Tracking snap counts is a good way to get an indication of how much a player is on the field, and what their future usage outlook could look like. We are going to dive into some of the more interesting situations around the league regarding snap count numbers. You will also see risers and fallers; which is a useful tool for valuing a player’s fantasy stock. The notable snap counts section is based around injuries sustained in the previous week or suspensions.
Cowboys RB
It was the Cowboys first game without Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys used a two man attack. Rod Smith led the team in snaps with 38, followed by Alfred Morris with 22, and lastly by Darren McFadden who played just 1 snap. Morris ran well on the ground and was able to rack up 53 yards on 11 carries. He will likely draw the start again this week. Smith appears to be operating as the pass catching back, as he finished with 4 receptions for 15 yards. The Cowboys got blown out in this one, so it might not be the best indication of what to expect going forward. Fantasy owners will want to tune into the Cowboys game Sunday night against the Eagles.
Broncos RB
The Broncos used a full three man time share for the second straight week. C.J. Anderson played 24 snaps, followed by Devontae Booker with 23, and lastly Jamaal Charles with 16. Each finished with between 8-11 touches. C.J. Anderson had the most productive game, as he finished with 10 carries for 54 yards. When playing time and touches are so evenly split amongst three players, it makes it hard to start any of them with confidence in fantasy. It would be wise to avoid starting any of these three in both seasonal and in DFS.
Cardinals RB
Andre Ellington led the Cardinals backfield in snaps this week with 43. Starting running back Adrian Peterson played 36. Despite the fewer snaps, AD actually finished with 17 more touches than Ellington. He carried the rock 21 times for a measly 29 yards and had 1 reception for 17 yards. Ellington found the end zone for the first time this season but finished with just 2 carries for 4 yards and added 3 receptions for 26 yards. The Cardinals passing attack is a mess and it will be hard for either of these guys to find much room to rumble. Fantasy owners starting Andre Ellington will need to see 5+ receptions for him to hit value in PPR formats.
Risers
Tevin Coleman played a season high 44 snaps due to the early injury sustained by Devonta Freeman. He matched a career high with 20 carries and finished with 83 rushing yards and a touchdown. With Freeman expected to miss week 11, Coleman will be a must play, as he should see 20+ touches once again. It’s not a great matchup going up against the Seahawks, but anyone with that kind of volume is a must play. He will likely see heavy exposure in DFS and is someone to keep in mind when making your lineups.
Duke Johnson played 22 snaps in week 8 and saw that number rise to 48 in week 10 (the Browns had their bye week in week 9). He finished with a season high 10 carries for 54 rushing yards and hauled in 6-of-6 targets in the passing game for another 34 yards. He continues to be a great asset in PPR leagues, as he currently ranks in the top-15 at the RB position in fantasy points despite just 44 carries on the season. He currently has 42 receptions, which ranks 3rd at the position. He is a guy that you want to have in your lineup each and every week.
Willie Snead’s snaps doubled from 18 in week 9 to a season high 36 this week. Despite the large increase in snaps, he still finished with 0 targets in the passing game. Drew Brees attempted 25 passes, so it is a bit alarming that none were thrown Snead’s way. The increased snap count is a nice sign, but until he starts to be involved in the passing game, he is a must sit in seasonal leagues. For DFS, he is unplayable in cash games and is nothing more than a very risky dart throw in large GPP tournaments.
Fallers
Chris Ivory played a season low 8 snaps in the return of Leonard Fournette this week. T.J. Yeldon (who had been a healthy scratch for most of the early parts of the season) played 31 snaps and appears to have passed Ivory in the pecking order. Ivory finished with just 2 touches for -4 yards in the win over the Chargers. Yeldon had 3 carries for 11 yards but operated as the passing downs back with 6 receptions for 39 yards. This is not good news for Fournette owners as it could eat into his value. As for Ivory, he can be dropped.
Mike Gillislee was a healthy scratch for the first time this season.
Notable Snap Counts
Zay Jones was out with injury, but it didn’t have a huge impact on other Bills WR’s as he was replaced by Kelvin Benjamin who was making his debut for his new team. Benjamin played a team high 41 snaps, followed by Deonte Thompson with 39, and Jordan Matthews with 36. Despite playing a few more snaps than Matthews, it is expected that Thompson will be the one to lose playing time upon the return of Zay Jones. Benjamin finished with 3 receptions for 42 yards as the new number one WR for the Bills. Matthews and Thompson each finished with just 1 reception in a game where the Bills got absolutely hammered by the Saints 47-10.
Mike Evans was out with suspension this week so the Bucs turned to rookie wide receiver Chris Godwin. He played a team and season high 69 snaps. The rookie finished with 5 receptions on 10 targets and 68 receiving yards. DeSean Jackson became the team’s go-to guy and he had a strong game with 82 receiving yards on 6 receptions. Adam Humphries remained in his slot/#3 receiver role and hauled in just 2 receptions for 17 yards. Godwin appears to be the guy to utilize in DFS in any game where Evans is not playing. It will be interesting to see if the solid effort from Godwin will be enough for him to eat into the snaps of Humphries when Evans returns this week.