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Factoid

Fast starters

Flowers, Nacua heavily used in their first games

It’s just one week, but those were nice debuts for Zay Flowers and Puka Nacua. They’re rookie receivers, but they combined to see 25 targets in their first games.

Nacua caught 10 passes for 119 yards, with the Rams sending 15 passes in his direction. He’s looking like he’ll be their leading receiver while Cooper Kupp is sidelined. In the last 20 years, only wide receiver has seen more targets in his first pro game (Julian Edelman).

In a less dynamic offense, Flowers saw 10 targets, and he caught all but one of them, catching more passes than Odell Beckham and Rashod Bateman combined.

In the 32-team era, 20 other wide receivers have seen at least 10 targets in their first pro game. We can then cross-check the numbers to see how many went on to have notable seasons and careers.

Of those other 20 receivers starting with 10 targets, only four finished with top-30 numbers in their first season (using PPR scoring). None of those four, oddly, were first-round draft picks (Anquan Boldin, DeSean Jackson, Michael Clayton and Eddie Royal, and I’ve got them tagged with black dots).

Only half of the 20, in fact, ever had a top-30 season in their career. The last number in each column shows the best PPR rank of the player’s career. Seven of these players never ranked in the top 60 statistically in a season.

RECEIVERS WITH 10 TARGETS IN FIRST GAME
YearPlayerFirst GRookie YrRkBest
2002Antonio Bryant, Dall.4-47-044-733-6459
2003• Anquan Boldin, Ariz.10-217-2101-1377-833
2003Shaun McDonald, St.L.6-46-010-62-012921
2004• Michael Clayton, T.B.7-53-080-1193-71414
2008• DeSean Jackson, Phil.6-106-062-912-43010
2008• Eddie Royal, Den.9-146-191-980-51414
2009Julian Edelman, N.E.8-98-037-359-1837
2010Dez Bryant, Dall.8-56-045-561-8423
2012Rod Streater, Oak.4-27-139-584-36433
2013Aaron Dobson, N.E.3-56-137-519-46161
2013Kenbrell Thompkins, N.E.4-42-032-466-46868
2014Marqise Lee, Jac.6-62-037-422-18840
2015Stefon Diggs, Min.6-87-052-720-4473
2015Rashad Greene, Jac.7-28-119-93-3113113
2016Will Fuller, Hou.5-107-147-635-36132
2016Tajae Sharpe, Ten.7-76-041-522-27373
2017Corey Davis, Ten.6-69-034-375-08529
2018Keke Coutee, Hou.11-109-028-287-110186
2019KeeSean Johnson, Ariz.5-46-021-187-1112112
2020Quintez Cephus, Det.3-43-020-349-2103103
2023Puka Nacua, LAR10-119-0?-?-???
2023Zay Flowers, Balt.9-78-0?-?-???

—Ian Allan

Fantasy Index