NFL Week 13 Recap: Immediate fantasy football takeaways from Sunday's games

• Washington Commanders return to form: The Commanders offense was on fire like earlier in the season, as Brian Robinson finished with a 100-yard game while Terry McLaurin scored two touchdowns.

• Ladd McConkey leads the Los Angeles Chargers: The second-round rookie has been exceptional recently. He gained 117 receiving yards while the Chargers offense only had 187 total net yards in a road victory.

• Unlock your edge with a PFF+ subscription: Get full access to all of our in-season fantasy tools, including weekly rankings, the Start-Sit Optimizer and more. Sign up now!

Estimated reading time: 20 minutes

PFF's fantasy football recap focuses on player usage and stats, breaking down all the vital information you need to achieve fantasy success in 2024.

Los Angeles Chargers @ Atlanta Falcons

Bijan Robinson: 26 carries, 102 yards, 1 touchdown, 6 receptions, 33 receiving yards
Ladd McConkey: 9 receptions, 117 yards

Chargers adjust without J.K. Dobbins: The starting running back landed on injured reserve due to a knee injury.

The soonest Dobbins can return is fantasy football championship week. There is a chance Dobbins isn’t ready yet, or he’s eased back into action, so Dobbins’ fantasy season is effectively over unless you’re willing to risk starting him in your fantasy championship game in his first game back.

Gus Edwards was, unsurprisingly, the Chargers' primary running back. He started the game, but Kimani Vidal and Hassan Haskins both played on the first drive as well. Vidal surpassed Haskins on the depth chart, as he did earlier in the year when Edwards was on injured reserve. Vidal had the best play of the running backs with a 16-yard run. Edwards ran the ball the most and had the most yards per carry.

When Edwards missed time earlier in the season, the Chargers still used more of a two-man committee, but the Chargers trusted Haskins the most in passing situations, so this was a three-man committee.

Los Angeles has a very rough matchup for running backs next week against the Kansas City Chiefs, but the fantasy playoffs will be much more favorable. Vidal is worth a waiver wire pickup because the running back situation is fluid enough that Vidal will earn more opportunities if he plays well. There is certainly no guarantee he can overtake Edwards on the depth chart over the next few weeks, but Vidal has a better chance of starting at some point this season than other running backs available off the waiver wire.

Kyle Pitts limited to 33 snaps: The Falcons continue to use Pitts only in clear passing situations.

Starting in Week 8, the Falcons started using Charlie Woerner more in normal running situations rather than just clear running situations. Woerner has the top run-blocking grade among all tight ends with at least 100 snaps over the first 12 weeks of the season, while Pitts has the seventh-worst.

This has kept Pitts playing around 50% of Atlanta's offensive snaps, outside of Week 11 when the Falcons were blown out 38-6 and had to abandon the run.

This week, the Falcons had the lead for parts of the game, and when they were playing from behind, it was by, at most, seven points. This allowed the Falcons to maintain a balance between run and pass. On early downs outside of two-minute drills, Woerner out-snapped Pitts 40-12. Pitts played all 13 snaps during two-minute drills. Woerner took all five snaps on third-and-1-2, while Pitts took all seven on third-and-3 or more.

The Falcons play the Minnesota Vikings next week, which should be a game script where Pitts can be on the field at least 50% of Atlanta's offensive snaps. After that, the Falcons play the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants. If you’re making the fantasy playoffs and Pitts is your tight end, you should find an alternative for those two weeks.

Miscellaneous Notes

Ladd McConkey was ruled questionable to return due to a knee injury within the last few minutes of the game. He wasn’t in for the closing kneel downs, which wasn’t surprising regardless of his health. The initial reaction is that the injury doesn’t appear to be serious. If he does miss time, Joshua Palmer could move to the slot, allowing more time for other receivers out wide.
D.J. Chark Jr. participated in his second game with the Chargers this season. He only played two offensive snaps.
Tyler Allgeier only played four snaps last week, but that seemed to be a specific one-game situation rather than the start of a trend. He played in 30% of the Falcons' offensive snaps this week, which was very normal considering the number of plays the Falcons ran.
Falcons third-string running back Jase McClellan was inactive due to a knee injury. He played significant snaps for the first time on offense in their last game, as he finished with eight carries in the Falcons’ blowout loss to the Denver Broncos.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cincinnati Bengals

Najee Harris: 16 carries, 75 yards, 1 touchdown, 6 receptions, 54 receiving yards
Ja’Marr Chase: 6 receptions, 86 yards, 1 touchdown

Steelers reveal Najee Harris’ handcuff: Harris missed time in the first half to get checked out by trainers.

The Steelers game started like normal, as Harris played nine of the first 11 snaps on the first two drives. Jaylen Warren took the other two snaps, which included the only third-and-medium, while Cordarrelle Patterson played one snap at wide receiver. Harris generally plays a clear majority of Pittsburgh's early down snaps on the first two drives, while Warren mixes in more on early downs over time.

Harris was dealing with some undisclosed injury and was getting checked out by the training staff during the Steelers’ third drive. For that 10-play drive, Patterson played eight of 10 snaps while Warren only took two snaps. Harris was back for the following drive, playing all five snaps. Patterson was on the field for one of those plays as a wide receiver and didn’t play again during the game. Over the rest of the game, Harris and Warren split snaps at 21 each.

Harris has remarkably never missed a game in his four-year NFL career, so we’ve never gotten to see how much playing time Warren could get if Harris misses time. Based on the small sample of one drive, there’s a chance Warren might not see much of an increase in snaps if Harris misses a game later in the year.

If Warren is on your fantasy roster but never in your fantasy starting lineup, it might be time to drop him for a more high-upside handcuff.

Monitor Calvin Austin III’s health: The Steelers slot receiver suffered a head injury and didn’t return.

Austin has been the Steelers' primary slot receiver all season. He had one of the best games of his career last week with three receptions for eight yards and a touchdown. In recent weeks, he’s had to share his playing time in the slot with Ben Skowronek. In the first half this week, Austin played 12 snaps in 11 personnel compared to Skowronek's eight.

Austin suffered the injury on a big hit at the end of the first half. Skowronek completely took over the slot role after Austin left the game throughout the second half. He made a nice 22-yard reception, although he was one of eight Steelers players with a 20-plus-yard reception in this game.

If Austin has to miss a game, we can expect Skowronek to again be the slot receiver. In the majority of fantasy leagues, Skowronek can be left on the waiver wire, as this Steelers offense hasn’t made a high priority of targeting their slot receivers and runs more multiple tight end sets than most teams.

Jermaine Burton’s offensive role disappears: The Bengals’ third-round rookie fell to fifth on the Bengals' wide receiver depth chart.

There was concern for Burton’s role heading into the season based on how much he played late in preseason games. For the first third of the season, he only played a few offensive snaps each week.

In Week 8, he received a larger role with Tee Higgins out. He was supposed to have an even larger role in Week 9 but was suspended for missing the Saturday practice before the game. He returned in Week 10 and nearly played 50% of Cincinnati's offensive snaps.

Since then, Higgins has returned, and his role has regressed to what it was at the beginning of the season. Burton played one fewer offensive snap than Isaiah Williams, an undrafted rookie who the Bengals claimed off waivers less than a month ago. This was his first game on the Bengals active roster.

It was already clear Burton wouldn’t have fantasy value this season, but he might not next year either, even if the team loses Higgins.

Miscellaneous Notes

Pat Freiermuth had a six-game stretch where he was held under 25 yards in five of those six games. He’s now coming off back-to-back weeks with over 50 receiving yards.
Bengals backup wide receiver and returner Charlie Jones missed his fourth straight game due to a groin injury.

Houston Texans @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Parker Washington: 6 receptions, 103 yards, 1 touchdown
Joe Mixon: 20 carries, 101 yards, 1 touchdown, 4 receptions, 18 receiving yards

Jaguars consolidate backfield: Jacksonville used a two-man rotation instead of three, allowing Tank Bigsby to play more snaps.

Bigsby missed Week 11 due to an ankle injury, but after the Jaguars' Week 12 bye, Bigsby was a full participant in practice all week and ready to go. There had only been six games this season where all of the Jaguars' running backs were healthy to start the game and active. In those games, Travis Etienne Jr. played 159 snaps while Bigsby played 104 and D’Ernest Johnson played 89. Etienne and Bigsby had a near-even split of carries in those games, while Johnson served as more of a receiving back.

The Jaguars opted to make Johnson a healthy inactive this week. Fifth-round rookie Keilan Robinson returned from injured reserve and was active, but didn’t play on offense. This allowed Bigsby and Etienne to split time. This was the first time all season where both players played at least 40% of the Jaguars' offensive snaps. Etienne ended up with more carries, but Bigsby had more yards per carry, which has been common this season.

Bigsby is one of the top running backs to pick up off the waiver wire. He should see more volume than any of the other running backs available, especially if you’re desperate next week due to six teams having a bye. There is a chance he will regain his early season form, as he was one of the league's better runners.

Parker Washington’s breakout game: Washington will be the Jaguars' clear second receiver for the rest of the season.

Christian Kirk suffered a season-ending injury in Week 8 while Gabe Davis suffered one in Week 11. When Davis went down two weeks ago, Washington moved from the slot to out wide, while Devin Duvernay became the Jaguars' slot receiver.

After the Jaguars’ Week 12 bye, the Jaguars kept with the initial strategy in terms of the wide receiver pecking order, but there was more of a rotation in the slot and out wide. Duvernay played close to 50% of his snaps from the slot, but Thomas ended up with the most total snaps from that position.

Washington took advantage of his increased role, finishing with the second 100-game season by a Jaguars wide receiver this season. Washington’s best game was last season with six catches for 61 yards, and he’s only had two games per year of more than 20 yards prior to this week.

While it might be tempting to rush to get Washington off the waiver wire, it’s worth noting the Jaguars played the Houston Texans in this game, and Houston has allowed a lot of fantasy production to wide receivers this year. The Jaguars close the season with two games against the Tennessee Titans, the New York Jets and Las Vegas Raiders. Those are all games against top-12 defenses in fantasy points to wide receivers, so the Jaguars could stick more to the run game. It will be much harder for Washington to have this kind of performance in every other game.

Texans adjust without Xavier Hutchinson: The Texans backup wide receiver missed this week due to a shoulder injury.

The Texans' primary X receiver has been Nico Collins this season, but Hutchinson played significant snaps when Collins was out. With Hutchinson out, this had no impact on the playing time of the other top four wide receivers on the Texans' depth chart.

Instead, 2023 undrafted wide receiver Jared Wayne made his NFL debut. He took all of the snaps that would ordinarily go to Hutchinson. He did not see a target. If Hutchinson misses more time, Wayne would likely be elevated from the practice squad again.

Miscellaneous Notes

Trevor Lawrence took a cheap shot late in the second quarter and was soon after ruled out due to a concussion. Mac Jones replaced him in the lineup, as he did in November when Lawrence was dealing with his A/C joint sprain.
Dalton Schultz suffered a shoulder injury in the third quarter and was ruled questionable. He missed some time for parts of two drives, but he played 10 of 15 snaps in the fourth quarter.
Run-blocking tight end Teagan Quitoriano was placed on injured reserve earlier in the week. Veteran Irv Smith Jr. was elevated off the practice squad to serve as a blocking tight end in this game.

Arizona Cardinals @ Minnesota Vikings

Aaron Jones was temporarily benched: Jones fumbled twice in the first quarter, leading to less playing time than usual.

Jones started the game as the Vikings' clear top back, playing all nine snaps in the first quarter. However, two fumbles caused him to only play two snaps in the second quarter, both coming late. Jones also fumbled in each of the two previous games after fumbling just once in the first nine games.

While Cam Akers had been the Vikings' clear primary backup since Week 9, Ty Chandler led the team in snaps in the second quarter with five. He also had the most carries in the quarter. This suggests that if Jones were to suffer an injury at some point in these last few weeks, we might see a two-man committee rather than Akers being the clear leader of the backfield.

Jones split time with Akers over the rest of the game, as Jones played 17 snaps in the second half compared to Akers' 13. Jones caught the game-winning touchdown in the last 80 seconds of the game to help redeem him in the team's eyes as well as any fantasy manager who started him.

It’s at least possible Jones’ playing time will remain limited next week given his recent issue with fumbling the ball. The Vikings have a rough stretch of games before they reach the playoffs, so they should be giving Jones a break any chance they can.

Vikings adjust without Josh Oliver: The Vikings run blocking tight end was inactive due to an ankle injury.

T.J. Hockenson returned to the Vikings lineup in Week 9, but his playing time has been limited. While Oliver is known as a run blocker, he had a stretch of strong games as a receiver, recording 11 receptions for 140 yards and two touchdowns over Hockenson’s first three games back.

This game was further proof the Vikings have been easing Hockenson into action, and that his low playing time wasn’t a product of Oliver’s strong play. Hockenson was consistently on the field in 11 personnel this week, but in 12 personnel, the Vikings primarily used Johnny Mundt and Nick Muse, who played 12 career offensive snaps over three seasons heading into this game. Mundt also played in 21 personnel, which is the personnel grouping the Vikings were in when Mundt scored a touchdown. Hockenson has never been the primary player in 21 personnel since joining the Vikings, so this particular play was normal.

Hockenson is at least playing in over 50% of Minnesota's offensive snaps and on the field for the majority of the Vikings' pass plays, but this still isn’t as much playing time as in previous seasons. He caught three passes for 28 yards in this game. Hockenson is still probably one of the 12 best options at tight end in fantasy football, but he won’t be as reliable as he’s been in the past.

Michael Wilson takes over as the Cardinals’ slot receiver: Wilson played 29 snaps for the Cardinals in the slot, which was the most for any Cardinals receiver in over a month.

The Cardinals started the season with a very clear wide receiver depth chart. Marvin Harrison Jr. was the X receiver, Wilson was the Z and Greg Dortch signed in the slot when three receivers were on the field. In Week 7, Zay Jones returned from suspension and injury. In his first few weeks back, he cut into Dortch’s playing time. Over the last three games, Jones has played notably more snaps than Dortch.

Jones has been used almost entirely as an outside receiver. From Weeks 7-12, Arizona had no clear slot receiver. Harrison, Wilson and Dortch all played between 55-63 snaps from the slot. This week was the first week where one player was clearly ahead of the others in slot snaps, as Wilson played 29 snaps from the slot compared to Harrison and Dortch’s 11 each in addition to Jones’ eight.

Wilson made one catch for 22 yards from the slot, as his other four catches came from out wide. Wilson, in general, has more yards per route run from out wide compared to in the slot, so this might not be the best move for Wilson’s fantasy value. It will be worth keeping an eye on how the Cardinals move their wide receivers going forward to see if this is Wilson’s new role in general or if this was a one-week change.

Miscellaneous Notes

The Vikings rotated their wide receivers less in this game than in previous weeks. Brandon Powell had averaged 13 offensive snaps per game over their last four games but only played three this week. Trent Sherfield averaged 12 snaps per game and played two this week.
Emari Demercado was questionable for this game due to a back injury, but he played in his usual role as the Cardinals’ passing-down back today.

Indianapolis Colts @ New England Patriots

Jonathan Taylor: 25 carries, 96 yards, 1 reception, 7 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown
Hunter Henry: 7 receptions, 75 yards

Colts play without multiple receivers: Both slot receiver Josh Downs (shoulder) and backup Ashton Dulin (ankle) were inactive this week.

Alec Pierce was also questionable due to a foot injury. The Colts' primary solution to their wide receiver problem was making 12 personnel their base offense. This was the first time all season they used more 12 personnel than 11 in a game, finishing with 37 snaps out of 12 personnel compared to 22 out of 11.

When they were in 11 personnel, Adonai Mitchell took over as the primary slot receiver, as he did early in the season when Downs was out. The Colts generally changed which wide receiver was in the slot and which two were outside compared to when Downs was healthy. In 12 personnel, Mitchell rotated in for Pierce more than he ordinarily would, likely due to Pierce’s foot injury. Laquon Treadwell was a practice squad elevation and the fourth wide receiver for the game.

The offense focused mostly on the run game. Pittman was the clear favorite target whenever Anthony Richardson passed the ball. The Colts have their bye week next week, which will hopefully be enough time for all of the wide receivers to get back to the gameday roster.

Ja’Lynn Polk’s declining role continues: Polk only ran eight routes on a possible 39 passing plays.

Polk started the season fighting for playing time behind K.J. Osborn as the Z receiver. He eventually won the job from Osborn, playing 100% of New England's offensive snaps in Week 5. Kendrick Bourne also returned in Week 5 and largely took the job from Polk.

The second-round rookie’s role has slowly but surely declined. He was a healthy inactive in Week 8, played a few snaps in Week 9 and was back to playing around 40% of New England's offensive snaps by Week 10, but his role steadily declined from there. He didn’t catch his only target this week and has four catches for 26 yards in the Patriots’ last nine games.

With the Patriots officially eliminated from playoff contention, Polk could ideally earn more opportunities over the last month of the season to build some momentum for 2025.

Miscellaneous Notes

Colts running back Jonathan Taylor has played, at least, 88% of the Colts' offensive snaps in each of their last three games.
Antonio Gibson was the clear No. 2 running back over JaMycal Hasty for a second-straight week, but Rhamondre Stevenson was back to playing 77% of the Patriots' offensive snaps, similar to Weeks 8-11.
Demario Douglas was questionable for this game due to an ankle injury. He played his usual role, playing 91% of the Patriots' 11 personnel snaps and 25% of 12 personnel. If anything, his 12 personnel snaps were up compared to usual.
Patriots tight end Hunter Henry went to the medical tent in the middle of the first quarter but didn’t end up missing much time.

Seattle Seahawks @ New York Jets

Davante Adams: 5 receptions, 66 yards, 1 touchdown
Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 4 receptions, 74 yards

Isaiah Davis scores for the Jets: The fifth-round rookie running back played more in this game than any other game this season.

Breece Hall didn’t practice on Wednesday, which was concerning after the bye week. He was truly questionable for this game. He played noticeably less than usual. He played 61% of New York’s offensive snaps, whereas he's usually in the 74-82% range.

Instead of the fourth-round rookie Braelon Allen seeing a larger role as expected, the fifth-round rookie saw an increase in snaps. He largely split snaps on third downs with Hall, leading to three receptions for 28 yards and a touchdown. Hall still had a fine game with 12 carries for 60 yards.

Allen should still be considered one of the best handcuff options right now. If Hall’s injury becomes more serious, we could expect Davis to take a lot of the passing-down work, but Allen would take most of the rushing work. The Jets have the best schedule for running backs over the next month, making Allen a valuable handcuff.

Malachi Corley takes the third wide receiver spot: The third-round rookie wide receiver received over 50% of the Jets’ offensive snaps for the first time this season.

Corley played two offensive snaps over the first seven weeks in a very quiet start to his NFL career. Allen Lazard was injured in Week 7, and Mike Williams was traded after Week 9, opening the door for more opportunities for the rookie receiver.

In Weeks 10 and 11, Corley rotated with Xavier Gipson, who ran two routes out of 11 personnel for every one by Corley. The Jets changed things up after their Week 12 bye, giving Corley two snaps for every one by Gipson in 11 personnel. Corley didn’t catch any passes but had an eight-yard carry.

It’s unlikely Corley has any fantasy value this year, but this should give the Jets a good look to see how much of an impact Corley could make next season.

Noah Fant returns from injury: Fant was inactive for the last three weeks due to a back injury.

Fant largely returned to his usual role. He played in 29 of 37 snaps in 11 personnel. That 78% rate in 11 personnel was better than earlier in the season. He averaged 64% from Weeks 4-8, when the Seahawks' tight end situation was relatively stable. Unfortunately, he played in less than half of the 12 personnel snaps, when he had been playing more than 50% in his last few healthy games.

Fant had a relatively quiet game with three catches for 26 yards, while fourth-round rookie A.J. Barner recorded his second career touchdown. It’s unlikely either tight end will have much fantasy value this season given the rotation and their strength at wide receiver.

According to OverTheCap, the Seahawks have the third-lowest effective cap space for 2025. Releasing Fant would be the easiest move to create some cap relief. It wouldn’t be surprising if Barner is the Seahawks' clear top tight end next season, and he would likely play more next season than Fant is right now.

Miscellaneous Notes

Jaxon Smith-Njigba has gained 69 or more receiving yards six times in his career. He accomplished it once in his first 24 games, and he’s accomplished this in each of his last five games.
Tyler Conklin caught one pass in each of the previous three games but had more of an impact this week with four receptions for 32 yards.

Tennessee Titans @ Washington Commanders

Terry McLaurin: 8 receptions, 73 yards, 2 touchdowns
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine: 3 receptions, 61 yards, 2 touchdowns

Washington adjusts without Austin Ekeler: Ekeler suffered a concussion last week and landed on injured reserve.

The Commanders have their bye week next week, so Ekeler isn’t eligible to return until Week 18. This means his fantasy season in redraft leagues is over.

Luckily, Brian Robinson was active for this game despite being limited in practice due to an ankle injury. He led a rotation with Jeremy McNichols for the first three quarters. Robinson played 36 snaps, while McNichols took 21. Three quarters was enough time for Robinson to reach 100 rushing yards for the first time since September.

McNichols looked solid in his limited opportunities, running six times for 32 yards. Considering Robinson has suffered multiple injuries over the last two months, McNihcols would be a handcuff worth prioritizing off the waiver wire.

Chris Rodriguez played only two snaps in the first three quarters. The Commanders were up by multiple scores throughout the fourth quarter, so Rodriguez was given the entire quarter. While his stat line of 13 carries for 94 yards and a touchdown will look very tempting off the waiver wire, he should be avoided. If this was a more competitive game, he would not have played nearly as much.

Monitor Noah Brown’s health: Brown suffered a rib injury in the third quarter and was eventually ruled out.

Brown has been the Commanders' clear second wide receiver all season. In the first half, he played 32 of 42 snaps, while every wide receiver below him on the depth chart played 14 or fewer plays. After the injury, Dyami Brown took over as the starting outside wide receiver.

Dyami Brown caught four passes for 35 yards in this game, making this his second-best game of the season. If Noah Brown has to miss time, we can expect Dyami Brown to take over going forward. He would be unlikely to have much fantasy value considering the other weapons the Commanders have on offense.

Tyjae Spears returns in a limited role: Spears missed last week due to a concussion.

Spears has only been able to play in two of the Titans’ last seven games. Typically, Spears plays 37-46% of the Titans’ offensive snaps, mostly in passing situations. Tony Pollard plays the rest, but the Titans have had no problem giving Pollard over 80% of their snaps when Spears missed time.

While Spears was back, his role was much more limited than usual. He was mostly used during two-minute drill situations. Outside of that, it was all Pollard outside of a few snaps. The Titans fell behind immediately and largely abandoned the run, so Pollard wasn’t able to capitalize on the larger role.

All four of the Titans’ final games during the fantasy season are against teams with losing records. It’s possible the Titans simply trust Pollard with this large workload and don’t have the same trust in Spears currently, given his extensive time missed. Pollard could be in store for some big games over the next month.

Miscellaneous Notes

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine not only caught two touchdowns in this game, but his seven targets were a season-high. His fantasy value could become more sustainable over these next few weeks if his target rate remains this high.
Chig Okonkwo was targeted a season-high six times in this game after catching a 70-yard touchdown last week. He was targeted an additional two times on plays called back by penalty. One was a completion that was taken back from offensive holding and another Okonkwo was interfered with on the other play.
Zach Ertz tends to play more when the Commanders are losing and less when they are winning. That continued this week, but any fantasy manager who started him despite the expected game script was rewarded with a touchdown.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Carolina Panthers

Bucky Irving: 25 carries, 152 yards, 1 touchdown, 3 receptions, 33 receiving yards
Mike Evans: 8 receptions, 118 yards, 1 touchdown

Bucky Irving has a career game: Irving had his first 100-yard rushing game and notched a career-high in carries

Irving has been the clear lead runner for the Buccaneers for a while. His playing time has generally been trending up. He’s been playing more than 50% of the Bucs' snaps on early downs in recent weeks, which is where his playing time has kept improving. The Buccaneers also simply committed to the run, and playing a fifth quarter certainly didn’t hurt there.

Rachaad White also ran the ball well, averaging 6.9 yards per carry on 11 runs. The Buccaneers running backs will still be game-script dependent. Irving produces more in close games and wins, while White plays more when they are behind. The Buccaneers face the Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, Dallas Cowboys and Panthers again in their next four games. Those should generally be favorable situations for Irving, who can be a fantasy starter down the stretch.

It’s worth noting Irving was ruled questionable at one point due to a hip injury, but he was able to play just fine through the injury.

Jonathon Brooks sees expanded role: Brooks tripled his offensive snaps compared to the previous week.

The former second-round pick made his NFL debut a week ago, playing five offensive snaps, all in early down situations. This week, he continued his early down role, playing a higher percentage of the Panthers' offensive snaps, which included several goal-line and short-yardage plays.

Specifically on early downs outside of the two-minute drill and in the first three quarters, Brooks played 13 snaps to Hubbard’s 22. Hubbard remained the clear receiving back, and once the fourth quarter hit, the Panthers stuck entirely with the veteran running back.

While this isn’t nearly enough playing time for Brooks to have fantasy value, it is enough to cut into Hubbard’s value. Luckily, the Panthers have one of the best schedules for running backs over the fantasy playoffs, which means Hubbard can stay in fantasy starting lineups and makes Brooks one of the best handcuff options. He’s been dropped in several fantasy leagues, and he’s worth picking up just in case something happens to Hubbard.

Tommy Tremble has a career game: Tremble caught five passes for a career-high 77 yards.

Injuries have greatly limited the Panthers' tight end this season. He missed Week 1 and was limited in his return Week 2. During the third and fourth weeks of the season, he was the clear Panthers starter, playing in over 85% of the team's offensive snaps in both games. This was surprising because the Panthers invested in rookie Ja’Tavion Sanders, who was playing well.

Tremble suffered another injury early in Week 5 and missed four of the following five games. Last week, Tremble returned. Despite some great games by Sanders in November, the two were splitting snaps for the first few drives. Then Sanders suffered a scary neck injury that kept him out for this week and potentially longer.

Without Sanders, Tremble was able to play 100% of Carolina’s offensive snaps. Bryce Young has been playing some of his best football, which helped Tremble have the best game of his career. Tremble is worth considering off the waiver wire for those who are desperate for a tight end. Once Sanders is back, these two might continue splitting time, making it harder for either to be a fantasy starter.

Miscellaneous Notes

This was Mike Evans‘ first 100-yard game of the season. He will need his last five games to be similar to this to reach 1,000 receiving yards for an 11th-straight season.
Jalen Coker missed his second straight game with a quadriceps injury. Xavier Legette was the Panthers’ X receiver for the second straight week, while David Moore was in the Z role and Adam Thielen played in the slot.

Los Angeles Rams @ New Orleans Saints

Kyren Williams: 15 carries, 104 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 reception, 9 receiving yards
Puka Nacua: 5 receptions, 56 yards, 1 touchdown

Blake Corum sees an increased role: The rookie running back played more than 25% of the Rams' offensive snaps for the first time this season.

Corum started the season as the third running back on the depth chart. Starting in Week 5, he began playing five-to-11 offensive snaps each week, including a few carries most weeks.

This week, Corum played seven snaps on the second drive alone. He had only taken two snaps on the first or second drive in the rest of the games combined. He ran the ball five times on those seven carries. Kyren Williams took the rest of the first-half snaps. Williams played every snap on the 11-play touchdown drive to start the third quarter. The Rams had four more drives over the rest of the game, and the two split snaps evenly at 11 each.

Corum probably won't completely take over the backfield anytime soon. A lot of Williams and Corum’s rate numbers are similar this year. Williams has generally been the better runner if you ignore fumbles, but he has fumbled five times this season compared to Corum's none. Corum may continue to mix in a little more than earlier in the season. Williams would still be a must-start player, but might not have as many big games.

Monitor Demarcus Robinson’s health: Robinson suffered a hand injury early in the fourth quarter.

Even before the injury, Robinson was rotated out a little more than usual, as his playing time has generally been on a slight decline. He played 30 of 43 snaps in the first three quarters, while Tutu Atwell played 17 snaps. After the injury, Atwell only played four of nine snaps, while Tyler Johnson, Xavier Smith and Jordan Whittington all played some snaps.

If Robinson misses time, we should expect Atwell to be the primary replacement. The Rams wide receivers in this role haven’t seen a high target rate, but they have scored a lot of touchdowns, as Robinson did this week. Atwell wouldn’t be a great fantasy option, but if you’re desperate and need someone with a relatively high chance of scoring, Atwell could be a fine option.

Monitor Taysom Hill’s health: Hill suffered a knee injury and was immediately ruled doubtful. Shortly after, he was ruled out.

Hill played 41 offensive snaps prior to his injury, which was a season-high. He led the team in receiving yards with 37 after catching five passes. He also had the second-most carries with five, leading to 10 rushing yards.

In the last five minutes of the game, the Saints largely stuck with Alvin Kamara at running back, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Kevin Austin Jr. at wide receiver, and Foster Moreau and Juwan Johnson at tight end. Assuming Hill’s knee injury is as serious as it looked, Johnson will most likely see a boost in production. He caught five passes for 36 yards. This would also likely mean more opportunities for backup running backs, as Kamara shouldn’t receive 100% of the team’s carries.

Miscellaneous Notes

Jamaal Williams was active for the first time since Week 8 but only played four offensive snaps. There is a chance he will get a slightly larger role going forward due to Taysom Hill’s injury.
Jordan Mims was a healthy inactive with Williams back.
The Saints’ wide receiver depth chart has been in flux all season due to injury, but the rotation was very similar this week compared to before the Saints' bye. Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Kevin Austin Jr. were the main receivers, while Cedrick Wilson Jr. and Dante Pettis were the backups. Mason Tipton was a healthy inactive.
Rams veteran tight end Tyler Higbee has returned to practice. He was limited on Wednesday and Thursday and was a full participant in practice on Friday, but the Rams kept him out this week.
The Rams continued their three-man rotation at tight end from last week. The door will be wide open for Higbee to return to his usual role if he’s ready for it.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Baltimore Ravens

Saquon Barkley: 23 carries, 107 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 receptions, 10 receiving yards
Mark Andrews: 6 receptions, 67 yards, 1 touchdown

Eagles down two multiple receivers: DeVonta Smith missed his second straight game due to a hamstring injury.

Last week, Jahan Dotson moved from third to second on the depth chart, as he did in this game. Last week, Johnny Wilson served as the No. 3 receiver. However, he was also inactive due to a hamstring injury.

This led the team to activate Parris Campbell from the practice squad. Campbell leapfrogged the other young Eagles receivers to be the third receiver in three-receiver sets. Campbell played four games for the Eagles earlier in the season while they dealt with wide receiver injuries. The Eagles also used more multiple tight end sets than usual.

For the first quarter of the game, Britain Covey was playing in some of the three-receiver sets in Covey's place. However, Covey suffered a neck injury. He was ruled questionable but didn’t end up returning.

Monitor Dallas Goedert’s health: The Eagles star tight end suffered a knee injury in the fourth quarter and didn’t return.

Goedert spent most of the game with his usual amount of playing time. He had a fine day with three catches for 35 yards and a touchdown, which was especially strong considering how little the Eagles passed the ball.

After his departure, Grant Calcaterra was his replacement, although the team largely stuck with two tight end sets to run out the clock, so C.J. Uzomah was also on the field. If Goedert misses time, we can expect Calcaterra to take over as the every down tight end, as he did from Weeks 6-9. Calcaterra was TE20 during that time. The Eagles play the Carolina Panthers next week, and they’ve allowed the most fantasy points to tight ends this season. Calcaterra is a fine waiver option for anyone who needs a tight end next week if Goedert can’t play.

Ravens adjust without Charlie Kolar: The Ravens run blocking tight end landed on injured reserve due to a forarm injury.

Kolar plays more than most teams’ third tight ends because he was always on the field in 22 personnel and often on the field in 21 personnel.

Mark Andrews received a noteworthy increase in snaps with Kolar out. The Ravens didn’t run much 21 or 22 personnel due to the game script, but Andrews took all four 22 personnel snaps and nine of the 11 21 personnel snaps. He still played most of the 11 personnel snaps, but a lot of those snaps this week happened to be run plays. That left Andrews and Isaiah Likely close to even in routes run, largely because all of Likely’s 11 personnel snaps were run plays.

When the Ravens are back to winning, we should expect Andrews to remain on the field for a very high percentage of the snaps and Likely to play fewer snaps than this week. Andrews can be considered a fantasy starter again in this increased role.

Monitor Rashod Bateman’s health: The Ravens starting wide receiver suffered a knee injury and didn’t return.

Bateman began the game as the second starting outside receiver. He was playing a little bit less than usual, losing snaps to Tylan Wallace, particularly in 11 personnel, which wasn’t a great sign for his fantasy value.

Once he left the game, Wallace completely took over his role in 11, 12 and 21 personnel. Bateman typically plays in 22 personnel, but the Ravens weren’t running 22 personnel at that point of the game. If Bateman were to miss time, we can expect Wallace to take over. Bateman wasn’t a consistent fantasy asset, so it’s unlikely Wallace would be.

Miscellaneous Notes

Keaton Mitchell was a healthy inactive for the Ravens. He returned from injured reserve in Week 10 but only played four offensive snaps in the last three weeks.
Diontae Johnson did not play a single snap for the Ravens on offense.

San Francisco 49ers @ Buffalo Bills

James Cook: 14 carries, 107 yards, 1 touchdown; 1 reception, 13 receiving yards
Ray Davis: 11 carries, 63 yards, 1 touchdown

Monitor Christian McCaffrey’s health: The 49ers' All-Pro running back left the game early in the second quarter with a knee injury.

McCaffrey started the game and took on his usual every-down role, playing 12 of the first 15 snaps. He looked great, too, taking seven carries for 53 yards.

His injury appeared to be non-contact. On the following play, he took himself out of the game and went to the locker room. He was initially ruled questionable, and he was ruled out around halftime.

Jordan Mason became the every-down running back for the rest of the game, similar to what he did over the first half of the season. Isaac Guerendo took over for a few plays when Mason needed a break and notably broke a 15-yard touchdown.

Mason was dropped in several fantasy leagues when McCaffrey returned. Unless we hear some positive news on McCaffrey, Mason will be the top waiver wire target of the week in leagues where he is available.

Mason scored the 10th-most PPR points over the first seven weeks of the season as the 49ers starter despite missing most of Week 6. The 49ers have a favorable schedule for running backs over the next three weeks, so Mason could be a top-10 fantasy running back again.

Dawson Knox leads the Bills receivers: Dalton Kincaid missed the second straight game with a knee injury.

Knox caught two passes for 56 yards, which was the most receiving yards for any of the Bills receivers. However, his playing time wasn’t as high as it would have been in a normal game. Given the snowy conditions, the Bills opted to have a sixth offensive lineman on the field more than teams usually do. Alec Anderson was on the field for more run plays than Knox was while the starters were still playing.

Quintin Morris also received significant playing time in run formations. Had Kincaid been healthy for this game, he likely would not have seen much playing time or receiving opportunities, as Kincaid has played more in games where the Bills need to pass the ball.

If Kincaid misses another game, Knox should be a viable fantasy option against the Los Angeles Rams defense in Los Angeles, where the weather won’t be a factor.

Miscellaneous Notes

Deebo Samuel lost some playing time to Ricky Pearsall in 21 personnel for a second straight week.
The 49ers released wide receiver Ronnie Bell on Saturday. The 2023 seventh-round pick ran 68 routes this season, catching two passes for 22 yards while dropping two passes.
Keon Coleman missed his third straight game with a wrist injury. The Bills wide receiver rotation was similar to the last two weeks, with slightly more Amari Cooper.
The Bills put in backups early in the fourth quarter, grealy impacting the snap counts of all the Bills normal skill players. For example, James Cook played 22 snaps compared to eight by Ray Davis in the first three quarters, which is fairly normal for a game where the Bills are leading.

Table Notes

Snaps include plays called back due to penalties, including offensive holding or defensive pass interference. The other three stats have these plays removed.
Targets may differ from official NFL sources. The most likely discrepancy would be from a clear thrown-away pass, where the NFL may give the target to the nearest receiver, while this data will not.
Carries are only on designed plays. Quarterback scrambles won’t count for the total number of carries in the game.