Red Zone Report Week 12
As fantasy football managers continue to try and score big points, they often find the highest upside in players who score touchdowns. The best area of the field to get into the end zone is as close as possible to the goal-line. That is why Red Zone carries and targets are so important. The purpose of this Red Zone Report Week 12, is to showcase which players have received the most opportunities in the Red Zone.
For the remainder of this article, the words “Red Zone” will be replaced with “RZ” for brevity.
Red Zone Rushing Attempts
Week 11, was one with a lot of RZ opportunities concentrated on a few players. We begin at the top with the two running backs who tied for the league lead in RZ carries during Week 11. Dalvin Cook and Kareem Hunt had identical lines of 8 RZ rushing attempts. One other similarity exists between both players’ Week 11 RZ performances, but we will get to that later. For now, it is important to note that Mike Davis received 7 RZ carries during Week 11.
Interestingly enough, the top three players in total Week 11RZ opportunities combined for 0 RZ targets. It is quite strange when considering that both Davis and Hunt currently lead their respective teams in RZ targets. For reference sake, they are two of only three running backs to hold that distinction this far into the season. The other is, Alvin Kamara.
Next, we feature a familiar face in the form of Frank Gore. The ageless wonder accumulated 6 RZ rushing attempts during Week 11. With 18 RZ carries on the season, Gore has almost half of the Jets total (28). Closely behind Gore is a group of players with 5 RZ rushing attempts. Antonio Gibson and Josh Jacobs both hit that mark in Week 11. As did Kalen Ballage. For the second week in a row, Ballage got a share of the NFL lead in total RZ opportunities. During Week 11, his 5 RZ carries and his 3 RZ targets matched Cook and Hunt for most RZ chances.
Carries Inside the 5
Speaking of Dalvin Cook and Kareem Hunt, I mentioned earlier that they had multiple elements in common during Week 11. In addition to the 8 RZ caries apiece, both Cook and Hunt received 4 of those attempts inside the 5-yard line. That tied Josh Jacobs for the Week 11 lead.
There were only five other players to get multiple rushing attempts from inside the 5. They are Giovani Bernard, Kenyan Drake, Ezekiel Elliott, Antonio Gibson, and Frank Gore.
Red Zone Targets
Apparently, 3 was the magic number. A total of ten players each received 3 RZ targets during Week 11. The name range from some of the most expected sources such as Adam Thielen to a complete shock such as Keke Coutee. The other wide receivers on that 3 target list include Nelson Agholor, Keenan Allen, Mike Evans, Hunter Henry, Curtis Samuel, and Michael Thomas. Furthermore, Dalton Schultz was the only tight end who saw 3 RZ targets in Week 11.
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Quarterbacks
No quarterback had multiple RZ carries during Week 11. The only way to distinguish them is by where in the RZ their runs occurred. For the signal callers with a rushing attempt inside the 5, we have Taysom Hill, Kyler Murray, and Phillip Walker. The quarterbacks with RZ carries outside the 5 are Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Baker Mayfield, and Cam Newton.
2020 Season So Far
There is a new NFL leader in total RZ opportunities. With 44, Josh Jacobs narrowly passed Todd Gurley, who currently has 43. Right behind them is Kareem Hunt with 42. It appears to be down to the wire for this race. Rounding out the top five are Derrick Henry and Alvin Kamara with 38 total RZ opportunities each.
A few players retained their titles from last week. With 2 RZ carries inside the 5-yard line, Ezekiel Elliott extended his lead to 17. Having those chances so close to the goal-line is advantageous for fantasy production. Especially in leagues where a scoring emphasis is placed on touchdowns.
Finally, one other player maintained their place atop the league in a RZ category: targets. Now with a total of 18 RZ targets in 2020, Mike Evans is pacing the league. As mentioned last week, with a bye coming up Evans may lose his grip on the lead. Perhaps Darren Waller, who has 16 RZ targets this year, will catch him and join his fellow Raider atop the NFL in RZ work.
Thank you for reading Red Zone Report Week 12. Be sure to check out all of the great NFL content available on Full Press Coverage.
– Kyle Senra is the managing editor for the Full Press Fantasy Sports. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @SenraSays Follow @FPC_FF and Facebook.