• Rookie wide receivers shine in the early slate: The Jacksonville Jaguars‘ Brian Thomas Jr., the New York Giants‘ Malik Nabers and Carolina Panthers‘ Jalen Coker all achieved over 20 PPR points.
• Chaos for fantasy running backs: Tyjae Spears, Jerome Ford and Justice Hill were some of the top fantasy running backs from the early slate, while most typical fantasy starters underperformed.
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Estimated Reading Time: 38 minutes
PFF's fantasy football recap focuses on player usage and stats, breaking down all the vital information you need to achieve fantasy success in 2024.
Dallas Cowboys @ Carolina Panthers
- CeeDee Lamb: 9 receptions, 116 yards, 1 touchdown
- Jalen Coker: 4 receptions, 110 yards, 1 touchdown
Chuba Hubbard dominates snaps without backups: Hubbard played over 94% of Carolina's offensive snaps for the second straight week.
Miles Sanders started the season as the Panthers' backup running back, but Sanders landed on injured reserve three weeks ago due to a high ankle sprain. That was around the time that Jonathon Brooks was activated off the injured list, but Brooks suffered a second ACL tear, landing him on injured reserve.
Raheem Blackshear has spent all season as the Panthers’ third running back, but he was questionable due to a chest injury and ultimately inactive. The Panthers claimed Velus Jones and elevated Mike Boone from the practice squad, but this ultimately meant Hubbard was on the field for as much as he could handle.
The game script led the Panthers to abandon the run and lose the time of possession battle, but Hubbard will be a must-start running back over the rest of the season regardless of potential game scripts.
Panthers gain a wide receiver and lose a wide receiver: Jalen Coker was active for the first time in a few weeks while Xavier Legette left early due to a groin injury.
Coker made his NFL debut in Week 4, caught four passes for 68 yards in Week 5, and was the Panthers' slot receiver for the following month. The undrafted rookie wide receiver missed the last three weeks due to a quadriceps injury. His injury coincided with Adam Thielen returning from injury, so Thielen took over in the slot. This was the first week where both Coker and Thielen were active.
Instead of the two competing with each other for snaps, the Panthers simply benched David Moore, who had been playing at least 80% of Carolina's offensive snaps in every game since Week 8.
Legette started the season as a Z receiver but has recently transitioned to an X receiver. This week, he played an even higher percentage of Carolina's offensive snaps as the X receiver than usual with Moore on the bench, as Moore had been an X receiver for most of his time starting. This left Coker and Thielen splitting time as both the Z receiver and in the slot. As the game progressed, Coker spent more time at Z while Thielen played more in the slot.
All three played at least 20 of 26 snaps in the first half and at least 12 of the 16 pass plays. Legette’s groin injury was on the first play of the second half, and he didn’t return. This moved Moore right back to the starting lineup and in the X role he was used to. All three played 27 or more of the 29 snaps in the second half.
Coker earned an 83-yard touchdown, leading to his best-receiving performance of the year, but Thielen had more targets for more receptions. Carolina’s passing game hasn’t been explosive enough for two fantasy-relevant receivers in the same week. Thielen is likely to be the top fantasy option over the last few weeks, but there is certainly a chance Coker can take over as the leader in targets.
Brandin Cooks regains the second wide receiver spot: Cooks has seen a significant increase in snaps in each of his games back.
Cooks consistently played over 75% of Dallas’ offensive snaps to end last season and begin this season before a knee strain cost him half of this season. He returned in Week 13 in a rotational role and played over 50% of Dallas’ offensive snaps last week.
This week, he played in 41 of 55 snaps over the first three quarters,running a route on 25 of 28 pass plays, just behind CeeDee Lamb in playing time. Jalen Tolbert was a clear third, playing 30 snaps and running 14 routes. While Cooks was second on the team in routes, targets, receptions and receiving yards, Lamb, Tolbert and Jalen Brooks ended up scoring touchdowns this week.
The Cowboys entered the fourth quarter with a three-score lead, so they mostly used backups. Cooks and Lamb played four snaps each in the quarter.
The Cowboys have a favorable matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week. It might be too little too late to trust Cooks in your fantasy starting lineup, but there is a chance he will put up his best numbers of the season next week.
Jake Ferguson’s snap count declines: Ferguson remained the clear receiving tight end but was often off the field in run situations.
Ferguson had recently missed time due to injury, and Luke Schoonmaker played well in Ferguson’s absence. Last week, Ferguson was the clear tight end in 11 personnel, but he rotated out in 12 personnel a little more than usual. Out of 18 plays in 12 personnel, Schoonmaker played 17, Ferguson played 11 and Brevyn Spann-Ford played eight.
This week, Ferguson again played the vast majority of snap out of 11 personnel but rarely played in other personnel groupings. He played four of 10 snaps in 12 personnel. The Cowboys also used more 22 personnel than usual, and Ferguson didn’t take any of those snaps.
This kind of role shouldn’t have a major impact on Ferguson’s fantasy production. In some cases, it can hurt their touchdown total, but the Cowboys have used 11 personnel on 21 of 24 plays within five yards of scoring this season. However, it will mean a couple fewer routes run per game if this playing time split continues.
Miscellaneous Notes
- Rico Dowdle failed to hit 100 rushing yards in each of his 46 career games, but he’s reached 100 in each of his last three. His rushing yards have increased in each of those three games, and he’s averaged over 5.0 yards per carry in all three.
- Tommy Tremble continued to lead a two-man rotation at tight end with Ja’Tavion Sanders. This is a situation to avoid for the rest of the fantasy season. It will also be a reason to be concerned about Sanders' fantasy value next season if Tremble remains on the team.
Kansas City Chiefs @ Cleveland Browns
- Jerry Jeudy: 11 receptions, 108 yards
- Xavier Worthy: 6 receptions, 46 yards, 3 carries, 30 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown
Monitor Nick Chubb’s health: Chubb suffered a broken foot, according to Kevin Stefanski.
Chubb started the game with more playing time than usual, taking 17 of 27 Cleveland's offensive snaps. In recent weeks, Jerome Ford has taken the passing down work and nearly half of the early down work. This week, Chubb was taking 75% of the Browns' early down snaps. The Browns didn’t have a two-minute drill in the first half, which also helped Chubb’s playing time.
Chubb’s foot injury occurred early in the third quarter, and it wasn’t long before he was ruled out. Ford took over as the running back for the rest of the game, which likely would have happened regardless of the injury due to the game script.
Ford should be a clear top waiver wire option this week. Early in the season, he was playing over 75% of Cleveland's offensive snaps some week before Chubb took his first snaps of the season. The only concern with Ford is the Browns still have D’Onta Foreman, who has been a healthy inactive since Chubb returned, but Foreman is fully capable of playing Chubb’s role. There is a chance Ford only sees a slight uptick in playing time to give a well-rested Foreman more opportunities. Ford certainly has starting potential in fantasy leagues, but it comes at a risk.
Browns miss David Njoku: The Browns' star tight end was inactive due to a hamstring injury.
Njoku also missed Weeks 2-4 due to injury, in which Jordan Akins, Blake Whiteheart and Geoff Swaim took his place. Akins was on the field for the clear majority of passing plays. Akins wasn’t targeted enough to be fantasy-relevant in those games, finishing with two receptions per game.
This week, it was just Akins and Whitehead, who tended to be on the field for run plays while Akins was in for passes. Akins ended up with a fine performance with three receptions for 30 yards. However, the Browns made 10 personnel a very big part of their offense. They did the same thing in Week 2 but with a four-receiver set of Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, Elijah Moore and Cedric Tillman. This week, it was Jeudy, Moore, Michael Woods II and Jamari Thrash. They also ran some three-receiver sets with a sixth offensive lineman instead of a tight end.
Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt split snaps: The two running backs were near 50-50 in snaps and touches.
Pacheco returned to the Chiefs lineup in Week 13. He was limited in his first game but played more as the game progressed. Last week, his playing time increased. More importantly, he ran 14 times in that game and caught two passes compared to Hunt's five runs and one reception. It seemed like the Chiefs were getting back to Pacheco being a clear early down back for the team.
Pacheco was the clear lead back in the first half, playing 22 out of 38 snaps compared to Hunt's 10, but Pacheco wasn’t very effective on his carries. This led Hunt to be the primary running back in the second half. Pacheco played two snaps early in the quarter and three snaps in the middle, but there was a 16-minute stretch from last in the third quarter to late in the fourth where Pacheco didn’t see the field.
Unless we find out that Pacheco was dealing with an injury in the second half and is fine now, it will be difficult to trust Pacheco next week in fantasy starting lineups.
Chiefs receivers begin to separate: Xavier Worthy has played more in the past two weeks, while DeAndre Hopkins was fourth among the wide receivers in routes run.
The Chiefs have used a heavy rotation of receivers since Rashee Rice landed on injured reserve. While Travis Kelce has been a clear leader on the team in routes run all season, several players have been in the same ballpark in routes when healthy.
From Weeks 11-13 when JuJu Smith-Schuster returned from injury, Worthy, Hopkins, Smith-Schuster, Justin Watson and tight end Noah Gray ran a route on 73-104 out of a potential 146 pass plays. That meant six wide receivers and tight ends were running routes on at least 50% of Kansas City's pass plays, but only Kelce would reach 75%.
Over the last two weeks, Worthy has distanced himself from the rest of the group. After catching a career-high five receptions in Week 13, he received an increase in snaps. He caught five passes again last week and set a new career-high in this game with six receptions. He also ran the ball three times.
On the flip side, Hopkins fell below 50% of the Chiefs' offensive snaps and routes. Noah Gray also had his route participation rate decrease this week. The Chiefs have a great matchup against the Houston Texans next week followed by a rough one against the Pittsburgh Steelers the following week. Assuming Patrick Mahomes can play, Worthy could be in fantasy starting lineups. While Hopkins has a high target rate when he is on the field, he is not a must-start with his low route total.
Miscellaneous Notes
- Jameis Winston was benched in the middle of the fourth quarter for Dorian Thompson-Robinson. While the Browns have a great matchup for quarterbacks next week, it would be very difficult to start Winston knowing he could get benched, even if he is named the starter.
- Browns wide receiver Cedric Tillman missed his third-straight game due to a concussion. Michael Woods II fully replaced his playing time, as he’s done in recent weeks.
- Patrick Mahomes was injured and limping in the fourth quarter. He is considered week-to-week. Carson Wentz took over for the rest of this game and would be the quarterback if Mahomes needs to miss time.
- The Chiefs opened wide receiver Hollywood Brown‘s practice window on Friday. While he was ruled out for this game, he could return during the regular season.
Miami Dolphins @ Houston Texans
- Jonnu Smith: 9 receptions, 48 yards, 1 touchdown
- Nico Collins: 4 receptions, 17 yards, 2 touchdowns
Raheem Mostert returns to the Dolphins: Mostert missed last week’s game due to a hip injury.
Mostert returned to being the Dolphins' clear backup running back, seeing a similar role to Week 13. He ran six times and caught three passes but wasn’t able to do much on his touches.
For most of November, Mostert was restricted to a third-down role while Jaylen Wright emerged as the primary backup on early downs. However, he averaged less than 3.0 yards per carry from Weeks 10-12, leading Mostert to re-gain the backup job in Week 13.
Even in Week 14, the Dolphins only trusted Wright with two carries. It’s clear Mostert is the backup running back at the moment. If Achane suffered an injury at some point in these last few weeks, we could expect Mostert to be used in a feature role. Mostert is under contract for 2025 at a $4 million cap hit. While the Dolphins might not want the 33-year-old running back at that price, there is still a chance he returns despite his age.
Monitor Jaylen Waddle and Grant DuBose’s health: Waddle suffered a leg injury, while DuBose was down on the field for several minutes after a helmet-to-helmet hit.
The Dolphins were already down multiple receivers leading into this game. The team mutually agreed to release Odell Beckham Jr., while Dee Eskridge was inactive due to a knee injury. Braxton Berrios has been on injured reserve for several weeks, leaving River Cracraft and DuBose as the fourth and fifth wide receivers. DuBose was activated off injured reserve from a shoulder injury earlier in the week.
DuBose initially took over as the starter rather than Malik Washington, who has been the third wide receiver for most of the season. DuBose played eight of 10 snaps in the final five minutes of the second quarter while Washington took three snaps.
DuBose suffered a helmet-to-helmet hit early in the third quarter that left him on the field for several minutes, requiring a stretcher and neck brace to leave the field. The Dolphins reported he is in stable condition. We hope for the best for DuBose and his recovery.
The Dolphins played behind for the entire second half, so they mostly stayed in three-receiver sets. This meant Tyreek Hill, Washington and Cracraft closed out the game. If the Waddle injury is serious, then Washington could be a fine waiver-wire target in deeper leagues. He was fourth on the team in targets this week, but they have a relatively favorable matchup against the Cleveland Browns during fantasy championship weekend.
Miscellaneous Notes
- Both Joe Mixon and Dalton Schultz appeared injured during points of the second quarter, but their playing time remained relatively normal throughout the rest of the game.
- Texans backup tight end Cade Stover underwent emergency appendectomy surgery Saturday night and was out. This left Irv Smith Jr. as the Texans' only backup tight end with Teagan Quitoriano, Brevin Jordan and Dalton Keene all on injured reserve.
- Jonnu Smith scored the most fantasy points for a tight end between Weeks 7-14, and that will likely stay true for Weeks 7-15 after 19.8 PPR points in this game.
New York Jets @ Jacksonville Jaguars
- Davante Adams: 9 receptions, 198 yards, 2 touchdowns
- Brian Thomas Jr.: 10 receptions, 105 yards, 2 touchdowns
Brenton Strange shines without Evan Engram: The Jaguars' usual lead tight end landed on injured reserve.
Strange played a lot early in the season when Engram was previously out due to an injury. The two's quality of the play had been fairly similar this season, as both players averaged 1.51 yards per route run over the first 14 weeks, tied for 13th-best at the position.
Strange was the clear starter with Engram out, playing just as much as Engram typically would. While Brian Thomas Jr. was Jacksonville's star of the day, Strange caught a career-high 11 passes for 73 yards. A tight end has received 12 or more targets just 20 times this season, most of them coming from Brock Bowers, Travis Kelce, David Njoku and Trey McBride.
This week, Strange should be the clear top waiver-wire target, particularly in deeper leagues. The Jaguars play the Las Vegas Raiders next week, and they’ve allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to tight ends this season. Beyond 2024, it’s at least possible the team will rebuild without their 30-year-old tight end with a $19.75 million cap hit in favor of their 23-year-old tight end, who is playing just as well.
Josh Reynolds makes his Jaguars’ debut: The former Denver Broncos may have helped Brian Thomas Jr. in his excellent game.
Reynolds started the season as a top-three wide receiver on the Denver Broncos, but he landed on injured reserve and the Broncos young wide receivers stepped up. The Broncos opted to release Reynolds once he was healthy rather than benching one or more of their receivers.
The Jaguars claimed Reynolds off waivers after losing Gabe Davis and Christian Kirk to injured reserve. Reynolds was inactive last week, but another week on the team left him ready to play. In recent weeks, the Jaguars used Thomas and Parker Washington on the outside and Devin Duvernay in the slot. While Thomas has been good as an outside receiver this season with 1.92 yards per route run, he’s been excellent in the slot with 3.21 yards per route run.
In this game, Reynolds and Duvernay rotated in three-receiver sets. Reynolds has primarily played on the outside, so when Reynolds was on the field, it was often Thomas or Washington in the slot. Thomas only ran 14 routes from the slot in this game, but he was targeted on six of those passes, catching five of them.
While Reynolds is unlikely to have fantasy value this season, if he plays more, that could mean more time for Thomas in the slot and more fantasy production for the rookie.
Breece Hall plays through injury: Hall missed last week due to a knee injury.
Hall missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday and was limited on Friday. The Jets are out of playoff contention, so it was surprising that the Jets would risk further injury for Hall.
Hall played eight of 16 snaps on the first three drives, while Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis totaled four each. Allen suffered a back injury during the third drive. This left a two-man rotating in the third quarter, in which Davis led Hall at 10 snaps to eight. Allen was able to return late in the third quarter and was used on a limited basis over the rest of the game. In the fourth quarter, Hall ended up leading the team in snaps.
This was a lot less playing time than Hall is used to playing. He ran nine times for 30 yards and a touchdown while catching two passes. Aaron Rodgers led the team in rushing yards.
It will be worth monitoring both the injury reports this week as well as what the coaches are saying about Hall before putting him in your fantasy starting lineup next week. As for the backups, it’s worth keeping them on your roster in case the Jets decide to shut down Hall for the rest of the season.
Miscellaneous Notes
- Last week, Tank Bigsby was the Jacksonville Jaguars‘ clear lead rusher with 18 carries compared to Travis Etienne‘s four. This week, Etienne was back to being the lead rusher, but both running backs received double-digit carries.
- Jets backup running back and returner Kene Nwangwu was inactive for this game due to a hand injury.
- Jets starting tight end Tyler Conklin was inactive this week due to a personnel matter. He was designated as questionable on Saturday and was announced out early this morning.
- Jeremy Ruckert and Kenny Yeboah both stepped up in Conklin’s absence, but neither played as much as Conklin usually does.
Washington Commanders @ New Orleans Saints
- Terry McLaurin: 7 receptions, 73 yards, 2 touchdowns
- Alvin Kamara: 5 carries, 12 yards, 4 receptions, 58 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown
Monitor Alvin Kamara’s health: The Saints running back suffered a groin injury early in the fourth quarter and didn’t return.
The Saints started the game with Kamara as the clear workhorse running back. He played 24 of the Saints’ 27 snaps over the first three quarters compared to Kendre Miller‘s three and Jamaal Williams‘ one. The Saints were losing the time of possession battle, and all of their drives were six plays or shorter, so Kamara naturally had a lot of time off. Had that pace continued, it would have been his first time hitting 90% of New Orleans' offensive snaps all season.
After Kamara’s injury, Kendre Miller took over as the main running back. He played 23 of 27 snaps after Kamara’s injury, carrying the ball eight times and running 15 routes. The quarter consisted of three long drives, and Jamaal Williams took a few snaps in there.
If Kamara misses time, Kendre Miller would be a must-add player. The Saints have generally positive matchups against the Green Bay Packers and Las Vegas Raiders. The Saints' offense has run entirely through their running back given their injuries at wide receiver and to Taysom Hill this season. Miller would be a must-start player.
Commanders adjust at wide receiver: The Comannders lost Noah Brown for the season due to a kidney injury.
For most of the season, the Commanders had Terry McLaurin and Brown as the starting outside receivers, and Dyami Brown as the backup outside receiver, while Olamide Zaccheaus and Luke McCaffrey split time in the slot. In recent weeks, Zacchaeus took the lead in the slot role.
With Noah Brown out, Dyami Brown took over as the clear outside wide receiver. Jamison Crowder returned from injured reserve after last playing in Week 3. Zaccheaus split time between the slot and the primary backup outside receiver, while Crowder played ahead of McCaffrey in the slot role.
The Commanders also signed K.J. Osborn off waivers from the New England Patriots. He was inactive for this game after just being on the team for a few days, but he could mix into the rotation on the outside. This could cut into Brown’s playing time on the outside, making it harder to like him as a waiver option even in deeper leagues. If the Commanders only want five active receivers on game day, McCaffrey may become a healthy inactive late in the year.
In most leagues, McLaurin will remain the only fantasy-relevant wide receiver. In DFS, it’s possible any of the other receivers could make a big play or two. The Commanders are one of the teams with the most cap space next season, and McLaurin and McCaffrey are the only ones under contract. Expect them to make some changes before 2025.
Monitor Zach Ertz’s health: Ertz suffered a concussion in the middle of the second quarter and didn’t return.
Ertz has been a high-floor tight end option all season, as he played very well in recent weeks with three straight games with a touchdown. In this game, he only caught two passes before his injury.
John Bates had been the second tight end on the depth chart over second-round rookie Ben Sinnott, who played a lot in 12 personnel this year, but Bates recorded 87 snaps in 11 personnel this season compared to Sinnott's 13.
In this game, the two split 11 personnel work. Sinnott tended to play in passing situations while Bates tended to play in running. If Ertz needs to miss time, we could expect Sinnott to run roughly as many routes as Ertz was running. Sinnott caught his only pass for seven yards. Not many people would be willing to trust Sinnott in fantasy starting lineups considering his five career receptions, but it will be interesting to see if he plays well. He could be the starter next year if the 34-year-old Ertz doesn’t remain on the team.
Miscellaneous Notes
- The Commanders have relied more on backup running backs in their blowout victories and receiving running backs in their losses. This was a close game, which was the perfect condition for Brian Robinson to carry the ball 21 times.
- The Saints started the game with Jake Haener as their starting quarterback, but he completed four of 10 passes for 49 yards and an interception, leading the team to switch to Spencer Rattler. Given Rattler’s big plays and fourth-quarter comeback, it’s safe to assume Rattler will be starting next week if Derek Carr can’t play.
- Saints wide receiver Bub Means’ practice window opened a week and a half ago. While he was limited in practice on Wednesday, he couldn’t practice Thursday or Friday. The Saints have another week and a half before they need to activate him, but ideally, he would practice more as the three-week period progresses.
Baltimore Ravens @ New York Giants
- Malik Nabers: 10 receptions, 82 yards, 1 touchdown
- Rashod Bateman: 3 receptions, 80 yards, 2 touchdowns
Add Rashod Bateman: The Ravens wide receiver made two long receptions for touchdowns.
Bateman has been the Ravens' clear lead X receiver all season. He has been dealing with a knee injury since Week 13, which left him with no receptions in their last game, but after the bye week, he was a full participant in practice all week.
His fantasy value has been very inconsistent all season thanks to his 16.1-yard average depth of target mixed with a 14.6% target rate. His 80 receiving yards in this game were his second-most in a game this season, and this was the first multi-touchdown game of his career.
Despite the low target rate, he should be one of the top waiver wire options at wide receiver this week. The Ravens have a tough matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers next week but face the Houston Texans in Week 17. The Texans have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season. This should be a competitive matchup where the Ravens throw a lot. The Texans have allowed a relatively low completion percentage on deep passes, but they’ve also allowed the most deep touchdowns with nine. While Bateman would be a very risky start for fantasy championship weekend, he also has the potential for another big game.
Giants embrace a rotation of players: Multiple backups for the Giants played more than usual.
At running back, Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary received a relatively normal split in snaps, but their rushing attempts were closer than usual. Tracy ran 10 times compared to eight by Singletary, with both averaging 3.1 yards per carry. Singletary had both more receptions and the goal line rushing touchdown, leading to much more fantasy production.
At wide receiver, Jalin Hyatt was rotated in more often for Darius Slayton. Slayton consistently played at least 84% of New York's offensive snaps for most of the season. He missed Week 10 but was eased back into action and played 85% of the team's snaps last week. This week, he was down to 67% of the snaps. Slayton is an unrestricted free agent after the season, and he’s been one of the most productive wide receivers who is hitting free agency and under the age of 30. The fact that the Giants got Hyatt more involved could be another sign Slayton might not be back next season.
At tight end, Greg Dulcich made his debut with the team. He spent most of the season as a healthy inactive for the Denver Broncos. He was recently waived, and the Giants claimed him off waivers. Bellinger caught three passes for 35 yards, but there is a chance Dulcich continues to get more involved over these last few weeks.
Miscellaneous Notes
- Drew Lock was the emergency third quarterback for the Giants due to a heel and left elbow injury. Tommy DeVito left the game early due to a concussion, which left Tim Boyle as the Giants' starting quarterback for the remainder of this game.
- The Ravens suspended wide receiver Diontae Johnson for this game after refusing to enter their previous game.
- The Ravens used mostly backups for their final two drives. Quarterback Josh Johnson, halfback Rasheen Ali, fullback Patrick Ricard and wide receivers Rashod Bateman, Tylan Wallace and Devontez Walker played at least nine of those final 10 snaps.
Cincinnati Bengals @ Tennessee Titans
- Tyjae Spears: 4 carries, 5 yards, 1 touchdown, 6 receptions, 87 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown
- Tee Higgins: 5 receptions, 88 yards, 1 touchdown
Chig Okonkowo’s career game: The Titans' lead receiving tight end caught eight passes. His previous season-high in receptions was four, and his previous career-high was six.
While Okonkwo earned more receptions and targets than any other game, he actually played less than usual. He only ran a route on roughly half of the Titans’ pass plays, while Josh Whyle took the other half.
Whyle ran most of his routes in the fourth quarter. He ran 14 routes in the quarter compared to Okonkwo's five. This corresponds with Mason Rudolph taking over at quarterback for the Titans. Rudolph may have more experience throwing to Whyle, who has multiple receptions in three of five games where Rudolph was the primary quarterback and three of nine with Will Levis. Logically, Okonkwo has probably received more practice with Levis in the first team while Rudolph and Whyle have taken more snaps with the second team.
Levis threw three interceptions before getting benched while Rudolph was much more effective and gained 209 passing yards and two touchdowns in 22 minutes of play. There is a good chance Rudolph will start next week after his strong play. Because Whyle played well specifically in the fourth quarter with Rudolph, Okonkwo can probably be left on the waiver wire in most leagues.
Miscellaneous Notes
- Tyjae Spears had played in 19 of 30 snaps this season when the Titans were down by two touchdowns and Spears was active and not limited. In this game, he took 22 of Tennessee's 37 offensive snaps in the same situation.
- Tony Pollard was limping at times in the second quarter, which also impacted the running back split in this game.
- Bengals running back Chase Brown was already a must-start player given his high amount of playing time mixed with his quality of play. This week, he played even more playing time than usual. From Weeks 9-14, Brown played in four of a possible 26 snaps on third-and-7 or more. In this game, he played three of those six possible snaps.
New England Patriots @ Arizona Cardinals
- James Conner: 16 carries, 110 yards, 2 touchdowns, 5 receptions, 28 receiving yards
- Trey McBride: 9 receptions, 87 yards
James Conner earns an increased role: Arizona was down multiple running backs by the end of the game, leaving Conner with more snaps than usual.
Emari Demercado landed on injured reserve on Saturday due to a back injury, ending his regular season. Demercado had taken 77% of all third-and-3 or more snaps and just under half of the two-minute drill snaps before this week.
Arizona was using four running backs on the active roster, qw DeeJay Dallas hae a significant role on special teams, including as a kick returner. Dallas had experience as a third-down back with the Seattle Seahawks, so he and Conner split the third-down snaps. Conner took all of the two-minute drill snaps.
Benson suffered an ankle injury in the fourth quarter and was ruled out of the game. Benson had seen his usual amount of playing time as a backup and was likely slated to take most of the fourth quarter, given the game script. If Benson misses time, we can expect Michael Carter to be activated from the practice squad. Carter would be the primary backup and could also take third-down snaps. Carter competed with Demercado for the third down job during training camp and the preseason.
Conner will be a must-start player regardless of the situation, but the injuries could make Conner’s ceiling even higher.
Miscellaneous Notes
- Patriots backup wide receiver Javon Baker was inactive for this game due to a concussion.
- Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas caught his second touchdown of the season, but it was also his sixth game of the season with 15 or fewer receiving yards.
- Patriots tight end Hunter Henry was playing 85-90% of the Patriots' offensive snaps in each game from Weeks 7-11, but that has fallen slightly to 78-83% of the snaps in each of the last three weeks.
- Cardinals wide receiver Greg Dortch had his best game of the season with three receptions for 60 yards, but he only ran a ro\te on roughly one-third of the Cardinals' pass plays. He was held under 10 yards in each of the Cardinals' previous seven games, in part, due to Zay Jones taking significant playing time from Dortch.
Indianapolis Colts @ Denver Broncos
- Courtland Sutton: 3 receptions, 32 yards, 1 touchdown
- Jonathan Taylor: 22 carries, 107 yards, 1 reception, 4 receiving yards
Monitor Alec Pierce’s health: Pierce suffered a concussion before halftime and didn’t return.
Pierce started the game playing a high percentage of Indianapolis' offensive snaps, playing 35 of a possible 38 in the first half. Pierce’s playing time had steadily declined over the past month with Adonai Mitchell slowly but surely playing more.
Mitchell naturally took over for the second half, playing in 34 of a possible 38 snaps. The two wide receivers combined for seven targets and zero receptions.
The Colts have one of the worst remaining schedules for wide receivers, facing the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants. Both teams are in the top eight in preventing fantasy points to wide receivers. Those are also both teams out of the playoff pictures, so they are games where Taylor should be doing most of the work. Even if Pierce misses a game or two, it is probably best to leave Mitchell on the waiver wire.
Monitor Jaleel McLaughlin’s health: McLaughlin suffered a quad injury in the middle of the third quarter and didn’t return.
The Broncos have generally started with Javonte Williams at running back, mixed in McLaughlin, and then let whoever has the hot hand play more. McLaughlin has averaged at least 6.0 rushing yards per carry in three of his last four games, which led McLaughlin to start this week. Williams rotated in on the second play.
No one had the hot hand this week. All three running backs averaged 3.0 yards per carry or less. Williams played 17 of 29 snaps in the first half, while McLaughlin played 10 and Audric Estime played two. After McLaughlin’s injury, the team initially turned to Williams, who played five of six snaps to close out the third quarter. Estime was finally given an opportunity in the fourth quarter, where he took nine of 14 snaps.
If McLaughlin misses time, we can expect this to be a two-man backfield. The Broncos have a short week with a matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday, making it more likely than usual that McLaughlin misses time. Given the rough matchup and the fact that Estime took most of the fourth quarter, it will be difficult to trust either running back in a fantasy starting lineup, even if McLaughlin misses a game.
Miscellaneous Notes
- Jonathan Taylor played his usual amount of snaps for most of the game, including 21 carries over the first three quarters. The Colts turned to Trey Sermon for the final four minutes of the game while down multiple scores.
- Both wide receiver Josh Downs and tight end Mo Alie-Cox of the Colts were questionable this week due to shoulder and hip injuries, respectively. Downs played his usual role, while Alie-Cox was rotated out a little more than usual.
- The Colts' backup wide receiver, Ashton Dulin was inactive due to an ankle injury.
- The Broncos won this game by multiple scores despite no runner earning more than 23 rushing yards and no wide receiver finishing with more than 32 receiving yards. The Broncos won with a defensive touchdown and four scores on drives where they started with great field position.
Buffalo Bills @ Detroit Lions
- Amon-Ra St. Brown: 14 receptions, 193 yards, 1 touchdown
- Jahmyr Gibbs: 8 carries, 31 yards, 1 touchdown, 5 receptions, 83 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown
Keon Coleman returns to the Bills lineup: Coleman missed the last four weeks due to a wrist injury.
Coleman was generally playing at least 75% of Buffalo’s offensive snaps before the injury. The Bills traded for Amari Cooper before Week 7. Cooper was limited that week, suffered an injury in Week 8 and missed Week 9, which is when Coleman suffered his injury. This was the first time both players were playing at full strength.
This left the Bills with a heavy rotation at wide receiver. No one ran a route on more than 64% of the Bills' pass plays. In 11 personnel, Khalil Shakir was almost always on the field. Coleman played 27 snaps compared to Mack Hollins’ 22 and Cooper’s 21. In two-receiver sets, Coleman and Hollins were the primary pair. Shakir only played two snaps in two-receiver sets.
This generally left Shakir, Hollins and Curtis Samuel with a sharp decline in snaps played compared to last week, while Cooper earned a slight decrease. Cooper was also held without a target. Coleman wasn’t targeted much but caught a 64-yard reception, while Shakir received the most targets.
The Bills end the fantasy season with home games against the New England Patriots and New York Jets, two teams out of playoff contention. Those are cold weather late December matchups where they will likely rely heavily on the run game. Since we can’t trust any of the Bills’ outside receivers in a matchup like this, we probably can’t trust them in these final two weeks.
Dalton Kincaid also returns: The Bills receiving tight end missed the last three weeks due to a knee injury.
Kincaid hasn’t played as much as many fantasy managers would have liked this season. Generally, Knox is on the field more when the Bills have a lead, while Kincaid is on the field more when the Bills are playing from behind. The Bills spent the entire day with a lead, so even ignoring the injury, it’s not surprising that Knox played more offensive snaps.
When accounting for Kincaid being injured, it’s understandable that Knox also ran more routes. The good news is Kincaid received seven targets, which was tied for the team lead. He brought in four of those passes for 53 yards.
As mentioned with the Bills wide receivers, the schedule heavily favors the run game over the next two weeks, which means it will be difficult to have Kincaid in your fantasy starting lineup. Knox is under contract for next season, and it wouldn’t provide much cap relief to move on from him. We might be stuck in this tight end rotation again in 2025.
Miscellaneous Notes
- The Lions only played nine snaps down 14 points or more in the previous 14 weeks. They accumulated 49 snaps down 14 or more points in this game.
- The Lions generally rotated players out less frequently due to the game script. They also relied much more on Jahmyr Gibbs because of it.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Los Angeles Chargers
- Mike Evans: 9 receptions, 159 yards, 2 touchdowns
- Jalen McMillan: 5 receptions, 75 yards, 1 touchdown
Bucky Irving shines despite injury: Irving reached 100 rushing yards for the second time in his career.
Irving ran 25 times for 152 yards in Week 13 but was dealing with a back and hip injury by the end of that game. He played 10 snaps last week, but the injury kept him out for the rest of that game. As this week progressed, there was more optimism that Irving could play.
In this game, the split between the two running backs was normal. Irving played in the majority of the early down snaps, while Rachaad White took most of the clear passing situations. The two split carries 50/50. White averaged a respectable 4.3 yards per carry, while Irving averaged 7.8, in part, thanks to a 54-yard run. White has stayed fantasy-relevant despite Irving’s emergence, thanks to a high touchdown total. He caught his sixth receiving touchdown in the last eight weeks. He’s also run for three touchdowns in the last six games.
The Buccaneers face the Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers over the next two weeks, who are two of the top five teams in allowing fantasy points to running backs. Both running backs should be fantasy starters during the stretch, assuming Irving remains healthy.
Kimani Vidal dominates the Chargers backfield in snaps: Vidal has fully taken over the receiving role while playing the majority of early down snaps.
When J.K. Dobbins initially landed on injured reserve, the Chargers used a three-man committee, where Hassan Haskins took passing-down snaps. Vidal took over as the receiving back last week. This week, Vidal played the majority of the Chargers' offensive snaps for the first time.
While part of this was game script-related, this was also by design. Gus Edwards started the game, but Vidal was in for the second play. Vidal ended up with seven of 11 snaps on the first drive.
Despite the massive increase in snaps, Vidal only ran the ball three times for nine yards and caught two passes for 13 yards. While Vidal shouldn’t be in fantasy starting lineups next week on a short week against the Denver Broncos, the Chargers face the New England Patriots in Week 17. If Vidal earns more touches next week, it could be worth having Vidal in fantasy starting lineups against the Patriots.
Stone Smartt replaced Will Dissly: Dissly suffered a shoulder injury last week, making him week-to-week.
Smartt took over in the second half last week and made a few nice catches. This week, he played all of the snaps Dissly would normally take. Smartt was the clear third target this week, catching a respectable five passes for 50 yards.
If Dissly misses another game, we can expect Smartt to remain the starter with a high floor. However, the Chargers have benefited over the last several weeks with strong matchups for tight ends. The next two weeks are simply average matchups. We might not see Smartt be as successful in these games as he has been in the last two.
Miscellaneous Notes
- Mike Evans needed to average 103 receiving yards per game over the last four weeks to reach 1,000 receiving yards for the 11th consecutive season. After his 159-yard game, he only needs 84 yards per game over the last three weeks.
- Jalen McMillan was held to 35 receiving yards or less in each of his first eight NFL games. Last week, he set a career-high in yards at 59, and this week, he broke that mark with 75 yards.
- Sterling Shepard was questionable for this game due to a foot injury. This was his third straight game playing 50% of Tampa Bay's offensive snaps or less.
- The Buccaneers opened the practice window for backup wide receiver Kameron Johnson, but he was inactive for this game.
- Ladd McConkey was questionable for this game due to a shoulder injury. He had missed last week. With the game script, McConkey played 88% of the Chargers' offensive snaps, which was a career-high.
- Chargers backup wide receiver Jalen Reagor was placed on injured reserve. Laviska Shenault was elevated from the practice squad to take his place.
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Philadelphia Eagles
- A.J. Brown: 8 receptions, 110 yards, 1 touchdown
- DeVonta Smith: 11 receptions, 109 yards, 1 touchdown
Calvin Austin III steps up without George Pickens: Austin caught five passes for 65 yards, making up over half of the Steelers' receiving yards.
Pickens missed his second-straight game due to a hamstring injury. Last week, Austin didn’t see a notable increase in playing time, as he and Ben Skowronek split time in the slot in three-receiver sets. Van Jefferson took one outside receiver spot, while Mike Williams and Scott Miller rotated in the other spot. Austin only played 10 of a possible 37 snaps outside of 11 personnel.
This week, Austin was one of the primary players in two-receiver sets. He played in 11 of a possible 14 snaps, He was also consistently on the field in 11 personnel. He was playing more on the outside in 11 personnel while Skowronek manned the slot. This largely left Miller outside of the wide receiver rotation. The only time Austin was consistently off the field was 13 personnel.
It’s possible that Austin can continue playing more snaps even after Pickens is back. While Austin has been the Steelers' top slot receiver this season, his 1.68 yards per route run while lined up out wide are second-best behind Pickens. To get their best players on the field, Austin should consistently be on the field in two-receiver sets.
Najee Harris sets new career lows: Harris was barely involved in this game with just six carries for 14 yards.
Najee Harris started the game in his usual rotation at running back, but the Steelers were playing from behind by the second drive. The game script led them to rely on their receiving backs. Harris’ 14 offensive snaps from this game are a new career-low, while his 32.5% snap rate was the second-lowest in his career.
The Steelers have equally rough matchups the next two weeks against the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs. If you aren’t starting him in those matchups, it’s not out of the question to drop him from your fantasy roster.
Miscellaneous Notes
- Eagles backup wide receiver Britain Covey was inactive for this game due to a neck injury.
- Grant Calcaterra took over as the Eagles' primary tight end, and Dallas Goedert was out as expected. As usual, any time one of the Eagles' top four skill players is out, the other three players have a better chance at a big game. Calcaterra made one reception on his only target.
- The Steelers’ 43 offensive snaps were tied for the fewest in a game by a team this season.
Green Bay Packers @ Seattle Seahawks
- Romeo Doubs: 3 receptions, 40 yards, 2 touchdowns
- Josh Jacobs: 24 carries, 89 yards, 1 touchdown, 4 receptions, 42 receiving yards
Romeo Doubs returns from injury: The Packers' WR1 had missed Week 13 and Week 14 due to a concussion.
The Packers had last played on Thursday Night Football, giving Doubs extra time to recover. He practiced fully all week and returned to his usual role as the Packers’ leader in offensive snaps and routes run.
Doubs made an impact early with a 13-yard touchdown in the first quarter. He later drew another end-zone target and delivered one of the week’s highlight catches for a second touchdown. He is the top waiver-wire option at wide receiver this week, as he consistently performs at a fantasy starter level when healthy and offers high touchdown potential.
Dontayvion Wicks had stepped in as a starter for two weeks while Doubs was out, but with Doubs back, Wicks returned to a rotation with Christian Watson. The trend continued with Watson playing in passing situations and Wicks seeing action on run plays.
There was talk of getting Jayden Reed more involved this week after he didn’t touch the ball in the previous game. He ran the ball four times — doubling his season high — and caught five passes, totaling 61 yards on eight touches. Reed's ability to produce big plays made him a fantasy asset late last season and early this season, but those didn’t materialize this week. Additionally, his playing time stayed the same, as he remained the slot receiver in 11 personnel and rarely played in two-receiver sets.
The Packers have two favorable matchups for wide receivers in the next two weeks against the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings. Any of the Packers' top three receivers — Doubs, Watson, or Reed — could deliver a big game in those matchups.
Miscellaneous Notes
- Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III missed his second straight game with a calf injury. Zach Charbonnet was the feature back, as he’s been every week Walker has missed this season. He wasn’t given as many opportunities in those other starts because the Seahawks fell behind early. He played well, given his opportunities, and scored on a fourth-quarter touchdown run.
- Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith suffered a knee injury in the third quarter after taking a hit. He was initially ruled questionable to return, but he never re-entered the game. Sam Howell took over for the rest of the game and would be the quarterback if Smith misses more time.
- The Packers opened up the practice window for tight end Luke Musgrave, but he was inactive for this game. There is at least a chance Tucker Kraft will see a decline in offensive snaps once Musgrave is back.
Table Notes
- Snaps include plays called back due to penalties, including offensive holding or defensive pass interference. The other three stats have these plays removed.
- Targets may differ from official NFL sources. The most likely discrepancy would be from a clear thrown-away pass, where the NFL may give the target to the nearest receiver, while this data will not.
- Carries are only on designed plays. Quarterback scrambles won’t count for the total number of carries in the game.
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