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 10 contests.
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Rising Snap Counts for Fantasy Football
Tre'Quan Smith, WR, NO (55%>63%>80%>91% snaps)
Tre'Quan Smith's snaps have risen in every game since his activation from preseason IR. His absence was felt in a major way for a Saints' team that has gone without star WR Michael Thomas all season. While Smith is not exactly a world-beater, his abilities are certainly needed to complement a corps formerly led by Marquez Callaway and Deonte Harris.
Smith just had his best fantasy game of the season in Week 10 against the Titans with 14.4 PPR points. He managed to snag his 2nd TD of the season and hit a season-high in targets (7). He may not be someone to fully entrust in your lineup yet, but Smith should be rostered across the board and could be FLEX-ed in a pinch.
James Washington, WR, PIT (11%> 46%>57%>87% snaps)
James Washington has been a beneficiary of the various injuries hitting Pittsburgh's WR room. First, JuJu Smith-Schuster (shoulder) was announced out for the season, and now Chase Claypool (toe) may miss an unknown amount of time as he recovers. Washington's role is more in-line with what Claypool does, so this opportunity is massive in the absence.
Washington capitalized to a degree in Week 10 by snagging a TD and playing alongside college teammate Mason Rudolph. Their connection hasn't been profound in the NFL thus far, but it is hard to ignore. Reports suggest that Ben Roethlisberger may remain out for Week 11, which could bode well for Washington after seeing a season-high six targets. Washington is not recommended for any lineups outside deeper (14+ team) leagues.
D'Onta Foreman, RB, TEN (21%>35% snaps)
Not only has D'Onta Foreman looked relatively healthy for the first time since tearing his achilles, but he gets a matchup with his former team -- and now rival -- the Houston Texans. Foreman's snaps essentially mirrored future HOF-er Adrian Peterson's this past week, and despite Jeremy McNichols' presence, this upcoming game should call for a lot of running given Houston's general deficiencies.
The Titans will likely be in control of this game by the second half which can allow for plenty more Foreman. It is unlikely that his snap% gets beyond a certain point, due to workload management and the other RBs in Tennessee -- but he can very well become the lead. He can be started this weekend as a FLEX or even RB2 if need be, given that the Titans utilized him as a receiver some in Week 10 as well.
Falling Snap Counts for Fantasy Football
Cole Beasley, WR, BUF (87%>71%>67%>16% snaps)
Beasley is having arguably the worst season of his career -- and while his snap count crash this past week (due to the blowout factor) is not tied to that, it should be noted given that he's had several double-digit target games this season and done little-to-nothing with them.
Beasley is competing with a resurgent Emmanuel Sanders, a WR1 Stefon Diggs, and the returning Dawson Knox for targets moving forward, and this is not the first time this season his snaps/touches have dipped. In general, he is tough to start outside of full-PPR leagues, but can be utilized unless this *full* downtick becomes a trend.
Allen Lazard, WR, GB (91%>84%>59% snaps)
Allen Lazard has seemingly failed to take on the WR2 role in Green Bay despite coming into Week 10 with three straight games scoring a TD. The return of Marquez Valdes-Scantling has dropped Lazard's snaps dramatically and should keep him in that range for the foreseeable future. Lazard is not a terrible WR, but certainly limited. There is a chance that in Aaron Jones' (knee) absence, the non-Davante Adams WRs are utilized more -- but that is a wait-and-see situation.
For now, we know that Lazard's season-high of six targets several weeks ago is not enough to hold on in any league, and his outlook with a healthy WR room is poor at best. He can be dropped and left on the wire.
Mike Davis, RB, ATL (64%>56%>37% snaps)
While Cordarrelle Patterson has easily overtaken Mike Davis as the RB to roster in Atlanta, Davis's recent loss of snaps/touches to Wayne Gallman shouldn't be considered significant. The Falcons' 43-7 loss prompted a switch to backups early-on -- and despite Davis's ineffective season, he is still considered a valued piece by the team. If Patterson were to miss Week 11's matchup against New England, Davis would be a start as he should receive a significant portion of the offense's touches.
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