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PFF’s fantasy football recap focuses on player usage and stats, breaking down all the vital information you need to achieve fantasy success in 2025.
Atlanta Falcons @ Indianapolis Colts
Bijan Robinson continues to play more at wide receiver: The Falcons continued to use more plays with both of their running backs on the field, where Tyler Allgeier lined up back in the backfield.
The two-running-back strategy is something most teams try to confuse the defense but only for a few plays per game, at most. A few teams have used it with regularity, typically if they had a hybrid player like Cordarrelle Patterson, J.D. McKissic, Tarik Cohen or Tyler Ervin. The Falcons used this with some regularity early in Robinson’s rookie season. Robinson is the only running back with a game in the past decade where he played 14 or more snaps at wide receiver out of two-back sets, at least 14 snaps in the backfield and 50 or more total snaps in a game. He did this three times in his rookie season.
Robinson had his fourth game of his career with that snap breakdown last week, as the Falcons used less 12 personnel and more 21. Earlier in the season, if Allgeier was on the field, Robinson was likely off the field. That wasn’t the case last week, leading Robinson to play a career-high 96.4% of Atlanta’s offensive snaps. This week, Atlanta used this personnel grouping six times in the first quarter alone, which was already the second-most in a game this season. They used it a few more times in the second half, leading to 13 total plays with this personnel grouping. He played over 85% of the offensive snaps for the third time in four weeks after averaging 74.6% of snaps over the first six weeks.
Robinson was more effective in the run game this week compared to the last month, but he hasn’t found the end zone in the last three weeks. Ideally, the offense will start putting together more long drives, allowing Robinson to score more fantasy points. If the Falcons continue using Robinson in this role, his ceiling will be even higher than it was during the first half of the season. Most of these plays are simply Allgeier runs, but it will lead to Robinson running more routes, ultimately leading to more targets.
The Colts move on from Adonai Mitchell: The former second-round pick was traded to the New York Jets as part of the Sauce Gardner trade.
The Colts have used the same wide receiver rotation over the last two seasons. Alec Pierce was the X, Michael Pittman Jr. was the Z, Josh Downs was the slot, and Mitchell was the top backup for everyone. All three starters missed at least one game in 2024, and Mitchell served as the replacement in each instance. Pierce was the first starting Colts receiver to miss a game this year. Mitchell started that game and infamously let the ball go at the one-yard line and had a penalty that took back a long touchdown. Ashton Dulin started the next game for Pierce, and now, Mitchell is no longer on the roster.
Dulin was the Colts’ top backup in this game, taking over anytime any of the three wide receivers needed a break. He ran the ball once for 22 yards, setting up a Jonathan Taylor one-yard touchdown run. It’s worth noting that Anthony Gould couldn’t play due to a knee injury, his second straight absence. He didn’t practice all week. He was initially listed as questionable on Friday then changed to out on Saturday. However, Dulin was ahead of Gould on the depth chart earlier in the season whenever someone has needed a play off.
Dulin won’t have any fantasy value as long as the rest of the Colts’ wide receivers stay healthy, but he would be worth a waiver-wire pickup if any of the three Colts wide receivers suffer an injury this season.
Miscellaneous notes
- The Falcons released kicker Parker Romo on Tuesday, replacing him with veteran Zane Gonzalez on Wednesday.
- Wide receiver Casey Washington returned after missing last week due to a back injury. However, David Sills V remains the third wide receiver in three-receiver sets. KhaDarel Hodge is Drake London‘s primary backup.
- Atlanta’s third-string running back, Nathan Carter, was back in the lineup after being a healthy inactive last week.
- Jonathan Taylor gained over 200 rushing yards for the third time in his career.
- Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. didn’t practice on Wednesday but was upgraded to full on Thursday. He was dealing with a glute injury.
- The Colts signed wide receiver Laquon Treadwell off their own practice squad on Saturday. He was the fifth wide receiver on the depth chart for this game and will generally be sixth on the depth chart for the rest of the season.
- Colts halfback D.J. Giddens was a healthy inactive, his third straight absence. Ameer Abdullah has taken over as the Colts’ backup running back.
New Orleans Saints @ Carolina Panthers
The Saints adjust without Rashid Shaheed: The Saints traded their starting wide receiver to the Seattle Seahawks at the trade deadline.
The Saints had a clear wide receiver rotation over the first nine weeks. Chris Olave was their top receiver, playing 87% of the offensive snaps, Shaheed was second at 73.8%, and Brandin Cooks was third at 67.2%. All three played at least 82% in three-receiver sets, as Shaheed and Cooks frequently rotated across from Olave in two-receiver sets. Devaughn Vele had been the top backup at 30.2%.
Vele moved from fourth to first in snaps, playing 100% of the offensive snaps in both two- and three-receiver sets. He also played 46.2% in single-receiver sets, which was more than any other Saints player. Olave and Cook consistently joined Vele in three-receiver sets. While Vele was known for being a slot receiver in Denver, Olave remained the Saints’ primary slot receiver, although New Orleans hasn’t been as consistent as most teams regarding who lines up in the slot.
The Saints oddly had Mason Tipton join Vele in two-receiver sets more often than not, although these were primarily for run plays. Vele only caught one pass for 15 yards in his increased playing time, as the increase in targets largely went to other players.
Taysom Hill‘s role substantially increase: Hill played 25 offensive snaps, more than doubling his previous season high (12 snaps).
Hill was a prominent part of the Saints’ offense last season whenever he was healthy, at times surpassing 50% of the offensive snaps. He lined up primarily at running back last season, finishing with nearly as many snaps in the slot. He only lined up at quarterback 26 times over the season, despite that being his primary spot most seasons.
Hill made his season debut in Week 5, primarily playing at quarterback. From Weeks 6-9, he would line up at quarterback for one to four snaps per game, but he primarily line up at running back or tight end. He wasn’t getting targeted as much as last season, and his snaps were much lower, making it very difficult for him to be fantasy-relevant.
This week, he took 13 snaps at quarterback, the most for him in a game since 2023. He also took three other snaps in the backfield, three at tight end and six from the slot. Because his increase in snaps was at quarterback, Tyler Shough played fewer snaps. Hill ran the ball seven times for 20 yards, didn’t complete his only pass and didn’t catch his only target. While this game wasn’t enough for him to have fantasy value, there is a much larger chance Hill can have some fantasy value after this game compared to before it.
The Panthers rely even more heavily on Rico Dowdle: Dowdle was the Panthers’ primary third-down running back for the first time since Week 6.
Dowdle started the season as the primary backup to Chuba Hubbard, as well as the third-down back. He was excellent in two games without Hubbard and then outplayed Hubbard in his two games back. This led the Panthers to make a change at running back, making Dowdle the starter last week, even though Hubbard is healthy.
Dowdle played 72.4% of Carolina’s offensive snaps last week, including 77.5% on normal early downs and eight of the nine snaps in short-yardage and goal-line situations combined. The main time he was off the field was on third downs, where he played three of nine snaps.
This week, his playing time was even more dominant, a 79.2% rate. His esarly-down playing time was up slightly, but the main difference was third downs, where he played nine of 11 snaps. He ran the ball 18 times for 53 yards and a touchdown while catching three passes for 10 yards, while Hubbard only ran three times for 14 yards.
Dowdle was already a must-start player, but that becomes even more true now. However, because Dowdle only averaged 2.9 yards per carry, there is a chance the Panthers turn a little more toward Hubbard next week. It’s worth holding on to Hubbard for at least another week to see if Carolina continues to shift strategy.
Miscellaneous notes
- New Orleans running back Alvin Kamara was limited in practice all week due to an ankle injury and was questionable, but he was active. He played 63.2% of the offensive snaps, his second-most in a game since Week 3, while his most came in Week 7 when Kendre Miller suffered his season-ending injury.
- The Saints signed running back Audric Estime off their own practice squad on Wednesday. The Saints haven’t had a clear third running back since Miller’s injury.
- The Saints elevated wide receiver Dante Pettis from the practice squad for this game on Saturday to be their fifth wide receiver. Rashid Shaheed is no longer on the roster. In the past, when the Saints needed a practice squad call-up, it had been Kevin Austin Jr.
- Saints’ tight end Jack Stoll was limited all week due to an ankle injury. He was ruled questionable on Friday but didn’t play. This allowed Zaire Mitchell-Paden to be active after back-to-back healthy scratches.
- Panthers running back Rico Dowdle didn’t practice on Wednesday, was limited in practice on Thursday and upgraded to full on Friday. He was dealing with a quadricep injury.
- Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan showed up as limited in practice on Friday due to a hamstring injury. He was listed as questionable but was able to play.
- Jalen Coker played a season-high 75.5% of the offensive snaps, but that was mostly from an increase in three- and four-receiver sets. Coker didn’t take a snap out of a two-receiver set.
- Wide receiver Brycen Tremayne didn’t practice on Thursday due to a hip injury. He was able ot practice in full on Friday, but the Panthers still opted to make Tremayne inactive. The Panthers elevated wide receiver Dan Chisena from the practice squad for this game on Saturday to take his spot on the roster.
- Tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders played a season-low 35.8% snap rate. That included a season-low 58.3% of the snaps out of 11 personnel on third downs and a season-low 10% in two-tight-end sets.
New York Giants @ Chicago Bears
D’Andre Swift leads the Bears’ backfield: Swift played 61.8% of the Bears’ offensive snaps, the most for him in a game since Week 4.
Swift has been dealing with a groin injury for the past month. Chicago opted to rest Swift last week. He was limited in practice on Wednesday and was ruled questionable but ultimately played. Kyle Monangai’s playing time had been rising due to Swift’s injury. He ran 26 times for 176 yards in Swift’s absence, earning a larger role. However, he also wasn’t 100% due to an ankle injury. He was limited in practice on Wednesday.
Swift ran the ball 13 times for 80 yards and caught five passes for 18 yards. Monangai was held to seven carries for 28 yards but scored a touchdown for anyone who started him this week. The big differentiator in their snaps was the two-minute drill, where Swift played 11 of a possible 14 and 31 of a possible 48 on the season. In future weeks, when there are fewer snaps in the two-minute drill, Monangai could be back to playing at least 40% of the offensive snaps.
Swift can safely be put in fantasy starting lineups again, even if he is limited in practice this week. Monangai should remain on fantasy rosters, but it will be much harder to put him in fantasy starting lineups.
Monitor D.J. Moore’s health: Moore suffered a shoulder injury, causing him to miss some time this week.
Rome Odunze (heel) and Moore (hip and groin) didn’t practice on Wednesday, were limited on Thursday, and upgraded to full on Friday. The Bears have followed this same pattern with both players for multiple weeks. Luther Burden III was back in the lineup after missing last week due to a concussion. He was a full participant in practice all week.
Moore played his usual role as an every-down starter over the first four drives, playing 21 of a possible 24 snaps. Moore couldn’t play on the final drive of the half, so Burden took all nine snaps in his place. He returned on the first drive of the second half and played 16 of the first 21 plays of the half. However, he didn’t play at all in the final nine snaps of the game, as Burden again took those snaps. There was no announcement of Moore’s injury at the end of the game like there was in the second quarter. Burden took advantage of his limited time, catching his three targets for 51 yards.
If Moore misses time, Burden would be worth a waiver-wire pickup. The Bears have a rough matchup next week against the Minnesota Vikings, but they follow that up with a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have allowed the most fantasy points to wide receivers this season.
The Giants turn more toward Tyrone Tracy Jr.: He pulled away from Singletary to be the Giants’ primary running back.
With Cam Skattebo out for the season, Tracy led a close two-man rotation most of last week. Singletary took over in the fourth quarter. This week, Tracy was the primary running back on early downs as well as passing downs. He ran 14 times for 71 yards and caught a pass, while Singletary ran eight times for 20 yards and caught three passes for 53 yards.
While Tracy had more touches and more playing time, Singletary consistently played in both short-yardage and goal-line situations. Singletary similarly played four of six snaps in these situations last week. Jaxson Dart ran for two touchdowns this week, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Singletary scores more touchdowns than Tracy over the rest of the season. While the gap in their playing time has grown, there might not be as big a gap in fantasy production because of the goal-line work.
Singletary should be among the top waiver-wire targets at running back, largely for teams that still have running backs who have a bye week. Tracy should only be in fantasy starting lineups if the matchup is right.
Monitor Darius Slayton’s health: Slayton suffered a hamstring injury in the second quarter and was limited in the second half.
The Giants rotated Wan’Dale Robinson and Slayton as every-down wide receivers, while Ray-Ray McCloud joined them in three-receiver sets for a second-straight week. McCloud was a practice squad elevation. On the first three drives, Robinson and Slayton played all 15 snaps, while McCloud joined them for three. Tight end Daniel Bellinger returned after missing last week due to a neck injury. He was a full participant in practice all week. New York relied much more heavily on 12 personnel with Bellinger back, leading to McCloud playing less.
Slayton was off to a great start, grabbing two receptions for 69 yards on those three drives. He caught a 16-yard pass on the fourth drive, which led to his injury. Typical special teamer Gunner Olszewski took over for Slayton for the rest of the first half. Slayton was able to return for the start of the second half, but he rotated with Olszewski. Slayton played 14 of a possible 28 snaps over the first four drives of the half. The good news is the Giants trusted Slayton to play the final nine snaps of the game.
The Giants have the seventh-best schedule for wide receivers over the rest of the season. That includes the Washington Commanders and Las Vegas Raiders during the fantasy playoffs, which are two of the top six teams at allowing fantasy points to wide receivers. Assuming Slayton is fine, he should be among the top waiver-wire targets at wide receiver.
Miscellaneous notes
- Bears running back Roschon Johnson was back in the lineup after missing back-to-back games due to a back injury. He was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday.
- Wide receiver Jahdae Walker couldn’t play due to a concussion. The Bears’ initial Friday injury report didn’t include him, but he suffered the concussion late during Friday’s practice.
- Bears tight end Cole Kmet was limited in practice on Wednesday due to a concussion, but he was able to practice in full since Thursday. He was back to leading the Bears’ tight end room in offensive snaps, but Colston Loveland took advantage of his four targets, catching all four for 55 yards.
- Chicago tight end Durham Smythe was limited on Friday due to a calf injury and was questionable, but he played.
- The Bears elevated tight end Stephen Carlson from the practice squad for this game on Saturday as insurance in case one of the tight ends couldn’t play, but Carlson was inactive.
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Houston Texans
Woody Marks takes over the Texans’ backfield: Marks played over 80% of the offensive snaps after playing less than 50% last week.
Marks had the most offensive snaps among the Texans running backs heading into this week at 232 of a possible 545, but that was only a 42.6% snap rate. Nick Chubb had played over 50% of the offensive snaps on early downs, while Dare Ogunbowale played over 50% on third downs, but Marks has been the most well-rounded. The Texans had typically kept Chubb and Marks close in snaps at the start of the game, and generally, they went with the hot hand if one of the two was playing well.
Marks started the game, marking his first NFL start. He took every snap on the first drive, as well as starting the second drive. This makes it clear this change was intentional heading into this game, rather than anything game script or hot hand related. Marks not only played 80.8% of the early-down snaps, but 70% on third downs. Ogunobwale had played at least 50% of the third-down snaps in each of the previous three weeks.
Marks ran 14 times for 63 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes for 18 yards. Chubb played very well in his limited time, finishing with five carries for 47 yards and a five-yard catch.
Marks will be much more deserving of consideration for fantasy starting lineups going forward, especially next week against the Tennessee Titans. Chubb should remain on fantasy rosters at least one or two more weeks, especially as the Texans have a decent schedule for running backs, making Chubb a decent handcuff option.
The Texans start leaning more heavily on their rookie wide receivers: Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel played more than usual, finishing third and fourth on the team in receiving yards.
Houston has generally used Nico Collins on every down, while Higgins joined him in two-receiver sets, and Christian Kirk and Xavier Hutchinson joined in three-receiver sets. Hutchinson had played at least 76% of the offensive snaps in three-receiver sets in every game this season prior to this week, but that dropped to 67.2% this week. He similarly had played 25.2% of the snaps in two-receiver sets over the season, which was down to 5.9% this week. Higgins was the beneficiary of a higher snap rate in both two and three-receiver sets than usual.
Kirk has been restricted to 11 personnel only throughout the season, but he played at least 69% of the snaps in three-receiver sets in games where he’s been healthy. That dropped to 55.2% this week, while Noel played 41.4%, more than doubling his snap total from last week.
Higgins and Noel combined for nine receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown, while Kirk and Hutchinson combined for a three-yard reception. While it’s too early to put Higgins or Noel in your starting lineup, this game was the first notable step forward for either rookie in a game where everyone was healthy. The Texans showed they are willing to try extreme changes from the first half of the season at running back, so they may do the same at wide receiver in the next few weeks.
The Jaguars trade for Jakobi Meyers: Jacksonville upgraded while dealing with several wide receiver injuries.
The Jaguars’ starting wide receivers both missed this game. Travis Hunter is on injured reserve due to a non-contact leg injury, while Brian Thomas Jr. was ruled out on Friday due to an ankle injury. Two of the top three backups have also dealt with injuries. Dyami Brown was limited in practice on Wednesday due to a concussion, while Tim Patrick missed last week due to a groin injury.
The Jaguars made one of the biggest offensive splashes of the trade deadline, bringing in Meyers from the Las Vegas Raiders for two draft picks. Jacksonville also elevated Tim Jones from the practice squad for additional wide receiver reinforcements.
Washington was unsurprisingly the Jaguars’ top wide receiver in terms of playing time and targets, as the only healthy wide receiver who has been on the team for more than a week with notable playing time this season. He played over 85% of the offensive snaps in both two- and three-wide receiver sets. Patrick was surprisingly the second wide receiver, playing 59% of the snaps in two-receiver sets and 79.5% in three-receiver sets. He largely rotated with Brown, as both wide receivers primarily played as the X receiver.
Meyers only played in three-receiver sets, primarily playing as the Z receiver, while Washington was primarily playing out of the slot. Meyers led the team in receiving yards with 41 after catching three passes. Austin Trammell was his primary backup.
Once Thomas is back, he will likely take most of Patrick’s playing time. Meyers will likely play more after he practices more with the team, and he will likely take time from Washington. The wide receiver rotation will be messy once Hunter is back. The Jaguars have a rough matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers next week, so it could make sense to avoid all of these wide receivers.
Miscellaneous notes
- Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud didn’t practice all week due to a concussion. He was ruled out on Friday. This led Davis Mills to start.
- Running back Nick Chubb didn’t practice on Wednesday, was limited on Thursday and upgraded to full on Friday. He was dealing with a foot injury.
- Dameon Pierce was active this week after being a healthy inactive last week.
- Texans’ backup tight end Harrison Bryant didn’t practice all week due to a shoulder injury and was questionable, but he was active.
- Texans’ kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn was ruled out Friday due to a right quadricep injury. He didn’t practice all week. He was ruled out on Friday. The Texans signed kicker Matthew Wright to the practice squad on Wednesday and elevated him on Saturday to be their kicker.
- Jaguars rookie running back Bhayshul Tuten played a career-high 42.1% of the offensive snaps in normal early-down situations, but he only gained five yards on his four carries, making it unlikely he plays more next week. He suffered an injury on a late first-half kickoff but was back for the second half.
- Jacksonville tight end Hunter Long didn’t practice all week due to hip and knee injuries. He was ruled out on Friday.
- Quintin Morris was back in the lineup after missing back-to-back games due to a groin injury. He was a full participant in practice all week. He and Johnny Mundt split playing time this week with Long out. Morris tended to play more in passing situations, but Mundt had the only catch between the two for 21 yards.
Buffalo Bills @ Miami Dolphins
Monitor Dalton Kincaid’s health: Kincaid suffered a hamstring injury on the first drive of the second half and didn’t return.
The Bills have used a heavy three-man tight end rotation this season. Dawson Knox played 50.8% of the offensive snaps, while Kincaid played 43.7% and fifth-round rookie Jackson Hawes played 40.8% in the seven previous games where all three were healthy. Kincaid tended to play more in passing situations and on third downs, while the other two played more often in two-tight-end sets and run situations.
Kincaid played more than usual in the first half because the Bills were playing from behind, playing 15 of a possible 24 snaps. Kincaid played three snaps early in the third quarter before his injury. Afterwards, Knox took over as the primary receiving tight end, largely taking all of Kincaid’s usual snaps. The Bills did something similar in Week 6 while Kincaid dealt with an oblique injury.
If the Kincaid injury is severe, Knox would be a fine waiver-wire target at tight end. The Bills have an average schedule over the rest of the year at the position, and Knox would run more routes on any given week than Kincaid has this year.
Greg Dulcich leads the Dolphins tight ends: Miami didn’t have any of its tight ends from the start of the season.
Miami started the year with a two-man rotation between Julian Hill and Tanner Conner, while Darren Waller joined the rotation in October. Waller has been on injured reserve, while Hill was inactive for a third-straight game due to an ankle injury. He was able to practice on a limited basis and was ruled questionable, but Miami opted to leave Hill out.
Conner had been the last man standing. He had been leading a two-man rotation with Dulcich in recent weeks with Hill out. However, Conner had a 33.5 PFF game grade last week, finishing with sub-45.0 grades in receiving, pass blocking and run blocking, leading the team to release Conner on Tuesday. He returned to the practice squad on Saturday.
This made Dulcich the Dolphins’ top tight end, while Hayden Rucci was signed off the practice squad to be the backup. Dulcich was the primary tight end in 11 personnel, Rucci was the same in 21 personnel, and the two split all of the snaps in two-tight-end sets. Dulcich caught one pass for 22 yards, which was enough for the third-most receiving yards on the team.
The Dolphins have an excellent schedule for tight ends at the end of the fantasy season. Waller will potentially be back for those matchups. If not, Dulcich could be a surprise contributor in the fantasy playoffs.
Miscellaneous notes
- Bills running back James Cook III didn’t practice on Wednesday, was limited on Thursday and upgraded to full on Friday. He was dealing with an ankle injury.
- Ty Johnson played more than usual, but that was due to the game script rather than Cook’s health. His playing time in each situation was similar to past weeks, but Buffalo had more snaps during two-minute drills than usual.
- Wide receiver Joshua Palmer was inactive due to knee and ankle injuries, his third straight absence. He was limited all week. He was ruled questionable on Friday. Elijah Moore, Curtis Samuel and Tyrell Shavers were in a three-man rotation for the Bills’ third receiver spot, which has been typical with Palmer out.
- Dolphins running back Ollie Gordon II was limited in practice all week due to an ankle injury and was questionable, but he was active. Jaylen Wright has spent most of the season as a healthy inactive, but he was active for this game. Wright ended up playing more snaps than Gordon for the first time this season, presumably because of Gordon’s injury.
- De’Von Achane ran 22 times, which tied his career high. His 174 rushing yards were his most in a game since the 2023 Week 3, 70-20 victory over the Denver Broncos.
- Cedrick Wilson Jr. continues to cut into Nick Westbrook-Ikhine’s playing time. Both wide receivers, as well as Malik Washington, played under 50% of the offensive snaps.
- Wide receiver Dee Eskridge was ruled out Friday due to a shoulder injury. He didn’t practice all week.
Baltimore Ravens @ Minnesota Vikings
Aaron Jones Sr. plays season-high 70.8% of Minnesota’s offensive snaps: Jones and Jordan Mason had been in a 50-50 split in their four other games.
Jones and Mason played in four games together prior to this week. Mason played 52.3% of the offensive snaps in those games compared to Jones’ 46.7%. This included Mason slightly leading in every situation, outside of two-minute drills. The Vikings started to move away from this in the first half of last week, as Jones played 24 of a possible 31 snaps in the first half. Jones suffered an injury early in the third quarter, leading him not to play in the second half. Jones didn’t practice on Wednesday but was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday due to shoulder and toe injuries and was questionable, but he was active.
Jones dominated snaps even more in the first half this week, playing 18 of 24 snaps, compared to Mason’s three. Fullback C.J. Ham returned after missing the last two games due to a hand injury. He took three of the third downs in the first half. The Vikings started to get Mason more involved in the second half, as he played 13 snaps compared to Jones’ 28. Ham was only used as a fullback rather than a third-down back in the second half.
Mason has averaged more yards after contact than Jones, finishing with a higher avoided tackle rate in the five games the two have played together, but Jones has averaged 2.0 yards before contact compared to Mason’s 0.4. Mason averaged more yards per carry this week. The Vikings have had no problem making notable changes to their running back rotation from one week to the next, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the Vikings move closer to a 50-50 split, especially if they are in a game with a more favorable game script.
Ravens tweak their running back rotation: Keaton Mitchell received four carries in his third-straight game.
Baltimore has used a two-man running back rotation for most of the last two seasons. Derrick Henry has played the clear majority of the early-down snaps and Justice Hill has played a clear majority of the third-down snaps. Rasheen Ali started the season as the Ravens’ third running back thanks to his play on special teams, even though Mitchell averaged 8.4 yards per carry as a rookie and played well in his one preseason game.
Mitchell started the season as a healthy inactive, only becoming active in Week 5 because the Ravens had too many injured players at other positions. Baltimore has opted to keep Mitchell active since that point. That had meant the Ravens had four active halfbacks until this week. Ali was a healthy scratch for the first time this season. He had played over 100 special team snaps over the first nine weeks.
Mitchell has averaged 6.2 yards per carry on the season, including averaging 7.8 yards per carry Sunday. Mitchell’s increase in opportunities has meant fewer carries for Hill. He’s run one time in each of the last three games, finishing with two yards or less on each carry. However, his one carry in this game resulted in a touchdown. Hill can be dropped in most fantasy leagues.
Given how well Mitchell has played in his opportunities, we may start to see Mitchell run a few more times each week, which would potentially cut into Henry’s carries. Henry still needs to be in fantasy starting lineups, but this could impact his ceiling.
Miscellaneous notes
- Baltimore quarterback Cooper Rush was a healthy scratch, his second straight absence. Tyler Huntley took over as the primary backup to Lamar Jackson.
- Baltimore wide receiver Devontez Walker was a healthy scratch, his fourth straight absence.
- The Ravens weren’t as strict with their tight end rotation as they were in other weeks. Mark Andrews played more in 21 personnel than usual, but Charlie Kolar played more in 12 personnel than usual. Andrews dominated 11 personnel snaps over Likely, but Likely took two of the three 11 personnel snaps on third downs.
- The Vikings elevated running back Corey Kiner from the practice squad for this game on Saturday, potentially because they thought Jones might not play, but Kiner was inactive.
- Third wide receiver Jalen Nailor caught five passes for a career-high 124 yards and a touchdown. It’s hard to trust him in most leagues, given his playing time, but he could be a good option in deep leagues, given the Vikings’ schedule over the rest of the season.
- The Vikings’ blocking tight end Josh Oliver was ruled out Friday due to a foot injury, his second straight absence. He didn’t practice all week.
- T.J. Hockenson has been held to two receptions in each of the last three games, despite playing a dominant snap rate. The Vikings have four great matchups for tight ends over the next four weeks, so you might not want to drop Hockenson yet, but you probably also don’t want him in your fantasy starting lineup.
- Ben Sims made his Vikings debut as the third tight end on the depth chart for this game. He was with the Green Bay Packers the last three years, but he was waived by the Packers and claimed by the Vikings in late October.
Cleveland Browns @ New York Jets
Monitor Garrett Wilson’s health: Wilson injured the same knee that caused him to miss the previous two games, according to Aaron Glenn in the Jets’ post-game press conference.
Wilson has been the Jets’ top wide receiver when healthy. He missed the last two games due to a knee injury and was limited in practice to start the week, but he was back for the start of this game. Josh Reynolds has been the other consistent starter when healthy, but he is currently on injured reserve.
Fourth-round rookie Arian Smith and veterans Tyler Johnson and Allen Lazard have been the Jets’ other three receivers, but their roles have changed wildly from one week to the next, including multiple games where Johnson and Lazard were healthy inactives, as well as multiple games as starters.
Given the injuries and inconsistent play, the Jets brought in some reinforcements. They traded for John Metchie III from the Philadelphia Eagles a week and a half ago and Adonai Mitchell from the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday. Lazard and Mitchell were both healthy inactives this week. It’s not concerning that Mitchell is inactive, considering he’s only been on the team for a few days, but this is not great news for Lazard. It will be concerning for Mitchell if he is also inactive next week.
The Jets started the game with Wilson, Johnson and Smith as their primary wide receivers. Typically, Wilson rarely leaves the field when healthy. The Jets ran four plays out of 21 personnel in the first half, and Johnson and Smith were the primary wide receivers in that grouping. In the second half, Isaiah Williams was Wilson’s primary replacement, while Metchie mixed in more often.
Breece Hall caught a 42-yard touchdown reception. Outside of that, the Jets had five receptions for 12 yards, while Williams and Metchie were the only wide receivers with a reception. Given how much the Jets have changed the wide receiver room each week and the lack of production this week, there are dozens of combinations between who is active and who is seeing playing time next week for New York.
Dylan Sampson takes over the third-down job: Sampson played over 50% of the Browns’ third-down snaps after playing less than 30% in every other game this season.
Cleveland has spent most of the season with Quinshon Judkins as the early-down back, Sampson as the primary backup, and Jerome Ford as the third-down and two-minute drill back. While Ford had run roughly double the routes this season, Sampson had roughly double the yards.
This week, Sampson played six of the 11 third-down snaps, leaving just four snaps for Ford, who played only 14 snaps in the game, and nine came in two-minute drill situations. This didn’t lead to a great box score for Sampson, finishing with two carries for -4 yards and a three-yard reception, but there could be games where Sampson is more involved in the passing game. The Browns also have a top-four schedule for running backs over the rest of the season. Sampson should be a waiver-wire target for his increased role and being one of the top handcuff options.
Cedric Tillman returns to the Browns: Tillman returned to practice from injured reserve on Monday and was able to practice in full all week.
Tillman started the season as the clear second wide receiver behind Jerry Jeudy, playing 71% of the offensive snaps over the first four weeks. He started to lose playing time to Isaiah Bond in two-receiver sets before this injury. However, Bond failed to capitalize on his opportunities with Tillman out. He caught four passes for 38 yards over the last four weeks without Tillman. Bond was inactive this week due to a foot injury after not practicing all week.
Tillman was immediately back to his role as the Browns’ Z receiver. Jerry Jeudy has been their X receiver all year, as their roles were reversed compared to last season. Tillman missed a few more snaps than usual in three-receiver sets, two-receiver sets and one-receiver sets, but he was generally on the field for the Browns’ passing plays. Malachi Corley and Jamari Thrash rotated as the Browns’ slot receiver in three-receiver sets, and Bond will likely to join that rotation once he’s healthy.
Tillman had a quiet day against a good Jets defense with two receptions for 11 yards, but there should be brighter days ahead. The Browns have the best schedule for wide receivers over the rest of the season. That includes the Baltimore Ravens this week, as well as games against the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers in the fantasy playoffs. Those are three of the top four teams at allowing fantasy points to wide receivers. They have another three matchups against teams in the top 12 at allowing fantasy points to wide receivers. This makes Tillman a decent waiver-wire target.
Miscellaneous notes
- New York quarterback Tyrod Taylor was active this week after missing last week due to a knee injury. He was a full participant in practice all week.
- Jets halfback Khalil Herbert couldn’t play due to a groin injury. He was limited on Thursday and Friday and was initially ruled questionable, but he was ultimately inactive.
- New York running back Kene Nwangwu returned after missing last week due to a concussion. He was a full participant in practice all week and scored a kickoff return touchdown.
- The Jets waived wide receiver Brandon Smith on Tuesday with the recent additions at wide receiver. He returned to the practice squad on Thursday.
- Jets tight end Stone Smartt was active this week after missing last week due to a quadricep injury. He was a full participant in practice all week. Jelani Woods was back to being a healthy inactive with Smartt back.
New England Patriots @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Patriots play without multiple running backs: Rhamondre Stevenson missed his second-straight game due to a toe injury, while Terrell Jennings suffered a knee injury and was ruled out.
Stevenson had played 74% of the Patriots’ offensive snaps from Weeks 6-8, since Antonio Gibson landed on injured reserve. TreVeyon Henderson had been the primary backup at 21.4%, while Jennings took a few garbage-time snaps. The Patriots primarily turned to Henderson last week, playing 75% to Jennings’ 25%. However, Jennings was much more likely to touch the football when he was on the field compared to Henderson, and he received more short-yardage and goal-line work. Henderson ran 14 times for 55 yards and caught four passes for 32 yards, while Jennings ran 11 times for 35 yards and a touchdown.
The Patriots started this game with a similar rotation. Henderson took 10 snaps on the first two drives compared to Jennings’ five, but Jennings ran four times on his five snaps, compared to Henderson’s two runs. Henderson became the feature back after Jennings’ injury, rarely leaving the field and taking all but one of the running back carries. The Patriots elevated running back D’Ernest Johnson from the practice squad for a second straight week, and he became the primary backup.
Henderson was having a quiet day despite the workload until a highlight-worthy 55-yard touchdown run early in the second half. He followed that up with a game-clinching 69-yard run in the last two minutes. Stevenson has one 50-plus-yard run in his NFL career. Ideally, his big play will lead to more playing time once Stevenson is back. The Patriots have the best schedule for running backs over the rest of the season, so whoever is getting the carries should have a big second half of the season.
Sean Tucker leads the Buccaneers in rushing yards: Tucker ran nine times for 53 yards compared to White’s 10 carries for 38 yards.
Bucky Irving didn’t practice all week and missed his fifth straight game due to foot and shoulder injuries. He was ruled out on Friday. This has left Tampa Bay with Rachaad White and Tucker as their primary two running backs. White had dominated carries in the previous four games at 54-22, although the two were nearly identical in yards per carry, at White’s 3.3 compared to Tucker’s 3.4.
The Buccaneers started to change their strategy in Week 8. White had one more carry than Tucker, but Tucker had more yards. Tucker accomplished this despite being limited in practice on Friday due to a groin injury. This was the second straight game where Tucker had one fewer carry but notably more yards. White remained the better fantasy option this week in PPR and half-PPR leagues thanks to his five receptions for 16 yards. However, if Irving continues to miss time, Tucker may be the running back leading the Buccaneers in carries going forward.
Miscellaneous notes
- New England wide receiver Kayshon Boutte sat out due to a hamstring injury. He didn’t practice all week. He was ruled questionable on Friday. Similar to last week, Kyle Williams completely took Boutte’s place, including catching a 72-yard touchdown pass.
- Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr. didn’t practice all week with a fibula injury. He was ruled out on Friday. He hasn’t played since Week 5. Tez Johnson continues to be the starter oppositie Emeka Egbuka, while Sterling Shepard remains the slot receiver.
Arizona Cardinals @ Seattle Seahawks
Coming soon!
Los Angeles Rams @ San Francisco 49ers
Coming soon!
Detroit Lions @ Washington Commanders
Coming soon!
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Los Angeles Chargers
Coming soon!
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.
