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. Next to each player’s name you will see a number inside of parenthesis, for example John Smith (2), that "2" would represent how many snaps he played this week. We are going to dive into some of the more interesting situations around the league regarding snap count numbers.
Eagles RB
The Eagles were in their first game without Jay Ajayi and, as expected, they used a two-back rotation with Wendell Smallwood (44) and Corey Clement (26). Smallwood finished with 19 touches and Clement had 14, but neither player was very efficient as they both failed to average more than four yards per carry. Despite receiving fewer touches, Clement appears to be the back to own in PPR formats as he had three receptions, compared to Smallwood’s two. It will be one of the key situations to keep an eye on this week.
Patriots WR
Phillip Dorsett (3) had played at least 42 snaps in all games prior to the Patriots Week 6 win, but, as you can see, his playing time took a drastic hit this week. Josh Gordon was the beneficiary, as his snap count went from 18 in Week 5 to 63 this week. This was expected to happen at some point, but per usual with the Patriots there was no way to see this drastic of a change coming in one week. Dorsett can be dropped outside of deeper leagues, while Gordon is a prime buy-low(ish) target after a somewhat quiet five catch, 54 yard game.
Risers
Marquise Goodwin was on the field for a season high snap total of 54. He played in 95% of the teams snaps in the 49ers 33-30 loss to the Packers. The loss was in no way Goodwin’s fault though, as he took full advantage of his increased playing time by catching four balls for 126 yards and two touchdowns. Goodwin is a player I really liked heading into the season, but the loss of Jimmy Garopollo was very worrisome to Goodwin’s value. Maybe, just maybe, he can still get it done with C.J. Beatherd at the helm.
Terrelle Pryor (44) played 31 more snaps than he did the week before, in large part because of Quincy Enunwa going down with an injury. Pryor capitalized on the increased playing time by hauling in five passes for 57 yards and a touchdown. It was his second straight game with a score. Enunwa is expected to miss 3-to-4 weeks, meaning Pryor will have an expanded role in the short term. He is worth a look in deeper leagues.
Michael Gallup (59) set a new season high snap total and was on the field for 81% of the Cowboys plays. His previous high percentage was just 58%, so the rookie took a big step forward this week. He didn’t do much with the increase in playing time though, as he finished with just one catch for 27 yards. He has now hauled in just 7-of-17 targets on the season and has yet to break 50 yards in any game. That being said, if he continues to play a heavy dose of the snaps, he should be able to start scoring some fantasy points. Deeper leagues can give him a look.
Fallers
Courtland Sutton (35) played 24 fewer snaps that the week before and was on the field for a season low percentage of 53%. He still had a solid game with three receptions for 58 yards, but it will be hard to sustain decent numbers if his playing time remains in this area. With only 13 receptions on 30 targets (43% catch rate) it’s hard to have much of a gripe over the playing time loss. He is more of a dynasty stash than anything else right now.
Jordan Wilkins had played at least 17 snaps in every game this season, but played zero this week. He operated in a special team’s only role and can safely be dropped in all redraft formats. Marlon Mack made his return for the Colts and Nyheim Hines has cemented himself into a major role, so there was simply no room left for Wilkins. This should continue to be the case for as long as Mack and Hines remain healthy.
Notable Snap Counts
Jamaal Charles (17) made his Jaguars debut and played a decent chunk of snaps, but failed to produce much of anything. He finished with five carries for five yards and caught 1-of-2 targets for an additional five yards. Any “value” he currently has will completely fade away once Leonard Fournette makes his return (who knows when that will be). Even in the deepest of leagues, there are better guys to own than the veteran Charles.
Nick O’Leary (52) made his Dolphins debut Sunday (on offense) and led all of their tight ends in snap counts and by a wide margin. He had a nice game, catching four balls for 49 yards and a touchdown. O’Leary was a solid producer when on the field during his time with the Bills and if he continues to see a heavy dose of playing time for the Dolphins he could be a real fantasy asset. The tight end position is always such a disaster in fantasy and this is a guy worth taking a shot on, even in shallow leagues.