Week 17 Sleeper Fantasy Football Picks - Snap Counts, Targets, Usage Analysis

Joey analyzes 5 sleeper fantasy football picks for Week 17 based on recent increases in snap counts and usage. Should I start these fantasy football sleepers?

Welcome to Week 17 and another edition of snap count/usage analysis. If you are reading this and advanced to the fantasy football championship, congratulations on making it this far. The job is not done yet, we have one more week left to become a champion. 

Last week was a wild week in fantasy, and if you're reading this right now, you likely advanced to the big game in Week 17. Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper and New York Jets running back Breece Hall both had career days and helped fantasy managers in the semifinals. 

But who else saw a high snap count or usage in Week 16? Let's dive in and see which players make this list. 

Surprisingly High Snap Count/Usage From Last Week

RB Breece Hall, New York Jets: 77% snap share + 32 touches 

We've been waiting all year for that explosive game from Breece Hall. Well, we finally got it in Week 16 against the Houston Texans. Hall played a season-high 77% of the Jets' offensive snaps while seeing a season-high 69 snaps (20 more than his previous season-high of 49). 

On top of his high snap share, Hall saw the highest usage game of his career. He totaled 32 touches for 191 yards and two touchdowns. In the contest, the 22-year-old back ran the ball 20 times for 95 yards and two touchdowns while catching 12 passes for 96 yards.

What was most impressive from Week 16 was how much usage Hall saw in the passing game. He was targeted 16 times by Trevor Siemian on Sunday and continues to be a factor with his hands out of the backfield. The young back has totaled at least eight targets and six catches in four of the past five games. His 34 catches over the past five games are also the fifth most in the NFL during that span. 

RB James Cook, Buffalo Bills: 75% snap share and 20 carries 

After Buffalo Bills running back James Cook finished with a career-high 179 rush yards and two total touchdowns, he saw an increased snap share in Week 16 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Cook played a season-high 75% of the Bills' offensive snaps last week while seeing 41-of-55 snaps in the contest. 

The Bills only had 55 offensive snaps, which is low for their standards. So, that could explain why the second-year back saw by far his highest snap share of the season. Prior to Week 16, Cook's highest snap share was 67% back in Week 8. However, it's a good sign to see him getting more involved on offense. 

It wasn't the best game for Cook on the ground, as he rushed 20 times for 70 yards. But seeing 20 carries is big for the 24-year-old in the final week of the fantasy season. 

WR Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns: 11 catches for 265 yards and two touchdowns

What a day for Amari Cooper in Week 16 against the Houston Texans. The Browns wide receiver finished with 11 catches for 265 yards and two touchdowns. He also saw a season-high 15 targets, which was tied for the league lead among all wideouts this past weekend. 

Cooper has been a surprise fantasy star over the past couple of weeks, and that's because of Joe Flacco's emergence in this offense. Over the last three games, the Browns wideout has seen 37 targets, including at least 14 targets in two of the past three contests. He has also totaled over 75 receiving yards in every game during that span. This offense has improved with Flacco under center, which has helped Cooper ascend to a WR2 again in fantasy. 

 Other Players To Note: 

• LV Zamir White (76% snap share without Josh Jacobs)
• BAL Justice Hill (62% snap share without Keaton Mitchell) 

Surprisingly Low Snap Count/Usage From Last Week

RB Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns: 43% snap share 

Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford has seen his snap share decrease in recent weeks, and that continued in Week 16 against the Houston Texans. Despite the Browns leading almost the entire way, Ford saw his lowest snap share since Week 8. Last week, the 24-year-old played just 35-of-82 snaps, while Kareem Hunt played 31 snaps, and Pierre Strong Jr. saw 13 opportunities. 

It was a rough day for Ford in Week 16, rushing 15 times for 25 yards and one touchdown in the contest. The Browns running back is no longer a must-start flex option, as he has seen his snap share drop in three straight games. He has also failed to top more than 12 carries in five of the past six games.

The usage and the snap share appear to be fading more and more for Ford. 

RB Devin Singletary, Houston Texans: 44% snap share 

Houston Texans running back Devin Singletary has really emerged as the team's top back in recent weeks. Singletary played 75% of the Texans' offensive snaps in Week 15, but that dropped down to 44% in Week 16 against the Cleveland Browns. 

Part of the reason for his low snap share was due to the Texans trailing big early. However, it was a shock to see him sit as much as he did, especially with the way he has played recently. Just two weeks ago, he rushed 26 times for 121 yards while also catching four passes for 49 yards. In Week 16, though, Singletary totaled just nine carries for 44 yards and three catches for 19 yards. 

Singletary saw just 33-of-75 snaps on Sunday, while Dare Ogunbowale played 31 snaps, and Dameon Pierce saw 11 opportunities. The 26-year-old Singletary has now played less than 60% of the Texans' offensive snaps in three of the past four games and will be at best a flex play in Week 17. 

Other Players To Note: 

• IND Jonathan Taylor (59% snap share in first game back from thumb injury)
• DEN Javonte Williams (39% snap share)

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