RADIO
Welcome to Week 9 of the fantasy football season. This article series takes the recent snap and touch history of skill players into account, and now that we have three weeks in the books there is a bit more of a sample to work with.
Week 8 saw a litter of players across the league see curious usage, and that is always worthy of a write-up. This piece takes a look at the snaps and touches from each week to break down what is or is not important for fantasy football moving forward.
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Running Back Snaps for Fantasy Football
D'Onta Foreman (68%), Carolina Panthers
Foreman had a season-high in snaps and fantasy points this past week as Chuba Hubbard was out due to injury. With Christian McCaffrey out of town, the RB1 spot in Carolina is wide open and if Foreman continues to play as he did in Week 9, there is no reason to believe that he will not continue leading this backfield.
However, there are negatives that come with Foreman. He's been targeted just three times over the past two games while operating as the lead back, has only has 25 targets in 34 career games, and was just facing an Atlanta defense that ranks 26th against the rush. Hubbard is pacing to miss Week 10, which sets Foreman up for another workhorse game against the Bengals who are closer to league average (15th in DVOA) versus the run.
Michael Carter (56%), New York Jets
In Michael Carter's first game since Week 1 as the clear lead back for the Jets, he only played about half of the team's snaps. This game was presumed to be a bell-cow game for Carter with Breece Hall out and James Robinson arriving just days prior via trade.
Nevertheless, Carter did manage to put up a decent 10.1 points. His upside is much higher now with Hall out of commission but oddly, Ty Johnson played 32% of the snaps. Johnson is a thorn in the side of Carter's manager as he is also a capable receiving back and useful in ever-valuable two-minute drills.
The Jets did not trail until the second half of Week 9 and it was close for most of the game. Johnson playing as much as he did should be notable for Carter managers, but Carter can be started weekly regardless of matchup due to his value as a receiving outlet.
Ronnie Rivers (36%), Los Angeles Rams
Ronnie Rivers led Rams RBs in snaps this past week and it was somewhat a surprise after his name was mentioned by some like Matthew Berry on Saturday. Rivers did not necessarily usurp RB1 Darrell Henderson, rather, Henderson has been ill throughout the week and his status for Sunday was uncertain.
Henderson played but was limited to just 41% of the snaps which still led the team. Rivers can largely be ignored with Henderson healthy and rookie Kyren Williams due back soon from IR.
Wide Receivers Snaps for Fantasy Football
Davante Adams (71%), Las Vegas Raiders
Davante Adams dealt with an illness throughout last week and it affected not only his performance but snaps as well. The Raiders limited him to just 71% of the snaps where he typically plays 95% or more. This was his worst game of the season by far as he finished with 1 reception for 3 yards on 5 targets.
Adams should be fine moving forward as the illness is unlikely to linger and affect future games. He's a locked-in WR1 rest-of-season.
Wan'Dale Robinson (69%), New York Giants
Wan'Dale Robinson's played exactly 69% of the snaps the past two weeks. After a semi-breakout Week 8, expectations were high for the presumed WR1 for the Giants but he fell short in a messy game versus Seattle. Robinson's 2 receptions for 15 yards on 3 targets were wholly uninspiring and managers head into the Giants' BYE confused about Robinson's role/upside.
One game should not deter what we witnessed the two weeks prior as Robinson accumulated 87 yards on 9 catches and 14 targets with a TD to boot. He is probably just a FLEX play for now, but there is room to grow as his snaps should increase in coming weeks further removed from his preseason knee injury.
DK Metcalf (63%), Seattle Seahawks
Metcalf was a surprise active this past Sunday after suffering a knee injury that seemed somewhat serious. Rumors were that Metcalf's absence could be indefinite but he returned and played as well as he could without practicing the entire week.
Metcalf's six catches for 55 yards and one TD were a welcome surprise to any brave managers who started him (likely out of desperation). With the injury potentially behind him and some practice this week, managers can confidently start the Seahawks' big-bodied WR1.
Tight Ends Snaps for Fantasy Football
Isaiah Likely (67%), New England Patriots
Isaiah Likely was a preseason darling who some assumed could have a role as the Ravens' quasi-WR3 despite being listed as a TE, but that did not come to fruition throughout the early portion of this season. Likely's snaps had decreased throughout the month prior to Week 8, as he lost out to Josh Oliver who is the more proficient blocker.
Regardless, after Mark Andrews' early exit from Thursday Night Football, Likely stepped in as the lead receiving TE and had a career day. His 7 targets, six catches, 77 yards, and TD were all career/season highs -- and it was mostly wasted on benches and waiver wires as Andrews' pre-game activity led everyone to ignore him.
Likely deserves consideration on fantasy rosters with Andrews dealing with multiple injuries (shoulder/knee), and WR1 Rashod Bateman out for the foreseeable future with his foot strain.
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