Week 9 NFL Usage Report for Fantasy Football

Every NFL team has been going through significant changes to depth charts so far this year, thanks to injury, trades or mere desperation.

Each week our usage report will look at one utilization stat that was noticeable and explain what that might mean for fantasy football moving forward.

Fantasy Football Usage Report Through Week 9

AFC East

Buffalo Bills: Your Weekly Reminder That James Cook Doesn’t Have RB1 Usage

For the seventh week in a row, James Cook saw under 60% of the snaps at the RB position. The Bills have made it a point to give both Ty Johnson and Ray Davis meaningful touches every single week. For those who have Cook on their roster, I think the most important thing to note is that Cook is still mighty productive with his limited snap counts. There’s also some upside in the sense that there’s a chance that Cook will see his usage go higher as the games get more important.

Miami Dolphins: Jonnu Smith Leads Team in Receptions and Targets Since Tua’s Return

I mentioned last week that Jonnu Smith has been getting traction as the team’s TE1, and he has seemingly cemented that and then some. Smith’s 13 targets since Tua Tagovailoa’s return to the lineup in Week 8 actually leads all Dolphins receivers. His production has also gotten him more playing time every single week. His 69% snap rate (42) against the Bills was a season high. Last week, Smith was rostered in just 6% of Yahoo leagues. This week, he’s at 9% rostership, and it might be your last opportunity to pick him up for the upcoming bye weeks.

New England Patriots: Hunter Henry Gets Huge Boost with Drake Maye As QB

Since Drake Maye took over as the Patriots’ QB, Hunter Henry has been playing like a WR1. His 23 receptions on 28 targets for 234 yards leads the team in each of those categories. The only tight ends who have surpassed those numbers in that three-week span have been Trey McBride, Brock Bowers and Evan Engram. Henry is only rostered in 36% of Yahoo leagues, and with the way he has been playing, could even warrant being added as a potential flex option. 

New York Jets: Xavier Gipson Has Inside Track to Take over WR3 Role

Mike Williams was just traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. With Allen Lazard on IR and Malachi Corley pulling a DeSean Jackson at the 1-yard line, I think it’s reasonable to say that Xavier Gipson is the most likely to emerge as the Jets’ WR3. While he only saw 17% of the snaps (10 snaps) in the Jets win against the Texans, he still outsnapped Corley, who only saw 10% of the snaps (6 snaps). The departing Williams saw 71% of the snaps (41) so there’s lot of playing time available for either Gipson, Corley or Irvin Charles to take over.

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens: Mark Andrews Outsnaps Isaiah Likely 2 Weeks in a Row

Things were not looking good for Mark Andrews believers for the first 5-6 weeks of the season. Fortunately, Andrews is finally showing a bit of an edge over Isaiah Likely in the snap count and has outsnapped Likely two weeks in a row. Unfortunately, the Ravens offense tends to go through their run game, and especially when the game is out of reach, so Andrews led the tight ends with just 2 catches on 2 targets for 26 yards.

Cincinnati Bengals: Chase Brown a One-Man Show at RB

Many figured Trayveon Williams would see action with Zack Moss inactive, but the Bengals decided to give all of their RB touches to Chase Brown. Brown ended the day with 32 touches for 157 all-purpose yards and a touchdown. With Moss on IR, the Bengals acquired Khalil Herbert from the Bears at the deadline. We might not see Brown get 30-plus touches per game moving forward, but it does look like Brown has earned a lot of trust from head coach/playcaller Zac Taylor and should be a focal part of the Bengals offense moving forward.

Cleveland Browns: Jerome Ford Outsnaps Nick Chubb in First Game Back from a Hamstring Injury

Nick Chubb had come off a Week 8 where he saw 61% of the snaps (42). But with Jerome Ford returning Week 9, he only saw 35% of the snaps (28). His reduced workload is likely a combination of Ford being at full strength and Chubb being less dynamic than he was before the injury that costed him the vast majority of his 2023 season. While there’s a lot of hope for those who’ve rostered members of the Browns receiver room under Jameis Winston, it’s hard to feel the same for the Browns running backs.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Bye Week

AFC South

Houston Texans: Takes Injuries to Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins for Tank Dell to Be a WR1

With Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins both out of the lineup, Tank Dell’s supporting cast included Xavier Hutchinson, John Metchie III and Robert Woods. While Dell led the group with 6 catches on 9 targets for 126 yards, the others were pretty underwhelming. Only Woods ended the night with a reception (2 catches on 3 targets for 44 yards). While Collins’ return is looming, it seems like the Texans may still be without him for at least another week, so there’s still plenty of opportunity for one of the other receivers to make an impact.

Indianapolis Colts: Josh Downs Somehow Still Has Untapped Potential with Joe Flacco as QB

Josh Downs ended his Week 9 with another team-leading 6 catches on 9 targets for 60 yards. He’s clearly Joe Flacco’s favorite target and he’s doing so with a smaller snap rate than both Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce. Downs only saw 50% of the snaps (27) yet got targeted in 9 of his 20 routes run. If Downs somehow gets his snap counts closer to Pittman’s 85-90% snap rate, Downs might end up seeing Amon-Ra St. Brown and Cooper Kupp levels of usage.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Austin Trammell Suddenly a WR3

Due to Jacksonville’s injury issues at the WR position, Austin Trammell was activated from the practice squad and found his way into the lineup as the team’s WR3 and primary punt returner. You’d have to be in a very desperate situation if you’re considering giving up a roster spot for Trammell, but he might warrant consideration in leagues with points for return yardage. A lot of these return guys don’t have a role in their team’s offense, but if Trammell can continue to get 55-60% of the snaps like he did Week 9, he should be considered as a bye week replacement.

Tennessee Titans: Nick Westbrook-Ikhine Has Firmly Locked Spot on the Field

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine had another high usage game where he saw a team-leading 97% of the snaps (75). While Ridley still saw more targets, Westbrook-Ikhine just appears to get the higher quality targets. He added another end zone touchdown to bring him 4 end zone touchdowns, which is a tie for fifth-most end zone touchdowns in the league. This puts him in the same category as guys like Terry McLaurin, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Drake London, Justin Jefferson and Garrett Wilson. Adding any of those guys to your roster is close to impossible, but at the moment, Westbrook-Ikhine is only rostered in 1% of Yahoo leagues.

AFC West

Denver Broncos: Bo Nix Not Targeting TEs Enough

The Broncos were blown out against the Ravens but still weren’t able to do much with their passing attack. Bo Nix’s 62.6% completion percentage this season is the fifth lowest of quarterbacks who have played every game this season. You can make a strong argument that Nix hasn’t been utilizing his tight ends to the best of his ability. Against the Ravens, he targeted his tight ends with just one catchable target, a 4-yard completion to Adam Trautman who caught his only target on 22 routes run. The Broncos have had four tight ends see playing time through these first 9 games of the season. None of the four tight ends have seen more than 8 catchable targets thrown their way. In fact, Lucas Krull as caught all 8 of his catchable targets for 75 yards and, Trautman has caught all 7 of his catchable targets for 121 yards and a touchdown.

Kansas City Chiefs: Xavier Worthy Might See Big Usage Decrease with the DeAndre Hopkins’ Emergence

Monday night against the Buccaneers, Xavier Worthy saw just one catchable target. That particular target is “worthy” of mentioning because it featured absolutely atrocious footwork and terrible awareness on what should have been a touchdown catch. It’s hard to watch the Chiefs offense function and imagine Worthy being heavily featured, and especially so if we see guys like Isiah Pacheco and JuJu Smith-Schuster make their returns, and DeAndre Hopkins continue his upward trend in terms of snaps and targets.

Las Vegas Raiders: Don’t Let the Fantasy Points Fool You — Zamir White Is Toast

Zamir White got touches in nearly all of his snaps and hopped into the end zone for a touchdown. But yes, he also only saw 11% of the snaps (7) and maneuvered his way into 10 yards on his 6 carries. I’m not exactly sure what to make of a guy performing so badly but getting touches in 85.7% of his snaps, but whatever it is, it’s not a positive thing.

Los Angeles Chargers: Ladd McConkey a Model of Consistency

Ladd McConkey has seen at least 6 targets in each of his last six games. While his colleagues, Quentin Johnston and Joshua Palmer can be pretty boom or bust, McConkey has been about as consistent as it gets as he handles his business. He takes the majority of his snaps from the slot and Justin Herbert’s comfort level with McConkey has looked clearly stronger and stronger as the season progresses.

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys: With Zeke Inactive, Rico Dowdle Sees Highest Snap Rate

Ezekiel Elliott was inactive for the Week 9 contest against the Falcons due to disciplinary reasons. That news paved the way for Rico Dowdle to get his season-high snap rate of 71% (55), which amounted to 17 touches for 107 all-purpose yards and a touchdown. Dowdle has been the most impactful running back on the roster by a mile and with Cooper Rush set to get his first start of the season, I expect to see a healthy dose of Dowdle in the Cowboys game plan.

New York Giants: Tyrone Tracy Jr. Officially the Giants’ RB1

In Devin Singletary’s third game back from a groin injury, Tyrone Tracy Jr. saw his highest snap rate of the season when he saw 72% of the snaps (47) in the Giants’ loss to the Commanders. It’s hard to argue against Tracy seeing the majority of touches given how dynamic he has looked in much more limited playing time than Singletary.

Philadelphia Eagles: Eagles Have the Most Top-Heavy WR Group in the League

A.J. Brown went down with a knee injury and only saw 47% of the snaps (37) in the Eagles win against the Jaguars. This left DeVonta Smith to shoulder most of the work for the Eagles receivers, getting 4 receptions on 6 targets and a touchdown. Jahan Dotson, Johnny Wilson and Ainias Smith all saw time on the field in Brown’s absence, and the three of them combined for 2 catches on 2 targets for 36 yards. Without Brown in the lineup, it’s pretty likely that Hurt will continue to turn to Smith as well as his tight ends. In fact, Grant Calcaterra has looked better and better every game and is coming off a game where he got 5 catches on 5 targets for 30 yards.

Washington Commanders: Chris Rodriguez Jr. Maybe Plays His Way into Additional Playing Time

With Brian Robinson Jr. inactive, Chris Rodriguez Jr. was active and actually got more carries than Jeremy McNichols (11-8). One thing that stood out was Rodriguez’ pass blocking, which included a big blitz pickup that resulted in a first down. The Commanders have been without either Robinson or Austin Ekeler in three games this season, so Rodriguez’s emergence might be especially important if you are in need for help in a deeper league.

NFC North

Chicago Bears: Cole Kmet Being Ignored

Cole Kmet saw 85% of the snaps (63) in the Bears’ defeat to the Cardinals. Astonishingly, while Kmet ran routes in 40 of the 63 snaps, he saw absolutely zero targets from Caleb Williams. That gives him exactly 1 catch on 1 target for 14 yards over the last two weeks. Gerald Everett has seen more targets come his way even though he sees just a quarter of the snaps that Kmet does.

Detroit Lions: Sam LaPorta Not Getting Enough Volume

Through eight games, Sam LaPorta has seen just 26 targets come his way. Through eight games in his 2023 campaign, LaPorta had seen a whopping 59. It’s tough to figure out why LaPorta isn’t getting as many targets this season, but it should be quite alarming that he has been out-targeted by the likes of rookie Ja’Tavion Sanders and guys like Evan Engram, Dallas Goedert and David Njoku who have all missed significantly playing time due to injuries. If you have LaPorta on your roster, you might need to consider adding someone like Jonnu Smith or Hunter Henry.

Green Bay Packers: Christian Watson’s Lack of Volume Is Concerning

In Week 8, Christian Watson saw his highest snap rate of the season, getting 74% of the snaps (52). Even with the high snap share, he only ended the day with 4 catches on 4 catchable targets for 46 yards. In fact, he has not seen more than 4 catchable targets in each of his seven games this season. If you have Watson on the roster, it might be time to explore alternatives, if you haven’t already done so.

Minnesota Vikings: Vikings Easing T.J. Hockenson into the Lineup

Both Johnny Mundt and Josh Oliver did an admirable job at the tight end position in T.J. Hockenson’s absence. Both Mundt and Oliver are still getting playing time as Hockenson gets eased into the lineup. Hockenson made his 2024 debut against the Colts and saw 45% of the snaps (33), catching 3 balls on 4 targets for 27 yards.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons: KhaDarel Hodge Takes Over Drake London’s Snaps After London’s Injury

The Falcons run a lot of three-WR sets, and because of that, KhaDarel Hodge saw 81% of the snaps (46) thanks to Drake London going down with an injury. Kirk Cousins generally does a good job at distributing the ball to all of his pass catchers, but there was a clear preference for Darnell Mooney once London was ruled out for the game. Mooney’s 9 targets were more than the targets London, Hodge, Kyle Pitts and Ray-Ray McCloud saw combined. There’s a chance that London will return to the lineup this coming Sunday against the Saints, but if he isn’t active, I would be inclined to bump Mooney up in my DFS rankings.

Carolina Panthers: Jalen Coker Not Getting Enough Opportunities

Jalen Coker was the hot waiver wire pickup among the Panthers wideouts leading up to Week 9, but he ended up seeing just 45% of the snaps (24) and 2 catchable targets from Bryce Young. With Young likely staying in as Carolina’s QB1, it may behoove you to consider options other than Coker moving forward.

New Orleans Saints: Taysom Hill Sees Second-Most Targets After Alvin Kamara

In Derek Carr’s return to the Saints lineup, he mostly targeted Alvin Kamara, who caught 6 passes on 9 targets for 60 yards. Add that to his 29 carries for 155 yards, and it’s quite clear that Kamara is getting a huge bump in usage with Carr back in the lineup. It should also be noted that Taysom Hill saw a season-high 4 receptions on 5 targets for 41 yards. If Hill is available on waivers, he’s close to a must-add, considering he also doubles as a RB2 with both Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller out of the lineup.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Rakim Jarrett Sees More Snaps Than Any Other Tampa WR

The Buccaneers were without their top three receivers entering the season, which led to Sterling Shepard, Trey Palmer and Rakim Jarrett all seeing significant playing time. Surprisingly, Jarrett ended up outsnapping everyone on the offense outside of Cade Otton, seeing 84% of the snaps (46). Even so, Jarrett didn’t do much while he was on the field, as he saw just 1 target come his way. With all these injuries to Tampa’s wideouts, it’s looking like the only four guys who should be strongly considered to be in your starting lineup include Baker Mayfield, Rachaad White, Bucky Irving and Cade Otton.

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals: James Conner Sees Less Than Half the Snaps But Still Gets Fed

The Cardinals were able to get significant playing time to all four of their running backs thanks to controlling the entire contest against the Bears. Outside of Week 6 when James Conner was limited due to an injury, Conner saw his lowest snap rate this season, taking just 48% of the snaps (28). Amazingly, he touched the ball on 75% of his snaps (18 carries for 107 yards and 3 catches for 12 yards). Again, the Cardinals have seen a ton of success as long as Conner gets his volume.

Los Angeles Rams: Cooper Kupp Back

We are seeing shades of the 2021-2022 version of Cooper Kupp again. He ended Week 9 with his second 10-plus-catch performance of the season, catching 11 passes on 14 targets for 104 yards. Probably most importantly, he was on the field for 92% of the snaps (71), after being significantly limited in his return Week 8. 

San Francisco 49ers: Bye Week

Seattle Seahawks: AJ Barner Sees More Targets Than Anyone Not Named Jaxon Smith-Njigba

With Noah Fant inactive, AJ Barner saw 91% of the snaps (73) as the team’s TE1. He ended the day with 4 catches on 7 targets for 27 yards, which was more catches and more targets than any other Seahawks receiver not named Jaxon Smith-Njigba. DK Metcalf’s absence really thins out the number of dependable receiving options for Geno Smith’s offense. With Fant hampered by a lingering groin injury, I wouldn’t be surprised if Barner continues to rise up Geno’s trust meter.