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. Next to each player’s name you will see a number inside of parenthesis, for example John Smith (2), that 2 would represent how many snaps he played this week. We are going to dive into some of the more interesting situations around the league regarding snap count numbers.
Risers
Josh Adams (40) played a new season high snap total. It was the rookie’s first game with over 30 snaps and he led the Eagles backfield in snap percentage with a 62% mark. He was able to handle the responsibilities of a featured back too as he finished with 22 carries for 84 yards and a touchdown. My only concern with Adams would be that he was only targeted once in the passing game and he failed to haul it in. If he doesn’t catch passes it will be hard for him to perform on a weekly basis in PPR leagues. In comparison, Clement was targeted twice and caught both balls. That being said, Adams looks like he will be a strong fantasy asset going forward.
Ty Montgomery (28) was on the field for 19 more snaps than the week before and he took full advantage of the increase. He finished with eight carries for 51 yards (6.4 YPC) and caught three passes for 13 yards. With Alex Collins out, Montgomery operated as the change of pace back to starter Gus Edwards . The Ravens have shown they are just about done with Collins and Montgomery could continue to have a role in this offense. Edwards will continue to operate as the featured back after another strong week in the 34-17 win over the Raiders.
Mike Williams (63) set a new season high in snaps and played 91% of the Chargers snaps (previous high this season was 70%). He finished with four receptions for 25 yards and two touchdowns. He continues to be a red zone threat and he now has seven touchdowns on the season despite only 24 receptions. It is hard to get overly excited about Williams until he starts to do more in between the 20’s, but he does have value in standard leagues and as a GPP flyer in DFS.
Fallers
Keke Coutee (27) was on the field for 15 fewer snaps this week. He played less than half the Texans snaps (42%) and was only targeted twice. A week after playing 42 snaps and picking up nine targets, Coutee was a complete non-factor in the Texans 34-17 win over the Titans. He took a backseat to Demaryius Thomas this week as the team’s number two option and it is something that we could see more of going forward. Hopkins is the only wide receiver you can trust in this offense right now.
Rashaad Penny (10) had been gaining some steam prior to this game, but he took a big step backwards this week. The 10 snaps were his fewest since Week 8 and he finished with just four carries for only four yards. He was third in snaps out of the backfield behind Carson and Davis. Penny doesn’t have much value in redraft leagues.
Notable Snap Counts
Rob Gronkowski (69) was on the field for 99% of the Patriots snaps in his first action since Week 8. He finished the game with three receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown on seven targets. It was a solid game, but more importantly it appears that he will be once again ready to go for Week 13. He has been a fantasy bust and annoyance this season, but if you have him and he is playing, he needs to be in your lineup on a weekly basis.
Jeff Driskel (44) took over for the Bengals after Dalton suffered his injury. The Bengals were getting slaughtered when Driskel entered the game, so it’s hard to look too deeply into the stats he produced (which were rock solid). He completed 17-of-29 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown while also carrying the ball three times for nine yards and another score. Driskel does bring a running element that makes him an interesting fantasy asset in 2QB / Superflex leagues.
Curtis Samuel (54) set a new season high in snaps with Funchess sidelined. He was on the field for 92% of the Panthers snaps and played 38 more snaps than he did in Week 11. The uptick in playing time did not lead to increased usage, but he did play well as he finished with two receptions for 17 yards and a touchdown. He also carried the ball once for 25 yards. The Panthers leaned heavily on CMC and Moore in their 30-27 loss to the Seahawks, leaving Samuel fighting for the scraps.
LeGarrette Blount (33) stepped into the lead back role for the Lions with Kerryon Johnson out this week. The 33 snaps were a new season high for Blount and he easily had his best game of the season as he finished with 19 carries for 88 yards and two touchdowns with one reception for 15 yards. This was a surprise performance as it came against the stout Bears defense and Blount had 21 carries for just 16 yards (0.8 YPC – yikes) over his last four games. He is playable in standard leagues anytime Johnson is out, but I still wouldn’t get too excited about him in PPR leagues.
Dante Pettis (58) set a new season high snap total as he filled in for the injured Garcon and Goodwin. He operated as the number two receiver, but had the best game of any 49ers pass-catcher. He finished with four receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown on seven targets. Goodwin is likely to return to action in Week 13, so Pettis’ strong game can be mostly ignored in fantasy for redraft leagues.