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. We are going to dive into some of the more interesting situations around the league regarding snap count numbers. You will also see risers and fallers; which is a useful tool for valuing a player’s fantasy stock. The notable snap counts section is based around injuries sustained in the previous week.
Vikings RB
With Dalvin Cook going down with a torn ACL this week, the Vikings now have to try and replace the explosive rookie running back. Of the remaining running backs on the team, it was Latavius Murray leading the way with 19 snaps, followed by Jerick McKinnon who finished with 10. Murray is the back to own here going forward as he should see the lion’s share of the carries. Mckinnon should continue in his role as a change of pace and pass catching back. Murray will also see all of the goal line work. For Cook owners this is a huge blow and will have to work the waivers the best they can.
Saints RB
The Saints three-headed rushing attack appears to (smartly) be moving to a two-headed attack. Mark Ingram finished with 46 snaps followed by Alvin Kamara’s 26 snaps and lastly by Adrian Peterson who finished with just 6 snaps. Kamara has been the most explosive of the three and continues to trend up, while Peterson has been awful and continues to trend down. Ingram has sat in neutral and is seeing enough volume to stay in starting lineups in most formats. Peterson should be a free agent in all leagues, including the real life one.
Lions TE
Eric Ebron has been operating as the Lions #1 TE this season, but played a season low 31 snaps in week 4. Darren Fells on the other hand, played a season high 51 snaps. Fells also did more in the passing game, finishing with 4 receptions for 40 yards compared to Ebron’s 2 receptions for 27 yards. Fells is not worth a look in most formats, but it is starting to appear that neither is Ebron. Ebron was a popular breakout pick for many people this year (including myself) and it is not panning out. It is a situation worth monitoring and if there is not drastic change over the next week or two it may be time to cut bait on Ebron.
Risers
Wayne Gallman made his NFL debut this week and picked up a team-high 31 snaps. He finished with 42 rushing yards on 11 carries (3.9 YPC) and also had a receiving touchdown. Paul Perkins has been a disaster as the Giants starting running back this season. He has provided next to nothing, with just 61 rushing yards on 31 carries (1.9 YPC, disaster may have been putting it lightly). The Giants may be willing to give the rookie Gallman a lot of playing time given the 0-4 start. Gallman has a knack for finding the end zone as shown in his first game in the NFL and his 17 touchdowns in his final season at Clemson. He needs to be owned, but is a risky start at this point.
Bilal Powell was averaging 25 snaps coming into this week, but with Matt Forte out, he saw a season high 46 snaps, and boy did he take advantage of them. He finished with 163 yards on the ground and a touchdown, and also added 4 receptions for 27 yards. Both DFS players and seasonal players had to be ecstatic about this performance. Matt Forte is on his way out and the Jets need to use this week to realize that. Forte might not even be Powell’s biggest threat for playing time anymore, after rookie running back Elijah McGuire also had a monster game on the ground finishing with 93 yards on just 10 carries. This is a backfield to monitor going forward. Forte is the one not worth owning here.
Juju Smith-Schuster has seen his snap count rise each week from 25-to-38-to-51-to-54 and caught his second career touchdown this week in what finished as his best game of the season. He hauled in 3 passes for 47 yards and the aforementioned touchdown. There are a lot of mouths to feed in this offense so it hard to see him having much fantasy success, but it is worth monitoring. Dynasty players may want to give him a look if he is still available.
Fallers
Isaiah Crowell continues to struggle and was once again outplayed by Duke Johnson. Crowell was averaging nearly 42 snaps per week heading into week 4, but finished with just 22 this week. He finished with 7 carries for 20 yards and has just 134 yards on 46 carries (2.9 YPC) to begin the season. His trend is defiantly point down and fantasy owners who invested in early round pick on the young running back have to be disappointed. Johnson meanwhile, finished with 36 snaps and had 9 receptions. He also managed to run for a touchdown on the ground. Johnson has 57 yards on 10 carries so far this season (5.7 YPC) and it would be far from surprising to see him get a few extra carries in the coming weeks.
Eric Decker played a season low 34 snaps and managed to catch just 2 passes for 13 yards. The 34 snaps are a bit surprising given that rookie wide receiver Corey Davis was still out for this one and the Titans were playing from behind nearly all game. Decker has yet to do much of anything to this point in the season and has hauled in just 12-of-20 targets. Decker is the #3 option in the Titans passing offense and that will drop to #4 once Davis returns. He can safely be dropped in most formats.
Tarik Cohen played a season low 18 snaps this week and finished with 10 touches for 48 yards. Jordan Howard struggled to get anything going on the ground this week and does not have the pass catching ability of Cohen so it is a bit surprising to see the low snap count and usage for Cohen this week. The Bears are giving rookie QB Mitchell Trubisky his first start this week; a move that should only help the offense move the ball.
Notable Snap Counts
With Michael Crabtree out this week the Raiders turned to Seth Roberts and Cordarrelle Patterson for increased snap counts and opportunities. Roberts stepped in as the #2 WR and played 50 snaps while Patterson also moved up the depth chart one and received 33 snaps on offense. The duo combined for 10 reeptions for 82 yards and no touchdowns. Neither receiver is playable in fantasy even with Crabtree out and it is likely that Crabtree will return to the field this week. Nothing to see here.