It’s the fantasy football semi-finals. Our focus is squarely on two things. Who is getting the work? And who has the matchups? In this article, we are focusing on who is in line to get the work. Fill your roster with players that you can trust. From there, we’ll be updating rankings and doing live shows as the week progresses so that you guys can focus on the right matchups and get those lineups set. First thing is first thought - let’s look at who is playing a lot and who could step up with all these injuries.

This article goes best with our snap count tool where you can see all of the raw snap numbers. But I take it a step further letting you know who got the pass snaps, two-minute drill, who pass blocked, who played slot, who played two WR sets. I do my best to let you know who is getting the work and who isn’t. So, without further ado, here is Week 16.

 

NFL Week 16 Snap Count Report

San Francisco 49ers - 56 Snaps

WR: Same as always - with Kyle Juszczyk playing 28 snaps, no room for a WR3. It’s Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.

RB: Christian McCaffrey is locked in. As long as Elijah Mitchell is out, Jordan Mason is the next man up.

TE: George Kittle always plays a full workload so that is never the problem. For him, it’s about target distribution and matchups. The Ravens are not an easy matchup.

Chicago Bears - 72 Snaps

WR: DJ Moore and Darnell Mooney play the whole game essentially but Moore is really the only one you can trust for redraft. Mooney is more of a DFS guy. Tyler Scott is the third fiddle but he only played 37 snaps.

RB: We explained last week why this situation scared us. The coach decides playing time based on “the week of practice”. In good game scripts, I would lean on D’Onta Foreman, and in bad ones, Roschon Johnson seems to get the pass work.

TE: Cole Kmet blocked on four pass plays which isn’t ideal but he’s done a lot worse. He ran 36 of 46 possible routes which isn’t elite but he’s still an okay option.

Cincinnati Bengals - 70 Snaps

WR: Ja'Marr Chase is out so we’ll see an uptick for Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. Trenton Irwin has filled in for Tee Higgins in the past but Andrei Iosivas might mix in too at flanker. I’m staying away from both.

RB: It seemed a lot more even watching the game but Joe Mixon played 49 snaps and Chase Brown played 13. Brown has earned some touches but Mixon is still the guy, especially at the goal line.   

TE: Tanner Hudson actually ran 23 routes out of 48 which isn’t crazy but it’s more than his usual 10-15. Still more of a DFS play than anything but he actually has an okay floor.

Buffalo Bills - 67 Snaps

WR: The Cowboys did not keep the game competitive so the Bills only threw the ball 15 times. The game was a wash in that sense but Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis play full snap shares on the outside generally and guys like Khalil Shakir and Trent Sherfield rotate with Dawson Knox making them hard to trust.

RB: James Cook has been terrific since the switch to Joe Brady as OC. He’s getting the bulk of the work in all phases.

TE: with the run-heavy scheme, the Bills leaned on Dawson Knox and Quintin Morris. On one hand we’d like to chalk it up to that but the Bills play the Chargers this week who just got crushed by the Raiders. So there is some risk that could happen again. Kincaid still led the tight ends in routes run with 14 (Stefon Diggs ran 18).

Cleveland Browns - 69 Snaps

WR: Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, Cedric Tillman. Ever since DPJ was traded it’s been those three for the bulk of the snaps.

RB:  This one has settled in as of late with the carries split between Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt and Ford getting the bulk of the pass work.

TE: David Njoku’s usage has been much better lately as he’s not pass blocking as much. HE ran 39 of 51 routes and got 14 targets. Have to be happy with him.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 62 Snaps

WR: Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are your full-time guys with Trey Palmer as the third fiddle rotating with blocking tight ends. He’s the “next man up” if someone were to go down.

RB:  Rachaad White has been one of the most consistent snap-getters. Locked in.

TE:  Cade Otton plays a ton as usual - he ran 33 of 35 routes. He’s just behind Evans, Godwin, and White for targets, unfortunately.

Denver Broncos - 67 Snaps

WR: Once again Courtland Sutton is the only one to run full routes with 35 of 36. Jerry Jeudy only ran 24 of 26 while Lil’Jordan Humphrey (21) and Marvin Mims (18) weren’t far behind. It’s just Sutton.

RB:  Javonte Williams got the bulk of the carries but he played 15 pass plays while Samaje Perine played 17. Don’t love that going up against the Patriots this week.

TE:  If you want a DFS dart throw, Lucas Krull led with 23 routes. Can’t use him in a real league though.

Arizona Cardinals - 74 Snaps

WR: Marquise Brown was dealing with a heel issue all week and left the game due to that. In his absence, Michael Wilson played the most with 65 snaps followed by Greg Dortch (48) and Rondale Moore (47).

RB:  James Conner got the bulk of the carries. Early on he split pass snaps with Emari Demercado then Michael Carter got some in garbage time.

TE:  Trey McBride has been DIALED in. He ran 35 routes with no pass blocking snaps. Beautiful.

Dallas Cowboys - 57 Snaps

WR: No change from recent weeks - CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks play full snaps while Michael Gallup rotates with Jalen Tolbert. Lamb played literally every snap.

RB:  Tony Pollard played 41 snaps while Rico Dowdle played 15. It’s still Pollard.

TE: Jake Ferguson got his best usage yet running 37 of 41 routes. He’s about as safe as it gets right now.

Los Angeles Chargers - 65 Snaps

WR: With no Keenan Allen it was Quentin Johnston and Joshua Palmer with Alex Erickson (36) and Jalen Guyton (32) splitting the third chair. Palmer is the best bet while Allen is out.

RB:  They told us there would be a competition for carries and there was. Austin Ekeler got most of the pass work but Isaiah Spiller got more carries in this one (some of which was mop-up duty). After the coaches have been fired, it will be interesting to see what the split looks like. We do know Kellen Moore split touches with the Cowboys backs.

TE: Gerald Everett really is not a full-time player. He played 63% of the snaps even with the WRs out.

Kansas City Chiefs - 65 Snaps

WR: Rashee Rice has broken the mold. He’s the first Chiefs WR to play over 90% of the snaps all year (92%). Justin Watson was next at only 68% which is why everyone else is hard to trust.

RB:  Isaiah Pacheco is expected to return this week so he’ll be the top dog once again. Hard to utilize the other guys.

TE: Travis Kelce is the king and his matchups are great moving forward. He’s the TE1 in PPG and could finish TE1 overall again.

Indianapolis Colts - 67 Snaps

WR: Michael Pittman took a brutal hit that saw Damontae Kazee suspended for the rest of the season. DJ Montgomery took his spot on the outside opposite Alec Pierce with Josh Downs in the slot.

RB:  This will be interesting. Zack Moss got hurt and left the game. Jonathan Taylor MIGHT be back this week. If both end up out somehow, Trey Sermon would be the guy.

TE: The routes are too split here. Kylen Granson remains the best bet but no tight end ran more than 12 routes out of 34.

Washington Commanders - 61 Snaps

WR: Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson operated on the outside with Curtis Samuel in the slot. Samuel played 43 of 61 snaps but continues to be fairly productive (while Jahan Dotson continues to struggle).

RB:  With no Brian Robinson, Antonio Gibson played 27 snaps and handled pass downs while Chris Rodriguez played 21 snaps and skewed running. So still a split.

TE: Logan Thomas played 48 of 61 snaps with 37 of 44 routes but only one target in what should have been a great matchup. Can’t trust him after that.

Miami Dolphins - 61 Snaps

WR: With Tyreek Hill out, Cedrick Wilson took his role opposite Jaylen Waddle. Braxton Berrios remained in the slot. Waddle left the game with an injury so the Dolphins are hurting right now. If he and Hill are both out, Robbie Chosen is the next man up.

RB: Raheem Mostert has been a touchdown machine so he gets the goal line work. De’Von Achane skews passing so he needs a negative game script to shine most likely.

TE: Durham Smythe played his typical role. He’s valued mostly for his blocking so not really a fantasy asset.

Philadelphia Eagles - 69 Snaps

WR: DeVonta Smith and AJ Brown are the dudes. Quez Watkins and Julio Jones rotate in the slot, and Olamide Zaccheaus has largely been phased out.

RB: D’Andre Swift gets the carries, and Kenneth Gainwel contributes on pass downs. In positive game scripts, Swift is the guy and the matchups are easy the rest of the way.

TE: Dallas Goedert is exactly Dallas Goedert - he ran 35 of 38 routes which is great but he’s the third fiddle.

Atlanta Falcons - 52 Snaps

WR: Drake London is the only WR we can trust here in fantasy football and “trust” is a strong word.

RB: Bijan Robinson continues to play more snaps than Tyler Allgeier yet they insist on giving Allgeier a ton of carries. The weather likely contributed to that.

TE: Outside of this washout game, the usage for Pitts has been MUCH better than it was early on. He has an interesting upside with Taylor Heinicke but it’s not without risk.

New York Giants - 62 Snaps

WR: Darius Slayton (59) led the way again followed by Wan’Dale Robinson (53) and Jalin Hyatt (44).

RB: Saquon Barkley is the starter but this time around Matt Breida played 17 pass plays while Barkley played 19. Barkley still has an upside because he’s a star but he doesn’t like seeing a split.

TE: Darren Waller returned and six targets on only a 40% snap share is certainly promising. His next two matchups are primo if you can tolerate the risk.

Jacksonville Jaguars - 62 Snaps

WR: Christian Kirk is already out and Zay Jones left with an injury. It has been Calvin Ridley and Zay Jones with Parker Washington in the slot. If Zay Jones is out, Tim Jones will take the outside role.

RB: Travis Etienne is a stud. Hopefully, C.J. Beathard can keep the offense rolling.

TE: Evan Engram played 52 snaps and ran 39 routes so can’t ask for much more. It would help if he had Trevor Lawrence but it could be worse than Beathard.

New York Jets - 59 Snaps

WR: Garrett Wilson is the only guy you would consider in a real league. Allen Lazard plays opposite him with Xavier Gipson getting most of the slot work if you are looking for DFS darts.

RB: Breece Hall played only 23 snaps here while Israel Abanikanda played 22 and Dalvin Cook played 10. Not ideal.

TE: Tyler Conklin is still only a part-time player, running 31 of 46 routes. Not someone we are using.

Detroit Lions - 66 Snaps

WR: Amon-Ra St. Brown is obviously the top dog with 61 snaps. Jameson Williams played 45 to 38 for Josh Reynolds but neither is quite full-time.

RB: In positive game scripts you will see more carries for Montgomery. He gets goal line too. In negative scripts, it will be Jahmyr Gibbs getting more pass work. That’s how it’s been.

TE: Sam LaPorta ran 29 routes to 26 for Jameson Williams. He’s clearly the second target here behind ARSB.

Green Bay Packers  - 68 Snaps

WR:  We’re waiting to see if Christian Watson and Jayden Reed will play. If they don’t, it will be Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, and Malik Heath with Bo Melton mixing in for some snaps. Yeesh.

RB: AJ Dillon has a thumb issue but Aaron Jones is back. Jones took the bulk of the carries and split some pass work with Patrick Taylor.

TE: With Luke Musgrave out, Tucker Kraft has been the man. He played 57 of 60 snaps this week and ran 40 of 43 routes.

Carolina Panthers - 66 Snaps

WR: Adam Thielen and Jonathan Mingo always play big snap shares. Sometimes DJ Chark does and sometimes he doesn’t. That makes him a very tough start.

RB: Chuba Hubbard has gotten 20+ carries every week since the coaches were fired. Can’t beat that. 

TE: I’m not starting any of these guys. If you wanted to throw a dart atone, it would be Tommy Tremble. But he only ran 21 of 31 routes.

New England Patriots - 53 Snaps

WR: DeVante Parker led the charge with 48 snaps, Demario Douglas was next with 38 followed by Jalen Reagor with 29. Demario Douglas is the most appealing given his athleticism.

RB: There’s a chance Rhamondre Stevenson could play, in which case there would be decisions to make. If not, Zeke Elliott has been a great option. 

TE: Hunter Henry played 38 of 52 snaps and ran 27 of 37 routes which is not ideal. But he’s scored in three straight games and Zappe seems to like him. For the backend TE1/high-end TE2 range, there is upside.

Las Vegas Raiders - 54 Snaps

WR: Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers are the top dogs. Tre Tucker and Hunter Renfrow rotate making them much less appealing, despite the two TDs for Tucker.

RB: If Josh Jacobs plays, he’s the man. If he doesn’t, we aren’t scared to start Zamir White again.

TE: Michael Mayer is the starter but only ran 22 of 38 routes. Not a guy we are using.

Los Angeles Rams - 75 Snaps

WR: With Tutu Atwell out this one is simple. All three of Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, and Demarcus Robinson played over 70 snaps. If Atwell is back he splits with Robinson. 

RB:  Kyren Williams has been the MAN. 58 snaps this week.

TE:  Maybe it was just his return from injury but Tyler Higbee ceded some snaps to Davis Allen. Higbee ran 24 of 39 routes, Allen ran 10.

Baltimore Ravens - 70 Snaps

WR: Zay Flowers plays the bulk of the game as always. Out of 32 routes, Odell ran 19, Bateman ran 18, and Agholor ran 14. Isaiah Likely in reality is the second option.

RB:  Keaton Mitchell suffered a season-ending knee injury so it will be Gus Edwards on early downs with Justice Hill chipping in on pass downs. More tragedy for the Ravens backfield.

TE:  Isaiah Likely ran 28 snaps which is second only to Zay Flowers and easily more than any of the other WRs. He’s the second target.

New Orleans Saints - 62 Snap

WR: No one really stepped up to play the whole game - Lynn Bowden led in snaps with 37. Rashid Shaheed did lead the team with 25 routes so he’s the best bet if Olave is out. AT Perry (26 snaps), Keith Kirkwood (25), and Marquez Callaway (13) rotated.

RB: Alvin Kamara is the starter but Jamaal Williams did pitch in with some short yardage work. Kamara is still the guy.

TE: Foster Moreau plays inline tight end and starts (45 snaps) but he only ran 13 routes. Juwan Johnson ran 14 while Jimmy Graham scored a TD on only six routes. Taysom Hill isn’t actually a tight end.

Seattle Seahawks - 61 Snaps

WR: DK Metcalf (56), Tyler Lockett (46), and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (42) all played a decent amount making them all viable options.

RB: Kenneth Walker got more carries, Zach Charbonnet ran more routes (20 to 14). Back to the split before the Walker injury.

TE: Too much rotating here but Noah Fant typically leads in routes if you want to throw the dart at someone.

Pittsburgh Steelers - 58 Snaps

WR: George Pickens, Diontae Johnson, Allen Robinson. This has been consistent for weeks.

RB: Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren continue the same split but it was much more drastic this week as Warren ran 28 routes to only six for Najee. If the carries are split but one guy gets more pass plays, I want that guy.

TE: Pat Freiermuth ran 29 of 34 routes but the usage hasn’t been the problem - it’s the QB.

Houston Texans - 77 Snaps

WR: With no Nico Collins or Tank Dell it was Noah Brown and Xavier Hutchinson on the outside with Robert Woods in the slot. We’ll have to monitor the health of Collins.

RB: Devin Singletary played 58 snaps, Dare Ogunbawale played 15, and Dameon Pierce played four. That is quite the slide for Pierce.

TE: Dalton Schultz ran 37 of 44 routes so he took his job back. The matchups are tough and it’s a backup QB but he’ll be out there.

Tennessee Titans - 63 Snaps

WR: DeAndre Hopkins (49) led per usual but Treylon Burks (48) got a bigger look than usual with Nick Westbrook-Ikhine-Ikhinee-Ikhine (30) falling behind Chris Moore (38). With Will Levis likely out, it might not matter much.

RB: Derrick Henry had one of the least efficient games we have ever seen. Tyjae Spears ran 17 routes to his 13. With them eliminated from playoff contention, we might see more of the young guys like Spears.

TE: Chigoziem Okonkwo ran 25 of 36 routes which makes him hard to trust but they do scheme him up a couple plays each week.

Minnesota Vikings - 68 Snaps

WR: Justin Jefferson returned to a full snap share with 65 snaps. The big news here is that Jordan Addison (62) played a lot more than KJ Osborn (37). It was the other way around before Jefferson got hurt.

RB: As long as Alexander Mattison is out, we’re willing to start Ty Chandler. We’ve been told he will have a role regardless but

TE: Nick Mullens looked fine out there and so did T.J. Hockenson. You can safely keep rolling with him.