RADIO
Snap counts are not the be-all-end-all for fantasy production, but they paint a clear picture with the necessary context. Every snap is an opportunity for a player to make his presence felt and if their snaps go up or down, you get an idea of what the team thinks of their skill set. A running back can have all the rushing talent in the world, but if he can't catch the ball or is useless in pass protection, his snaps will not reflect that talent.
We do not have much of a sample for rising or falling snaps but for the sake of trying to identify worthwhile trends early, that's the basis we will use. Snap% listed reflects a player's usage in Week 12 contests.
If you have any questions, feel free to follow me on Twitter @RotoSurgeon and ask away.
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Rising Snap Counts for Fantasy Football
Boston Scott, RB, PHI (31%>37%>51% snaps)
With Jordan Howard out of commission, Boston Scott regained a significant role in Philadelphia's offense. Miles Sanders was said to be the "lead" back, but he managed to get hurt (again) and miss several snaps leading to Scott leading the way. Scott finished the game with 72 yards and a TD on 17 touches which is what Miles Sanders managers can only dream of at this point.
For the rest of the season, Scott is tough to bench if he is RB1-b in a run-first offense given his role in the red zone and ability to catch passes. Howard is set to miss his 2nd-straight game making Scott a start again this weekend versus the lowly Jets.
George Kittle, TE, SF (73%>76%>83%>93% snaps)
George Kittle is not someone you are picking up off the wire or even benching, but it is important to note that his snaps have returned to normal in recent weeks after missing time with injury. Kittle is certainly frustrating to roster in recent seasons due to his injuries, but he is an elite TE when on the field. Deebo Samuel's absence over the next few games should make him an even more appealing option as his targets should bump up along with those fruitful red zone looks. Kittle has 3TDs over the past 4 weeks and is on pace to set a career-high if he stays healthy for the rest of 2021.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, WR, TEN (37%>67%>83% snaps)
Westbrook-Ikhine has been somewhat productive this season, at least relative to Titans' receivers. He is 2nd in team receptions, 3rd in receiving yards, and tied for 1st in receiving TDs. No one expected this outcome coming into the season but the injuries to Julio Jones and A.J. Brown have been incessant. Neither has been capable of staying on the field or at least producing consistently and the options behind them are at best mediocre.
NWI is not awful and can be started in a pinch moving forward. However, you ideally have Julio Jones (who can return in Week 14) playing alongside him to pull defenses away and allow for space to operate.
Falling Snap Counts for Fantasy Football
Mecole Hardman, WR, KC (65%>32%>18% snaps)
Mecole Hardman is looking more and more like a bust. The Chiefs have done everything possible to manufacture touches for him this season and they have reaped just little reward. For fantasy's sake, Hardman has had a few productive games but that is not enough to hold onto with his declining snap share. The title of Chiefs' WR is largely overrated considering the offense funnels through Kelce, Hill, and the RBs. Anything else just gets the scraps given how untalented their WR corps as a whole remains.
Hardman is best left on the waiver wire moving forward and not someone to buy into for 2022.
James Washington, WR, PIT (87%>67%>44% snaps)
The James Washington experiment in Pittsburgh is almost over. He is a free agent in 2022 and unlikely to be retained given that some other team will undoubtedly take a shot on him as a reclamation project of sorts though his profile is mostly poor. Washington has failed to produce despite years of opportunity to do so in one of the most WR-friendly offenses in the NFL, even in recent years with Roethlisberger's decline.
There should be a rule of thumb that if you cannot make it in Pittsburgh as a WR, you cannot make it in the NFL. They are wizards with the position over the past two decades.
Jalen Reagor, WR, PHI (78%>71%>67% snaps)
Jalen Reagor...man, this is unfortunate. He has all the speed and athletic ability in the world, but can't catch the football or run routes. While these may be learnable skills, he has disappointed game-in and game-out in Philadelphia since the beginning of last season. Reagor's had at least a 70% snap share in 9 games this season and only managed to score 2 touchdowns with no more than 53 receiving yards in a single game. He has as many games with single-digit receiving yards as he does double-digit and two of them are negative.
He wasn't even this bad as a rookie and that year at least he injured his hand. There is no excuse for this season. Reagor is a pipedream at best moving forward.
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