Best Ball Target Hog Strategy: How to Draft High-Volume Targets in Best Ball
In best ball, a player who goes for 4 catches and 55 yards without a TD still scores 10+ PPR points. A target hog who gets 9 targets per game will frequently hit that range regardless of team context. This floor value is more important in best ball than in standard fantasy because you cannot bench him on a bad week — but you do not need to.
Target Hog Quick Reference
| Target hog threshold | Weekly floor | Best ball value | Mistake to avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elite target hog: 30%+ team target share | 9–12 targets per game; PPR floor of 14–20 points most weeks | Top-5 best ball asset at WR — the consistency is worth 1–2 rounds of premium in most formats | Fading a target hog because he “doesn’t score TDs” — in best ball, the floor from target volume is worth more than TD-dependent boom-bust; the automatic lineup needs consistent scores, not sporadic ceiling |
| Solid target hog: 22–29% team target share | 7–9 targets per game; PPR floor of 10–15 points most weeks | Strong best ball WR2 — buy here without apology in rounds 3–6; the floor provides a starting spot most weeks | Paying a large premium to upgrade from 22% to 30% target share when both are safely above the “reliable starter” line — beyond the floor threshold, target share marginal gains matter less |
| Moderate volume: 15–21% team target share | 5–7 targets per game; PPR floor of 7–12 points most weeks | Best ball WR3 or flex play — inconsistent enough that some weeks produce low scores; needs ceiling upside to compensate | Using a 15% target share WR as a best ball anchor (WR1 or WR2) — the floor is too variable to provide the reliable weekly production the top slots need |
| Low volume with TD dependence: under 15% target share, high TDs | 3–5 targets per game; dependent on scoring TDs to hit weekly thresholds | Best ball risk — some weeks 0 TDs + 4 targets = 4 PPR points; very low floor | Drafting a TD-dependent low-volume WR as your WR2 anchor — the automatic lineup gives you no ability to switch him out on weeks where TDs don’t come |
| Pairing strategy: target hog + ceiling stack | Target hog provides the weekly floor; ceiling stack (QB + pass-catcher from a different team) provides the ceiling weeks | Use rounds 1–5 for target hog floor; use rounds 6–12 for stack ceiling plays | Stacking only target hogs — all-floor, no ceiling means you never separate from the field in tournaments even with consistent weekly scores |
| Target hog on a slow team: does team passing volume matter? | A WR with 28% target share on a team throwing 25 times per game has fewer absolute targets than a WR with 22% share on a team throwing 40 times per game | Always adjust target share for team pass volume — the raw share only matters relative to how many times the team actually throws | Ranking a target hog on a run-first offense above a slightly lower-share WR on a pass-heavy offense — absolute target count per game is the real metric, not relative share in isolation |
What Makes a Target Hog Valuable in Best Ball
Consistent target volume. The key metric is target share — what percentage of team targets go to this player. 25%+ is the target hog threshold. At that level, variance in scoring from week to week is low: the player will almost always see 8–12 targets regardless of matchup or game script.
PPR scoring magnifies floor. In PPR best ball, catch volume produces steady scoring. A receiver who averages 8 catches for 80 yards without touchdowns is a 16 PPR point floor. That is a reliable weekly contribution to your automatic lineup.
How to Target Target Hogs in Best Ball Drafts
Do not overpay for boom-bust WRs. A WR who sees 5–6 targets per game but scores TDs frequently has high variance in best ball. Good weeks are great, but in the weeks he does not score a TD, his production is modest. Target hogs win best ball more consistently.
Pair target hogs with ceiling stacks. Use rounds 1–5 to secure your target hog floor. Use rounds 6–12 to build your ceiling stack plays. The target hog provides your weekly floor; the stacks provide your tournament-winning ceiling weeks.
For how target hogs fit overall best ball strategy, see: Best Ball Roster Construction: How to Build a Balanced Best Ball Roster From Start to Finish.