We have five weeks in the books and we are hitting an incredibly important milestone here - the first week with bye weeks. Up until now we can get away with looking at counting stats and season totals - moving forward it’s all per game stats and percentages. Lucky for us, the underlying numbers have always mattered most. So let’s get into the usage for all the position players across Week 5!

 

 

 

NFL Snap Counts - Week 5

49ers

WR: Nothing has changed here. Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel are the only ones that play full snap shares. They use too many TEs and fullbacks for a third guy to be relevant. 

RB: Jeff Wilson Jr. continues to work the bulk of the downs. 

TE: George Kittle has been playing a big snap share and he really isn’t blocking on pass plays the way folks have been implying - three, three, and four pass plays over the last couple games. He ran 31 of 36 routes this week. Better games are coming.

 

Bears

WR: Equanimeous St. Brown had been playing a big snap share but this week it was only Darnell Mooney that played virtually all the snaps (47 of 50). EQSB and Dante Pettis played 31 and 30 respectively - not ideal. 

RB:  When healthy, David Montgomery is the dude and Khalil Herbert is just a backup. 

TE: Cole Kmet once again played a big snap share - week before he played 61 of 62, this week he played 45 of 50. The man just needs some pass volume.

 

Bengals

WR: It’s Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd when all are healthy but Tee Higgins has dealt with injury. We know from past experience that Mike Thomas is the next man up if Higgins were to miss time.

RB:  Joe Mixon continues to get the bulk of the work - Samaje Perine only spells Mixon when he needs a break.

TE: Hayden Hurst hadn’t been playing a big snap share but this week he saw nice usage with Tee Higgins out. He played 51 of 63 snaps and ran 35 of 42 routes. He’s had his two best games while Higgins has been banged up.

 

Bills

WR: With both Jamison Crowder and Isaiah McKenzie out, Khalil Shakir saw a ton of work in the slot - 28 of 35 routes. Gabriel Davis (34) and Stefon Diggs (33) played their usual full snap shares.

RB:  Devin Singletary got the bulk of the work but he seems to have his best games when it’s competitive as he’s mostly involved in the pass games (2nd most routes run behind only CMC). No one else is viable. 

TE:  With Dawson Knox out, both Quintin Morris and Tommy Sweeney played but Morris was the clear pass-catching option (26 routes to 9). Maybe a random DFS stab if Knox is out.

 

Browns

WR: Business as usual - Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones playing a ton fo snaps on the outside, David Bell playing less then 50% of the snaps out of the slot. Kevin Stefanski loves his tight ends.

RB:  Business as usual - more rushes for Chubb, more pass plays for Hunt.

TE:  David Njoku is the main dog and Harrison Bryant plays about a 50% snap share as the second guy. Njoku has been a pleasant surprise as of late.

 

Buccaneers

WR: Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are the two full time guys most games with Russell Gage in the slot. They are still ramping Godwin back up a bit but you have to start him where you have him with these upcoming matchups.

RB: Fournette started the season playing every snap essentially but Rachaad White has clearly emerged as the backup here. Fournette still played more snaps in both pass and run situations.

TE: With Cameron Brate out, Cade Otten played 74 of 79 snaps. That is likely short lived though as Brate returns this week. Paid off as a DFS stab for us this week.

 

Broncos

WR: Courtland Sutton is your every down split end. Jerry Jeudy lines up at flanker but then moves to slot for three WR sets. KJ Hamler is the third WR in. Sutton and Jeudy play full snap shares, Hamler lags behind.

RB: As expected, Melvin Gordon (41 snaps) with Mike Boone mixing in (30). They split the pass work fairly evenly but Gordon got more carries.

TE: Albert Okwuegbunam is still phased out. Eric Saubert is the closest they have to a full-time tight end but he only ran 25 of 46 routes himself. Keep an eye out for the return of Greg Dulcich.

 

Cardinals

WR: Marquise Brown has always played a ton of snaps but Rondale Moore has also played a full snap share since he returned from injury. AJ Green is the third guy with Greg Dortch back to the bench. Will be interesting to see how DeAndre Hopkins changes that up in Week 7.

RB: James Conner has been ruled OUT for this week. Eno Benjamin is the best in fantasy though Darrell Williams will mix in a bit.

TE: Zach Ertz continues to factor in HEAVILY - 64 of 69 snaps this week. The only question is how the targets will be distributed upon the return of Hopkins.

 

Cowboys

WR: Noah Brown continues his high snap counts as Michael Gallup gets ramped back up. Eventually, it will be CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup with Noah Brown as the third fiddle.

RB:  The split continues here with Ezekiel Elliott playing more in all phases but Tony Pollard looking more efficient. Perhaps Pollard will finally carve out more work. 

TE: Dalton Schultz played a full snap share the week before but exited this week after only 10 snaps. Peyton Hendershot is the next man up in the pass game.

 

Chargers

WR: As long as Keenan Allen is out, it will be Mike Williams and Josh Palmer as the top dogs with DeAndre Carter as the slot guy. When Allen returns, Carter will likely go back to primary return man duties.

RB:  Austin Ekeler is the guy. Joshua Kelley is the backup who merely spells him.

TE: Gerald Everett continues to have good usage but the Browns have been pretty solid vs. the tight end. He’s a decent option to start whenever Keenan Allen is out.
 

Chiefs

WR: JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling play most of the snaps while Mecole Hardman and Skyy Moore rotate in the slot. It will take an injury to one of the top two guys for someone else to be trustworthy.

RB:  We’ve seen this before - when the game script is tough, Jerrick McKinnon plays a lot of pass plays. He played 28 pass plays to 22 for CEH and more snaps overall. 

TE: Travis Kelce is the best in the business.
 

Colts

WR: Michael Pittman and Parris Campbell play the bulk of the snaps but perhaps not for long - Alec Pierce has been outperforming Campbell so a swap in usage could be in the near future. We’ll let you know if it starts trending that way.

RB:  With Jonathan Taylor out and Nyheim Hines getting hurt early, we saw Deon Jackson dominate the snaps. Taylor should be back soon but Jackson would be the best bet for run work if he’s out again.

TE: Routes run: Kylen Granson 23. Mo Alie-Cox 21. Jelani Woods 14. That’s out of 53 pass attempts. Can’t trust it.

 

Commanders

WR: It’s been Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, and Curtis Samuel all year but with Dotson out, they’ve mixed in Cam Sims and Dyami Brown. Brown had the big week but he only played 20 of 63 snaps. Not to be trusted.

RB: Brian Robinson returned and he took the most carries - Antonio Gibson is in trouble. JD McKissic still played his pass down role.

TE: With Logan Thomas out we saw John Bates and rookie Cole Turner both run 23 routes each. Cole Turner is the more fantasy-relevant option. 

 

Dolphins

WR: Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill are the full time guys but, with Tyreek Hill shaken up a bit with a hand injury, Trent Sherfield stepped up. Hill should be fine though.

RB: Raheem Mostert is running away with this backfield - Myles Gaskin played 13 snaps and Chase Edmonds only played 10.

TE:  There were 41 pass plays. Mike Gesicki ran 27 routes, Durham Smythe ran 5. Gesicki needs an injury to a WR to regain relevance.

 

Eagles

WR: DeVonta Smith and AJ Brown - those are the boys on the outside. Quez Watkins was the slot WR playing 43 of 73 snaps.

RB: Miles Sanders played 54 of 73. Gainwell only played 16. Sanders is the only viable option.

TE: Dallas Goedert is the man. 70 of 73 snaps, only 2 pass blocking snaps.

 

Falcons

WR: Second week in a row that no one played a full snap share. Olamide Zaccheaus ran 30 of 37 routes, Drake London only ran 24 of 37. No one else more than 12. Not great.

RB: With Cordarelle Patterson on IR, rookie Tyler Allgeier got the most snaps by far. He’s a viable fantasy option where you need him.

TE: No Kyle Pitts with a hamstring injury. Parker Hesse played the most snaps but only ran 13 routes. Anthony Firkser played 15 snaps, ran 10.

 

Giants

WR: It’s a miracle that this team is winning games. Marcus Johnson showed up off the street to lead the team in routes (30 of 34). Next were Darius Slayton (23) and Richie James (22). Not many folks are talking about Marcus Johnson but that usage is something. 

RB: Saquon Barkley was shaken up briefly with a shoulder injury but came back in. He’s the man but now we know that, if he gets banged up, Gary Brightwell will likely handle goal line work.

TE: Daniel Bellinger plays the most snaps but we’d like to see him run more routes (20 of 34). Tanner Hudson has been a thorn in his side.

 

Jaguars

WR: Zay Jones returned so we went back to normal here - Zay Jones, Marvin Jones, and Christian Kirk are the three WRs. 

RB: For the first time, Travis Etienne played more snaps than James Robinson (24 vs 22). It likely had to do with the game script but Etienne seems to be favored for pass work at least.

TE: Evan Engram played a ton of snaps and matched Zay Jones in routes run. Have to be pleased with 10 turrets as well.

 

 

 

Jets

WR: Elijah Moore was pacing the team and has been towards the top of the league in routes run. But that was mostly due to Joe Flacco. In this one, Corey Davis ran the most routes (24 of 26) followed by Moore (21) and Garrett Wilson (19).

RB: Breece Hall is running the show now - 41 snaps to Michael Carter’s 25. Might be too late to get hm but worth a try.

TE: CJ Ucomah played 41 snaps and ran 14 routes while Tyler Conklin played 40 snaps and ran 9. Neither are viable but not good news for those who were banking on Conklin.

 

Lions

WR: When all is said and done it should be DJ Chark, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Jameson Williams. With injuries, they are all either out or limited though so it was Josh Reynolds, Kalif Reymond, and Tom Kennedy. ARSB played 21 of 66 snaps.

RB: When D’Andre Swift returns, it will be his backfield. Jamaal Williams will maintain a short yardage role. In this one, Craig Reynolds played extra because he skews pass work while Swift is out.

TE: TJ Hockenson played the whole game but he just ran into trouble with Kyle Dugger.

 

Packers

WR: Allen Lazard and Romeo Doubs played their typical snaps outside but Randall Cobb was the featured target. The routes run (out of 43) were 41 for Lazard, 38 for Doubs, and 30 for Cobb.

RB: This is still Aaron Jones’s backfield. 46 of 63 snaps for Him and 20 for AJ Dillon.

TE: Don’t let the snaps fool you - even though Marcedes Lewis played more snaps, Robert Tonyan ran more routes. It was only 23 of 43 though which isn’t going to cut it.

 

Panthers

WR: DJ Moore played 65 of 70 snaps. Maybe PJ Walker can get him the ball now that Baker Mayfield is out? Robbie Andeson played 54, Shi Smith was in the slot with 43.

RB: Christian McCaffrey is the man. 60 of 70 snaps, leads the league in routes run.

TE: These tight ends have been useless with Mayfield and Matt Rhule - maybe Walker will change that. Tommy Tremble is your best bet but only ran 29 of 48 routes.
 

Patriots

WR: Jakobi Meyers returned to take his thrown as the top utilized wide receiver. DeVante Parker continued to be a factor and Kendrick Bourne saw a big boost in snaps. The guy to really keep an eye on though is rookie Tyquan Thornton. The unknown upside is always exciting.

RB: With Damien Harris expected to miss multiple games, Rhamondre Stevenson becomes the starter. Rookie Pierre Strong Jr. might get a shot to help on pass downs.

TE: With no Jonnu Smith, Hunter Henry played 59 of 60 snaps and had his best game so far. Something to monitor but not a good matchup this week.
 

Raiders

WR: Davante Adams and Mack Hollins on the outside, Hunter Renfrow with a partial snap share from the slot. That’s how they like it.

RB:  This is the Josh Jacobs show. His usage has been fantastic - he’s getting virtually all the work in all phases.

TE:  Darren Waller is now out but he has the bye week to rest up. With Foster Moreau also banged up, Jesper Horsted was the guy. 

 

Rams

WR: This team uses a ton of three-WR sets so Cooper Kupp, Ken Skowronek, and Allen Robinson play huge snap shares. Will be interesting to see what happens when Van Jefferson gets back (or they sign Odell Beckham Jr.)

RB: The split here is crystal clear - Cam Akers on run downs, Darrell Henderson on pass downs.

TE: Tytler Higbee has been great thus far and so had his usage. He played 63 of 65 snaps though this time they did ask him to stay in and block 9 times on pass plays.

 

Ravens

WR: With Rashod Bateman out, Demarcus Robinson stepped into his role and Devin Duvernay was asked to step up in his. They then use tight ends and fullbacks so no other WR was really involved. 

RB:  In a surprise change, JK Dobbins split snaps with Kenyan Drake. That’s not great for a team that will get Gus Edwards back at some point too.

TE: Andrews is amazing. If anything were to happen to him, Isaiah Likely would be must add.

 

Saints

WR: The Saints are up there with the Giants in terms of WR injuries. No Michael Thomas or Jarvis Landry and now Chris Olave is banged up. Marquez Callaway is the next man up and then Tre’Quan Smith after him. They both played substantial snaps this past week. Keith Kirkwood would be the third man if MT, Landry, and Olave were all out.

RB: Alvin Kamara played 56 of 77 snaps but Taysom Hill did all the scoring.

TE: Taysom Hill doesn’t really play WR - in fact, he’s played more of his snaps on special teams (44). After that, he plays quarterback (24). Adam Trautman played more snaps (50 to 44) but Juwan Johnson ran more routes (16 to 13). Neither is a great option.

 

Seahawks

WR: Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf are the only wide receivers worth worrying about here. 

RB: This might be the big one. Rashaad Penny is done for the year. Second round rookie Kenneth Walker now gets to show what he can do.

TE: Will Dissly and Noah Fant split snaps but this time Fant ran more routes (20 to 15). That’s out of 34 so we need an injury for one to separate himself.

 

Steelers

WR: Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, George Pickens. This one is easy. They all ran at least 50 of 59 routes.

RB: Najee Harris actually played one snap fewer than Jaylen Warren this week despite getting more carries. Scary stuff.

TE: Pat Freiermuth suffered a concussion - if he can’t go, Zach Gentry would be the guy.

 

Texans

WR: The only WRs playing enough snaps are Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins but both are pretty hard to trust right now.

RB: Dameon Pierce has been the bright spot on this offense — he gets virtually all the carries. Rex Burkhead plays sporadic pass plays. 

TE: OJ Howard led in snaps and routes but he only ran 16 of 26 routes.
 

Titans

WR: Treylon Burks is on IR so Robert Woods and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine are the split end and flanker. Kyle Phillips has not been as involved as we thought — 18 of 64 snaps.

RB: Derrick Henry leads the league in carries. Stud.

TE: This team does not have a viable tight end. If they ever have anything even close, I will let you know.

 

Vikings

WR: Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen play nearly every snap as always. KJ Osborn plays 65 of 79 so pretty solid as well.

RB: Dalvin Cook plays the most in all phases, Alexander Mattison is the backup.

TE: Irv Smith finally ramped up a bit from his 50% snap share but he still only played 50 of 79 and ran 33 of 48 routes. Not quite enough.


 

 

 

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