NFL Box Score Breakdown: Week 3 Snaps, Routes & Personnel Usage

I'm still catching up on all the details from the late games but wanted to get this posted in the meantime, with full recaps from Thursday night and the early games on Sunday. I'll update the article Monday evening with more info from the late games, and then again Tuesday morning to include MNF and any injury news.

Stat Table Key

     

Week 3 stats (first six columns)

• Snap = % of team snaps that player was on the field for
• Route = route share (routes run / QB dropbacks)
• RUSHING = rushing line
• RECEIVE = receiving line
• Tgt = targets
• AY = Air Yards

           

2025 Season Stats (final five columns)

• Sn'25 = snap share for the season
• Rt'25 = route share for the season
• TPRR = Targets per Route Run
• TS = Percentage of team's targets
• AYS = Percentage of team's air yards

The final five columns of each stat table below (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. 

Dolphins (21) at Bills (31) 

Dolphins Personnel: 11 - 56% / 12 - 42%

59 Plays — 35 DBs — 5.5 aDOT — 22-of-34 for 146 yards — 2 TD, 1 INT, 0 sacks, 1 scramble

• RB De'Von Achane dropped to 78% snap share and 70% RB opportunity share (21 of 30) on a short week, but he still got a carry or target on more than one-third of Miami's plays.
  • Ollie Gordon took nine carries for 38 yards and a TD, after getting just five touches for 16 yards over the first two games. Gordon took 24% of snaps, while Jaylen Wright (knee) was active for the first time this season but didn't play at all on offense or special teams.
  • Gordon's two-yard TD on the opening drive was Miami's first rushing score of the season. It was also Gordon's fourth touch of the series, although Achane had more than half of Miami's yardage.
• Miami ran plays (four) inside the opponent's five-yard line for the first time all season. The first two, on the opening drive, were carries for Gordon. The other two plays, later on, were both TD passes (to Waddle and Hill). Maybe we finally found something this team is good at!
  • Achane was on the field for both TD passes, from the 3-yard line and then the 5-yard line, but Gordon is now a clear favorite to get carries from the 1/2-yard line (an especially important role for a team that doesn't use QB sneaks).
• WR Jaylen Waddle scored his second TD in as many weeks, but he still faces the same problem. Miami can't push the ball downfield, and Achane and Hill are clearly preferred to Waddle for catching short passes and earning YAC. It's something Waddle does have in his skillset, at least to an extent, so there's still plenty of fantasy upside in the event Hill is traded or misses significant time.
  • For now, Hill remains a solid start for fantasy, though a far cry from his 2022-23 self. Things are going a bit better than they did last year, with small gains in targets per game (7.7) and yards per catch (13.2).
• Miami's beleaguered secondary took another hit. Rookie fifth-round pick Jason Marshall, who has been getting abused in the slot, left the game early with a hamstring injury. He hasn't been playing well, but the Dolphins jut need warm bodies at this point.
  • The veteran retreads in the secondary (Jack Jones, Rasul Douglas, Ashtyn Davis) haven't actually been that bad. The part Miami fans don't want to talk about is an incredibly expensive "pass rush" that doesn't create much pressure. Even Zach Sieler isn't making noise, and the Chop Robinson breakout appears to have been pure myth.

Bills Personnel: 11 - 61% / 12 - 4% / 22 - 14% / 13 - 14%

57 Plays — 32 DBs — 3.2 aDOT — 22-of-28 for 213 yards — 3 TD, 0 INT, 2 sacks, 2 scrambles

• RB James Cook played 65% of snaps, his largest share since Week 16 of 2023. He has at least 20.8 PPR points, 18 touches, 102 yards from scrimmage and one TD in each game this year, sitting at RB3 for PPR and RB2 for standard scoring.
• Snap/route shares for WRs Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir bounced back above 70% after dipping below 60% the week before in a blowout win. Joshua Palmer, however, declined from 48% snap share and 64% route share in Week 2 down to 44% snap share and 47% route share in Week 3.
  • I was optimistic about Palmer this year, but you'd need to be a true standout to earn serious volume in this Buffalo offense right now... and Palmer definitely isn't that. He's a competent veteran who can play a lot without hurting the team, but he doesn't need to be rostered in 12-team leagues (and can even be dropped in some deeper formats).
• TE Dalton Kincaid is the only Buffalo pass catcher with a target rate above 21% (he's at 24%), while WR Keon Coleman is the only Bill with target share above 16% (at just 19%). It doesn't look promising for any serious fantasy value among this group, although Kincaid has far better efficiency on similar volume to what he got last year.
  • Shakir or Coleman could perhaps also squeak in as a WR3 with the Josh Allen efficiency boost, but for now it's better to treat both as more of WR4s (only starting in deep leagues, or when injuries/byes force the matter).

Stock ⬆️:   RB Ollie Gordon

Stock ⬇️:   RB Jaylen Wright

        

 Dolphins Injuries 🚑: CB Jason Marshall    

Texans (10) at Jaguars (17) 

Texans Personnel: 11 - 75% / 12 - 3% / 21 - 19%

59 Plays — 43 DBs — 7.6 aDOT — 25-of-38 for 204 yards — 1 TD, 2 INT, 2 sacks, 3 scrambles

• Nick Chubb and Woody Marks split all the RB snaps, with Dare Ogunbowale limited to special teams and Dameon Pierce a healthy scratch.
  • There wasn't a clear rotation in terms of down/distance/situation. Chubb and Marks each played five of the 10 snaps on 3rd-and-4+.
  • Chubb took only 55% of snaps on first/second down, compared to Marks' 45%, but the veteran nonetheless accounted for 13 of the 21 RB opportunities (61%).
  • Chubb's role has been steady, though unexciting, with 34 of Houston's 51 RB carries and seven of the 13 targets (on 52% snap share). He also has the lone goal-line carry.
• WR Christian Kirk put up just 2-12-0 in his season debut, but with 75% route share, 97 air yards and seven targets (all ranking second on the team).
  • Kirk's presence didn't cost Xavier Hutchinson or Jayden Higgins much playing time. Kirk instead got snaps that had been going to Justin Watson (now on IR) or Jaylin Noel, who dropped to 15% route share (37% the week before). Noel still needs to be rostered in dynasty but can be dropped in deep redraft leagues. Higgins is droppable in redraft leagues with 12 teams or less, though arguably still worth the bench spot (depends on the context of the specific team/league) as a stash for potential value later in the year.
• The passing game continues to look broken, with C.J. Stroud seemingly uncomfortable and playing poorly under new offensive coordinator Nick Caley, who inherited one of the worst O-lines in the league.
• Star cornerback Derek Stingley suffered an abdomen injury and never returned.

Jaguars Personnel: 11 - 73% / 12 - 21%

66 Plays — 43 DBs — 7.7 aDOT — 20-of-40 for 222 yards — 0 TD, 1 INT, 2 sacks, 1 scramble

• RB Travis Etienne was the lead back again, with his snap share dipping some because the Jaguars faced so many third downs. 
  • Etienne took 18 of 26 RB opportunities (69%), but Bhayshul Tuten scored a one-yard TD on Jacksonville's first snap this season from inside the 5-yard line. Etienne later scored the go-ahead TD, but from 10 yards out.
  • LeQuint Allen took 16 of the 17 snaps on third down, and he took five of six snaps on Jacksonville's hurry-up drive before halftime. He got just one snap on first/second down that wasn't in hurry-up mode.
  • Etienne took 71% of snaps on first/second down, compared to 21% for Tuten and 9% for Allen. Etienne accounted for 18 of the 24 RB opportunities (75%) that weren't on third down.
• WR Brian Thomas had another drop, among other missed opportunities, and finished third on the team in targets, but he finally broke through for a big play in the fourth quarter, taking a short pass for 46 yards to set up Etienne's winning TD.
  • I'm still a week away from thinking about benching Thomas, given that he's at 24% target share and 38% air-yard share. He looks awful, true and his snap/route shares dropped a bit in Week 3 (though still at 80+ percent). Concern is entirely valid; I'm just not quite to the panic stage. 
    • My concern here is kind of the same as that with Marvin Harrison. 
• WR Dyami Brown injured his shoulder late in the second quarter and didn't play after halftime, which led to Parker Washington handling team-high 90% snap share in the second half.
  • Washington's snap share jumped from 48% in the first half, but he actually saw six of his team-high 11 targets before the break. While it didn't work out in this one, in part because he dropped two passes, Washington has typically done alright as a lower-volume, higher-efficiency type of guy who offers YAC skills and reliable hands. It's odd to see him at a 33% TPRR so far, but that's on a small sample, and while other guys seemingly are having more trouble picking up the nuances of Liam Coen's offense.
  • Travis Hunter got just 51% of snaps on offense after halftime, even though Brown was out with a shoulder injury. Meanwhile, Hunter played 68% of snaps on defense, up from 62% the week before. And that's with Jacksonville's secondary at full health. 
    • It doesn't look good for fantasy value, at least in the short/medium term. Even Tim Patrick (41% snap share post-halftime) was getting some WR snaps over Hunter.
• QB Trevor Lawrence played better than in Weeks 1-2, if only because he'd set the bar so low. Jacksonville's five drops were the bigger issue Sunday. That, and LT Walker Little predictably having a tough time with Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter.

Stock ⬆️:   RB Woody Marks  /   WR Parker Washington

Stock ⬇️:   WR Jaylin Noel  /   WR Travis Hunter

        

 Texans Injuries 🚑: CB Derek Stingley (abdomen)    

 Jaguars Injuries 🚑: WR Dyami Brown (shoulder).

Packers (10) at Browns (13) 

Packers Personnel: 11 - 66% / 12 - 28%

61 Plays — 32 DBs — 1.6 aDOT — 18-of-25 for 183 yards — 1 TD, 1 INT, 5 sacks, 2 scrambles

• In Weeks 1-2, Josh Jacobs mostly subbed out in passing situations, giving way to Chris Brooks. In Week 3, Jacobs mostly subbed out for Emanuel Wilson, who took six carries for 25 yards. Brooks, meanwhile, had no touches on 13% snap share. 
  • Jacobs had a team-high nine targets, after getting just one over the first two games, but his route share didn't actually rise, still around 50% (which is fine for a volume runner).
  • The specifics here were a little odd/surprising, but it's basically still the same general story of Jacobs getting a ton of playing time and touches, with not much left behind for the backups. The backup usage may fluctuate based on matchups/vibes/game-script, which makes it hard to know whether Brooks or Wilson is the handcuff to roster on a bench.
• The WR snap/route shares condensed with Jayden Reed (shoulder/foot) on IR, but none of them got more than four targets or 32 air yards.
  • Rookie Matthew Golden finally made a big play, except that his 34-yard catch might've been a 98-yard TD if he'd turned it up field instead of waltzing out of bounds (in his defense, I think he didn't know he had room to run before reaching the sideline).
• TE Tucker Kraft handled 89% snap share after suffering a mid-week injury. He did a bit more pass-blocking than usual to help against Cleveland's strong pass rush, but it wasn't a huge difference. 
  • That's the one downside with Kraft's 2025 so far: he typically stays in to block on around 20% of pass snaps, which is why his route share is at just 69% in a near-every-down role. We're still starting him Week 4 in most situations, but he's nowhere near the slam-dunk play that some suggested after Weeks 1-2. 
  • Kraft is TE5 in PPR, but 14 tight ends have more targets than his 15 this year. 
• LG Aaron Banks (groin) and RT Zach Tom (oblique) both left the game early after aggravating injuries that had them listed as 'questionable' beforehand. The Packers' medical staff has a reputation for caution, but maybe that's not as much of a thing anymore? (Jayden Reed did just play through a Jones fracture, until breaking his collarbone in Week 2.)

Browns Personnel: 11 - 58% / 12 - 30% / 6OL - 9%

57 Plays — 38 DBs — 7 aDOT — 21-of-36 for 142 yards — 0 TD, 1 INT, 2 sacks, 0 scrambles

• RB Quinshon Judkins jumped to 58% snap share and took 20 of 25 RB opportunities (80%), although his route share was only 26%.
  • RB Jerome Ford handled clear passing situations, while Dylan Sampson barely played.
  • Judkins looked good in the process, putting up 18-94-1 while avoiding any drops, fumbles or pass-blocking errors.
  • Judkins took 71% of snaps on first/second down, getting 18 of the 20 RB opportunities on those downs.
• TE Harold Fannin's snap share was in the 60s for a third straight week, but his route share (50%) and targets (four) hit season-low marks, albeit only a bit below the Week 2 numbers.
  • David Njoku's shares were in line with his numbers from Weeks 1-2. The Browns just used multi-TE looks a bit less this week, partially due to game script, although that was also a factor in prior games.
• WR Jerry Jeudy continues to disappoint, both in terms of performance and usage. He's now down to 17% TPRR and 18% target share, albeit with 39% of Cleveland's air yards.
  • Cedric Tillman was okay in this one but has struggled just as much as Jeudy overall.
• WR Isaiah Bond has gotten more playing time at Jamari Thrash's expense with each passing week, peaking at 67% snap share and 58% route share this past Sunday.
  • Bond is a sneaky candidate to get fed volume at some point this season, if only because Jeudy and Tillman aren't playing well.
  • Tillman also lost a few snaps/routes relative to Weeks 1-2

Stock ⬆️:   RB Quinshon Judkins + WR Isaiah Bond

Stock ⬇️:   RB Dylan Sampson + WR Cedric Tillman

        

 Packers Injuries 🚑: LG Aaron Banks (groin), RT Zach Tom (oblique)    

 Browns Injuries 🚑: LT Dawand Jones (knee)

Rams (26) at Eagles (33) 

Rams Personnel: 11 - 74% / 12 - 24%

66 Plays — 34 DBs — 8.1 aDOT — 19-of-33 for 196 yards — 2 TD, 1 INT, 1 sack, 0 scrambles

• RB Kyren Williams again ceded some work to Blake Corum, whose eight carries yielded 53 yards. Williams still finished with 75% snap share and 23 of 31 RB opportunities (74%).
  • Corum has been more involved the past two weeks, but Williams' workloads are still strong enough to keep him in must-start territory for now.
• WR Puka Nacua is flirting with all kinds of records for per-route stats, after leading the league in most of those last year. He does come off the field some, though not as much this past Sunday, with his snap and route shares topping 90% for the first time this year.
  • It helps that TE Tyler Higbee has a 10% target rate, with Tutu Atwell at 5%.
• If they stay healthy, Nacua and Davante Adams will break whatever the record is for combined target share by two teammates (in the modern error). Granted, it's tough to stay healthy when playing the way Nacua does, and Adams is 32 years old.

Eagles Personnel: 11 - 83% / 12 - 13%

63 Plays —  37 DBs — 8.4 aDOT — 21-of-32 for 226 yards — 3 TD, 0 INT, 4 sacks, 1 scramble

• RB Saquon Barkley took 94% of snaps and all 25 RB opportunities but was held to just 55 total yards, again struggling to find room behind a Philadelphia O-line that may not be dominant anymore (I think they'll be fine, but right now it's not at the usual standard).
  • It didn't help to lose RT Lane Johnson to a neck injury early on. 
• Falling behind by three scores in the first half led to the Eagles having decent pass volume for the first time all year, which unsurprisingly meant A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith putting up big numbers for the first time (whilst accounting for 19 of the 30 targets).
• TE Dallas Goedert returned to his every-down role after missing Week 2 with a knee sprain. His 90% route share in active games ranks third among TEs, behind only Trey McBride and Sam LaPorta (91%).

Stock ⬆️:   WR Puka Nacua

Stock ⬇️:   RB Saquon Barkley

        

 Eagles Injuries 🚑: RT Lane Johnson (neck), CB Adoree' Jackson (groin) 

Colts (41) at Titans (20) 

Colts Personnel: 11 - 64% / 12 - 21% / 13 - 15%

53 Plays — 28 DBs — 7.2 aDOT — 18-of-25 for 228 yards — 1 TD, 0 INT, 0 sack, 3 scrambles

• RB Jonathan Taylor is an overall-RB1 contender, if not quite the favorite, with a perfect mix of a three-down role and rushing explosiveness in an offense that's thriving. The Colts will slow down some as the schedule picks up, but JT should keep rolling anyway.
• WR Josh Downs had a route share below 65% for the third straight week. His 27% TPRR rate is strong, down only a bit from last year, but the Colts are using more multi-TE looks and also mixing Adonai Mitchell in some. I don't see much of an upside scenario for Downs; even a Michael Pittman injury wouldn't necessarily make him a full-time guy.
  • Pittman, meanwhile, is solidly back in WR3 territory for fantasy.
• WR Alec Pierce suffered a concussion in the third quarter. Mitchell played 77% of snaps in the fourth quarter, but that was in a blowout, with starters resting by the end.
• TE Tyler Warren had a quiet week, but 88% route share was his best so far. The toe injury from last week didn't appear limiting.
• Standout nickelback Kenny Moore had a pick-six on the opening drive, but he later left the game with a calf injury. The Colts don't have much depth in the secondary, especially with No. 4 corner Jaylon Jones (hamstring) already on injured reserve. Charvarius Ward is solid, but the Rams may feast on 32-year-old Xavien Howard (and whoever else is out there next week if Moore can't play). 

Titans Personnel: 11 - 95% / 12 - 3%

65 Plays — 45 DBs — 6.2 aDOT — 23-of-38 for 219 yards — 1 TD, 1 INT, 4 sack, 3 scrambles

• RB Tony Pollard leads all RBs in snap share (90%) and ranks seventh in route share (65%), but Tyjae Spears (ankle) should be back from IR at some point in October to cut into that.
• WR Elic Ayomanor continues to look better than Calvin Ridley while earning similar target/AY volume, but the rookie hasn't reached 80% snap/route share in a game yet, instead hovering in the 70s each week.
  • Chimere Dike, Van Jefferson and Tyler Lockett have each handled at least 25% snap share and 25% route share in back-to-back games.
• TE Chig Okonkwo had his best game of the season from a receiving standpoint, but he actually lost more snaps to Gunnar Helm in this one, dropping to 65% snap share and 55% route share.
• Brian Callahan may not make it to Halloween. Cam Ward looks bad, but it's the classic No. 1 overall pick situation where the "improved" team around him has too many of the same players and coaches who were responsible for last year's disaster.

Stock ⬆️:   WR Elic Ayomanor / Michael Pittman

Stock ⬇️:   WR Calvin Ridley  /   WR Josh Downs

        

 Colts Injuries 🚑: WR Alec Pierce (concussion), CB Kenny Moore (calf)    

Steelers (21) at Patriots (14) 

Steelers Personnel: 11 - 27% / 12 - 41% / 13 - 16%

49 Plays — 24 DBs — 4.6 aDOT — 16-of-23 for 139 yards — 2 TD, 1 INT, 0 sack, 1 scrambles

• RB Jaylen Warren got his best workload of the year, with season highs for snap share (78%), route share (61%) and opportunity share (83%).
  • Kenneth Gainwell took only five touches and 29% snap share, but his one-yard TD on the opening drive was a nuisance for Warren's managers. It wasn't concerning in terms of the long-term outlook, however, with Gainwell getting his goal-line carry after Warren had taken carries on six consecutive plays (getting stuffed from the 1-yard line on the last of those). 
    • In other words, Gainwell subbed in due to fatigue, not because he's preferred to Warren at the goal line.
• TE Jonnu Smith got only three targets, but his snap and route shares rose above 80%, up from 60% and 56%, respectively, in Weeks 1-2. 
  • I wouldn't necessarily count on that continuing, but it's the first real positive sign for one of the Pittsburgh TEs emerging as a fantasy asset this year (an idea that remains on shaky footing, yet possible).
• WR DK Metcalf got another end-zone target and another TD while rarely leaving the field, but his lack of targets and air yards in general remains concerning. 
  • The Steelers surprisingly have six players with double-digit target share, including two RBs and two TEs. Metcalf's 21% target share isn't terrible, but his 23% air-yard share is basically worst-case scenario. He's gonna need that TD deodorant this year, and it might not be there if No. 3 TE Darnell Washington is getting a lot of the jump balls.
    • Washington got an end-zone target on the opening drive, drawing a DPI. He didn't have an official target, but the Steelers gave him some jump balls there last year and are doing it even more this season.
• WR Calvin Austin had more air yards than Metcalf for a third straight week. Nothing against Austin, but the Steelers are obviously making a mistake in barely using Metcalf downfield. It'll correct some as the year progresses; just not enough for Metcalf to live up to his ADP, most likely.

Patriots Personnel: 11 - 41% / 12 - 46%

71 Plays — 47 DBs — 6.2 aDOT — 28-of-37 for 268 yards — 2 TD, 1 INT, 5 sack, 5 scrambles

• RB Rhamondre Stevenson lost two fumbles, and Antonio Gibson then coughed up a third, paving the way for TreVeyon Henderson to dominate playing time late.
  • Stevenson took the first four snaps of the game and lost a fumble on the fourth. He wasn't benched entirely but took just one more carry the rest of the first half, while Gibson got five carries and Henderson two.
  • Stevenson then lost his second fumble on the opening drive of the second half. After that, he got just 15% snap share and no carries or targets.
  • Gibson then lost a fumble on the third play of the following drive. After Gibson's fumble, Henderson took 84% of snaps and all 11 RB opportunities (nine carries, two targets), albeit with just 37 yards to show for it.
    • I have no clue what this means for Week 4, but I do know that Stevenson was the league's worst fumbler last season and Gibson also has a poor track record for ball security. Henderson could default into the lead role even if the Patriots have concerns about stuff like playbook knowledge and pass blocking.
• This was the second straight game in which all of New England's WRs finished with route shares below 75% and five or fewer targets. 
  • Kayshon Boutte is still getting the most snaps/routes, but his target rate is down to 13%, among the lowest in the league for starting WRs. 
    • Stefon Diggs has a much higher target rate, 21%, but without many air yards (14%) and still lingering in the 50s/60s for snap and route share.
• TE Hunter Henry left no doubt he's the Patriots pass catcher to roster, exploding for 8-90-2 while leading the team in targets and air yards.
  • Henry now ranks fifth among TEs in target share and first in air-yard share. I'd probably start him over Juwan Johnson and Tucker Kraft this week, FWIW.
• Apologies for ever touting DeMario Douglas. I don't think he's completely useless, but he's playing poorly and now has consecutive weeks with both snap and route share below 50%. There's not much reason to roster him in fantasy, even for deeper formats.

Stock ⬆️:  RB Jaylen Warren  /  RB TreVeyon Henderson  /  TE Hunter Henry

Stock ⬇️:  WR DK Metcalf  /  RB Rhamondre Stevenson  /  WR Kayshon Boutte

Jets (27) at Buccaneers (29) 

Jets Personnel: 11 - 75% / 12 - 14% / 21 - 10%

63 Plays — 47 DBs — 5.3 aDOT — 26-of-36 for 197 yards — 2 TD, 1 INT, 4 sack, 7 scrambles

• RB Breece Hall shared a bit more work with Braelon Allen in this one but still had 15 of 23 RB opportunities (65%).
  • Hall, Allen and Isaiah Davis split third-down snaps. On first/second down, Hall took 64% of snaps to Allen's 33%, with a 9-5 edge in carries and 6-2 edge in targets. That's kind of what people feared with Hall this year, but we didn't see much of Allen the week before.
  • Hall's six targets were a season high, but his 38% route share was a season low (partially a Justin Fields thing here, with Tyrod boosting pass volume/targets).
• TE Mason Taylor got six targets, easily his most so far and tied for second-most on the team. He's still getting a typical starter's workload in terms of snaps/routes.
• With No. 2 receiver Josh Reynolds (hamstring) inactive again, rookie WR Arian Smith took a lot of the snaps and routes that had gone to Tyler Johnson and Allen Lazard the week before.
  • Smith got just two short targets, however, while Lazard made a spectacular TD grab (his only strength, really).
• QB Justin Fields (concussion) likely will be back for Week 4

Buccaneers Personnel: 11 - 66% / 12 - 14% / 13 - 19%

64 Plays — 33 DBs — 8.1 aDOT — 19-of-29 for 233 yards — 1 TD, 0 INT, 1 sack, 3 scrambles

• RB Bucky Irving got another huge workload, with 78% of snaps and 29 of 35 RB opportunities (83%)
  • The efficiency hasn't been there, but that's not really surprising with the Bucs now missing three of their five O-line starters. LT Tristan Wirfs (knee) should be back soon, but RT Luke Goedeke and RG Cody Mauch both are on IR and thus out at least three more games.
• WR Mike Evans limped off in the fourth quarter and is now scheduled for an MRI on his hamstring.
  • Evans has a long history of hamstring problems, but almost no other record of medical issues. In any case, he'll likely miss multiple games, and could land on IR like he did last year.
  • Meanwhile, Emeka Egbuka is thriving and Chris Godwin (ankle) could debut Week 4. And Sterling Shepard had himself a nice game Sunday.
• Egbuka put up 6-85-0 and made a key play on the winning drive, with another potential catch that was ruled an incompletion. However, his 59% snap share and 70% route share both represent downgrades from prior weeks, likely reflecting some health concern after a hip injury had him listed as questionable. With no report of a setback, Egbuka could return to 90% shares in Week 4.
• A zero-target performance dropped Cade Otton to 8% TPRR. We know he can handle some volume, but it's more of a last resort than something the Bucs ever want to do. Otton isn't worth rostering most places.

Stock ⬆️:   WRs Emeka Egbuka & Sterling Shepard

Stock ⬇️:   TE Cade Otton

        

 Jets Injuries 🚑: CB Sauce Gardner (head), LB Quincy Williams (shoulder)  

 Buccaneers Injuries 🚑: WR Mike Evans (hammy), DE Logan Hall (groin), DB Christian Izien (quad) 

Falcons (0) at Panthers (30) 

Falcons Personnel: 11 - 86% / 12 - 14%

64 Plays — 45 DBs — 7.1 aDOT — 23-of-43 for 201 yards — 0 TD, 2 INT, 0 sacks, 2 scrambles

• The Falcons used 11 personnel on 86% of snaps, after using 12 personnel on 87% of snaps the week before (the highest rate I've ever seen). That's a game script thing, but also a sign of a team that's searching for an identity... and things look borderline hopeless with Zac Robinson and Michael Penix right now, despite Bijan Robinson's best efforts. 
• Robinson took 92% of snaps and 16 of 18 RB opportunities before the fourth quarter.
  • Extreme negative game script froze out Tyler Allgeier but opened up seven carries for third-stringer Nate Carter deep in garbage time. Carter didn't play any snaps before the final quarter. 
• WR Darnell Mooney had a rough day, including two clear drops, but he led the team in targets and air yards while topping 85% snap share again.
  • In Mooney's two games, he has 15 targets and 180 air yards, compared to 12 targets and 110 air yards for Drake London. That'll correct some, but we did see Mooney and London with fairly similar volume for most of last season until London pulled away at the end. London's huge finish was with Penix at QB, but the biggest game was in Week 18 when Mooney was sidelined by a shoulder injury. 
  • London's numbers (and usage) with Penix no long impress, especially if we only look at the games Mooney has played in.
• WR Ray-Ray McCloud's playing time bounced back after No. 2 TE Charlie Woerner took most of McCloud's usual workload the week before. However, McCloud still wasn't a full-time player, instead losing some snaps/routes to journeyman David Sills.

Panthers Personnel: 11 - 53% / 12 - 33%

55 Plays — 27 DBs — 5.8 aDOT — 16-of-24 for 121 yards — 0 TD, 0 INT, 1 sack, 2 scrambles

• RB Chuba Hubbard has been a monster in garbage time since last year, and even in a rare Panthers blowout he kind of came through, taking five carries for 27 yards on a drive in the middle of the fourth quarter when Carolina was up 27-0.
  • Unfortunately for Hubbard's fantasy managers, Rico Dowdle had handled the previous drive, including a one-yard TD on 4th-and-1 to ice the game.
    • Dowdle has all three of Carolina's carries inside the 5-yard line this year (plus a failed 2-point try), but Hubbard has taken six of the 10 snaps there and has two targets (including a TD) on those plays. What's more, all three of Dowdle's carries came in situations where the Panthers were leading/trailing by 20+. I'd probably still bet on Hubbard getting a goal-line carry over Dowdle in a tight situation, but this is at least something that needs to be monitored moving forward.
  • Dowdle's increased usage Sunday wasn't just a product of game script. Hubbard got only 61% of snaps and six of 11 RB opportunities before halftime. Compare that to Weeks 1-2 when Hubbard had 71% snap share, 65% route share and at least two-thirds of the opportunities. It's no cause for panic after one game, but again, it's something to watch.
• WR Tetairoa McMillan dominated the volume again, leading Carolina in routes, targets (easily) and air yards (easily). He made a spectacular contested catch but also had two drops (his first two of the season).
• TE Ja'Tavion Sanders played 75% of snaps before the fourth quarter but was targeted just once. He caught another pass early in the fourth quarter but then left the game with an ankle injury.

• WR David Moore played 96% of snaps, filling in for Xavier Legette (hamstring). 
• WRs Hunter Renfrow and Brycen Tremayne split the No. 3 role. 
  • Renfrow's reduced snap/route/target shares weren't just a product of game script; he got only 52% of the snaps in 11 personnel pre-halftime, after topping 80% snap/route share the week before.

Stock ⬆️: Anyone who didn't watch this game

Stock ⬇️:   QB Michael Penix, WR Drake London, WR Ray-Ray McCloud

        

 Panthers Injuries 🚑: TE Ja'Tavion Sanders (ankle) 

Raiders (24) at Commanders (41) 

Raiders Personnel: 11 - 79% / 12 - 21% 

62 Plays — 34 DBs — 10.4 aDOT — 19-of-29 for 289 yards — 3 TD, 0 INT, 5 sack, 0 scrambles

• RB Ashton Jeanty had to labor for every yard again, and he still isn't getting targets, but he at least took 70% of snaps and 16 of 19 RB carries prior to the fourth quarter.
  • His 50% route share was an improvement on 33% the week before.
  • Prior to the fourth quarter, Jeanty played 88% of snaps on first/second down, while his only two third-down snaps came on 3rd-and-1s (one wsa a pass, one he got stuffed on).
• WR Tre Tucker scored three TDs, including a 61-yarder in garbage time, and ended up with the top PPR score (40.9) for any player so far this season. Prior to Sunday, his target rate and per-route production were near the bottom of the league for starting WRs, just as they had been in 2023 and 2024. 
  • Poor QB play has been part of the story there, but I also think this is way more likely to be a blip than something meaningful for fantasy, kind of like that NYG passing/receiving explosion in Dallas the week before.
  • It does seem Tucker is doing enough to at least kill any enthusiasm about the Year 1 fantasy prospects for Dont'e Thornton, who hasn't reached 80% of snaps or routes in a game yet.
• TE Brock Bowers got a boost in snap/route share due to Michael Mayer exiting with a concussion in the first quarter, but it didn't lead to any boost in targets, with Bowers and Jakobi Meyers surprisingly taking a backseat to Tucker.
  • This is another case where I'm concerned about the offensive line and the coaching, not the player. But, either way, Bowers wouldn't be a top-30 pick if we redrafted today. The hope now is that the Raiders offense can evolve, because this version doesn't help anyone (besides Tucker, or maybe Jakobi Meyers, kind of) in fantasy.

Commanders Personnel: 11 - 43% / 12 - 13% / 6OL - 35%

54 Plays — 24 DBs — 7.2 aDOT — 15-of-21 for 207 yards — 1 TD, 0 INT, 1 sack, 2 scrambles

• Washington used six offensive linemen on 35% of snaps. It's the first time this season any team has done that on even 20% of snaps, and eight of the plays came before halftime (it wasn't purely a game script thing... more so an adjustment to No. 2 TE Ben Sinnott being out with a groin injury, and the Commanders figuring they could run the ball on Las Vegas regardless of personnel).
  • RB Chris Rodriguez got nine of his 11 carries with six linemen on the field, gaining 34 yards. RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt got six of his eight carries with six OL, gaining 24 yards.
  • Only four of Washington's 19 six-OL plays came inside the Vegas 5-yard line, FWIW.
• The much-discussed Washington backfield was a mess again, but let's break it down the best we can:
  • Rodriguez got the start and took carries on each of Washington's first four plays, after not playing the previous week. He gained 25 yards on those carries to set up Marcus Mariota's two-yard TD run. Rodriguez was on the field for all six plays.
  • On the second drive, Rodriguez took all four snaps, with one carry for four yards.
  • On the third and fourth drives, Jacory Croskey-Merritt took 11 of 13 snaps (85%) but got just one carry and one target.
  • On the fifth drive, Washington used a two-back set with Rodriguez and McNichols. The first snap was a carry for Deebo Samuel. The second snap of the drive was a brilliant 60-yard TD run by McNichols.
  • McNichols then took all four snaps on Washington's sixth and final drive of the first half, which set up a FG at the buzzer.
  • In the third quarter, Washington ran just nine plays. Croskey-Merritt was on the field for eight of those and took four carries, including two from the 1-yard line (the second of which he scored). McNichols took one snap in the quarter. Rodriguez got none.
  • Rodriguez then took a carry to start Washington's first drive of the fourth quarter. He and McNichols rotated on a long drive. After that was garbage time, which entailed a pair of three-and-outs with Rodriguez, Croskey-Merritt and Nichols all rotating.
• It looks a bit better for Croskey-Merritt if we ignore the fourth quarter. Prior to the final frame, he had 50% of snaps and eight of the 16 RB opportunities (50%). He's still the guy you want to roster for fantasy, although I'm more a fan of Rodriguez in real life and still expect McNichols to get a lot of the snaps in clear passing situations.
  • Just don't expect real upside here. The hope is that someone can capture enough work to be startable as an RB2 or a FLEX. An offense led by Jayden Daniels and Kliff Kingsbury isn't going to provide big-time volume for an RB unless the team finds an elite one in the offseason.
• WR Deebo Samuel was negatively impacted by game script, but he also played just 47% of snaps in the first half, de-emphasized in Washington's unusual, effective gameplan.
  • Even ignoring the fourth quarter, Samuel was on the field for just 39% of snaps with six OL and 31% in 11 personnel. He should still be good for best ball, but the early usage hints at potential for wild swings in both volume and production, depending on matchups, game scripts and health.
• Starting CBs Marshon Lattimore (head) and Trey Amos (calf) both left early. Tre Tucker appreciated that.

Stock ⬆️:   RB Chris Rodriguez

Stock ⬇️:   WR Deebo Samuel  /   TE Brock Bowers

        

 Raiders Injuries 🚑: TE Michael Mayer (concussion)  

 Commanders Injuries 🚑: WR Terry McLaurin (quad), CB Marshon Lattimore (head), CB Trey Amos (calf)

Bengals (10) at Vikings (48) 

Bengals Personnel: 11 - 50% / 12 - 48%

 Plays — 31 DBs — 4.6 aDOT — 19-of-27 for 140 yards — 1 TD, 2 INT, 4 sack, 0 scrambles

• QB Jake Browning won't have to face Brian Flores on the road every week. Otherwise, there's no cause for optimism here. In addition to the overall lack of efficiency, we saw Chase Brown struggling again and losing more work to his backups (who also had issues). 
• Brown took 73% of snaps and six of seven RB opportunities in the first quarter, before dropping to 39% of snaps and four of seven opportunities in the second quarter.
  • Samaje Perine played 61% of snaps on the second quarter, but he lost a fumble that was returned for a TD and didn't play on offense for the rest of the game.
  • In Q3, Brown got 67% of snaps and three of four opportunities, with the rest going to rookie Tahj Brooks.
  • In Q4, with the game out of reach, Brooks got half the snaps and four of six touches.
  • Prior to the fourth quarter, Brown had 57% snap share and 13 of 18 RB opportunities — in the normal workload range for starters, but a far cry from his dominant usage late last season. It was also a drop off compared to Weeks 1-2, when Brown lost passing-down work to Perine but took all of the carries.
• WR Tee Higgins now has usage rates that look like Darius Slayton's from past years.
  • 15% TPRR, 15% TS, 29% AYS
• WR Ja'Marr Chase can get by on volume, but that might be as a WR2 for fantasy, not the high-end WR1 he was drafted as.
• TE Drew Sample got more playing time, likely to counter Flores' blitzes. Sample ended up scoring a late TD, while Noah Fant left with an injury late in the game. Mike Gesicki dropped to 35% route share, down from 65% the week before. In any case, there's nothing here for fantasy unless injuries to others somehow force Fant into an every-down role (highly unlikely). The others are too specialized, and not that great at their respective specialities.

Vikings Personnel: 11 - 76% / 12 - 24%

58 Plays — 29 DBs — 7.6 aDOT — 16-of-24 for 202 yards — 2 TD, 0 INT, 3 sack, 2 scrambles

• RB Jordan Mason took 75% of snaps and 16 of 21 RB opportunities before the fourth quarter, scoring twice and then sitting out the final frame.
  • Cam Akers didn't play at all until the fourth quarter. Zavier Scott took 25% of snaps and five carries before Q4, then added a 20-yard catch and three more carries in the final frame.
• WR Jalen Nailor was well ahead of Adam Thielen again, in terms of both usage and production. Neither matters anyway with Jordan Addison coming back for Week 4, but Thielen is likely the one headed to the bench.
• TE T.J. Hockenson scored a garbage-time TD to get his first strong fantasy outing of the year. His usage rates check out just fine, especially by TE standards, but in a dismal passing attack so far.
• Not bad, Isaiah Rodgers.

Stock ⬆️:   QB Carson Wentz

Stock ⬇️:   RB Chase Brown  /  WR Tee Higgins

        

 Bengals Injuries 🚑: TE Noah Fant (head), RB Samaje Perine (thumb), G Dalton Risner (calf)    

 Vikings Injuries 🚑: DT Javon Hargrave (chest)

Broncos (20) at Chargers (23) 

Broncos Personnel: 11 - 79% / 12 - 6%

48 Plays — 32 DBs — 10.2 aDOT — 14-of-25 for 153 yards — 1 TD, 0 INT, 2 sack, 5 scrambles

• RB J.K. Dobbins handled season-high 69% snap share and 48% route share, taking nearly all of the passing-down snaps that went to Tyler Badie in previous weeks.
  • It didn't show up in the box score, in part because Denver ran just 48 plays (after 54 the week before) and Dobbins scored his TD on a backward pass from Justin Herbert (making it a rush attempt, rather than a target).
  • Dobbins has 41 of Denver's 55 RB carries this year, with exactly one rushing TD and two targets in each game, landing in the range of 68-to-83 total yards. He's averaging 5.4 YPC, up from 4.6 last season (3.8 after Week 2). 
  • RJ Harvey, meanwhile, had the same role as in Weeks 1-2.
• WR Courtland Sutton reasserted himself, accounting for 118 of Bo Nix's 153 passing yards. The one dominant showing has Sutton's usage shares back toward where they were in the second half of last season, only now Nix isn't playing well.
• WR Troy Franklin reached 90% route share again put finished with a 2-8-0 receiving line on four targets (nine air yards). 
  • A discouraging outing, no doubt, but in a game where only Sutton and Dobbins did anything for Denver. Franklin is still at 80% route share and 21% target share through three weeks, miles ahead of Marvin Mims, if nothing else.
• TE Lucas Krull got 52% route share, about the same as Evan Engram's from Weeks 1-2. Engram was inactive with a back injury, and Krull finished with two targets as part of a three-way committee with Adam Trautman and Nate Adkins.

Chargers Personnel: 11 - 46% / 12 - 8% / 21 - 16% / 10 - 18%

 Plays — 53 DBs — 8.9 aDOT — 28-of-47 for 300 yards — 1 TD, 1 INT, 5 sack, 1 scrambles

• RB Najee Harris suffered an Achilles injury (likely a season-ending tear) at the 5-minute mark of the second quarter, which led to Omarion Hampton playing 87% of snaps the rest of the game
  •  Prior to the injury, Hampton got 67% of snaps but just five of 11 RB opportunities. The rookie had five carries for 11 yards, while Harris had six totes for 28 yards.
  • After the injury, Hampton took 14 carries and seven targets for 118 yards and a TD, accounting for every single RB opportunity (while Hassan Haskins merely played a handful of pass snaps).
• WR Ladd McConkey isn't losing any snaps to other WRs, but I'm officially concerned after a slow outing dropped his target rate to 19% for the season (especially jarring alongside Allen's 30% TPRR).
• Quentin Johnston, meanwhile, is competing with Rome Odunze and a few others to be the top breakout WR of the season. I'll take Odunze there, even though he's made some mistakes, but Johnston's success has been equally impressive from a non-fantasy standpoint, or perhaps even more so.
  • I don't think Johnston is a superstar, but it does seem the gap between him and McConkey is less than nearly all had assumed. Would I still take the good Ladd, ROS? Yes, but I can listen to the argument for Johnston at this point.
• Rookie TE Orondo Gadsden ran just one more route (15) than Tyler Conklin but put up 5-46-0 on seven targets in his first NFL appearance, helping to fill in for Will Dissly (knee). I still don't expect a TE here to have any serious value this year, but Gadsden at least offers some shred of hope (and also makes for a solid add in a lot of dynasty leagues where he's available).

Stock ⬆️: RB Omarion Hampton, WR Quentin Johnston, RB J.K. Dobbins

Stock ⬇️: WR Ladd McConkey, WR Troy Franklin, WR Marvin Mims

        

 Chargers Injuries 🚑: RB Najee Harris (Achilles), G Mekhi Becton (concussion)

Saints (13) at Seahawks (44) 

Saints Personnel: 11 - 71% / 12 - 26%

70 Plays — 45 DBs — 8.6 aDOT — 28-of-41 for 218 yards — 1 TD, 1 INT, 2 sack, 2 scrambles

• More of the same here. Same roles, same results, etc. 
• TE Juwan Johnson did a bit more blocking, dropping to 70% route share, but he still took 90% of snaps (in a blowout, no less) and finished second on the team 
• It's funny seeing Chris Olave, of all people, posting these ridiculous Jarvis Landry stat lines. Olave's strengths are route-running and ball-tracking, mostly downfield. He's never going to be a great after-the-catch guy, and his concussion history doesn't help. It may work out alright in PPR leagues for now, but I doubt this kind of scam will last all season. 
  • Rashid Shaheed is a better YAC guy but not good when it comes to the other aspects of navigating shallower areas. He was neck and neck with Olave early last year, but the usage gap between them is now massive under Kellen Moore. Just remember that his offense is going to change throughout the season; what they're doing isn't working, at all, and we already know at least one QB change is ahead at some point.

Seahawks Personnel: 11 - 30% / 12 - 24% / 21 - 22% / 22 - 11%

54 Plays — 21 DBs — 9.1 aDOT — 16-of-21 for 233 yards — 2 TD, 0 INT, 0 sack, 0 scrambles

• RB Kenneth Walker had an 8-7-2 rushing line at one point, I believe. His huge-volume day didn't pan out, because the Seahawks scored so easily on defense and special teams (and through the air).
  • Walker took 77% of snaps and 17 of 18 RB opportunities before the fourth quarter.
  • No. 3 RB Jacardia Wright didn't play at all until Q4. George Holani got just seven snaps and one touch before Q4.
  • I haven't seen word on whether Zach Charbonnet (foot) is expected back soon, but a TNF game coming up at Arizona means the schedule won't help.
• JSN and Nacua are in an advanced-stats standoff this year, both looking capable of challenging modern records for various usage stats and per-route production. I do think they'll slow down some, but only in a regression to the mean sense. (They'll land somewhere in the 30s for target share, leading the league, but not quite up to 40 percent.)