Another season of fantasy football is wrapped up, leaving some champions and others wondering where they went wrong. Before the postseason kicks off there are dozens of nuggets we learned — or, in some cases, relearned — which may be useful in 2010. Hey, it’s never too early to start thinking about next season, is it?

1. Aaron Rodgers is an elite fantasy football quarterback with one of the best receiving corps in football. Donald Drivers had a terrific season at age 34 and Greg Jennings remains a game-changer. But one of the key notes concerning Rodgers is his ability to spread the ball around. Five players had more than 30 receptions, and five had at least four touchdown receptions. Rodgers himself finished with 4,434 yards, 30 touchdown passes, and just seven interceptions, not to mention he led all quarterbacks in rushing with 316 yards and five additional scores. The Packers offense will continue to roll as long as he’s around, especially with up-and-coming receivers like James Jones and the ultra-talented tight end Jermichael Finley.

2. The Colts know how to draft receivers who fit their offense. Peyton Manning had two receivers with 100 receptions — Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark — but the biggest surprises were Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon. Those two combined for 107 receptions, 1,441 yards, and 11 touchdowns, despite missing some games. It reinforced Manning’s status as the premier fantasy quarterback — he passed for 4,500 yards and 33 touchdowns — and reminded fans that Manning doesn’t need Marvin Harrison or Brandon Stokley to be successful: he makes his weapons dangerous.

3. Tony Romo is really good — even in December. Romo finished with 4,483 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions and turned Miles Austin into a fantasy juggernaut. Just as important, Romo caught fire when the temperature dipped: from December to January he averaged 310 passing yards per week and threw nine touchdowns and just two interceptions in five games. And end-of-season collapse be damned: the ‘Boys finished 5-2 in the final seven weeks, sweeping their final three games at New Orleans, at Washington, and as hosts to the Eagles to win the division.

4. Chris Johnson is flat out unstopable. He broke 2,000 yards rushing on 358 carries, adding an addition 50 receptions for 503 yards. He scored 16 times and carried the Titans offense on his shoulders as far as he could, despite defenses knowing he was Tennessee’s only real weapon. Unfortunately, that didn’t mean a playoff berth. However, if you had him on your fantasy roster, he probably got you more than a few wins: he broke 150 yards from scrimmage an incredible 10 times and rushed for 100+ yards 11 consecutive weeks to close the season. Something tells me he’ll be the first player off draft boards next season.

5. These New (York) Jets are bringing pride to the fans. Rex Ryan has coached his Jets to a playoff berth with only the fundamentals in mind: run the ball really well and shut down opposing offenses. It actually seems like this team is winning in spite of rookie Mark Sanchez, who tossed 20 interceptions and just 12 touchdowns. But Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene 1-2 kidney-punched defenses this season 439 times for 1,902 yards and 16 touchdowns. The rest of the offense rushed for an additional 854 yards and chipped in five more touchdowns. And the blitz-happy defense? It ranked first in points, yards, and passing yards.

6. Matt Schaub can sure throw a football when he’s healthy. Everyone knew he had potential, especially with Andre Johnson, arguably the league’s best wide receiver, at his disposal. But did anyone think he’d pass for more yards than Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, and Tom Brady? Schaub nailed his targets for 4,770 yards to lead the league and tacked on 29 touchdown passes. Incidentally, he also led the league in passing attempts (583) and completions (396).

7. Philip Rivers’ 2008 season was no fluke. Rivers matched or bettered his numbers in nearly every major passing category, save touchdowns. He completed roughly the same percentage of his passes for more yards (4,254) and fewer interceptions (9). He even ran for a touchdown this season, the second of his career. As for those touchdowns, he might not have hit 34 again, but he did pass for a very respectable 28 and proved to fans and critics that he’s as good as anyone else in the league.

8. The Denver Broncos need a new face at quarterback, someone more like — dare I say? — Jay Cutler. Cutler has his flaws (he showed them this season when he threw 26 interceptions), but Denver needs a quarterback who can take chances and win games, not a game-manager. Kyle Orton played well enough when the defense was shut-down, but he couldn’t be counted on to lead the offense from behind. His failures were one of the critical reasons Denver dropped 8 of its final 10 to miss the postseason.

9. Vincent Jackson is quietly stellar. He has one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL tossing him the football (Philip Rivers), and he’s improved his numbers every season he’s been in the league. This season he caught 68 passes for 1,167 yards (that’s 17.2 yards per catch) and nine touchdowns. Imagine if he improves again next season — be sure you don’t pass on him in your draft.

10. Brandon Marshall is going to make some quarterback very happy next season. Because his contract expires and his demand will be through the roof, Denver might not be able to retain him. And after head coach Josh McDaniels benched him week 17, one wonders whether the franchise wants to retain him. Character issues aside, Marshall is a brilliant receiver and a game-changer. He caught 100 passes for the third consecutive season and had his first double-digit touchdown year to boot. Expect more great things wherever he suits up next season, maybe even in Chicago, to reunite with Jay Cutler and bolster an otherwise below-average corps of receivers.

The fantasy football season has concluded in many leagues, and will reach it’s denouement in other leagues shortly. And with that in mind, and a new year upon us, now seems like a good time to review, position-by-position, what went on this season, and compare it to what we thought would happen going into the year. (Note: All statistics are through Week 16)

QUARTERBACKS

BIGGEST BUST - Matt Cassel, Kansas City: After being traded to the Chiefs and signing a big new contract, Cassel came into this season as, at worst, a QB2, with some fantasy football owners considering him as a possible low-end starter, depending on the match-up. He hasn’t lived up to the contract he signed, and he wasn’t even on most fantasy radars after the beginning of the season. He is 21st in the NFL in passing yards with 2,717, tied for 20th in touchdown throws with 16, is tied for seventh in the league with 15 interceptions, and is 28th with a completion percentage of 55.0.

- Runners-Up: Jay Cutler, David Garrard

BEST VALUE - Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos: Orton was considered far down the totem pole of fantasy quarterbacks, and though he certainly wasn’t an every week starter, he was solid enough to play if the match-up was correct. He threw for 20 touchdowns, which was tied for 16th in the NFL, and 3,371 yards, which was 15th. Orton didn’t hurt his fantasy owners with negative points much, either, throwing only eight interceptions.

- Runners Up:  Joe Flacco, Ben Roethlisberger

RUNNING BACKS

BIGGEST BUST - Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders: While nobody had McFadden as a first-round pick, it was generally thought that he would make a solid contribution as a RB2, or flex play on most weeks. To say that hasn’t happened is an understatement. McFadden was on most waiver wires at the end of the season with numbers that were paltry even when you consider the fact that he missed four games. The former Arkansas Razorbacks star has run for 348 yards, at 3.5 per carry, and just one touchdown, with 21 catches for 245 yards. If anybody told you before the season that McFadden would have three times the amount of lost fumbles as he did touchdowns going into the season’s final week, would you have believed it?

- Runners Up: Steve Slaton, Larry Johnson

BEST VALUE - Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh Steelers: This was a close call, as both Ray Rice and Ricky Williams were close, but they were likely drafted higher than Mendenhall. But considering that Mendenhall didn’t play much last season due to injury, and had all of 45 yards through the season’s first three games, he gets the nod. Mendenhall is 11th in the NFL in rushing with over 1,000 yards, and has scored seven touchdowns.

- Runners Up: Rice, Williams

WIDE RECEIVERS

BIGGEST BUST - T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seattle Seahawks: Houshmandzadeh came to Seattle over Minnesota in part because he liked the team’s quarterback situation more. That turned out to be a great thing for the Vikings, who saw players like Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin emerge, while Houshmandzadeh struggled all season, ranking 29th in the NFL with 845 receiving yards, and, most disappointingly, just three touchdown catches, which ranks him tied for 66th in the league, and behind players like Louis Murphy and James Jones.

- Runners Up: Terrell Owens, Ted Ginn

BEST VALUE - Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys: If Austin was drafted at all in fantasy leagues, it was near the bottom of the draft. And through the season’s first four weeks, you saw why, as he caught just five passes for 81 yards in the first quarter of the season. But he caught 10 passes for 250 yard and two scores in Week 5 in Kansas City, and is now fifth in the NFL with 1,230 receiving yards and fourth with 11 touchdown catches.

- Runners Up: Sidney Rice, Mike Sims-Walker

TIGHT ENDS

BIGGEST BUST - Anthony Fasano, Miami Dolphins: After catching 34 passes for 454 yards and seven touchdowns last year, many fantasy owners believed Fasano was on his way to bigger and better things in his fourth season. Unfortunately, he’s gone backwards, and has just two touchdowns among his 29 receptions, along with 298 receiving yards, which is 29th in the NFL among tight ends.

- Runners Up: Martellus Bennett, Bo Scaife

BEST VALUE - Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers: Fantasy owners have been waiting for Davis to break out, but after he regressed statistically last season, many had given up hope. He was still a draftable player, but nobody believed he’d accomplish what he has so far this season. He’s more than doubled his numbers in every category from 2008 to this season, and has 72 receptions for 876 yards. More importantly, he’s caught 12 touchdown passes, which is tied for second in the NFL.

- Runners Up: Jermichael Finley, Brent Celek

With every catch this season, the bidding price for Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall has gone up, up, and, after last week, way up. His record-setting 21-reception game might have pushed him into another contract tier: Larry Fitzgerald-type figures.

Fitz signed a 4-year, $40 million contract in 2008. No doubt Marhsall’s agent Kennard McGuire will be demanding at least that much to open negotiations.

Unlike Fitzgerald, however, Marshall carries with him some baggage. In addition to 319 career receptions, Marshall carries with him a reputation of selfishness and immaturity.

Prior to the 2009 regular season and following Jay Cutler’s successful demand to be traded, Marshall tried to take a page from his former teammate’s playbook by requesting his own get-out-of-town card.

Josh McDaniels reply: sorry, no deal.

In an another attempt to get his contract renegotiated, Marshall upped the ante with a filmed preseason practice that included him batting passes to the ground and punting footballs away from ball boys.

Josh McDaniels reaction: a suspension.

Since then fans have witnessed a different personality. Marshall has bought into McDaniels’ philosophy — six consecutive wins to open the season didn’t hurt — and has turned into a team player. He’s put his game where his mouth was, racking up 93 receptions in 14 games this season and putting together his 3rd consecutive 1,000-yard season. Seven more receptions in the final two weeks and he’ll also have three consecutive 100-catch seasons. He even told the media after his record-setting game that he’d “definitely trade in a couple of those (21) receptions for a win.”

Denver might want to keep that kind of production — and even his personality — around. After Marshall, no one on the Broncos roster has at least 40 receptions this season. Eddie Royal, who a year ago had 91 receptions for 980 yards and five touchdowns, has 37 catches for 345 yards and no touchdowns.

Marshall’s importance this season cannot be overstated. Prior to the 21-reception game he was averaging more than five receptions per game. He’s caught 10 of Kyle Orton’s 17 touchdown passes. No one on the roster has more yards from scrimmage than him. No one even comes close to his production.

Consider this: Eddie Royal, Jabar Gaffney, and Tony Scheffler — numbers 2, 3, and 4 on the team’s reception leaders list — have a combined 100 receptions this season.

Blame others’ lack of statistical prowess on the presence of a new starting quarterback or the absence of gunslinger Jay Cutler. Any way you slice it, Marshall has been paramount to Denver’s success on offense this season.

If he’s not there next season, will Denver be as good as this season? Can Kyle Orton rely on Jabar Gaffney and Eddie Royal on a weekly basis? These are questions the Broncos need to ask before deciding whether to juggle the books to make cap space for Marshall or let him go if he doesn’t justify his potential contract.

Let’s hope they make the right decision.

Fantasy football enthusiasts around the country have started battling for supremacy in their respective leagues, allowing them a chance for either eternal glory or unceasing shame and humiliation. Okay, that may be stretching things a bit, but the fact remains that these final weeks of the season are do-or-die time, and even the smallest of mistakes can flitter away your chances at taking home a championship. To help guide you on your way, here are a few things to keep in mind.

- Dance With the Girl That Brought You: In this instance, the girl that brought you is actually a large man wearing a helmet, but the point remains - your stars are the ones who got you into the fantasy playoffs in the first place - don’t abandon them now. Match-ups are important, but don’t let them completely overrule your instinct. For example, if you own both Tony Gonzalez and Dante Rosario, don’t start Rosario this week just because the Vikings have been much softer on opposing tight ends this season than the Jets have. To put it simply, don’t over-think things.

- Remember the Defense: Fantasy football owners pay plenty of attention to their quarterbacks, tight ends, wide receivers and especially running backs, but just kind of ignore their defense, or leave it as is because, well, that’s the easy thing to do, right? Yes, but in the fantasy playoffs, every point counts. And though we just said to leave well enough alone in the paragraph above, there is a big difference between individual stars and entire teams. We’re not saying go out and pick up the Chiefs’ defense just because they’re playing the Browns, but we are saying it’s not the smartest move to stick with the Cowboys’ defense against the Saints this week. Dallas, who is sixth in scoring defense so far this year, hasn’t been an upper echelon defensive unit in fantasy football this season, and they wouldn’t have been an especially significant contributor to getting you into the fantasy playoffs, but they were a defense you could win with. However, you just can’t use them this week against New Orleans and expect to win.

- Enjoy it: It is a game, remember? So have some fun, no matter what happens the next couple of weeks (But not too much fun, at least in the company of certain people. There is a little bit of etiquette involved. If you’re in a league with, say, your boss, and you beat him to win the championship, maybe you want to hold back on the gloating just, you know, a smidge. That is, unless you want to get transferred to Alaska; but we hear it’s just a wee bit nippy there this time of year).

It’s Tuesday, and with all games having been played, it’s time to get going on our weekly routine of looking at targets from the previous day’s NFL action.

- T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seattle Seahawks: As our graph shows, Houshmandzadeh has been the recipient of 97 targets this season, including a team-high six in Seattle’s win over the Rams last week. However, he hasn’t done much considering only seven players have gotten more looks than he has. He caught a measly two passes for 14 yards last week, and has only 56 receptions for 632 yards so far in the ’09 campaign. The high number of targets he’s received is just another reason to count him among the biggest disappointments of the fantasy football season.

- Michael Jenkins, Atlanta Falcons: Jenkins received eight targets last week in Atlanta’s win over the Buccaneers, and he came down with seven receptions for 80 yards. While Tony Gonzalez and Roddy White got more looks (12 and 13, respectively), and will continue to do so, Jenkins’ production over his last two games should not be ignored; he had six receptions for 76 yards two weeks ago. His catch totals in each of his past two games have each been season-highs, and his 80 receiving yards are a season-high.

- Terrell Owens, Buffalo Bills: The wideout with the most targets for the Bills last week wasn’t Owens, it was Lee Evans. Evans received six targets, and Owens had five, yet T.O. had far more success, catching all five of the passes thrown his way for 96 yards and a touchdown, while Evans had only two catches for 40 yards. Beware of getting caught in the trap that is Owens’ big numbers of late – he faces the Jets this weekend, and Darrelle Revis has shut nearly every big-time wide receiver down this season.

- Pierre Garcon, Indianapolis Colts: Garcon received seven targets from Peyton Manning last week in the Colts’ come-from-behind win over the Texans. That included a number of red zone looks, and Garcon responded with five receptions for 63 yards and one touchdown. His seven targets were the second-most on the team behind Dallas Clark, and were one more than Reggie Wayne.

- Chris Chambers, Kansas City Chiefs: Chambers was targeted eight times last week as the Chiefs got blown out by Chambers’ old team, the Chargers. He led the team in targets, and wound up with seven catches for 71 yards and a touchdown. He’s unquestionably the No. 1 wideout for K.C. with Dwayne Bowe out due to suspension, and his targets should reflect that.

- Other Week 10 target numbers of interest: Kenny Britt, 11; Sidney Rice, Mark Clayton, Sam Aiken, 10; Laveranues Coles, 9; Michael Crabtree, Josh Morgan, Chansi Stuckey, 8; Jeremy Maclin, Chaz Schilens, Sammie Stroughter, Brian Hartline, 7; Robert Meachem, 6; Chad Ochocinco, 5; Roy Williams, 4; Devin Hester, 2.

It’s Tuesday, and with all games having been played, it’s time to get going on our weekly routine of looking at targets from the previous day’s NFL action.

- Michael Crabtree, San Francisco 49ers: Early in the game between the 49ers and the Bears, it looked like Crabtree was going to have a monster contest, as San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith seemed intent on pumping the ball into Crabtree as often as possible. But that plan soon dissipated and Crabtree received just seven targets fr the game. Still, it’s an indicator of what the 49ers think of their young first-round pick, and how big a part of the game plan he’ll be moving forward.

- Nate Washington, Tennessee Titans: With Justin Gage hurt, it’s tempting to want to look towards Washington as a viable fantasy option, especially since he caught a touchdown pass last week. But he was only targeted twice by Vince Young, though Washington caught both. In fact, of the 25 passes Young threw in the Titans’ win over the Bills, just nine throws were meant for wide receivers.

- Brandon Gibson, St. Louis Rams: Gibson saw his first extended NFL action in the Rams’ loss to the Saints, and he was targeted nine times, which was tops among St. Louis wideouts. He wound up with seven catches for 93 yards, and now that Keenan Burton is out for the year, Gibson likely becomes a starter.

- Jerricho Cotchery, New York Jets: Cotchery was targeted 11 times, which is notable because it was more than double the amount of looks Mark Sanchez gave to Braylon Edwards, who received just five targets. And Cotchery was productive as usual, catching six passes, including one for a touchdown.

- T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seattle Seahawks: Houshmandzadeh had wanted the ball more often, and he certainly got his opportunities last week. He was targeted 17 times by Matt Hasselbeck, and was productive with nine receptions for 165 yards. You just have to wonder how much that hurt Nate Burleson, who killed fantasy owners by failing to catch a single pass on just five targets.

Other Week 10 target numbers of interest: DeSean Jackson, 16; Devin Hester, Santonio Holmes, 14; Dwayne Bowe, Brent Celek, 11; Anquan Boldin, 10; Pierre Garcon, 9; Bernard Berrian, Muhsin Muhammad, 8; Terrell Owens, Davone Bess, Roy Williams, 7; Dallas Clark, 5; Mohamed Massaquoi, Vincent Jackson, 3; Marques Colston, 2.

Now that we’re about at the halfway point of the NFL and fantasy football season – if there is such a thing in a 17-week season – it seems like a good time to take a look at the leaders at each position in terms of fantasy points to see how things have shaped up to this point. We’ll start, naturally, at the quarterback position.

QUARTERBACKS

Aaron Rodgers is tied for third in touchdown passes in the league, and just sixth in the NFL in passing yards, so how could he be the No. 1 player at his position in fantasy points? The answer is really quite simple: running the ball. His 214 rushing yards are more than any other quarterback, and his two rushing scores are tied for first. As far as surprises go, seeing Kurt Warner below the likes of Carson Palmer and just ahead of Eli Manning qualifies, as most fantasy owners figured he’d be much further up in the rankings. But Warner wouldn’t even be that high up if not for his 30-point game last week – his first of the season with more than 20 points.

RUNNING BACKS

The cluster at the top of the running back position is among players that everyone figured would be there. Maurice Jones-Drew has almost 200 fewer rushing yards than Chris Johnson, but with 11 touchdowns, he also has nearly double Johnson’s total of six. There’s no need to look far if you’re searching for surprises. Ray Rice is fourth in large part due to his 436 receiving yards – which is over 100 yards more than any other running back in the NFL. And Ricky Williams in the top-10? Who’d of thunk it?

WIDE RECEIVERS

The wideout position is the one where things have pretty much gone according to plan. Vincent Jackson’s ascendance to the top shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise considering his career arc up until this season, and the giant steps forward he had been progressively making. Miles Austin is really the only name you’ll see on this leader board that was not projected to be there. Many fantasy owners thought he had a chance to make headway into fantasy relevance this season, but to explode the way he has in just the last few games is a unique occurrence.

TIGHT ENDS

Many fantasy owners had about given up on Vernon Davis, and for good reason. He was a top-10 pick with phenomenal physical abilities who was underachieving. But that all changed this season, and he’s the No. 1 scorer in fantasy points at his position, due mostly to his seven touchdowns, which leads all tight ends. Brent Celek was a very solid sleeper before the season, and that’s paid off for those who heeded that advice. Someone who hasn’t paid off, however – Jason Witten, who is actually tied with Chris Cooley for 15th in fantasy points, because he hasn’t found the end zone often enough. Or found it at all, really, as he has just one touchdown reception on the season.

Nothing will ruin a fantasy owners’ day quicker than when they’re watching a game, and a player on their fantasy team is w-w-w-w-i-i-i-i-i-d-d-d-d-e-e-e-e open down the field, with a pass coming his way that’s sure to be a touchdown … until … THUD … dropped pass; no yards, and no points for your fantasy team. It’s maddening, and unfortunately, all too common. It’s what helped Braylon Edwards go from stud to lower than dud last season. Let’s take a gander at some of the players that are, literally, dropping the ball for fantasy owners this season.

AFC

The American Football Conference offers a little more substance for fantasy owners than their NFC bretheren, considering there are more fantasy-relevant names on this drop list, so we’ll start there. Chief among them, you’ll note, is one Terrell Owens. He’s always dropped passes, but they’re more noticeable now because he is getting fewer opportunities to catch the ball than in previous seasons. Still, it’s one of the reasons that dropping him in favor of someone with stickier hands is a wise move at this point in the season.

Santonio Holmes is another noticeable name. Like Mario Manningham, who we’ll discuss below, he hasn’t been the same player since his early-season success, with just one game of more than four receptions and at least 60 yards since Week 2. Nobody should be surprised to see Ted Ginn Jr.’s name pop up on a list of players with too many drops. He’s lost his spot in the Dolphins’ starting lineup and is now relevant only to fantasy owners in terms of Miami’s D/ST unit, where he made his mark last week by taking two kick returns to the house. And finally, what can you say about the Chiefs corps of pass catchers? They added Chris Chambers to their stable after he was released by the Chargers, and that gives them four of the 15 worst offenders in the AFC in terms of dropped passes. That helps explain why their starting quarterback is completing fewer than 55 percent of his throws and why their passing offense is 30th in the NFL.

NFC

It should come as no surprise that one of the worst teams in the league, the Rams, have two players, tight end Randy McMichael and wideout Donnie Avery, among the leaders in drops. Both have underperformed this season, especially Avery, and fantasy owners are quickly losing faith in him after his solid rookie campaign last season. Fortunately, the Rams have a bye this week, so no passes will be sliding through either player’s fingers.

It’s also troubling to see Giants receiver Mario Manningham on this list. He’s still popular among fantasy owners, but that was due mostly to his early-season exploits, especially during Week 2, when he caught 10 passes for 150 yards and one score. But he hasn’t cleared 55 yards in a single game since then, and his drops are at least one of the reasons why.

It’s Monday, so it’s time to get going on our weekly routine of looking at targets from the previous day’s NFL action.

- Nate Burleson, Seattle Seahawks: Matt Hasselbeck looked Burleson’s way 12 times in the Seahawks’ loss to the Cowboys on Sunday; he caught six of those throws for 89 yards. Burleson’s 12 targets were double the amount T.J. Houshmandzadeh received, and it vaulted Burleson past Housh in targets for the season. Burleson is now sixth in the NFL and third in the NFC with 66 targets.

- Michael Crabtree, San Francisco 49ers: A week after getting targeted a total of six times, which was the most (tied with Isaac Bruce) among San Francisco wideouts but was fewer than tight end Vernon Davis, Crabtree received nine targets to lead the entire team in the 49ers’ loss to the Colts. He thusly went on to lead the team with six catches and 89 receiving yards. Clearly, it’s only a matter of time before he forays into the end zone.

- Terrell Owens, Buffalo Bills: Owens was targeted eight times by Buffalo quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick on Sunday, and the formerly potent wideout wound up with five catches, but for just 39 yards. Those eight targets were four more than any other Bills receiver got, and six more than Lee Evans. As for Owens, yes, he scored a touchdown, but that was on a running play; he’s still scored just one time on a reception all season, and that was back in Week 2.

- Dustin Keller, New York Jets: Mark Sanchez looked in Keller’s direction 13 times in the Jets’ loss to the Dolphins on Sunday. Of those looks, Keller came up with a team-high eight catches for 76 yards with a touchdown. Keller had five more targets than both Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery, and the tight end is now tied for 18th in the AFC with 49 targets, which is just one fewer than Edwards has, though some of Edwards’ looks came with the Browns.

- Justin Gage, Tennessee Titans: With Vince Young behind center, Gage received a team-leading five targets as Tennessee won their first game of the season over the Jaguars. Gage wound up with three catches for a team-high 41 yards. He was basically a forgotten man with Kerry Collins at the helm, so we’ll see if his fantasy value gets restored now that Young is at the helm.

Other Week 8 target numbers of interest: Reggie Wayne, 20; Steve Smith (NYG), Vincent Jackson, Greg Jennings, 12; Kevin Boss, 9; Eddie Royal, Bryant Johnson, Austin Collie, 8; Percy Harvin, Zach Miller, 7; Mike Thomas, Keenan Burton, 6; Sidney Rice, 5; Ted Ginn Jr., 1.

It’s Monday, so it’s time to get going on our weekly routine of looking at targets from the previous day’s NFL action.

- Owen Daniels, Houston Texans: Daniels was targeted nine times in Houston’s 24-21 win over the 49ers on Sunday, and he caught seven of those throws for 124 yards and one score. Daniels has been targeted 56 times this season, which is ninth in the NFL and more than any other tight end in the league.

- Sidney Rice, Minnesota Vikings: Rice was mentioned in this space last week when he had seven targets. He deserves special mention this week for getting double that amount, 14, and catching 11 of those passes for 136 yards. Percy Harvin was targeted 10 times but caught just three of those passes, and Bernard Berrian was targeted only three times. Rice has now crept past Berrian in targets for the season, and is 11th in the NFC with 48.

- Michael Crabtree, San Francisco 49ers: Crabtree was targeted six times in San Fran’s loss to the Texans, and he came up with five catches for 56 yards. Vernon Davis led the way for the Niners with 11 targets, but Crabtree’s six were tied with Isaac Bruce for the second-most on the team, and two more than fellow wideout Josh Morgan.

- Devin Hester, Chicago Bears: Hester was targeted nine times on Sunday as Chicago was blown out by the Bengals, 45-10. He wound up with eight catches for 101 yards and one touchdown. Hester has received 18 targets over his last two contests after not getting more than seven looks in any other game this season.

Other Week 6 target numbers of interest: Larry Fitzgerald, 13; Roddy White, 11; Antonio Bryant, Lee Evans, 9; Ted Ginn Jr., Miles Austin, Mohamed Massaquoi, Bobby Wade, Pierre Garcon, Sammie Stroughter, 8; Hakeem Nicks, 7; Bernard Berrian, 3; Braylon Edwards, 2.