Is Week 9 the week of fantasy football where we will remember when certain backups took over starting jobs and led their fantasy managers to victories in 2024? Chase Brown looks like the lead man in Cincinnati. Joe Flacco will start for the rest of the season. Cedric Tillman was a top wide receiver for the second week in a row. Jakobi Meyers is getting double-digit targets every week. At some point in every fantasy season players emerge with new roles, increased opportunity, and surprise performances. What players have seen usage that is important for fantasy football? We will look at that in this piece.
This weekly piece will look at an interesting usage note for each team during every NFL week. 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 9 usage!
NFL Week 9 Usage Trends
ARIZONA CARDINALS
Three-Headed Running Back?
ATLANTA FALCONS
Darnell Mooney is Officially a WR1
Whether or not Drake London is healthy in Week 10 may not matter anymore for Darnell Mooney. After five catches for 88 yards and a touchdown on Sunday, he is a WR1 this year. Mooney is now up to ninth among NFL wide receivers with 68 targets.
BALTIMORE RAVENS
Diontae Johnson Slow Play
Diontae Johnson played just 30% of snaps and ran just six routes with his new team in Week 9. With Derrick Henry and Zay Flowers currently firing on all cylinders it will be interesting to see where Johnson fits in with this team.
BUFFALO BILLS
Ray Davis Efficiency Meter
Rookie Ray Davis played just 14% of snaps in the game against Miami on Sunday but somehow finished with six touches for 90 yards and a touchdown. It’s a sign that when Davis is on the field, it’s a strong bet he will get the ball.
CAROLINA PANTHERS
Wide Receiver Roles With No Diontae Johnson
With no Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen in Week 9, the Panthers snap share looked like this: Xavier Legette: 83%, David Moore: 87%, Jalen Coker: 45%, and Jonathan Mingo: 28%. Legette did score for the third time in four games as well.
CHICAGO BEARS
Rome is Built Back Up in a Day
After some questionable weeks for Rome Odunze, he finally got back on track with Caleb Williams, even in a game the Bears lost badly. Odunze played 88% of snaps and saw seven targets for the first time since Week 3.
If there’s one good thing I can take from that #Bears game, it’s the performance of Rome Odunze.
His spatial awareness against zone is strong. He’s dropped just one pass all year. Even if the numbers don’t show it every week, he’s damn good already. pic.twitter.com/WI2tBZmHK8
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) November 4, 2024
CINCINNATI BENGALS
New Bell Cow Chase Brown
With Zack Moss out, Chase Brown touched the ball 32 times for 157 yards and a touchdown. Think that can’t continue? Backups Kendall Milton and Taryveon Williams played 12 total snaps. Brown played on 59.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
Jeudy and Tillman Do Everything
Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman both played almost 100% of snaps for the Browns on Sunday and they were essentially the entire passing offense. Those two combined for 22 targets while the rest of the team had 23 total.
DALLAS COWBOYS
Rico Dowdle Back in First Chair
After an Ezekiel Elliott suspension, Rico Dowdle returned to a full-time role at running back. He played 71% of snaps and totaled over 100 yards and one touchdown. Even when Elliott comes back, why should he take work from Dowdle at this point?
DENVER BRONCOS
Audric Estime Hype Fades
After a promise that running back Audric Estime would have a larger role, that turned out to not be true. He played on just 10% of snaps and touched the ball five times. After gaining 35 yards on those five touches, however, the Denver coaching staff doubled down, saying he would be more involved going forward. We shall see.
DETROIT LIONS
Amon-Ra St. Brown Solo Show
In a messy, wet game that didn’t force Jared Goff to throw much, Amon-Ra St. Brown had seven targets and all other wide receivers had four. In this latest dominance by the Lions, one player who seems to be completely left out is Sam LaPorta.
GREEN BAY PACKERS
Green Bay Target Communism
In a game where Jordan Love struggled, the Packers tried every person they could think of to help Love get going. Seven players had between three and seven targets. Jayden Reed was the only one who did anything with that work, catching five balls for 113 yards.
HOUSTON TEXANS
Hutchinson and Metchie Step Up, Do Nothing
With no Stefon Diggs and no Nico Collins around, the wide receivers who stepped up to play against the New York Jets were John Metchie and Xavier Hutchinson. However. neither Hutchinson nor Metchie recorded a catch or tallied any yards on Sunday. Even Dalton Schultz struggled again as C.J. Stroud could not get going in the Meadowlands.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Get Josh Downs a Full-Time Role
With Joe Flacco taking over, many were hoping for big things from deep-threat Josh Downs for the rest of 2024. The Colts only played him on 50% of snaps. That led to six catches for 60 yards, which is all the evidence we need that Downs needs to get more snaps as soon as possible.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Backfield Headaches
With no clear answer in the Jacksonville backfield, a three-headed monster has emerged. Tank Bigsby played 52% of snaps. Travis Etienne played 31% and D’Ernest Johnson was in on 24%. None of them did anything of consequence with their playing time.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
DeAndre Hopkins Integration
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
Mattison Buried in Negative Game Script
In a game where the Raiders were almost completely shut down by the Bengals, they had to bury new bell cow back Alexander Mattison in favor of Ameer Abdullah. Mattison was reduced to just 39% and Ameer Abdullah was up around 50%.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
Quentin Johnston Finally Breaks Out
Quentin Johnston had the first 100-yard game of his career despite playing only 68% of snaps and seeing five targets. Johnston’s usage trailed only Ladd McConkey in this game against the Browns.
LOS ANGELES RAMS
Demarcus Best Wide Receiver Handcuff in NFL?
After Puka Nacua was ejected for punching a Seahawks player, Demarcus Robinson went off for nine targets, six catches, 94 yards, and two touchdowns. I don’t expect another suspension, but considering the injuries for Cooper Kupp and Nacua this year, Robinson may be the best receiver to stash on your bench in case one of those top two misses time again.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
Waddle Looks Washed
Jaylen Waddle scored a touchdown on Sunday, but it masked the fact that he had two targets for negative four yards on the day as well. The next time Jaylen Waddle scores more than 6.6 half-PPR fantasy points in a game will be the first time since Week 1. Even with Tua Tagovailoa back, Waddle looks really bad right now.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Justin Jefferson Appreciation Post
Not much interesting or unique happened with the Vikings in Week 9, so why not spend time appreciating the greatness of Justin Jefferson?
Every player in NFL history with 6,600+ receiving yards in 68 or fewer games:
Justin Jefferson
End of list.pic.twitter.com/MC3rT77yfL
— Underdog NFL (@Underdog__NFL) November 4, 2024
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Hunter Henry New Red Zone Role
Hunter Henry saw four red zone targets in Week 9 with Drake Maye at quarterback. It was the same number of red zone targets he had in his last six games combined. This could be an intriguing new role for him if it continues.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Taysom Hill is Back in Our Lives
With injuries to Rashid Shaheed, Bub Means, Jamaal Williams, and Kendre Miller, Taysom Hill is back in the fantasy picture. He rushed five times and scored a touchdown on the ground. He also caught four balls for 41 yards.
NEW YORK GIANTS
Theo Johnson Breakout
In a game where Malik Nabers saw another 11 targets, it was fellow rookie Theo Johnson who may have had his breakout game for the Giants. Johnson played 85% of snaps, saw six targets, and caught three balls for 51 yards and a touchdown.
NEW YORK JETS
Wilson and Adams Monopoly
Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams combined for 21 targets from Aaron Rodgers on Thursday night. All other players for the Jets saw 11 total targets and caught just nine passes. This passing tree will continue to go through just these two players for the rest of the season.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Saquon Barkley Finds His Nirvana
Somehow, Saquon Barkley was able to total 199 yards and two scores while playing just 72% of snaps in this game, his second-lowest number of the season. Barkley touched the ball 30 times and has found the team and the system that knows exactly how to use him and his strengths. If the Tush Push didn’t exist, we could be sitting here talking about one of the best running back seasons of all time being underway.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
The Pittsburgh Steelers Did Not Play in Week 9
Back from the bye 🙌
More 📸: https://t.co/mDYPoMn8XW pic.twitter.com/d4D0Dv5bEj
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) November 4, 2024
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
The San Francisco 49ers Did Not Play in Week 9
Back from the bye.
Time to get to work 😤 pic.twitter.com/YE8Vqu6yCK
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) November 4, 2024
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Ken Walker Retakes the Lead
After two games where the evenly split the running back work with Zach Charbonnet, Ken Walker once again played the role of bell cow for Seattle. In a must-win game for Seattle, Walker played on 75% of snaps and touched the ball 28 times for more than 100 yards.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Cade Otton League Winner
There may be no better tight end the rest of the season than Cade Otton. After another 10 targets and a touchdown on Monday, Otton is the best tight end over the last two weeks and should continue to thrive with no Chris Godwin or Mike Evans in the lineup.
TENNESSEE TITANS
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine In Rare Air
Just like we all knew it would happen.
Most consecutive games with a touchdown catch in the NFL:
1. Amon-Ra St. Brown (5)
2. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (4)— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) November 3, 2024
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
McLaurin Megastar
Finally Terry McLaurin has a quarterback that has turned him into his rightful position as a WR1. McLaurin has at least a touchdown on 98 receiving yards in each of his last seven games. With six touchdowns, McLaurin is already one away from his career-high for a season (seven in 2019).
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 10 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!