The Utilization Report. Everything you need for Fantasy Football in Week 18
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 (sell high) and underperforming (buy low) 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 QB 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
For this season, Fantasy Life has partnered with PFF to collaborate on the Utilization Report.
Get access to the full Utilization Report, all the data tables, and team-by-team analysis by subscribing to PFF+
Week 17 Takeaways
Upgrades
RB – Najee Harris
Harris reclaimed the two-minute offense duties over the last two games with 90% and 100% of the snaps. He has 12 targets over that span, along with RB13 and RB9 finishes.
| Week | Snaps | Rush Att | Routes | Targets | TPRR | SDD Snaps | i5 Att | LDD Snaps | 2MIN Snaps | PPR |
| 14 | 56% | 67% | 43% | 10% | 20% | 100% | 100% | 14% | 0% | 13.0 |
| 15 | 66% | 53% | 39% | 0% | 0% | 70% | 25% | 20% | 0% | 14.6 |
| 16 | 72% | 59% | 63% | 26% | 36% | 86% | 0% | 10% | 90% | 15.5 |
| 17 | 64% | 54% | 48% | 12% | 21% | 88% | 0% | 20% | 100% | 20.3 |
| YTD | 66% | 57% | 48% | 10% | 18% | 70% | 35% | 38% | 80% | 13.2 |
As a rookie, Harris garnered 94 targets, a number that he will finish well shy of, with 52 heading into Week 18. However, we know he is a capable option out of the backfield, which is a step in the right direction.
The Steelers' offense doesn’t offer many scoring opportunities, ranking 29th in drives converted to TDs (15%), and the former first-rounder hasn’t had much luck in the big-play department, with only 8% of his attempts going for 10-plus yards.
Despite those challenges, Harris profiles as a high-end RB2 in the utilization department and the Steelers still have a shot at the playoffs with a victory over the Browns if the Patriots and Dolphins lose.
Harris is a high-end RB2.
WR – DeVonta Smith
The Eagles WR duo is becoming more of a 1A and 1B situation. Smith has out-targeted A.J. Brown in eight of 16 games this season, including three of the last four, and is on the verge of breaking records in Philadelphia.
| Week | Routes | TPRR | Targets | ADOT | Air Yards | EZ Tgts | 3rd/4th Down Targets | PA Targets | PPR |
| 14 | 97% | 23% | 26% | 11.3 | 30% | 0% | 43% | 0% | 17.4 |
| 15 | 100% | 16% | 21% | 16.7 | 27% | 100% | 33% | 0% | 17.6 |
| 16 | 98% | 29% | 36% | 13.3 | 42% | 67% | 40% | 17% | 31.3 |
| 17 | 97% | 35% | 41% | 8.0 | 36% | 0% | 45% | 8% | 20.5 |
| YTD | 96% | 22% | 27% | 10.3 | 32% | 30% | 33% | 18% | 15.3 |
The second-year WR now sits at a 27% target share on the season – barely behind Brown’s 28% – and is the leading option on third and fourth downs at 33%. Smith joins a prestigious list of first and second-round WRs to reach a 25% target share or higher by their second season.
- Justin Jefferson
- Michael Thomas
- Odell Beckham Jr.
- Jarvis Landry
- Mike Evans
- Kelvin Benjamin
- Josh Gordon
- Kendall Wright
- A.J. Green
Over the last four games, Smith averaged 21.7 points per game, which pushes his season total up to 15.3 points and makes him the WR9. Times are good in Philadelphia and for Smith’s fantasy managers.
Smith is a high-end WR2 for Week 18 and NFL playoff contests.
WR – DJ Moore
You can’t quit DJ Moore. After only two top-18 finishes during the first 11 games of the season, he has reeled off four in his last five starts with Sam Darnold back under center.
| Week | Routes | TPRR | Targets | ADOT | Air Yards | EZ Tgts | 3rd/4th Down Targets | PA Targets | PPR |
| 12 | 100% | 25% | 31% | 26.0 | 74% | 50% | 17% | 80% | 20.3 |
| 14 | 100% | 10% | 15% | 13.3 | 40% | 33% | 0% | 67% | 0.6 |
| 15 | 100% | 21% | 32% | 18.5 | 52% | 100% | 43% | 33% | 18.3 |
| 16 | 100% | 26% | 30% | 12.2 | 61% | 0% | 50% | 17% | 20.1 |
| 17 | 100% | 22% | 29% | 14.0 | 40% | 0% | 43% | 33% | 23.7 |
Most of the nuggets in this week’s Utilization Report wrap around players on teams with a chance to make the playoffs in the spirit of post-season contests. However, I just couldn’t bring myself to leave Moore out.
He is the perfect example of how poor QB play and terrible QB play are very different when it comes to supporting WR performances in fantasy. Darnold hasn’t been great, but he averages 220 yards per game and is pushing the ball down the field with an 8.7 ADOT, as opposed to the 183 per game and 6.7 ADOT with Baker Mayfield.
Hopefully, the Panthers can upgrade their QB situation this off-season because Moore is currently on the old Allen Robinson II career track – tethered to mediocre QB play.
The fifth-year WR is on the verge of back-to-back 26% target share seasons and will only be 26 years old next year.
Moore is a low-end WR2 that upgrades to WR1 status with the right QB move this off-season.
WR – Richie James Jr.
James has three top-16 finishes in the last four games, averaging a 25% target share.
| Week | Routes | TPRR | Targets | ADOT | Air Yards | EZ Tgts | 3rd/4th Down Targets | PA Targets | PPR |
| 14 | 93% | 20% | 26% | 6.4 | 28% | 0% | 25% | 25% | 19.2 |
| 15 | 86% | 17% | 17% | 5.2 | 23% | 0% | 33% | 0% | 8.2 |
| 16 | 83% | 24% | 26% | 7.7 | 31% | 0% | 17% | 20% | 17.0 |
| 17 | 87% | 28% | 30% | 6.6 | 38% | 100% | 33% | 14% | 20.6 |
| YTD | 58% | 19% | 16% | 7.0 | 17% | 9% | 18% | 24% | 9.2 |
Since taking over a full-time role in Week 12, James leads the Giants with a 22% target share and 1.69 YPRR.
We have seen Daniel Jones lock onto slot receivers in the past (Sterling Shepard), and James is making the most of his opportunities, operating inside on 85% of his routes with a 7.0 ADOT.
The fourth-year WR has a career-high TPRR of 14%, but he was competing with high-end talent profiles like Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle in San Francisco. With the Giants, he is one of several mid-range options pushing for targets, and he sits at a 19% TPRR heading into Week 18.
James is a low-end WR3 the rest of the way.
TE – Albert Okwuegbunam
Okwuegbunam registered a 62% route participation in Week 17 with Greg Dulcich on IR. The third-year TE flashed the target-demanding ability that had many excited about his prospects heading into the 2022 season with a 23% TPRR, finishing second on the team in target share (18%) behind Jerry Jeudy.
Okwuegbunam still has one year remaining on a four-year contract, but it is a trade-friendly/cut-friendly deal if he and the Broncos decide to go separate ways. Another solid game in Week 18 could open up new opportunities for the TE in 2023, depending on how the off-season plays out.
Okwuegbunam is a mid-range TE2 with upside, as demonstrated by his No. 9 rank in Week 17.
TE – Dalton Schultz
Schultz has five consecutive outings with an 87% route participation or better after battling an MCL injury that limited his snaps and forced him to miss two games over the first eight weeks.
| Week | Routes | TPRR | Targets | ADOT | Air Yards | EZ Tgts | 3rd/4th Down Targets | PA Targets | PPR |
| 13 | 91% | 21% | 20% | 13.2 | 35% | 50% | 11% | 50% | 5.3 |
| 14 | 88% | 27% | 26% | 9.6 | 29% | 50% | 13% | 20% | 14.7 |
| 15 | 89% | 13% | 13% | 6.0 | 9% | 0% | 0% | 25% | 3.5 |
| 16 | 87% | 11% | 11% | 7.0 | 10% | 0% | 0% | 25% | 7.3 |
| 17 | 88% | 26% | 26% | 5.2 | 18% | 100% | 0% | 40% | 24.6 |
| YTD | 68% | 21% | 16% | 7.4 | 14% | 23% | 10% | 31% | 9.8 |
Despite his limitations, the veteran TE has demonstrated an ability to demand targets with eight 20%-plus TPRR performances in 14 games. In Week 17, we finally saw the high-end TPRR and route participation converge in one game, leading to 10 targets, seven receptions, 56 yards and two TDs. Schultz finished as the No. 1 TE with 24.6 points.
Behind CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys pecking order is wide open, and Schultz is a prime candidate for a big finish to the season. Dallas converts 28% of their drives into TDs – the sixth-best in the league – and the veteran TE leads the Cowboys with 30% of the endzone targets since Week 10.
Schultz is a mid-range TE1 with No. 1 overall potential.
Downgrades
RB – Rhamondre Stevenson
Damien Harris returned to the lineup in Week 17 and led the team in rushing attempts (43%) and short yardage opportunities (67%), leading to Stevenson’s lowest utilization outing when healthy since Week 4.
| Week | Snaps | Rush Att | Routes | Targets | TPRR | SDD Snaps | i5 Att | LDD Snaps | 2MIN Snaps | PPR |
| 1 | 25% | 38% | 14% | 7% | 40% | 50% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 4.7 |
| 2 | 62% | 32% | 58% | 6% | 9% | 60% | 0% | 57% | 100% | 6.1 |
| 3 | 62% | 50% | 62% | 16% | 20% | 60% | 50% | 60% | 100% | 20.1 |
| 4 | 55% | 42% | 52% | 25% | 38% | 67% | 0% | 100% | 0% | 12.9 |
| 5 | 90% | 74% | 62% | 10% | 14% | 67% | 0% | 100% | 100% | 19.5 |
| 6 | 86% | 63% | 60% | 16% | 25% | 100% | 100% | 92% | 0% | 25.1 |
| 7 | 77% | 69% | 69% | 32% | 36% | 60% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 23.8 |
| 8 | 62% | 50% | 53% | 23% | 30% | 33% | 0% | 94% | 100% | 21.5 |
| 9 | 73% | 52% | 71% | 25% | 29% | 100% | 50% | 92% | 0% | 16.0 |
| 11 | 78% | 52% | 79% | 22% | 23% | 100% | 0% | 100% | 0% | 14.2 |
| 12 | 82% | 54% | 64% | 29% | 37% | 67% | 0% | 100% | 100% | 20.2 |
| 13 | 98% | 77% | 85% | 21% | 21% | 100% | 0% | 100% | 100% | 13.8 |
| 14 | 22% | 15% | 21% | 10% | 38% | 0% | 0% | 30% | 0% | 3.1 |
| 15 | 66% | 63% | 49% | 11% | 18% | 80% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 24.8 |
| 16 | 91% | 81% | 75% | 16% | 18% | 75% | 0% | 100% | 100% | 5.3 |
| 17 | 57% | 38% | 49% | 13% | 22% | 50% | 0% | 69% | 0% | 7.1 |
| YTD | 68% | 52% | 58% | 17% | 25% | 69% | 64% | 80% | 92% | 14.9 |
Stevenson suffered an ankle injury in Week 14 that unexpectedly was a non-factor in Week 15 while on many fantasy benches. However, over the last two games, he finished as the RB42 and RB41.
The second-year RB is likely still the No. 1 in New England, but the injury and return of Harris could put an end to his every-down reign that has insulated his fantasy floor. The Patriots used Harris in the two-minute offense last weekend, but those snaps should return to Stevenson, who has demonstrated elite target-demanding ability with a whopping 25% TPRR. However, Harris is a tough inside runner who could snipe short-yardage opportunities.
Stevenson profiles as a high-end RB2.
WR – Joshua Palmer
The return of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams has reduced playing time and targets for Palmer. The second-year WR has finishes of WR45, WR43, WR77, and WR146 over the last four games.
| Week | Routes | TPRR | Targets | ADOT | Air Yards | EZ Tgts | 3rd/4th Down Targets | PA Targets | PPR |
| 14 | 81% | 13% | 13% | 15.3 | 34% | 25% | 19% | 17% | 9.3 |
| 15 | 66% | 17% | 13% | 6.8 | 11% | 0% | 11% | 0% | 9.9 |
| 16 | 68% | 12% | 10% | 17.0 | 23% | 0% | 8% | 0% | 3.6 |
| 17 | 59% | 5% | 3% | 25.0 | 12% | 20% | 13% | 0% | 0.0 |
| YTD | 79% | 16% | 15% | 9.5 | 21% | 16% | 16% | 24% | 10.6 |
Unable to crack a 70% route participation over the last three games, Palmer can’t remain in fantasy lineups. He is still a great upside stash play in case Allen or Williams suffer another injury in the pass-first Chargers attack.
Palmer is a mid-range WR5 with contingency upside.
Monitoring
RB – Corey Clement
James Conner suffered a shin injury late in the third quarter, and Clement stepped into an every-down role.
The Cardinals don’t have anything to play for in Week 18, and we already saw them rest DeAndre Hopkins after he picked up a knee injury in practice last weekend.
The current iteration of the Cardinals' offense isn’t a threat to go nuclear against a stingy 49ers defense in Week 18, but Clement could see 20 to 25 touches.
Clement is a mid-range RB3 if Conner can’t play.
WR – Mike Evans
Evans averaged 15.5 points over the first eight games of the season. However, that average tumbled to nine points over the last six contests, until his 48.7-point eruption in Week 17. The veteran WR registered 10 catches for 207 yards and an eye-popping three TDs.
Over the first 14 games, Evans had one TD of 20-plus yards. All three of his TDs against Carolina came from 20-plus yards, as the Panthers left Evans isolated against single coverage multiple times.
It was hard to fathom Evans falling so far down the ranks, but it is equally hard to fathom future opponents providing the Buccaneers with similar looks down the field. This isn’t just an Evans thing; Tom Brady only has four TDs of 20-plus yards this season – down from seven in 2021 and 11 in 2022.
Deep ball connections are subject to high variance by nature, so there is a chance Brady and Evans can rekindle their magic, but the veteran has struggled mightily against zone all year.
Evans remains a boom-bust low-end WR2.
WR – Jameson Williams
Williams saw a season-high 31% route participation in Week 17. He isn’t currently usable for fantasy purposes, but his role could expand should the Lions make the playoffs.
The first-round selection has elite playmaking ability that could push him into the WR2 conversation quickly if the uptick in routes turns into a trend.
Williams is a WR5 with WR2 upside.
Get access to the full Utilization Report, all the data tables, and team-by-team analysis by subscribing to PFF+
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
- FAB = Free agent budget (based on home leagues; adjust percentages in more competitive formats)
