Week 16 Sleeper Fantasy Football Picks - Snap Counts, Targets, Usage Analysis

Joey analyzes 5 sleeper fantasy football picks for Week 16 based on recent increases in snap counts and usage. Should I start these fantasy football sleepers?

What a wild Week 15 it was for fantasy purposes. If you had Jalen Hurts or Geno Smith as one of your quarterbacks on Monday night, you were probably sweating all morning. Hurts winded up playing and put up 23.9 fantasy points, while Smith was active but didn't play any snaps.

Maybe you didn't need anything to happen on Monday, and you had a first-round bye. Either way, if you're reading this, you likely advanced to the second round of the fantasy football playoffs.

This article will go through which players saw a surprisingly high or low snap count/usage from the last week. This tool could be helpful in any start-and-sit decisions you have this weekend as you try to advance to the fantasy football championship. So, let's see which players come in on this list.

Surprisingly High Snap Count/Usage From Last Week

RB James Cook, Buffalo Bills: 56% snap share & 179 rush yards 

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook has been on fire in fantasy in recent weeks, but in Week 15 against the Dallas Cowboys, Cook totaled a new career-high with 36.1 fantasy points. The second-year back had 25 carries for 179 yards and one touchdown while also catching two passes for 42 yards and one touchdown in the contest.

Cook was dominant on the ground on Sunday and played 56% of the Bills' offensive snaps, which was his most since Week 8. That helped him finish as the RB2 in Week 15.

Since the Bills fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, new interim offensive coordinator Joe Brady has featured Cook heavily on offense. The 24-year-old has four straight top-12 running back finishes from Week 11 to Week 15, including two top-three running back finishes over the past two games. Let's hope this usage continues into the second round of the fantasy football playoffs.

RB Devin Singletary, Houston Texans: 75% snap share 

Houston Texans running back Devin Singletary remains a fantasy surprise this season, despite coming into the year as the team's backup. After Week 15 against the Tennessee Titans, it apparent the veteran is Houston's top back, and that won't be changing any time soon.

Singletary played 75% of the team's offensive snaps last week and totaled 30 touches for 170 yards. The 30 touches were his second-most this season, while his 170 yards from scrimmage were a new career-high. The 26-year-old also finished as the RB7 on the week – his third top-10 finish since Week 10.

Singletary doesn't really face any competition for touches in this offense and remains the top back in this Houston offense. Dameon Pierce played just four snaps in the win, and Dare Ogunbowale played 15. The veteran is the player to roll with in this backfield.

WR Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs: 9 catches for 91 yards 

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice is in the midst of the best stretch of his young career. After catching nine passes for 91 yards and one touchdown in Week 15 against the New England Patriots, it's obvious that he is a must-start in fantasy moving forward.

Not only does he continue to gain trust from Patrick Mahomes in the passing game, but that's showing on the field with his snaps. After the Chiefs eased him into action at the start of the season, the team is fully unleashing him now on offense.

The rookie played 60-of-65 snaps on offense, and his 92% snap share was the highest of his career. Rice is becoming a big part of this Kansas City offense and should be started in the second round of the fantasy playoffs. He has seen at least nine targets in four straight games while totaling 32 catches for 334 yards and three touchdowns during that span.

Other Players To Note: 

• LV Zamir White (70% snap share without Josh Jacobs)
• MIN Ty Chandler (81% snap share without Alexander Mattison) 

Surprisingly Low Snap Count/Usage From Last Week

RB Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons: RB77 on the week 

If you needed Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson to do something for your fantasy team in Week 15, chances are you were disappointed. Most managers were also likely eliminated from the playoffs due to his performance. Robinson scored just 0.4 fantasy points against the Carolina Panthers. 

Robinson was healthy in this matchup but he wasn't getting the opportunities to shine last week. He played only 58% of the Falcons' offensive snaps on Sunday, which was his lowest snap share of the season. On top of that, the rookie had just eight touches for 14 yards with one fumble lost. 

Eight touches for a player you selected eighth overall seems way too low. In comparison, backup running back Tyler Allgeier saw 50% of Atlanta's snaps and touched the ball 15 times in the contest. Robinson is an elite talent, but it's really hard to trust him in this offense. 

RB Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers: nine touches

Like the Falcons, the Los Angeles Chargers continue to not give their best running back the ball. It's been hard to watch the Chargers' offense in recent weeks, especially when Austin Ekeler sits on the bench more than he plays. Ekeler surely is not the same player he was last year but he should be featured more in this offense. 

Last week, Ekeler saw just 40% of the Chargers' offensive snaps. In that game, he had five carries for nine yards and four catches for 29 yards. Of course, the game was a blowout and got out of hand quickly. However, five rush attempts for Los Angeles' best running back seem too low. 

It's interesting to see how things change with Brandon Staley now gone. If you made it to the second round of the fantasy playoffs, there isn't much confidence that Ekeler can perform for your fantasy team right now. 

Other Players To Note: 

• NO Alvin Kamara (snap share has decreased in four straight games)
• NYG Saquon Barkley (50% snap share)

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