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The fantasy football playoffs are here. For most leagues, the playoffs will begin in Week 15 with the championship coming two weeks later in Week 17. It's been an eventful season, and your team must win the final three weeks of the year to be crowned the champion.
First, you have to win in Week 15 to advance to Week 16. With injuries piling up and new quarterbacks taking over every week, it's important to take a look at what happened in Week 14.
In this article, I will analyze which players had unusually high or low usage from last week. This list below can be key for your start and sit decisions in the first round of the fantasy playoffs. So, let's dive in and see which players made the list.
Surprisingly High Snap Count/Usage From Last Week
RB Ezekiel Elliott, New England Patriots: 91% snap share
Those who picked up New England Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott before Week 14 were rewarded big time on Thursday night. With Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle) dealing with an injury, he was inactive last game for the Patriots. That opened up the door for Elliott on offense.
Elliott saw 91% of New England's offensive snaps in Week 14 and played 52-of-57 possible snaps in that game. With the high snap count, the veteran totaled 29 touches for 140 yards and one touchdown. He was utilized heavily in both the running and passing game and reeled in seven catches for 72 yards.
If Stevenson can't go in Week 15 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Elliott is a must-start in all formats. He'll see almost all the running back snaps once again and should top 20-plus touches again. Last week, the veteran finished as the RB1 with 27 PPR fantasy points.
RB D'Onta Foreman, Chicago Bears: 55% snap share
It appears Chicago Bears running back D'Onta Foreman is the team's top back heading into the fantasy football playoffs. Before 14, there were only two instances where Foreman, Roschon Johnson, and Khalil Herbert were all active. The first one was in Week 1 where Foreman was the odd man out, and the second was in Week 11 when Foreman left the contest early.
Well, in Week 14 against the Detroit Lions, the 27-year-old veteran was the Bears' lead back. He played 55% of Chicago's offensive snaps in the win, while Johnson (28%) and Herbert (17%) played less. Foreman led the way in that game with 13 touches for 72 yards.
Despite the veteran getting the majority of the work in Week 14, he's an extremely risky play moving forward in a crowded backfield. Herbert and Johnson will continue getting their touches, limiting Foreman's fantasy floor and ceiling.
WR Drake London, Atlanta Falcons: 10 catches for 172 yards
After Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London put up a career performance in Week 14 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he deserves to be mentioned on this list. London caught 10 passes (on 11 targets) for 172 yards in the team's loss last week. The 10 catches and 172 yards are both career-highs for the young wideout.
It was nice to see quarterback Desmond Ridder target London early and often on Sunday, and it paid off big time for those who roster the 22-year-old wideout. His WR2 fantasy finish was also the best of his young career.
Can London keep this up is the question we all want to know. From Week 7 to Week 13, he had zero games above 15 PPR fantasy points. But the wideout has seen at least seven targets in seven of the past nine games. It might be risky to start him in Week 15. However, last week's performance could be a sign of what's to come.
Other Players To Note:
- CAR Chuba Hubbard (78% snap share)
- LAC Austin Ekeler (72% snap share)
Surprisingly Low Snap Count/Usage From Last Week
RB Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans: 14% snap share
It's been a bad second season for Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce. Pierce was going in the fourth to sixth round in most fantasy drafts this summer. Entering Week 15, he is the RB50 and averaging just 7.07 PPR fantasy points per game.
In Week 14 against the New York Jets, Pierce was almost non-existent. He played his fewest snaps (eight) of the season, which was behind both Devin Singletary (32) and Dare Ogunbowale (16). The second-year back was in on just 14% of the Texans' offensive plays last week.
It's not a good look for Pierce as we head into the fantasy playoffs. With Week 15 here, the 23-year-old back can be dropped in most leagues. He had just five touches for seven yards in the loss last week and continues to back up Singletary in the Texans' backfield.
RB Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens: 28% snap share
The fantasy hype around Baltimore Ravens running back Gus Edwards might be fading. After finishing as a top-12 fantasy running back four times from Week 7 to Week 11, Edwards has failed to crack the top 45 in back-to-back weeks for the first time this season.
Edwards had just six carries for 15 yards in Week 14 against the Los Angeles Rams, marking the first time all year that he has failed to carry the ball at least 10 times in back-to-back games. Before the bye in Week 12, the veteran back had just eight carries for 25 yards.
With the emergence and breakout of Keaton Mitchell, Edwards has found himself slipping on the depth chart. In Week 14, the 28-year-old played fewer snaps (20) than both Justice Hill (30) and Mitchell (24). He is likely too risky to start in Week 15 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Other Players To Note:
- BUF James Cook (44% snap share)
- DET David Montgomery (35% snap share)
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