NFL Snap Counts Breakdown: Week 11

 

· The strange saga at wide receiver for this team finally seems to be over as it seems we can finally declare Emmanuel Sanders and Deebo Samuel as the two guys worth owning down the stretch in redraft leagues.  The rest can go.

 

· Ross Dwelley once again played the Kittle role, blocking on eight pass plays but running 40 routes.  The 49ers use the tight end to block on more pass plays than most teams, even when Kittle is in there, but they also don’t have much in terms of red zone threats, as we saw with Dwelley this week.  He’s not as efficient as Kittle but, as long as Kittle is out, he’s worth a spot start where you need him. 

 

· Not a great running day for San Francisco but it doesn’t change much.  Tevin Coleman is the best bet as he’s the guy who gets the goal line work.  Matt Brieda in the passing down role is worth a flyer at times given his blazing speed but Mostert likely does not need to be held onto.

 

· A little change in protocol this week as slot receiver Anthony Miller typically plays a 50% snap share yet this week he played 85+% of snaps as the Bears deployed more three wide sets.  He performed well with the extra time but that could be more related to Jalen Ramsey gobbling up Allen Robinson .  We will monitor his usage next week – difficult to trust Miller at this point but he ran 49 routes which is on par with Robinson (52) and Gabriel (48) which is noteworthy.

 

· Trey Burton is done for the year with a calf injury and Ben Braunecker took over the role nearly completely, running 30 routes and only pass blocking three times.  On a more prolific offense this would be interesting usage to use but not on the Bears. 

 

· It’s likely related to the injury but David Montgomery was outsnapped by Cohen and he was also asked to pass block (10 of 21 pass snaps) compared to Coehn (4 of 35 pass snaps).  Hopefully Montgomery goes back to his larger share next week.   

 

· Auden Tate suffered a scary head/neck injury in the fourth quarter of this game though he reportedly avoided major injury and was able to fly back with the team.  Based on the initial diagnosis of concussion and cervical strain I can’t imagine he plays in week 12.  If AJ Green can’t go that would mean an uptick for Alex Erickson and Stanley Morgan Jr. though you’d be hard pressed to start either of them.  Perhaps Erickson in leagues that feature points for return yardage. 

 

· Quick side note: Tyler Boyd against one of the worst pass defenses in the league felt like a smash spot in Week 11 for me but he ended up with one carry for 10 yards and no catches.  And for that you can see a video of me getting hit in the face with a pie at some point this week on Twitter, courtesy of the #FFPieBet. Thanks Tyler.  

 

· Devin Singletary (73.2%) set his season high in snap share vs. Frank Gore (26.8%) but, if you have been following these articles, that wouldn’t have come as a surprise to you as that’s the direction things have been trending for weeks. 

 

· Another notable day for a Bills rookie – Dawson Knox (71.8%) played twice as many snaps as Tyler Kroft (32.4%).  At this point Tyler Kroft has been back for four games and we can no longer chalk it up to Kroft shaking the rust off.  Knox is a legitimate fantasy asset at this point, especially in dynasty formats.  

 

· As we mentioned as far back as our Week 7 Snap Count Breakdown, we had expected Tim Patrick to take the third wide receiver role as soon as he was eligible to return from IR week11 and it looks like that was the case with him playing 72% of the snaps (which was actually ahead of DaeSean Hamilton ).  With Tim Patrick back, Hamilton operated almost exclusively out of the slot (36 of 41 snaps out of the slot) so expect Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick to be the two outside guys in two wide sets.  

 

· This was a massive step for Phillip Lindsay .  The one thing holding him back has been pass blocking but Royce Freeman opened the door letting up a sack in Week 9 and then a pressure/hurry this week in week 11.  Lindsay on the other hand successfully pass blocked on all four of his plays and, when all was said and done, outsnapped Freeman two to one.  Not to mention Freeman also duffed a near slam dunk goal line rush attempt.  As someone who has not been on the Lindsay bandwagon, this game may give us the most confidence we’ve had in him. 

 

· Noah Fant continues to show excellent usage and even got 11 targets this week but just can’t seem to make the plays.  He even dropped one in the end zone this week.  Given his usage and the tough tight end landscape he is still a start for us but eventually if you keep screwing up the team is going to move away from you.  

· Not to alarm Nick Chubb owners, but the running back usage is starting to look eerily similar to some split or partially split backfields such as the Patriots, Eagles, Packers etc.  Chub played more plays and got the bulk of the running duty yet Kareem Hunt ran 24 routes to only 14 for Chubb and clearly handled the bulk of the passing down work.  That’s six and seven catches in his two games so far, for those keeping track at home.  You start Chubb because he’s the goal line guy and could go off any week but Kareem Hunt is now also looking like an intriguing play in PPR formats.  

 

· Antonio Callaway has been cut but there wasn’t room for a third wide out in this offense anyway – Rashard “Hollywood” Higgins doesn’t interest us either.  

 

· With only 14 routes run this week, Demetrius Harris ran the most routes of any tight ends on the team and he is not a fantasy asset.  

 

· The nightmare season for OJ Howard seemed to hit it’s peak as he was benched early after a drop that turned into an interception.  Cameron Brate picked up the slack with 10 catches for 73.  It’s hard to imagine Howard being outright benched for the rest of the season so Brate isn’t necessarily must start but he’s likely a better play than Howard at this point. 

 

· The Bucs abandoned the run game fairly quickly, running pass plays on 60 of their 67 snaps, which meant an uptick for passing down back Dare Ogunbawale (18 routes run, nine pass block) compared to Ronald Jones (14 routes run, two pass block).  Jones is still the better start as the games should not be nearly as pass heavy as that and he’s still the guy in the running game.  

 

· Scotty Miller saw the most action he’s seen yet but still not worth starting anyone outside of Godwin or Evans.  

 

· Woof.  If you are a David Johnson owner, you’d almost prefer he didn’t play at all.  That would feel a lot better than playing only eight snaps and getting no touches.  It’s the Drake show for the forseeable future.  

 

· An interesting development over the last couple weeks is that it seems Christian Kirk has transitioned from a slot role in Kingsbury’s offense to an outside role.  In his first five games he averaged 45.4 slot snaps and 15.2 snaps outside.  Over the last three games that’s flipped with him averaging just 7.3 snaps in the slot and 53 outside.  After his monster game against Tampa Bay the week before, it doesn’t seem there will be any going back.  We are starting him confidently where we have him.

 

· So with this team we know what we have – Melvin is the starter getting the heavy running work and some passing while Ekeler gets extra passing work and some running.  Keenan Allen , Mike Williams , and Hunter Henry are all startable.  The one real enigma here is Andre Patton .  I mean, four weeks in a row now they have sent him out there for massive snap shares – 75 to 80% and he has done absolutely nothing offensively.  I mean, he ran 45 routes this week and had 1 target – some of these weeks he’s running 30 routes and not even getting the ball thrown at him at all.  And, per ProFootballFocus, he’s not even that great of a run blocker.  I know Geremy Davis has been banged up but at some point you have to try to find someone who can contribute.  

 

· The NFL continues to insist on playing these games in Mexico despite concerns over the playing surface.  Last year the game was straight up canceled and this year it was played to dangerous results.  The big news are potential injuries to Tyreek Hill and Damien Williams .  If Hill misses time, Mecole Hardman because and instant start as he took that role over fully and has the speed and skill set to perform.  With Williams out, McCoy and Darrel Williams become plays as there is usually enough action to go around even when it’s split two ways.  The good news for Chiefs fans is that the Chiefs have their bye week this week which gives them time to rest up.  

 

· The big injury news of the week – Marlon Mack broke his hand and had surgery, ruling him out for a minimum of a couple of weeks.  Jonathan Williams stepped up in his absence and played well but Jordan Wilkins will also be available coming off an ankle injury.  Hines did not see an increased role with Williams continuing to participate on some pass plays.  Our money is on Jonathan Williams to be the better add but a split that involves Hines doing primarily passing down work, Williams doing a little of everything, and Jordan Wilkins doing short yardage work, similar to what we saw earlier this season with the 49ers, could dilute all three of them.  

 

· People may be interested in Marcus Johnson after he scored this week but the more interesting stash to us is Devin Funchess .  He is still waiting for his collarbone to heal but, based on the usage of two tight end sets to supplement the “seven guys on the line” rule, Funchess’s size will certainly be welcome back upon his return and he should slot right in.  He’s being paid a heck of a lot of money not to.  

 

· Zeke played his normal enormous snap share but the Cowboys ran some two running back sets and gave Tony Pollard some additional looks, one of which he capitalized on.  Pollard has looked good but, as he’s not playing nearly enough to be fantasy viable, we would prefer he just let Zeke do his thing.  

 

· Amari Cooper is still battling a bit of a knee issue but the receiving corps for this team is pretty set in stone regardless – it’s Cooper, Gallup, Cobb, Witten.  

 

· If you are desperate for a running back, it’s clear Kalen Ballage is the guy.  What he’s going to give you might not be pretty as he’s produced quite a low-light reel so far this season.  Patrick Laird made an appearance contributing some passing down work but not enough to be noteworthy just yet. 

 

· DeVante Parker had a bit of a coming out part while Allen Hurns and Gesicki also played notable snaps once again.  Parker is a start as a WR3/flex at this point and Gesicki is a lower-end tight end play but we are not comfortable starting Hurns in this offense.  

 

· Having similar height, weight, and workout metrics, JJ Arcega-Whiteside was supposedly drafted as a potential Alshon Jeffrey replacement yet, when Jeffrey got hurt, it was actually Jordan Matthews that re-signed with the team and played the majority of the game.  Matthews did very little so not so much a reason to add Matthews but more of an indictment on where JJAWs is in his development.

 

· Jay Ajayi was signed during the week but did not manage to make it onto the field at all.  If Jordan Howard ’s absence is prolonged, expect Ajayi to claim that role with Miles Sanders returning to his primary passing down duties.  

 

· What a backwards season for the Falcons.  After playing non-division opponents with a healthy squad for the first half of the year they couldn’t buy a win.  Now with injuries to their league leading tight end and their top two runningbacks, they start a stretch of all divisional opponents by beating their rival Saints and Panthers fairly handedly.  

 

· Jaeden Graham filled in as the pass catching tight end but was a non-factor.  Will be tough to ever consider him unless we see more. 

 

· Brian Hill got the bulk of the work but did very little with it.  Quadree Ollison vulture the rushing touchdown.  If Freeman is out again then Hill is your best bet but buyer beware – he doesn’t care at all about your fantasy team.  

 

· BYE

 

· Josh Oliver hurt his back and was placed on season ending IR.  If Seth DeValve comes back from injury he might be worth fantasy considerations but we don’t expect Ben Koyack to do much if he’s the guy.  The Jaguars reverted to four-wide sets when Oliver went down.  

 

· The negative game script is making it difficult to run the ball but at least Fournette is playing the vast majority of snaps so he’s catching some balls.  

 

· With the game in hand for most of the day, the Jets actually gave LeVeon Bell a bit of a break with the backups each getting 15 snaps a piece.  Beyond that it was the same offensive configuration that we’ve become accustomed to – Bell is your back, Anderson, Thomas, and Crowder are the receivers, and Griffin is your tight end.  Still one of the leagues more consolidated snap shares in terms of position players.  

 

· For the second time this season, the Lions brought a runningback in off the street and gave him the bulk of the snaps.  First it was Tra Carson and now Bo Scarbrough .  Given that Bo played well this week and is one of the most physically imposing specimens we’ve seen, you could do worse than him given how scarce the RB landscape is and how deep we are into the season.  

 

· In the last two weeks TJ Hockenson has seen an uptick in slot snaps with 19 and 13.  He’s still just a low end options, especially considering he’s a rookie and Stafford is hurt, but his usage has been more promising as of late.  

 

· BYE

· We feel like we say this every week but the Panthers not only led in terms of snap share consolidation but they had their most consolidated week yet.  The 11 starters all played 80% or more 

 

· Phillip Dorsett left the game with a head injury but reports are that he should be okay.  With N’Keal Harry in the mix it makes it difficult to trust anyone beyond Edelman and Sanu in this receiver group. 

 

· The Patriots deployed their usual split at runningback though the Eagles are a difficult team to run against.  With a tough slate of the Cowboys, Texans, and Chiefs on the docket, expect more James White than Sony Michel though Michel did torch the Chiefs in both games last season.  

 

· Darren Waller and Tyrell Williams continue to be the pass catchers to own here.  Hunter Renfrow has carved himself out a role in the slot but his 50% snap share is going to limit him to being a TD dependent start, as many slot guys are.  Not enough upside to be intriguing unless it’s a fairly deep league where you start a ton of players.  Zay Jones is just a body they are putting out there at this point. 

 

· The only complaint you can have about Jacobs is that he only ran 11 routes while Jalen Richard ran 13.  Besides that he got the bulk of the carries and even had more catches than Richard so he’s a must start every week.  

 

· With a litany of injuries, the Rams opted to go run heavy and lean on Todd Gurley the way they did much of last year.  They employed two tight end sets for a good portion of the game but not with Gerald Everett but rather Johnny Mundt .  Mundt played 37 snaps and blocked on 35 of them so he may be the least fantasy relevant tight end in the league.  

 

· With Robert Wood also a surprise inactive it was Mike Thomas who stepped up to play some slot duty alongside Cooper Kupp and Josh Reynolds .  He won’t be fantasy relevant either, even if Woods and Cooks remain out.  

 

· Another obvious blowout where the Ravens do what they do best – spread the snap counts out.  Despite how successful this team is week to week, Lamar Jackson really remains your only slam dunk fantasy asset.  Mark Ingram is the next most reliable and likely a start every week if you own him but they also obviously aren’t shy about mixing in Gus Edwards .  Then you have Mark Andrews who is the rare bizarro-land tight end that plays only a few snaps yet scores fairly consistently.  And after that you have Hollywood Brown who is completely inconsistent but is a threat to go off at any moment.  The rest of the players seem to just be blocker for Lamar Jackson 90% of the time. 

 

· The Redskins continued their trend towards the youth movement with Haskins starting, Derrius Guice returning, and rookies Kelvin Harmon and Terry McLaurin leading the receiving corps.  

 

· Adrian Peterson started and got a couple extra carries but he’s never been a threat in the passing game.  With Chris Thompson in a perpetual state of injury, Derrius Guice could be worth a start in deep leagues though the Redskins won’t have many games where they are running the clock out.  Kelvin Harmon is also worth a stash in deeper leagues or dynasty leagues while he gets an extended look with Haskins who finally looked alive.  

 

 

· Jared Cook scored and played a healthy snap share with Josh Hill leaving with a concussion.  Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara are obvious starts on this team but we all know what we are dealing with in the tight end landscape so you could do worse than Cook. 

 

· We don’t talk about them much as there isn’t enough volume but Tedd Ginn operated across from Thomas and Tre’Quan Smith out of the slot.  We have seen flashes of brilliance from Tre’Quan Smith and, if Thomas were ever to miss time, he’d be the guy that we’re adding right away.  He’s 6’2” 209 so not your prototypical slot receiver so he’d almost certainly move outside into the MT role.  

 

· BYE

 

· A season plagued with injuries continued for the Steelers after a bloody Sunday with division rival Cleveland.  James Conner reinjured his shoulder while JuJu Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson left with concussions.  If either Juju or Johnson miss time with a concussion, James Washington could be an interesting stream or DFS play given that Johnny Holton has looked useless thus far.  If they are both out, Washington is a surefire candidate to see additional forced volume, whether it translates to fantasy points or not.  

 

· A fairly forgettable day across the board for the Texans but one thing stood out to us both snap wise and in the box score.  The Texans got absolutely blown out so you would expect this to be the game script that heavily features Duke Johnson .  And it did with him seeing, 58% of the snaps but we did not see the type of fantasy performance that you might expect.  This is an issue that we see often with running quarterbacks and pass catching backs as often times, unless it’s a designed play to the back or an absolute emergency, the running quarterback is reluctant to dump it down to the runningback.  With less athletic quarterbacks, even a two foot dump off the runningback is an upgrade because you are giving it to the superior ball carrier but, in the eyes of a running quarterback, that type of pass is a wasted effort.  For instance, a guy like Brees would throw the ball five yards backwards to get it into Kamara’s hands whereas DeSean Watson would probably just take it himself and signal Duke to go block someone.  So, if this is the kind of outing we get from Duke Johnson in the most negative game script possible, it’s hard to roll him out there unless it’s the utmost emergency moving forward.  

 

· BYE

 

 

· In a repeat of last week, the Vikings once again rolled out a consolidated snap share configuration specific to only them.  In fact, this week, it was even more consolidated than Week 10 with the tight ends actually surpassing the wide receiver two in snap totals.  Obviously this will only last until Adam Thielen is back and, considering they are going into the bye this week, that should be Week 13, so your startable fantasy players should return to Dalvin Cook , Stefon Diggs , and Adam Thielen .