What Is Target Share in Fantasy Football?

Sep 11

2 min read

Updated: Oct 10

Target share measures how much of a team’s passing volume goes to one player. It helps separate a receiver’s place in the offense from how often the team happened to throw.

Part of Football 101. Explore the guide to choose your next topic.

Football Nation target share diagram showing the formula player targets divided by team pass attempts and the opportunity chain from snaps to routes, targets, catches and fantasy points. — Football Nation original teaching graphic: target share sits between route opportunity and fantasy production. The 12-target, 40-attempt example is hypothetical.

The calculation is simple. The denominator deserves care because providers do not all define it the same way.

Calculate it consistently

A common version is player targets divided by team pass attempts, multiplied by 100. Twelve targets on 40 attempts produce a 30% share. A provider using total assigned targets instead may exclude throwaways and other attempts with no intended receiver, producing a different percentage.

Always label which denominator you used and keep the same source when comparing players. A sack is not a pass attempt, and a scramble is not a target.

For a multiweek share, add the player’s targets and the team’s denominator across the same games, then divide. Do not simply average weekly percentages when passing volume differs. Ten targets in a 20 attempt game and five in a 40 attempt game give 15 of 60, or 25%, across the two games.

What the percentage adds

Ten targets on 30 attempts mean a 33.3% share. Ten on 50 mean 20%. The raw opportunities are identical, but the first receiver commanded a larger part of his offense’s attention.

Share is still not a forecast by itself. Twenty five percent of 24 attempts is six targets; twenty five percent of 40 is ten. Team volume remains essential.

Follow the opportunity chain

Snap share and route participation explain whether a player was on the field and available as a receiver. Target share asks how often the ball was sent his way. Catch rate describes how often those targets became receptions. They answer different questions.

A tight end can play nearly every snap while blocking on many pass plays. A receiver can run almost every route while teammates earn most throws. Neither player’s snap count alone establishes target opportunity.

Targets also differ in value. A short checkdown and a deep end zone throw each count once, but offer different catch probabilities and scoring chances. Use share to measure role, then add routes, target depth, quarterback play and scoring format.