NFL Usage Report for Week 2: Backfield Usage to Open the Season

There’s no denying volume is king in fantasy football. Especially at the running back position, players who rarely leave the field are worth their weight in gold. Despite their market value, the volatility of this game means even running backs with the highest workloads aren’t guaranteed a top finish on any given week. In the long run though, investing in players who rarely leave the field will yield positive results.

To help identify who these players are, I evaluated the snap counts for all 32 backfields, placed them in tiers, and provided a brief takeaway.

Workhorses: Backs with a Snap Share Above 75%

This section is typically reserved for first- and second-round picks in your fantasy draft, but Darrell Henderson logging the second-highest snap percentage in Week 1 was certainly a surprise. Sean McVay has historically used a one-back approach in his backfield, and if Henderson has solidified his role as the No. 1 guy, it could mean he’s in line to drastically outperform his ADP. Henderson’s rushing and receiving numbers in Week 1 weren’t eye-popping, but in Week 2 he’ll face a Falcons’ defense that allowed the sixth-most rushing yards last year. If your roster is in need of another RB, buy Henderson before his price becomes unreasonable.

The rest of the names on this list were far from surprising. Dalvin Cook, Jonathan Taylor and Leonard Fournette acting as workhorses with 20-plus carries was solid confirmation for their fantasy managers, but it shouldn’t change their rest of season outlook. Saquon Barkley came a hair shy of the arbitrary 20-carry mark, but he led the league in snap share and looks like the clear focal point of the Giants offense. 

Finally, Christian McCaffrey’s name being on this list shouldn’t be a surprise, but his opportunity numbers may raise a few eyebrows. A total of 10 carries and 4 targets is well short of McCaffrey’s historic workload, but for now it’s best not to panic. McCaffrey’s 81.1% snap share indicates he’s still the alpha in that backfield, and fantasy managers should maintain their confidence levels for the time being.

Clear Lead Backs: Snap Share Above 60%

Joe Mixon, James Conner, Derrick Henry, Alvin Kamara and D’Andre Swift being labeled as lead backs shouldn’t come as any surprise. They were drafted in the first or second rounds of most fantasy drafts, and the only potential surprise is that a few of them didn’t crack the workhorse tier. I cheated a little bit by lumping Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren in this group as well. Harris was on his way to achieving workhorse status prior to getting injured late in the game, and if history tells us anything Warren should step into a similar role in the event Harris misses any time.

The one name on this list who jumps out as a big surprise is Rex Burkhead. Following an offseason of Dameon Pierce hype, seeing Burkhead post a higher snap share than Derrick Henry was certainly eye-opening. Houston’s coaching staff mentioned they want to get Pierce more involved moving forward, but until proven otherwise, the rookie is going to be hard to trust and Burkhead is worth a stash.

Other than the no-brainers and Burkhead, the next batch of backs on this list includes a lot of “Dead Zone” RBs. Many cautious drafters feared the unknown workloads for David Montgomery, Josh Jacobs and Chase Edmonds amidst coaching staff changes, but all three logged workloads that fantasy managers should be happy with until proven otherwise. 

Then we get to two backs who are going to make fantasy managers feel pretty foolish. Cordarrelle Patterson and Rashaad Penny were both studs last year, but questions about their workloads caused them to fall in drafts this offseason. Patterson quickly proved that he’s once gain going to be a key part of the Atlanta offense, and his fantasy managers should feel confidence in his outlook moving forward. Penny on the other hand has a murkier outlook in front of him. The workload was great in week one, but once second-round rookie Ken Walker returns from injury, things could change suddenly. Until Walker’s back though, Penny’s a must start.

Split Backfields: Two Backs Combining for 90+%, Neither Above 60%

I cheated a little by putting the Packers duo in this group, but listing Aaron Jones as a “Clear Lead Back” while AJ Dillon logged a 50.8% snap share just didn’t feel right. The narrative all offseason was that both backs would be the most valuable fantasy options in Green Bay, and Week 1 certainly backed up that claim. As advertised, the two shared the field at times, and the big surprise was Dillon doubling Jones’ carry numbers and logging an additional target. Given the snap share for each back and some expected improvement for the overall offense, fantasy managers can continue to start both backs with confidence.

Much like with Jones and Dillon, Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard shared the field a fair amount Sunday, and both backs saw more than half of their team’s offensive snaps. The loss of Dak Prescott means this offense is taking a major step in the wrong direction for the foreseeable future, and it may be hard for both (or even one) of the Dallas backs to sustain fantasy relevance while Prescott is out. You’re starting Elliott if you have him, but if Pollard’s penciled into your starting lineup, it may be time to look for alternative options.

Both the Javonte Williams/Melvin Gordon and Michael Carter/Breece Hall breakdowns were frustrating for managers who spent an early pick on Williams or Hall. There is a silver lining though as the target numbers for each back should inspire confidence in PPR formats. Williams (12), Hall (10) and Carter (9) finished the week as the top three target leaders at the running back position. As long as Checkdown King Joe Flacco is under center in New York, both Carter and Hall should be viable options in PPR leagues. Meanwhile, Williams’ final stat line would have looked drastically different had he not fumbled on the 1-yard line – no need to panic here either. Gordon’s usage indicates he’s more than just a handcuff and could be started in a pinch throughout the season.

The breakdown in Jacksonville was a bit of a surprise for those who believed Travis Etienne would step into a prominent role right away while James Robinson continued recovering from his Achilles injury. Instead, the breakdown was a near 50/50 split with neither back seeing significant volume. 

To round out this tier we have business as usual in the Browns’ backfield. Both Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb will remain valuable fantasy starters in a high-powered Browns’ offense. You’re probably unable to buy Hunt after this week’s performance, but it’s worth kicking the tires on Chubb in case his manager’s tilting after Hunt got the touchdowns this week.

Committees With a Leader: Only One Back Above 50% 

It feels like it won’t be long before the Bills find themselves a tier lower on this list. Devin Singletary’s 59.3% snap share was solid, but were it not for James Cook (5.1% snap share) fumbling on his first touch and then heading to the doghouse, this breakdown could have looked very different. Cook carving out a role feels like it’ll only be a matter of time, and the only question is whether he’ll primarily cut into Singletary’s workload, Zack Moss’ (37.3%) or both.

Kenyan Drake seeing 58.9% of snaps in Baltimore was a bit of a surprise, but it feels like this entire backfield is going to be a mess until J.K. Dobbins is fully healthy. Neither Mike Davis (12.5%) nor Justice Hill (19.6%) saw much work in this one, so if you’re in need of a desperation start, Drake is probably the guy here for the time being, but proceed with caution.

Evaluating the 49ers backfield is a bit tricky considering Elijah Mitchell suffered an injury midway through the game. Once Mitchell went down, all the work went to Jeff Wilson while San Francisco’s No. 3 back – Jordan Mason – didn’t log a single offensive snap. Mitchell is expected to be out for two months, which means Wilson should have a golden opportunity as the team’s starter moving forward. If he’s on your waiver wire, add Wilson wherever you can, but temper expectations because it wouldn’t be surprising if Kyle Shanahan leans heavily on Deebo Samuel (8 carries in week one) in the run game while Mitchell is out.

All offseason long, Eagles’ head coach Nick Sirianni has claimed “Miles [Sanders] is our guy” when referencing the team’s backfield, meanwhile many fantasy analysts claimed he’ll be stuck in a disastrous committee. In Week 1, both parties were correct. Sanders was far and away the team’s leader in the running back room, but that was a fairly low bar considering Kenneth Gainwell (29.9%) and Boston Scott’s (18.2%) limited involvement. The Eagles run game was impressive on Sunday en route to 216 yards and 4 touchdowns – one from each of the backs and one from Jalen Hurts. Sanders could be a major beneficiary of that potent offense if he continues to stay above that 50% threshold.

The most surprising name in this tier was Austin Ekeler (who wouldn’t have even made the cut if I didn’t bend the rules a bit). Ekeler saw roughly half of the Chargers’ backfield snaps while Sony Michel (23.9%) and Joshua Kelley (26.9%) split the other half fairly evenly. The Chargers have made it known this offseason that they want to limit Ekeler’s workload this season, and if Week 1 is any indication, they plan on sticking to their word.

Headache-Inducing Committees: Team’s With No Back Above 50%

We have officially entered the tier that should cause alarms to go off in your head, and unsurprisingly the New England Patriots are at the forefront of this tier. Bill Belichick is notorious for rotating his backs with reckless abandon, and despite all the offseason hype for Rhamondre Stevenson, early signs indicate this backfield is going to be as frustrating as ever. 

The hope in Kansas City was one of the team’s backs would look good enough the offseason to demand a large slice of the pie in this backfield. Unfortunately, it looks like this is going to be a full-blown committee with no back. The one wrinkle here is that many of Isiah Pacheco’s snaps came well after this game was already out of hand. Whether he’s a part of the offense in closer games remains to be seen, but if he carves out a role it’s bad news for the other two backs.