Week 3 Snap Count and Touches Analysis: These players can get you those 8-to-12 points you need to keep your lineup consistently competitive.

Any fantasy enthusiast worth his or her salt knows there’s one major key to a successful season: consistency. The meat and potatoes of any good lineup are the two or three players you can plug in that you KNOW will get you decent points. With those guys in place, you then let your studs take it home.

Easy enough, right? Finding those guys takes dedication, target-share and snap-count analysis, and a little bit of luck. One of our esteemed colleagues is going to tackle the deep-dive target analysis, so what is this right here? This isn’t that. What I WILL do for you is list out players week-to-week with the most stable floor. These players can get you those 8-to-12 points you need to keep your lineup consistently competitive.

Bare in mind, I’m not talking about the Antonio Brown’s and Odell Beckman Jr’s of the world. You know you’re starting your studs. These are the guys that come after, the ones on your bench that you agonize over starting and sitting. Alright, it’s time for the floor check!

Week 3 Snap Count and Touches Analysis

Running Back

Chris Thompson (WAS)

If you’re not starting Chris Thompson every week at this point, you’re making a mistake. Sure, Thompson has been a PPR dynamo for a while now. This year, however, he’s taken that up a notch. He’s had 28 total touches through Week 2. That’s more than enough volume to satisfy even standard scoring leagues’ flex spots. He’s a must-start.

Lamar Miller (HOU)

Lamar Miller is the king of letdowns. I should know. The instant he finally signed with the Texans and got that full-time starting gig, I was sure he’d blow up and be an absolute stud. Oh, how naive I was. Still, Miller is commanding the majority of touches out of the Texans backfield. Namely, he’s had a whipping 37. That Texans O-line gives me pause, but as long as D’Onta Foreman is out, Miller can handle your flex.

Alfred Morris (SF)

This might be changing considering how much better Matt Breida has been (You should be starting Breida. Don’t even consider an argument.) However, Morris still has a decent share of this backfield. He’s gotten 28 total touches through Week 2. He doesn’t catch a lot of passes, so I’m bigger on Morris in standard leagues than PPR. Still, he can man your flex with confidence in any lineup with that workload.

Austin Ekeler (LAC)

Are you in a bit of a jam in your PPR league? Austin Ekeler is the dynamo compliment to Melvin Gordon. Gordon gets the lion’s share of the work for the Chargers, but Ekeler has commanded 24 touches through Week 2. It’s been primarily passing work, but he’s had his share of rushes. His ceiling is capped as long as Gordon is healthy, but if Gordon goes down for any length of time, watch out. Even if you decide not to stick with Ekeler in your flex, he’s a great stash.

Corey Clement (PHI)

Clement only has 16 touches through Week 2, but don’t let that fool you. Jay Ajayi and Darren Sproles are both out this week, making him a solid RB2 play.

James White (NE)

I know. Beletricks. They’re back at their finest this year. Can we ever get a stable idea of what’s happening in the Patriots backfield? (probably not until the world actually ends). In PPR leagues, however, James White is perfectly capable of giving you a reliable floor. He’s only had 20 touches through Week 2, but almost every single one of those are targets AND catches from Tom Brady. White makes the most of every catch, too. He’s about as reliable as you can get from the murky quagmire that is the Patriots backfield.

Wide Receiver

Quincy Enunwa (NYJ)

I’m gonna start this off really simple, folks. If you’re not starting Quincy Enunwa week-to-week at WR2 or your flex, you’re not doing it right. (“But Nate, Sam looked bad last week! And Robbie Anderson is still a thing!”) Listen here peanut gallery; Enunwa has had 21 targets over the first two weeks. That’s far and above any other target level in the Jets offense. I don’t care who they’re playing; he’s Sam’s security blanket. Start him.

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Geronimo Allison (GB)

Geronimo Allison might be the least stable of my stable picks at first glance. But hear me out. First of all, the Packers need Aaron Jones back to get this run game going again. Seriously. Jamaal Williams isn’t going to be a thing. Let’s move on from that. Allison is the clear No. 3 in Cheeseland. He also has a surprisingly stable target volume. We’re talking 8 targets in Week 1 and 6 last week. You can probably expect that moving forward, too. That may not seem huge, but I’ll take 7 targets a week from Aaron Rodgers over 10 from just about anybody else.

Nelson Agholor (PHI)

Come on, man. You’re still thinking about sitting Nelson Agholor? Cause I saw a ton of you do this last week. This guy has 22 targets over the first two weeks. He’s on the field for a whopping 94 percent of the Eagles offensive snaps. Fantasy stability is all about volume. It doesn’t get a whole lot more voluminous than that outside of your stud WR’s.

John Brown/Michael Crabtree/Willie Snead (BAL)

Going with the threefer here. These guys are playing about the same amount of snaps and getting about the same number of targets. Specifically, John Brown and Willie Snead are at 14, and Crabtree is at 16. If you want the stability, I’d get Michael Crabtree. The higher upside probably goes to Brown at this point. They’re going up against a Denver defense that just doesn’t look that scary these days. No reason these guys can’t man your flex with confidence.

Tyler Boyd (CIN)

Poor John Ross, he just wanted to be relevant this year. Then Tyler Boyd reminded everyone he still exists. Boyd is the clear number two in Cincinnati. He’s claimed 14 targets through Week 2. The Panthers are up this week, so the run game might bog down a bit. The Bengals are going to have to pass. You’re starting A.J. Green, but the Panthers know all about A.J. Green. Boyd will look good, too. Get him in there.

Kenny Golladay (DET)

Oh my goodness, he’s back! We all went nuts over Kenny Golladay last year only to watch him fade down the stretch with injuries. He’s back in a big way this year. Nobody takes targets from Golden Tate, but Golladay is definitely stealing some from Marvin Jones. He’s got 21 through two weeks, at a fairly stable share each week. This guy isn’t just flex material, he’s a solid WR2. Make it happen people.

Devin Funchess (CAR)

Boy is this one not sexy. Funchess is just one of those guys you look at and don’t want to start. I get it. But with Greg Olsen out, Devin Funchess is the main security blanket for Cam Newton when he’s not hitting Christian McCaffrey short. Funchess is sitting on 14 targets through Week 2, at a fairly consistent clip. D.J. Moore might be a thing at some point, but right now, Funchess is the man. He’ll man your flex just fine.

Tight End

Jared Cook (OAK)

I’m sorry, but the NFL is just more fun when Jared Cook is a thing, and boy is he a thing this year for the Raiders. That might be due to a lack of options, but hey, we’ll take what we can get in the fantasy wasteland that is the TE position. Cook has commanded 16 targets so far through Week 2. Sure, 12 of that came against the Rams, but I think he’s going to settle into a nice consistent target share of this offense. I’d start him with confidence on any given week.

George Kittle (SF)

The pre-season shine has fallen a bit off of ole Georgie, but it really shouldn’t have. George Kittle is an important piece of the 49ers air attack, as notated by his 13 targets through Week 2. I trust Coach Shanahan to get this thing firing on all cylinders again, and that’s definitely going to include Kittle.

Will Dissly (SEA)

I’m still a little nervous about this one. Will Dissly’s only gotten 10 looks from Russell Wilson through the first two weeks. You would think the crazy efficiency on those targets is going to come down some. That being said, who else is Wilson throwing to? As long as Doug Baldwin is out, maybe even while he’s in, Dissly is a high-value target for the Seahawks. I’d monitor his target share after Baldwin comes back, but until then, I’ll start him with confidence.

BONUS QUESTION

Which WR is leading the Jags corps in targets? Keelan Cole? Dede Westbrook. Nope. Your old pal Donte Moncrief. That’s right. He’s alive! And, he’s getting looks, to the tune of 14 targets through Week 2. Keep it in mind, folks. I’m not saying you want to jump on him quite yet, but if he keeps getting the most looks, it’s something to consider.