The week ahead is going to be all about choosing the right running back. There are some coming off of down week’s, some on bad streaks and others still trying to separate themselves as the #1 even this late in the season. There are some strong trends to consider when making these decisions and playing time certainly is one of them. But playing time alone will not be the deciding factor. Draft day is a distant memory, and in season long playoffs, you must put potential production above all else. That goes for superstars and even waiver wire claims that may have carried your team to this point. It’s all about winning now! 

Here’s the Snap Count Recap for Week 14:

RUNNING BACKS

If Monday night didn’t show that Kenneth Dixon needs to be the focal point of the Ravens attack going forward then it’s just not going to happen in 2016. Against the Patriots, Dixon was active on all fronts over his 42 snaps. He caught eight of his 11 targets for 42 yards and a score and rushed for 39 yards on 11 carries. Terrence West played just 14 snaps and was a non-factor. Dixon may finally be in the perfect situation in the DFS world to deliver this weekend considering his price. They will take on the Eagles who basically are now left with Ryan Mathews (last week 39 snaps 15/60) as the lone RB with Wendell Smallwood done for the year and Darren Sproles in concussion protocol. But don’t be fooled! Just because the Ravens struggled with the physical LeGarrette Blount (29 snaps, 18/72/1 TD), doesn’t mean Mathews is going to be relevant.

Don’t buy too much into LeSean McCoy’s 12/27 rushing line. Over his 43 snaps, McCoy still caught 6 balls for 81 receiving yards and he’s in line for a field day against the awful Cleveland run defense this weekend. On the other hand, Jay Ajayi owners should be concerned. He’s really tailed off of late including last week’s 20/48 line over 42 snaps. The Jets run defense is still respectable, so if you have a better option it’s time to consider it strongly. The Falcons’ Devonta Freeman was a huge disappointment last week (22 snaps, 6 yards rushing and 12 yards receiving). His counterpart, Tevin Coleman, played 21 snaps rushed for 36 yards on 8 attempts and caught two passes for 19 yards and a touchdown. Heading into this week against the 49ers, fantasy owners will be losing sleep over who to start. Just when Freeman was looking strong, last week’s showing allowed the doubt to creep back in. I’d go down with Freeman personally in Week 15 if I had to pick just one. 

WIDE RECEIVERS

Brandon Marshall (78 snaps) and Quincy Enunwa (75 snaps) are clearly not the favorite target of the Jets new QB Bryce Petty. It’s Robby Anderson (64 snaps) whose 6 catches for 99 yards surpasses the aforementioned pairs combined effort. Don’t expect that to change much Saturday against the Dolphins. Demaryius Thomas was quite active hauling in 10 of his 16 targets for 126 yards over 62 snaps. The usually preferred Trevor Siemian target, Emmanuel Sanders, played nearly the same amount of snaps (60) and caught 11 of his 14 targets with a touchdown.  Despite all of that air time between the two receivers, the Broncos struggled to put points on the board. However, this is worth noting as a possible shift in offensive philosophy away from a running game that’s underwhelmed in 2016.

I know Tyrell Williams is on the field (61 snaps) despite his ailing shoulder, but he’s clearly falling behind Dontrelle Inman (61 snaps) in terms of fantasy preference. Inman caught six balls for 71 yards and a touchdown compared to Williams’ two catches for 68 yards. Against Oakland this week, I’d favor the healthy Inman in all formats. Should Julio Jones be a no-go again in Week 15, Taylor Gabriel will be a big-time target against the 49ers defense. Gabriel played only 46 snaps in last week’s blowout, but he made the most of his time (3/82/1 TD). Sammy Watkins is slowly creeping his way back into good favor (49 snaps, 4/54/1 TD) and is looking like a “must start” against the Browns this Sunday.

TIGHT ENDS

Zach Ertz continues to be the one redeeming quality for the Eagles offense down the stretch as he played 68 snaps, caught 10 of his 13 targets for 112 yards Sunday. Although the Ravens will be tough in Week 15, his double digit targets in 3 of his last 4 games makes him a must start (especially in PPR formats). Finally, there were some signs of life for Greg Olsen (69 snaps 4/87) after basically hibernating the entire second half of the season. One would hope he’d be viable again this week versus the Redskins. Tyler Eifert was been a touchdown machine since his return, picking up right where he left off in 2016. He had two scores Sunday, with 5 catches for 48 yards on 59 snaps. Forget the fact that he’s touchdown-dependent. Eifert is scoring touchdowns at a consistent pace, much more so than his peers, and that’s a good thing! You can’t expect Martellus Bennett’s 54 snaps, four catches for 70 yards and a touchdown to carry over into Denver this week. Chances are you missed out on it last week too with Bennett riding the pine. As frustrating as that may be, you must favor more consistent options like Ertz if you have one. If you don’t believe me, ask owners who played Dwayne Allen this week hoping for carry over and got zero catches over two targets during 38 snaps. Antonio Gates (37 snaps) and Hunter Henry (35 snaps) are seeing equal time, but Gates nearly doubled him in targets, nine to five. Henry did however score the only touchdown between the two. With Ty Williams playing through an injury, both tight ends are viable starts this week against the Raiders poor pass defense.

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Joe Pisapia (@JoePisapia17) is the eight-time best-selling author of the Fantasy Black Book Series for baseball and football. He hosts On Target Fantasy weekdays at 12 noon est, The Fantasy Black Book Show Tues/Turs 8-10pm est & Sunday Game Day 8-11am on FNTSY Network Radio.