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.

Broncos RB

Phillip Lindsay (35) was on the field for a season-high snap total and Devontae Booker (6) played a season-low snap count. Royce Freeman (18) maintained a similar amount to his previous weeks. Lindsay took full advantage of the increased playing time too, rushing for 90 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries while also hauling in a pass for six yards. The biggest takeaway here is that it appears the Broncos are moving away from a three-back rotation and moving towards a featured role for Lindsay, while Freeman would be the change of pace back; this is great news for Lindsay owners.

 

Risers

Marlon Mack (37) played a season-high snap total and was on the field for 56% of the plays. He exploded for 126 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries and also added in two receptions for 33 yards. Last week Mack carried the ball 12 times for 89 yards, giving him back-to-back strong performances, and he is taking over this Colts backfield. The Colts have the Raiders on tap in Week 8 and Mack should be able to continue playing well. He should be in your lineup.

Jakeem Grant (39) played a season-high snap total and was on the field for 70% of the Dolphins snaps. Albert Wilson left the game with an injury and is expected to be placed on IR, which opened the door for Grant. Grant is not someone that you should count on in seasonal formats (He is unlikely to get a lot of volume), but he will make for an interesting GPP play in DFS on a weekly basis as he is a gadget type player who can explode on any given play.

Ronald Jones was on the field for a season-high snap total of 29. He finished with six carries for 13 yards and scored his first career touchdown. As you see, he once again struggled in the yards per carry department and he now has 17 carries for just 45 yards on the season (2.6 YPC). The bright side is that Bucs want to get him more involved, making him worthy of a stash.

 

Fallers

Cameron Meredith was on the field for 18 snaps and 25% of the Saints plays. He played 12 fewer snaps than the week before and it appears Tre’Quan Smith (52) is the clear-cut number two receiver in the Saints offense with Ted Ginn on IR. To make matters even worse for Meredith, he finished with zero receptions on zero targets. This was a surprise after he had caught five balls for 71 yards the week prior, but after this clunker there really isn’t much of a reason to be excited about him going forward.

Pierre Garcon (32) was on the field less than he has been in any game this season and only played 55% of the 49ers snaps. He finished the game with just one reception for five yards. Garcon remains at zero touchdowns for the season and has yet to surpass five receptions or 60 yards in any game this year. Goodwin and Kittle are the only two viable pass catchers on the 49ers and if you still own Garcon, it is time to look elsewhere.

 

Notable Snap Counts

Trenton Cannon (23) was thrust into action for the Jets after Bilal Powell suffered an injury and was unable to return to the game. Cannon – a sixth-round rookie out of Virginia State – caught four passes for 69 yards and rushed twice for four yards. Powell has been placed on the IR, meaning Cannon could be a viable option in PPR leagues, as it appears that he will take over that role. Isaiah Crowell owners can also reasonably expect an uptick in carries for him, but expect his involvement in the passing game to remain about the same.

Nick Chubb (45) and Duke Johnson (35) both played huge roles in the new look Browns offense that no longer features Carlos Hyde (traded to Jags – in case you somehow missed that). Johnson’s involvement didn’t change all that much – he is still just a PPR back with limited upside – but Chubb more than doubled his season total in carries in just this one game. He finished with 18 rush attempts for 80 yards and punched one of them into the end zone for his third touchdown of the year.  However, he did not catch a pass in this game and still has yet to catch a pass this season.

With Melvin Gordon out this week, Austin Ekeler (42) was on the field for 95% of Chargers snaps. As expected, Ekeler dominated the Chargers backfield and while he didn’t “go off” for a big game, he put up a viable PPR line of 12 carries for 42 yards and five receptions for 26 yards. Ekeler will make for a strong play any week that Gordon is forced to miss.