WR Sammy Watkins - Kansas City Chiefs

6-1, 211

Born: 6-14-1993

College: Clemson

Drafted: Round 1, pick 2014

Main Career stats Game Logs Game Recaps Split Stats Play-by-play Latest News

Photo: Charles LeClaire, US Presswire

Traditional view FanDuel view DraftKings view

Preseason player page

Week 21: vs San Francisco 49ers

All WR vs SF

Detailed matchup analysis coming soon.

Recent Stats and Projections

WEEK	OPP	oSNAP	RSH	YD	TARG	REC	YD	TD	Pts
17	vs LAC	36	0	0	2	1.0	8	0	0.8
19	vs HOU	0	1	14	2	2.0	76	0	9
20	vs TEN	56	0	0	10	7.0	114	1	17.4

Weekly Performance vs WR 1, WR 12, WR 24, WR 36

Percentile ranks

Sammy Watkins's percentile rank in each category, among WR with more than 50 fantasy points.

Recent Game Summaries

2019 Week 19 vs HOU (2 / 2 / 76 / 0 rec, 1 / 14 / 0 rush)

Sammy Watkins caught two passes for 76 yards on two targets while also rushing one time for 14 yards in the Chief win over the Texans on Sunday. Additionally, Watkins forced a 28 yard pass interference penalty that set up Mahomes touchdown pass to Bell. Watkins 48 yard reception in the third quarter set up Williams one yard touchdown. On that catch, Watkins found a soft spot deep in the Texans zone and was able to make the catch and then turn the ball upfield and gain an additional 28 yards after the catch. Watkins looked good, smooth coming out of his routes and with nice burst when he was able to turn the ball up field. A Watkins playing at his highest level is almost an unfair addition to the Chiefs offense, but we have yet to see that at the same time when Mahomes, Hill, Kelce and Williams are all at their highest level, but perhaps this is the time for that to happen.

2019 Week 17 vs LAC (2 / 1 / 8 / 0 rec)

Sammy Watkins caught one pass for eight yards on only two targets in the Chiefs win over the Chargers on Sunday. Watkins has not had a 100+ yard game since his explosion in week one and has fallen out in favor of Demarcus Robinson and Mecole Hardman.

2019 Week 16 vs CHI (5 / 2 / 28 / 0 rec)

Sammy Watkins caught two passes on five targets for 25 yards in the Chiefs win over the Bears. In what has become a trend following week one, Watkins has become an afterthought in the Chiefs passing game, operating mostly as a decoy when he is moved around the formation in pre-snap motion. Watkins targets come in the short and intermediate passing game, which should play into his strengths a runner after the catch, however he has not made an impact after blowing up with three touchdowns in week one. Watkins started off the season seeing consistent targets, averaging roughly nine targets in his first six games, however since then he is averaging less than five targets per game and has not exceeded 50 yards receiving since week 10.

2019 Week 15 vs DEN (4 / 3 / 49 / 0 rec)

Sammy Watkins caught three passes for 49 yards on four targets in the Chiefs win over the Broncos on Sunday. Watkins was not called on much in this game, although he finished third on the team in targets and took advantage of the opportunities he was given. With the Chiefs facing a second and 18 from their own 17 yard line, Watkins came up big with back to back catches on second and third down that went for 10 and 29 yards. Watkins was also able to draw two defensive penalties and catch a two point conversion from Mahomes. On the two point conversion, Mahomes danced around the pocket and avoided being sacked on two separate occasions while Watkins worked the back of the end zone, eventually finding a soft spot where Mahomes could find him. Watkins is clearly the third option in the Chiefs passing game, but Mahomes trusts him and isn't afraid to go his way on crucial third downs.

2019 Week 14 vs NE (8 / 4 / 50 / 0 rec)

Sammy Watkins caught four passes for 50 yards on eight targets in the Chiefs win over the Patriots on Sunday. Watkins had a real chance to contribute in a big way in this game, but he was unable to get the better of Stephen Gilmore, who aside from a 23 yard reception in the first quarter, kept Watkins in check for most of this game. Watkins has all the talent in the world, but this year has been a big disappointment, hardly the words we expected to hear after torching the Jaguars for nearly 200 yards and three touchdowns in week one. Since that game, Watkins has averaged under 40 yards receiving, and it doesn't look like that will change much with Hill and Kelce healthy and playing well.

2019 Week 13 vs OAK (3 / 0 / 0 / 0 rec)

Watkins was a target at the goal line on a long throw early. He was possibly interfered with to slow him down but the call was upheld. He dropped one pass coming back to the ball on third and long and was a nonfactor, looking a step slow and beat behind.

2019 Week 11 vs LAC (3 / 2 / 26 / 0 rec)

Sammy Watkins caught two passes for 26 yards on three targets in the Chiefs win over the Chargers on Monday night. Even with Hill leaving the game early in the first half, Watkins did not see the targets that you would expect as the #1 receiver in the Chiefs offense. Outside of week one, Watkins does not have a touchdown or game with more than 65 receiving yards, a puzzling stat considering his quarterback as well as the talent surrounding him. If Hill were to miss time, Watkins becomes an auto-play, yet barring that, Watkins can only be depended on for his rather mediocre floor.

2019 Week 10 vs TEN (9 / 5 / 39 / 0 rec, 2 / 12 / 0 rush)

Sammy Watkins caught five of nine targets for 39 yards while also rushing two times for 12 yards in the Chiefs loss to the Titans on Sunday. Watkins nine targets were second only to Hill's 19, but he still finished fifth on the team in receiving yards. In theory, Watkins should benefit from the presence of Hill and Kelce, however it is becoming more plausible that Watkins is the one giving the help, not receiving it. Watkins has been primarily running short and intermediate routes on the outside, while Kelce is controlling the middle of the field and Hill is handling most of the deep routes, as well as some shorter screens and drag routes. Watkins has maintained a fairly steady floor, catching at least five passes in six of his seven games this season. With that said, it looks as though any big game is going to be the exception, not the rule for Watkins this year, as he has not recorded a touchdown catch since week one...where he finished with three touchdown receptions.

2019 Week 9 vs MIN (10 / 7 / 63 / 0 rec)

Sammy Watkins caught seven of 10 targets for 63 yards in the Chiefs win over the Vikings on Sunday. Watkins has consistently been heavily targeted this season, although most of his targets come in the short and intermediate passing game, and he has become something of a possession receiver for an offense that already has a player running deep routes in Hill. Watkins has stepped up to the plate, making tough grabs while using his size to gain separation off the line of scrimmage. Six of Watkins 10 targets came on first down, a sign that the Chiefs are trying to use him as a target that can set up advantageous situations on second and third down. This is especially important with the way the Chiefs running game was cut off for most of this game. While it won't result in the type of games that he put up in week one, Watkins has a solid floor, and it should only get better with Mahomes back at quarterback.

2019 Week 8 vs GB (8 / 5 / 45 / 0 rec)

Sammy Watkins caught five of eight targets for 45 yards in the Chiefs loss to the Packers on Sunday night. Watkins returned in this game from a hamstring injury and was given a full slate of snaps (86%) and a bevy of targets, tying Kelce for the second most, and one behind Hill. Unfortunately, those targets were pretty vanilla plays where Watkins was looked to in the short passing game on comebacks, shallow crossing routes and slants. Watkins did have one deep target and he was able to make a big catch for 25 yards and take the Chiefs from the Packers 46 yard line down to the their 21 yard line. This play played a big part in setting up Williams touchdown run. Watkins is seeing a solid volume of targets and as we saw in week one, he is capable of erupting for a big game, especially with defenses focused on the immense talent surround him. It will be hard to say when that will come though, and in the meantime Watkins is #3 wide receiver with a solid floor in PPR formats.

2019 Week 5 vs IND (0 / 0 / 0 / 0 rec)

Watkins came into the game against the Colts with a questionable tag (shoulder injury) and ended up injuring his hamstring on the Chiefs first drive. He did not record a catch before leaving the game. At this time, he is questionable for this Sunday's game against the Texans.

2019 Week 4 vs DET (6 / 3 / 54 / 0 rec)

Watkins caught three passes for 54 yards on six targets in the Chiefs win over the Lions on Sunday. It was the first game that Watkins did not lead (or tie for the lead) in targets from Mahomes this season. With Slay out for Detroit, Watkins had a great opportunity to put up big numbers, but Detroit's backup corners played him very well. This was especially true in the red zone where Watkins had three targets but could not convert on any of them. Watkins also had a fumble for the second straight game, but this was the first one he lost on the season.

2019 Week 3 vs BAL (8 / 5 / 64 / 0 rec)

Watkins caught five passes for 64 yards on eight targets in the Chiefs win over the Ravens on Sunday. Watkins led the Chiefs in targets for the third straight game, but unlike in week one, Watkins has not caught a touchdown pass the last two weeks. Those passes have gone to Hardman and Robinson, although it should be said that Watkins once again played a big part in confusing the defense on one of those touchdowns. While Hardman scored the 83 yard touchdown, it was Watkins who came in motion prior to the pass, and that motion played a big part in the Ravens leaving Hardman free to streak down the field open. Watkins continues to see a high volume of targets, so it won't be long before he gets back into the endzone.

2019 Week 2 vs OAK (13 / 6 / 49 / 0 rec)

Sammie Watkins caught six passes on 13 targets for 49 yards in the Chiefs win over the Raiders on Sunday. After setting the NFL on fire in week one, Watkins came down to earth against a Raiders secondary that was hell bent on shutting him down and allowing every other Chiefs receiver to run free all over the field. It was hardly Watkins fault that he attracted double coverage from the Raiders safety, especially over the top, but it was still shocking to see him finish with one more target than Robinson and Hardman combined, only with four less catches, 84 less yards and three less touchdowns. Watkins was essentially a decoy in this game, and Mahomes kept that going by targeting him often in the short passing game, while looking him off to go deep to his other receivers in single coverage. This was apparent on Robinson's first touchdown catch, as he ran straight down the field uncovered while the defense was shading coverage toward Kelce and Watkins. Going forward, Watkins won't attract this much attention when it is clear that the Chiefs have plenty of other pieces that can take advantage of this type of coverage.

2019 Week 1 vs JAX (11 / 9 / 198 / 3 rec)

Watkins caught nine passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns, striking fear in the Jaguars secondary every time he touched the ball. Watkins has always been thought of as having the natural talent to be a #1 receiver, which speaks to his speed, athleticism and strong hands. His problems were not of the football variety, but more his inability to stay healthy for long periods of time. In the Chiefs offense, Watkins is a luxury that matches up with opposing #2 cornerbacks, and that usually leads to one on one coverage. Watkins has a very solid season in his first year with the Chiefs in 2018, but there was an underlying thought that Watkins still had so much more to offer the Chiefs, which would have taken the offense to a completely new level, a scary thought when you have a third year MVP at quarterback and the architect of the NFL's best offense. If week one is any indication of where the Chiefs are heading, and what role Watkins is going to play in getting them there, then sit back, relax and enjoy the show. It did not take Watkins long to set the party off for Kansas City, all of two plays actually. With the Chiefs facing a third and three from their own 32 yard line, Mahomes took the snap out of the Shotgun formation and pump faked to the right side before going through his progressions. After pumping to the left side, Mahomes hit Watkins over the middle at the Chiefs 40 yard line. Watkins primary defender tried to jump the route but was late getting to the ball, allowing Watkins to turn the ball up-field. At the time of Watkins catching the ball, he is surrounded in a circle by six Jaguars defenders with only DeMarcus Robinson as a capable blocker. That wasn't a problem for Houdini Watkins though, as he cut up the field and juked two Jaguars defenders out of their shoes while expertly using Robinson's block to create an angle where the Jaguars defenders could not catch him on his way to a 68 yard touchdown. Watkins next touchdown catch came with the Chiefs facing a first and 10 from the 50 yard line. Mahomes took the snap under center with four receivers bunched in the slot on both sides, Mahomes play-action faked to Williams in the backfield and then looked off the Jaguars safeties with his eyes, drawing coverage to the left side of the field. Mahomes waited for Watkins to run a shallow crossing route from the left to the right, only the played called for Watkins to turn upfield at its apex, similar to a wheel-route. It was a genius level play call by Reid, as by the time Watkins had turned up field, there was not a Jaguar defender within 10 yards of him and a perfect lob pass made it an easy 50 yard touchdown for Watkin's second of the day. Watkins finished his day with a third touchdown catch from Mahomes, this time from three yards out with the Chiefs facing a second and goal. Mahomes took the snap out of the shotgun, directing McCoy to motion to the left side of the formation before snapping the ball. On the right side, Watkins was lined up out wide and ran a quick drag to the middle of the field before stopping on a dime and pivoting hard to the right side of the end zone. It is a route that Travis Kelce has been using his size/speed combination to kill his defenders with the last two seasons, and Watkins performed the route in a similar fashion. Watkins quick cut gave him a step on his defender and then Mahomes threw a perfect pass out away to the sideline, which allowed Watkins to use his length to snag the touchdown catch without his defender having a chance to make a play on the ball.

Latest News

Chiefs | KC's fantasy recap of AFC title game (Sun Jan 19, 06:15 PM) - Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes completed 23-for-35, passing for 294 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions Sunday, Jan. 19, against the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship Game. He also ran for 53 yards and a touchdown. RB Damien Williams rushed 17 times for 45 yards and a touchdown, adding five receptions for 44 yards. WR Tyreek Hill caught five of seven targets for 67 yards and two touchdowns, while WRs Sammy Watkins paced the team with seven catches on 10 looks, 114 yards and a touchdown. TE Travis Kelce was held to three catches for 30 yards on four targets. SS Tyrann Mathieu led all Chiefs with nine total tackles (six solo), chipping in a pass deflection.

link to story

Chiefs | Sammy Watkins to be a cap casualty? (Mon Jan 13, 10:23 PM) - Kansas City Chiefs WR Sammy Watkins is scheduled to carry a league-high charge of $21 million against the 2020 salary cap. Releasing him will save $14 million against the cap.

Our View: Watkins has a ton of talent but his game has been set back by injuries and inconsistencies through his pro career. The Chiefs are making a Super Bowl run this year but could send Watkins packing this offseason to clear up a ton of cap space for other issues that could be filled in free agency.
link to story

Chiefs | Kansas City advances to AFC Championship Game (Sun Jan 12, 06:36 PM) - Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes completed 23-of-35 passes for 321 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions in Sunday's AFC Divisional Round win over the Houston Texans. He also led the team with 53 rushing yards on seven attempts. RB Damien Williams ran 12 times for 47 yards with two touchdowns, while adding two grabs for 21 yards and a third score. TE Travis Kelce had a monster game with 10 grabs, 134 yards and three touchdowns. WR Sammy Watkins had two grabs for 76 yards and he added 14 rushing yards. WR Tyreek Hill ran three times for 41 yards with a four-yard run and one lost fumble. WR Mecole Hardman was good for two receptions and 19 yards, while WR Demarcus Robinson ended his day with one catch for four yards on four targets.

Our View: Mahomes was a cool customer and the Chiefs got even more special teams and defense breaks than the Texans by the time the game was over. The Chiefs offense is clicking at the right time although the Titans beat them earlier this year. Kelce had a record-breaking performance as the first player to catch three touchdowns in a quarter in the postseason.
link to story