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.
Redskins RB
The Redskins played their two running backs equally with Samaje Perine playing 34 snaps and Kapri Bibbs playing 35. The playing time was similar, but the touches were a different story. Perine finished with 17 carries for 53 yards and added in three receptions for 21 yards. He also lost a fumble. Bibbs finished with seven carries for 26 yards and added in two receptions for 28 yards. A similar usage can be expected in week 17 if both backs are healthy and active. Perine has really struggled this season, rushing to an average of just 3.5 yards per carry and only finding the end zone one time on the ground, despite 173 carries. The good news for Perine is that the Redskins still see him as their potential featured back moving forward.
Risers
Deonte Thompson played a team high 61 snaps (an increase of 17 from the previous week). He was in for 90% of the Bills offensive snaps, outplaying both Zay Jones and Kelvin Benjamin. Thompson had a strong game, finishing with four receptions for 91 yards on just five targets. It was his third strong game as a member of the Bills and he has turned into a big part of the offense. The Bills run heavy approach on offense makes it hard to support receivers in fantasy, but Thompson makes for a solid GPP dart throw on a weekly basis given his cheap price and upside in DFS.
Wayne Gallman played a season high 52 snaps. Gallman has been splitting time with Orleans Darkwa, but this week Darkwa was in for just 12 snaps. Both backs struggled to get anything going on the ground as they combined for 16 carries for just 28 yards. However, Gallman played a prominent role in the Giants passing attack, as he finished with six receptions for 44 yards. With the Giants sitting on a 2-13 record, there is a strong chance that the team will choose to use their rookie running back heavily once again in week 17.
Brenton Bersin played a season high 51 snaps. Bersin had yet to break 17 snaps prior to week 16, but with a number of injuries suffered to the Panthers wide receiving core, Bersin was thrust into extended action. He finished with a season high in targets (4), receptions (3), and yards (45). Fellow receiver Damiere Byrd was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday, meaning Bersin should once again be a part of the Panthers offense in week 17 and in the playoffs. Despite the increased playing time, Bersin will be nothing more than a cheap punt play in DFS.
Fallers
J.D. McKissic was in for just two snaps this week after back-to-back weeks of 30 snaps or more. McKissic has proven to be one of the most game flow dependent running backs in the NFL, only seeing action when the Seahawks are down big in football games. With the Seahawks leading the majority of the contest against the Cowboys this week, Mike Davis was in for nearly every snap of the Seahawk offense and finished with 19 touches compared to McKissic’s zero.
Notable Snap Counts
Rex Burkhead was out this week with injury. Dion Lewis played a season high 51 snaps and Mike Gillislee played 15 snaps (Gillislee was active for the first time since week eight). With Burkhead out the Patriots leaned heavily on Lewis. Lewis finished with a season high 24 rushing attempts and 129 yards. He also scored a touchdown on the ground. In the passing game, he finished with five receptions for 24 yards and another touchdown. Gillislee operated strictly in a backup role but did get a goal line carry that he was able to plunge in for a touchdown. He finished with six carries for 28 yards and the one touchdown; he also caught his first pass of the season, which he turned into a 15 yard gain. Expect more of the same usage rates in week 17 if Burkhead is once again forced to miss action.
Antonio Brown was out this week and the Steelers turned to multiple different receivers to attempt to fill the void. Martavis Bryant, Eli Rogers, Darius Hayward-Bay, and Justin Hunter all had slight increases in playing time. JuJu Smith-Shuster slid into the number one role and had the strongest game amongst the Steelers receivers, finishing with six receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown. Bryant was the only other receiver worth noting and he finished with three receptions for 60 yards. Rogers and Hunter each finished with one reception. With Brown being ruled out for week 17, Smith-Shuster and Bryant will both be worth playing.
Player News
Browns will not exercise Kenny Pickett’s fifth-year option.
Well, yeah, the idea of paying Kenny Pickett $22.1 million to play quarterback in 2026 is laughable. Pickett is now part of a four-headed battle in training camp between himself, Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders, and Joe Flacco to make the Browns. We’ll see if Pickett makes the roster, but it may be more about how well the rookies play than anything he does in camp or the preseason.
Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said he expects Mark Andrews to remain with the Ravens.
We’re losing a staple of the on-again/off-again veteran tight end trade market posts this offseason. DeCosta said this after Day 2 of the draft, implying that the Ravens likely would only have moved on from Andrews if they received more than a Day 3 pick. Andrews can continue to be penciled in as a mid-range TE1 in fantasy drafts now that we know for certain he’s attached to Lamar Jackson for another season.
The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia believes Dalton Kincaid can be a “post-hype sleeper” for the Bills in 2025.
It’s certainly more of an opinion than a fact, but Buscaglia writes that Kincaid “can be the single-most important key to giving the Bills a different element to their game.” Perhaps more notable is the fact that Kincaid is healthy after dealing with “ill-timed injuries” last season, which includes but are perhaps not limited to a knee injury that led to him missing four regular season games. Kincaid caught 73 passes for 673 and two touchdowns as a rookie in 2023, but was limited to just 44-448-2 across 13 games last season. Kincaid was selected 25th overall by the Bills two seasons ago and will hopefully have more to offer in his third season. A more reliable role could have him on the fantasy radar as a low-end TE1 after he ranked 11th amongst TE in points as a rookie.
Giants signed WR Antwane Wells.
Reunited with Jaxson Dart! Wells (6’1/201) is a fifth-year senior with stops at three college programs. He began at James Madison, catching 83 passes for 1,250 yards and 15 touchdowns as a sophomore. Transferring to South Carolina before his junior year, Wells tallied 68 receptions for 928 yards and six scores before playing just three games his fourth year. He transferred to Ole Miss for a final 28-catch, 553-yard season with six touchdowns. With 19.8 yards per reception last season, Wells showed strong vertical ability. He lacks clean routes and his production dwindled in his final college years, but Wells has a good frame and the physicality to contribute at the end of a pass-catching rotation in the NFL.
The Athletic’s Daniel Popper believes Quentin Johnston will “have to earn his roster spot” in training camp.
Popper has Tre Harris starting alongside Mike Williams and Ladd McConkey in three-wide sets, bringing up the possibility of moving KeAndre Lambert-Smith on to the field when they “need more speed.” None of this sets up especially well for Johnston, the last pick of the Tom Telesco regime. He improved last year with a 55/711/8 receiving line, but he may be fighting for one of the last spots on the roster this year if everyone makes it through training camp without an injury. Harris getting early buzz as a starter is interesting too, though we expect the Chargers to run plenty of two-wide sets.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports for Bengals RB Chris Evans will participate in Broncos minicamp on a tryout basis.
A former sixth-round pick of the 2021 draft class, Evans missed all of the 2024 season due to a torn patellar tendon. Pelissero reports Evans is “full-go now,” as the former Michigan man looks to earn a chance to compete for a 53-man roster spot this offseason. Evans has seen light work as a pro, rushing just 19 times for 89 scoreless yards in his career while adding another 19 catches for 188 yards and three scores. He also has experience as a kick returner (14 career kick returns), which could increase his chances at earning a longer look.