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.

Chargers RB

Melvin Gordon was on the field for 37 snaps this week. Austin Ekeler played 32. It was the Lowest (for Gordon) and Highest (for Ekeler) percentage of snaps played for each. Both players had strong games, finishing with 120 rushing yards combined and a touchdown on 26 total carries. Ekeler added in 2 receptions for 16 yards. The rookie Ekeler continues to eat into Gordon’s playing time and usage. He has been the more efficient back and is out-playing the veteran. In leagues without trade deadlines, Gordon owners may want to look into selling the running back while they can still get high-value return.  

Risers

Corey Coleman returned from injury this week and played a surprisingly high 51 snaps. The 51 snaps led all of the Browns receivers, and he was on the field for 93% of the Browns offensive snaps. He also led the team in receptions (6) and in receiving yards (80). It was a strong first game back for Coleman, and DeShone Kizer has shown that he has trust in his young receiver. He will likely be a boom-or-bust play in week 11 against the Bengals, but another good game could put him in must-start territory. The Browns will have a nice tandem of receivers with Coleman and Josh Gordon (once he returns).

Mike Williams played a season high 41 snaps. It was the rookie’s first game in which he played more snaps than Travis Benjamin. The increased playing time led to new career highs in receptions (5), targets (8), and receiving yards (38). It would be hard to trust him with a start in fantasy, but he is ascending and should at the very least be stashed. He has the talent to form a strong 1-2 punch with Keenan Allen as early as this week or next.  

Kenny Golladay had his snap count increase from 11 in week 10 to 35 in week 11. He should once again see his snap total increase this coming week as he continues to progress back from injury. Unfortunately for Golladay, the Lions have two talented receivers ahead of him in Golden Tate and Marvin Jones, so his target share will likely be limited for the remainder of the year. He is worth owning, but will be boom-or-bust on most occasions. He makes for an interesting GPP play in DFS on a weekly basis.

J.D. McKissic played a season high 50 snaps in a game where Thomas Rawls was a healthy scratch. He played effectively, rushing for 30 yards on 7 carries and adding in 5 receptions for 23 yards. The Seahawks have been searching for someone/anyone to produce out of their backfield; this game should earn McKissic a lot of playing time in week 12 against the 49ers. He will be hard to trust in standard leagues, but he should be deployed in PPR leagues, as he should be able to amass 4-5 receptions once again this week. His upside may be limited, but he should be a lock for 8-10 points in PPR.

Fallers

Javorius Allen played a season low 10 snaps in the return game of Danny Woodhead who played 13 snaps. This does not bode well for Allen moving forward, but it was something that fantasy owners should have expected. Alex Collins has taken over the lead back role for the Ravens and Woodhead will operate as the passing downs back. Allen is nothing more than a stash at this point, and for shallow leagues he can safely be dropped.  Woodhead’s snap counts should only increase going forward, which will result in even fewer snaps for Allen.

Laquon Treadwell played a season low 16 snaps in the Vikings week 11 win over the Rams. He hauled in 2 receptions for just a total of 10 yards. Treadwell is a talented receiver but continues to struggle to find involvement within the Vikings offense. Teammates Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen will continue to dominate the majority of the targets, and rightfully so. It is another lost year for the young receiver Treadwell, who will likely finish with fewer than 25 receptions total in his first two years combined. You can remove him from your watch list/radar.

Notable Snap Counts

It was the Texans first game without Will Fuller, after his most recent injury. Bruce Ellington played 68 snaps (100% of the snaps) operating as the team’s number two receiver behind DeAndre Hopkins. He had a strong game; he finished with 6 receptions for 63 yards on 7 targets. It was his third straight game with 7+ targets, and he is someone to take note of in fantasy. Braxton Miller also had a big bump in playing time as he moved into the number three role. He played 61 snaps which was 41 more than last week. However, the bump in playing time did not equate to much production from Miller, as he finished with just 2 receptions for 14 yards. Ellington is the guy you want to own/play with Fuller out.

Allen Hurns was out with an ankle injury this week, so the Jaguars turned to a couple of rookie receivers to fill his shoes. Keelan Cole played 45 snaps and hauled in 3-of-6 targets for 24 yards. Dede Westbrook made his season debut back from injury and played 35 snaps. He also hauled in 3 receptions on 6 targets but managed to turn that into a slightly higher 35 yards. With a very similar output from the two receivers it should be expected that going forward it would be Westbrook who would be the bigger producer with Hurns out of the lineup. Marqise Lee will continue to operate as the team’s number one receiver even when Hurns does return.