CINCINNATI, OH - NOVEMBER 28: Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) carries the ball during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals on November 28, 2021, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire)
| 1. | Cooper Kupp | LAR vs. SEA |
| 2. | Devante Adams | GB at BAL |
| 3. | Tyreek Hill | KC at LAC |
| 4. | Justin Jefferson | MIN at CHI |
| 5. | Deebo Samuel | SF vs. ATL |
| 6. | CeeDee Lamb | DAL at NYG |
| 7. | Ja'Marr Chase | CIN at DEN |
| 8. | Chris Godwin | TB vs. NO |
| 9. | Mike Evans | TB vs. NO |
| 10. | Stefon Diggs | BUF vs. CAR |
| 11. | Diontae Johnson | PIT vs. TEN |
| 12. | Keenan Allen | LAC vs. KC |
| 13. | Mike Williams | LAC vs. KC |
| 14. | Amari Cooper | DAL at NYG |
| 15. | Tyler Lockett | SEA at LAR |
| 16. | Hunter Renfrow | LV at CLE |
| 17. | Jaylen Waddle | MIA vs. NYJ |
| 18. | Marquise Brown | BAL vs. GB |
| 19. | Tee Higgins | CIN at DEN |
| 20. | DK Metcalf | SEA at LAR |
| 21. | Brandin Cooks | HOU at JAX |
| 22. | Van Jefferson | LAR vs. SEA |
| 23. | Michael Pittman | IND vs. NE |
| 24. | DJ Moore | CAR at BUF |
| 25. | Julio Jones | TEN at PIT |
| 26. | Devonta Smith | PHI vs. WAS |
| 27. | Terry McLaurin | WAS at PHI |
| 28. | Jarvis Landry | CLE vs. LV |
| 29. | DeAndre Hopkins | ARI at DET |
| 30. | Darnell Mooney | CHI vs. MIN |
| 31. | Jerry Jeudy | DEN vs. CIN |
| 32. | Chase Claypool | PIT vs. TEN |
Cooper Kupp leads all creation with 150 targets this season, 113 catches, 1,489 yards, and 12 TDs. This week, the fun continues as he faces a Seattle Seahawks defense that is 28th against the pass and 9th against the run. Both he and Van Jefferson should be great plays this week, especially as the passing targets consolidate a bit more with Odell Beckham, Jr. on the COVID list.
Devante Adams will face a Baltimore Ravens team that is 26th against the pass and fourth against the run, funneling passes and mayhem his way for the entirety of the game. Good times!
The Atlanta Falcons defense is ranked 29th against the pass and 23rd against the run, meaning the San Francisco 49ers could beat them either way. Fortunately, Deebo Samuel can beat the either way, as Samuel got eight carries last week against the Bengals.
Despite the excellence of rookie running back Najee Harris, the Pittsburgh Steelers can’t run the ball efficiently, ranking in the bottom five in both adjusted line yards, and overall rushing efficiency. Dionte Johnson has become the main focus of moving the football, garnering double digits targets in all but two games this season. This week he gets a balanced Titans defense, which should not limit Johnson’s regular usage at all.
The Dolphins win the Week 15 lottery of “who gets to play the Jets” and while the Jets are bad against both the run and pass, the Dolphins have not been able to run the ball well against anybody, leaving Jaylen Waddle in a great place to add to his impressive rookie season.
Urban Meyer is now gone from Jacksonville, but the weak roster remains. The defense, however, has been alright against the run this season, ranking 13th, but they are an abysmal 31st against the pass, leaving the Texans in an opportunistic position to take advantage. Leading the way, as he has all season, is Brandin Cooks.
A flex play this week could be Eagles WR Devonta Smith, who gets a much-maligned Washington pass defense that ranks 27th in the league. While the Eagles would rather run the ball, Washington is 7th ranked against the run, moving the strategy to the air for Philadelphia.
Jason Walker