Snap Count Observations: Week 16
Do you play in one of the few leagues that use Week 17? If you do, you know it is like the wild west, anything can happen and often does. Week 17 has produced some of the highest scoring games in fantasy football history. Sometimes it comes from young players finally getting a shot to showcase their skills. In 2009, second-year RB Jamaal Charles had taken over the lead-back role after the team’s bye week and capped off his second year with 259 yards and 2 TDs in Week 17. Do you remember 2011 when Green Bay Packer’s QB Matt Flynn got the start and posted 480 passing yards and 6 passing TDs, which led to amassing contract with the Seahawks the following season? Pierre Thomas had accumulated less than 30 points for the entire 2009 season when he got the call in Week 17 and ran the ball 20 times for 105 yards while also catching 12 passes for another 121 yards and scored a receiving TD. The point is, there are fantasy points to be scored in Week 17.
There will be players who have not had much playing time that come out of nowhere to score, while other players should be more obvious. Keep an eye out for players getting the starting nod while starters are rested. Look for scenarios where a young player could get more playing time over a veteran who is unlikely to be with the team next year. Here are a few of the snap count observations that stood out in Week 16.
JuJu Smith-Schuster 85% / Martavis Bryant 72% / Eli Rogers 44% / Darrius Heyward-Bey 21% / Justin Hunter 10%
Antonio Brown was out in Week 16 and has already been ruled out for Week 17. Missing time in the playoffs is also a possibility, so keep an eye on the snaps and targets in Pittsburgh if you’re playing in Week 17 or a Playoff League. Eli Rogers and Darrius Heyward-Bey could be interesting stashes for Week 17 if the Steelers get a big lead and rest their starters.
Alfred Blue 55% / Lamar Miller 36% / Andre Ellington 9%
Alfred Blue led the Texans backfield for the second week in a row. Week 17 feels like the perfect time to go big and give Blue a start against a fellow bottom-dweller AFC South team, the Indianapolis Colts.
Wayne Gallman 73% / Orleans Darkwa 15% / Shane Vereen 8% / Paul Perkins 4%
It’s ugly, but Wayne Gallman has been leading this backfield for a few weeks. The Giants are likely to look a lot different next season, but grabbing Gallman in Week 17 just in case they don’t add a high draft-pick RB to compete could lead to an interesting 2018 keeper.
Chris Godwin 84% / Mike Evans 79% / Adam Humphries 54% / Freddie Martino 13%
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers did not live up to expectations in 2017, but rookie Chris Godwin has been a bright spot for a few games, including last week’s 3 reception, 98-yard performance with DeSean Jackson out of the lineup. Perhaps the Bucs try to get their rookie his first NFL TD in Week 17.
Mike Wallace 79% / Chris Moore 60% / Breshad Perriman 41% / Michael Campanaro 30%
The Ravens passing game has been decent the past few weeks. Jeremy Maclin missed Week 16 and it gave Chris Moore a chance to see some increased snaps. Moore caught both of his targets for 29 yards in Week 16. The Ravens currently hold a wildcard spot, while their division rival Cincinnati Bengals would love nothing more than to deal them a loss in Week 17 to put that spot in jeopardy. Perhaps the second-year WR Moore will have one of those magical end-of-season games that vaults him into “sleeper” territory with the prospect of a third-year breakout in 2018.
Best of Luck in your Week 17 games!