NFL Snap Counts Breakdown: Week 10

Post Week 10 is a decisive moment in most fantasy leagues.  If your team hasn’t fallen and shattered on the rocks below yet, you’re either safely camped and waiting to attempt the summit, you’re still on the wall but making good pace, or you’re just barely clinging to a lower ledge.  If you’re at the top, maybe you’re shedding your extra baggage at the trade deadline, looking for that one piece that will get you up and over. In the middle you’re likely playing it safe and simply trying to keep the course.  And at the bottom you can’t really look ahead – one slip in the next couple weeks and it’s over so all that matters is the next ledge.  

NFL teams are in a similar predicament as they are figuring out whether or not they’ve got a shot at glory.  Every team needs to play their games but, in the modern days of analytics and strategy, not every team will approach it the same.  Some teams will be safely cruising into the playoffs and possibly saving their bullets for bigger foes. Others will be full steam ahead, holding nothing back.  And others may simply be calling it a lost season, putting their stars in bubble wrap if possible, while they evaluate the rest of the roster for next year. All of this has a profound effect on our fantasy teams so we’re going to do our best to analyze the trends we are seeing in the snap counts to help you climb the mountain and plant your flag forever.

49ers 

• The 49ers are one of the few teams that can afford it given their record but the injury has bitten this offense recently.  First George Kittle gets hurt and now Emmanuel Sanders damaged some cartilage in his rib which can be as painful as breaking the rib itself, though obviously easier to recover from.  

• Ross Dwelley played a full snap share and Kittle is already ruled out for this week so, if you need, him Dwelley is there.  He’s not Kittle but he slid into the exact role running 47 routes and blocking on 6 pass plays which is actually lower than Kittle’s 17.2% pass block rate for the season.  

• Operating under the assumption that Manny is out this week, Deebo Samuel would get a boost into the startable range and, in a pinch Kendrick Bourne and Dante Pettis are options.  After Sanders went down it was a lot of Deebo and Bourne in two wide receiver sets and Bourne moved to the slot when Pettis came in for three wide.  

Bears

• Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel are the outside guys playing the majority of the snaps – given his usage Gabriel could see an uptick in targets this week if Ramsey shadows Robinson in a showdown of former teammates.  

• Tarik Cohen played more snaps than usual but only 13 out of the backfield as he split out wide nine times and ran out of the slot six times.  That’s the most usage he’s had as a wide receiver since he played 40 snaps from the slot in week one.  

• Even with Adam Shaheen out, Trey Burton is useless.  The “Travis Kelce role” apparently did not travel with Nagy to Chicago, nor did Travis Kelce .

Bengals

• As we alluded to in our intro, there are some decisions that depend entirely on how your team is doing and how you approach the Bengals is one.  AJ Green continues to say he wants to play while he continues to not play. Meanwhile, Auden Tate is playing the full split end role in his absence.  If your team has a playoff spot locked up, maybe it’s worth stashing Green. If you are in trouble with bye’s and need a spot start, Tate has the possibility to go off anytime Green is out.  If you are in the middle of the pack, you might not have the bench space for either of them.  

• The week before the bye, Tyler Eifert played 57 snaps and ran 47 routes, blocking on zero pass plays, which is some of the most ideal tight end usage possible.  This week he played 23 snaps, ran 17 routes, and blocked on five pass plays. Another disappointment from the disappointment master.  

Bills

• Our suspicions from last week seem to be confirmed – this backfield is transitioning to Devin Singletary .  Frank Gore is droppable if you were still holding on. 

• Dawson Knox once again out snapped Tyler Kroft and ran more routes than him.  In a more prolific offense that would be a lot more interesting to us. Knox and Cole Beasley are both medium ceiling, medium to low floor guys week to week but Knox is looking like a guy who can play which is rare for rookie tight ends.  

Broncos

• BYE

Browns

• As we alluded to last week in our Browns section, Dontrell Hilliard s increased usage in the passing game Week 9 could have been a test run for the return of Kareem Hunt and that seems to have been the case.  Hunt ran 23 routes to 26 for Chubb and caught seven passes to Chubb’s two. Chubb still commanded the running work but we likely have to accept this world where Hunt is the preferred receiving back. 

• Odell Beckham was shadowed by Tre’Davious White as expected and he did a fantastic job, only allowing Beckham three catches on 10 targets.  This allowed Jarvis Landry to feast but expect a potential resurgence from Beckham this week. If he does well against the Steelers, his schedule after that is Dolphins, Steelers, Bengals, Cardinals so smooth sailing until the Ravens week 16.  

Buccaneers

• Any questions about O.J. Howard ’s health were answered when he played the entire game.  And he managed to score against one of the worst teams in the league at covering the tight end.  The bad news? They kept him in to block on 13 pass plays which is 22.4% of the pass plays he was out there for.  That would be fine when you run 83 offensive plays but this is the reason we get these dud weeks from him when they run 50-60.  

• Mike Evans managed a decent day despite Patrick Peterson .  If Marshon Lattimore can’t go this week then it might be Evans over Godwin once again.  Definitely something to monitor. 

• The big news out of the backfield was that Ronald Jones ran 23 routes compared to seven for Barber and 14 for Ogunbowale.  They are still splitting carries but Barber is emerging as the guy that does everything and he is worth a start where you need him.  

Cardinals

• If you had been paying attention then this Christian Kirk breakout game was not a surprise to you.  The offense funnels the ball to his slot spot.  

• After his big 88 yard play last week, Andy Isabella earned a bigger snap share this week and delivered another splash play of 55 yards.  Explosive guys like that are worth a speculative add to see if they can earn a full snap share and regular role but beware of the boom/bust speed guys because you take away just those two plays and his last two stat lines are zero for zero and two for 23.  

• I will admit that I have no idea what the Cardinals are planning with running back position.  David Johnson started but Drake out snapped and out touched him. They both operated in the pass game with Drake running 26 routes and DJ running 18.  When Chase Edmunds gets back things will become even more convoluted.  

Chargers

• Melvin Gordon seems to have reclaimed his job in the running game as he looked great once again.  Melvin ran 20 routes to 25 for Ekeler so, given the carry distribution, Gordon is clearly the better fantasy start. 

• Andre Patton once again played a ton of snaps while giving you zero.  He’s just a placeholder in three wide sets. Your guys are Allen, Williams and Henry.  

Chiefs

• After fumbling and then falling behind the other backs last week, McCoy was a healthy scratch this week.  And Andy Reid essentially responded to questions about it by calling him old. Not great news for McCoy but, then again, the team lost without him so maybe symbolic on his behalf.  

• Monster day for Tyreek Hill while Mecole Hardman continued his completely unsustainable performance.  Watkins and Robinson did what they do which is get jammed and stay out of the way. Tough to trust Hardman given his snaps but the chemistry and confidence is clearly there now so, if anything happens to Tyreek Hill , you know where to go.  

Colts

• With TY Hilton, Devin Funchess , Parris Campbell , and Daurice Fountain hurt the fact that Deon Cain was cut probably tells you everything you need to know there.  The Colts responded by using heavy two tight end sets with Zach Pascal and Chester Rogers as flankers. Keep an eye on Devin Funchess as he should slot right back in at the split end spot given what this team has been doing.  Until then, Ebron ran 33 routes to 22 for Doyle so he might be the more attractive play.  

• Speaking of dynasty guys like Deon Cain , now maybe the time to sell your Marlon Mack shares in any sort of PPR formats.  In full point PPR he scored 10 touchdowns last year but wasn’t factored into the pass game so he was still RB21. Every single running back in the top 10 in PPR last season caught at least 50 passes – Mack caught 17.  This week he ran only nine routes to 18 for Nyheim Hines , even while the team was low on receiving options. Considering Parris Campbell has also been known to operate out of the backfield, it doesn’t look great for Mack in those formats.

Cowboys

• Look at that beautiful consolidate snap share.  Running Back, three wide receivers, and a tight end all playing over 80% of the snaps.  If every team did that fantasy football would be a lot easier. Especially when they have their running back play 99% of the snaps.  

Dolphins

• Their best receiver gets hurt, they trade their best running back, then their second best running back gets suspended yet this team inexplicably (and inexcusably if you want Tua) won another game.  

• DeVante Parker is looking like a startable receiver given his snap share and usage.  Allen Hurns played the next most but this offense can’t really even sustain one guy. If I had to start any players from this team in a pinch it would be Parker or Gesicki at tight end, given that he primary runs routes when he’s out there (30 routes run on 39 snaps). 

Eagles

• BYE

Falcons

• The Falcons beat their rival Saints this week in a massive upset but at what costs?  Big injuries to Devonta Freeman and Austin Hooper will certainly change the landscape for this team.

• Brian Hill was obviously one of the favorite waiver adds this week. Not so clear at tight end but Jaeden Graham was the most productive tight end in the preseason catching nine-of-10 targets for 92 yards.  The reality though is likely just an uptick in targets for Ridley, Julio, and Russell Gage so Gage is the guy who is likely worth the speculative add but keep your eye on Graham.  

Giants

• When Engram is out this team leans on three wide receiver sets but only Tate and Slayton are relevant.  Given Slayton’s blow up game this week he’s likely been added in a lot of leagues and, if Engram is out again, he could be worth a start.  With Engram back it gets a bit more dicey.  

Jaguars

• BYE

Jets

• Last week we discussed how this team has a nice consolidated snap share just like the Cowboys and Panthers but that Chris Herndon might come along and ruin that.  Well in his first game back Herndon injured his ribs so, for the time being, expect these same five guys to play the majority of the snaps, as they were before. Nice and neat.  

Lions

• Ty Johnson got the start but he left the game fairly quickly with a concussion. JD McKissic played a huge number of snaps in his absence but, if Johnson doesn’t get cleared, expect them to pick up a short yardage specialist to fill in.  Either way, McKissic could be an enticing play in PPR formats in a game that will likely have some negative game script against the Cowboys. 

• T.J. Hockenson out snapped Jesse James by a good amount which you like to see but he still blocked on 14% of his pass snaps which is not ideal.  He’s a low end option still for now.  

Packers

• Reports are that maybe the ankle was bothering him but MVS only played 11 snaps in this game which is worrisome.  He can’t be trusted for the time being so Davante Adams is must start and after that you basically just have flyers, starting with Geronimo Allison .  Unlike a lot of teams, this one does not have a consolidated snap share or static replacements. On a team like the Eagles, if Alshon Jeffrey goes out, it’s JJ Arcega Whitside who comes in.  If it’s DeSean Jackson then Mack Hollins comes in. On the Packers, it's much more fluid how they replace the snaps, making it much more difficult to predict. We like predictability.  

• The Packers want to use two backs, it’s a simple as that.  This time the work was split right down the middle with 13 carries and 19 pass snaps each.  The only difference was Aaron Jones was asked to block on three plays while Jamaal Williams ran 19 routes.  Jones is still the guy to own and start but it’s obviously annoying for owners.  

Panthers

• Our shining star in terms of snap share consolidation.  Not to be outdone by the Cowboys, the Panthers had three position players play every single snap at RB, WR and tight end.  Keep on doing what you do Riverboat Ron.  

Patriots

• BYE

Raiders

• Don’t give up on Darren Waller .  Despite a couple down weeks, he is still the de facto snap share and receiving leader on this team.  Even with them asking him to block on six pass plays to help with the likes of Joey Bosa , he still only ran two less routes than Tyrell Williams .  

• Josh Jacobs is the man in Oakland but Jalen Richard re-appeared to remind us that he’s still a pretty damn good pass catcher.  If anything happens to Jacobs he’d likely be must add in our opinion – people forget that he caught 68 passes last year. That’s just two less passes than Kenny Golladay caught. 

Rams

• A lot of people were eating pie this week as part of the #FFPieBet because of Cooper Kupp ’s goose egg.  With Cooks out it seems the Steelers keyed hard on Kupp which worked as they won the game and he caught zero passes.  Perhaps Kupp was just the beneficiary of getting the third cover guy each week.

• This week was a huge step for Gerald Everett as he drastically out snapped Tyler Higbee and ran 35 routes while only pass blocking two times.  If this usage sticks then Everett is looking like a tight end one rest of season.  

Ravens 

• This game was an obvious blowout and they scored easily which keeps fantasy gamers happy but this game also illustrates something that we’ve been warning about all year.  The Ravens spread the snaps out more than any other team. They run more plays than every other team which masks it a bit but we are talking about percentages here. When the snap share is low, it doesn’t mean you favorite guys play those and everyone else plays less. It means that everyone plays less and, if you aren’t playing the Bengals, that can be a killer.  Something to be weary of.  

Redskins

• BYE

Saints

• The bye week helped everyone get right and we saw the return of both Alvin Kamara and Jared Cook .  Perhaps everyone was a bit rusty as they lost a pretty big upset to the Falcons.  

• Kamara and Michael Thomas are still your must start guys while Jared Cook is a start if you must.  Tre’Quan Smith is finally getting some snaps and remains an intriguing deep dynasty stash but not much more.

Seahawks

• Tyler Lockett got hurt but avoided surgery and he’ll have the bye to rest up.  If he plays he’s a must start. Metcalf at this point is also must start. We’d be much more interested in Josh Gordon if Lockett doesn’t play. 

• Chris Carson played nearly the entire game.  The Rashaad Penny experiment might just be over.  

• All we have to say about Jacob Hollister is – told ya so.  

Steelers

• The return of James Conner will likely put at least the running aspect of Jaylen Samuels back on the shelf. 

• James Washington was able to produce despite being out snapped by JuJu Smith-Schuster and Johnson though everyone contributed.  This doesn’t move Washington ahead of them as Juju ran 40 routes, Johnson ran 38 and Washington ran 25. 

• Vance’s usage snaps were good, running 40 routes and which tied Juju for the team lead.  Now he just needs the targets. Have not given up on him yet.  

Texans

• BYE

Titans

• Did not see this one coming – Ryan Tannehill and the Titans knocking off the Kansas City Chiefs in the return of Patrick Mahomes .  Wow.  

• We mentioned repeatedly these last two weeks that Anthony Firkser could take a bit out of the tight end targets and he scored a touchdown this week.  He played 13 snaps but ran 11 routes. In comparison, Jonnu Smith played 39 snaps but also ran 11 routes. With Delanie Walker on the horizon, Jonnu Smith is likely droppable.  

• Derrick Henry won this game, flat out.  Corey Davis and AJ Brown are potentially worth a stash in deeper leagues but neither can be trusted. 

Vikings

• Much like Derrick Henry , Dalvin Cook also put the team on his back and won the game.  Cook exhibited the rare ability to run the ball for positive yards and chew clock even when the other team knew they were running.  And he caught seven passes. You really could not ask for more out of your running back.  

• The Viking exhibited a bit of a consolidated snap share themselves, albeit a two wide receiver, two tight end, one running back one.  Adam Thielen will return at some point and, unfortunately, that will likely return Irv Smith Jr. and OlaBisi Johnson back into fantasy pumpkins.  Still promising players in dynasty leagues of course – this team just does not have targets for a fourth guy after Thielen, Diggs, and Cook.