Snap Count Observations: Week 14
Heading into the semi-finals is no time to get cute. At this stage of the game, it’s unlikely that you’re looking for a spot starter, but finding the “next man up” very well could lead you to fantasy glory in Week 16. Here are some interesting observations of the snap counts in Week 14.
Chester Rogers 93% / T.Y. Hilton 68% / Kamar Aiken 59% / K.J. Brent 6%
There isn’t much to see here as the Colts passing game has not been a significant source for fantasy points this season, but it was interesting to see Chester Rogers leading the team in snaps. He’s seen 4 or more targets in each of his past four games, but the yardage is minimal. Rogers may be an interesting end-of-season stash for deep keeper or dynasty leagues. If you made it to the semi-finals with T.Y. Hilton on your team, you probably started benching him a few weeks ago, with just four games over 9 PPR points this season.
Josh Gordon 91% / Corey Coleman 67% / Rashard Higgins 48% / Ricardo Louis 7%
Welcome back, Josh Gordon! After playing 76% of the offensive snaps in his first game back with the Browns, Gordon led the way playing 91% of the Week 14 snaps. Corey Coleman saw his snaps decrease a bit but tied Gordon for the team lead in targets. Both players are interesting boom/bust flex starts in the playoffs.
Jamaal Williams 66% / Aaron Jones 11%
Things may change if/when Aaron Rodgers returns, but for now, Jamaal Williams is the clear leader in RB snaps and Aaron Jones is playing as his backup. Jones may be worthy of a bench stash as a handcuff if you’re relying on Jamaal Williams as a starter for the final two weeks.
Carlos Hyde 56% / Matt Breida 44%
Matt Breida did not perform well with the 12 touches he received, gaining only 27 yards with them. But it was interesting to see that he played just under half the snap and was given just two fewer touches than Carlos Hyde. Brieda is another great handcuff stash if you’re counting on Hyde for your championship run.
Doug Baldwin 95% / Paul Richardson 94%
Paul Richardson is creeping into weekly play status, with at least 10 PPR points in three of his past four games. He’s clearly earned the playing time, logging 94% of the snaps in Week 14. If you need a flex play with TD upside, Paul Richardson is a decent option, scoring 6 TDs this year and considering the Seahawks are showing their now annual late-season offensive surge.
Alfred Morris 52% / Rod Smith 46%
Rod Smith will be getting a lot of attention this week due to his two TD performance and over 100 receiving yards, however, 81 of those yards were gained on a long TD play. Morris is still the lead back in snaps and rushing opportunities, which limits the upside of Rod Smith. He could still be a flex play for Week 15 in a must-win Sunday Night visit to the black hole.
Alex Collins 45% / Danny Woodhead 38% / Javorius Allen 20%
Much like the previously mentioned Rod Smith, Javorius Allen is getting a lot of attention for his two-TD performance. In this case, Allen scored both of his TDs from inside the red zone, and both immediately followed runs by Alex Collins. If the Raven’s would have kept Collins in the game for those carries, Allen would not even be a consideration on waiver wires this week. Collins led the team in snaps, out-carried Allen 18-6 and saw the same two targets as Allen. Allen simply isn’t getting enough volume (13 snaps) to be anything more than a handcuff stash for Collins owners. He has no business starting for anyone in their semi-finals matchups.
James White 57% / Dion Lewis 30% / Rex Burkhead 28%
Another week, another messy NE backfield situation that resulted in flex-worthy points across the board, but no big games. The Patriots trailed for all but 3 minutes of this game and ran the ball just 10 times, giving both Dion Lewis and Rex Burkhead just 5 carries. Burkhead got the goalline rushing TD and James White scored a receiving TD. NE targeted RBs 15 times, leading to decent PPR days for all three players.
Good luck in your semi-final matchups!