Week 6 gave us a little bit of everything. Derrick Henry had the biggest rushing performance of the season, and rookie wide receivers continued to dominate. There were plenty of players injured coming into the week with questions about how their replacements would be used. Unfortunately, there were also plenty of injuries to fantasy-relevant players on Sunday as well.
As always, this collection of fantasy reactions will include snap counts for skill players on each team, along with notes on players who saw their fantasy stocks rise or fall during the action — and how we should react to anything new.
This article will be updated as late games wrap up.
Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts
| Cincinnati Bengals | Indianapolis Colts |
| WR | WR |
| Tee Higgins – 59 snaps | T.Y. Hilton – 59 snaps |
| A.J. Green – 58 snaps | Zach Pascal – 58 snaps |
| Tyler Boyd – 57 snaps | Marcus Johnson – 40 snaps |
| Mike Thomas – 26 snaps | De'Michael Harris – 12 snaps |
| Alex Erickson – 3 snaps | Ashton Dulin – 6 snaps |
| John Ross – 1 snap | |
| TE | TE |
| Drew Sample – 55 snaps | Jack Doyle – 39 snaps |
| Cethan Carter – 23 snaps | Trey Burton – 35 snaps |
| Mason Schreck – 2 snaps | Noah Togiai – 4 snaps |
| HB | HB |
| Joe Mixon – 39 snaps | Jonathan Taylor – 37 snaps |
| Giovani Bernard – 35 snaps | Nyheim Hines – 21 snaps |
| Samaje Perine – 3 snaps | Jordan Wilkins – 4 snaps |
| Total – 73 snaps | Total – 63 snaps |
Winner: WR Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
While all of the Bengals touchdowns came on the ground, a lot of their yards came in the air on passes to wide receivers. All three of their starters had eight or more targets, but Higgins had the most yards — he caught six of eight for 125 yards, with over half of that coming from a 67-yard play. The Colts had been one of the best teams at preventing fantasy points to wide receivers, which makes performances by Higgins and A.J. Green (96 yards on eight catches) even more impressive.
Waiver Wire Target: TE Trey Burton, Indianapolis Colts
Since Burton returned from injured reserve, he’s been the Colts’ primary receiving tight end. While Jack Doyle had more snaps, Burton had more pass routes. This led Burton to catch four passes for 58 yards. That was the second-most receiving yards for a Colts player in the game. He was one of three players with a receiving touchdown and also had the team's only rushing TD. We shouldn’t expect too many more rushing touchdowns this season, but he should remain the team’s top receiving tight end in an offense that likes throwing touchdowns to tight ends.
Injury: RB Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals
Mixon missed the majority of the second quarter due to a foot injury but returned to action for the rest of the game. That is part of the reason why the playing time was so close. In the fourth quarter when the Bengals were mostly passing, Giovani Bernard also saw significant playing time which would have likely happened regardless of the injury. While Mixon is expected to be OK, it appeared the Bengals would mostly use Bernard with a little bit of Samaje Perine when Mixon is out. Mixon scored a touchdown, which helped his fantasy production, but he averaged just 3.0 yards per carry and was back down to three targets.
Detroit Lions at Jacksonville Jaguars
| Detroit Lions | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| WR | WR |
| Marvin Jones Jr. – 62 snaps | D.J. Chark Jr. – 57 snaps |
| Kenny Golladay – 57 snaps | Keelan Cole – 48 snaps |
| Danny Amendola – 27 snaps | Laviska Shenault Jr. – 47 snaps |
| Jamal Agnew – 19 snaps | Collin Johnson – 15 snaps |
| Marvin Hall – 17 snaps | Chris Conley – 15 snaps |
| TE | TE |
| T.J. Hockenson – 46 snaps | James O'Shaughnessy – 48 snaps |
| Jesse James – 42 snaps | Tyler Davis – 16 snaps |
| Isaac Nauta – 18 snaps | Tyler Eifert – 5 snaps |
| HB | HB |
| D'Andre Swift – 29 snaps | James Robinson – 44 snaps |
| Adrian Peterson – 27 snaps | Chris Thompson – 20 snaps |
| Kerryon Johnson – 17 snaps | |
| Total – 77 snaps | Total – 64 snaps |
Winner: RB D’Andre Swift, Detroit Lions
The Lions backfield has continued to evolve. Today Swift and Adrian Peterson split playing time on first and second downs, while Kerryon Johnson had most of the third-down snaps while still taking some of the first and second downs. Because the Lions were winning all game, they were able to run more than pass. Swift made the most of his carries, gaining 116 yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns. He caught the most passes (3) among the Lions backs but for the fewest yards (7). While this game certainly looked promising for Swift, things could easily change again next week.
Loser: WR Marvin Jones Jr., Detroit Lions
Jones was the Lions’ top wide receiver to start the season while Kenny Golladay was missing time due to injury. He never had more than 60 yards in those games. With Golladay back, his playing time hasn’t changed, but his catches and yards have declined. For the second straight week he was held to single-digit yards. Because his playing time has remained unchanged, it is too early to drop him. It also makes it very difficult to consider starting him going forward.
Waiver Wire Target: WR Keelan Cole, Jacksonville Jaguars
Cole has been one of the top two wide receivers for the Jaguars in terms of snaps all season, and it has led to pretty consistent play. He’s had at least five targets in every game and a touchdown in three of the first five games. While he didn’t catch a touchdown today, he did catch six of nine passes for an impressive 143 yards. Part of his production had to do with game script, but it’s a script that Jacksonville will see most of the season. He might not be the highest upside wide receiver on the waiver wire, but his floor each week is higher than most wide receivers available with some upside.
Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings
| Atlanta Falcons | Minnesota Vikings |
| WR | WR |
| Julio Jones – 64 snaps | Adam Thielen – 52 snaps |
| Calvin Ridley – 59 snaps | Justin Jefferson – 50 snaps |
| Russell Gage – 51 snaps | Chad Beebe – 22 snaps |
| Christian Blake – 15 snaps | Olabisi Johnson – 11 snaps |
| Olamide Zaccheaus – 14 snaps | |
| Brandon Powell – 3 snaps | |
| TE | TE |
| Hayden Hurst – 68 snaps | Irv Smith Jr. – 44 snaps |
| Luke Stocker – 31 snaps | Kyle Rudolph – 38 snaps |
| Jaeden Graham – 1 snap | Tyler Conklin – 7 snaps |
| HB | HB |
| Todd Gurley II – 46 snaps | Alexander Mattison – 27 snaps |
| Brian Hill – 21 snaps | Ameer Abdullah – 16 snaps |
| Ito Smith – 11 snaps | Mike Boone – 5 snaps |
| Total – 80 snaps | Total – 56 snaps |
Winner: WR Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Two wide receivers in this game had double digit targets, over 100 yards and two touchdowns each. Julio Jones scored the first touchdown of the game and caught eight passes for 137 yards. Jefferson caught the last touchdown of the game and had one more catch for 29 more yards than Jones. While Jones helped his team win, this is fantasy football, where garbage time points count all the same. Jefferson put up the bigger numbers for the win. Fantasy owners for both players should be very happy with these performances, and there is every reason to believe they will continue to play well going forward.
Loser: RB Alexander Mattison, Minnesota Vikings
Mattison had top-10 fantasy potential coming into the game with Dalvin Cook out with injury. He had three problems, which led to very minimal fantasy production. One is he didn’t make the most out of his opportunities. He had one 16-yard run and then 14 yards on his other 10 touches. Second is that the team viewed Ameer Abdullah as their clear passing-situation back. He received nearly all of the third-down snaps and played late in the game when Minnesota was passing to catch up. Finally, the game script was such that the Vikings stopped running early because of how quickly they fell behind. If Cook were to miss more time, I would expect Mattison to play better, but future Vikings games could easily have similar game scripts which would limit Mattison’s opportunities.
Injury: WR Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons
Ridley missed a little bit of time in the third quarter due to cramps. He quickly returned to the game. He caught six of seven passes thrown his way for 61 yards and a touchdown. While it wasn’t his best game and he was overshadowed by Jones, it was still a decent game out of Ridley. I wouldn’t expect this to be a problem in the future.
Washington Football Team at New York Giants
| Washington Football Team | New York Giants |
| WR | WR |
| Terry McLaurin – 70 snaps | Darius Slayton – 40 snaps |
| Dontrelle Inman – 66 snaps | Austin Mack – 36 snaps |
| Isaiah Wright – 57 snaps | Golden Tate – 30 snaps |
| Antonio Gandy-Golden – 7 snaps | C.J. Board – 10 snaps |
| Cam Sims – 7 snaps | |
| TE | TE |
| Logan Thomas – 63 snaps | Evan Engram – 39 snaps |
| Jeremy Sprinkle – 11 snaps | Kaden Smith – 23 snaps |
| Temarrick Hemingway – 10 snaps | Levine Toilolo – 9 snaps |
| HB | HB |
| J.D. McKissic – 39 snaps | Devonta Freeman -35 snaps |
| Antonio Gibson – 27 snaps | Dion Lewis – 9 snaps |
| Peyton Barber – 8 snaps | Wayne Gallman – 4 snaps |
| Total – 73 snaps | Total – 48 snaps |
Winner: TE Logan Thomas, Washington Football Team
In a low-scoring game with only three offensive touchdowns, Thomas gets the winner spot by having more receptions and yards than Darius Slayton and Cam Sims who scored the other touchdowns. Thomas caught three of four passes thrown his way for 42 yards. Thomas remains the clear cut tight end for Washington in passing situations and is a borderline TE1 in the right matchups.
Loser: RB Antonio Gibson, Washington Football Team
For most of the game, Gibson and J.D. McKissic played basically the same amount. Late in the game, McKissic was in for the hurry-up offense. Gibson has one more carry than McKissic but 11 fewer rushing yards. McKissic also put up more numbers in the pass game. What made matters worse is that Peyton Barber saw his most playing time since Week 1, cutting into the playing time of both Gibson and McKissic. Ideally for Gibson, this would move closer to a one-person backfield, and instead it moved closer to a three-person backfield.
Injury: WR C.J. Board, New York Giants
Board took a scary hit and left the field on a cart. In recent weeks, he’s been the Giants’ third wide receiver with Sterling Shepard out with injury. He caught one of three passes thrown his way for eight yards before the injury. Replacing him in three-receiver sets was Austin Mack. The undrafted rookie from Ohio State was activated off the practice squad earlier in the week and saw his first NFL action in this game. He caught the only pass his way for 1 yard. This led to Mack playing more than Golden Tate, as the Giants appear to be limiting Tate’s playing time regardless of who is healthy. Despite the high playing time, I wouldn’t rush to pick up Mack, as Shepard should be back soon and then Mack will be fourth at best on the depth chart.
Injury: WR Antonio Gandy-Golden, Washington Football Team
Gandy-Golden left the game early in the first quarter with a hamstring injury. He has typically had the fourth-most snaps among the Washington wide receivers, but his playing time had been trending upward. In the first drive today, he saw the third-most snaps over Dontrelle Inman. With Gandy-Golden out, Washington rotated at wide receiver less than usual, resulting primarily in Inman receiving more playing time.
Baltimore Ravens at Philadelphia Eagles
| Baltimore Ravens | Philadelphia Eagles |
| WR | WR |
| Marquise Brown – 62 snaps | Greg Ward – 58 snaps |
| Willie Snead IV – 49 snaps | Travis Fulgham – 58 snaps |
| Miles Boykin – 33 snaps | John Hightower – 43 snaps |
| Devin Duvernay – 26 snaps | Quez Watkins – 15 snaps |
| J.J. Arcega-Whiteside – 12 snaps | |
| TE | TE |
| Nick Boyle – 56 snaps | Zach Ertz – 48 snaps |
| Mark Andrews – 37 snaps | Richard Rodgers – 43 snaps |
| Jason Croom – 1 snap | |
| HB | HB |
| Gus Edwards – 32 snaps | Boston Scott – 35 snaps |
| J.K. Dobbins – 30 snaps | Miles Sanders – 29 snaps |
| Mark Ingram II – 9 snaps | Corey Clement – 7 snaps |
| Total – 73 snaps | Total – 72 snaps |
Winner: WR Travis Fulgham, Philadelphia Eagles
Fulgham was one of the most popular waiver wire targets this past week. Those who inserted him into their lineups this week were happy. While the Eagles passing game in general struggled, Fulgham led the team in targets (10), receptions (6) and yards (75). He also scored one of the two Eagles receiving touchdowns. Things for Fulgham will start to get interesting next week as some of the Eagles receivers are expected to return.
Injury: RB Mark Ingram II, Baltimore Ravens
Ingram left the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury. Before leaving he ran five times for 20 yards. In the second half, Gus Edwards played in over 70% of the first- and second-down snaps, while J.K. Dobbins played in over 80% of the third-down snaps. If Ingram misses time, Edwards would be the player to pick up as he would see the majority of the carries. He ran 14 times for an unimpressive 26 yards but at least had a touchdown. Chances are he would end up with the most yards among the two in a typical game where the Ravens have a lead.
Injury: RB Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles
Sanders left the game in the third quarter with a knee injury and didn’t return. Prior to leaving, he managed 118 rushing yards in large part thanks to a 74-yard carry. In the first half, Sanders was playing an impressive 26 of a possible 29 snaps. In the second half after Sanders left, Boston Scott played 33 snaps to seven by Corey Clement. It didn’t lead to many touches for either player as the Eagles were passing to catch up. If Sanders were to miss any time, Scott would be the player to own. He would get a lot more touches with Sanders out.
Injury: TE Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles
Ertz left in the fourth quarter with a foot injury. He had 10 targets before leaving, which tied Fulgham for the team lead, but managed only four catches for 33 yards. Ertz’s lack of production despite seeing plenty of targets remains one of the most surprising twists of the fantasy season. Richard Rodgers took over as the main tight end once Ertz left. Rodgers was already playing in all of the Eagles’ two-tight-end sets. He caught the three passes thrown his way for 31 yards. If Ertz misses time, Rodgers would be worth picking up in leagues that either start multiple tight ends or increase the scoring for tight ends. In most standard leagues, there are probably better free agent options.
Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers
| Cleveland Browns | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| WR | WR |
| Odell Beckham Jr. – 48 snaps | Chase Claypool – 51 snaps |
| Jarvis Landry – 44 snaps | James Washington – 43 snaps |
| Rashard Higgins – 34 snaps | JuJu Smith-Schuster – 42 snaps |
| Taywan Taylor – 10 snaps | Ray-Ray McCloud III – 13 snaps |
| Donovan Peoples-Jones – 3 snaps | Deon Cain – 4 snaps |
| TE | TE |
| Austin Hooper – 40 snaps | Eric Ebron – 46 snaps |
| David Njoku – 23 snaps | Vance McDonald – 40 snaps |
| Harrison Bryant – 21 snaps | |
| Stephen Carlson – 1 snap | |
| HB | HB |
| Kareem Hunt – 30 snaps | James Conner – 43 snaps |
| D’Ernest Johnson – 17 snaps | Benny Snell Jr. – 14 snaps |
| Dontrell Hilliard – 7 snaps | Anthony McFarland Jr. – 10 snaps |
| Jaylen Samuels – 5 snaps | |
| Total – 57 snaps | Total – 65 snaps |
Winner: WR Chase Claypool, Pittsburgh Steelers
Claypool didn’t go berserk like last week but still ended up with four catches for 74 yards as well as a rushing touchdown. What was most interesting about Claypool’s performance is that the Steelers used 22 personnel more than usual this week. They’ve used some form of 22 personnel 24 times this season, including eight today. Claypool had been the sole wide receiver in all 24 of those snaps. That’s why he had a big lead in snaps compared to the other wide receivers. Outside of those snaps, James Washington and JuJu Smith-Schuster were on the field just as much as Claypool, and Washington received more targets. Once Diontae Johnson is healthy, Claypool could go from first to fourth in terms of wide receiver snaps.
Loser: WR Odell Beckham Jr., Cleveland Browns
Beckham should have seen several targets with the Browns trailing all day but ended up being thrown at just four times — his fewest targets in a game this season. He only managed two catches for 25 yards. In future weeks his target share should rebound.
Injury Replacement: RB Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns
This was the second game where the Browns were without Nick Chubb. For most of the game, the running back usage was similar to last week, with Hunt seeing just over two-thirds of the snaps. His production wasn’t nearly as good as previous weeks. He had 13 carries for 40 yards and two catches for 17 yards. D’Ernest Johnson received the rest of the snaps and was even less impressive with one total yard. In the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach, Dontrell Hilliard started seeing playing time after not playing in the first three quarters. His numbers looked the best on a per-play basis, but it all came in garbage time.
Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans
| Houston Texans | Tennessee Titans |
| WR | WR |
| Will Fuller V – 66 snaps | A.J. Brown – 63 snaps |
| Brandin Cooks – 62 snaps | Adam Humphries – 41 snaps |
| Randall Cobb – 44 snaps | Nick Westbrook – 27 snaps |
| Kenny Stills – 15 snaps | Kalif Raymond – 21 snaps |
| Cameron Batson – 20 snaps | |
| TE | TE |
| Darren Fells – 62 snaps | Geoff Swaim – 49 snaps |
| Pharaoh Brown – 29 snaps | Anthony Firkser – 41 snaps |
| Jonnu Smith – 29 snaps | |
| HB | HB |
| David Johnson – 55 snaps | Derrick Henry – 45 snaps |
| Duke Johnson Jr. – 19 snaps | Jeremy McNichols – 29 snaps |
| Total – 71 snaps | Total – 75 snaps |
Winner: RB Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
In this game, everyone was a winner for fantasy purposes. Both quarterbacks threw for four touchdowns. All five starting skill players for the Texans scored a touchdown, while the stars for the Titans scored two touchdowns each. Henry was the big winner of this game and probably for the entire week. He ran for 212 yards on 22 carries and had 52 receiving yards on two catches. Typically these kinds of games come from Henry in December, but this year it looks like Henry is starting early.
Injury: TE Jonnu Smith, Tennessee Titans
Smith left the game in the third quarter with a left ankle injury. Prior to the injury, Smith only had one catch for 13 yards. Over the second half, Anthony Firkser and Geoff Swaim split the playing time, with Firkser playing in clear pass situations and Swaim on clear run plays. Firkser ended up with a career game, catching eight of nine passes thrown his way for 113 yards and a touchdown. If Smith were to miss time, then Firkser would be one of the biggest waiver wire targets for the week.
Injury Replacement: TE Darren Fells, Houston Texans
The Texans’ usual receiving tight end Jordan Akins has missed time with injury, leading to Fells taking over. He usually is their tight end in run situations, but Akins missing time turns him into an every-down player. Fells had six catches for 85 yards and a touchdown today. Despite putting up big numbers for a tight end, I wouldn’t target Fells off the waiver wire. Once Akins is back, he should return as the primary receiving tight end.
Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers
| Chicago Bears | Carolina Panthers |
| WR | WR |
| Allen Robinson II – 58 snaps | D.J. Moore – 64 snaps |
| Anthony Miller – 44 snaps | Robby Anderson – 59 snaps |
| Darnell Mooney – 44 snaps | Keith Kirkwood – 35 snaps |
| Javon Wims – 13 snaps | Seth Roberts – 15 snaps |
| Ted Ginn Jr. – 3 snaps | Pharoh Cooper – 4 snaps |
| TE | TE |
| Jimmy Graham – 45 snaps | Ian Thomas – 47 snaps |
| Demetrius Harris – 24 snaps | Chris Manhertz – 33 snaps |
| Cole Kmet – 23 snaps | Colin Thompson – 9 snaps |
| J.P. Holtz – 7 snaps | |
| HB | HB |
| David Montgomery – 56 snaps | Mike Davis – 60 snaps |
| Cordarrelle Patterson – 12 snaps | Trenton Cannon – 8 snaps |
| Total – 66 snaps | Total – 68 snaps |
Winner: WR D.J. Moore, Carolina Panthers
Moore has had an interesting season to this point. Early on, he was seeing plenty of targets but they weren’t leading to touchdowns. In recent weeks, he hasn’t seen as many targets but had 93 yards and a touchdown last week. This week, he had 10 targets which was double any other Panther. He only caught five of them, but it led to a second straight 93-yard performance. The only reason he didn’t have a much bigger day was dropped passes. If Moore can put it all together, his best performances should be coming up soon.
Loser: RB Cordarrelle Patterson, Chicago Bears
Last week it seemed like the Bears would try to get Patterson more involved in the offense in the first half. The Bears fell behind and then used David Montgomery the rest of the game. This week, the Bears got a lead right away and maintained it for the rest of the game. Montgomery averaged just over 3 yards per carry, but the Bears stuck with him the whole game without giving Patterson much of a chance. Patterson had one carry for 1 yard and one catch for 8 yards. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Bears have someone cut into Montgomery’s playing time at some point, but it probably won’t be Patterson.
Injury Replacement: WR Keith Kirkwood, Carolina Panthers
Curtis Samuel was one of the biggest names at wide receiver inactive for the week. It was primarily Kirkwood who took over for Samuel in the slot. It only led to a one catch for 13 yards. With how well Moore and Robby Anderson have been playing this season and how much the running back is featured, it’s unlikely there will be another fantasy-relevant receiver from this team this season.
Denver Broncos at New England Patriots
| Denver Broncos | New England Patriots |
| WR | WR |
| Tim Patrick – 59 snaps | Damiere Byrd – 55 snaps |
| Jerry Jeudy – 47 snaps | N'Keal Harry – 51 snaps |
| DaeSean Hamilton – 37 snaps | Julian Edelman – 43 snaps |
| Diontae Spencer – 5 snaps | Isaiah Zuber – 5 snaps |
| Tyrie Cleveland – 4 snaps | |
| TE | TE |
| Jake Butt – 39 snaps | Ryan Izzo – 35 snaps |
| Nick Vannett – 29 snaps | Devin Asiasi – 24 snaps |
| Albert Okwuegbunam – 24 snaps | |
| HB | HB |
| Phillip Lindsay – 40 snaps | James White – 31 snaps |
| Royce Freeman – 25 snaps | Rex Burkhead – 18 snaps |
| Damien Harris – 12 snaps | |
| Total – 64 snaps | Total – 57 snaps |
Winner: K Brandon McManus, Denver Broncos
When the winning team has no touchdowns and the kicker makes six field goals, the kicker is the winner. Kickers are people, too.
Waiver Wire Target: WR Tim Patrick, Denver Broncos
Patrick has been the Broncos’ top receiver in snaps and targets and today had his second straight 100-yard game. He caught four of eight targets for 101 yards. While it would have been nice to get a touchdown, he did score touchdowns in each of his previous two games. There are very few top wide receivers available on waivers, but Patrick is still available in plenty of leagues. Against the right matchups, he should be starting.
Loser: RB Damien Harris, New England Patriots
This is a game the Patriots were expected to win and Harris was expected to see a lot more snaps, especially late in the game. It’s bad enough in a two-man backfield when the game script doesn’t go your way — even worse where there are three RBs in play. Harris played only 12 snaps, running six times for 19 yards. His best play was his only target where he had a 14-yard catch. This backfield should pretty much always be avoided, and this is a clear example of why.
Injury Replacement: RB Phillip Lindsay, Denver Broncos
With Melvin Gordon III missing this game, Lindsay was pushed to the top running back spot on the depth chart. Similar to last year, Lindsay saw the majority of snaps and was the primary rusher while Royce Freeman was the primary back on clear passing plays. The Broncos trusted Lindsay with 23 carries, leading to a 101-yard performance although no touchdowns. This trend would likely continue if Gordon misses any more games. Once Gordon returns, it wouldn’t be surprising if Lindsay plays more than he had been.
New York Jets at Miami Dolphins
| New York Jets | Miami Dolphins |
| WR | WR |
| Breshad Perriman – 63 snaps | DeVante Parker – 46 snaps |
| Jamison Crowder – 63 snaps | Preston Williams – 40 snaps |
| Jeff Smith – 60 snaps | Jakeem Grant – 20 snaps |
| Braxton Berrios – 16 snaps | Isaiah Ford – 18 snaps |
| Vyncint Smith – 4 snaps | Lynn Bowden Jr. – 5 snaps |
| Mack Hollins – 3 snaps | |
| TE | TE |
| Chris Herndon – 45 snaps | Mike Gesicki – 37 snaps |
| Ryan Griffin – 26 snaps | Durham Smythe – 19 snaps |
| Trevon Wesco – 7 snaps | Adam Shaheen – 16 snaps |
| HB | HB |
| La'Mical Perine – 41 snaps | Myles Gaskin – 39 snaps |
| Frank Gore – 25 snaps | Matt Breida – 16 snaps |
| Ty Johnson – 4 snaps | Patrick Laird – 6 snaps |
| Total – 71 snaps | Total – 56 snaps |
Winner: WR Breshad Perriman, New York Jets
Perriman was the Jets top receiver in snaps back in Week 1 but had a disappointing three catches for 17 yards. In Week 2, he caught another two passes for 12 yards before missing the rest of the game and the following weeks due to injury. Perriman returned to the lineup this week and had his best game of the season. He went back to leading the Jets in snaps, while also leading the team in receiving yards at 62. With how few weapons this offense has, Perriman should have plenty of opportunities to get targets going forward.
Waiver Wire Target: RB La’Mical Perine, New York Jets
This was the first game of the season the Jets were without both Le’Veon Bell and Kalen Ballage.The Jets used Frank Gore primarily on first and second downs with Perine also seeing significant work on early downs. Perine also played in nearly all of the third downs. With the Jets expected to be trailing often going forward, Perine will be in position to see the majority of snaps. It can be expected that Perine will slowly take more of the early-down work from Gore as well. The Jets have one of the most favorable schedules for backs going forward, so Perine should have some opportunities for good games.
Injury: WR DeVante Parker, Miami Dolphins
Parker left the fourth quarter with a groin injury. Before leaving, he had more than double the targets of anyone else on the team, but it only led to three catches for 35 yards. If Parker were to miss any time, it would push Preston Williams back into the role of the top wide receiver on the team. Today Williams caught two passes for 18 yards and a touchdown.
Green Bay Packers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| Green Bay Packers | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| WR | WR |
| Marquez Valdes-Scantling – 53 snaps | Mike Evans – 50 snaps |
| Davante Adams – 52 snaps | Chris Godwin – 40 snaps |
| Malik Taylor – 32 snaps | Scotty Miller – 23 snaps |
| Equanimeous St. Brown – 11 snaps | Tyler Johnson – 16 snaps |
| Darrius Shepherd – 6 snaps | Justin Watson – 12 snaps |
| Cyril Grayson – 12 snaps | |
| Jaydon Mickens – 3 snaps | |
| TE | TE |
| Robert Tonyan – 37 snaps | Rob Gronkowski – 54 snaps |
| Marcedes Lewis – 21 snaps | Cameron Brate – 23 snaps |
| Jace Sternberger – 20 snaps | Tanner Hudson – 8 snaps |
| John Lovett – 5 snaps | |
| HB | HB |
| Aaron Jones – 36 snaps | Ronald Jones – 36 snaps |
| Jamaal Williams – 32 snaps | LeSean McCoy – 19 snaps |
| A.J. Dillon – 10 snaps | Ke'Shawn Vaughn – 10 snaps |
| Total – 63 snaps | Total – 64 snaps |
Winner: RB Ronald Jones, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Leonard Fournette was questionable coming into the game but ended up being inactive. This gave Jones another opportunity to see the vast majority of carries. He took advantage of the situation with 113 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. As usual, he was limited in the pass game, catching just two passes for eight yards. With how well Jones has been playing as a runner, it wouldn’t be surprising if Fournette has just a small role when he’s back.
Loser: QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
Most of the Packers offense was a disappointment, but no one had worse numbers than Rodgers. He completed less than half of his passes for 10 yards per completion and two interceptions. Aaron Jones also put up pretty poor numbers, but at least had a touchdown to save his fantasy performance. The Packers offense in general should bounce back, but it will be harder to trust their stars against great defenses.
Sell High: TE Rob Gronkowski, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Gronkowski ended up leading the team in targets, catching five passes for 78 yards and a touchdown. This is encouraging, but with how many other weapons the Buccaneers have getting healthy, it’s unlikely Gronkowski will have several more chances to lead Tampa Bay in targets. Teammate Mike Evans was largely shut down, but he was often against the highest-graded cornerback in the NFL. Chris Godwin returned from injury and also had five catches — he should have more once he gets more work in with Brady.
Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers
| Los Angeles Rams | San Francisco 49ers |
| WR | WR |
| Robert Woods – 58 snaps | Brandon Aiyuk – 62 snaps |
| Cooper Kupp – 56 snaps | Deebo Samuel – 60 snaps |
| Josh Reynolds – 51 snaps | Kendrick Bourne – 41 snaps |
| Van Jefferson – 3 snaps | Richie James Jr. – 7 snaps |
| Trent Taylor – 6 snaps | |
| TE | TE |
| Tyler Higbee – 45 snaps | George Kittle – 73 snaps |
| Gerald Everett – 31 snaps | Ross Dwelley – 21 snaps |
| HB | HB |
| Darrell Henderson – 32 snaps | Raheem Mostert – 35 snaps |
| Malcolm Brown – 28 snaps | Jerick McKinnon – 23 snaps |
| Cam Akers – 1 snap | JaMycal Hasty – 15 snaps |
| Total – 61 snaps | Total – 73 snaps |
Winner: QB Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers
Tonight the 49ers took advantage of several short passes and relied on the receivers to do the work. This style of play may not be pretty, and it may not be overly impressive, but it can still lead to significant fantasy production. Garoppolo threw for 268 yards and three touchdowns tonight; six different players saw multiple catches, and each of his top three receivers all scored the touchdowns. It was the 49ers' passing offense in general that helped the 49ers win, with each receiver doing his part.
Loser: RB Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams
Akers returned from injury last week but only played in 13 snaps, though he still tallied more rushing yards on his best carry than either Darrell Henderson or Malcolm Brown did over the entire game. This led to coach McVay saying they would get Akers more involved in the offense.
That wasn't the case this week. Instead, Akers played just one snap tonight where he didn’t touch the ball. This was great news for Henderson, as he typically had been playing just over half of the first- and second-down snaps even when it was a two-man backfield. Tonight it was over 70% prior to the final five minutes when they were passing to catch up.
This backfield will continue to evolve, but for the time being, Henderson can be trusted to start while the other two can’t.
Injury: RB Raheem Mostert, San Francisco 49ers
Mostert had an early inside track to being the fantasy winner of the game. He touched the ball on over half of his snaps, leading to 65 rushing yards and 11 receiving yards. However, Mostert suffered an ankle injury to start the third quarter and was quickly ruled out.
Jerick McKinnon continued his third-down role while seeing a third of the early-down work. Undrafted rookie JaMycal Hasty didn’t start playing until the fourth quarter, but he ended up with two-thirds of the early snaps in the second half. If Mostert were to miss time, McKinnon would be hard to start with how much Hasty ended up playing. It would also depend on the health of Tevin Coleman, who would take the early-down snaps instead of McKinnon and Hasty in Mostert's absence.
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