Fantasy football is all about the stats, right? You win by scoring more points than your opponent. It's not rocket science ... or even trying to remember the names of all the characters on Game of Thrones. NFL players score fantasy points when allowed opportunities. The more opportunities received, the better the chance he'll help you compete in fantasy land.
As it pertains to the wide receiver position, "opportunities" can come in the form of catches. The top five leaders in catches in 2015 included Antonio Brown, Julio Jones and DeAndre Hopkins. It's not a coincidence that this trio also finished in the top six in fantasy points at the position, right? After a hectic offseason that saw some notable wideouts leave or sign with new franchises, target and catch distributions are likely to change as well.
So, which teams had the biggest percentage of lost targets heading into the 2015 campaign, and who figures to cash in on them? Here's your in-depth look:
1. Cincinnati Bengals (52 percent): The losses of Marvin Jones (65 catches) and Mohamed Sanu (33 catches) mean a lot of opportunities are out there for the rest of the Bengals wideouts next season. That means either Brandon LaFell or Tyler Boyd could push for fantasy relevance alongside A.J. Green at the position. I prefer the upside with Boyd, but he's not worth more than a late-round pick.
2. San Francisco 49ers (45 percent): The Niners have lost 45 percent of their wideout catches from last season, but those catches could return in the form of Anquan Boldin. If the veteran doesn't return to the Niners, Torrey Smith should see an uptick in targets and value. Quinton Patton and Bruce Ellington could be on the deep-league radar should Boldin decide to sign with another team.
3. Detroit Lions (40 percent): This isn't a surprise, as the Lions lost Calvin Johnson and his 88 catches to retirement. Look for Golden Tate to be a targets machine and a potential draft bargain in his absence. Marvin Jones should see an increase in value as Detroit's No. 2 wideout, but he's a No. 4 for fantasy purposes. Tight end Eric Ebron should also see an increase in his opportunities.
4. Cleveland Browns (35 percent): The Browns drafted a boatload of wideouts, which will more than make up for the loss of Travis Benjamin and his 68 catches. The favorite to earn the most targets is rookie Corey Coleman, who could push for 800-900 yards as the potential top option in the pass attack. Brian Hartline, Andrew Hawkins, Ricardo Louis and Rashard Higgins aren't draftable right now.
5. Buffalo Bills (32 percent): The loss of Chris Hogan (36 catches) and Percy Harvin (19 catches) opened up more than 30 percent of Buffalo's wideout catches from a season ago. In a best-case set of circumstances, at least some of those chances will land in the hands of Sammy Watkins. A massive talent with No. 1 fantasy wideout potential, Watkins will be worth a second- or third-round choice.
6. New York Giants (30 percent): The big offseason loss for the Giants was Rueben Randle, who left as a free agent for Philadelphia. This leaves quite a nice situation for rookie Sterling Shepard in 2016, unless you believe Victor Cruz (knee) can return from an extended gridiron absence and make a major impact. I like the Oklahoma product to be a sleeper in drafts and a potential PPR boon.
7. Miami Dolphins (27 percent): The biggest loss of wideout catches from a year ago is Rishard Matthews (43 catches). A lot of those opportunities should land in the hands of DeVante Parker, who is a real sleeper among fantasy receivers. With Jarvis Landry also a lock to start, don't expect Kenny Stills or rookie Leonte Carroo to see enough targets to be draftable in most seasonal formats.
8. Minnesota Vikings (26 percent): The entire 26 percent of wideout catches lost from last season comes from Mike Wallace, who landed in Baltimore. With a starting spot alongside Stefon Diggs right there for the taking, you have to like Laquon Treadwell to see a lot of opportunities in the pass attack for offensive coordinator Norv Turner. He's on the middle- to late-round radar as a No. 3/4 fantasy wideout.
9. Carolina Panthers (25 percent): The Panthers cut ties with Jerricho Cotchery (39 catches), but the return of Kelvin Benjmain (knee) means a likely loss in opportunities for Ted Ginn Jr. in 2016. Don't look for Devin Funchess to experience a huge rise in his stats either, as the Panthers will have a lot of mouths to feed with Benjamin and tight end Greg Olsen eating up plenty of targets.
10. Green Bay Packers (24 percent:) The Packers won't bring back James Jones (50 catches), but the return of Jordy Nelson (knee) means a shift in targets distribution in 2016. Nelson averaged 138.5 targets in the previous two seasons, so he's a lock to lead the team again. Randall Cobb should be second, leaving Davante Adams, Jeff Janis and tight end Jared Cook to see inconsistent looks.
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (20 percent): The loss of Martavis Bryant (50 catches) is good news for Markus Wheaton among wideouts, but tight end Ladarius Green should feast in the offense.
T-12. Indianapolis Colts (19 percent): With Andre Johnson now out of the mix, look for Donte Moncrief to see his stats improve and become a potential draft bargain in fantasy leagues.
T-12. New Orleans Saints (19 percent): The Saints cut Marques Colston (45 catches), so rookie Michael Thomas will have some room for chances alongside Brandin Cooks and Willie Snead.
T-14. Atlanta Falcons (18 percent):Mohamed Sanu should eat up most of the catches that veteran Roddy White has left behind, but Justin Hardy is also someone to monitor during training camp.
T-14. New England Patriots (18 percent): With tight end Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman in the mix, don't expect Danny Amendola or Chris Hogan to see consistent targets in New England.
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Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on NFL.com and NFL Network and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Have a burning question on anything fantasy related? Tweet it to _**@MichaelFabiano**_ or send a question via **Facebook**!
