Touchdowns are everything in fantasy football. Almost every fantasy matchup is decided by which team scores more. The best indicator of scoring potential for wide receivers is red-zone volume. We’ve gone through all 32 teams to pinpoint the best red-zone target on each of them.
Who Is the Best Red-Zone Target on Each Team in 2024?
Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr.
We’re going with the shiny new toy. Last season, Trey McBride saw 17 and Hollywood Brown saw 16 red-zone targets. This team didn’t have a go-to guy in scoring positions. Marvin Harrison Jr. will immediately be that guy.
Harrison is a generational, can’t-miss prospect. There’s a reason he shattered the record for the highest-drafted rookie WR in fantasy football history.
Expect him and Kyler Murray to establish an immediate rapport. Harrison may not score 14 touchdowns as a rookie, but he is far and away the best bet to have the most opportunities to do so.
Atlanta Falcons: Drake London
The fantasy community has already pre-anointed Drake London as the next great WR1. Despite never finishing inside the top 40 WRs, he’s being drafted inside the top 12 this season.
If London has any prayer of living up to his lofty ADP, he’s going to have to score some touchdowns. Last season, he led the Falcons with 22 red-zone targets and six end-zone targets.
Using 2022 as a frame of reference, as that is the last time Kirk Cousins played a full season, Justin Jefferson was second in the league with 43 red-zone targets. Cousins knows what to do with his WR1s.
London is 6’4″, 213 pounds. He is a prototypical X receiver and excellent at high-pointing the ball and winning contested balls. London is going to lead this team in red-zone targets.
Baltimore Ravens: Mark Andrews
Trivia time. Who led the Ravens in red-zone targets in 2019? 2020? 2021? 2022? I’ll give you a hint. This guy was still first on the team in 2023, despite missing the final seven games of the regular season.
For the past half-decade, Mark Andrews has been the clear preferred red-zone option for Lamar Jackson. That is not about to change this season. The only thing standing between Andrews and leading the Ravens in red-zone targets once again is injury.
Buffalo Bills: Dalton Kincaid
Given the massive overhaul of the Bills’ WR room, this prediction is made with only a moderate degree of confidence. Last season, Gabe Davis actually led the Bills with 26 red-zone targets. Stefon Diggs was a close second with 25. Dalton Kincaid had 12.
Based on that information, and the fact that Diggs and Davis are no longer on the team, it stands to reason Kincaid would shoot to the top of Josh Allen’s red-zone favorites. The only wrinkle is the other tight end.
Dawson Knox had 12 red-zone targets last season. He only played 12 games. The fantasy community has decided Kincaid is going to completely vanquish Knox in the tight end battle, but Knox could be a thorn in Kincaid’s side. Regardless, it would be a surprise if Kincaid wasn’t the red-zone target leader on the Bills this season.
Carolina Panthers: Diontae Johnson
Let’s go out on a limb and list the guy who didn’t score a single touchdown in all of 2022 as the favorite to lead the Panthers in red-zone targets.
Diontae Johnson hasn’t been a prolific touchdown scorer the past two seasons, but he did score seven and eight in 2020 and 2021 when he had competent quarterback play from Ben Roethlisberger.
Johnson immediately slots in as the Panthers’ clear WR1. He’s going to lead the team in targets by a wide margin. Conventional wisdom suggests he will also lead the team in red-zone targets.
The only wrinkle is Adam Thielen has made a career out of getting open in the end zone (he was also good at other things, too!). He saw 19 red-zone targets as the Panthers’ WR1 last season. At the age of 34, Thielen can’t do it like he used to. However, he may still be able to thrive as a situational end-zone option. But my money remains with Johnson.
Chicago Bears: Cole Kmet
The Bears completely revamped their offense this offseason. They added Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze to a receiving corps that already featured DJ Moore and Cole Kmet. With three guys who could realistically be WR1s, why am I going with Kmet?
Last season, Kmet had 23 red-zone targets, while Moore led the team with 25. Allen is 32 years old. While he hasn’t shown any signs of decline, Allen is now facing the steepest target competition of his career. He’s also never been that go-to guy in the end zone.
As for Odunze, he’s a rookie and is unlikely to play outside of three-receiver sets.
That brings us to Kmet. While the three WRs largely cancel each other out, Kmet has the TE1 job to himself. Kmet will likely not be as reliable as he was last season, but he should have his fair share of red-zone opportunities.
Cincinnati Bengals: Ja’Marr Chase
For the past two seasons, Ja’Marr Chase has led the Bengals in red-zone targets, and it hasn’t been close. He’s one of the five best wide receivers in the league and has an established rapport with Joe Burrow that predates the NFL.
While Tee Higgins is no slouch and did lead this team in red-zone targets during Chase’s rookie year, Chase has separated himself significantly from Higgins over the past two seasons. Barring injury, there is absolutely no chance anyone else leads the Bengals in red-zone targets.
Cleveland Browns: Amari Cooper
There are two candidates to lead the Browns in red-zone targets. Last season, David Njoku topped Amari Cooper 27-20. The year before, it was Cooper leading 33-26.
The numbers are close enough (53-53) that it’s truly a toss-up between the two. The Browns are severely lacking in receiving talent outside of Cooper and Njoku. They took a shot on Jerry Jeudy and still roster Elijah Moore, but neither compels me to alter my previous statement. Both Cooper and Njoku are being undervalued in fantasy this season.
Dallas Cowboys: CeeDee Lamb
This one is a no-brainer. CeeDee Lamb cemented his status as a truly elite wide receiver last season, leading the NFL in receptions. Unsurprisingly, he led the Cowboys in red-zone targets.
That wasn’t it, though. Lamb actually led the entire NFL with 54. Jake Ferguson is no slouch when it comes to the red zone. He saw 32 targets in that area himself. But this is Lamb’s team, and he is the overwhelming favorite to be the best red-zone target on the Cowboys.
Denver Broncos: Courtland Sutton
The Broncos don’t have much in the way of fantasy assets. Even Courtland Sutton is being drafted as a WR4. But if there’s one thing we know Sutton does well, it’s score touchdowns.
Sutton has led the Broncos in red-zone targets each of the past two seasons. Last year, he scored 10 times on just 59 receptions.
At 6’3″, 218 pounds, Sutton is a throwback X receiver. For rookie starter Bo Nix, Sutton is the guy he can throw it up to when he has nothing else. He’s a strong bet to lead the Broncos in red-zone targets.
Detroit Lions: Sam LaPorta
Amon-Ra St. Brown will lead the Lions in targets by a wide margin. He will score his fair share of touchdowns. But when the Lions get close to the end zone, that’s where Sam LaPorta shines.
St. Brown actually led the Lions in red-zone targets with 27 last season, besting LaPorta by eight. However, when specifically looking at targets in the end zone, LaPorta doubled up St. Brown 8-4.
Given that St. Brown is the No. 1 WR on the team and does his best work close to the line of scrimmage, he will likely end up with more red-zone targets. But make no mistake about it, when Jared Goff is looking for someone in the back of the end zone, it’s LaPorta.
Green Bay Packers: Christian Watson
On most teams, there’s a clear answer. On teams without one clear answer, it’s between two guys. On the Packers, it could be just about anyone.
Last year, Romeo Doubs led the team with 33 red-zone targets. Jayden Reed had 23, which was behind Christian Watson, who had 27.
Watson was second on the team in red-zone targets last season despite missing eight games and being less than 100% for about half of the games he did play. His physical profile also lends to his status as a red-zone threat.
If Watson can stay healthy this season, even if he’s not an every-down player, which I expect he won’t be, he’s the best red-zone weapon the Packers have. Thus, Watson is my pick to lead the Packers in red-zone targets.
Houston Texans: Nico Collins
As talented as Tank Dell is, the 5’8″, 165-pound WR is not going to be the Texans’ primary red-zone option. It will either be Nico Collins or Stefon Diggs.
Last season, Collins and Diggs both saw 25 red-zone targets. Given that Collins played alongside Dell, while Diggs had minimal target competition in Buffalo, it stands to reason Collins, who remains the alpha in Houston, will see more red-zone targets now that Diggs is competing with both Collins and Dell for targets.
Indianapolis Colts: Michael Pittman Jr.
Michael Pittman Jr. saw 24 red-zone targets last year. Although he only scored four touchdowns, Pittman’s status as the unquestioned and unchallenged No. 1 WR for the Colts resulted in him being targeted frequently all over the field, including near the end zone.
Although the Colts drafted WR Adonai Mitchell in the second round, he’s more of a downfield burner and is two inches shorter than Pittman. Josh Downs is your prototypical slot receiver. This role belongs to Pittman.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Christian Kirk
Last year, Calvin Ridley finished second in the NFL with 50 red-zone targets. Ridley is no longer on the team. At first, it may seem difficult to pin down who Trevor Lawrence will look for near the end zone. However, we need not look beyond what happened in 2022 to see the answer.
The year before Ridley arrived, Christian Kirk was the clear WR1. He led the team with 33 red-zone targets, which was good for seventh in the league. Now that Ridley is gone, it stands to reason Kirk will reprise his role as Lawrence’s favorite option all over the field.
Kansas City Chiefs: Rashee Rice
You probably thought this was going to be Travis Kelce. So did I. But looking at the data, there was a deliberate effort to reduce Kelce’s usage last season. Meanwhile, Rashee Rice edged out Kelce in red-zone targets 28-26. As a reminder, Rice wasn’t a starter until the second half of the season.
With a suspension seeming less and less likely for Rice, he is set to reprise his role as Patrick Mahomes’ most reliable wide receiver. Kelce will still see plenty of chances, but the 24-year-old WR is the better bet than the 35-year-old TE.
Las Vegas Raiders: Davante Adams
It actually feels like 38 is a low number of targets for Davante Adams to see in the red zone. Given that he saw 40 in 2022, I guess not.
Nevertheless, Adams, even at 31 years old, is still an alpha. The addition of Brock Bowers and the continued presence of Jakobi Meyers pose no threat to Adams as the primary target for this team all over the field, including in the red zone.
Los Angeles Chargers: Joshua Palmer
The Chargers’ pass-catchers underwent a considerable overhaul. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are both playing for other teams. The only key member of this receiving corps who remains on the roster is Joshua Palmer. He saw 14 red-zone targets last season.
While Palmer’s red-zone target count may not jump up that much this year, as the Chargers move to a more run-heavy approach, he’s the presumptive favorite to see the ball when they do throw. Although, it wouldn’t shock me if rookie Ladd McConkey worked his way into the mix sooner rather than later.
Los Angeles Rams: Puka Nacua
There has been a changing of the guard in Los Angeles. Cooper Kupp may still be very good, but Puka Nacua is the WR1. As a rookie, Nacua led the Rams with 26 red-zone targets. Kupp did still see 25, and he missed five games and was banged up for a handful more.
Even so, if Nacua was that heavily targeted near the red zone as a rookie, it stands to reason his role will only increase as he improves in his second season. It will certainly be one of Nacua or Kupp — my pick is Nacua.
Miami Dolphins: Tyreek Hill
At 30 years old, Tyreek Hill has been around long enough that we don’t need to question how the 5’10” receiver is so effective in the red zone. We just accept it as reality because Hill is one of the 10 best wide receivers in NFL history.
Hill saw 36 red-zone targets last year, which easily led the Dolphins. A healthy Jaylen Waddle may cut into that a bit, but Waddle does most of his damage farther away from the end zone.
The Dolphins have so many plays in their playbook specifically designed to get the ball in Hill’s hands near the goal line. It would be a major shock if he wasn’t the most heavily targeted Dolphin in the red zone.
Minnesota Vikings: Justin Jefferson
Despite missing seven games, Justin Jefferson saw 21 red-zone targets last season. During his last full year in 2022, Jefferson saw 43 red-zone targets.
Jefferson is the best WR in the NFL. The quarterback change from Kirk Cousins to Sam Darnold/J.J. McCarthy may result in fewer total targets in the red zone. However, it should not impact Jefferson’s status as the lead red-zone target earner on the Vikings.
New England Patriots: Hunter Henry
The Patriots’ receiving situation is wide open this year. They don’t have a clear WR1. They don’t even have a clear starting group of receivers.
DeMario Douglas and Kendrick Bourne are currently the favorites to play in two-receiver sets, but that could easily change. The uncertainty is what pushes me toward Hunter Henry to lead this team in red-zone targets.
Henry only saw 12 red-zone targets last season, but his role as the Patriots TE1 is secure. He also has a track record of proficiency near the end zone.
There’s a world where rookie Ja’Lynn Polk steps up and takes over this receiving corp. However, the most likely outcome is Henry leads an uninspiring group in the red zone.
New Orleans Saints: Chris Olave
Two years ago, Juwan Johnson actually led the Saints in red-zone targets with a mere 17. If he were entering the season fully healthy, I might have considered him for this spot. However, I am going with the Saints’ clear WR1 — a guy I expect to take a massive step forward in what is now his third NFL season.
Chris Olave led the Saints in target share last season. He will do so again this season. New OC Klint Kubiak should utilize more pre-snap motion and make it a point to get the ball in the hands of the team’s best playmaker.
Olave saw 21 red-zone targets last season, which led the team. I expect him to lead the team once again and for that number to be even higher in 2024.
New York Giants: Malik Nabers
We obviously have no past-season data on Malik Nabers with the Giants, as he is a rookie. That doesn’t matter in this case.
The Giants are completely devoid of any offensive playmakers aside from Nabers. The rest of their wide receivers are guys who should be rotational WR3/4s at best. Their tight end is a rookie. They don’t even have a top running back anymore.
It remains to be seen how often the Giants will be in the red zone, but when they are, the ball is going to Nabers.
New York Jets: Garrett Wilson
Over the past two seasons, Garrett Wilson has easily led the Jets in red-zone targets. He had 25 last year and 32 the year before. Obviously, the Jets would like to see him targeted more in that area, but that’s what happens when your offense is forced to start Zach Wilson at quarterback.
With Aaron Rodgers, Wilson should be treated like Davante Adams was in Green Bay. No one else on this roster is a serious threat to Wilson’s WR1 status. Mike Williams’ size does make him an intriguing end-zone target. There’s a chance he leads the Jets specifically in that. As for overall red-zone targets, it will be Wilson.
Pittsburgh Steelers: George Pickens
The Steelers are going to look a lot different offensively this year. They completely overhauled their quarterback room, changed offensive coordinators, and no longer have their longtime WR1, Diontae Johnson.
When Johnson was there, he was the primary red-zone target as the WR1. Now that George Pickens is firmly in that role, we should expect him to lead this team in red-zone targets.
Pat Freiermuth is in play, as well. He should see an uptick in usage as the clear second option in the passing game. However, Pickens is the unquestioned favorite to lead this passing game in pretty much every category, including red-zone targets.
Philadelphia Eagles: A.J. Brown
For each of the past two seasons, A.J. Brown has dominated red-zone targets on the Eagles. He hasn’t seen a large number relative to his peers, mostly because of how often the Eagles run near the goal line, specifically with Jalen Hurts. But when they do throw, it’s usually to Brown.
The Eagles’ WR1 saw 29 red-zone targets last season. Dallas Goedert and DeVonta Smith had 15 and 14, respectively. They are both formidable options but are not alphas on the level of Brown. The dominant outside receiver should thrive even more in Kellen Moore’s more dynamic offensive scheme.
San Francisco 49ers: George Kittle
In 2022, George Kittle was the clear leading red-zone target for the 49ers. He saw 26 of them. Brandon Aiyuk was second with 18.
Last season, things were much flatter. Deebo Samuel Sr. led the team with 20. Christian McCaffrey was second with 19. Kittle and Aiyuk followed with 17 and 16.
The reality is it’s difficult to predict a team with four players who are at or near the top of their positions in talent. It wouldn’t surprise me if any one of these four led the 49ers in red-zone targets. Given Kittle’s nose for the end zone and longer track record, he is my pick.
Seattle Seahawks: DK Metcalf
At 6’3″, 228 pounds, DK Metcalf has all the makings of a dominant red-zone option. He led the Seahawks with 42 red-zone targets last season. He led the NFL with 50 red-zone targets in 2022.
Tyler Lockett is 32 years old and has always lagged well behind Metcalf in the red zone. Jaxon Smith-Njigba actually saw 15 red-zone targets last season. He should see an increase this year, but he’s no threat to Metcalf. This is Metcalf’s role, and he should dominate near the end zone once again.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mike Evans
Interestingly, Chris Godwin led the Bucs in red-zone targets that did not go into the end zone. In the end zone, though, Mike Evans dominated. He saw a whopping 20 end-zone targets to go along with his 14 red-zone targets, topping Godwin’s total of 26.
Evans is one of the best touchdown scorers in NFL history. Baker Mayfield specifically looks for Evans as the Bucs get near the goal line. Evans should once again easily lead the Bucs in red-zone targets.
Tennessee Titans: Calvin Ridley
For all of Calvin Ridley’s struggles last season, he still scored eight touchdowns. Ridley was second in the league with 50 red-zone targets. Incredibly, 24 of Ridley’s red-zone targets came in the end zone.
DeAndre Hopkins led the Titans in red-zone targets last season with 31, but he may open the season inactive for a week or two as he recovers from a knee sprain. He’s also 32 years old. Ridley should be considered the clear favorite to top the Titans in red-zone targets.
Washington Commanders: Terry McLaurin
Interestingly, Terry McLaurin was fourth on the Commanders in red-zone targets last season. He was behind Curtis Samuel, Logan Thomas, and Jahan Dotson. However, McLaurin did lead this team in red-zone targets in 2022.
Samuel and Thomas are now gone. Dotson is still there but was incredibly underwhelming last season. I expect his role to be reduced as the Commanders look for a superior option. That leaves McLaurin, who remains the clear WR1, as the only viable option in the red zone.