Snap Count And Usage Analysis - Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers for Week 5

Joey analyzes fantasy football snap counts risers and fallers. Are these fantasy football players emerging, or a risk for starting them in Week 5 lineups?

Welcome RotoBallers to another edition of snap count and usage analysis. As we head into Week 5, we will look at and analyze snap count and usage from several players across the league – some good and some not so great. 

Week 5 marks a pivotal one for many managers as we head into the middle of the fantasy regular season. Teams currently 0-4 or 1-3 can't avoid losing anymore in the early going, while the undefeated teams are looking to continue their hot streaks and build more cushion atop the standings.

However, there's still plenty of time in the fantasy season to make moves and claim a playoff spot. This article, which will be featured all year, is a great starting point for helping your team. Each week, I will go through plenty of players who saw more or less usage on offense from the prior week.

Surprisingly High Snap Count/Usage From Last Week

RB David Montgomery, Detroit Lions - 34 touches

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery dealt with a thigh issue that caused him to miss the Week 3 game against the Atlanta Falcons. One week later, Montgomery saw his biggest usage of the season in the Lions' 34-20 win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 4.

Despite coming off an injury, Montgomery stepped right back into his usual workload last Thursday. He ran 32 times for 121 yards and three touchdowns while also catching two passes for 20 yards through the air. The veteran back saw 71% of the team snaps and played 53-of-75 snaps for the Lions offense.

Montgomery has been the clear RB1 in Deroit's offense when healthy, and running back Jahmyr Gibbs hasn't been utilized as much as people thought heading into the year. The rookie only had 12 touches compared to the veteran's 34 touches last week.

The Lions have essentially given Montgomery the Jamaal Williams role from last season, which saw Williams rush for a career-high 1,066 yards and 17 touchdowns. Gibbs hasn't eaten into the veteran's workload so far, and he probably won't if the Lions continue to control games.

RB Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears - 78% snap share

Over the past couple of weeks, Chicago Bears rookie running back Roschon Johnson has earned more and more opportunities on offense, resulting in fewer touches for running back Khalil Herbert. In the Bears' 31-28 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 4, Herbert controlled the majority of the backfield touches.

Herbert played a season-high 56 snaps and saw 78% of the team snaps in the loss. The 25-year-old back cashed in on the opportunity, rushing 18 times for 103 yards while also catching four passes for 19 yards and one touchdown. It was his first 100-yard rushing day since Week 3 of the 2022 season.

It was a surprise to see Herbert completely take over this backfield in Week 4, given the rookie's involvement on offense in Week 3. Johnson was only on the field for 16 of 72 snaps this past week.

While we can't expect this to happen every week, it was a nice fantasy day for Herbert in a friendly matchup against the Broncos' defense. If the Bears continue to give the 25-year-old the rock more often on offense, he will have RB2 upside this season. Johnson should also see more chances as the season goes on.

RB Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints - 14 targets & 75% snap count

Welcome back New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara. After serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy, Kamara showed why fantasy managers shouldn't have let him fall in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts this summer.

The veteran saw insane usage in his first game of the year, which resulted in him finishing as the RB9 in PPR formats. Kamara had 11 rushes for 51 yards and 13 catches on 14 targets for 33 yards. He also played 75% of the team snaps on offense.

It was shocking to see Kamara only finish with 84 total yards in the game on 24 touches. Those 24 touches are a great sign of his value moving forward in fantasy. If the five-time Pro Bowler can continue to be a weapon in the passing game, he has a real chance to finish top-15 at the running back position in fantasy football.

Other Players To Note: 

• D'Andre Swift (18 touches & 63% snap share)
• Gus Edwards (69% snap share)

Surprisingly Low Snap Count/Usage From Last Week

RB Raheem Mostert, Miami Dolphins - 43% snap share

Miami Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert was a fantasy superstar through three weeks. He averaged over 65% of the team's offensive snaps and combined for six touchdowns with over 250 yards from scrimmage in Week 2 and Week 3.

In Week 4, it was evident that Mostert played second-fiddle to rookie running back De'Von Achane. The veteran back played a season-low 28 snaps and 43% of the Dolphins offensive snaps. He had just seven carries for nine yards and three catches for 36 yards while also losing a fumble in the contest.

Despite Achane playing 11 more snaps than Mostert in Week 4, they essentially had the same amount of touches in the loss to the Buffalo Bills. Achane had 11, and Mostert had 10.

However, Achane had 120 total yards and two touchdowns, while Mostert didn't show any explosiveness out of the backfield. It'll be interesting to monitor this situation moving forward, especially since Jeff Wilson Jr. (knee) can be activated off the injured reserve list at any time now.

TE Darren Waller, New York Giants - three targets

Did we all fall for the offseason hype of New York Giants tight end Darren Waller? After two bad performances for Waller in Week 1 and Week 3, the veteran put together his worst performance of the season in the team's 24-3 loss against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 4.

Waller saw a season-low three targets on Monday night and is certainly trending down in fantasy football. For the third time in four weeks, the former Pro Bowler caught just three passes in a game with less than 40 receiving yards. In Week 4, he had three catches for 21 yards.

All the blame can't be on Waller for his start to the season. The Giants offense has looked like one of the worst in the league, and quarterback Daniel Jones has no time to throw in the pocket.

If you also watched the Giants game on Monday, Jones doesn't even look Waller's way. He had only one target entering the fourth quarter before picking up two catches in the second-to-last drive of the game. The tight end was also open on a goal-line pass that eventually went for a Seahawks pick-six in the third quarter.

Hopefully, better days are ahead for Waller in fantasy.

WR Calvin Ridley, Jacksonville Jaguars - two targets

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley started his season strong by catching eight passes for 101 yards and one touchdown. Since then, Ridley has almost been a ghost in the passing game.

Ridley had just two catches in Week 2 and three more catches in Week 3 before turning in another rough line in Week 4. In a revenge game against his former team, the Atlanta Falcons, the 28-year-old wideout finished with just two catches for 38 yards and one touchdown.

What's most concerning about Ridley's offensive output is his targets. The wideout had just two targets on Sunday, joining backup tight end Luke Farrell and third-string running back JaMycal Hasty for the fourth most targets on the team in the game.

There is a real concern for Ridley in fantasy right now. If it wasn't for his touchdown, he would be looking at three consecutive games of less than seven PPR fantasy points. I still think he's a major buy-low on a solid offense, but it's not looking good for him in Jacksonville's offense. 

Other Players To Note: 

• Dallas Goedert (two catches on four targets)
• Deebo Samuel (0 targets)

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