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 or suspensions.
Redskins WR
The Redskins announced earlier in the week that they would ride the hot-hand between Josh Doctson and Terrelle Pryor this week. Josh Doctson finished with 47 snaps and was the apparent “hot-hand” finishing with 1 catch for 1 yard and a touchdown on three targets. Terrelle Pryor finished with just 19 snaps and failed to haul in his lone target, although it should be noted on his lone target he was open and Cousins missed him. As I mentioned in the article last week, this offense is just simply not built for outside receivers to excel in. Do not expect much from either Doctson or Pryor on a consistent basis.
Bucs TE
Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard nearly played and identical number of snaps this week playing 40 and 39 respectively. Brate, as he has been in most weeks, was the better performer; as he finished with 4 receptions for 64 yards. Howard had just 2 receptions for 16 yards. Brate has proven himself worthy of a spot in starting lineups on a weekly basis. Howard, on the other hand, is more of a dart throw as he has had some big games but also a lot of low production games. This would be equally true for DFS as Brate would be the better cash game player while Howard is mostly best utilized in GPP’s.
Risers
Jerick McKinnon had his snap count rise from 35 in week 7 to 54 in week 8. Despite a great game by his teammate Latavius Murray in week 7, McKinnon is still the back you want to own; he proved this with a big game Sunday in London. He finished with 14 carries for 50 yards and a Touchdown, and also added 6 receptions for 72 yards. A near 25 point performance in PPR formats and it came against a tough Browns rushing defense. Murray finished with just 39 rushing yards on 19 carries in comparison. The Vikings have their bye week this coming week, but after that, start McKinnon with confidence each and every week.
Alex Collins doubled his 16 snaps in week 7 with 32 in week 8. The 32 snaps were a season high for the young RB and it also marked the first game this season in which he led the Ravens backfield in snaps. He did not disappoint fantasy owners, as he was able to produce a strong performance, finishing with 113 yards rushing on 18 carries. He also added 2 receptions for 30 yards, showing signs of cutting into the role of Javorius Allen as the pass catcher. The 2 receptions were his first 2 of the season and are a great sign going forward. He can safely be plugged into starting lineups.
Frank Gore continues to be heavily used within the Colts offense despite rookie Marlon Mack in his shadow. Gore saw his snap count increase from 22 in week 7 to 36 in week 8. He played well, finishing with 16 carries for 82 yards and he added 4 receptions for 19 yards. It is clear that Gore will see significant playing time this whole season, but should gradually lose playing time to Mack as the season goes. Gore is a nice player to attempt to sell high on after the strong showing this week.
Fallers
Everyone knows Martavis Bryant was inactive this week, so his snap count falling is obvious (as he didn’t play) but it’s worth breaking down a bigger picture. He is unplayable going forward, just simply don’t do it; until he proves he is worth playing (which probably won’t be this season). JuJu Smith-Shuster had a monster game with Bryant out of the lineup and is the clear-cut #2 receiver in the Steelers offense. With a heavy share of the targets going to Brown, Bell, and Smith-Shuster there will simply be very little-to-none left for Bryant. He is droppable in shallow leagues, and should only be stashed in the deepest of leagues or dynasty leagues.
Notable Snap Counts
Marshawn Lynch was out this week with suspension so the Raiders had to turn to their two young backs in DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard. The two RB’s had a pretty evenly split workload with Washington seeing 32 snaps and Richard in for 26. They also were used in similar roles with neither showing an edge on the ground or through the air. Washington had 6 carries for 26 yards and also added 8 receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown. Richard had 5 carries for 21 yards and added 5 receptions for 35 yards. Washington is the back to use/own any game Lynch is out, but it is very close with Washington only having the slight edge.
Matt Moore started for the injured Jay Cutler and was abysmal, so we will keep this brief. Cutler could be back for week 9 and would return to the starting role. The team traded away Jay Ajayi which is going to make an already terrible offense even worse. It’s getting ugly in Miami.