will not disappoint.
Flavor of the Week:
Pierre Thomas
Thomas is consistently a duel-threat back. There was some speculation that Khiry Robinson would receive the bulk of the goal line plays with Mark Ingram out with a serious hand injury, but that speculation was put to bed. While he may not be the most targeted player, he converts his limited number of targets an impressive 92% of the time. While the Dallas Cowboys‘ Defense has improved against the run, it struggled against the pass game, allowing 327 yards and three touchdowns to untried-quarterback Austin Davis. Couple that with the fact that you have sure-armed Drew Brees at quarterback, and you could be looking at PPR gold.
Not So Hot:
Jordy Nelson
Nelson has received the most targets at any position with 37, and his catch percentage is also high at 62%. So why am I low on Nelson? The Chicago Bears‘ Defense is on a huge upswing. The defense is playing like a squad with a chip on its shoulder, and making huge plays. Cornerback Kyle Fuller, has three interceptions in the past two games, and is proving his worth as a first-round draft pick. One player, however, does not a defense make. Currently, the Bears have six interceptions, two fumble recoveries and one touchdown in the past three games. Another strike against a big game for Nelson? The Green Bay Packers‘ offense. Putting up seven points is never a good indication of offensive cohesion, and there seemed to be a disconnect between quarterback Aaron Rodgers and coach Mike McCarthy. True, the Packers did seem to rely on the run game more than it should have, and hopefully (for Nelson) that will change. However, until that time, it’s important to note the ripples of discontent. I am by no means suggesting you bench Nelson, but in this matchup, I am much lower than others on his current PPR projection.
Like all girlhood crushes, the guys change from week to week. Check back next week to see who I’m currently swooning over, and if you have a current crush, tweet me @draftdaydame and we can compare notes!
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