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Fantasy Football Utilization Report: Latest player trends for 2022 NFL wild-card DFS and player props bets

Volume is king in fantasy football, and this report will help you understand which players are due more or less according to their roles. It is a great way to know who is overperforming and underperforming based on historical data tied to metrics we know drive volume.

  • Overall offense: Which teams are enabling winning volume and efficiency across game scripts
  • Quarterbacks: How involved is each quarterback in the running game and who is unlocking upside for their weapons
  • Running backs: Which backs are handling early downs, short-yardage and passing downs
  • Tight ends: Who is running enough routes and meeting critical targets per route thresholds
  • Receivers: Which receivers are in the most routes and operating broadly within the offense
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Data notes and acronyms:

  • 1st/2nd = first and second downs
  • LDD = long down and distance (third and fourth down with three or more yards to go)
  • SDD = short down and distance (second, third and fourth down with two or fewer yards to go)
  • i5 = inside the five-yard line
    2MIN = two-minute offense (hurry-up offense)
  • Close = score within three points
  • Lead = leading by four points or more
  • Trail = trailing by four points or more
  • Plays = penalties included for utilization splits and rates
  • Pass Play = all dropbacks (i.e., attempts, sacks and scrambles)
  • ADOT = average depth of target
  • Air Yards = ADOT multiplied by targets
  • TTT = average time to throw
  • PA = play action
  • PA Targets = percentage of player's targets that came using play action
  • Fantasy finishes = through Sunday night game
  • YPRR = yards per route run
  • TPRR = targets per route run
  • EZ = end zone
  • TOP = time of possession
  • Pass vs. Run Splits = based on the percentage of time a team throws or passes

For a complete breakdown across each position group for every NFL playoff team:

JUMP TO A TEAM:

ARZ | BUF | CIN | DAL | GB | KC | LVR | LAR | NE | PHI | PIT | SF | TB | TEN

ARIZONA CARDINALS

Team Ranks
Pace & TOP Pass vs Run Splits Pass by Game Script Run by Game Script
Time Frame Plays per Game Plays per Minute Time of Possession Pass Rank Run Rank Trail Pass Close Pass Lead Pass Trail Run Close Run Lead Run
Season 8 15 6 24 9 12 13 19 21 20 14
Since Week 12 6 3 15 2 31 4 5 17 29 28 16
  • Pass-volume environment: Average
  • Run-volume environment: Good
  • Pass/run tendencies: Pass-balanced

The Cardinals have shifted toward the passing attack over the last six games.

Dropback rates vs. the NFL average:

Situation Season Since Week 12
Trailing by four or more points +1% +8%
Within three points +2% +5%
Leading by four or more points +0% +0%
Neutral first downs -6%
Inside the five-yard line -10%

The Cardinals are the No. 12 team in PFF's NFL Power Rankings.

Quarterbacks
Player Week ADOT Adjusted Comp % TTT YPA Play Action Designed Rush Att Scrambles Sacks i5 Att PPR Rank
Kyler Murray 16 7.5 72% 2.48 5.9 16% 14% 2% 0% 0% 6
17 9.1 79% 2.64 6.9 29% 23% 5% 2% 0% 5
18 6.7 78% 3.01 6.2 21% 4% 8% 10% 0% 15
YTD 8.3 78% 2.78 7.9 30% 12% 6% 6% 19% 11

Since returning from injury, Murray has QB1, QB13, QB17, QB6, QB5 and QB15 finishes.

Playoff outlook: Murray and the Cardinals will have to win on the road in the playoffs. As a result, he could be less rostered than higher-seeded options with home games in the first week. However, his involvement in the run game provides immense upside that only Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts can match.

Murray enters the playoffs with the third-best PFF passing grade (88.1).

Running backs
Player Week Snaps Rush Att Routes Targets TPRR SDD Snaps i5 Att LDD Snaps 2MIN Snaps PPR Rank
Chase Edmonds 16 92% 76% 73% 23% 28% 100% 100% 91% 95% 6
17 79% 60% 64% 15% 19% 50% 100% 88% 100% 26
18
YTD 40% 25% 37% 9% 20% 24% 19% 50% 58% 33
James Conner 16
17
18 60% 60% 55% 16% 23% 67% 100% 57% 22% 1
YTD 51% 43% 35% 7% 17% 63% 59% 39% 30% 5
Eno Benjamin 16
17 12% 7% 4% 0% 0% 0% 0% 6% 0% 77
18 33% 28% 30% 11% 27% 22% 0% 36% 78% 28
YTD 8% 7% 6% 1% 17% 8% 0% 7% 11% 99

With Edmonds out (ribs) in Week 18, Conner reclaimed the lead role and posted his third top-three finish — all of which have come without Edmonds in the lineup. Eno Benjamin took over some of the passing-down work.

Playoff outlook: Conner and Edmonds both carry RB1 upside in any game the other misses. When both are healthy, expect Conner to lead the way on early downs with Edmonds handling the passing-down work.

First eight games of the season with Conner and Edmonds healthy:

Player Week Snaps Rush Att Routes Targets TPRR SDD Snaps i5 Att LDD Snaps 2MIN Snaps PPR Rank
James Conner 1 49% 50% 24% 0% 0% 100% 0% 25% 0% 48
2 39% 42% 21% 0% 0% 50% 0% 0% 0% 60
3 38% 41% 18% 3% 14% 80% 40% 0% 0% 14
4 42% 49% 24% 7% 20% 33% 75% 8% 33% 9
5 48% 38% 31% 4% 9% 100% 100% 25% 40% 33
6 55% 42% 35% 4% 8% 80% 0% 17% 0% 35
7 30% 28% 17% 0% 0% 40% 0% 25% 0% 23
8 37% 26% 30% 0% 0% 33% 100% 11% 0% 20
Chase Edmonds 1 58% 34% 68% 14% 16% 0% 0% 75% 100% 18
2 64% 42% 62% 15% 19% 50% 0% 100% 100% 19
3 65% 41% 69% 24% 32% 20% 20% 100% 100% 25
4 67% 32% 71% 17% 18% 67% 0% 92% 73% 13
5 61% 23% 49% 14% 24% 50% 0% 88% 60% 45
6 37% 11% 38% 15% 33% 20% 0% 67% 0% 36
7 69% 42% 77% 8% 8% 60% 100% 63% 88% 27
8 59% 37% 58% 13% 19% 67% 0% 89% 100% 19
Receivers and tight ends
Player Pos Week Routes TPRR Targets ADOT Air Yards EZ Tgts 3rd/4th Down Targets PA Targets PPR Rank
DeAndre Hopkins WR 16
17
18
YTD 48% 18% 11% 13.1 18% 25% 13% 36% 45
Christian Kirk WR 16 93% 23% 25% 9.0 31% 0% 100% 10% 32
17 91% 21% 24% 13.0 32% 0% 0% 38% 27
18 94% 7% 8% 19.3 23% 33% 0% 0% 68
YTD 82% 19% 19% 11.7 28% 20% 15% 28% 26
A.J. Green WR 16 86% 8% 8% 16.7 17% 0% 0% 33% 80
17 87% 14% 15% 19.4 30% 0% 0% 60% 41
18 94% 20% 24% 9.6 35% 33% 0% 0% 67
YTD 80% 17% 16% 12.8 27% 25% 19% 29% 41
Antoine Wesley WR 16 80% 12% 10% 14.5 20% 67% 0% 0% 40
17 49% 23% 15% 11.8 18% 67% 63% 20% 15
18 74% 9% 8% 6.7 8% 0% 0% 0% 85
YTD 37% 12% 5% 10.6 7% 11% 7% 27% 113
Rondale Moore WR 16
17
18
YTD 39% 24% 12% 1.2 2% 2% 10% 28% 64
Greg Dortch WR 16
17 32% 8% 3% -4.0 -1% 0% 0% 0% 77
18 15% 25% 5% -6.0 -5% 0% 0% 50% 96
YTD 3% 15% 1% -5.3 0% 0% 0% 33% 189
Zach Ertz TE 16 98% 31% 33% 6.6 30% 33% 0% 8% 5
17 89% 24% 26% 5.6 16% 33% 0% 22% 10
18 94% 20% 24% 13.0 47% 33% 0% 33% 7
YTD 56% 21% 14% 7.6 14% 14% 21% 28% 5

Playoff outlook: Hopkins (MCL) is eligible to return from IR this week, but we don't know if or when he will be activated. Even if he does return, his 18% TPRR indicates a diversified aerial attack, making him an avoid in playoff contests.

Kirk and Green have been boom-bust options in four games without Hopkins and should continue forward in similar roles. However, their path to value becomes even cloudier if Hopkins returns.

Ertz is the No. 1 receiving option on the team (21% TPRR) and has ranked among the top 12 tight ends in six consecutive games. In addition, he has topped the 80% route threshold in five straight.

Target distribution and TPRR vs. man and zone coverage:

Name POS Rts Man Tgt% Zone Tgt% Man TPRR Zone TPRR
Christian Kirk WR 542 19% 17% 18% 19%
A.J. Green WR 524 17% 15% 17% 17%
Zach Ertz TE 521 27% 16% 24% 19%
DeAndre Hopkins WR 317 13% 10% 27% 17%
Rondale Moore WR 262 6% 12% 19% 24%
Antoine Wesley WR 250 6% 5% 12% 12%
Chase Edmonds HB 247 8% 9% 19% 20%
James Conner HB 236 3% 8% 12% 17%
Maxx Williams TE 94 0% 4% 0% 22%
Demetrius Harris TE 72 2% 0% 13% 4%

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