In fantasy football, usage and opportunity are king. We can’t get the points if our players aren’t on the field and don’t have the ball. Fantasy points can’t accrue on our teams unless our players accumulate the snaps, attempts, and targets that lead to yards and touchdowns. This weekly piece looks at usage trends from each NFL team from a fantasy angle. We will look at who is gaining and who is losing opportunities in order to make better future roster decisions.
If you have interesting usage notes, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter/X (@CableBoxScore) and let me know. Let’s dive into the NFL Week 1 usage!
NFL Week 1 Usage Trends
ARIZONA CARDINALS
Rough Harrison Debut
ATLANTA FALCONS
Bijan the Bell Cow
Bijan Robinson played on 89% of the Falcons’ offensive snaps and had 23 total touches against Pittsburgh. In 2023, he never played more than 80% of snaps and saw 23 touches only two times all season.
BALTIMORE RAVENS
The King Stuck on His Throne
The game script and fast pace had something to do with it, but it’s concerning to see Derrick Henry get only 46% of snaps and only 23 rush attempts. A touchdown really bailed out what would have been an abysmal fantasy performance.
BUFFALO BILLS
Two-Man Slot Battle
Through one game, Khalil Shakir is winning the battle for the slot receiver role in Buffalo. He ran 21 routes to nine for Curtis Samuel. More than 35% of Shakir’s routes were in the slot while it was only 10% for Samuel. With Keon Coleman getting 100% of his routes on the outside and Mack Hollins seeing 81%, this looks like Shakir’s role to lose at this point.
CAROLINA PANTHERS
Wide Receiver Logjam (On a Bad Team)
Four different Panthers’ wide receivers were in the game between 56% and 69% of offensive snaps. None of them had more than four catches for 35 yards and Bryce Young averaged 1.32 adjusted net yards per attempt on Sunday. Until things improve, you don’t want to start anyone on the Panthers.
CHICAGO BEARS
Chicago Has Deep Dish Passing Woes
Just 92 yards for Caleb Williams is not going to get it done for fantasy purposes, especially when there are three wide receivers drafted in the first eight rounds who need to eat. Keenan Allen saw only 38 snaps Sunday compared to 43 for Rome Odunze and 48 for D.J. Moore, but Allen is a buy right now if Odunze does in fact miss some time with injury.
CINCINNATI BENGALS
Running Back Answers
The breakdown of the backfield between Zack Moss and Chase Brown was a hot fantasy topic all summer, and Week 1 provided some answers. Zack Moss is the clear lead back. He had 33 total plays to Brown’s 17. Moss was also in for all two-minute drill snaps, the one goal-line snap, and seven of the nine third-down snaps. Expect a 65/35 split in favor of Moss going forward.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
Ford Tough
Until Nick Chubb is back, we need to start considering Jerome Ford as a bell-cow back for the Browns. He was one of eight running backs to have at least a 72% snap share, and he was also in on 70% of the team’s passing downs. The cherry on top is his 75% snap rate in the red zone.
DALLAS COWBOYS
Backfield Split
The battle between Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle was about as even as it could be on Sunday. Elliott had 32 snaps, 10 rush attempts, 12 routes, and two targets. Dowdle saw 28 snaps, eight rush attempts, 11 routes, and one target. Neither back needed to do much of anything in the second half as the third and fourth quarters turned into garbage time.
DENVER BRONCOS
Backfield Split II
Javonte Williams was on the field for more plays than Jaleel McLaughlin on Sunday (34 to 24), but McLaughlin played on more early downs and on five third downs compared to Williams. Williams did get more work in the two-minute drill so he should get more than the one target he saw on Sunday going forward.
DETROIT LIONS
Break Open the Jameson
This was a breakout game for Jameson Williams who saw more than 70% of offensive snaps for the first time in his career and caught over 120 receiving yards and a touchdown. He was fifth among all wide receivers in air yards (139) and third in air yards share (68.1%) behind only George Pickens and Calvin Ridley.
GREEN BAY PACKERS
Musgrave Mess
Uh oh, Luke Musgrave. Tucker Kraft played 96% of snaps in Brazil on Friday, and Luke Musgrave only played in 25%. Musgrave saw two targets but did not catch one ball and did not show up in the box score. With Jordan Love potentially out for a while, Musgrave and other Green Bay receivers (hello, Dontayvion Wicks) are barely playable.
HOUSTON TEXANS
Not Your Average Joe
Joe Mixon made his Texans debut with 30 rush attempts and three receptions. Those 33 total touches ties a career-high, as do the 30 rush attempts. Mixon finished with 159 rushing yards which is the most he has had in a game since November 2021. And he didn’t even come on the field for 25% of the Texans’ offensive plays.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Bombs Away for Richardson
I’m not entirely sure this was the game plan for Anthony Richardson, but he completed just nine passes for a 47.4% completion rate. Yet, he somehow led the league with 17.3 completed air yards per attempt. And when I say “led the league,” the next-closest quarterback to Richardson was Trevor Lawrence at 10.7.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Tank and Trevor
Much is being made about the fact that Tank Bigsby had 73 rushing yards to just 44 for Travis Etienne in this game against Miami. However, remember Etienne fumbled at the goal line at the end of the third quarter, which led directly to the Tyreek Hill 80-yard touchdown. After that play, Etienne saw three running back touches compared to six for Bigsby. This was likely a punishment for the fumble as it directly cost them the game and cost Etienne a masterful fantasy day.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Noah’s New Arc
Don’t overlook the fact that Noah Gray played 54% of offensive snaps and saw three targets last Thursday night. That combination only happened three times last season and one of them was the opening game where Travis Kelce did not play. It’s clear the team is keeping Kelce fresh and Gray is the beneficiary.
Bonus fact: Rashee Rice played on 78% of snaps in Week 1, and he didn’t reach that number until Week 14 last season.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
Brock Bowers Breakout
It wasn’t Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, or Alexander Mattison who led the Raiders in targets on Monday. It was rookie Brock Bowers who had eight looks his way, coming down with six for 58 yards. That kind of start could lead to a healthy return on investment for those who grabbed him in drafts.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
J.K. All Day
J.K. Dobbins looked like someone who did not have a torn Achilles or torn ACL in the past three years. A full 20% of his runs were classified as “explosive” (over 15 yards), and that was second among all backs in Week 1. However, the glass-half-empty version of the story is that Dobbins had three times as many rushing yards over expectation (98) than any other running back, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
LOS ANGELES RAMS
Bye Bye Blake
So much for Blake Corum having any fantasy value for us this season. He did not play a single offensive snap and players like Ronnie Rivers and Cooper Kupp got rushing attempts instead of Corum. That means Kyren Williams was fired up for 91% of the Rams’ snaps and is back to being a full bell cow again.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
Backfield Split III
The primary two backs in this Miami Dolphins system (nice knowing you, Jaylen Wright!) saw their work broken up like this. De’Von Achane had 37 snaps, 10 carries, 26 routes, and seven targets. Raheem Mostert had 31 snaps, six carries, 20 routes run, and three targets. Achane was clearly the most explosive player and should have a larger share moving forward.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Backfield Split IV
Perhaps one of the most surprising fantasy developments Sunday was the amount of time Ty Chandler played despite Aaron Jones being healthy for Minnesota. Jones had 30 snaps, 14 carries, 12 routes, and two targets. Chandler had 20 snaps, eight rush attempts, nine routes, and three targets. However, the silver lining for Jones is that he played on all short-yardage and goal-line snaps as well as three of the four two-minute drill snaps.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Rhamondre Revenge Tour
The New England Patriots went right into Cincinnati and ran right over them all day long. Rhamondre Stevenson did most of the running, playing 75% of snaps in that game. Considering that the Patriots called run 61% of the time Sunday (second only to Pittsburgh in Week 1), that could mean massive volume for Stevenson this year if he keeps up that usage.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Pump the Brakes on the Carr
Derek Carr needed only 23 pass attempts to get to 200 passing yards and three touchdowns against Carolina on Sunday. But don’t get too excited about Carr’s performance yet. His actual completion percentage (82.6%) was 16.3 points higher than his expected completion percentage (66.3%). That number was far and away the biggest discrepancy in the league,
NEW YORK GIANTS
Malik as Advertised
Only three receivers in the NFL ran more routes than Malik Nabers’ 48 in Week 1. In addition, his 98% route participation was tops in the league, tied with Cooper Kupp. Nabers only got 66 yards on seven targets, but it was a healthy 35.5% of his team’s receiving yards in the game. Daniel Jones can’t be that bad all season, right? Right?!
NEW YORK JETS
Hall Pass for the End Zone
In 2023, Breece Hall had one rush inside the five-yard line. He rushed once for two yards and a touchdown from that area all year. Already in Week 1 of 2024, Hall has a rush attempt and a touchdown from that area and he is sure to be used as a goal-line back all season.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Barkley Rebirth
Saquon Barkley had 26 total touches in his debut with the Philadelphia Eagles. All other Philadelphia running backs had two touches total. Barkley’s 130+ total yards and three touchdowns marked just the second time in his career he has reached those milestones. The last time was November 18, 2018.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Picking on Pickens
George Pickens playing only 68% of snaps was not something I expected to see on Sunday, but it appears Arthur Smith has found his next fantasy star to grind into dust. Pickens was able to overcome for six catches and 85 yards even with Justin Fields as quarterback.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Aiyuk Taking it Easy in Week 1
As was expected the San Francisco 49ers eased Brandon Aiyuk into things this week. He played just 43 snaps compared to 53 for Deebo Samuel and 66 for George Kittle. He saw just four targets, but that should improve as he gets in more practice reps and gets his body in game shape. However, maybe the 49ers just rush Jordan Mason 45 times per game and they don’t even need Aiyuk.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Lockett Up Despite Being Down
Somehow Tyler Lockett saw more targets (seven) than D.K. Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba combined (six) despite playing only 36 snaps compared to at least 53 for both Metcalf and JSN. However, I think this passing game as a whole might need further monitoring if Geno Smith is going to look that bad and Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet are going to look that good.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Regression Comes Fast For Godwin
Finally moving back into the slot after a year out of position, Chris Godwin was a fantasy beast on Sunday. He caught eight passes for 83 yards and a touchdown. He had only two scores last year despite more than 100 targets, so the positive regression is already kicking in. Godwin had a 100% catch rate and was eighth in the league in yards after the catch. It’s safe to say he is back.
TENNESSEE TITANS
Backfield Split V
The last ambiguous backfield to dissect is the Tennessee Titans with Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears. Pollard operated as the clear lead back with 39 snaps, 16 rush attempts, 17 routes, and four targets. Spears had 29 snaps, four caries, 21 routes, and four targets as well. However, Spears was in on almost all third downs and two-minute drill snaps.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
Targets All Over the Place
Data Sources: Pro Football Focus, NFL Next Gen Stats, Football Guys Snap Summary, FTN Air Yards, Pro Football Reference, Team Rankings, Fantasy Points Data Suite
Make sure to check out all of our Week 2 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!