- Jaylen Wright reaches over 100 yards and a touchdown: The Miami Dolphins‘ backup running back helped the team to a road victory after De’Von Achane suffered a game-ending injury.
- Injuries cloud the early window: There were constant injuries to fantasy-relevant players during the early slate, most notably an Achilles injury to the Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones and a knee injury to Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz, which could both be season-ending.
- Get PFF+ for 30% off: Use promo code HOLIDAY30 to unlock the PFF Player Prop Tool, Premium Stats, fantasy dashboards, the PFF Mock Draft Simulator, industry-leading fantasy rankings and much more — everything you need to win your season.
Estimated reading time: 50 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 2025.
Seattle Seahawks @ Atlanta Falcons
Bijan Robinson has a quiet day in a blowout loss: Typically, Robinson plays more in losses than wins, but that wasn’t the case this week.
Robinson has played 77.8% of the offensive snaps this season compared to Allgeier’s 29.2%. Robinson dominated snaps on third downs and during two-minute drills, while the split is closer to 65-40 in short-yardage and goal-line situations. The Falcons run several plays with both running backs on the field, leading their percentages to add up to more than 100%.
When the Falcons are winning games, they tend to run the ball more often and are more willing to give Robinson some breaks. This typically leads Allgeier to see double-digit carries. In losses, the Falcons typically employ a more pass-heavy offense, which creates more opportunities for Robinson as a receiver.
In this game, the Falcons were down by 17 points by the start of the fourth quarter and by 28 points midway through the fourth quarter. The Falcons didn’t turn to backups at most positions in garbage time, but they did turn to Allgeier to end the game. Atlanta happened to put together one of its longest drives to end the game, although nearly all of their yards on the drive were due to penalty. Robinson ran the ball 20 times for 86 yards but only caught two passes for eight yards.
We should generally expect more receiving production from Robinson when the Falcons are losing, just not when they are blown out by 28 points.
Monitor Elijah Arroyo’s health: The second-round rookie tight end suffered a knee injury in the second quarter and didn’t return.
Arroyo has earned a significant role in the Seahawks offense, playing 41.7% of the snaps over the first 13 weeks. He’s only played 59% of the 12-personnel snaps, which is unusually low for a second tight end option, but he’s taken 27.1% of the 11-personnel snaps and specifically 30.3% of the 11-personnel snaps on third downs. Arroyo’s presence has made it more difficult for A.J. Barner to sustain fantasy value.
Arroyo suffered a knee injury early in the second quarter and didn’t return. Immediately after the game, Mike Macdonald said they needed more testing to know the severity of the injury. After the injury, Nick Kallerup was the new second option. Kallerup played more consistently in 12 personnel and took some snaps in 21 personnel. The injury also allowed Barner to play more consistently in 11 personnel. Barner played in 15 of a possible 18 snaps in 11 personnel after the Arroyo injury and before Drew Lock and other backups started playing more often.
Barner caught three passes for 27 yards in this game. The blowout victory hurt Barner’s playing time more than Arroyo’s injury helped, but the Seahawks won’t necessarily have blowout victories every game. While he didn’t have much production in this game, he deserves a longer look on the waiver wire if the Arroyo injury ends up being serious.
Miscellaneous notes
- Falcons halfback Nathan Carter was a healthy inactive after suiting up last week.
- Wide receiver Drake London was ruled out Friday due to a knee injury, his third straight absence. He didn’t practice all week. He didn’t practice all week. David Sills V continued to take his spot in 12 personnel, while Dylan Drummond has been the third receiver in three-receiver sets.
- Atlanta signed wide receiver Deven Thompkins from its own practice squad on Saturday.
- Falcons wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge returned after missing last week due to a shoulder injury.
- Wide receiver Casey Washington was a healthy inactive, his third straight absence.
- Seattle running back Kenneth Walker III was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday due to a glute injury. Walker continued to play a higher percentage of snaps in normal early-down situations and more goal-line snaps compared to earlier in the season, but that didn’t lead to much fantasy production.
- Velus Jones Jr. was elevated from the practice squad on Saturday to be Seattle’s third running back. Cam Akers was a healthy inactive for a second-straight week after signing with Seattle, while Myles Gaskin was waived on Tuesday and signed to the practice squad on Thursday.
- Rashid Shaheed had his best game as a receiver for Seattle, catching four passes for 67 yards. However, he continues to primarily play in 11 personnel. He played in two of a possible 21 snaps in 12 personnel, making it difficult for Shaheed to sustain this high production.
- Seahawks backup wide receiver Jake Bobo returned after a healthy scratch last week.
- Wide receiver Dareke Young returned to practice from injured reserve on Wednesday from a quadricep injury. He was a full participant in practice all week, but Seattle decided to leave him on injured reserve for this game.
- Seahawks tight end A.J. Barner was limited in practice on Wednesday due to knee and shoulder injuries.
- The Seahawks’ blowout victory led to more playing time for Jones, Bobo and Cody White at the end of the game.
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens
The Steelers make several changes at wide receiver: Pittsburgh turned to veteran receivers over its younger players while pushing for the playoffs.
The Steelers have generally used D.K. Metcalf as their X receiver, Calvin Austin III as a Z/slot hybrid, Roman Wilson as their typical third receiver in three-receiver sets at Z, and Ben Skowronek as an occasional slot receiver in three-receiver sets. Scotty Miller and Ke’Shawn Williams have also played at times. Metcalf is the only wide receiver who has seen any kind of consistent production. Austin is the only other wide receiver with double-digit receptions this year.
Pittsburgh claimed veteran Adam Thielen off waivers from the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday. Marquez Valdes-Scantling was elevated off the Steelers’ practice squad for the first time after starting the season with the Seattle Seahawks and playing with the San Francisco 49ers while they dealt with multiple wide receiver injuries. Valdes-Scantling had four years of experience catching passes from Aaron Rodgers when they both played for the Green Bay Packers. Miller was also active after being a healthy inactive last week.
To make room for these receivers, Wilson and Williams were both healthy inactives. Wilson’s being inactive was particularly noteworthy, considering he was a former third-round pick and had played over 50% of the offensive snaps in Week 11.
Metcalf remained the clear top wide receiver, and he performed well with seven receptions for 148 yards. The Steelers used Thielen in 12 personnel with Metcalf. The two also rotated as the primary receiver in 13 personnel. Valdes-Scantling led a two-man rotation with Thielen as the Z receiver in three-receiver sets, while Austin led a two-man rotation with Skowronek in the slot. The constant rotation meant none of the receivers, outside of Metcalf, played over 50% of the offensive snaps.
There is at least a chance Thielen can earn more playing time in 11 personnel and gain some chemistry to make him fantasy viable. However, there are only a few weeks left in the fantasy season, so there isn’t much time left for them to gain chemistry and the trust of fantasy managers to put him in fantasy starting lineups.
Monitor Darnell Washington’s health: The Steelers’ lead tight end suffered a head injury early in the second quarter and didn’t return.
At the start of the season, it seemed like the battle at tight end would be between Jonnu Smith and Pat Freiermuth. Washington was a significant part of that rotation early in the season, playing at least 37% of the offensive snaps each week. He had become an even bigger part of the offense in recent weeks. He played at least 68% each of the last three weeks as the Steelers’ primary tight end in 11 personnel each game in both early- and third-down situations.
It seemed like his role was going to be even larger in this game, playing a snap on 15 of the first 16 plays. He suffered the injury on a 12-yard reception. This led to notably more playing time for both Freiermuth and Smith over the rest of the game. Freiermuth played 23 of 30 snaps from the fourth drive until the end of the game, while Jonnu Smith played 20 of 30. Freiermuth tended to be used more in passing situations, while Smith played more in running situations. Freiermuth was on the field for 16 of the final 19 passing plays, although he was asked to block on a few of them.
Freiermuth is worth considering off the waiver wire next week, assuming Washington misses a game. The Steelers face the Miami Dolphins, who have allowed the third-most fantasy points to tight ends this season.
Monitor Keaton Mitchell’s health: The Ravens’ backup running back suffered a knee injury in the third quarter and didn’t return.
Mitchell averaged 8.4 yards per carry as a rookie but suffered an ACL tear, which cost him half of 2024. He returned for a few games but wasn’t the same player. He began this season as a healthy inactive over the first four weeks but was active in Week 5 because the Ravens had too many injured players at other positions. He’s been given a few carries each week since then, averaging 6.1 yards per carry, leading up to this week.
Mitchell was given more opportunities than usual in this game, and he broke one of his runs for 55 yards. This led him to six carries for 76 yards. However, the knee injury knocked him out for the rest of the game. John Harbaugh said after the game that they will know more about the extent of the injury tomorrow. Justice Hill is currently on injured reserve, so this left Derrick Henry and Rasheen Ali as the only other running backs. This mostly caused Henry to play a higher percentage of the early-down snaps.
Henry played 75.5% of the snaps in normal early-down situations, which was his most in a game since Week 10 and third-most in a game this season. Henry is going to be in fantasy starting lineups going forward regardless of Mitchell’s status, but his ceiling will be a little higher if Mitchell misses time.
Miscellaneous notes
- Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson was limited in practice on Wednesday due to his ankle injury. He didn’t practice at all on Thursday but practiced in full on Friday.
- Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman was limited in practice on Thursday due to an ankle injury.
- DeAndre Hopkins played 13 offensive snaps, his fewest in a game since Week 5. He played 92.8% of the 11-personnel snaps from Weeks 5-13 but only 50% in this game, rotating with LaJohntay Wester, at times.
- Wide receiver Devontez Walker was inactive and Tylan Wallace was active, unlike last week. Walker was limited in practice on Thursday due to a groin injury, which could have influenced this decision.
- Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn’t practice on Wednesday due to a left wrist injury.
- Steelers wide receiver Ben Skowronek was limited on Wednesday and Thursday due to a shoulder injury.
Cincinnati Bengals @ Buffalo Bills
Dalton Kincaid returns from multiple injuries: Kincaid had missed three straight games due to hamstring and knee injuries. He was limited in practice all week.
The Bills have used a three-man rotation at tight end when everyone is healthy. From Weeks 1-10, excluding Week 6 when Kincaid missed due to injury, Dawson Knox has played 53.9% of the offensive snaps, while Kincaid has played 41.5% and Jackson Hawes played 41.0%. Knox and Hawes have been the primary tight ends in 12 personnel, while Kincaid led the way in 11 personnel over Knox, but the Bills rotate tight ends than most teams, regardless of the situation.
Kincaid played a little less than usual in his first game back, playing 34.4% of the offensive snaps. He played less than usual in most situations, outside of 11 personnel on third downs, where he played 58.3% of the offensive snaps. It was his first time playing over 50% since Week 5, and that was his second-best rate of the season. He similarly had his best route participation rate since Week 5, while his targets per route run remained among the league’s best.
All three tight ends had big games, as Knox gained 93 yards, while Kincaid and Hawes both scored touchdowns. Kincaid can safely be put in fantasy starting lineups going forward. While this isn’t a great role for tight ends, he’s been a fantasy starter for most of the season when healthy in this role. He can particularly be trusted in fantasy starting lineups next week against the New England Patriots, a team that has allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to tight ends, and one where Buffalo will not be abandoning the pass game, given the Patriots’ offense.
Mike Gesicki has his first big game of the season: Cincinnati’s receiving tight end caught six passes for 86 yards and a touchdown.
Gesicki was a big part of the Bengals’ offense in 2024, finishing seven games with at least 40 receiving yards, which included three games of 85-plus yards. His playing time has decreased a little bit this season, and his production hasn’t been nearly the same. He was held under 20 receiving yards in seven of his first eight games, and four receptions for 35 yards was in his best game.
In this game, his playing time was very similar to the rest of the season. In his first eight games, excluding Week 5 when he left early due to injury, he played 41% of the offensive snaps, with 38.6% in 11 personnel on early downs, 51.9% of the snaps in 11 personnel on third downs and 37.6% of two-tight-end sets. This week, his splits were only a few percentage points off from his average, at 40.0%, 35.7%, 50.0% and 43.5% respectively. The big difference this week was his target rate, as he was thrown at on 37.5% of his routes. He also caught 100% of his targets.
Gesicki is still running a route on less than 50% of the Bengals’ passing plays. It is best to leave Gesicki on the waiver wire, despite his big game in the box score.
Miscellaneous notes
- Bills wide receiver Joshua Palmer didn’t practice all week due to knee and ankle injuries. He was ruled doubtful on Friday but didn’t play.
- The Bills’ wide receiver rotation was similar to last week, while Gabe Davis led a rotation with Keon Coleman as the X receiver. Tyrell Shavers led a rotation with Brandin Cooks as the Z receiver and Khalil Shakir as the slot receiver in 11 personnel.
- Cincinnati third-string running back Tahj Brooks was active this week after missing last week due to a concussion. He practiced in full on Thursday and Friday.
- Wide receiver Tee Higgins was active this week after missing last week due to a concussion. He practiced in full on Thursday and Friday. Higgins made multiple trips to the blue medical tent during this game, but he was able to finish the game. Cincinnati went back to Ja’Marr Chase and Higgins in two- and three-receiver sets, while Andrei Iosivas joined for 11 personnel.
- Cincinnati wide receiver Jermaine Burton was inactivated for his 13th-straight game. While he had been a healthy inactive most weeks, he was reportedly suspended by the team for this game. He also appeared on the injury report due to an ankle injury but practiced in full.
Tennessee Titans @ Cleveland Browns
Monitor Cedric Tillman and Malachi Corley’s health: Both wide receivers exited the game due to concussions and didn’t return.
In recent weeks, Jerry Jeudy has been the X receiver, while Tillman has been the Z, and Corley, Isaiah Bond and occasionally Gage Larvadain rotated in the slot. The slot receivers also rotate with Tillman in 12 personnel, as Tillman only played 57% of those snaps in Weeks 12 and 13.
The Browns continued with that rotation over the first three drives, as Corley’s injury occurred on the first play of the second quarter on a two-yard end-around. He was ruled out of the game at the end of the drive. This left both Bond and Larvadain playing more snaps over the rest of the game in two- and three-receiver sets.
Tillman’s injury occurred with 5:27 left in the fourth quarter after a gruesome hit. Larvadain became the new Z receiver to close out the game, while Bond was consistently on the field in three-receiver sets. Tillman suffered two concussions in 2024, first in the wild-card game in January and again in November, leading him to miss six games. Considering this is his third concussion in the last three seasons, it wouldn’t be surprising if Tillman misses the rest of the season.
In most leagues, this wide receiver rotation will be one to avoid, despite the injuries. However, the Browns have one of the best schedules for wide receivers over the next three weeks, so this is worth monitoring in deeper leagues. Jamari Thrash was a healthy scratch, his fourth straight absence, but we should expect him to be active over the rest of the season, joining the rotation. Bond has shown the most potential this season, including a 52-yard reception two weeks ago, making him the player to target in deep leagues.
Monitor David Njoku’s health: Njoku suffered a knee injury early in the second quarter and was unable to finish the game.
Njoku has been dealing with a knee injury most of the season, appearing on the injury report every week since Week 4. He’s been limited in practices most Wednesdays and Thursdays over the past month and a half, but he has practiced in full on Fridays and played through the injury.
Njoku wasn’t able to practice to begin Week 12, and Cleveland made a notable change at tight end that week, giving Harold Fannin Jr. over 90% of the offensive snaps. This dropped Njoku down to 50% of the offensive snaps. It’s unclear how much of this change was Njoku’s injury compared to how well Fannin has been playing. The Browns have also been out of playoff contention, and Fannin is the future of the position, so that could have also impacted the Browns’ plans.
Cleveland continued that plan to start this game, as Fannin played all 10 snaps on the first three drives, while Njoku played six. He suffered the injury while scoring a touchdown. This left Blake Whiteheart as the primary backup tight end over the rest of the game. Fannin played 90% of the snaps over the rest of the game, so the injury didn’t really impact him.
Fannin caught eight passes for 114 yards and a touchdown, making this the best game of Fannin’s career. He’s caught at least 40 yards in five of his last six games and has scored a touchdown in three of his last six. He should generally be considered a fantasy starting tight end going forward.
Gunnar Helm plays more than Chig Okonkwo: The fourth-round rookie played a career-high 66.7% of the offensive snaps, while Chig Okonkwo played a season-low 48.5%
Okonkwo has been the Titans’ top receiving tight end this season. He started the year playing at least 70% of the offensive snaps in three of his first four games, but he’s been held under 70% in each game since then. Tennessee has trusted Helm for a significant number of early down 11-personnel snaps, while Okonkwo has also been substituted out for David Martin-Robinson, at times, in 12 personnel. This rotation has typically left Okonkwo playing between 60-70% of the snaps, while Helm played 45-65% over the past two months.
The game script has probably influenced their splits. The Titans have only won two games this season, and since Okonkwo has been their primary receiving tight end, he’s been on the field more often. This week, the two split 11-personnel snaps on early downs evenly for the first time. Okonkwo was also substituted out of 12 personnel more frequently.
It’s unlikely either tight end will have fantasy value this season, but it’s worth noting that Okonkwo is an unrestricted free agent after the season. It’s possible the team will continue giving Helm more playing time, regardless of the game script, because he could be their top tight end next season. If Helm continues to play more, that would be a good sign that Okonkwo could be moving on to a new team this offseason.
Miscellaneous notes
- Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson returned to practice from the physically unable to perform list on Wednesday. He was limited in practice all week. There are reports that it is unlikely he will play this season.
- Browns running back Dylan Sampson didn’t practice on Wednesday and Thursday but was limited on Friday due to a calf injury. He was ruled questionable but was ultimately active. He ended up playing more than usual with the Browns playing from behind.
- Cleveland’s halfback Raheim Sanders was active last week as a precaution with Jerome Ford dealing with injury, but he was back to being inactive this week, despite Sampson not being 100%.
- Backup Tight end Brenden Bates didn’t practice all week due to an ankle injury. He was ruled out on Friday.
- Tennessee wide receiver Chimere Dike was limited on Wednesday due to a quadricep injury.
- Backup wide receiver Mason Kinsey returned after being a healthy scratch last week. Undrafted rookie Xavier Restrepo was elevated off the practice squad for the previous two games, but he wasn’t elevated for this game.
Indianapolis Colts @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Bhayshul Tuten apparently benched: Tuten lost two fumbles in the game, leading to a minimal role on offense.
The Jaguars’ backfield has been stable for most of the season, as Travis Etienne Jr. has played 59% of the offensive snaps as the main running back, while Tuten played 21% as the backup on early downs, and LeQuint Allen Jr. played 22% as the third-down back and primary two-minute drill back. There hasn’t been much variability in Etienne’s playing time, finishing with 49%-66% of offensive snaps in every game.
Tuten didn’t play on either of the Jaguars’ first two drives, both of which consisted of four plays. Tuten’s lack of snaps on those drives was not surprising. He returned a kickoff late in the first quarter and lost a fumble. He was taken to the medical tent to be evaluated for a concussion after the play. He was able to return late in the second quarter. He gained six yards on his first run but lost a fumble on his second.
He still played on kick returns throughout the rest of the game, which included two returned kickoffs, but those were his only two snaps of the game. The fact that he played on special teams but not offense suggests this was a benching for the fumbles rather than something related to an injury. Etienne played a season high 72% of the offensive snaps, playing 91.4% of the early-down snaps and nearly all of the short-yardage and goal-line snaps. Tuten’s benching did not impact Allen’s playing time.
Etienne deserves to be in fantasy starting lineups regardless of whether Tuten remains benched, returns to his normal amount of playing time, or anywhere in between. However, it’s entirely possible that Eitenne’s ceiling will be a little bit higher going forward.
Tim Patrick has his best game in a surprising role: Patrick caught five passes for 78 yards and a touchdown as the Jaguars’ third wide receiver.
Jakobi Meyers, Brian Thomas Jr. and Parker Washington have been the Jaguars’ top three wide receivers over the past month when they’ve been healthy. Thomas has been the Jaguars’ primary X receiver, and Patrick has been the backup X. Thomas missed a few games, in which Patrick played significant snaps, but that didn’t lead to much fantasy production.
Washington didn’t practice on Wednesday and was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday due to a hip injury. He was ruled questionable on Friday but didn’t play. When he suffered the injury last week, Austin Trammell took over as the Jaguars’ third wide receiver. The Jaguars waived Trammell on Monday, added him to the practice squad on Wednesday, elevating him to the active roster for this game on Saturday.
This week, Jacksonville went with Patrick as the third receiver, allowing Patrick to play both Z and in the slot. This change of role for Patrick helped unlock his potential, leading to his most receiving yards since 2021. If Washington continues to miss time, Patrick should continue to have a significant role in the offense. The Jaguars have two rough upcoming matchups, but they have a rematch against the Colts in Week 17, in case Washington misses significant time.
Monitor Daniel Jones’ health: Jones suffered an Achilles injury late in the first quarter and was quickly ruled out.
Jones had scored the eighth-most fantasy points both total and per game over the first 13 weeks of the season, making him one of the top waiver-wire pickups of the season. The fact that the injury was quickly ruled an Achilles and that it wasn’t long before he was ruled out suggests the injury is serious, and it, at the very least, could end his fantasy season.
His replacement was sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard. Typically, late-round rookie quarterbacks who are injury replacements aren’t worth prioritizing in fantasy leagues, outside of superflex, unless they can run. Our first two strengths for Leonard in our draft guide were “mobility and escapability are pluses to his game” and “has some big plays when scrambling”.
Leonard had a fine game considering the circumstances, completing 18 of 29 passes for 145 yards and an interception while running for a late six-yard touchdown.
The Colts play the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars over the next three weeks. The latter two games in particular are favorable matchups for quarterbacks, but the Colts might need to pass the ball significantly in all three games. Assuming Jones misses the next three games, Leonard is worth picking up now, seeing how he plays with a full week of preparation against the Seahawks, and then if he performs well, fantasy managers should consider starting him against the 49ers and Jaguars.
Miscellaneous notes
- Alec Pierce got up slowly after almost catching a touchdown with two minutes left in the game. He was checked out in the medical tent and was officially ruled questionable. He was available for interviews after the game, which means he is not in the concussion protocol. He briefly talked about his health and said he felt good.
- Indianapolis’ slot wide receiver Josh Downs didn’t practice on Wednesday due to hip and knee injuries.
- Colts’ backup wide receiver and returner Anthony Gould left the game due to a foot injury.
- The Colts waived kicker Michael Badgley on Tuesday after missing an extra point last week. The Colts added kicker Blake Grupe to the practice squad on Wednesday and elevated him for this game on Saturday.
- The Jaguars waived fourth-string running back Cody Schrader on Saturday.
- The Jaguars waived wide receiver Austin Trammell on Monday, added him to the practice squad on Wednesday and elevated him to the active roster for this game on Saturday.
- Jacksonville tight end Hunter Long was back in the lineup after missing his fourth straight game due to a knee injury. Johnny Mundt was a healthy scratch with Long back.
Washington Commanders @ Minnesota Vikings
Noah Brown returns for the Commanders: Brown last played in Week 2, spending the last two and a half months on injured reserve due to groin and knee injuries.
Brown was the Commanders’ No. 2 wide receiver last season when healthy. He fell to third on the depth chart this offseason due to the Deebo Samuel Sr. addition and played 43.2% of Washington’s offensive snaps over the first two weeks prior to injury. He was a full participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday this week and was elevated to the 53-man roster on Saturday.
With Brown’s return and Terry McLaurin‘s recent return, the Commanders waived Robbie Chosen on Monday and signed him to the practice squad on Tuesday. Chris Moore, who started five games for Washington, was waived on Saturday and will presumably sign to the practice squad this upcoming Monday.
Brown immediately returned to his role as the third wide receiver in three-receiver sets, while Brown, McLaurin and Samuel all played over 92% of the 11-personnel snaps. In 12 personnel, Samuel didn’t play nearly as much as usual, and the team constantly rotated its four other wide receivers. Washington also ran 13 plays out of 13 personnel, in which Burks was typically the single wide receiver.
The differing wide receiver usage in different personnel groups left no wide receiver playing above 62% of the Commanders’ offensive snaps. While this game was not great news for McLaurin or Samuel, the Commanders have the second-best schedule for wide receivers over the next three weeks. If anyone gives up on McLaurin or Samuel and waives them after this game, it would make sense to pick them up.
Monitor Zach Ertz’s health: Ertz suffered a knee injury in the third quarter, was carted to the locker room and quickly ruled out.
Ertz has spent the last two seasons as Washington’s lead tight end. He’s played 66.7% of the Commanders’ offensive snaps this season, playing 66.3% in 11 personnel on early downs, 90.9% on third downs and 50% of two-tight-end sets. John Bates has been his primary backup in 11 personnel while playing 93.1% of the 12-personnel snaps, while Ben Sinnott has rotated with Ertz in 12 personnel. Colson Yankoff has also been on the roster and has played significant snaps when Bates and Sinnott have missed time due to injury, particularly in 13 personnel.
The Commanders only ran a few plays after Ertz’s injury because the game was completely out of hand. They ran three plays out of 13 personnel with their three remaining tight ends. They ran four plays out of 11 personnel, and Bates and Yankoff split those snaps.
Ertz was clearly emotional after the injury, and the speed at which he was ruled out suggests the injury is serious. That could keep him out for the rest of the fantasy season, and it could potentially be the end of Ertz’s career. Bates would be the tight end to pick up off the waiver wire, considering he’s played 88 snaps out of 11 personnel this season compared to just Sinnott’s 31 and Yankoff’s 11. If Ertz’s career is over, Bates has a chance to be the lead tight end next season. However, he’s never had a game in his career of more than 50 receiving yards. He should only be considered off the waiver wire in deeper leagues.
The Vikings embrace 22 and 13 personnel: Minnesota had used 15 single-receiver sets over the first 13 weeks, but it used 14 single-receiver sets in this game.
Minnesota has often stuck with 11 personnel, 12 personnel and 21 personnel, only straying from this in goal-line situations. This typically leaves both Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison playing nearly 100% of the offensive snaps each week. In this game, Minnesota incorporated both 13 and 22 personnel early in the game plan, including five uses in the first quarter and four in the second. Most of these were in normal first-and-10 situations.
Jefferson was consistently on the field for these plays, leaving several snaps with Addison off the field. This left fullback C.J. Ham and third tight end Ben Sims playing more offensive snaps than usual. The Vikings had a blowout win, so they played backups for the last 13 snaps of the game. Jefferson had played 100% of the offensive snaps prior to garbage time, and he didn’t play at all during those final snaps. Addison only played four snaps during garbage time, while Nailor and Tai Felton were the primary wide receivers throughout garbage time.
Addison ended up leading the team in receiving yards with 62 despite his snaps being highly reduced. We should expect his playing time to at least partially bounce back next week, assuming it’s not another blowout victory for Minnesota.
Miscellaneous notes
- Minnesota quarterback J.J. McCarthy was back in the lineup after missing last week due to a concussion. He practiced in full this week.
- The Vikings signed quarterback John Wolford from their own practice squad on Saturday but made him inactive.
- Vikings’ running back Aaron Jones Sr. was limited in practice all week due to a shoulder injury but wasn’t given a game status and played.
- Vikings running back Ty Chandler returned to practice from injured reserve on Wednesday due to a knee injury. He was able to practice in full on Thursday and Friday, but he remained on injured reserve for this game.
- The Vikings waived wide receiver Adam Thielen on Monday. He had been their fourth wide receiver, but his playing time declined throughout the season. He was a healthy inactive last week.
- Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels was back in the lineup after missing his third straight game due to a left elbow injury. He practiced in full on Thursday and Friday. However, he re-injured the elbow in the second half and didn’t return. Marcus Mariota is worth considering off the waiver wire, considering the Commanders’ schedule over the next three weeks.
- Jacory Croskey-Merritt didn’t play a single snap in the first half, but that’s only because the Commanders had only three drives. Chris Rodriguez Jr. played the first two, like usual, and the third was in a two-minute drill. The running back rotation was similar to the last few weeks.
Miami Dolphins @ New York Jets
Monitor De’Von Achane’s health: Achane suffered a rib injury and didn’t return.
Achane has maintained a dominant role in the Dolphins’ offense this season, playing over 75% of the offensive snaps on the year. That includes 96% of the two-minute drill snaps while splitting some work in short-yardage and goal-line work with Ollie Gordon II. Achane was off to a great start in this game, running seven times for 92 yards and a touchdown.
Gordon was Achane’s backup on the first drive, while Jaylen Wright was on the second drive. Gordon has been the clear primary backup for most of the season, but Wright was the backup in Week 10, finishing with 10 offensive snaps compared to Gordon’s three. Wright took his first carry for seven yards and scored a two-yard touchdown on the following drive.
That was enough to give Wright the hot hand, making him the primary running back for the rest of the game. There were reports after the game that Achane could have returned, but Miami was up by 17 points at halftime, facing a rookie quarterback in his first NFL action, so Miami kept Achane out.
This means Achane should be fine for next week, but Wright is still an intriguing option. He ran 24 times for 107 yards and a touchdown, while Gordon has never gained over 50 rushing yards in a game. The Dolphins have one of the best schedules for running backs over these next few weeks, so if Achane has a setback, Wright would have a lot of potential. The only concern is that Gordon was still the first backup to play this week, and if Gordon gets the hot hand, it’s possible the team would lean heavily on him in the case that Achane misses more time.
Mason Taylor leads the Jets in receiving: The Jets’ rookie tight end caught five passes for 51 yards, but did this with fewer snaps than usual.
Taylor immediately earned the Jets’ starting job at tight end, playing 87.5% of New York’s offensive snaps in Week 1, while Jeremy Ruckert was his primary backup. He’s played 73.6% of the snaps in 11 personnel on early downs, 88.3% on third downs and 98.3% of the snaps in two-tight-end sets over the first 13 weeks.
He had back-to-back weeks with over 60 receiving yards in Weeks 4 and 5 but was held under 35 receiving yards in each of his seven following games. This week, Taylor’s role was reduced. He only played 45.2% of the snaps in 11 personnel on early downs. His previous low in a game was 60.9%. He also only played 76.9% of the 11-personnel snaps on third downs. At least part of the problem was the blowout, as Taylor didn’t play in any of the final seven snaps of the game. However, he only played 74.5% of the snaps before garbage time, his second-lowest in all games before garbage time.
This meant Taylor was only on the field for 65% of the Jets’ pass plays. He received a target on 30.8% of his routes, his second-best in a game, likely tied to the fact Brady Cook was the primary quarterback during the game. If Cook remains the quarterback, Taylor may continue to have some value. However, he will likely be a player to avoid these next three weeks. He is a sleeper option at tight end for next year, depending on what the Jets do at quarterback.
Miscellaneous notes
- Miami’s backup quarterback, Zach Wilson, showed up on the injury report Saturday due to an illness and was questionable, but he was active.
- Dolphins fullback Alec Ingold was limited in practice on Wednesday due to a neck injury but practiced in full on Thursday and Friday.
- Miami’s wide receiver Tahj Washington didn’t dress (coach’s decision), his second straight absence.
- Tight end Darren Waller’s playing time took a notable dip this week, down from 45.8% last week to 36.9% this week. The game script heavily influenced this. He played 48.6% of Miami’s offensive snaps in the first half and 21.4% in the second.
- Jets quarterback Justin Fields was limited on Thursday due to a knee injury. He couldn’t practice on Friday and was ruled out. The Jets signed quarterback Brady Cook from their own practice squad on Saturday to be the backup.
- Tyrod Taylor suffered a groin injury early in the game, leading him to miss the rest of the contest. This left Cook as the team’s primary quarterback for the rest of the game. This impacted the receiving production for all Jets players.
- Breece Hall played a season-high 87.9% of the offensive snaps last week. His snap rate wasn’t as high this week, but 75.9% was his second-best for a game this season.
- Jets running back Khalil Herbert was active this week after his fourth straight healthy scratch.
- New York continued its wide receiver rotation from recent weeks, as Adonai Mitchell and John Metchie III were the top two receivers, while Isaiah Williams joined them in three-receiver sets.
- The Jets have typically made one of Allen Lazard, Tyler Johnson or Arian Smith inactive each week. Last week it was Smith, and this week, it was Johnson.
- Jets backup tight end Stone Smartt suffered an injury late in the fourth quarter and didn’t return.
New Orleans Saints @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Chris Godwin leads the Buccaneers in receiving yards again: Godwin caught five passes for 55 yards as the Buccaneers’ top receiver for the second straight week.
Tampa Bay has utilized a four-man rotation at wide receiver in recent weeks. Emeka Egbuka has been the X receiver, while Chris Godwin has been the Z in two receiver sets, and Godwin played in either Z or the slot in 11 personnel, depending on who else is on the field. Tez Johnson has been a Z receiver when on the field, while Sterling Shepard played in the slot. There have also been several plays without Godwin in 11 personnel.
This is likely because Godwin still isn’t 100%. He was limited in practice on Wednesday and Friday due to a fibula injury. This week, Tampa Bay surprisingly used Shepard more often and Johnson less, leading Godwin to play more of a Z receiver role.
The Buccaneers’ wide receiver room is about to get much more complicated with reinforcements coming soon. Mike Evans (collarbone) and Jalen McMillan (neck) returned to practice from injured reserve on Wednesday. They were both limited in practice all week but were left on injured reserve for this game. Both could be active as soon as next week.
Evans played an X-receiver role, which is what Egbuka has been playing, and McMillan played at Z, which is where Godwin and Johnson have been playing. Egbuka was held to two receptions for 15 yards this week, and he was held under 45 yards and no touchdowns in the three previous games. He will likely play fewer snaps once Evans returns. However, there is also a chance that Egbuka will play more in the slot once Evans is back, which could end up helping his fantasy value.
The Buccaneers end the fantasy season with matchups against the Carolina Panthers and Miami Dolphins. It might be hard to trust any of their wide receivers, given the matchup and potential uncertainty around their roles.
Juwan Johnson sees a reduced role in victory: The Saints focused much more on 12 and 13 personnel, leading Johnson to play less than usual.
The Saints’ receiving tight end started the season playing at least 90% of the offensive snaps in each of the first four weeks. His playing time declined once Foster Moreau and Taysom Hill were healthy, but it seemed to stabilize around 70-78% of the offensive snaps each week.
New Orleans won its second game of the season in Week 10, and Johnson only played 50% of the snaps in that game. The Saints still ran 11 personnel at a high rate, but there were more plays with Johnson off the field. This week, the Saints won their third game, and Johnson played 53.4% of the offensive snaps. This time, the Saints simply ran more plays out of 12 and 13 personnel. On those plays, it was typically some combination of Moreau, Hill and Jack Stoll on the field instead of Johnson. Anytime the Saints ran 11 personnel, Johnson was typically on the field. The Saints just ran fewer snaps out of 11 personnel.
Johnson is easier to trust when the Saints are underdogs and less if they are favorites. They face the Carolina Panthers, New York Jets and Tennessee Titans over the next three weeks, so the Saints could pick up more victories in those matchups. If you’ve been starting Johnson on your fantasy team, it could be time to consider another option.
Miscellaneous notes
- New Orleans halfback Alvin Kamara missed his second straight game due to knee and ankle injuries. He wasn’t able to practice all week.
- Devin Neal remained the Saints’ lead running back with Kamara out, running 19 times for 70 yards and a touchdown and catching a 14-yard pass. He will remain a borderline fantasy starter as long as Kamara is out.
- Saints’ wide receiver Chris Olave didn’t practice on Wednesday and was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday due to a back injury. He was ruled questionable but played.
- The Saints signed wide receiver Dante Pettis from their own practice squad on Wednesday.
- The Saints waived wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. on Tuesday, added him to the practice squad on Thursday and elevated him from the practice squad for this game on Saturday.
- New Orleans tight end Zaire Mitchell-Paden didn’t dress (coach’s decision), his second straight absence.
- The Saints elevated kicker Charlie Smyth from the practice squad for this game on Saturday. This was his second straight game as the Saints’ kicker.
- Tampa Bay’s quarterback Baker Mayfield and running back Bucky Irving were both limited in practice on Wednesday due to shoulder injuries but practiced in full on Thursday and Friday.
- Irving limped off the field at one point early in the game but was able to return for the rest of the game. He and Rachaad White shared the field in a similar split to last week, while Sean Tucker also got involved.
- Tight end Cade Otton played a season-low 81.1% of the Buccaneers’ offensive snaps, notably losing time in single-tight-end sets on early downs. Otton is a free agent after this season.
Denver Broncos @ Las Vegas Raiders
R.J. Harvey helps the Broncos get the victory: Harvey played two-thirds of the Broncos’ offensive snaps for the first time in his career.
The Broncos began the season with J.K. Dobbins as their lead back, Harvey as the backup and Tyler Badie as the receiving back. Dobbins is out for the season, so Harvey has become the lead running back, while Jaleel McLaughlin was the backup.
This week, Harvey played 72.2% of the snaps in normal early-down situations, the second-best rate of his career. He hasn’t played much in two-minute drills this season, but Denver didn’t have a two-minute drill in this game. He similarly hasn’t played much on third downs, but Denver avoided third downs for most of the game. This all led Harvey to play more than usual.
He ran the ball 17 times for 75 yards and a touchdown, and he caught six passes for 25 yards. This was a career-high for him in carries, rushing yards and receptions. The Broncos will need Harvey to keep playing well over the next three weeks. Denver faces the Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs. All three teams are fighting for playoff position, and all three rank in the top 10 at preventing fantasy points to running backs. Harvey should be a borderline fantasy starting running back over the rest of this season.
Troy Franklin finishes fifth in snaps for Denver: Franklin remained in a rotation with Marvin Mims Jr., while not playing much in two-receiver sets.
Denver started the season with Courtland Sutton as their X receiver, Franklin as their second receiver, and Mims and Pat Bryant fighting for snaps in three-receiver sets. Sean Payton likes to have a run-blocking wide receiver, but Trent Sherfield Sr. fell out of favor with the team. He was released, and the team brought back their run-blocking wide receiver from last season, Lil’Jordan Humphrey.
Franklin seemed to be making a case for the top wide receiver spot in Denver, finishing with eight targets in five consecutive games from mid-October to mid-November. However, Bo Nix and Franklin weren’t able to connect on several of his targets, and he was held to 40 receiving yards or fewer in three of those five games. He gained 84 receiving yards in Week 11 against the Kansas City Chiefs, but Bryant also had his best game of the season against Kansas City.
Denver used the Week 12 bye to tinker with its wide receiver rotation, leading Bryant to play the second-most snaps in Week 13, while Franklin rotated with Bryant. This week, the situation became much worse because Denver had 27 plays in single-receiver sets. Humphrey was on the field for 17 of these plays, while Bryant and Sutton split the rest. Franklin played slightly more than Mims in 11 personnel, but Mims played more than Franklin in 12 personnel. This left Franklin playing only 19 snaps in this game.
He caught three passes for 11 yards, while Bryant caught four passes for 32 yards. Franklin is a player to drop in most leagues after his reduced role, while Bryant is an intriguing waiver-wire option.
Jack Bech had his best NFL game: Bech caught six passes for 50 yards after catching just 10 passes for 114 yards in his first 12 games.
Bech started his career as the Raiders’ fourth wide receiver. He briefly took the X receiver role from Dont’e Thornton Jr. but lost the role a few weeks later. It seemed like both wide receivers would see an increased role when the team traded Jakobi Meyers, but Tyler Lockett has largely taken Meyers’ spot.
Thornton (concussion) and Alex Bachman (thumb) couldn’t practice all week, and both were inactive. D.J. Turner and Shedrick Jackson were both elevated from the practice squad to take their place. However, Bech took Thornton’s spot in the starting lineup. Bech also played ahead of Lockett in two-receiver sets, giving Bech more playing time in 12 personnel compared to other games where he was their lead X receiver.
Bech caught two passes from Geno Smith but mostly got involved late in the game with Kenny Pickett at quarterback. It’s possible that Bech was finally ready to emerge, but it’s also possible that his chemistry with Smith has been a problem. The Raiders have two rough matchups for wide receivers over the next two weeks but finish the fantasy season facing the New York Giants. This game was also a good sign for Bech’s value next season. The Raiders will likely add one or more wide receivers this offseason, but there is a chance Bech could start next year.
Miscellaneous notes
- Denver wide receiver Pat Bryant was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday due to a hamstring injury.
- The Broncos added wide receiver Elijah Moore to the practice squad on Tuesday. The Buffalo Bills recently released Moore after the Brandin Cooks addition.
- Denver tight end Nate Adkins was inactive due to a knee injury. He hasn’t played since Week 8.
- The Broncos signed tight end Marcedes Lewis from their own practice squad on Saturday. The Broncos had already elevated Lewis three times, and Denver went with only two tight ends last week.
- The Broncos having three tight ends left Evan Engram playing 36.5% of the offensive snaps. He caught two passes for eight yards. He remains a player to avoid in fantasy leagues.
- Las Vegas quarterback Geno Smith was limited in practice on Wednesday due to a foot injury. Smith left the game due to a right shoulder injury. He returned but ultimately didn’t finish the game, so Kenny Pickett took over.
- Raiders tight end Michael Mayer didn’t practice all week due to an ankle injury and missed his second straight game.
- Ian Thomas has been the Raiders’ primary replacement for Mayer, but he suffered a calf injury late in the game and was ruled out. This left Carter Runyon as the only remaining tight end.
Los Angeles Rams @ Arizona Cardinals
Arizona digs down the wide receiver depth chart: Most of Arizona’s top wide receivers were not able to play in this game due to various injuries.
The Cardinals started the season with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson as their top two wide receivers, Zay Jones and Greg Dortch as the top backups, Xavier Weaver as their fifth wide receiver and Simi Fehoko as the top practice squad option. Jones and Fehoko have been on injured reserve, Dortch was added to injured reserve on Saturday due to a chest injury, while Harrison (heel) and Weaver (hamstring) were inactive.
Andre Baccellia had worked his way up the depth chart with the injuries, playing in each of the last three games. He has eight career receptions in six seasons. He was the only other wide receiver on the 53-man roster before Saturday. Jalen Brooks and Trent Sherfield Sr. were both practice-squad elevations, but neither wide receiver started the season with the team.
Wilson and Barcellia were the top two wide receivers for the team, while Brooks joined them in three-receiver sets, and Sherfield mixed in for a few plays. Wilson was rotated out a little more frequently than in other weeks, but he also caught 11 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns. The Cardinals lost in a blowout, so this shouldn’t be too concerning. Baccellia was the Cardinals’ primary slot receiver, while Brooks played at X more often than not. Wilson spent most of the season playing Z receiver and in the slot. With Harrison out, he has played more X receiver, which could be contributing to his increased fantasy production. This week, he played less X than in the last few weeks but more than he did before Harrison’s injuries. This is a good sign that he can continue to have value, even when Harrison is back.
Every Rams wide receiver was held under 50% of offensive snaps: Konata Mumpfield led the wide receivers, with 45.7% of offensive snaps.
Historically, Sean McVay has been known for using a high rate of 11 personnel. This was great for their receivers’ fantasy value, as they typically had two receivers playing close to 100% of the offensive snaps, and sometimes a third. That changed dramatically in Week 7, when Los Angeles ran 28 plays out of 13 personnel. The Rams followed that up with 37 snaps in Week 9 and 30 in Week 10. They seemed to be moving away from 13 personnel, particularly after the Tyler Higbee loss to injured reserve.
Los Angeles ran 42 plays out of 13 personnel in this game, the most by a team in a game in the last 20 years. Recent addition Nick Vannett played his first offensive snaps with the team, which helped Los Angeles play so many snaps out of 13 personnel. The game script also influenced this. Puka Nacua, Davante Adams and Xavier Smith were the Rams’ primary receivers in 11 personnel, as each of them played over 75% of the snaps from that personnel grouping. Mumpfield has been the primary wide receiver in 13 personnel this season, and he played 54.8% of those snaps in this game. The high rate of 13 personnel and low rate of 11 personnel left all five wide receivers playing less than 50% of Los Angeles’ offensive snaps, while the Rams’ top three tight ends all played at least 64%.
Nacua still had an excellent receiving game with seven receptions for 167 yards and two touchdowns, but Adams was held to four receptions for 29 yards. Both wide receivers need to remain in fantasy starting lineups, but there is a risk the Rams won’t need one of them or both of them if they can get an early victory from the run game.
Miscellaneous notes
- Cardinals’ running back Trey Benson remains on injured reserve after not practicing all week. Arizona has until Wednesday to activate Benson from injured reserve, and if it doesn’t, he is out for the rest of the season.
- Arizona halfback Emari Demercado missed his third straight game due to an ankle injury. He was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday, downgraded to “did not practice” on Friday and was ruled out.
- Bam Knight remained the early-down back, while Michael Carter remained the passing-down back. Neither had much fantasy production this week, but the schedule is much more favorable in Weeks 16 and 17 if Benson doesn’t return.
- The Cardinals signed running back Corey Kiner from Minnesota’s practice squad on Tuesday to be their third running back behind Bam Knight and Michael Carter.
- The Cardinals waived running back Jermar Jefferson, who was their third running back last week, on Monday. He was signed to their practice squad on Wednesday.
- The Cardinals signed tight end Pharaoh Brown from their own practice squad on Wednesday, giving them four tight ends.
- Los Angeles running back Kyren Williams was limited on Wednesday and Thursday due to an ankle injury.
- Los Angeles’ wide receiver Davante Adams didn’t practice on Wednesday, was limited on Thursday and upgraded to full on Friday due to a hamstring injury.
- Los Angeles wide receiver Tutu Atwell remains on injured reserve, despite being a full participant in practice each of the last two weeks. He might remain on injured reserve, given how well the young wide receivers have played.
- The Rams waived kicker Joshua Karty on Monday and signed him to the practice squad on Tuesday.
Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers
Coming soon!
Houston Texans @ Kansas City Chiefs
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.
