Opportunity Knocks: Week 14 Usage Report and Recap

Opportunity is king in fantasy football. Tracking player volume and snaps each season helps managers get ahead of coaching trends while making advanced moves on the trade market and waiver wires. In this recurring weekly series, we will look at the most notable market shares (percentage of team output) in targets, opportunities, and rushing/receiving production of every game during the Week 14 slate. We have some stunning usage data to recap, so let’s get right to it. For the complete report of opportunity data on every single player, download the FREE Fantasy Football by Broto App.

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*BYE WEEKS*

• Arizona Cardinals

• Washington Commanders

WEEK 14 USAGE REPORT & RECAP

Atlanta Falcons

• Desmond Ridder threw for a career-high 347 yards, producing 161 of those yards in the fourth quarter. 

• Drake London was the main benefactor of Ridder’s career-best outing, catching 10 of his team-high 11 targets (27.5% Target Share) for 172 yards (49.5% Receiving Yards Share).

• Bijan Robinson (7 Targets), Kyle Pitts, (6 Targets), and Jonnu Smith (7 Targets) all received more than five targets for the first time in a game this season.

Baltimore Ravens

• Lamar Jackson completed 24/43 pass attempts (55.8% Completion Rating) for 316 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.

• Jackson was also the Ravens leading rusher in both total attempts (11 Carries/42.3% Rush Share) and yards (70 Yards/50.3% Rush Yards Share).

• Odell Bekcham Jr, Isaiah Likely, and Zay Flowers all found themselves on the receiving end of Jackson’s touchdown passes.

• Beckham Jr and Flowers tied for a team-high 10 targets (23.3% Target Share) with the veteran wideout leading the team with 97 receiving yards on four catches while the rookie led the squad with six receptions and 60 yards of his own.

• Likely tagged on five receptions with seven targets (16.2% Target Share) and 83 yards to go alongside his 54-yard touchdown grab.

• Tylan Wallace walked the Ravens off with a victory after returning a punt 76 yards for a touchdown in overtime.

• Wallace’s 76-yard punt return touchdown in overtime was the fourth overtime punt return touchdown in NFL history but also the second time it has occurred in 2023 after Xavier Gipson of the Jets did so in Week 1.

Buffalo Bills

• Josh Allen has now thrown at least one interception in nine consecutive starts, marking the longest active turnover streak of his NFL career.

• Allen had a productive fantasy outing despite his turnover, throwing for 233 yards and one while adding his 10th rushing touchdown of the season.

• Per NextGen statistics, “Allen finished with more passing yards under pressure (136) than against no pressure (97).” Allen faced pressure on 72.2% of dropbacks against the blitz (12/17 Pass Attempts, 151 Yards, 1 Touchdown, +12.2% CPOE).

• James Cook acted as the team’s top rusher and receiver in Week 14, taking 10 carries for 58 yards while hauling in all five of his targets (11.9% Target Share) for 83 yards and one touchdown.

• Stefon Diggs managed just four receptions for 24 yards despite leading the Bills with 11 targets (26.1% Target Share).

Carolina Panthers

• Bryce Young averaged 13.4 air yards per attempt in Week 14, the fifth-most by any quarterback in a game this season. Unfortunately, Young went 0/6 on deep pass attempts in the first half and 1/9 for 32 yards for the whole game (-24.2% CPOE).

• Chuba Hubbard continues to reign as the Panthers leading rusher despite the team attaching significant salary to the services of Miles Sanders.

• Hubbard saw a team-high 23 carries (58.9% Rush Share), gaining 87 yards (3.8 YPC).

• Sanders was much more effective with his touches but earned menial playing time with 74 yards on ten carries (25.6% Rush Share/7.4 YPC).

Chicago Bears

• Justin Fields has led the Bears in rushing attempts and rushing yards in three consecutive contests since returning from injury.

• In Week 14, Fields netted 58 rushing yards on 12 carries to go alongside his 223 passing yards. The Bears quarterback found the endzone through the air and on the ground.

• D.J. Moore accounted for two touchdowns in the Bears' resounding win over the Lions in Week 14, finding the endzone through the air and on the ground.

• Moore ended the contest with a team-high 10 targets (30.3% Target Share), catching six for 68 yards as the unquestioned leader in all major receiving categories. 

• Moore has gained 244 receiving yards against press coverage this season, the third-most in the NFL, per Reception Perception.

Cincinnati Bengals

• Jake Browning’s impressive Week 13 outing repeated in Week 14 with another QB4 overall outing.

• Browning completed 18/24 pass attempts for 275 yards with two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. 

• The backup quarterback turned unsuspecting fantasy hero completed passes to ten different members of the Bengals offense with no receiver having more than three receptions or four targets (16.6% Target Share).

• Browning completed 8 of 9 play-action passes for 174 yards and a touchdown Sunday, including a CPOE of +14.1%.

• Browning owns a 79.3 completion percentage as a starter in three career starts, the highest completion percentage by any quarterback through their first three starts since 1950.

• Tee Higgins (2 Receptions/72 Yards), Joe Mixon (3 Receptions/46 Yards), and Ja’Marr Chase (3 Receptions/29 Yards) all earned four targets while Chase Brown (3 Receptions/80 Yards/1 Touchdown) led the team in receiving production despite only seeing three targets (12.5% Target Share).

Cleveland Browns

• Joe Flacco received his second assigned start as a member of the Browns, posting respectable numbers in both outings.

• This time around, the veteran signal-caller completed 26/45 attempts for 311 yards and three touchdowns against the Jaguars in Week 14.

• David Njoku found himself on the receiving end of two of Flacco’s three touchdowns, catching six of his eight targets (17.7% Target Share) for 91 yards.

• Amari Cooper earned a team-high 14 targets (31.1% Target Share) but was somewhat disappointing with his opportunity share, catching only seven passes for 77 yards.

• The Browns became just the eighth team since 1950 to have four different starting quarterbacks record at least one win in a season.

Dallas Cowboys

• No one is playing a better brand of football than front-running MVP candidate Dak Prescott. 

• The Cowboys are averaging 397.0 scrimmage yards on offense per game, backed by Prescott’s 262.8 passing yards per game (2nd) and a top 15 rushing offense that averages 118.6 rushing yards per game (11th). They are far and away the league’s best scoring offense, putting up 32.4 points per game (1st) on their opponents.

• The Cowboys also became the first team in NFL history to score 30 or more points in seven consecutive home games to start a season.

• Prescott completed 24/38 attempts for 271 yards and two touchdowns and has not induced a turnover in four consecutive starts.

• Rico Dowdle has become an annoying thorn in the side of Tony Pollard’s opportunity share. Dowdle handled 12 rushing attempts (37.5% Rush Share), gaining 46 yards and one touchdown including the bulk of red zone carries for the Cowboys in Week 14.

• Pollard touted 16 carries (50.0% Rush Share) for 59 yards, supplementing another poor rushing performance by catching seven of eight targets (20.5% Target Share) for 37 yards.

• Pollard’s consecutive touchdown streak ended at three games.

• CeeDee Lamb once again led the team in targets (10 Targets/25.6% Target Share), catching six balls for 71 yards and his ninth touchdown of the season but was ultimately outshined by Jake Ferguson.

• Ferguson has broken out as one of the NFL’s top tight ends this season, posting yet another positive outing in Week 14 that saw the bruising pass-catcher haul in five of eight targets (20.5% Target Share) for 72 yards.

• Brandon Aubrey became the first kicker with a 60-yard field goal and a 59-yard field goal in the same game in Week 14. He converted four total field goals (60 Yards, 59 Yards, 45 Yards, 50 yards) extending his record-setting streak of attempts without a miss to 30. 

• Aubrey is the only player in NFL history who has begun his career by making their first 30 field goal attempts.

Denver Broncos

• Courtland Sutton’s career-best season continued to roll like a freight train in Week 14 with the veteran wideout adding three receptions for 62 yards and one touchdown to his already impressive totals.

• Sutton saw just four targets (12.1% Target Share) but lifted his career-high touchdown total to 10 after an incredible one-handed touchdown grab.

• Per NextGen Statistics, Russell Wilson's 46-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton traveled a distance of 60.8 yards in the air, the longest touchdown by air distance this season. 

• Wilson now has the two longest touchdown passes by air distance in 2023 – both of which were completed to Sutton.

• Wilson completed passes to ten different members of the Broncos offense in Week 14, meaning 47.6% of his total completions went to a different player.

• Jerry Jeudy led the Broncos with six targets (18.1% Target Share) but managed a lowly 16 yards on two receptions.

Detroit Lions

• Jared Goff has now produced eight total turnovers in his past four contests (5 Interceptions/3 Lost Fumbles). 

• Goff had a season-low 161 passing yards, completing 20/35 attempts with one touchdown and two interceptions against the Bears in Week 14.

• Goff has thrown a total of ten interceptions this season – five against the Bears and five against every other team he has faced in 2023.

• Amon-Ra St. Brown could only corral three of his team-high nine targets (% Target Share), finishing with 21 yards and no touchdowns.

• LaPorta was on the receiving end of two completions, gaining 23 yards on six targets (% Target Share)

• Jahmyr Gibbs tied David Montgomery with a team-high 66 rushing yards but needed one more carry to get there (Gibbs: 11 Carries, Montgomery: 10 Carries). The rookie did, however, find the endzone on a short 12-yard touchdown run.

Green Bay Packers

• Jordan Love’s high-upside streak of turnover-free football ended in Week 14 as the first-season starter completed 25/39 attempts for 128 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

• Jayden Reed’s usage continues to be downright encouraging as the first-year wideout led the Packers with ten targets (25.6% Target Share) and rushed for 38 yards and one touchdown on four carries. Unfortunately, Reed’s increased target totals yielded just 27 yards on eight receptions.

Houston Texans

• C.J. Stroud struggled mightily against a sturdy Jets defense after losing his top two wideouts to injury (Tank Dell, Nico Collins).

• Stroud completed 10/23 attempts for 91 yards while absorbing four sacks for a loss of 41 yards.

• Devin Singletary was the only meaningful fantasy producer on the Texans roster in Week 14. The veteran running back handled 13 carries (68.4% Rush Share) for 65 yards with one touchdown while no other member of the Texans backfield received more than five opportunities.

• Per NextGen Statistics, the Jets' defense generated an 81.3% defensive success rate against the Texans, the fourth-highest defensive success rate by any defense in a game this season.

• The Texans’ 54 net passing yards are the fewest by the franchise since Week 16 of the 2017 season

Indianapolis Colts

• Michael Pittman has surpassed eight or more receptions in 10 of his 13 outings. He has earned double-digit targets in all but two games this season while leading the Colts in every perceivable receiving metric.

• In Week 14, the star wideout posted eight receptions for 95 yards on 11 targets (28.2% Target Share), accounting for 39.5% of his team’s passing yards (240), and 30.7% of the team’s completions (26).

• Zack Moss managed just 28 rushing yards despite leading the team with 13 rushing attempts (76.4% Rush Share) and has regressed mightily after appearing to be a potential league-winning asset at the early juncture of the 2023 season.

Jacksonville Jaguars

• Trevor Lawrence entered the game with a week-long questionable tag as the starting quarterback was a true game time decision leading up to the contest. 

• Lawrence played an aggressive game but ultimately cost his team the win with three interceptions to go alongside his three touchdowns. The star quarterback completed 28/50 attempts for 257 yards otherwise.

• Evan Engram had a career-best fantasy performance, hauling in 11 of his 12 targets (24.0% Target Share) for a team-leading 95 yards and two touchdowns.

• Calvin Ridley managed just four receptions for 53 yards despite earning 13 targets (24.5% Target Share).

• Surprisingly, Ridley’s 13 targets were not enough to top the roster in air opportunities as Zay Jones saw a team-high 14 targets (28.0% Target Share).

• Unfortunately, Jones managed just five receptions for 29 yards despite a season-high in targets.

• Travis Etienne has put up at least one touchdown in back-to-back games after a three-game scoreless drought.

Kansas City Chiefs

• A much-awaited showdown between the Chiefs and Bills was ultimately marred by an ugly and obvious offsides call by Kadarius Toney that drowned out a last-ditch effort to score.

• Patrick Mahomes has looked disappointingly pedestrian as of late, finishing Week 14 with a modest 271 yards, one touchdown, and one interception while completing 25/43 pass attempts.

• Rashee Rice continued his breakout run, tying Travis Kelce with a team-leading ten targets (23.2% Target Share).

• Rice corralled seven passes for 72 yards and found himself on the receiving end of Mahomes' only touchdown pass.

• Kelce led the way with 83 receiving yards, catching six of his ten targets.

Las Vegas Raiders 

• The Raiders failed to mount a single scoring drive, losing a sloppy uneventful contest to the Vikings with a final score of 3-0.

• Davante Adams holds the only notable usage share of the Raiders Week 14 contest, producing seven receptions for 53 yards on a team-high 10 targets (31.2% Target Share).

Los Angeles Chargers

• Justin Herbert was forced out of the game in the second quarter after suffering a broken finger on his throwing hand.

• Easton Stick entered as the starter, completing 13/24 attempts for 179 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.

• Keenan Allen once again led the way with a team-high 12 targets (28.5% Target Share), catching six for 68 yards. Allen is the fastest player in NFL history to record 900 receptions, needing just 139 career games to accomplish the feat.

Los Angeles Rams

• Kyren Williams continued his incredible breakout season with 114 rushing yards on 25 attempts (83.3% Rush Share). The downside to Williams' usage came when he produced a net negative of (-)1 yards on three receptions.

• Cooper Kupp made an emphatic return to relevance after four consecutive weeks of bottom-feeding production. Kupp collected eight of his ten targets (24.3% Target Share) for 115 yards and one touchdown.

• Demarcus Robinson surprisingly matched Kupp with ten targets (24.3% Target Share) but managed just three receptions for 46 yards. Robinson did, however, catch a game-changing touchdown grab that helped propel the Rams to overtime.

• Puka Nacua continues to shine, even amidst Kupp’s Week 14 resurgence. The rookie superstar caught five of eight targets (19.5% Target Share) for 84 yards, including a physics-defying 34-yard leaping grab from Stafford late in the fourth quarter.

• Through 13 games this season, Nacua has already posted 82 receptions for 1113 yards and four touchdowns with 126 targets (30.0% Target Share). The Rams rookie is 342 yards away from Ja’Marr Chase’s Super Bowl-era rookie record (1,455 Yards) and 363 yards away from the all-time NFL record for most receiving yards by a player in their first season (Bill Groman - 1960: 1,473 Yards).

Miami Dolphins

• The Dolphins fell short to the Titans in Week 14, with Tua Tagovailoa throwing for 240 yards and no touchdowns on 23/33 completions.

• Raheem Mostert dominated the day in terms of fantasy points, collecting 96 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries (67.7% Rush Share).

• De’Von Achane added seven carries (22.5% Rush Share) for 47 yards while leading the Dolphins with nine targets (27.2% Target Share). Achane managed five receptions for a meager 24 yards despite his team-leading target share.

• Tyreek Hill was forced to exit the game with an ankle injury, putting his season-long chase for the NFL single-season receiving yards record in jeopardy.

• Jaylen Waddle led the Dolphins in receiving production sans Hill, collecting six of eight targets (24.2% Target Share) for 79 yards.

Minnesota Vikings

• Following a four-interception showing in his previous start and a dreadful beginning to Week 14, Joshua Dobbs was inevitably benched for third-string backup quarterback Nick Mullens.

• Dobbs laid out an ill-advised pass for Justin Jefferson that saw the recently returned receiver immediately find himself back on the sidelines with another injury designation.

• The Vikings were unable to mount a single touchdown drive, relying on a single Greg Joseph field goal to propel them to a 3-0 victory over the Raiders.

• T.J. Hockenson was the only viable fantasy asset on the field for the Vikings, grabbing five of his team-high eight targets (22.2% Target Share) for 53 yards.

New England Patriots

• The Patriots entered Week 14 averaging 12.3 points per game on offense and had combined for just 13 points total over their last three contests.

• By halftime, the score was 21-3 as Bailey Zappe had connected with Ezekiel Elliott (1 TD) and Hunter Henry (2 TD) for three touchdowns.

• Elliott turned back time with a vintage workhorse performance, rushing for 68 yards on 22 carries (100.0% Rush Share) while hauling in seven of his team-high eight targets (28.5% Target Share) for 72 yards and the aforementioned score.

• JuJu Smith-Schuster had a season-high 90 receiving yards, collecting four of his six targets (21.4% Target Share) in the win.

• Hunter Henry turned two of his three targets (10.7% Target Share) into touchdown receptions. He caught all three of his total opportunities for 40 yards.

New Orleans Saints

• The Saints’ 207 yards of total offense against the Panthers were the fewest the team accumulated in a victory since Week 12 of the 1997 NFL season.

• Alvin Kamara found the endzone on one of his 12 carries (48.0% Rush Share), gaining 56 yards on the ground while catching three of his five targets (19.2% Target Share) for a net negative loss of (-)11 yards.

New York Giants

• The Giants eked out a win against the heavily favored Packers in Week 14, relying on two Saquon Barkley rushing touchdowns to get the victory.

• Barkley handled 20 rushing attempts (58.8% Rush Share), amassing 86 yards and two scores while catching three of four targets (19.0% Target Share) for an additional 15 yards.

• Wan’Dale Robinson stepped up as the Giants top receiver, collecting six of his team-high seven targets (33.3% Target Share) for 79 yards in the win.

New York Jets

• The return of Zach Wilson helped lift the Jets offense over a respectable Texans team in Week 14.

• Wilson connected with top receiver Garrett Wilson early and often as the star wideout topped the team with 14 targets (38.8% Target Share), nine catches (33.3% Reception Share), and 108 Yards (35.8% Receiving Yards Share).

• Zach Wilson finished 27/36 for 301 yards with two touchdowns and a 117.9 passer rating. It was his first 300-yard passing outing this season and the highest-rated QBR performance of his career.

• Breece Hall was once again utilized as the team’s secondary receiver and top rusher, handling 10 carries for 40 yards while catching eight of nine targets (25.0% Target Share) for 86 yards and one touchdown.

Philadelphia Eagles

• The Eagles were in a position to guarantee themselves a playoff berth in Week 14, instead, they allowed the Cowboys to jump into first place in the NFC East.

• Jalen Hurts completed 18/27 pass attempts for a mediocre 197 yards with no touchdowns while losing a costly fumble.

• Hurts added 30 yards on five carries but failed to score on the ground as well.

• D’Andre Swift saw 11 rushing attempts as the team’s leading back but secured just 39 yards on his carries and did not see a single target.

• A.J. Brown (13 Targets/46.4% Target Share) and DeVonta Smith (10 Targets/35.7% Target Share) were the only members of the Eagles offense to earn more than four targets and record more than five receptions.

• Brown ended with nine receptions and 94 yards whereas Smith caught five balls for 73 yards.

Pittsburgh Steelers

• Mitch Trubisky got the start in place of Kenny Pickett in Week 14 with the veteran journeyman completing 22/35 attempts for 190 yards with one touchdown and a costly fourth-quarter interception.

• Trubisky also led the team in rushing yards with 30 adding his second touchdown on the night via the ground.

• The Steelers became only the second team in NFL history to lose consecutive home games to teams with 10-plus losses coming into the game

San Francisco 49ers

• All four of the 49ers' all-pro offensive players had a catch or run of at least 44 yards in Week 14 (Christian McCaffrey: 72 Yard Rush Attempt, Deebo Samuel: 54 Yard Reception, Brandon Aiyuk: 45 Yard Reception, George Kittle: 44 Yard Reception).

• Brock Purdy completed 19/27 pass attempts for 368 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

• Deebo Samuel (7 Receptions/149 Yards) and Brandon Aiyuk (6 Receptions 126 Yards) accounted for 68.4% of Purdy’s completions and 74.7% of their quarterback’s total passing yardage.

• George Kittle accounted for 76 receiving yards on three receptions while Christian McCaffrey (8 Receiving Yards), Jordan Mason (6 Receiving Yards), and Charlie Woerner (3 Receiving Yards) made menial contributions as pass-catchers.

• McCaffrey supplemented his uncharacteristic lack of passing production with a stellar rushing day, tallying 145 yards on 16 carries (76.1% Rush Share/9.1 YPC).

Seattle Seahawks

• The Seahawks have now lost four games in a row, drowning their playoff hopes in the process.

• Drew Lock got the starting nod in replace of an injured Geno Smith. Lock completed 22/31 attempts for 269 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Lock looked good in the early portions of the completing 16/22 pass attempts with two touchdowns before throwing two game-sealing interceptions in the fourth quarter.

• DK Metcalf was ejected from the contest after a scuffle with 49ers linebacker Fred Warner ensued. Metcalf finished with two receptions for 52 yards and one touchdown on five targets (16.1% Target Share) before leaving the game.

• Tyler Lockett led the team in receptions and receiving yards, collecting six of six targets (19.3% Target Share) for 89 yards.

• It was Jaxon Smith-Njigba, not Lockett, who led the team in targets after Metcalf's absence. Unfortunately, the rookie wideout managed just four receptions for 25 yards on his team-high seven targets (22.5% Target Share).

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Rachaad White has blossomed into the league-winning asset we all thought he could become after putting up historically elite receiving production in college.

• White is beginning to expand on his overall profile as well, sporting a career-best rushing outing in Week 12 that saw the versatile running back rush for 102 yards on 25 carries (73.5% Rush Share/4.1 YPC).

• White also added two catches on two targets (6.8% Target Share) for 33 yards with one touchdown.

Tennessee Titans

• Tyjae Spears is slowly becoming a must-start fantasy weapon based on his incredible per-touch efficiency and propensity for high-upside PPR outings.

• Spears caught six of his eight targets (21.0% Target Share) for 89 yards in Week 14 while supplementing Derrick Henry as the lead rusher with seven rush attempts (24.1% Rush Share) for 29 yards.

• Henry managed a lowly 34 yards on 17 carries (58.6% Rush Share/2.0 YPC) but found the endzone twice on his attempts.

• DeAndre Hopkins helped support rookie Will Levis’s best performance since his debut game. Hopkins caught seven of his team-high 12 targets (31.5% Target Share) for 124 yards and one touchdown while leading the Titans in all receiving categories.

• Levis surpassed 300 yards for the first time in his career, completing 23/28 attempts for 327 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Much respect, thank you for reading. If you have any continued thoughts and would like to share, I am always available for an open conversation on Twitter: @PsychWardFF or Instagram: @psychwardff.

You can find my other works as the Lead Writer and DOC at Broto Fantasy Football.

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By Matt Ward