Select Snap Count Observations: Transactions for Week 5 (Fantasy Football)
We are officially deep enough into the season that early-year noise is crystallizing into concrete playing-time trends. Since we have already hammered home the importance of tracking snaps over the last three weeks, let’s skip the small talk and dive straight into the data.
Buffalo Bills
Keon Coleman (78%)
DJ Moore aggravated his lingering shoulder injury in the second quarter against the Patriots. While it is incredibly frustrating for his fantasy managers, DJ Moore‘s exit opened the door for Keon Coleman. Coleman didn’t just step into the role; he absolutely commanded it, playing 46 of 59 offensive snaps (78%) and running 28 routes. The third-year receiver capitalized on the playing-time bump, exploding for six catches, 116 yards, and a 34-yard TD.
What makes Coleman’s usage so interesting is how his presence cannibalized Dalton Kincaid. The Bills leaned heavily into three-receiver sets in Week 4. Kincaid’s playing time fell to just 35 snaps (59.3%) and 20 routes, leaving him with a 2-target footprint. This change comes just a few weeks after the Bills ran a ton of 3-TE sets against the Lions. Joe Brady seems to have an opponent-specific game plan, which makes predicting the Bills’ receivers difficult week-to-week.
Conclusion: As long as Moore is banged up, Coleman is still a premium waiver priority, even if it might be hard to predict if WRs or TEs will be a focal point for the Buffalo offense each week.
Cincinnati Bengals
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Dohnte Meyers (89%)
The Bengals’ WR depth chart is fractured. Andrei Iosivas is on injured reserve, rookie Colbie Young is sidelined with an ankle injury, and Ja’Marr Chase suffered a concussion against the Jaguars. To make matters worse, Tee Higgins exited late in the fourth quarter with an adductor injury. This leaves former CFL standout Dohnte Meyers as the top healthy target in Cincinnati’s passing game. Meyers played a lot on Sunday, leading all Bengals wideouts in offensive snaps and drawing nine targets from Joe Burrow. He converted that usage into seven catches for 82 yards, making him the clear secondary option behind Higgins before Higgins also left the game. Meyers looked okay against a strong Jacksonville defense. He’s no Chase, but he is tied to a very good QB and an offense that should move the ball even without its star WRs.
Conclusion: With a Week 5 matchup against the Dolphins looming, Meyers is a waiver wire target. Cincinnati remains a pass-heavy offense, and Burrow seems to have a rapport with Meyers from extensive post-practice sessions dating back to training camp. If Chase misses time, Meyers steps into a starting role with WR3/Flex utility.
Miami Dolphins
Ollie Gordon (56%); Jaylen Wright (31%)
The Miami backfield remains a committee, but the efficiency gap is widening. Ollie Gordon split time with Jaylen Wright on Sunday, but Gordon was the far more explosive runner. He maximized his limited opportunities, highlighted by a 53-yard run that accounted for the bulk of Miami’s offensive production. The biggest hurdle for Gordon is not Wright; it is the environment. The Miami offense is broken right now, managing a dismal eight first downs on just 41 total offensive plays. This lack of sustained drives severely limits the overall volume and scoring opportunities for both backs.
Conclusion: While Gordon looks like the superior talent, he remains a risky start because of the team’s inability to move the chains. He is a hold in all formats because his explosive playmaking ability could force a larger share of the workload if the offense stabilizes.
Dallas Cowboys
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George Pickens (89%); CeeDee Lamb (89%)
The playing time says co-alphas, but the box score tells a completely different story. Through the early stretch of the season, George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb have been on the field at nearly identical rates, both clearing an 80% snap share. Yet, the production gap between the two Dallas wideouts is staggering. Lamb is putting up elite numbers, culminating in a massive 21-target, 17-catch performance against Houston on Sunday. Pickens, meanwhile, has been relegated to an afterthought in the stat sheet, securing just two catches in that same game.
The underlying metrics show that Pickens is simply being outshined by another elite talent, sometimes drawing extra defensive attention that opens up single coverage for Lamb. However, this is a contract year for Pickens, who is currently playing on a franchise tag. He has the talent to demand the ball and the financial motivation to make his voice heard. Pickens showed his explosive upside against the Texans by turning his rare opportunities into gains of 22 and 53 yards.
Conclusion: He is a prime buy-low candidate. The playing time is there, the talent is undeniable, and Dallas will eventually have to balance this target tree to keep defenses honest.
Denver Broncos
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RJ Harvey (44%)
Playing time in Sean Payton’s backfield remains frustrated by a rotation, but the high-value touches are flowing heavily in one direction. While RJ Harvey only logged seven carries for 25 yards on the ground against San Francisco on Sunday, he was a massive focal point in the passing game, earning 10 targets. Harvey did not let a single one of those opportunities go to waste, catching all 10 of his targets for 68 yards. This pass-catching footprint allowed him to lead the team with 19.3 PPR points despite playing behind J.K. Dobbins in early-down situations.
This heavy target volume highlights a clear reality in Denver: Payton appears to be leaning into Bo Nix‘s limitations by adapting the offense to short, high-percentage throws. Nix averaged just 5.1 yards per attempt against the 49ers, frequently utilizing Harvey as his primary escape valve. In fact, 14 of Nix’s 25 completions on Sunday were thrown to RBs.
With his 21.9% target share trailing only Bijan Robinson for the lead among NFL RBs, Harvey is a PPR asset.
Conclusion: Even if his snap count does not increase, the combination of Nix’s low average depth of target and Harvey’s route running gives him a safe weekly floor with immense upside in negative game scripts.