Box Score Breakdown: Week 12 Snaps, Routes, Personnel and Usage

The final five columns of each stat table (written in italics) show numbers for the entire season. Bold lettering denotes especially strong marks relative to positional standards. Green lettering  for the weekly stats 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.

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 this year, 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).

Steelers (19) at Browns (24) 

Steelers Personnel: 11 - 31% / 12 - 40% / 13 - 19%

67 Plays — 36 DBs — 10.4 aDOT — 21-of-29 for 270 yards — 1 TD, 0 INT, 4 sacks, 3 scrambles

• RB Jaylen Warren played a season-high 57% of snaps and scored his first TD of the season, running one in from three yards out in the fourth quarter.
  • It wasn't really a product of game script; Warren played at least half the snaps in all four quarters, while Najee Harris played 44% of snaps or less in each quarter (but still got five more carries than Warren).
  • Warren has at least 11 touches and 59 total yards in all five of Russell Wilson's starts.
• WR George Pickens scored just 8.8 PPR points, but he's still either led the team in targets or tied for the lead every game this season. I'm pretty sure no other pass catcher has done that.
• TE Pat Freiermuth handled 82% route share, up from 68-69 percent in each of the previous four games. He also had his first decent receiving line with Wilson at QB, catching each of his four targets for 59 yards.
• WR Calvin Austin made the most of his three targets with a 46-yard gain and a 23-yard TD. His 60% snap share and 73% route share both ranked third among the team's pass catchers and marked a slight uptick relative to 47% snap share and 61% route share over Wilson's previous four starts.
• WR Van Jefferson sank to 25% of snaps after seven straight games above 50%, but that was at least partially due to missing a chunk of the game with a quad injury. No. 4 receiver Mike Williams failed to take advantage, finishing without a target on 11 routes.

Browns Personnel: 11 - 45% / 12 - 42%

55 Plays — 29 DBs — 8.0 aDOT — 18-of-27 for 219 yards — 0 TD, 1 INT, 1 sacks, 1 scramble

• RB Nick Chubb played a season-high 64% of snaps and also had season highs for carries (20), rushing yards (59) and TDs (two). 
  • Chubb got three carries from the 2-yard line and punched in two of them, including a game-winning TD with a minute remaining.
  • Chubb still ran just eight routes (29%), compared to 14 for Jerome Ford (50%).
• WR Cedric Tillman suffered a concussion in the third quarter, leaving Jamari Thrash as Cleveland's No. 3 receiver, although the 11-heavy Browns largely used multi-TE sets down the stretch, playing in the snow without one of their starting receivers.
• WR Jerry Jeudy fared well in the snow with six catches for 85 yards on six targets, but the other pass catchers suffered with Jameis Winston attempting just 27 passes (after topping 40 in each of his previous three starts).
  • TE David Njoku did himself no favors with a TD drop, although he did catch a two-point conversion shortly thereafter (and was brought down at the 2-yard line on a reception earlier in the game).

Stock ⬆️:   WR Jerry Jeudy  /   RB Jaylen Warren

Stock ⬇️:   RB Najee Harris

 Browns Injuries 🚑: WR Cedric Tillman (head)

Chiefs (30) at Panthers (27) 

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

68 Plays — 47 DBs — 6.3 aDOT — 27-of-37 for 269 yards — 3 TDs, 0 INT, 5 sacks, 5 scrambles

• RB Kareem Hunt dipped to 54% snap share, his first time below 60% since Week 9, but he still dominated the RB opportunities, getting 16 of the 18 carries and four of the eight targets.
  • Isiah Pacheco (leg) seemingly is expected back Week 13 or 14.
  • The Chiefs have a league-high 11% pass rate over expectation (PROE) the past three weeks, perhaps turning away from the run due to Hunt's inability to break off big gains.
    • The only other teams above even 3.9% the past three weeks are Cincinnati (+7.3% PROE) and Miami (+5.4% PROE).
• WR DeAndre Hopkins played less than 50% of snaps for a second straight week, with 45% route share being his lowest since Week 8 (his first game for KC).
  • Hopkins drew six targets on 19 routes and put up 5-35-1, but it's nonetheless concerning for his fantasy outlook to have route shares of 54% and 45% the past two weeks, after reaching 60% in Weeks 9-10. He's still startable, just more so in WR3/4 range rather than the strong-WR2 numbers that seemed possible when he put up 8-86-2 on Tampa Bay in the MNF game Week 9.
• WR JuJu Smith-Schuster elevated to 54% snap share and 50% routes share in his second game back from a hamstring injury, mostly getting more playing time at the expense of Mecole Hardman, whose limited snaps mostly came in the backfield. JuJu drew just two targets on 21 routes.
• WR Xavier Worthy had another drop, albeit on a pass behind the line of scrimmage that probably would've been stopped for no gain. He was second on the team in routes and tied for second in targets, with his role essentially unchanged for months now.
• TE Noah Gray scored two TDs for a second straight week, although his route share dipped back to 50% after peaking at 66% in the previous game (his snap share also dropped, from a season-high 79% back down to the normal range of 59%.
  • TE Travis Kelce rebounded from a down Week 11, leading the team in routes (88%) and targets (eight) against Carolina.

Panthers Personnel: 11 - 69% / 12 - 19%

58 Plays — 40 DBs — 9.7 aDOT — 21-of-35 for 263 yards — 1 TD, 0 INT, 2 sacks, 3 scrambles

• RB Chuba Hubbard got 88% of snaps and 21 of 23 RB opportunities in Jonathon Brooks' NFL debut, with the rookie barely playing and taking two carries for seven yards.
• WR David Moore shockingly led the NFL in air yards (148) Week 12, and he also led the Panthers in targets (10) and receiving production (6-81-1) while taking 93% of snaps and 95% of routes.
  • WR Xavier Legette got one more snap and one more route but four fewer targets, also having a solid game (4-56-0 from six tgts, 96 AY).
• WR Adam Thielen took 60% of snaps, 68% of routes and caught three of four targets for 57 yards in his first appearance since Week 3.
  • Thielen took 71% of his snaps from the slot. It's unclear what the Panthers plan to do with undrafted rookie Jalen Coker, who has taken 73% of his snaps from the slot and missed Sunday's game with a quad injury.
• TE Ja'Tavion Sanders suffered a serious-looking neck/head injury late in the first half and missed the rest of the game. He'd really come on strong in recent weeks and finished Sunday's game with 49 yards on just 10 routes.
  • Sanders took 12 of 21 snaps (57%) before the injury, with his playing time somewhat reduced due to Tommy Tremble returning from a back injury. Tremble then played every snap after Sanders' exit but drew only two targets on 13 routes (while staying in to block on five of the 18 dropbacks).
• QB Bryce Young not only had solid stats but also looked good in the process. The 263 passing yards were his second most in 22 NFL starts, and the 7.5 YPA was his third-best mark in a full game.
  • Young has three straight games with a PFF grade above 70, and his stats in four games since returning to the starting role are shockingly normal (61.8 completion percentage, 6.4 YPA, five TDs, three INTs, one fumble, six sacks, 12 carries for 65 yards).
    • The lack of sacks is especially encouraging, as that's often a sign of improved processing / pocket awareness. Young has been sacked on 4.3% of dropbacks since returning to the starting job, which is the eighth-lowest rate in that time among QBs with 50+ dropbacks. Prior to Week 8, he was sacked on 9.0% of dropbacks, the sixth-highest rate among QBs. Last year it was even worse, with Young sacked on 10.0% of dropbacks.

Stock ⬆️:   QB Bryce Young + WR David Moore

Stock ⬇️:   WR Jalen Coker (quad) + RB Jonathon Brooks

 Chiefs Injuries 🚑: TE Peyton Hendershot (calf)    

 Panthers Injuries 🚑: TE Ja'Tavion Sanders (neck/head) 

Vikings (30) at Bears (27) - OT 

Vikings Personnel: 11 - 58% / 12 - 18% / 21 - 20%

65 Plays — 38 DBs — 8.2 aDOT — 23-of-35 for 344 yards — 2 TDs, 0 INT, 3 sacks, 0 scrambles

• RB Aaron Jones saw his workload rebound in a big way despite losing a fumble near the goal line in the first quarter. He finished with 78% of snaps and 26 of 30 RB opportunities, up from 55% of snaps and 16 of 28 opportunities Week 11 and 54% of snaps and 20 of 34 opportunities Week 10.
  • The rib/torso injury Jones suffered Week 10 seems to have been a big factor in his workload reduction in the previous two games. That doesn't mean he'll dominate backfield work to this extent whenever healthy, but it's at least a possibility each week, keeping him in high-end RB2 or low-end RB1 territory even amidst a big year for the position as a whole.
• WR Jordan Addison followed a strong Week 11 (3-61-1, 8 tgts, 129 AY) with a massive Week 12, catching eight of nine targets for 162 yards and a TD (100 AY).
  • With 17 targets, 223 yards and two TDs the past two weeks, Addison is back in play as a WR3 for fantasy.
• With TE Josh Oliver (ankle) inactive for the first time this year, T.J. Hockenson jumped to season highs of 66% snap share and 84% route share while tying for the team lead in targets (nine) and catching seven passes for 114 yards.
  • Hock had a solid game in regulation before adding three catches for 48 yards on the overtime drive to set up a walk-off chip shot.
• WR Justin Jefferson got a season-low five target, which was his first time with fewer than eight since Week 2. This was also his third straight game below 15 PPR points, after topping that mark in each of Minnesota's first eight games.
  • His efficiency hasn't suffered with Sam Darnold at QB, but Jefferson is now down to 8.3 targets per game, after averaging at least 9.8 three years in a row.

Bears Personnel: 11 - 73% / 12 - 16%

73 Plays — 54 DBs — 7.4 aDOT — 32-of-48 for 340 yards — 2 TD, 0 INT, 3 sacks, 3 scrambles

• RB D'Andre Swift was slightly below 55% snap share for a second time in two games under new playcaller Thomas Brown, but this time Swift still dominated the touches, taking 17 of Chicago's 20 RB opportunities (after 16 of 27 the week before).
  • Roschon Johnson had 11 touches the previous week. In Sunday's loss, he got only three touches, with two of those being goal-line carries on consecutive plays (the second of which he punched in).
• Pass-catcher snap/route shares haven't changed with the switch from Shane Waldron to Brown, but the offense generally has been better, turning in back-to-back competent outings against tough NFC North opponents.
  • The Bears were 20th in pass rate over expectation (-5.2%) under Waldron. They're 26th (-5.5%) under Brown, which isn't a meaningful change one way or another. The increased passing volume has been a product of game script and the Chicago defense struggling a bit against good teams the past two weeks.
• WR Keenan Allen's 15 targets were a season high and the most of any player Week 12. He managed just 86 yards on his nine catches but did score a TD.
  • WR Rome Odunze saw exactly 10 targets for a second straight week, but again with sketchy efficiency and the deep balls not connecting.
  • DJ Moore has caught all 14 of his targets (for 168 yards and a TD) since Brown took over, with a measly 27 air yards (1.9 aDOT). That's a normal aDOT for an RB, not a WR, and while it's working well so far, we should be at least a little concerned that Moore has by far the fewest targets and air yards among Chicago's top three WRs since Brown took over as playcaller.
• Receiving shares in two games under new OC Thomas Brown:
  • Allen: 30% TS, 33% AYS
  • Odunze: 26% TS, 41% AYS
  • Moore: 18% TS, 5% AYS
  • Kmet: 17% TS, 18% AYS
  • Swift: 8% TS, 2% AYS
  • Johnson: 3% TS, 1% AYS

Stock ⬆️:   RB Aaron Jones, WR Jordan Addison, TE T.J. Hockenson  / QB Caleb WIlliams

 Vikings Injuries 🚑: LB Ivan Pace (hamstring), LT Cam Robinson (foot)    

Titans (32) at Texans (27) 

Titans Personnel: 11 - 58% / 12 - 27% / 13 - 14%

66 Plays — 35 DBs — 8.3 aDOT — 18-of-25 for 278 yards — 2 TDs, 1 INT, 8 sacks, 2 scrambles

• With Tyjae Spears in concussion protocol, RB Tony Pollard took 94% of snaps and 29 of the 21 RB opportunities en route to 129 total yards and a TD.
• WR Nick Westrook-Ikhine did it again, striking from 38 yards out for his sixth TD in the past seven games (despite playing in a bad offense and drawing no more than six targets in any game this season). He's a solid/underrated player, but it nonetheless feels like the production could disappear at any given time.
  • Calvin Ridley, meanwhile, had his second most yards (93) of the season on just six targets. That's back-to-back games now with only six targets, but he's been consistently efficient since late October.
• TE Chigoziem Okonkwo drew just one target on 20 routes but took it for a 70-yard TD on a short crossing route. He again dominated TE snaps in passing situations, while Josh Whyle didn't play much.

Texans Personnel: 11 - 72% / 12 - 28%

54 Plays — 40 DBs — 9.1 aDOT — 20-of-33 for 247 yards — 2 TDs, 2 INTs, 4 sacks, 3 scrambles

• RB Joe Mixon had by far his worst healthy game of the season, but he still dominated from a workload perspective, getting 76% of snaps and all 20 RB opportunities.
• WR Nico Collins occupied his usual role after being limited in his first game back from a hamstring injury. He also had a TD wiped out by a penalty for the second straight week, this time losing a 33-yard, go-ahead touchdown with five minutes remaining because two Texans went in motion at the same time.
  • Collins still had a solid fantasy day, with his team-high nine targets including a 56-yard gain on a go route and a five-yard TD.
• John Metche drew just three targets on 28 routes, but he was the clear No. 3 receiver with 72% snap share and 76% route share, running 18 more routes than Xavier Hutchinson and Robert Woods combined.
• Bobby Slowik was a head-coach candidate last offseason and may be a firing candidate come January. The Texans make too many dumb mistakes, and the players have been visibly frustrated for weeks now.
• TE Cade Stover was one of Houston's few bright spots on offense, but he didn't take playing time away from Dalton Schultz, who saw half as many targets on four times as many routes, handling his normal shares in terms of snaps (83%) and routes (76%).

Stock ⬆️:   WR John Metchie

Stock ⬇️:   RB Tyjae Spears (concussion)

 Texans Injuries 🚑: S Jalen Pitre (shoulder), CB Ka'dar Hollman (knee)

Lions (24) at Colts (6) 

Lions Personnel: 11 - 57% / 12 - 31%

72 Plays — 40 DBs — 5.9 aDOT — 26-of-36 for 269 yards — 0 TD, 0 INT, 3 sacks, 1 scramble

• RB David Montgomery injured his shoulder in the third quarter, taking his last snap with about 20 minutes of game time remaining.
  • Jahmyr Gibbs took 88% of snaps from that point forward, getting 12 of the 13 RB opportunities (the only one he missed out on was the final carry, which went to Craig Reynolds at the very end). Gibbs had 12 touches for 45 yards and a TD on 55% snap share before Montgomery's departure, with Monty taking 11 touches for 73 yards and a TD on 45% of snaps (i.e. the usual).
  • Montgomery said he plans to play Thursday against the Bears. 
• TE Sam LaPorta had his normal role in his first game back from a shoulder injury, taking 93% of snaps, 82% of routes and six targets (third most on the team).
• WR Jameson Williams has three straight games with at least five targets and 53 yards since returning from suspension. It feels like the reasonable middle, after he drew 20 targets Weeks 1-2 and then just 10 total over the next four games. All in all, he's averaging 3.2 catches for 66.9 yards and 0.44 TDs on 5.4 targets per game, ranking near the top of the league in yards per target (12.5, which may not quite be long-term sustainable, but he probably can stick pretty close to that as long as the Lions offense is humming).

Colts Personnel: 11 - 51% / 12 - 39% / 13 - 10%

49 Plays — 30 DBs — 13.4 aDOT — 11-of-28 for 172 yards — 0 TD, 0 INT, 0 sacks, 2 scrambles

• RB Jonathan Taylor played 96% of snaps and got all 11 of the RB opportunities. He's gone four straight without a touchdown, after scoring five in his first five games of the year. To be fair, he's faced the Lions, Jets, Bills and Vikings the past four weeks... and even before that had a tough schedule from an opponent standpoint (HOU x2, GB, CHI, PIT).
  • It's got to be the worst schedule for any RB this season, and while things get a tiny bit better down the stretch, he's also got a Week 14 bye and a Week 15 trip to Denver coming up. 
• WR Josh Downs lost three catches for 58 yards to penalties, then missed the end of the game with a shoulder injury. It was not his lucky day.
  • Downs is considered "week-to-week" and "a long shot to play Sunday against the Patriots", per Ian Rapoport.
• WR Michael Pittman led the team with 82% route share and seven targets and had an efficient receiving line on an otherwise rough day for Colts pass catchers.
• QB Anthony Richardson certainly made mistakes, but this was at least the second time this season that his stat line looked much worse than his actual performance because his teammates made so many mistakes.
  • The Colts gained 130 yards over their first three drives but were held to a pair of field goals. After that, they had six drives netting 87 yards and no points.
  • Richardson had two scrambles and a kneel-down. The other seven rush attempts were designed runs, which gave him back-to-back weeks with 10 carries. His passing looks a bit better and his rushing more frequent since he returned to the starting job. It'll be interesting to see what happens down the stretch — a breakthrough or an implosion both seem possible.

Stock ⬆️:   WR Jameson Williams

Stock ⬇️:   RB Jonathan Taylor

 Lions Injuries 🚑: RB David Montgomery, CB Carlton Davis (knee), WR Kalif Raymond (foot)

 Colts Injuries 🚑: WR Josh Downs (shoulder), WR Ashton Dulin (ankle)

Patriots (15) at Dolphins (34) 

Patriots Personnel: 11 - 67% / 12 - 29%

63 Plays — 46 DBs — 7.8 aDOT — 22-of-38 for 222 yards — 1 TD, 1 INT, 4 sacks, 4 scrambles

• RB Rhamondre Stevenson dropped to 40% snap share and 10 of 21 RB opportunities, and it wasn't just a product of garbage time, although that also contributed to his shares being so much lower than in recent weeks.
  • Stevenson got 57% of snaps and 10 of 16 RB opportunities before the fourth quarter, which isn't nearly as bad as the full-game rates but still represents decline.
  • Antonio Gibson had his largest role since Week 6, following five straight games with snap shares below 20% and five or fewer touches.
• The Patriots removed Hunter Henry, Kendrick Bourne and Kayshon Boutte for the final drive, while DeMario Douglas continued playing and added two catches for 10 yards to his ledger.
  • Prior to the final drive, Boutte took 95% of snaps, Henry got 90%, Bourne got 65%, Douglas got 65% and Ja'Lynn Polk got 27%.
  • Boutte has only 39 yards on 10 targets the past two games but continues to lead the WR group in snaps/routes each week... at least for now.

Dolphins Personnel: 11 - 42% / 12 - 29% / 21 - 15% / 13 - 12%

66 Plays — 42 DBs — 5.6 aDOT — 29-of-40 for 317 yards — 4 TDs, 0 INT, 2 sacks, 0 scrambles

• RB De'Von Achane dropped to 53% of snaps and 14 of 25 RB opportunities (56%), his lowest rates in recent weeks, but that was only because the Dolphins built a big lead. Achane took 62% of snaps and nine of 11 RB opportunities in the first half.
  • Miami briefly pulled starters but then put them back in after a botched hand-off between QB Skylar Thompson and RB Jaylen Wright was returned for a TD to make it a 16-point game.
• TE Jonnu Smith topped 20 PPR points for a second straight week and third time this season. His three best games in terms of yardage have also been the three in which he's scored TDs.
  • FB Alec Ingold returned from an injury Sunday but played only 14% of snaps, with Miami using more multi-TE formations and less 21 personnel relative to past years (in part because of Smith's success, presumably).
• WR Jaylen Waddle had a much needed get-right game, with gains of 24, 17, 14, 15, 19, 29, 23 (TD) and 3 yards. He also had a chance for a short TD on which Tua Tagovailoa misfired (and nearly threw an INT instead).
• WR Tyreek Hill took 92% of snaps in the first half, with Waddle at 89% and Smith at 70%.

Stock ⬆️:   TE Jonnu Smith

Stock ⬇️:   RB Rhamondre Stevenson

 Dolphins Injuries 🚑: LB Anthony Walker (hamstring)

Buccaneers (30) at Giants (7) 

Buccaneers Personnel: 11 - 65% / 12 - 21% / 21 - 10%

62 Plays — 33 DBs — 6.4 aDOT — 24-of-30 for 294 yards — 0 TD, 0 INT, 0 sacks, 3 scrambles

• RB Bucky Irving took on a larger role prior to the fourth quarter, getting 61% of snaps, 57% route share and 15 of 27 RB opportunities (nine of the 18 carries and six of the eight targets). Irving had 15 of the 21 RB opps. before Rachaad White closed out the game with six straight carries.
  • All three of their RBs got 2-3 touches on a 14-play, 70-yard opening drive, including Sean Tucker scoring a one-yard TD after Irving was tackled at the 1-yard line on a 14-yard reception. However, Tucker then fumbled on the third drive and played only one snap the rest of the game, with Irving being the lead guy while White mixed in and then handling garbage-time work. Irving fumbled on the first play of the penultimate drive, and after that the Bucs' final six snaps on offense were all carries for White.
• Workloads up until Tucker's fumble (first 18 minutes):
  • Irving: 57% snaps, three carries, five targets
  • White: 52% snaps, three carries, zero targets
  • Tucker: 17% snaps, four carries, zero targets
• Workloads between Tucker's fumble and Irving's fumble (12:00 of Q2 to 7:00 of Q4):
  • Irving: 58% snaps, nine carries, one target
  • White: 39% snaps, three carries, one target
  • Tucker: 3% snaps, zero carries, one target
• WR Mike Evans took 69% of snaps in the first half, with 70% route share. His workload was scaled back once the Bucs had a huge lead, but before the game was out of hand his role was only slightly less than usual (in his first game back from a hamstring injury).
• TE Cade Otton drew just three targets on a team-high 24 routes and finished with single-digit PPR points for a second straight game. Chris Godwin's absence presumably helped Otton's volume more than Evans' absence did, but it is possible Otton needs both WRs unavailable to put up big-time production like we saw for a few weeks in late October and early November.

Giants Personnel: 11 - 80% / 12 - 13%

56 Plays — 40 DBs — 6.0 aDOT — 22-of-32 for 192 yards — 0 TD, 0 INT, 4 sacks, 4 scrambles

• RB Tyrone Tracy took 56% of snaps and nine of 11 RB opportunities up until he lost a fumble on the opening drive of the third quarter. He was benched for the next drive, which ended up spanning 13 plays and 68 yards, culminating in a one-yard TD from Devin Singletary, who split snaps with Eric Gray on the drive. Tracy then returned for the following series and took 50% of snaps and four of five RB opportunities over the final three drives, catching four passes for 28 yards to half-save his fantasy line.
  • You might recall that Tracy lost a fumble in overtime in the Giants' previous game, handing the Panthers a win ahead of both teams' Week 11 bye. It appears the Giants will let Tracy work through the struggles, but it's something to keep an eye on, especially if he fumbles again within the next few weeks.
  • Tracy finished with 13 of 20 RB opportunities (65%) despite missing the team's longest drive.
• WR Malik Nabers wasn't targeted in the first half, then caught three passes for 42 yards on New York's first three plays after halftime. He finished with 6-64-0 on nine targets.
• QB Tommy DeVito briefly left the game after a hard hit but returned after missing just one snap and played through the end in garbage time, mostly completing check-downs to RBs.

Stock ⬆️:   RB Bucky Irving

Stock ⬇️:   RB Rachaad White  /   RB Tyrone Tracy

 Buccaneers Injuries 🚑: S Jordan Whitehead (pectoral), OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (ankle)    

 Giants Injuries 🚑: CB Deonte Banks (undisclosed), LT Jermaine Eluemunor (quad), DT D.J. Davidson (ankle), OLB Azeez Ojulari (toe)

Cowboys (34) at Commanders (26) 

Cowboys Personnel: 11 - 75% / 12 - 15%

61 Plays — 44 DBs — 9.7 aDOT — 25-of-38 for 275 yards — 2 TDs, 2 INTs, 4 sacks, 2 scrambles

• RB Rico Dowdle handled his second-largest snap share (64%) of the season and took 22 of the 26 RB opportunities, returning to the type of workload seen Week 9 at Atlanta after a modest downtick in Copper Rush's first two starts.
• WR CeeDee Lamb had thrice as many targets as any other Cowboys but at an aDOT of 3.9 with no gains of more than 13 yards. He did have one longer gain of around 20-25 yards, but it was canceled out by a penalty.
  • Lamb is averaging 11.3 targets per game in Rush's starts, but with a 5.7 aDOT and 7.5 yards per catch. With Dak Prescott as the starter, Lamb averaged 10.5 targets with a 9.0 aDOT and 12.5 yards per catch.
• WRs Jalen Brooks, Jonathan Mingo and KaVontae Turpin shared the No. 3 WR role again.
• I don't think I've ever seen a game with more special-teams intrigue. And in terms of excitement over the final few minutes, this was comparable to the Ravens-Vikings snow game in 2014.
• TE Luke Schoonmaker looked good again in the absence of Jake Ferguson (head), but Schoonmaker's snap share (62%) and route share (52%) were well shy of Ferguson's norms, with Brevynn Spann-Ford also playing a bunch for the second straight week.
  • Spann-Ford got five of the 10 snaps on 3rd-and-medium/long, although Schoonmaker scored his 22-yard TD on a 3rd-and-6 late in the game.

Commanders Personnel: 11 - 63% / 12 - 21% / 13 - 12%

67 Plays — 33 DBs — 6.2 aDOT — 24-of-32 for 247 yards — 2 TDs, 0 INT, 1 sack, 0 scrambles

• RB Brian Robinson limped off the field with an ankle injury in the first half, returned not long after, and then left for good in the second half.
  • Fellow RB Austin Ekeler suffered a concussion on a kickoff return late in the fourth quarter. It's his second concussion of the year, making him highly likely to miss at least one game. His two recorded brain injuries before this year came in 2021 and 2018,
  • Jeremy McNichols is next on the depth chart and was the only other RB active Sunday, but the Commanders also have a decent option on the practice squad in Chris Rodriguez, who is a similar player to Robinson (perhaps even superior as a pure runner, but lesser than Robinson in terms of versatility). In other words, the Commanders could use Rodriguez to replace Robinson and McNichols to replace Ekeler (if both Ekeler and Robinson miss time).
• WR Terry McLaurin had 16 yards on five targets before scoring an 86-yard TD in the final minute. It would've been his third time in the past four games with fewer than 25 yards, and it was McLaurin's fourth game in a row with six or fewer targets.
• It seems like defenses have figured out Kliff Kingsbury, and the Commanders now rely on individual brilliance to score points, whereas earlier in the year they were scheming easy yards.

Stock ⬆️:   RB Rico Dowdle  /   RB Jeremy McNichols

Stock ⬇️:   RB Austin Ekeler

 Commanders Injuries 🚑: RB Brian Robinson (ankle), RB Austin Ekeler (concussion), RT Andrew Wylie (concussion), C Tyler Biadasz (concussion) 

Broncos (29) at Raiders (19) 

Broncos Personnel: 11 - 63% / 12 - 8%

65 Plays — 44 DBs — 7.3 aDOT — 25-of-42 for 273 yards — 2 TDs, 0 INT, 1 sack, 1 scramble

• RB Javonte Williams got 55% of snaps and 12 of the 25 RB opportunities in a game where his 10 touches yielded four yards. He wasn't benched Sunday but is right back on the hot seat.
  • Go figure, Audric Estime took just three carries for 15 yards. This time it was Jaleel McLaughlin who benefited from the "hot hand" sentiment, taking seven carries for 44 yards.
• WR Courtland Sutton is up to five straight games with at least eight targets, 70 yards and 14.8 PPR points, and he scored his fourth and fifth TDs of the year in this one. I figured Bo Nix would be competent and might help Sutton some, but I never imagined Nix would unlock Sutton as a fantasy WR1, with production well beyond even his 2019 breakout numbers of late.
• WR Devaughn Vele also had his best game of the year, catching six of nine targets for 80 yards. It was his first time since Week 1 with more than six targets, but he does have three straight games with double-digit PPR points and at least four receptions.

Raiders Personnel: 11 - 57% / 12 - 34%

74 Plays — 60 DBs — 5.8 aDOT — 31-of-53 for 328 yards — 1 TD, 1 INT, 5 sacks, 2 scrambles

• QB Gardner Minshew suffered a broken collarbone in the fourth quarter, ending his season and leaving Desmond Ridder as the Raiders' top QB.
  • Aidan O'Connell is on injured reserve with a broken thumb on his throwing hand. He suffered the injury five weeks ago, with reports at the time suggesting he'd be out 4-6 weeks. Tashan Reed of The Athletic says the Raiders are hopeful O'Connell will be ready for Week 13 against the Chiefs (on Friday).
• RB Ameer Abdullah made his first start since 2021 with both Alexander Mattison (ankle) and Zamir White (quad) inactive, ultimately taking 89% of snaps and 14 of the 19 RB opportunities. 
  • Abdullah got off to a fast start behind receiving production, including a six-yard TD early in the second quarter, but his massive snap share yielded just three touches for 11 yards in the second half. I'm not 100% sure, but I think his 49 routes run are the most by any RB in a game this season.
  • Sincere McCormick got only 11% of snaps but led the team with 33 rushing yards, taking carries on five of his eight snaps. Dylan Laube, meanwhile, strictly played special teams (but did have a long return at least).
• WR Jakobi Meyers put up 10-121-0 on 15 targets, while Brock Bowers was well-covered most of the day and managed just 4-38-0 on 10 targets.
  • Meyers' volume and production are now slightly better than Meyers' in the games both have played without Davante Adams (W4-5, 8-9, 11-12):
    • Meyers: 29% TS, 38% AYS
    • Bowers: 27% TS, 22% AYS
    • Tucker: 16% TS, 25% AYS
    • RBs: 15% TS, 0% AYS
    • Turner: 8% TS, 11% AYS

Stock ⬆️:   WR Devaughn Vele  /   RB Ameer Abdullah

Stock ⬇️:   RB Javonte Williams  /   RB Dylan Laube

 Broncos Injuries 🚑: CB Riley Moss (MCL)    

 Raiders Injuries 🚑: QB Gardner Minshew (collarbone) 

49ers (10) at Packers (38) 

49ers Personnel: 11 - 55% / 12 - 4% / 21 - 32% / 22 - 9%

47 Plays — 32 DBs — 7.3 aDOT — 17-of-29 for 199 yards — 1 TD, 1 INT, 2 sacks, 1 scramble

• QB Brandon Allen still stinks, confirmed. They should give Joshua Dobbs a shot if Brock Purdy (shoulder) isn't ready for Sunday's game at Buffalo. 
  • Purdy did some light throwing Monday without issue, ESPN's Nick Wagoner reports.
• Credit George Kittle for putting up 6-82-1 on six targets with Allen under center, not to mention taking 83% of snaps after missing the previous game with a hamstring injury. It's a shame the 49ers may waste another elite season from Kittle; there's no signs of slowing down, but longevity is never a guarantee, and especially not for a player so often banged up.
• RB Jordan Mason got all four of his opportunities on the final two drives. Before that, Christian McCaffrey played 93% of snaps and took all 15 of the RB opportunities.
• WR Jauan Jennings led the team in targets for a third straight game since returning from an injury. It didn't amount to much, but he at least out-produced a slumping Deebo Samuel again.
  • Samuel has just one carry over the past two weeks, after taking at least two carries in each of his seven healthy games beforehand. McCaffrey's return in combination with Samuel's struggles and Jennings' success mean Samuel's current role just isn't exciting, although he still mostly looks the same to the naked eye.
• WR Ricky Pearsall has two targets and no catches on 39 routes the past two weeks, after putting up 4-73-1 on six targets in Jennings' first game back in the lineup. Pearsall is still the clear No. 3 in terms of snaps/routes, with Chris Conley and others barely playing.

Packers Personnel: 11 - 61% / 12 - 30%

67 Plays — 25 DBs — 11.6 aDOT — 13-of-23 for 163 yards — 2 TDs, 0 INT, 2 sacks, 0 scrambles

• RB Josh Jacobs didn't play the final two drives, after his second one-yard TD of the game put the Packers up by 21 points. Prior to those final two drives, Jacobs took 65% of the snaps and 27 of the 31 RB opportunities, while Chris Brooks got just one target on 29% of snaps and Emanuel Wilson took three carries on 14% of snaps. Brooks and Wilson then tacked on a bunch of carries in garbage time.
  • The Packers have a league-low -16.5% PROE in two games since a Week 10 bye, ahead of even the Eagles (-14.2%), Steelers (-11.8%), Colts (-10.4%) and Falcons (9.8%) in that stretch (every other team is at -6.5% or higher.
• WR Romeo Doubs was concussed in the third quarter and missed the final 19-20 minutes of the game. The Packers later pulled a lot of starters for the final two drives. In the time between those two things happening, WR Christian Watson took 10 of 11 snaps, with Dontayvion Wicks getting eight, Jayden Reed getting five and Bo Melton getting two.
  • Malik Heath and Bo Melton then dominated the snaps on the final two drives. But it was Wicks, unsurprisingly, who picked up most of Doubs' vacated snaps before the.
  • Watson had a brutal drop on what should've been a deep TD, and he finished without a catch on three targets after putting up 4-150-0 the week before.

Stock ⬆️:   RB Josh Jacobs, WR Dontayvion Wicks

Stock ⬇️:   QB Brandon Allen, WR Deebo Samuel

 49ers Injuries 🚑: G Aaron Banks (head), DT Jordan Elliott (head), CB Renardo Green (neck), LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (knee)    

 Packers Injuries 🚑: WR Romeo Doubs (concussion) 

Cardinals (6) at Seahawks (16) 

Cardinals Personnel: 11 - 55% / 12 - 29% / 13 - 16%

56 Plays — 44 DBs — 8.3 aDOT — 24-of-37 for 285 yards — 0 TD, 1 INT, 5 sacks, 2 scrambles

• RB James Conner got 68% of snaps and 12 of the 17 RB opportunities, with his touch volume limited both by his own lack of success (seven carries for eight yards) and the Cardinals falling behind. The good news for Conner's fantasy managers is that he took 80% of snaps in the fourth quarter with the Cardinals trailing; that work has gone to Emari Demercado some weeks, but not this past Sunday in a divisional game with the deficit being either one score or two (rather than a blowout).
• TE Trey McBride somehow put up 12 for 133 on an afternoon when basically nothing else went right for Arizona's offense. He and Brock Bowers look like this generation's Travis Kelce(s), putting up elite-possession-WR numbers with TE eligibility. Both will be top-36 fantasy picks next year.

Seahawks Personnel: 11 - 67% / 12 - 25%

61 Plays — 37 DBs — 5.2 aDOT — 22-of-31 for 254 yards — 1 TD, 1 INT, 5 sacks, 1 scramble

• RB Kenneth Walker got banged up at one point in the game but wasn't out for long and ultimately took 64% of snaps and 20 of 26 RB opportunities.
• WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba topped 20 PPR points for a third straight game, but he dropped to 13 air yards after getting at least 92 in each of the previous two contests. Nearly all his yardage came after the catch, including a couple chunk gains on screen passes.
• TE AJ Barner topped 80% snap share for a third time in Noah Fant's three missed games due to a groin injury. In terms of per-route and per-target production, Barner fared much better as the No. 2 TE. As the top guy he's managed just 61 yards from 15 targets and 90 routes.

Stock ⬆️:   TE Trey McBride

Stock ⬇️:   TE AJ Barner

 Seahawks Injuries 🚑: G Anthony Bradford (ankle) 

Eagles (20) at Rams (37) 

Eagles Personnel: 11 - 54% / 12 - 31%

68 Plays — 26 DBs — 6.5 aDOT — 15-of-22 for 179 yards — 1 TD, 0 INT, 1 sack, 3 scrambles

• RB Saquon Barkley had TD runs of 70 and 72 yards. He's now leading the NFL in carries, rushing yards, yards per game (126.5) and YPA (6.2), set up to make a run at the single-season rushing record.
  • He's scored 12 times in 10 games, despite being tackled at the 1-yard line nine times and ceding nearly all of the goal-line rushes to QB Jalen Hurts and also losing a couple scores to Kenneth Gainwell.
  • Hurts has also been active as a runner lately, with five straight games of at least 37 yards, after reaching that mark just once over the first six games this season.
• WR A.J. Brown predictably dominated the passing game with DeVonta Smith sidelined by a hamstring injury, accounting for seven of the 19 targets and 109 of the 179 receiving yards.
  • TE Dallas Goedert got a nice target share boost, but there were only 19 looks to go around and his four catches netted just 19 yards.

Rams Personnel: 11 - 95% / 12 - 2%

59 Plays — 42 DBs — 6.6 aDOT — 24-of-36 for 243 yards — 2 TDs, 0 INT, 5 sacks, 1 scramble

• RB Kyren Williams got 90% of snaps and 16 of the 17 RB opportunities despite losing a fumble early in the game. He even got carries late in the fourth quarter with the game out of hand, which was also when Cooper Kupp made his fantasy managers happy with a 27-yard TD on the final drive.
  • Williams has fumbled four times in the past four games. Sean McVay obviously loves him, but for how much longer?
• Kupp, Puka Nacua and Demarcus Robinson have been coming off the field some in recent weeks, rather than handling the classic McVay snap shares of 95-plus percent, but it obviously hasn't mattered for Kupp/Nacua in terms of target volume (and Robinson has also done better with both teammates healthy, capitalizing on some friendly coverage looks as the forgotten/ignored man).
  • Nacua's 35% TPRR is a league high, with the other players in the 30s (rounding up) being Josh Downs (33%), Kupp (33%), Malik Nabers (32%), Alvin Kamara (31%), Adonai Mitchell (30%), Will Dissly (30%), Evan Engram (30%), CeeDee Lamb (30%) and Trey McBride (30%).
• TE Davis Allen dipped to 49% snap share and 39% route share. He went all the way up to 80+ percent for both numbers Week 10, before dropping to 65% and 56% in Week 11 and now below 50%.
  • Hunter Long picked up a bunch of the TE snaps, rather than Colby Parkinson's role increasing. None of them should be rostered outside of ultradeep dynasty leagues.

Stock ⬆️:   WR Puka Nacua

Stock ⬇️:   RB Kyren Williams, TE Davis Allen

 Eagles Injuries 🚑: CB Darius Slay (concussion), DE Brandon Graham (tricep - OFS)

Vocab/Index

• DBs = QB dropbacks = pass attempts + sacks + scrambles
• AY = Air Yards  
• Sn/G = Snaps per game
• RT/G = Routes run per game
• TPRR = Targets per Route Run (targets/routes)
• YPRR = Yards per Route Run (yards/routes)
• aDOT = Average Depth of Target

Personnel Groupings

• 11 = 1 RB / 1 TE / 3 WR
• 12 = 1 RB / 2 TE / 2 WR
• 21 = 2 RB / 1 TE / 2 WR
• 22 = 2 RB / 2 TE / 1 WR
• 13 = 1 RB / 3 TE / 1 WR