Box Score Breakdown: Week 8 Snaps, Routes, Personnel and Usage

One note before we get started: the final five columns of each stat table will look a bit different this week. Manually adjusting rate stats (to only include games a player suited up for) becomes more laborious with each passing week, and the more time I spend doing that the later the article gets posted. Instead of doing those manual adjustments, I'll show routes per game and snaps per game (rather than snap/route shares in active games). For targets and air yards, I'll still show the team shares, but without editing to exclude stats from the games a player missed.

If you're looking for target and air-yard shares that only include active games, you can find those updated every Tuesday on RotoWire's advanced receiving stats page. For the players that have missed games, we can still get a good picture of their usage/role from the stat tables below by looking at snaps/routes per game in combination with TPRR (targets per route run). And I'll still put especially strong numbers (relative to positional standards) in bold lettering.

Any RB/WR/TE with a target, carry or snap share of at least 15 percent is listed below. Any personnel grouping used on at least 10 percent of snaps is listed, in addition to rates for 11 and 12 personnel (by far the two most popular sets league-wide).

The final five columns of each stat table (written in italics) show numbers for the entire season. Bold lettering denotes especially strong marks (for playing time, targets or air yards) relative to positional standards. Green lettering denotes considerable increases in playing time and/or usage relative to past weeks. Red lettering denotes the opposite - a decreased role relative to prior games.

Vikings (20) at Rams (30) 

Vikings Personnel: 11 - 54% / 12 - 34% / 21 - 10%

50 Plays — 29 DBs — 9.5 aDOT — 18-of-25 for 240 yards — 2 TDs, 0 INT, 3 sacks, 1 scramble

• RB Aaron Jones played a season-high 92% of snaps and saw a carry or target on 21 of Minnesota's 50 plays.
  • Backup Ty Chandler played a few snaps but didn't get a carry or target.
• WR Jordan Addison has drawn more than four targets in a game just once in five appearances this season.
• Jalen Nailor was the clear No. 3 receiver again, with 61% route share while Brandon Powell handled just 7%.

Rams Personnel: 11 - 56% / 12 - 41%

6 Plays — 34 DBs — 7.9 aDOT — 25-of-34 for 279 yards — 4 TDs, 1 INT, 0 sacks, 0 scrambles

• The Rams surprisingly used 11 personnel on only 56% of snaps despite getting Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua back in action for the first time since Weeks 1-2. They've used 11 personnel on 87% or more of snaps in five of seven games, with the other exception being Week 3 against San Francisco (when they used 11 personnel on a season-low 55% of plays and 12 personnel on 44%).
  • Kupp and Nacua both were eased back in with snap shares in the 50s. Kupp's 82% route share was second best on the team, behind Demarcus Robinson's 85%, while Nacua was considerably lower at 65% (but drew nine targets on his 22 routes and turned those chances into a team-high 106 yards).
  • Nacu and Kupp both figure to get more playing time Week 9.
• TE Colby Parkinson had a reduced role for the second straight week even with Los Angeles using more two-TE sets, handling 64% snap share and 71% route share. Backup TEs Hunter Long and Davis Allen were largely used as blockers, running just six routes combined, but their involvement in the offense is still a negative for Parkinson, who isn't likely to have fantasy value without an every-down role.
• Blake Corum was the No. 2 RB for a third straight game. It's a tiny role, but one that hints at big-time usage if Kyren Williams were to suffer an injury.

Stock ⬆️:   WR Puka Nacua

Stock ⬇️:   WR Jordan Addison

Ravens (24) at Browns (29) 

Ravens Personnel: 11 - 31% / 12 - 42% / 21 - 13%

62 Plays — 43 DBs — 10.9 aDOT — 23-of-38 for 289 yards — 2 TDs, 0 INT, 3 sacks, 2 scrambles

• RB Derrick Henry took only 11 carries, after six straight games with at least 15 carries and 84 rushing yards.
• The official NFL numbers aren't quite as encouraging as those from some other sources, but TE Mark Andrews handled his largest route share (66%) since Week 2, following five straight games at 60% or lower.
  • Andrews has four straight games with 4-5 targets, 3-5 catches and 36-66 yards, with four TDs in that stretch. He's yet to draw more than five targets in a game this season, which kind of puts him in the same boat as Kyle Pitts where the production has gotten on track but the underlying usage creates some fear that it may be a blip rather than a true correction. Andrews' strong showings could lead to more usage, of course (and the same is true for Pitts).
  • Andrews has the best PFF run-blocking grade among qualified tight ends, plus the eighth best receiving grade. He's definitely not washed up, but that doesn't mean he'll get all the way back to the type of target volume we saw in previous years.
• WR Rashod Bateman was hot coming into Sunday but then had two drops in the loss, including a crucial one on a deep ball in the fourth quarter (he said he lost it in the sun).
  • Fellow wideout Nelson Agholor caught a TD but dropped another. Lamar Jackson was visibly furious multiple times in the second half.

Browns Personnel: 11 - 64% / 12 - 35%

66 Plays — 43 DBs — 10.5 aDOT — 27-of-41 for 334 yards — 3 TDs, 0 INT, 2 sacks, 0 scrambles

• QB Jameis Winston didn't play as clean of a game as the stat line suggests, as the Ravens dropped two easy interceptions, including one on the snap before the go-ahead TD pass to Cedric Tillman. Even so, Winston was a big improvement on Deshaun Watson (Achilles).
• Tillman followed up his big Week 7 with an even bigger Week 8, leading the team in air yards (155) and receiving yards (99) while scoring a pair of TDs, including the game-winner.
  • Elijah Moore also had arguably his best game as a Brown, and he's now caught 14 of 19 targets for 126 yards the past two games.
  • Jerry Jeudy also had a solid day, but his 13 targets over the past two weeks are fourth most on the team, behind Tillman's 21, Njoku's 21 and Moore's 19.   
• RB Nick Chubb took 18 of the 24 RB opportunities, with his snap share rising from 35% in Week 7 to 62% in Week 8. This was basically a return to his pre-injury role, only with uncharacteristically poor efficiency (16 carries for 52 yards, albeit against a tough Baltimore front). 

Stock ⬆️:   WRs Cedric Tillman & Elijah Moore  /   TE Mark Andrews

Stock ⬇️:   WR Rashod Bateman

  Ravens Injuries 🚑: DE Brent Urban (head) + DT Michael Pierce (calf)

  Browns Injuries 🚑: LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (neck), CB Denzel Ward (head), DE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (knee)

Titans (14) at Lions (52) 

Titans Personnel: 11 - 58% / 12 - 27%

71 Plays — 41 DBs — 9.9 aDOT — 22-of-38 for 266 yards — 1 TD, 2 INTs, 1 sack, 2 scrambles

• This was a strange game in which the team that got thoroughly dominated ran 50 percent more plays than their opponent. The Titans had some long drives, while the Lions had short TD drives off of turnovers and a couple long-distance scores (including a punt return).
• WR Calvin Ridley was the headliner, going over 100 yards by the end of the first quarter, but Nick Westbrook-Ikhine actually led the team in routes (95%) and scored the lone receiving TD in the first game without DeAndre Hopkins.
  • Ridley caught four passes for 79 yards over the final five snaps of the first quarter. But he didn't do much after that, apart from losing a fumble 
  • Treylon Burks (knee) is on IR and will miss at least two more games.
• RB Tony Pollard handled his second largest snap share of the season (80%), after 88% the week before, taking 24 of the 28 RB opportunities before Julius Chestnut got carries on each of the final four snaps of the game.
  • Pollard has taken on extra work in the absence of Tyjae Spears, who missed the past two games with a hamstring injury but managed limited practice participation last week (hinting at a Week 9 return).
• QB Mason Rudolph's first five drives produced two TDs and two INTs. After that, there were a mix of punts, fumbles and turnovers on downs, including one series that ended with four straight incompletions from the Lions' 1-yard line (right before halftime).

Lions Personnel: 11 - 51% / 12 - 45%

47 Plays — 23 DBs — 3.5 aDOT — 15-of-19 for 94 yards — 4 TDs, 0 INT, 4 sacks, 0 scrambles

• WR Tim Patrick replaced Jameson Williams (suspension) as the No. 2 receiver but saw just one incomplete target on 16 routes (70%).
  • Allen Robinson was elevated from the practice squad and played nearly half the snaps, while Kalif Raymond stayed in his usual part-time role (but had a big afternoon with a punt-return TD and a TD reception).
• TE Sam LaPorta saw six targets (on 15 routes) on an afternoon when no other Lion got more than three. He caught all six, including a short TD pass from David Montgomery on a trick play.
  • Williams' absence shouldn't theoretically have much impact on LaPorta's usage given that they work different routes / areas of the field, but it is interesting that the former's ascent has corresponded with the latter's decline... and now with Williams missing his first game of the season, LaPorta had his best day of the year. Hmm...

Stock ⬆️:   TE Sam LaPorta  /   WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine

Stock ⬇️:   QB Mason Rudolph

  Lions Injuries 🚑: LB Malcolm Rodriguez (ankle)

Colts (20) at Texans (23) 

Colts Personnel: 11 - 83% / 12 - 14%

63 Plays — 40 DBs — 16.1 aDOT — 10-of-32 for 175 yards — 1 TD, 1 INT, 5 sacks, 3 scrambles

• Anthony Richardson's 16.1 aDOT is the highest mark we've seen from a QB in a single game this year. Not to say he played great or anything, but that adds some context to a brutal completion rate, not to mention that his pass "catchers" were absolutely brutal Sunday. Some of it was missing tough catches, but there were also a few outright drops, including one by RB Tyler Goodson in the end zone.
• RB Jonathan Taylor took 83% of snaps and 21 of 23 RB opportunities in his return from an ankle injury.
• WR Josh Downs was the only Colts pass catcher with a decent receiving line, thanks mostly to his 69-yard TD on a blown coverage in the first quarter. He also had a diving catch that was initially ruled a TD but then overturned to a 24-yard gain down to the half-yard line (setting up Taylor for a one-yard TD).

Texans Personnel: 11 - 57% / 12 - 38%

68 Plays — 40 DBs — 8.3 aDOT — 25-of-37 for 285 yards — 1 TD, 0 INT, 2 sacks, 1 scramble

• WR Stefon Diggs suffered a non-contact knee injury late in the third quarter, potentially setting up a long-term absence. There's concern about an ACL tear, although nothing had been reported as of Monday afternoon.
  • WR Robert Woods took 68% of snaps in the fourth quarter, with Xavier Hutchinson getting 63% and John Metchie at 47%.
    • Hutchinson and Woods have been targeted on 10% and 11% of routes, respectively. That number may go up, but it isn't promising for fantasy production even if they get a chance to play with both Diggs and Nico Collins out.
  • Prior to Diggs' exit, Hutchinson had taken 61% of snaps and Woods only 18% (with Metchie at 20%).
  • The Texans could have Nico Collins (IR - hamstring) back as soon as Week 10, but there's no question they need Dell to step up now and reverse his disappointing season (he scored a TD on Sunday but was targeted on just four of his team-high 30 routes.)
    • TE Dalton Schultz could also see more short targets without Diggs around competing for those. Schultz has five or more targets in five of the past six games, but this past Sunday was his first time all season with more than 34 yards.
• RB Joe Mixon dominated backfield work again, with 76% of snaps and 31 of 34 RB opportunities. He has at least 124 total yards, one TD and 23 PPR points in his four full games this season, producing as an elite RB1.

Stock ⬆️:   WR Tank Dell & TE Dalton Schultz  /   WRs Josh Downs & Michael Pittman

Stock ⬇️:   QB Anthony Richardson

  Colts Injuries 🚑: S Trevor Denbow (knee)

  Texans Injuries 🚑: WR Stefon Diggs (knee), DT Tim Settle (calf), LG Jarrett Patterson (head) 

Packers (30) at Jaguars (27) 

Packers Personnel: 11 - 60% / 12 - 30%

67 Plays — 29 DBs — 9.5 aDOT — 18-of-26 for 252 yards — 1 TD, 1 INT, 1 sack, 2 scrambles

• QB Jordan Love is considered day-to-day after exiting with a groin injury early in the third quarter.
  • Malik Willis filled in capably again, leading the Packers to 17 points on his five full drives (although RB Josh Jacobs handled most of the volume).
• Jacobs has four straight games with at least 17 touches and 90 total yards, scoring four TDs in that stretch.
  • Jacobs got 13 carries on 23 non-kneel-down plays after Willis took over at QB on Sunday.
• RB Chris Brooks got 22% of snaps and five opportunities, with Emanuel Wilson taking 18% of snaps and six opportunities. That's the first hint so far of Wilson not being the No. 2 RB, and he might really fall out of the picture if the Packers ever get anything from MarShawn Lloyd (IR - hamstring).
• WR Christian Watson had season highs for snap share (73%), route share (79%) and targets (six), while Dontayvion Wicks plummeted to 31% snap share, 29% route share and two targets.
  • That's a bit surprising after Wicks had 3-48-1 on six targets the week before.
• WR Jayden Reed had an extremely quiet day until his 51-yard gain set up the walk-off FG. 
  • Reed has only one game with more than six targets and two with more than four catches. He's been shockingly reliant on big plays for a slot guy, and he has three straight games with exactly one carry for no gain (no longer getting a boost from rushing stats).
  • Reed is still on pace for a 1,000-yard season but lagging well behind Romeo Doubs for volume recently.

Jaguars Personnel: 11 - 54% / 12 - 43%

56 Plays — 34 DBs — 9.1 aDOT — 21-of-32 for 308 yards — 2 TDs, 1 INT, 1 sack, 1 scramble

• The Jaguars lost their top three WRs to injuries, starting with Gabe Davis' aggravation of an existing shoulder injury. Davis and Brian Thomas (ribs/chest) seemingly escaped with day-to-day or week-to-week injuries, but Christian Kirk is expected to miss the rest of the season due to a broken collarbone.
  • It sounds like Thomas will miss multiple games, but that isn't quite clear yet.
  • TE Evan Engram averaged 10.2 targets (25% TS) and scored four TDs in six games without Kirk at the end of last season. And Engram has already been seeing a lot of volume (27% TPRR) with Kirk in the lineup this year.
• RB Tank Bigsby got 66% of snaps and 21 of the 24 RB opportunities, handling a huge role for the second straight week sans Travis Etienne (hamstring).
• Parker Washington ended up leading Jacksonville's WRs in snaps and routes, with Tim Jones also picking up a lot of extra playing time. Washington played a lot last season when Kirk was out but drew targets at a very low rate.

Stock ⬆️:   TE Evan Engram & WR Parker Washington

Stock ⬇️:   WR Jayden Reed  /   QB Trevor Lawrence

  Packers Injuries 🚑: QB Jordan Love (groin), S Evan Williams (hamstring)

  Jaguars Injuries 🚑: WRs Christian Kirk (collarbone), Brian Thomas (chest) & Gabe Davis (shoulder), CB Ronald Darby (hip)

Cardinals (28) at Dolphins (27) 

Cardinals Personnel: 11 - 50% / 12 - 21% / 13 - 24%

62 Plays — 38 DBs — 9.1 aDOT — 26-of-36 for 307 yards — 2 TDs, 0 INT, 0 sacks, 2 scrambles

• Apart from RB James Conner struggling to find running room, this is how a lot of people drew it up for Arizona's offense, with Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison both topping 100 yards and 20 PPR points. 
  • It was the second time McBride and Harrison have scored double-digit PPR points in the same game, with the first instance being a 41-10 win over the Rams in Week 2.
• Conner's two largest snap shares of the season have come in the past two games. Emari Demercado is still poaching a few snaps on passing downs, and Trey Benson taking the occasional carry, but not to the same extent we saw at times earlier this season.
• Greg Dortch and Zay Jones shared the No. 3 WR role.
• Harrison is getting most of the snaps in one-wide and two-wide formations, ahead of Jones and Michael Wilson. Note that Harrison was at 97% route share Sunday, compared to 81% for Wilson. And McBride was right behind Harrison at 94%.

Dolphins Personnel: 11 - 31% / 12 - 17% / 21 - 42%

64 Plays — 41 DBs — 5.3 aDOT — 28-of-38 for 234 yards — 1 TD, 0 INT, 1 sack, 2 scrambles

• RB Raheem Mostert scored two short touchdowns, but De'Von Achane got 58% of snaps and 18 of the 31 RB opportunities en route to 147 total yards and a receiving score.
  • Mostert's goal-line work plus Jaylen Wright's occasional involvement aren't great signs for Achane, but the receiving usage essentially makes up for it (especially because the numbers have been especially strong with Tua Tagovailoa under center).
• TE Jonnu Smith played a season-high 67% of snaps and was targeted on six of 27 routes (69% route share). The production was a far cry from Week 7, but he got more playing time after his big game and now has three straight outings with six or more targets.
  • The combo of Smith and Achane seeing so many targets has taken a chunk out of the shares going to Hill and Waddle. That may be more of a reaction to what defenses are doing than something the Dolphins intend to happen, but I'm not so sure, seeing as Hill and Waddle also are playing more snaps (one of the most noteworthy aspects of Mike McDaniel's offense the past two years was that Hill and Waddle both subbed out a lot and then saw the ball on a huge percentage of their snaps/routes.... this year they're taking more snaps but seeing fewer passes)
• There have been 97 targets from Tua this year. Here's the breakdown:
  • Hill: 28% TS (16-226-1 on 27 tgts)
  • Achane: 19% TS  (16-147-2 on 18 tgts)
  • Waddle: 15% TS - yikes - (13-195-0 on 15 tgts) 
  • Jonnu: 13% TS (10-74-0 on 13 tgts)

Stock ⬆️:   TE Jonnu Smith

Stock ⬇️:   WR Jaylen Waddle

  Cardinals Injuries 🚑: DL Naquan Jones (thigh)    

  Dolphins Injuries 🚑: S Jevon Holland (knee) 

Jets (22) at Patriots (25) 

Jets Personnel: 11 - 63% / 12 - 19%

57 Plays — 29 DBs — 10.2 aDOT — 17-of-28 for 233 yards — 2 TDs, 0 INT, 1 sack, 0 scrambles

• RB Breece Hall dropped to 74% snap share and ceded 12 opportunities (including a short TD) to Braelon Allen, following back-to-back games in which Hall played more than 80% of snaps and Allen got only 3-5 opps.
• WR Mike Williams replaced Allen Lazard (chest) as the No. 3 receiver but wasn't targeted on 19 routes.

Patriots Personnel: 11 - 56% / 12 - 33%

63 Plays — 36 DBs — 8.8 aDOT — 18-of-30 for 155 yards — 0 TD, 0 INT, 2 sacks, 4 scrambles

• QB Drake Maye started fast, including a 17-yard rushing TD, but he then suffered a concussion early in the second quarter (at the end of another long scramble, this one for 18 yards).
• RB Rhamondre Stevenson handled season-high 79% snap share, following four straight games below 60%. He took 23 of the 28 RB opportunities, including a pair of short touchdowns, and he ran three times as many routes as Antonio Gibson.
  • Stevenson also had a two-point conversion catch after his game-winning TD.
• WR Kayshon Boutte tied for the team lead with six targets, including a 34-yard gain on the final drive. His 84 percent route share was a team high, while K.J. Osborn (13% route share) barely played.
  • Ja'Lynn Polk (concussion) was inactive. He's been struggling, but his return may still take playing time away from Boutte and/or Kendrick Bourne (78% route share, three targets, zero catches).

Stock ⬆️:   WR Kayshon Boutte

Stock ⬇️:   RB Breece Hall & WR Davante Adams

  Jets Injuries 🚑: LB C.J. Mosley (neck)    

  Patriots Injuries 🚑: QB Drake Maye (head)

Falcons (31) at Buccaneers (26) 

Falcons Personnel: 11 - 88% / 12 - 3%

60 Plays — 32 DBs — 6.8 aDOT — 23-of-29 for 276 yards — 4 TDs, 0 INT, 2 sacks, 1 scramble

• TE Kyle Pitts had season lows for snap share (48%) and route share (58%) but nonetheless produced his best fantasy game since his rookie season, thanks to TD catches of 36 and 49 yards in the first half.
  • Pitts increasingly has lost playing time to Charlie Woerner in recent weeks, but it's coincided with four straight games of at least five targets and 65 yards — Pitts' most productive stretch since October of his rookie season. 
• RB Bijan Robinson had a 36-yard rushing TD called back on a holding penalty. He still managed 100 total yards and 22 PPR points, and that was with Tyler Allgeier taking a dozen carries.
• WR Darnell Mooney is on pace for 79-1,075-8. The target gap between him and Drake London had been widening in recent weeks, but Mooney gained back some ground in terms of both volume and production in this one. He's scored three of his four TDs against a Tampa Bay defense that's responsible for eight of Kirk Cousins' 14 passing touchdowns.

Buccaneers Personnel: 11 - 83% / 12 - 7%

72 Plays — 51 DBs — 6.8 aDOT — 37-of-50 for 330 yards — 3 TDs, 2 INTs, 0 sacks, 1 scramble

• The Bucs used 11 personnel on 83% of snaps, tied for the second-highest rate in the league Week 8, despite losing WRs Chris Godwin (ankle) and Mike Evans (hamstring) to significant injuries the week before.
• RB Sean Tucker dropped to 10% snap share and three opportunities, with Rachaad White and Bucky Irving handling a similar split to what we saw before White's injury (and Tucker's brief emergence).
  • White took 56% of snaps and 12 opportunities (for 67 yards and a TD), with Irving getting 42% of snaps and 16 opportunities (for 88 yards).
    • Irving drew seven targets on 15 routes. It was his first time with more than three targets... and rather fluky given that White ran seven more routes. Still, Tucker's pseudo-disappearance puts Irving back on the RB2 map, albeit as a risky one.
• WR Jalen McMillan led the team with 88% route share and 103 air yards, catching four of seven targets for 35 yards and adding a 17-yard rush.
  • Trey Palmer got similar playing time but was targeted just twice on 36 routes, dropping his already-low TPRR to a miserly 11%. McMillan may not be anything special but is probably better than Palmer.
• WR Sterling Shepard dealt with a hamstring injury but returned to the game. Ryan Miller picked up some extra snaps.
• WR Rakim Jarrett saw each of his three targets in the fourth quarter, catching all three of them for 58 yards. He played just 10 snaps through three quarters but then 11 snaps in the fourth quarter, taking some work away from Palmer.
  • Jarrett was a top-50 recruit out of high school and put up 62-829-5 as a 20-year-old at Maryland (2021). He appeared on track for a Day 2 selection but then had a disappointing junior season and went undrafted. Jarrett made the Bucs' initial 53-man roster last summer and spent his rookie year in a depth role behind Evans/Godwin/Palmer, and he then opened this season on IR with a knee injury. Anyway... my point is that he should probably be viewed more favorably than a typical UDFA. He was a top recruit, had a big college season at age 20 and ran a 4.44 40-yard dash at the 2023 Combine. If nothing else, he may be a better version of Palmer.
• TE Cade Otton picked up where he left off the week before, going for 9-81-2 on 10 targets after 8-100-0 on 10 targets against Baltimore. He was trending up a bit even before the Godwin/Evans injuries and might genuinely be Tampa's top pass catcher the next few weeks.

Stock ⬆️:   TE Kyle Pitts (fingers crossed)  /   TE Cade Otton & WR Rakim Jarrett

Stock ⬇️:   RB Sean Tucker

  Buccaneers Injuries 🚑: WR Sterling Shepard (hamstring), LB Lavonte David (ankle)

Eagles (37) at Bengals (17) 

Eagles Personnel: 11 - 47% / 12 - 44%

59 Plays — 22 DBs — 10.1 aDOT — 16-of-20 for 236 yards — 1 TD, 0 INT, 0 sacks, 2 scrambles

• The Eagles used 12 personnel on 44% of snaps even though Dallas Goedert (hamstring) was out, which gives you an idea what they think of No. 3 receiver Jahan Dotson.
• TE Grant Calcaterra hit 80% route share for a third straight week. He's been targeted only eight times in that stretch but has caught all eight of the passes for 120 yards.
• QB Jalen Hurts has five rushing TDs the past two weeks, including four on tush pushes.
  • RB Saquon Barkley has three TDs from inside the 5-yard line this year but none from the 1-yard line, and he's scored just once in the past four games after hitting paydirt five times (one receiving) over the first three weeks. On the bright side, Philadelphia's offense seems as run-oriented as ever, making Barkley the one feasible challenger to Derrick Henry for the rushing crown.

Bengals Personnel: 11 - 60% / 12 - 38%

58 Plays — 40 DBs — 7.8 aDOT — 26-of-37 for 234 yards — 1 TD, 1 INT, 1 sack, 2 scrambles

• RB Chase Brown got carries on the final three snaps of the game, deep in garbage time. Before that, Brown took 13 of the 22 RB opportunities and only 46% of snaps, losing some ground to Zack Moss relative to the previous two games.
  • Brown has five straight games with 10-15 carries and 2-4 targets, so the touches have been very consistent even with the snap distribution between him and Moss bouncing around some.
• It looks like there was some kind of error with data input from the second half of this game. I was able to adjust rushing/receiving stats manually but am not quite sure which route shares are correct (Ja'Marr Chase's 66% is definitely wrong).
• WR Jermaine Burton handled career-high 42% route share and caught one of three targets for 41 yards, splitting the No. 3 receiver role with Trenton Irwin (21% route share, four yards on four targets).
  • Burton may eventually replace Andrei Iosivas as the No. 3 receiver, if only because the rookie's big-play ability can open things up for Chase and Higgins.

Stock ⬆️:   WR Jermaine Burton

Stock ⬇️:   RB Chase Brown

  Eagles Injuries 🚑: CB Darius Slay (groin)    

  Bengals Injuries 🚑: LT Orlando Brown (knee) 

Saints (8) at Chargers (26) 

Saints Personnel: 11 - 34% / 12 - 40% / 21 - 15%

68 Plays — 49 DBs — 7.9 aDOT — 22-of-42 for 281 yards — 0 TD, 0 INT, 5 sacks, 2 scrambles

• RB Alvin Kamara got 67% of snaps and 18 of 22 RB opportunities before the fourth quarter.
  • Kamara added three targets in the fourth quarter but took just five of the 21 snaps, with Jamaal Williams (16 snaps, one carry) mostly picking up the garbage-time work.
  • Kendre Miller's three carries (for 16 yards) all came well before garbage time, but he left in the third quarter with a hamstring injury (he missed the first six games of the season with a hamstring injury).
  • The snap share for Kamara is slightly down even if we don't count the fourth quarter, but his opportunity share was as strong as ever, and another absence for Miller could push Kamara's snap rate even higher.
• WR Chris Olave returned from concussion protocol and got monster usage, with 14 targets and 180 air yards netting an 8-107-0 receiving line. This was the first game he's played since Rashid Shaheed suffered a season-ending meniscus injury.
  • QB Derek Carr (oblique) is expected to return for Week 9 against Carolina. The combination of Carr's (likely) return and a first-rate matchup sets up big-time projections for Olave and Kamara.
• WR Bub Means played two-thirds of snaps in the first quarter but just six snaps thereafter, exiting early due to a high-ankle sprain.
  • Mason Tipton was the No. 2 receiver but drew only two targets on 41 snaps while playing a team-hgh 87% of snaps after the first quarter. Cedrick Wilson (hip) was inactive but could slot in ahead of Tipton once he's healthy.
• TE Juwan Johnson had a decent receiving line but ran fewer routes than both Foster Moreau and Taysom Hill.

Chargers Personnel: 11 - 55% / 12 - 0% / 21 - 20%  / 22 - 11%

64 Plays — 38 DBs — 7.7 aDOT — 20-of-32 for 279 yards — 2 TDs, 0 INT, 3 sacks, 3 scrambles

• RB J.K. Dobbins had season highs for snap share (81%) and targets (seven). He's still struggling some with rushing efficiency, but the role is absolute best-case scenario and mostly continues to pay dividends for fantasy managers.
• TE Will Dissly handled 67% snap share and 71% route share while tying for the team lead with seven targets. Hayden Hurst (groin) missed another game, and Dissly now has three straight outings of five or more targets.
• WR Ladd McConkey was targeted just six times and took a few less snaps than usual (62%) while playing through a hip injury, but that didn't stop him from producing his first huge stat line in the NFL, scoring TDs of 60 and 9 yards.
  • McConkey's target rate has been excellent all season, and he's now averaging 4.3 catches for 53.7 yards per game (with four TDs in seven contests). He's caught two-thirds of his targets for 12.5 yards per catch and 8.4 YPT (8.9 aDOT, 5.3 YAC average).
• QB Justin Hebert scrambled three times for 50 yards (his fourth carry was a kneel-down), more than doubling his season total for rushing yardage (he had just 34 yards in six games before this past Sunday). We shouldn't expect a ton there, but it's at least another sign that he's recovered from the September ankle injury and the Chargers are putting more of the burden on his shoulders.

Stock ⬆️:   WR Ladd McConkey & QB Justin Herbert  /   WR Chris Olave

Stock ⬇️:   WR Mason Tipton & TE Juwan Johnson

  Saints Injuries 🚑: RB Kendre Miller (hamstring), WR Bub Means (ankle), CB Marshon Lattimore (hamstring)   

  Chargers Injuries 🚑: CB Kristian Fulton (hamstring) 

Bills (31) at Seahawks (10) 

Bills Personnel: 11 - 59% / 12 - 12% / 21 - 10% / 6OL - 15%

69 Plays — 37 DBs — 6.3 aDOT — 24-of-34 for 283 yards — 2 TDs, 1 INT, 1 sack, 2 scrambles

• RB James Cook got 20 of 23 RB opportunities before Ray Davis took four straight carries on the final drive.
  • Cook scored TDs from 2 and 7 yards out, while Davis had just two touches before the last drive deep in garbage time.
• WR Amari Cooper finished third among Buffalo's WRs in snaps, routes and targets, although he ran just two fewer routes than Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir, both of whom had big stat lines (and at least seven targets).
  • Cooper will have some big weeks, but there may be something to the idea of him opening things up for the other receivers more so than putting up huge numbers of his own. I'd wait another week or two before making any definitive conclusions there, but the one thing we can say for sure is that Coleman has shown major improvement as his rookie year has progressed.

Seahawks Personnel: 11 - 72% / 12 - 17%

47 Plays — 32 DBs — 3.9 aDOT — 21-of-29 for 212 yards — 0 TD, 1 INT, 1 sack, 2 scrambles

• The Seahawks ran 47 plays, tied with Detroit for the fewest of Week 8 (for very different reasons).
  • Kenneth Walker had his first dud of the year, and fantasy managers got insult added to injury when Zach Charbonnet scored a goal-line TD with eight minutes remaining (to cut the lead to 21).
    • Charbonnet played every snap in the fourth quarter. Before that, Walker took 80% of snaps.
• WR Jake Bobo took nearly all of the playing time that normally goes to DK Metcalf (knee) but was targeted just once on 24 routes.
  • Tyler Lockett drew just three targets on 29 routes - a surprisingly quiet day sans Metcalf.

Stock ⬆️:   WR Keon Coleman

Stock ⬇️:   RB Ray Davis

  Seahawks Injuries 🚑: DL/OLB Dre'Mont Jones (shoulder)

Bears (15) at Commanders (18) 

Bears Personnel: 11 - 75% / 12 - 22%

60 Plays — 31 DBs — 13.3 aDOT — 10-of-24 for 131 yards — 0 TD, 0 INT, 2 sacks, 5 scrambles

• RB D'Andre Swift was the only Chicago player to have a good fantasy day, and he did it without any targets and despite losing a goal-line TD to Roschon Johnson.
• QB Caleb Williams had five scrambles and five designed runs. He finished with as many rush attempts as completions (10).
• WR Rome Odunze dropped to 75% snap share and 81% route share, losing a bit of playing time to Keenan Allen relative to what we saw pre-bye.
  • D.J. Moore played his normal amount, nearly every snap, but finished third in targets and air yards among the trio.
  • Allen and Moore played each of the 13 snaps in 12 personnel. In 11 personnel, it was Allen with 100%, Odunze with 98% and Moore with 96%.
    • Before the bye, Odunze and Allen split those two-wide snaps, although it had already been pushing more toward Allen in Week 6 (final game pre-bye).

Commanders Personnel: 11 - 57% / 12 - 26%

72 Plays — 46 DBs — 12.4 aDOT — 21-of-38 for 326 yards — 1 TD, 0 INT, 2 sacks, 6 scrambles

• RB Brian Robinson remains the lead runner, but playing time has shifted more to Austin Ekeler since Robinson's knee injury first popped up about a month ago.
• TE Zach Ertz drew a team-high 11 targets and now has three straight games with double-digit PPR points (after reaching that mark just once in his first five games of the season).
• WR Noah Brown had a 2-21-0 line on five targets before catching a deflected hail mary to win the game. He led the teams WRs in snap share (82%) and route share (85%), however, ahead of even Terry McLaurin (72%, 73%).
  • WR Olamide Zaccheaus dropped to 35% snap share and 45% route share and wasn't targeted on 18 routes.

Stock ⬆️:   TE Zach Ertz

Stock ⬇️:   QB Caleb Williams

  Bears Injuries 🚑: LT Braxton Jones (knee)

  Commanders Injuries 🚑: LT Cornelius Lucas (ankle)

Panthers (14) at Broncos (28) 

Panthers Personnel: 11 - 53% / 12 - 23% / 21 - 10%

40 Plays — 43 DBs — 8.3 aDOT — 24-of-38 for 224 yards — 2 TDs, 2 INTs, 2 sacks, 3 scrambles

• With Diontae Johnson (ribs) and Adam Thielen (hamstring) both inactive, David Moore and Jalen Coker both topped 80% route share while Xavier Legette was at 64%.
  • Legette nonetheless tied for a team-high seven targets, including a TD, but fellow rookie Coker continues to look more promising in general, making plays downfield rather than just short catches. Coker has caught 12 of 15 targets for 186 yards and a TD in five games.
• RB Miles Sanders drew his seven targets on just routes. Chuba Hubbard got 75% of snaps and 15 of the 16 RB carries, and he ran eight more routes than Sanders.
• TE Tommy Tremble returned from a back injury and took a huge chunk out of Ja'Tavion Sanders' snap/route/target shares from recent weeks. 

Broncos Personnel: 11 - 45% / 12 - 29%

73 Plays — 42 DBs — 10.5 aDOT — 30-of-39 for 315 yards — 3 TDs, 0 INT, 2 sacks, 1 scramble