The wide receivers struck back. Week 9 saw 5 different receivers top 150 receiving yards, the most in a week since Week 9, 2023. The injury trend that has marred 2026 continued; Puka Nacua is the biggest name, though multiple passing attacks were affected. Lastly, the trade deadline passed, causing ripples through several teams. How does the league look heading into Week 10?
The Target Report
I view target trees as "clean" or "dirty." Clean trees distill targets to their top options and give standout fantasy performances. Dirty trees are, well, a mess and rely on unpredictable possibilities. The chart below categorizes these offenses.
Offenses with Top 2 Options > 60% Target Share
These passing attacks center on two key players. Shared targets can make it hard for the rest of the receiving corps to get meaningful production. A third option remains, but the targets should be highly concentrated or overwhelming in sheer volume.
| Team | Team Targets | Player | Targets | Stat Line | Target % | ADOT | YAC | QB Rating | Snap % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | 28 | Ja'Marr Chase | 12 | 10-155-1 | 43% | 8.6 | 68 | 146.5 | 84% |
| Tee Higgins | 6 | 5-32-2 | 21% | 7 | 4 | 128.5 | 68% | ||
| Dohnte Meyers | 3 | 2-47-0 | 11% | 10.3 | 18 | 109.7 | 42% | ||
| Dallas | 34 | CeeDee Lamb | 16 | 10-195-1 | 47% | 15.6 | 68 | 125.8 | 94% |
| Javonte Williams | 5 | 4-23-0 | 15% | -1.2 | 28 | 85.8 | 72% | ||
| Ryan Flournoy | 3 | 2-53-0 | 9% | 17 | 11 | 109.7 | 97% | ||
| Detroit | 25 | Amon-Ra St. Brown | 10 | 8-86-0 | 40% | 8.2 | 32 | 62.9 | 75% |
| Sam LaPorta | 5 | 4-32-0 | 20% | 2 | 20 | 93.3 | 90% | ||
| Jameson Williams | 2 | 1-31-0 | 8% | 23 | 5 | 95.8 | 83% | ||
| Green Bay | 27 | Matthew Golden | 10 | 10-164-1 | 37% | 12 | 44 | 152.1 | 74% |
| Christian Watson | 8 | 7-171-1 | 30% | 23.8 | 17 | 158.3 | 77% | ||
| Savion Williams | 4 | 3-25-1 | 15% | 5 | 15 | 130.2 | 48% | ||
| Minnesota | 30 | Justin Jefferson | 11 | 3-58-0 | 37% | 12.5 | 12 | 11.2 | 98% |
| T.J. Hockenson | 7 | 4-33-0 | 23% | 8 | 19 | 29.8 | 81% | ||
| Myles Price | 4 | 1-6-0 | 13% | 18.2 | 1 | 39.6 | 60% |
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Thank you for bringing back the whimsy, Cincinnati. Ever since the Bengals realized it was silly to try to protect Joe Burrow by running Chase Brown in the I formation at halftime against Baltimore, they have been on fire. Burrow has 16 touchdowns over the last 4 weeks, leading the NFL with 23. Chase has 295 yards over the last two games, the 17th time a Bengals receiver has hit that total over 2 games, and the 5th time in his career. Chase has touchdowns in 4 straight and 6 of his last 7. Higgins had 303 yards between Weeks 7 and 8. He has 5 touchdowns over the last 3 weeks. The Bengals face the Steelers; Burrow threw for 3 touchdowns in Week 3, and both Chase and Higgins scored in that game.
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Lamb got back on track after a quiet 4-week stretch. He is almost exactly on pace to duplicate his career-high 135 receptions and 1,749-yard 2023 season. George Pickens missed Week 9 and is questionable for Week 10. Jake Ferguson suffered a knee injury and is expected to miss time. Ferguson was benched in Week 8, clearing the way for Brevyn Spann-Ford. Dallas faces San Francisco and will likely need to lean on its passing game, given the 49ers' offensive potential.
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St. Brown has gone 5 games without a touchdown, matching his longest streak since late in 2022. Despite that stretch, he is still pacing to 129 receptions and 1,396 yards. He's caught 8 passes in 5 of 8 games. LaPorta topped 40 yards in each of the first 5 games; since public comments about contract frustration, he has not hit that mark. Williams broke a 3-game touchdown streak, posting his lowest yardage of the season. Goff did not throw his first interception until Week 8, averaging 298 yards per game over that span. He's thrown interceptions in consecutive games and failed to top 180 yards in either. He broke a 30-game touchdown-pass streak dating back to Week 12, 2024. Jahmyr Gibbs had a 37-game streak with at least 1 reception, broken in Week 9. The Lions will try to forget their passing performance against a Patriots defense that allowed Jordan Love 372 yards and 3 touchdowns in Week 9.
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Golden and Watson are the 5th teammates in NFL history to log 7+ receptions, 160+ yards, and 1+ touchdown. Both are closing in on 1,000 yards and would be the first Packers duo to hit those marks since Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb in 2014. Jordan Love had 5 career 300-yard passing games prior to 2026; he has 4 in 9 games and has 2+ touchdown passes in all but 1 game. The Packers face a stiff test against a strong Minnesota defense, though Love threw for 387 yards and 2 touchdowns in the first matchup.
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Hope arrives for Jefferson, and the passing attack, as Kirk Cousins continues the 2026 year of reunions. Jefferson enjoyed his best seasons with Cousins, averaging 98 receptions and 1,475 yards over 4 years. As much as Jefferson has disappointed vs. expectations, Jordan Addison has been worse. He's failed to hit 30 yards in 4 of 7 games and topped 9.6 full PPR points in just one game. The Packers have a Top 6 pass defense in EPA, and much of the production they have allowed has come in the late stages of lopsided wins. Expectations should be tempered as Cousins plugs back into the offense.