Hidden Stat Line: Week 15 Backfield Breakdown

Hidden Stat Line: Week 15 Backfield Breakdown

This article is part of our Hidden Stat Line series.

Six running backs reached 80 percent snap share in Week 15, including two guys (Tony Pollard, J.D. McKissic) filling in for injured starters. No rookies reached that threshold, but it was another strong week for the freshman class, with Jonathan Taylor, Cam Akers, D'Andre Swift, J.K. Dobbins, James Robinson and Salvon Ahmed each leading his backfield in snaps and carries by a comfortable margin.

Meanwhile, the injury bug bit Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle/hip), Raheem Mostert (ankle) and Jeff Wilson (ankle), potentially bringing graybeards Le'Veon Bell, Jerick McKinnon and Tevin Coleman back to fantasy relevance just in time for championship week. James Robinson also appeared to sprain an ankle, so we could see Devine Ozigbo and Dare Ogunbowale handling Jacksonville's backfield work Week 16 against Chicago.

Before we look at the top waiver options for Week 16, let's break down all the usage and trends from Week 15...

Week 15 RB Leaderboard

Bold denotes Top 10 in a stat.

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DB
1Aaron Jones90%20415.4%210.62
2Tony Pollard90%12927.3%250.71
3David Montgomery88%3229.5%130.65
4J.D. McKissic87%131019.2%390.66
5Miles Sanders82%1725.0%200.40
6David Johnson80%81129.0%340.74
7Benny Snell79%18410.5%150.38
8Dalvin Cook77%24516.7%200.53
9Alvin Kamara72%

Six running backs reached 80 percent snap share in Week 15, including two guys (Tony Pollard, J.D. McKissic) filling in for injured starters. No rookies reached that threshold, but it was another strong week for the freshman class, with Jonathan Taylor, Cam Akers, D'Andre Swift, J.K. Dobbins, James Robinson and Salvon Ahmed each leading his backfield in snaps and carries by a comfortable margin.

Meanwhile, the injury bug bit Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle/hip), Raheem Mostert (ankle) and Jeff Wilson (ankle), potentially bringing graybeards Le'Veon Bell, Jerick McKinnon and Tevin Coleman back to fantasy relevance just in time for championship week. James Robinson also appeared to sprain an ankle, so we could see Devine Ozigbo and Dare Ogunbowale handling Jacksonville's backfield work Week 16 against Chicago.

Before we look at the top waiver options for Week 16, let's break down all the usage and trends from Week 15...

Week 15 RB Leaderboard

Bold denotes Top 10 in a stat.

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DB
1Aaron Jones90%20415.4%210.62
2Tony Pollard90%12927.3%250.71
3David Montgomery88%3229.5%130.65
4J.D. McKissic87%131019.2%390.66
5Miles Sanders82%1725.0%200.40
6David Johnson80%81129.0%340.74
7Benny Snell79%18410.5%150.38
8Dalvin Cook77%24516.7%200.53
9Alvin Kamara72%11618.2%180.51
10Jonathan Taylor70%16517.2%170.57
11Chris Carson70%15311.5%160.59
12Giovani Bernard68%2517.7%70.47
13Josh Jacobs68%26310.0%180.53
14Leonard Fournette66%14511.6%190.40
15D'Andre Swift64%15513.5%190.50
16Derrick Henry63%2427.7%90.32
17Austin Ekeler62%13412.5%230.70
18James Robinson62%16311.1%130.38
19Frank Gore62%2313.7%90.27
20Salvon Ahmed61%23312.0%140.50
21Cam Akers61%15310.0%140.38
22Nick Chubb59%1526.7%140.42
23Mike Davis54%1425.9%170.45
24Devin Singletary53%838%230.56
25Melvin Gordon53%11412.5%160.46
26J.K. Dobbins53%1413.9%100.37
27Chase Edmonds53%11513.5%200.54
28Kenyan Drake50%1025.4%130.26
29James White49%2416.0%120.40
30Ito Smith48%636.3%160.31
31Zack Moss47%1300.0%120.29
32Jeff Wilson46%1649.8%160.36
33Clyde Edwards-Helaire45%1436.7%200.39
34Wayne Gallman43%900.0%60.17
35Sony Michel42%1014.00%80.27
36Gus Edwards41%927.7%80.30
37Phillip Lindsay36%1139.4%90.26
38Rodney Smith35%4411.8%130.34
39Ty Johnson34%3622.2%180.55
40Kareem Hunt33%7310.0%110.33
41Kalen Ballage32%800.0%60.18
42Le'Veon Bell32%1512.2%130.25
43Nyheim Hines30%5310.3%90.30
44Raheem Mostert30%1400.0%80.18
45Latavius Murray30%439.1%70.20
46Todd Gurley25%124.2%60.12
47Matt Breida25%1200.0%40.14
48Brian Hill23%524.2%70.13
49Darrynton Evans19%827.7%20.07

   

Classify Me, Captain

Three-down Role with 80-plus Percent Snap Share

  1. Green Bay Packers - Aaron Jones
  2. Houston Texans - David Johnson
  3. Chicago Bears - David Montgomery
  4. Washington FT - J.D. McKissic
  5. Dallas Cowboys - Tony Pollard 
  6. Philadelphia Eagles - Miles Sanders

Three-down Role, But Subbed Out Sometimes

  1. Los Angeles Chargers - Austin Ekeler
  2. Carolina Panthers - Mike Davis
  3. Indianapolis Colts - Jonathan Taylor
  4. Detroit Lions - D'Andre Swift
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars - James Robinson
  6. Minnesota Vikings - Dalvin Cook
  7. New Orleans Saints - Alvin Kamara
  8. Pittsburgh Steelers - Benny Snell
  9. Cincinnati Bengals - Giovani Bernard

Clear Lead Back, But Usually Off the Field for Obvious Passing Situations

  1. Las Vegas Raiders - Josh Jacobs
  2. Tennessee Titans - Derrick Henry
  3. Baltimore Ravens - J.K. Dobbins
  4. Miami Dolphins - Salvon Ahmed
  5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Leonard Fournette
  6. Seattle Seahawks - Chris Carson
  7. San Francisco 49ers - Raheem Mostert (ankle), then Jeff Wilson (ankle)
  8. New York Jets - Frank Gore
  9. Los Angeles Rams - Cam Akers
  10. Cleveland Browns - Nick Chubb

Two-Man Split

  1. Denver Broncos - Melvin Gordon & Phillip Lindsay
  2. Buffalo Bills - Zack Moss & Devin Singletary
  3. New England Patriots - Sony Michel & James White
  4. Arizona Cardinals - Chase Edmonds & Kenyan Drake
  5. Kansas City Chiefs - Clyde Edwards-Helaire & Le'Veon Bell

Not-So-Pretty Committee

  1. Atlanta Falcons - Ito Smith, Todd Gurley & Brian Hill
  2. New York Giants - Wayne Gallman, Alfred Morris & Dion Lewis

    

Game-by-Game Breakdowns

Chargers (30) at Raiders (27) — OT

Chargers

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
Austin Ekeler62%13412.5%230.7013-60-0 — 4-19-0
Kalen Ballage32%800.0%60.188-11-1 — 0-0-0
Joshua Kelley8%200.0%20.062-9-0 — 0-0-0
  • Justin Jackson was a healthy scratch.
  • Ekeler played 19 of 31 snaps (61%) on first downs, 12 of 22 (55%) on second downs, and 10 of 13 (77%) on third downs.
  • Ballage played four of the team's six snaps inside the 5-yard line and got two carries — both from the 1-yard line, including a TD — while Ekeler didn't have any carries or targets on his two snaps inside the five.
  • This was the third straight week with Ballage working as the No. 2 back behind Ekeler. The Chargers didn't run any plays inside the 5-yard line in Weeks 13 and 14, so Thursday's game was our first chance to assess goal-line work for the current tandem... Advantage: Ballage.
  • The four targets tied Ekeler's Week 2 total for the fewest he's seen in a full game with Justin Herbert at quarterback.

  

Raiders

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
Josh Jacobs68%26310.0%180.5326-76-1 — 3-38-0
Theo Riddick18%100.0%50.151--5-0 — 0-0-0
Devontae Booker12%300.0%30.093-12-0 — 0-0-0
Jalen Richard4%013.3%20.060-0-0 — 1-7-0
  • Riddick replaced Richard as the third-down back, while Jacobs continued to dominate early downs.
  • Jacobs played seven of the team's eight snaps inside the 5-yard line, scoring just one touchdown on five carries. The goal-line work was spread across four separate drives, so he conceivably could've scored as many as four TDs if the Raiders had executed better when they came close to the end zone.
  • Jacobs played 26 of 35 snaps (74%) on first downs, 18 of 24 (75%) on second downs, and five of 13 (39%) on third downs.
  • Riddick played five of the six snaps on third-and-medium/long.

  

Bills (48) at Broncos (19)

Bills

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
Devin Singletary53%837.9%230.568-68-1 — 3-16-0
Zack Moss47%1300.0%120.2913-81-0 — 0-0-0
  • Moss was benched for most of Buffalo's Week 13 game after a botched hand-off early in the game, but he's since bounced back to take a team-high 13 carries in back-to-back games.
  • Singletary scored his touchdown from 51 yards with less than two minutes remaining in the blowout. The Bills had a third running back active for the game, but Taiwan Jones played only one snap. Moss got seven carries in the fourth quarter, while Singletary took three.
  • The workload split was a little more in Singletary's favor before the garbage-time final quarter, though he was the one who padded his stats at the end. Through three quarters, Singletary had five carries and three targets on 56% of snaps, while Moss had six carries and zero targets on 44%.
  • Moss played each of the three snaps inside the 5-yard line, including one carry. Since returning from an injury Week 6, the rookie has played 78% of Buffalo's snaps inside the five, tying Josh Allen with five carries. Meanwhile, Singletary has played only 22% and taken just one carry.
  • Singletary played six of 12 snaps on third-and-medium/long. Moss played four, and Taiwan Jones got one.

  

Broncos

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
Melvin Gordon53%11412.5%160.4611-61-2 — 4-20-0
Phillip Lindsay36%1139.4%90.2611-38-0 — 3-7-0
Royce Freeman11%100.0%10.031-4-0 — 0-0-0
  • Gordon and Lindsay both got work through the fourth quarter, well after the game was out of reach. Gordon got five carries and one target on 58% of snaps in that final quarter, with Lindsay adding four carries and a target on 42%.
  • Gordon played nine of 14 snaps (64%) on third downs, including six of 11 on third-and-medium/long.
  • The Broncos didn't run any plays inside Buffalo's five-yard line. Gordon scored from 10 and eight yards out, rather than getting goal-line work. However, he's played five of Denver's seven snaps inside the five over the past eight games — the stretch where both he and Lindsay have been healthy.
  • Over the past eight games, Gordon has played 12 of 20 snaps inside the 10-yard line, accounting for seven of the team's eight carries in that area. The eighth carry went to Drew Lock, not Lindsay.
  • Gordon has a six-game streak with no more than 15 carries and no fewer than 11.

  

Panthers (16) at Packers (24)

Panthers

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
Mike Davis54%1425.9%170.4514-59-0 — 2-2-0
Rodney Smith35%4411.8%130.344-23-0 — 3-24-0
  • Smith's snap share was a season high, up from 23% and 24% in the previous two games. He got three carries on 27% of snaps in the first half, followed by one carry and four targets on 41% of snaps after halftime.
  • Davis played five of nine snaps on third-and-medium/long, with Smith getting the other four.
  • Smith played Carolina's one snap inside the 5-yard line... the play where Teddy Bridgewater lost a fumble on an attempted QB sneak. It was the team's first inside-the-five snap without Davis on the field since Week 9 (when Christian McCaffrey last played).
  • Curtis Samuel played six snaps in the backfield, after getting none there the previous week, per PFF. He took two carries for six yards and caught four of nine targets for 42 yards. For the season, Samuel is averaging 3.9 backfield snaps, 2.4 carries and 11.2 rushing yards per game, with 31-145-2 on the ground.

  

Packers

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
Aaron Jones90%20415.4%210.6220-145-1 — 3-13-0
A.J. Dillon8%100.0%30.091-18-0 — 0-0-0
Jamaal Williams7%127.7%30.091-6-0 — 2-14-0
  • Williams suffered a quad/thigh injury early in the game, finishing with three touches for 20 yards on four snaps.. He didn't play at all after the first quarter, so Jones finished with season highs for snaps (56), snap share (90%) and carries (20).
  • Dillon played four snaps in the second quarter and one in the second half. Jones came off the field for just a single play after halftime, accounting for each of Green Bay's 10 RB opportunities.

  

Texans (20) at Colts (27)

Texans

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
David Johnson80%81129.0%340.748-27-0 — 11-106-0
Buddy Howell15%500.0%40.095-22-0 — 0-0-0
Scottie Phillips6%212.6%10.022-9-0 — 1-7-0
  • Duke Johnson (neck) and C.J. Prosise (ankle) were inactive, while David returned from the COVID-19 list after missing Week 14. DJ also missed Weeks 10-12 (with a knee injury), and in Week 13 he got just 10 carries and two targets on 58 percent of snaps.
  • This was Johnson's first game with more than four targets all season. Week 15 accounts for 41% of his catches and 40% of his receiving yards in 2020.

  

Colts

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
Jonathan Taylor70%16517.2%170.5716-83-1 — 4-12-0
Nyheim Hines30%5310.390.305-43-0 — 2-11-0
  • Jordan Wilkins strictly played special teams, after playing 19% and 10% of offensive snaps in Weeks 13-14.
  • Taylor's snap share was a season high, up from 55%, 48% and 56% in the previous three games. He could've seen 25+ touches if the Colts offense had gotten more volume; the team ran only 53 plays Sunday.
  • Taylor played eight of 11 snaps on third downs, including four of six on third-and-medium/long. He ran nearly twice as many routes as Hines, who logged just seven snaps in the first half and nine more after the break.
  • Over his past four games, Taylor averaged 17.8 carries for 103.5 yards and 0.75 TDs, plus 3.3 catches for 23.8 yards and 0.25 TDs, scoring at least 15.4 PPR points each week.

  

Lions (25) at Titans (46)

Lions

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
D'Andre Swift64%15513.5%190.5015-67-2 — 4-15-0
Adrian Peterson25%600.0%70.186-23-0 — 0-0-0
Kerryon Johnson11%000.0%30.080-0-0 — 0-0-0
  • Swift got his second start of the year and finished with his second-best marks for snap share (65%) and carries (15).
  • Swift has finished with either four or five targets in 10 of his 11 appearances this year. That has remained steady even as his playing time and route share have increased, partially because Johnson still poaches a good chunk of the third downs.
  • Swift played 11 of 13 snaps in the fourth quarter, adding a six-yard touchdown late in the game. The Lions removed a banged-up Matthew Stafford, but they left most of their other starters in the game, allowing Swift and Marvin Jones to pad their stat lines in garbage time.
  • Peterson played three of five snaps inside the 5-yard line, but he didn't score on either of his two carries in that area, while Swift went 1-for-2 and also had the aforementioned six-yarder. Both of Peterson's goal-line carries came on the opening drive.
  • Johnson played seven of 12 snaps on third downs, including six of seven on 3rd-and-medium/long.

  

Titans

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
Derrick Henry63%2427.7%90.3224-147-1 — 2-5-0
Darrynton Evans19%827.7%20.078-30-0 — 2-27-1
Jeremy McNichols12%013.9%40.140-0-0 — 1-5-0
  • Henry had another huge game, but he'll need to be even better (161 rushing yards per game over the final two weeks) to reach 2,000.
  • Evans, the rookie third-round pick, got significant work for the first time all year. He'd seen just five touches and 13 snaps before Sunday's game, with his last appearance coming all the way back in Week 5. After missing two months with a hamstring injury, Evans replaced D'Onta Foreman (healthy scratch) in the backup role Week 15.
  • Evans got 12 of his 13 snaps and all 10 of his touches in the fourth quarter. Prior to the final quarter, Henry played 80% of snaps and took each of Tennessee's 21 RB carries. It was only at the end that Evans had a role.
  • McNichols played six of 11 snaps on third downs, including five of seven on third-and-medium/long. He got just two snaps that weren't on third downs.

  

Buccaneers (31) at Falcons (27)

Bucs

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
Leonard Fournette66%14511.6%190.4014-49-2 — 3-16-0
LeSean McCoy18%037.0%90.190-0-0 — 3-32-0
Ke'Shawn Vaughn15%212.3%20.042-4-0 — 0-0-0
  • With Ronald Jones (finger/COVID-19) unavailable, Fournette went from a healthy scratch in Week 15 to the lead role in Week 15. He got only three carries and one target on 46% snap share in the first half, but then saw 11 carries and four targets on 77% of snaps in the second half.
  • Fournette played four of five snaps inside the 5-yard line, including a pair of one-yard rushing TDs. He also converted a 3rd-and-1 and a game-sealing 3rd-and-2, so he did very well in short-yardage situation, even if he didn't do much else.
  • McCoy played eight of 10 snaps on third downs, including seven of seven on third-and-medium/long.
  • Vaughn got nine snaps in the first half but just one in the second half. The Bucs turned away from the rookie after falling behind 17-0 by halftime.

  

Falcons

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
Ito Smith48%636.3%160.316-24-0 — 2-9-0
Todd Gurley25%124.2%60.121--1-0 — 2-15-0
Brian Hill23%524.2%70.135--2-0 — 2-9-0
  • Gurley was still the starter but barely touched the ball. Smith led the backfield in carries and snap share for a second straight week, after seeing 11 carries and one target on 44% of snaps in a Week 14 loss to the Chargers.
  • Smith played 45% of snaps in the first half and 52% in the second. He got 18 of 31 snaps (58%) on first downs and 10 of 17 (59%) on second downs, but only three of 15 (20%) on third downs.
  • Gurley played eight of 13 snaps on third-and-medium/long.
  • Atlanta didn't have any snaps inside the Tampa 5-yard line; Gurley played both of the two snaps inside the 10 (both were Matt Ryan dropbacks).

  

Jaguars (14) at Ravens (40)

Jags

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
James Robinson62%16311.1%130.3816-35-0 — 3-18-1
Dare Ogunbowale24%213.7%80.242-17-0 — 1-8-0
Devine Ozigbo5%013.7%10.030-0-0 — 1-4-0
  • Robinson injured his ankle and left the game after playing just one snap in the fourth quarter.
  • Prior to the fourth quarter, Robinson played 75% of snaps, accounting for 15 of the 16 RB carries and three of the four targets.
  • Ozigbo didn't get any playing time until the fourth quarter, while Ogunbowale played 10 of 47 snaps (21%) through three quarters. That was the same deal the week before, with Ogunbowale getting some passing-down work and Ozigbo not playing until garbage time of a blowout loss.
  • Robinson and Ogunbowale got five snaps apiece on third-and-medium/long. Ogunbowale took nine of 11 the week before, so Robinson was actually getting a little more playing time on obvious passing downs before he hurt his ankle.
  • Robinson was a blocker on eight snaps, tied for the third most among RBs in Week 15, per PFF. He has the second most pass-block snaps (76) among running backs this season, but also ranks eighth in routes run (285). PFF charts him with league highs among RBs in sacks allowed (three), hurries allowed (nine) and pressures allowed (12). That's not ideal, but Robinson's work as a pass catcher should set him up for a three-down role next year, right? How many rookie RBs make this 👇 catch?

  

Ravens

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
J.K. Dobbins53%1413.9%100.3714-64-1 — 1-17-0
Gus Edwards41%927.7%80.309-42-0 — 2-36-0
Justice Hill9%013.9%40.150-0-0 — 1-8-0
  • Mark Ingram was a healthy scratch, after playing just one snap (the first snap of the game) the previous week. Edwards technically got the start Sunday, but Dobbins played 63% of snaps in the first half and entered halftime with nine carries to Edwards' five.
  • Dobbins played seven of 20 snaps (35%) in the fourth quarter of the blowout, taking four carries for 10 yards. He definitely got less playing time once the game was out of reach, but he did still take a carry with the Ravens up by 33 points and only six minutes remaining in the game. Dobbins and Edwards continued to get carries after Lamar Jackson was pulled from the game.
  • Hill played five of nine snaps on third-and-medium/long, with Dobbins and Edwards getting one apiece.
  • Edwards played two of three snaps inside the 5-yard line, but Dobbins got the only carry and took it in for a two-yard touchdown.
  • The rookie is up to four straight games with a rushing touchdown, averaging 13.3 carries for 64.5 yards per game in that stretch (but only 0.75 catches for 8.0 yards). Dobbins has a four-game streak leading the Baltimore backfield in snap share and carries, but he's still losing some work to Edwards on early downs and to Hill on third downs.

  

Patriots (12) at Dolphins (22)

Pats

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
James White49%2416.0%120.402-3-0 — 4-52-0
Sony Michel42%1014.0%80.2710-74-0 — 1-8-0
J.J. Taylor9%100.0%10.031-2-0 — 0-0-0
  • Damien Harris (ankle) was inactive, so Michel got his first start since Week 3. Michel broke a bunch of tackles and gained six or more yards on 60 percent of his carries, but he didn't get much work in a game where the Patriots offense had only eight drives and 52 plays. Miami ate up 37 minutes, 26 seconds of possession, piling up 42-250-3 on the ground.
  • New England never reached the red zone in this game, kicking four field goals.

  

Dolphins

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
Salvon Ahmed61%23312.0%140.5023-122-1 — 1-5-0
Matt Breida25%1200.0%40.1412-86-0 — 2-12-0
Patrick Laird11%228.0%50.182-20-0 — 2-12-0
  • Ahmed returned from a shoulder injury after missing Weeks 12-14. He'd seen 33 carries and seven targets between Weeks 10 and 11, playing 76% and 66% of snaps while Myles Gaskin was out with a knee injury. Gaskin returned from the injury Week 13, but then missed Weeks 14 and 15 after he tested positive for COVID-19. It isn't clear when Gaskin will return.
  • DeAndre Washington was active for the game but didn't play any snaps (not even on special teams).
  • Ahmed got the start and played 68% of snaps in the first half, with 10 carries and two targets. Breida then got 48% of snaps and seven carries in the third quarter, before Ahmed closed it out with 71% snap share and eight carries in the fourth.
  • Ahmed played five of seven snaps inside the 5-yard line, with Laird getting the other two (both on third downs). Ahmed got three carries inside the five (one TD), and QB Tua Tagovailoa had two (both TDs). Tua's second score came after Ahmed was stuffed at the goal line on back-to-back plays in the fourth quarter.
  • Laird played five of six snaps on third-and-medium/long. He had a nine-yard catch to convert a 4th-and-8, and a 12-yard carry to convert a 3rd-and-8.

  

Bears (33) at Vikings (27)

Bears

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
David Montgomery88%3229.5%130.6532-146-2 — 1-16-0
Cordarrelle Patterson9%114.8%20.101-3-0 — 1-4-0
  • Patterson played a season-low four snaps in the backfield, per PFF. Montgomery finished with career highs for snap share, carries, rushing yards and fantasy points.
  • Over the past four weeks, Montgomery averaged 17.8 carries for 108.5 yards and 1.25 touchdowns, plus 3.3 catches for 34.3 yard and 0.25 TDs. Averaging 6.1 yards per carry in that stretch, he's now up to 4.5 YPC for the year.

  

Vikings

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
Dalvin Cook77%24516.7%200.5324-132-1 — 5-27-0
Alexander Mattison9%113.3%40.111-1-0 — 1-14-0
  • Mattison played for the first time since Week 12, returning after an appendectomy.
  • Ameer Abdullah played one snap. Most of the plays Cooks missed were just snaps with no RB on the field, something the Vikings sometimes do in obvious passing situations.
  • Cook leads the league in rushing touchdowns (15) and scrimmage yards (1,833), and his 1,484 rushing yards are 414 more than third-place James Robinson.

  

Seahawks (20) at Washington Football Team (15)

Seahawks

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
Chris Carson70%15311.5%160.5915-63-0 — 2-6-0
Carlos Hyde18%2311.5%40.152-55-1 — 2-8-0
Rashaad Penny11%200.0%20.07 2-6-0 — 0-0-0
  • Carson's snap share was a season high, with 15 carries and 17 touches being the most he's seen since Week 4. He played 66% of snaps in the first half and 77% in the second half. He got 83% of snaps on first downs and 78% on second downs, but only 40% on third downs.
  • Seattle ran only 53 plays, while Washington 79. Carson could've had 20-plus carries if the Seahawks had been able to hold the ball more.
  • Penny made his first appearance since tearing an ACL in Week 14 last year.
  • Hyde was limited to two carries for a second time in the past three weeks, but he made the most of his limited chances with a 50-yard rushing score. He also got seven of 11 snaps on third-and-medium/long, after taking seven of nine the previous week. In other words, Hyde is the main guy for obvious passing situations now that Travis Homer (knee) is out.
  • Seattle didn't run any plays inside Washington's 10-yard line.

  

Football Team

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
J.D. McKissic87%131019.2%390.6613-51-0 — 9-56-1
Peyton Barber15%411.9%50.084-5-1 — 0-0-0
  • Barber's usage fell off a cliff, after he'd seen 12 carries and three targets on 48% snap share the week before in Washington's first game without Antonio Gibson (toe). Playing from behind was a factor, but McKissic also got 73% of the snaps and four of the six carries in the first quarter.
  • McKissic played 89% of snaps in the second half, with seven carries and seven targets. Barber got just two carries and no targets after halftime.
  • McKissic played two of three snaps inside the 5-yard line, but Barber got the only carry. (Barber played the lone snap inside the five the week before, though it was a pass play.)
  • The touchdown was McKissic's second of the year, and his first receiving. He has 832 total yards and 67 receptions.

  

49ers (33) at Cowboys (41)

49ers

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
Jeff Wilson46%1649.8%160.3616-60-1 — 0-0-0
Raheem Mostert30%1400.0%80.1814-68-0 — 0-0-0
Jerick McKinnon17%024.9%110.240-0-0 — 2-22-0
Tevin Coleman7%300%20.043-11-0 — 0-0-0
  • Mostert got the start, handling 66% of snaps and 13 of 18 RB carries in the first half. Wilson got 32% of snaps and the other five carries in the first half.
  • Mostert aggravated his ankle injury and played just one snap in the second half. Wilson got 11 carries and three targets on 61% snap share after halftime, but he also suffered (another) ankle injury late in the game.
  • Wilson and Mostert both got three snaps and two carries inside the 5-yard line.
  • McKinnon got 10 snaps (35%) and two targets in the fourth quarter, while Coleman got one snap (3%) and one carry. However, we could see them share work if Mostert and Wilson both miss time, and Coleman might be the favorite for carries. McKinnon definitely would be the better bet for targets, however. In case you're wondering, JaMycal Hasty (collarbone) is still on IR, with no update on his status since mid-November.

  

Cowboys

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
Tony Pollard90%12927.3%250.7112-69-2 — 6-63-0
Rico Dowdle14%400.0%20.064-11-0 — 0-0-0
  • Ezekiel Elliott (calf) was ruled out in a game-time decision, his first ever absence due to an injury. Pollard took advantage, leading the Cowboys in carries and targets while accounting for two of their four touchdowns, including a 40-yard score to give the team a 10-point lead with about two and a half minutes remaining.
  • Pollard played all 26 snaps in the second half, after logging 81% in the first half. (Dowdle got three of his four carries and seven of his eight snaps before halftime.)

  

Jets (23) at Los Angeles Rams (20)

Jets

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
Frank Gore62%2313.7%90.2723-59-1 — 1-6-0
Ty Johnson34%3622.2%180.553-16-0 — 6-39-1
  • Johnson's six targets matched a season high, but he finished with five fewer carries than he had in a blowout loss to Seattle the previous week.
  • Gore played 66% of snaps after halftime, handling 14 of the 15 RB opportunities. Johnson got one carry and zero targets in the second half.
  • Gore played 82% of snaps on first downs, 55% on second downs, and 35% on third downs.

  

Rams

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
Cam Akers61%15310.0%140.3815-63-0 — 1--1-0
Malcolm Brown27%113.3%110.301-4-0 — 1-6-0
Darrell Henderson12%113.3%50.141--2-0 — 1-5-0
  • Akers made his second start in a row and fourth of the season, and ultimately topped 60% snap share for a third straight week. However, he missed some time in the first half after injuring his ankle, entering the break with five carries and two targets on 38% snap share.
  • Akers then played 24 of 27 snaps (89%) in the second half, with Brown getting the other three. Henderson didn't play at all after halftime.
  • Brown played 10 of 12 snaps on third downs, including nine of 11 on third-and-medium/long.
  • Akers got the only snap inside the 5-yard line and both of the snaps inside the 10.

  

Eagles (26) at Cardinals (33)

Eagles

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
Miles Sanders82%1725.0%200.4017-64-0 — 1-26-0
Boston Scott18%012.5%120.240-0-0 — 1-7-0
  • Sanders dominated the carries and playing time, but his route participation was only 40 percent, as he blocked on 37% of his pass snaps, per PFF. His 15 pass-block snaps tied McKissic for the most among RBs in Week 15, while nobody else had more than eight (Aaron Jones).
  • Sanders has blocked on 30% of his pass snaps the past two weeks, up from 16% with Carson Wentz as the starting QB. Of course, that's small potatoes relative to Sanders' dominance of the RB rushing workload since Jalen Hurts took over under center.
  • Sanders has played 81% and 83% of snaps in Hurts' two starts, averaging 15.5 carries and 3.5 targets.

  

Cardinals

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
Chase Edmonds53%11513.5%200.5411-47-0 — 3-19-1
Kenyan Drake50%1025.4%130.2610-26-0 — 2-14-0
  • Pre-game reports suggested Edmonds might have his role scaled back while playing through an ankle injury. Instead, his role was the largest we've seen in a game where Drake also played. This was the third straight week with Edmonds playing more than half the snaps, but it was the first time he got more carries than Drake.
  • Drake got 72% of snaps and two of the three RB carries in the first quarter. Then Edmonds dominated the second and third quarters, getting 71% of snaps and nine of 13 RB carries. It then shifted back to Drake in the fourth quarter — 60% of snaps and four carries.
  • Edmonds played six of seven snaps on third-and-medium/long. The rushing work was split, but he had a clear advantage for routes and targets.
  • Arizona didn't have any snaps inside the five, but did run five plays inside the 10. Drake had a 3-2 snap advantage over Edmonds on those plays, with Kyler Murray getting the lone carry. Edmonds got a target and punched it in for a six-yard TD.

  

Chiefs (32) at Saints (29)

Chiefs

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
Clyde Edwards-Helaire45%1436.7%200.3914-79-0 — 1-4-0
Le'Veon Bell32%1512.2%130.2515-62-1 — 1-14-0
Darrel Williams23%300.0%110.223-5-0 — 0-0-0
  • Edwards-Helaire was carried off the field after injuring his ankle and hip in the fourth quarter. He split carries with Bell even before the injury, after dominating ground work (16 of the 18 RB carries) the previous week.
  • CEH played two of three snaps inside the 5-yard line and got the only carry, but it was Bell who scored a TD, striking from 12 yards out on a pitch from Patrick Mahomes on an option play.
  • Bell got only three carries and 23% of snaps before halftime, followed by 12 carries and 40% of snaps after the break.
  • Williams played 14 of 18 snaps on third downs, including 12 of 14 on third-and-medium/long.

  

Saints

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
Alvin Kamara72%11618.2%180.5111-54-0 — 3-40-1
Latavius Murray30%439.1%70.204-3-0 — 2-26-1
  • Kamara's six targets were tied for the second fewest he's seen in a Brees start this year. But that's still better than his four-per-game average with Taysom Hill at QB.
  • Kamara played seven of nine snaps on third-and-medium/long.
  • Kamara played one of two snaps inside the 5-yard line, while Murray didn't get any. Both of those snaps were Taysom Hill carries, including a one-yard TD.
  • The receiving score was Murray's first of the season, and his second in a Saints uniform.

  

Browns (20) at Giants (6)

Browns

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
Nick Chubb59%1526.7%140.4215-50-1 — 2-16-0
Kareem Hunt33%7310.0%110.337-21-0 — 3-7-0
D'Ernest Johnson8%400.0%10.034-24-0 — 0-0-0
  • Johnson had a 21-yard gain on 3rd-and-9 to seal the game with just over three minutes remaining. He then got carries on the next three plays before Cleveland punted it back to the Giants with about a minute left. Apart from that stretch at the end, Johnson didn't play.
  • Chubb handled 70% of snaps and 14 of the 17 RB carries through three quarters. He then got just one carry and 29% snap share in the final quarter, while Hunt handled 41% and four carries. Hunt didn't have the late explosion we've so often seen this year, but he still got more work than Chubb late in the game.
  • Chubb played each of the three snaps inside the 5-yard line, taking one carry for a one-yard touchdown.
  • Hunt played seven of 13 snaps on third downs, including five of seven on third-and-medium/long (Johnson got the other two, both in Q4).

  

Giants

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
Wayne Gallman43%900.0%60.179-29-0 — 0-0-0
Dion Lewis33%126.3%100.281-4-0 — 2-14-0
Alfred Morris24%700.0%40.117-39-0 — 0-0-0
  • Devonta Freeman (ankle) missed another game, and Gallman made a seventh straight start.
  • Gallman got 79% of snaps and four of the five carries in the first quarter. After that, he handled just 30% of snaps and five carries.
  • Lewis played 11 of 18 snaps in the fourth quarter, with Morris getting five and Gallman only two.
  • The Giants never ran a play inside the 5-yard line. Gallman and Lewis got one snap apiece inside the 10, with Gallman taking the lone carry.

   

Steelers (17) at Bengals (27)

Steelers

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
Benny Snell79%18410.5%150.3818-84-1 — 3-23-0
Jaylen Samuels11%112.6%40.101-4-0 — 1-12-0
Anthony McFarland11%112.6%50.131-5-0 — 1-9-0
  • James Conner (quad) was listed as questionable on the Saturday injury report before the Steelers ruled him out Monday afternoon. The team's next game will come Sunday (Dec. 27) against the Colts.
  • Snell played each of the team's eight snaps in the red zone, getting three carries. One of those was inside the 5-yard line — his one-yard TD in the fourth quarter.
  • Snell played 13 of 17 snaps on third downs, including seven of 10 on third-and-medium/long. Samuels barely had a role, after getting four carries and four targets on 47% of snaps the week before.

  

Bengals

 Snap ShareCarriesTargetsTarget ShareRoutesRoutes/DBStat Line
Giovani Bernard68%2517.7%70.4725-83-1 — 1-14-1
Samaje Perine21%400.030.204-14-0 — 0-0-0
Trayveon Williams13%200.010.072-8-0 — 0-0-0
  • Bernard reached 25 carries for the second time in his career, and also finished with season highs for rushing yards and fantasy points. I don't think anyone saw it coming, after five consecutive weeks with Bernard scoring in the single digits for fantasy.
  • The snap share for Bernard was nearly triple his 24% from the Week 14 loss to Dallas. He's otherwise played at least 54% in every start this year, and at least 64% in six starts out of eight.
  • Gio played nine of 14 snaps on third downs, but only three of eight on third-and-medium/long. Perine (three) and Williams (two) also got a few snaps on third-and-mediums.
  • Bernard played the only snap inside the 5-yard line, scoring a four-yard rushing TD early in the second quarter. He then had a 14-yard TD reception later in the quarter.
  • Bernard played eight of 12 snaps in the red zone, getting five carries and one target. Perine played the other four snaps, with on carry and no targets.

    

RB Waiver Targets

Only includes players below 60 percent rostered on Yahoo. This list is written Monday afternoon, and will be updated Tuesday afternoon.

  1. Le'Veon Bell
  2. Salvon Ahmed
  3. Darrell Henderson
  4. Tony Pollard
  5. Benny Snell
  6. Jeff Wilson
  7. Jerick McKinnon
  8. Malcolm Brown
  9. Tevin Coleman
  10. Sony Michel
  11. Ito Smith
  12. Zack Moss
  13. Ty Johnson

  

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jerry Donabedian
Jerry was a 2018 finalist for the FSWA's Player Notes Writer of the Year and DFS Writer of the Year awards. A Baltimore native, Jerry roots for the Ravens and watches "The Wire" in his spare time.
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