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 will look 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 X (@CableBoxScore) and let me know. Let’s dive into the NFL Week 7 usage!
NFL Week 7 Usage Trends
ARIZONA CARDINALS
Emari Takes Over
After a one-week audition where Emari Demarcado, Damien Williams, and Keaontay Ingram all got a significant look, the Cardinals decided on their main back during James Conner’s absence. Demarcado got 80% of the running back snaps on Sunday. Notably, however, Ingram got both of the red zone opportunities.
ATLANTA FALCONS
London Still Rising
Even in a sluggish, offense-averse game, Drake London managed to keep ascending with seven targets (33.3%, sixth in the NFL) and six catches for 54 yards. He should have also had a touchdown in this game, but he was the man all over the field with Bijan Robinson mostly out. London’s seven targets were more than any two players on the team.
BALTIMORE RAVENS
Lamar Leap
Lamar Jackson’s 155.1 quarterback rating was 26 points higher than any player at the position on Sunday. He completed more than 70% of his passes for the third time in four weeks and is now the favorite at most sportsbooks to win the MVP award. But perhaps the most shocking thing from Sunday is that he posted 357 passing yards and three touchdowns while attempting just the 21st-most passes on the week.
BUFFALO BILLS
Dalton Dealing
After missing a game with injury, rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid returned in Week 7 and played his highest snap share since Week 1 (61% in Week 7). Now with Dawson Knox scheduled to have wrist surgery, the eight catches Kincaid had for 75 yards on Sunday might start to look like a common stat line.
CAROLINA PANTHERS
Carolina Did Not Play in Week 7
The rookies put on a Spooktacular show with the kids 👻
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) October 17, 2023
CHICAGO BEARS
Foreman With More, Man
Despite seeing his snap share drop from 60% in Week 6 to 48% in Week 7, D’Onta Foreman was much more efficient this week, going for 89 yards and two scores on 16 attempts and 31 receiving yards with another touchdown through the air. Foreman no longer profiles as a workhorse back and this is the type of role where he can be most successful.
CINCINNATI BENGALS
Cincinnati Did Not Play in Week 7
WEEK 8 LET’S GO
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 23, 2023
CLEVELAND BROWNS
Hanging With Mr. Cooper
After Jerome Ford left the game with 74 rushing yards and a touchdown, Kareem Hunt and Pierre Strong put up an inefficient 56 yards on 18 carries. Hunt did score two touchdowns and he is a name for the waiver wire this week considering the Browns rush at the seventh-highest rate in the league (46.4%).
DALLAS COWBOYS
Dallas Did Not Play in Week 7
Sights set on Sunday 🏹 #MondayMotivation | #LARvsDAL pic.twitter.com/S7hjUDvole
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) October 23, 2023
DENVER BRONCOS
Movement for Mims
Marvin Mims had his highest rate of routes per drop-back on Sunday with 45%. It still only resulted in one target from Russell Wilson, but things could change for him in a hurry with the trade deadline looming and Jerry Jeudy overwhelmingly expected to be on the way out of town.
DETROIT LIONS
Gibbs Gives Everything
In a game where the Lions were down four scores by the middle of the second quarter, it didn’t stop rookie Jahmyr Gibbs from showing he can be a bell-cow back when needed. He played 87% of the snaps, touched the ball 20 times for 126 yards and a score, and was the only running back to have a touch in the red zone. If Montgomery is gone for an extended period, Gibbs should ball out.
GREEN BAY PACKERS
No Love Lost
Only Trevor Lawrence and Tyson Bagent had a lower rate of completed air yards than Jordan Love on Sunday (3.4 yards). Love managed just 180 passing yards on 31 attempts, which is almost unfathomable to think about. Part of the equation is Love ranked first in Next Gen Stat’s aggressive rating on Sunday which measures how many throws are put in tight windows with a high degree of difficulty for the receivers.
HOUSTON TEXANS
Houston Did Not Play in Week 7
We're backkkkk ‼️ pic.twitter.com/7Vr3p5iydV
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 23, 2023
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Here Comes Taylor
That’s now three straight weeks with an increasing snap share for Jonathan Taylor and it was an exact 50/50 split with Zach Moss against Cleveland. But most importantly, he had 22 opportunities and finished with 21 fantasy points. In an encouraging move, Taylor also saw 50% route participation, something we did not see a lot of from him the last time he was healthy.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Etienne the Do-Everything
In addition to seeing his highest snap share of the season, Etienne’s two opportunities in the red zone were one more than the rest of the Jaguars’ team combined. The team slow-played his usage last year and teased us by drafting Tank Bigsby, but it’s clear this is Etienne’s offense now.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Rice on the Wide Receiver Buffet
The Chiefs are still mixing and matching with wide receivers every game, but Rashee Rice is starting to see some separation and preferential treatment. He reached 60% snaps for the first time in his career and led all wide receivers and running backs in targets with six.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
Davante Adams Still Trails
The squeaky wheel got some grease on Sunday when Davante Adams got 12 targets from Brian Hoyer. But the problem with Jakobi Meyers continues. Meyers got 13 targets and secured the one receiving score for the Raiders. Adams also played 75% of the snaps compared to 94% for Meyers.
In six games together this season:
Targets:
Davante Adams (63), Jakobi Meyers (56)Rec-Yds-TD:
Adams (40-444-2), Meyers (37-385-5)PPR fantasy points:
Adams (96.4), Meyers (105.5)— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) October 23, 2023
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
Palmer Playmakers
Joshua Palmer now has four straight games with at least seven targets, filling in for the injured Mike Williams. His five catches for 133 yards on Sunday show what he can do as the downfield threat while Austin Ekeler and Keenan Allen control the short field.
LOS ANGELES RAMS
Legendary WR Duo
After 12 targets led to eight catches for 154 yards for Puka Nacua, the Rams now have two of the top eight wide receivers in target share over the last three weeks. Puka Nacua has a 36.6% target share while Cooper Kupp is at 34.2%. Meanwhile, the snaps were about a 60/40 split in favor of Darrell Henderson on Sunday, a trend that will likely continue until Kyren Williams is back.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
Record-Breaking Receivers
Nothing particularly interesting from a usage standpoint sticks out after the loss to the Eagles, so how about some history in the making? Since the 2000 season, there have been just 12 instances of a player having at least 800 receiving yards in their first seven games of a season. Two of those players have come from this season: Tyreek Hill and A.J. Brown.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Air Jordan
K.J. Osborn played more snaps and ran more routes, but it was rookie Jordan Addison (even with missed due to injury) that was the behemoth in the win over the 49ers. Addison drew 10 targets and turned them into 123 yards and two touchdowns. He and Justin Jefferson are going to make quite the duo for years to come (probably!).
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Super Demario
After barely playing in the first six weeks of the season, the Patriots bumped up Demario Douglas’ snaps to 62% which he turned into 20 rushing yards and 54 receiving yards. Douglas was one target behind Kendrick Bourne for the team lead and also had a red zone target in this game. More run for him is surely on the way.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Kamara at the Goal Line
No other running back had more rush attempts than Alvin Kamara’s three from inside the five-yard line this week. Even with Jamaal Williams healthy, the Saints have deemed that Kamara should get the one thing he always lacked in his career – goal-line work.
NEW YORK GIANTS
Book Some Rooms at the Hyatt
That’s now back-to-back weeks with over 70% of the snaps played for rookie Jaylin Hyatt and he was able to turn his five targets into two catches and 75 yards. Hyatt was second in the NFL with 168 air yards this week so the opportunity is there. But the catches will be volatile with such a high average depth of target (33.6 yards in Week 7).
NEW YORK JETS
New York Did Not Play in Week 7
Everything we want is in front of us.
So long, bye week. We got work to do. pic.twitter.com/w1dX0tvbM5
— New York Jets (@nyjets) October 23, 2023
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Gainwell Near the Goal
Out of almost 10 opportunities in the red zone on Sunday night against Miami, only Kenneth Gainwell had more than one on the Philadelphia offense. He finished the night with three opportunities in that area.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Pickens is Ascending
Over the last three weeks, wide receiver George Pickens has a 33.3% target share, which is a great number and is ninth among all wide receivers. But he also has a 64.8% air yards share which is more than five percentage points higher than any other wide receiver in the game. With 237 receiving yards in his last two games, Pickens and Kenny Pickett are finally starting to develop into a lethal combination.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Jauan Jennings in the Deebo Role
With Deebo Samuel out, it was Jauan Jennings who filled in and led the team in targets with seven. He played on 39 of 53 offensive snaps and finished with five catches for 54 yards.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
New Big Two in Seattle?
With D.K. Metcalf out, it wasn’t Tyler Lockett or Jaxon Smith-Njigba who played the highest percentage of snaps. It was rookie receiver Jake Bobo (75%). Both JSN and Bobo eclipsed 60 yards and a touchdown while Lockett finished the day with a scoreless 38 yards.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
White Still Not Clean Enough
Despite playing more than 75% of the running back snaps every single week, Rachaad White can not find any efficiency. After rushing for 34 yards on 13 carries against Atlanta, White now ranks 52nd among running backs in true yards per carry and 54th in fantasy points per opportunity. His top-ten snap share and route participation are the only things keeping him fantasy-relevant at this point.
TENNESSEE TITANS
Tennessee Did Not Play in Week 7
Oilers Week! #NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/DrAFRLQZeK
— Titans (Oilers Version) (@Titans) October 23, 2023
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
Lost Dotson
Jahan Dotson continued a streak of now seven straight games with under 45 yards receiving. He has played more than 80% of the snaps six of seven games, and even had eight targets in Week 7. But Sam Howell just can not get him the football this season.
Data Sources: Pro Football Focus, NFL Next Gen Stats, Football Guys Snap Summary, FTN Air Yards, Pro Football Reference, Team Rankings
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