In fantasy football, usage and opportunity are king. Fantasy points can’t accrue on our teams unless our players accumulate the snaps, attempts, and targets that lead to yards and touchdowns. This weekly piece looks at usage trends from each NFL team from a fantasy angle. We will look at who is gaining and who is losing opportunities in order to make better future roster decisions.
If you have interesting usage notes, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter/X (@CableBoxScore) and let me know. Let’s dive into the NFL Week 14 usage!
NFL Week 14 Usage Trends
ARIZONA CARDINALS
The Cardinals Did Not Play in Week 14
when everyone is playing football but you're on a bye pic.twitter.com/zgQ084juAv
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) December 10, 2023
ATLANTA FALCONS
London By the Yard
You may have seen that Drake London had a career-high 172 yards receiving this week (by 47 yards). I know they lost, but Arthur Smith might want to consider that good things can happen when you throw your first-round receiver the ball a lot.
Drake London when the Falcons pass for more than 250 yards in his career
9-6-78-0
12-9-125-0
11-10-172-0 (+ a 2PT CONV)Competent QB play and he's a superstar
I'm gonna keep screaming to buy him until he's a consensus top 10 Dynasty WR pic.twitter.com/ppZuzPHiLe
— Corey Buschlen (@FootballStock) December 11, 2023
BALTIMORE RAVENS
Keaton Mitchell Rising
The Ravens are starting to trust Keaton Mitchell more and more each game. While all three backs played between 20 and 20 snaps, Mitchell had 10 touches to just seven combined for Gus Edwards and Justice Hill.
BUFFALO BILLS
Gabe Davis Every Other Week
It’s officially a trend now. Over the past six weeks, Gabe Davis has alternated half-PPR finishes that are 34th or better (including two top-ten finishes) or 114th or worse. He is fantasy football’s biggest headache.
CAROLINA PANTHERS
At Least He is (Bryce) Young
According to Ben Gretch on X, Bryce Young has the two highest average throw depths in the two weeks since Frank Reich was fired. That’s the good news. The bad news is he only has a 42% completion rate.
CHICAGO BEARS
Running Fields
If it looks like Justin Fields is running a lot more than he used to, it’s accurate. In his last 17 games (full-season sample), Fields has rushed for 1,237 yards.
Justin Fields since Week 4 (per game):
110/166 (66.0%)
1284 Yds (214)
10 TD (1.67)
2 INTs (0.33)
104.6 Rate
48 RuAtt (8)
345 Yds (57.5)
1 TD (0.17)
4 FUM (0.67)3-3 record. pic.twitter.com/XNdEs6t45E
— Christian Williams (@CWilliamsNFL) December 12, 2023
CINCINNATI BENGALS
Burrow Who?
Headed into Monday Night Football, Jake Browning had the highest adjusted completion rate and the highest passer rating of any quarterback in Week 14. He may mess around and lead these Bengals to the playoffs.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
Njoku Unlocked
Joe Flacco was the secret to unlocking David Njoku all along? After his two-touchdown day, Nkoku is on pace for 80 catches, 800 yards, and almost six touchdowns. He also leads has 18 more yards after the catch than the next-closest tight end this year.
DALLAS COWBOYS
Gotta Love the Jake
Yes, Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb are incredible, but what about Jake Ferguson. Over the last four weeks, no other tight end has more red zone targets than the rookie.
DENVER BRONCOS
All He Does is Catch TDs
With another one yesterday, Courtland Sutton is now second to only Tyreek Hill with 10 receiving touchdowns on the year. Sutton has his scores on less than half the yards of Hill (1,481 to 699).
Russell Wilson's touchdown to Courtland Sutton on Sunday was the NFL's longest TD pass by air distance (60.8 yards) this season, per @NextGenStats.
Had a completion probability of 21.9%.
Utterly remarkable.pic.twitter.com/6lhJJV88Cj
— Zack Kelberman (@KelbermanNFL) December 11, 2023
DETROIT LIONS
Split the Running Back Pot
The Lions are absolutely committed to a split backfield in Detroit and we are going to just have to get used to it. Despite Jahmyr Gibbs almost doubling David Montgomery in snaps, Gibbs touched the ball 14 times for 82 yards. Montgomery touched it 13 times for 85 yards.
GREEN BAY PACKERS
Wisconsin Deebo Samuel
Jayden Reed somehow had just 27 receiving yards on eight receptions on Monday, but he saved his fantasy day as “Wisconsin Deebo Samuel” had 38 rushing yards and a touchdown as well. Among wide receivers, only Romeo Doubs ran more routes and no one had more than his 10 targets.
HOUSTON TEXANS
No, No, Nico!
Nico Collins entered Week 14 with the third-most receptions over 10 yards in the NFL (29). He is now dealing with a calf strain, and with Tank Dell lost and C.J. Stroud in concussion protocol, this offense has gone from blazing hot to winter cold.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Moss Rolling Slowly
Zach Moss was once again in a pristine matchup with all the work coming his way, and he did not produce. He did have a touchdown called back because of penalty, but his average finish the last two weeks in half-PPR was RB26.5. The first five weeks of the season? It was RB9 the first five weeks of the season.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Target Practice
With Christian Kirk sidelined indefinitely, the target distribution was even more condensed than normal for Jacksonville. Calvin Ridley (12), Zay Jones (14) and Evan Engram (13) saw 39 targets while everyone else got 10.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Rice Rice Baby
Once again, it was Patrick Mahomes trusting Rashee Rice among the wide receivers and basically no one else. Rice saw 10 targets against the Bills including three in the red zone. No other wide receiver or running back got more than four targets.
So uh… Rashee Rice. pic.twitter.com/7YJND5ufBZ
— Kyle Borgognoni (@kyle_borg) December 11, 2023
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
Maxx Pain
I guess in the absence of a real NFL offense for Las Vegas on Sunday, we can focus on their bring spots, one of which is Maxx Crosby. Crosby has 11.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss. It’s haunting to think where this team might be if he were not part of the defense.
If I’m Antonio Pierce, I am asking Davante Adams how many targets he wants per game and making sure he gets them so he will stay happy and not want out during the offseason.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
Spiller Steps Up
We heard all week it might be a split backfield for the Chargers after several weeks of Austin Ekeler struggling. We just assumed it would be Joshua Kelley with more work, but it was Isaiah Spiller next in line with six touches for 19 yards. It’s not a performance worth writing home about, but Spiller had just eight rush attempts since Week 4 coming into that game.
LOS ANGELES RAMS
Kyren Rollin’
The five weeks off for injury seemed to have recharged Kyren Williams. He touched the ball 28 times for 115 yards on Sunday and it was his first full game played since Week 5 without a touchdown. Williams also has 15 targets over the last three weeks.
Kyren Williams forced 11 missed tackles vs. the Ravens 🤯
1st in the NFL for week 14 pic.twitter.com/4OvLdbXH0j
— PFF LA Rams (@PFF_Rams) December 11, 2023
MIAMI DOLPHINS
Hill to Climb
What was the impact of the Dolphins in a largely neutral game script when they were missing Tyreek Hill? They ran the ball almost 49% of the time compared to 43.5% on the season as a whole. Raheem Mostert’s 22 touches are tied for the most of his career. It doesn’t look like Hill will miss time, but if he does, it’s Mostert all the way through the playoffs.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Changeup to Chandler
Despite this being a 0-0 game for about 96% of it, Tyson Chandler got 56% of the snaps compared to 32% for Alexander Mattison after Mattison left with an injury. Chandler also touched the ball 15 times to just 10 for Mattison and saw more targets after the offense had to cope with losing two of their top three skill position players.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
The Zappening
Just how unlikely was Bailey Zappe’s 21.9 fantasy points on Thursday night against the Steelers? Zappe had a total of 53.4 fantasy points in his career before that game. In addition, the Steelers had not given up that many points to a quarterback since Week 11 of 2022.
Bailey Zappe in the first half:
🇺🇸 14-21
🇺🇸 196 yards
🇺🇸 3 TDs, 0 INTs
🇺🇸 136.1 rating pic.twitter.com/tecHa64eXu— PFF (@PFF) December 8, 2023
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Carr Crash
Just how bad was Derek Carr’s game against the miserable Carolina Panthers on Sunday? His 71 intended air yards (71) were the lowest of his entire career with only a game in 2020 where he left after five passes with in jury checking in with fewer (37). This was the Saints not wanting to expose a concussed and bruised Carr to any more damage, but it sunk all his fantasy options around him.
NEW YORK GIANTS
Wan’Dale Won
Tommy DeVito is the story, but don’t overlook how Wan’Dale Robinson set up the Giants to win the Monday night game. According to NFL’s Next Gen Stats, no other wide receiver was better than Robinson’s 5.1 average yards of separation. That can lead to reliable looks down the stretch from DeVito.
NEW YORK JETS
Target Monster
After 14 targets on Sunday, only Michael Pittman and Keenan Allen have more targets on the season than Garrett Wilson. As bad as the targets may be, fantasy managers desperately need Zach Wilson to start the rest of the way because he only has eyes for Garrett. The last three games Zach started, he targeted Garrett 41 times.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Two-WR Set
What makes A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith so good for fantasy besides the fact that they are freaking studs? Jalen Hurts looks for almost no one else. Dallas Goedert returned to four targets on Sunday. Otherwise, Olamide Zaccheaus got one target on a fake punt, and THAT WAS IT. No other receiver or running back saw a target against the Cowboys.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Somebody Resurrect Kenny
I believe the following outcomes also apply to any and all Steelers we may have on our fantasy teams.
Steelers when…
Kenny plays the entire game: 7-2
When he doesn’t: 0-4
Get us a different backup QB
— Schappy (@Schapp19) December 10, 2023
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Two-WR Set 2.0
Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel combined for 275 receiving yards on Sunday. Heading into the Monday night games, that was more than 22 quarterbacks compiled for their entire game. Among those that topped 275? Joe Flacco, Desmond Ridder, and Zach Wilson….just like we all thought.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
JSN For the Win
Jaxon Smith-Njigba has 18 targets over the last two weeks, four more than another Seattle player in that span. With Tyler Lockett inconsistent and DK Metcalf boom or bust, JSN is proving to be a late-season source of PPR points.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Chris Godwin Collapse
Chris Godwin could only turn a team-leading 11 targets on Sunday into five catches for 53 yards. He has one game with more than 77 yards and one game with a receiving touchdown this season. With Green Bay, Jacksonville, and New Orleans on tap, there is a case to be made that he is bench-able for the playoffs.
Why Chris Godwin’s ceiling is low in this Bucs offense pic.twitter.com/lhNMfseWCS
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) November 29, 2023
TENNESSEE TITANS
Levis Career Day
He may not have had four touchdown passes like his first career game, but Will Levis had career-highs in passing yards (327) and rushing yards (15) in the comeback win over Miami. Levis had a 60.5% completion rate on Monday night which was 4.4% above expectation, the fifth-highest among all quarterbacks in Week 14.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
The Commanders Did Not Play in Week 14
Made his day 🥹 pic.twitter.com/VGkD8e4e96
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) December 6, 2023
Data Sources: Pro Football Focus, NFL Next Gen Stats, Football Guys Snap Summary, FTN Air Yards, Pro Football Reference, Team Rankings
Week 15 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Half-PPR by Position | Flex Rankings | Positional Ranks w/ K & DST | Dynasty | Superflex Dynasty