Welcome to the Utilization Report, where Dwain McFarland highlights his top fantasy football takeaways as we gear up for Week 18 and NFL playoff action. Whether your league championship is still on the line or you want to jump into some playoff contests, we have you covered!

The Top Fantasy Football Takeaways for Week 18

Let's follow the data to identify the biggest upgrades and downgrades based on what we learned in Week 17.

Note: as you read through the Utilization Report, you'll notice the Utilization Score being used as a pillar of analysis. For more information on how to use the score and why it's more predictive than fantasy points per game, read here.

Upgrades, Downgrades and Emerging Trends

1. Olamide Zaccheaus emerges as the WR2 in Washington.

Since the season-ending injury to Noah Brown (kidney) in Week 13, Zaccheaus has stepped into a more prominent role for the Commanders. He reached a season-high 81% route participation in Week 17 against the Falcons with playoff seeding on the line and notched an 8.9 Utilization Score with 23.3 fantasy points.

Over the last two weeks, Zaccheaus has notched the highest Utilization Score (8.2) of any Commanders. With opponents looking to limit Terry McLaurin, Zaccheaus has garnered a team-leading 25% target share and 29% endzone target share. Over that stretch, he has averaged a whopping 23.7 fantasy points.

 

McLaurin remains the clear-cut WR1 in Washington, but Zaccheaus could continue to make noise in the NFL Playoffs, with teams likely to continue focusing on McLaurin.

We only have a two-week sample, but the comps for Zaccheaus in his new role are impressive.

  • Average fantasy points: 15.1
  • WR1 to WR12: 20%
  • WR13 to WR24: 39%
  • WR24 to WR36: 27%
  • WR37 to WR48: 15%

Zaccheaus UPGRADES to WR3 status but has a legit shot at WR2 production, making him an interesting option in playoff contests like the Chopionship and Guilloteenie.

2. Has the light turned on for Xavier Worthy?

With Malik Nabers (WR11), Brian Thomas (WR16), and Ladd McConkey (WR24) putting up strong performances in their rookie seasons, Worthy (WR44) fell out of the limelight after a slow start. However, the Round 1 NFL Draft pick is coming on just in time for the NFL Playoffs—over the last three weeks, he leads the Chiefs wide receiver room with a 27% target share and an impressive 8.3 Utilization Score.

 

The Chiefs move Worthy all over the formation and emphasize getting the ball into his hands around the line of scrimmage, with 32% of Worthy's targets coming on screens. Whether Worthy can achieve long-term success without being propped up by scheme targets remains to be seen, but Kansas City has pushed Worthy into the Rashee Rice role, which could be highly profitable in playoff contests.

Hollywood Brown has yet to find a full-time role, but he leads the team with 44% targets per route run (TPRR). If Brown finds more playing time, he could make things more volatile for Worthy. However, there is also a chance the Chiefs' offense finally clicks with three legit passing game weapons, offsetting the target competition. Patrick Mahomes had his best passing performance of the season in Week 17, with 320 yards and three TDs against the Steelers.

Worthy UPGRADES to low-end WR2 status and offers WR1 upside.

3. J.K. Dobbins led the Chargers backfield in his return.

Dobbins (MCL) returned from a four-week absence to lead the Chargers backfield with a 53% snap share in Week 17. The fifth-year back posted a 6.6 Utilization Score, delivering 15.3 fantasy points on a 58% rush share.

 

Gus Edwards (ankle) was inactive, which makes deciphering the usage harder, but this was a positive step for Dobbins. Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal took the two-minute offense snaps–a role Dobbins mostly owned (68%) before his injury in Week 12.

While Dobbins might not return to the near-every-down role he enjoyed early in the season, he could regain passing-down work as he reacclimates to the offense. The Chargers have secured a playoff seed, so we might not see a more significant role in Week 18. However, he is their preferred RB1, which could lead to an expanded workload in the postseason.

Dobbins UPGRADES to low-end RB2 territory.

4. Khalil Herbert could handle a hefty workload in Week 18.

Chase Brown suffered a high-ankle sprain against the Broncos, putting his Week 18 status against the Steelers on Saturday night in doubt. Cincinnati needs help, but its playoff hopes are still alive (17%), per NFL.com.

After Brown departed from the lineup, Herbert handled 100% of the snaps over the final four drives of the game. Trayveon Williams could step into some of the passing-down work, but Herbert would be in line for a near-every-down role if Brown can't go. The matchup isn't ideal, but the Steelers have softened in recent weeks, and the Bengals should be motivated to dial up their best game plan.

Herbert UPGRADES to high-end RB2 status if Brown is out.

5. Utilization Score Risers

This section will highlight some of the biggest Utilization Score movers over the last four games.

Note: Sometimes, the players are the same as the previous week, and in those cases, I might highlight a different player to cover more players. Be sure to check out last week's risers and fallers.

Running Backs

  • Jaylen Warren | Steelers (+0.5): Warren leads the backfield with a 6.4 Utilization Score over the last four games. Pittsburgh has experienced trailing game scripts in three contests, losing by 14 or more points to the Eagles, Ravens, and Chiefs. Warren has benefited as the top passing-down back (53% route participation rate), notching top-24 finishes in the last two games with 13.2 and 16.2 points. Warren is HOLDING STEADY as a mid-range to high-end RB3.

Wide Receivers

  • Olamide Zaccheaus | Commanders (+0.8): See No. 1.
     
  • Xavier Worthy | Chiefs (+0.7): See No. 2.
     
  • Marvin Mims | Broncos (+0.6): Mims registered a season-high 8.2 Utilization Score in Week 17, pushing his four-week score to 5.1. Over that span, he has averaged 16.4 points as a boom-bust option with WR12, WR56, WR40, and WR3 finishes. The second-year WR has become highly active when on the field, with a 30% TPRR thanks to high, thanks to the screen game. Mims has seen 71% of his targets come from screens over the last four weeks. Unfortunately, he is still in a part-time role with a 42% route participation—Mims UPGRADES to boom-bust WR4 territory.

Tight Ends

  • Chig Okonkwo | Titans (+0.8): Okonkwo has finished the season strong with an 8.3 Utilization Score over the last three games. Why the Titans coaching staff didn't prioritize one of their top pass catchers earlier in the season remains an unknown, but the third-year tight end has a 27% target share, averaging 14 points per game. Okonkwo UPGRADES to low-end TE1 status and is back on the menu as a late-round option in 2025.

6. Utilization Score Fallers

Running Backs

  • Joe Mixon (-0.4): Mixon has a 7.3 Utilization Score over the last four weeks—well below his 8.6 for the season. However, his snap share (63%) and rush share (77%) remain strong. The eighth-year veteran faced two of the most formidable run defenses in the Chiefs and Ravens over the last two games while likely still feeling the effects of an ankle injury sustained in Week 15. Mixon is a low-end RB1.
     
  • James Cook (-0.4): Cook has averaged 17.5 points over the last four games despite a 43% snap share, 46% rush share, and 5% target share. The Bills have evolved into a full-on three-way committee, plunging Cook's Utilization Score down to 5.8 over the last four games. The Bills offense is one of the best in the league, so it is hard to downgrade Cook at this point, but his weekly range of outcomes is more volatile than many realize. We have seen 16% of his comps perform like RB1s, but 44% were RB2s, and 41% were RB3s. Cook is HOLDING STEADY as a high-end RB2.

Wide Receivers

  • Cooper Kupp | Rams (-1.2): Kupp's target share (12%) and Utilization Score (4.5) have plunged to scary depths over the last four games. Puka Nacua has dominated with a 44% target share and 9.0 Utilization Score over that stretch. Recency bias should push most fantasy players toward Nacua in playoff contests, making Kupp a potential way to differentiate Rams lineups. However, there is a chance we are witnessing the cliff season for the 31-year-old receiver—Kupp DOWNGRADES to mid-range WR3 territory.
     
  • Jayden Reed | Packers (-0.5): Reed has a 3.7 Utilization Score over the last four games, pulling his season score down to 5.2. Over that span, he has a lackluster 15% target share, averaging six points per game. His early-season boom is a distant memory at this point—Reed has notched only two top-24 finishes over the last ten games. Reed is HOLDING STEADY as a boom-bust WR4.

Tight Ends

  • Dalton Kincaid | Bills (-0.3): Since returning from injury, Kincaid has yet to reach even 60% route participation over the last three games. The Bills appear 100% bought into a committee approach at every skill position, and the offense is booming. Since returning, Kincaid's 30% TPRR is impressive, but projecting a full-time role anytime soon would be pure hopium. Kincaid is a mid-range TE2.

More Fantasy Football Takeaways Ahead of Week 18

Running Back Utilization Bytes

  • Ameer Abdullah: Abdullah was the RB1 for the Raiders in a trailing game script against the Saints. He has a 7.7 Utilization Score with 18.6 points per game in the two contests since Sincere McCormick went on IR. Abdullah UPGRADES to high-end RB3 territory.
     
  • Brian Robinson: In four games without Austin Ekeler, Robinson averaged only 11.2 points per game with a 6.4 Utilization Score. Ultimately, he hasn't been effective down the stretch, and the Commanders turned to Chris Rodriguez late in the game in Week 17. Ekeler is eligible to return in Week 18, and Robinson DOWNGRADES to borderline RB2 status.
     
  • Browns RBs: Jerome Ford's status is up in the air after leaving Week 17 action early with an ankle injury. D'Onta Foreman was the primary ball carrier (46%), while Pierre Strong (head injury) handled more of the two-minute offense (69%) and long-down-and-distance work (47%). Strong only had five attempts but notched five targets. The Browns offense is terrible right now, but Foreman becomes a fringe RB3 while Strong enters the RB4 conversation without Ford.
     
  • Bucky Irving: Irving has led the Buccaneers backfield in snaps (56%), attempts (60%) and routes (44%) over the last two games. In games where he has reached 50% or more of the snaps, he has averaged 23.7 points. Essentially, Irving is the Jahmyr Gibbs of the Buccaneers. He can give you RB1 production in a committee, but when he gets over half the work, he has high-end RB1 upside. Irving UPGRADES to mid-range RB1 territory.
     
  • Clyde Edwards-Helaire: Kendre Miller (concussion) left the game early, and CEH (47%) jumped into a time-share with Jamaal Williams (40%). It was only Edwards-Helaire's first game with the Saints, so his role could expand further with more practice reps. If Miller can't play in Week 18, CEH jumps into the RB4 range.
     
  • Michael Carter: With James Conner (knee) exiting early and Trey Benson out, Carter operated as the clear-cut RB1 with a 70% snap share. The fourth-year back notched 10.1 points on a 6.7 Utilization Score. If the Cardinals' top two backs are out again in Week 18, Carter becomes a borderline RB2.
     
  • Raheem Blackshear: Blackshear only managed two fantasy points in Week 17, but he was the top back for the Panthers with a 76% snap share. He gave way to Mike Boone in short-yardage scenarios but accounted for most of the passing-down work. Blackshear UPGRADES to the low-end RB3 tier, assuming Miles Sanders (IR) doesn't return.

Wide Receiver Utilization Bytes

  • Calvin Austin: Austin hasn't produced much but has ascended to the WR2 in Pittsburgh over the last four games with a 75% route participation rate. In Week 17, with George Pickens back, he reached 79%. Austin is a late-round dart on Steelers builds in best-ball playoff contests.
     
  • Cowboys WRs: Brandin Cooks (72%), Jalen Tolbert (69%), and KaVontae Turpin (59%) led the Cowboys in route participation, with CeeDee Lamb placed on IR. Cooks led the team with a 35% target share but managed only 9.2 points in a tough matchup against the Eagles. Cooks UPGRADES to boom-bust WR4 status.
     
  • Hollywood Brown: Brown upped his route participation from 33% to 49% and once again dominated targets on a per-route basis. While he needs more playing time, Brown leads the Chiefs with a mouth-watering 44% TPRR over the last two games. Brown remains a boom-bust WR4 but offers WR1 upside in a full-time role.
     
  • Jamison Crowder: Crowder has improved his Utilization Score by 2.5 points over the last two games. With Noah Brown sidelined, he has stepped into the WR3 role with a 48% route participation and 13% target share. Crowder is a dart-throw option on Commanders stacks in playoff contests.
     
  • John Metchie: Metchie notched season-highs in route participation (82%) and target share (25%), with Tank Dell (IR) out of the lineup. The former second-round pick out of Alabama finished the day with 9.8 fantasy points and a 6.2 Utilization Score. Metchie is a late-round target on Texans stacks in playoff contests.
     
  • Keon Coleman: Coleman surprised in Week 17 with a 97% route participation rate and 28% target share, leading to a 7.4 Utilization Score and 11.7 fantasy points. He continued to play as other starters rested late in the game, but Coleman also led the team in playing time in the first half. The Bills have been more of a WR-by-committee since the signing of Amari Cooper, but Coleman might have the inside track to more playing time in the playoffs. Coleman UPGRADES to mid-range WR4 status.

Tight End Utilization Bytes

  • Trey McBride: McBride finally got his receiving touchdown on a day where he posted a tantalizing 37% target share. He helped fantasy managers stake their claim to championships with 30.3 fantasy points on a perfect 10.0 Utilization Score. McBride and Brock Bowers are the early favorites to be the top two tight ends off the board in 2025 fantasy drafts. McBride is an elite TE1.
     
  • Tucker Kraft: Kraft's route participation (75%) has taken a slight hit since the return of Luke Musgrave. However, he remains Green Bay's top TE1 by a healthy margin over Musgrave (22%). Kraft remains a boom-bust low-end TE1.