Volume is king in fantasy football, and this report will help you understand which players are due more or less according to their roles. Based on historical data tied to metrics we know drive volume, it is a great way to understand who is over-performing (sell high) and underperforming (buy low).

  • 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 run (TPRR) thresholds
  • Receivers: Which receivers are in the most routes and operating broadly within the offense

1. Amari Cooper looks like a WR1 with Joe Flacco under center.

Cooper has WR17, WR14 and WR1 finishes in three healthy starts with Flacco and has an average of 28.7 points after a 49.5-point eruption in Week 16 against the Texans. While we know the veteran can’t keep that pace, Cooper has historically been a high-end WR2 talent who can drop big totals when a passing game gets hot.

Flacco is sun running, averaging 330 yards and 2.5 TDs in four starts, and Cooper has a 29% target share and 48% air yards share in his three full games with the veteran QB.

Amari Cooper


With Flacco at the helm, the Browns have shifted from a run-first team to a pass-heavy unit with a 7% DBOE, dropping back to pass on 66% of their plays. The Browns led by four-plus points on 95% of plays in Week 16, yet they remained faithful to the passing attack with a 5% DBOE.

Browns


Can Flacco keep throwing for 300-plus yards per contest? That seems like a stretch, but at this point, it is hard to doubt he represents an enormous upgrade for a unit that recently considered 200 yards passing a good day.

Outlook: Cooper UPGRADES to low-end WR1 status.


2. What is going on with Stefon Diggs?

Over the last six games, Diggs has averaged a lowly 9.2 fantasy points with finishes of WR46, WR46, WR13, WR45, WR36 and WR38. Yikes. That is some very out-of-character stuff, causing some to wonder if 30-year-old WR is slipping. However, his underlying utilization tells a very different story, with a top-notch 30% target share.

Stefon Diggs


The bigger story is that the Bills have shown a willingness to abandon their pass-heavy ways when necessary over the second half of the season. Since Week 10, they have a minus-4% DBOE and have reached minus-10% or lower in three of the last four games. However, they also have a 10% DBOE outing in that stretch, indicating they are willing to adapt their game plan based on the opponent.

Bills


The Bills have a 51% dropback rate over the last five games, which has lowered the ceiling on Diggs targets. Over that stretch, he averages 8.2 targets per game, down from 10.6 over the first nine games when the Bills had a 6% DBOE.

While this change adds variance to the weekly equation for Diggs, we should also still see pass-heavy outings, and the veteran remains the clear-cut No. 1 in an offense with Josh Allen at the helm. Don’t overthink this one. The floor is lower, but the talent and ceiling remain sky-high.

Outlook: Diggs is a low-end WR1 but continues to offer WR1 overall upside in the right matchups and is due for a bounce-back outing.


3. Jonathan Taylor returned to a near-every-down workload.

In his first game back since injuring his thumb, Taylor came up small for fantasy managers with only 10 points. However, Taylor once again dominated the backfield, bogarting 82% of the team’s rushing attempts — including all three of the Colts’ totes from inside the five-yard line.

Jonathan Taylor


Trey Sermon handled most of the LDD work with Zack Moss missing the game, but Taylor still played in the two-minute offense.

The 24-year-old finished the day with 20 opportunities on 18 carries and two targets. Over his last four games, Taylor averages 18.5 carries and two targets.

Jonathan Taylor

Dec 24, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) runs with the ball on the field prior to the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports


Taylor struggled in the efficiency department, averaging only 2.4 yards per carry against the Falcons’ stingy run defense. We haven’t seen the vintage 2021 version of Taylor that helped win fantasy leagues, but the Colts remain committed to getting him touches.

Based on data from the last 12 seasons, the average finish for an RB in Taylor’s comp group was RB12 with 15.7 points per game.

Outlook: Despite his efficiency challenges, Taylor grades out as a low-end RB1.


4. Ty Chandler retained the No. 1 role over Alexander Mattison.

Kevin O’Connell told us the Vikings would continue to feature Chandler with Mattison serving more as depth last week, and he held to those statements. The second-year back registered a 66% snap share and bogarted 80% of the Vikings’ rushing attempts.

Ty Chandler


The game script kept the Vikings from leaning into their run game, limiting Chandler to only eight carries. Of course, this was the opposite of Week 15 against the Bengals when the Vikings held a two-TD lead heading into the final quarter. Chandler has averaged 15.5 carries and two targets in two games without Mattison.

The Vikings are fighting to remain in playoff contention, and T.J. Hockenson is now out for the season with a knee injury. Minnesota could lean more heavily on the run game and involve the backs more in the passing attack.

Outlook: Chandler UPGRADES to mid-range RB2 territory.


5. Kenneth Walker has regained the primary rushing role in Seattle.

Over the season's first seven weeks, Walker averaged 17.5 fantasy points per contest thanks to his role as the undisputed No. 1 for the Seahawks. He accounted for 75% of the team's rushing attempts during that stretch, including 76% of the work inside the five-yard line. 

Unfortunately, from Week 8 through Week 14, Walker struggled, averaging only 8.6 points with a 49% rush share due to injuries and the emergence of Zach Charbonnet. However, Walker's usage over the last two games has been very similar to what we saw at the beginning of the season.

Ken Walker


While the second-year back didn’t blow up the fantasy box score with only 6.6 points in Week 16, it was his second consecutive outing with a 79% rush share. Charbonnet continues to handle almost all of the LDD and two-minute offense, but Walker still reached 15 overall opportunities thanks to 14 carries and one target.

Walker carries weekly bust potential when game scripts don’t go his way thanks to his lack of a role in the passing game but is still a near lock for 15 opportunities per game thanks to Pete Carroll’s commitment to him on the ground.

Outlook: Walker UPGRADES to low-end RB1 status.


6. Chris Godwin looks like Chris Godwin again.

It has been a rough season for Godwin’s fantasy managers. The 28-year-old WR has averaged only 11.9 points per game, with only three top-15 finishes. However, he and Baker Mayfield have shown a much stronger connection over the last three games. 

During that stretch, Godwin has averaged 10.3 targets and 16.7 fantasy points. His lowest target share came this weekend at 28%. When Mayfield needs a first down, he is looking for Godwin 45% of the time since Week 14.

Chris Godwin


While sustaining a 37% target share isn’t reasonable, Godwin has been a strong target earner over his career, and the Buccaneers offense is highly condensed. There isn’t much target competition outside of Mike Evans, making this an offense that can support two high-end target earners. 

It isn’t a surprise that Mayfield is playing his best football over the last two games with 664 yards and 6 TDs passing. With Evans and Godwin playing to their potential, this aerial attack suddenly has more pop.

Outlook: Godwin UPGRADES to low-end WR2 territory.


Quarterback Utilization Bytes

  • Bryce Young: The No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick got his first 300-yard passing game thanks to the emergence of D.J. Chark. The two connected on six of eight targets for 98 yards and two TDs. Young remains a low-end QB2 option, but the connection with Chark may give this passing attack new life to finish the season.

Running Back Utilization Bytes

  • Bears RBs: The last time D’Onta Foreman missed a game in Week 12, Roschon Johnson led the way with a 75% snap share and 44% of the rushing attempts. However, in the same situation in Week 16, Khalil Herbert played 52% of the snaps and accounted for 39% of the team’s carries. Johnson was the primary passing-down option, handling 80% of LDD snaps and 100% of the two-minute offense. The Chicago backfield remains hard to decipher, but there is RB2 potential when you guess right on weeks where we have two rather than three options.
     
  • Breece Hall: Hall tallied an impressive 15 targets against the Commanders on his way to 43 fantasy points. His 27% TPRR is elite, ranking fourth out of all RBs with at least 250 snaps in 2023. The third-year back offers the dual-threat profile that few backs have and will be another season removed from a knee injury in 2024. Hall UPGRADES low-end RB1 status and is likely a top-three option in fantasy drafts next year.
     
  • Chris Rodriguez: The second-year RB delivered 20 fantasy points thanks to two rushing TDs on 10 attempts against the Jets. Rodriguez has been the primary early-down grinder with Brian Robinson out, accounting for 55% of the rushing attempts, including 58% of the work inside the five-yard line. Unfortunately, Rodriguez suffered an ankle injury at the end of the game, and Robinson could be back in Week 17. Rodriguez DOWNGRADES to RB5 status if Robinson returns but offers borderline RB2 in the future if healthy with Robinson sidelined.
     
  • De’Von Achane: Achane continues to get opportunities, averaging 9.8 carries and 4.8 targets per contest over the last four games. However, with Raheem Mostert battling a shin injury, Jeff Wilson got in the mix with five attempts against the Cowboys. If Wilson is going to be a factor moving forward, Achane’s touch ceiling takes a hit — we might not see any more games like Weeks 3 and 13 when the rookie saw 22 and 21 opportunities. Achane DOWNGRADES to a mid-range RB2 as a boom-bust option.
     
  • Devin Singletary: Singletary once again led the backfield in carries (60%) and now has a 70% rush share over the last three contests. Over that stretch, he also has 75% of the carries inside the five-yard line. Dare Ogunbowale continues to be a nuisance in the passing game, stealing most of the LDD snaps. Singletary can still get scripted out of games when the Texans need to pass, as we saw with his RB30 finish in Week 16 — he remains a low-end RB2.
     
  • James Cook: The second-year RB came up small in the box score with only seven fantasy points but registered his best utilization outing of 2023. Cook enjoyed season-high marks in snaps (73%), attempts (69%) and routes (61%). Unfortunately, he registered a 0% target share for only the second time this season and gave way to Josh Allen and Leonard Fournette on all three attempts from inside the five-yard line. Despite those challenges, the uptick in usage is a positive overall, and Cook remains locked into the RB1 conversation.
     
  • Jaylen Warren: The second-year back has taken over all of the LDD (100%) and two-minute work (97%) over the last two games. He remains behind Najee Harris for touches on the ground (35%), but his 28% TPRR is elite, making him a near lock for five to six targets per game. Warren is a high-end RB3.
     
  • Leonard Fournette: The 28-year-old back was active for the first time since joining the Bills with Ty Johnson out due to a shoulder injury. Fournette was the No. 2 back behind James Cook with five rushing attempts (17%) — playing ahead of Latavius Murray. Fournette could return to inactive status next weekend, but the situation is worth monitoring, considering Buffalo’s lack of a clear-cut option behind Cook. Murray is an RB6 stash option.
     
  • Tyjae Spears: Over the last four games, Spears averages 10.3 carries and 5.3 targets per game. While he has been a threat in the passing game for much of the year, his utilization on the ground has expanded. Over the first 11 games, he averaged a 21% rush share, which has grown to 33% since Week 13. Based on data from the last 12 years, Spears’ comp group averaged 13.9 points per game with an RB16 finish. Spears UPGRADES to borderline RB2 status. 
     
  • Zamir White: White stepped into Josh Jacobs’ shoes for the second consecutive week and delivered 15 fantasy points. The second-year back dominated the Raiders backfield, handling 76% of the rushing attempts and posting a 61% route participation. White has averaged 19.5 attempts and 1.5 targets in two games without Jacobs. The second-year back is a mid-range RB2 if Jacobs misses another contest.

Wide Receiver Utilization Bytes

  • Andrei Iosivas: The sixth-round rookie registered a 76% route participation and 20% target share with Ja’Marr Chase out of the lineup. If Chase misses more time, Iosivas could offer salary relief in DFS lineups as a punt play.
     
  • Calvin Ridley: Ridley delivered 26 fantasy points on 10 targets against the Buccaneers. Since Christian Kirk went down, Ridley has averaged 10.3 targets and 147 air yards per contest. He also has dominated end zone targets over that stretch, leading the team with seven. Ridley UPGRADES to high-end WR2 status and offers WR1 upside.
     
  • Darius Slayton: Slayton has rarely left the field over the last three contests, with a 95% route participation. He has two top-36 finishes over that stretch, including 18 fantasy points in Week 16. If Tyrod Taylor remains the starter, Slayton could do more downfield damage. Slayton UPGRADES to low-end WR4 status.
     
  • Demario Douglas: Douglas has a 26% target share over his last four starts and averages 10.8 fantasy points per game. If he ever finds the end zone, the rookie slot WR will provide WR2 value. Douglas is a high-end WR4 in PPR formats.
     
  • Demarcus Robinson: Robinson held onto a significant role with a 94% route participation despite the return of Tutu Atwell. In a full-time role over the last three games, Robinson averages 16.3 fantasy points with an 18% target share. His impressive six endzone targets leads the team over that period. Robinson UPGRADES to WR4 territory.
     
  • Denver WRs: Even with Courtland Sutton knocked out of the game, Marvin Mims could not step forward in route participation (51%). Instead, it was Brandon Johnson locking in a 72% route participation.
     
  • DeVonta Smith: Smith came through with 18 points in Week 16, but his targets have taken a hit since the return of Dallas Goedert. Over the last two games, Smith has a 16% target share. Smith DOWNGRADES to mid-range WR2 status.
     
  • DJ Chark: Chark exploded in the Week 16 box score with 28 fantasy points, tying for the team lead in targets (25%) and leading the way in air yards (41%). In recent weeks, Jonathan Mingo had been the favorite downfield target for Bryce Young, but the connection failed to yield results. It is hard to get excited about this passing attack, but there is a chance Chark gets more love after coming through for the rookie QB. Chark UPGRADES to WR5 status.
     
  • George Pickens: Pickens erupted for 36 fantasy points with 195 yards for two TDs — including an 86-yard house call. Over the last two games, Pickens has been more involved with 27% and 24% target shares. Target shares can often fluctuate with strong competition for looks, but Diontae Johnson registered a season-low 69% route participation. If that is a trend, Pickens could keep up the momentum — he averaged 17 points per game in four contests without Johnson this season. Pickens remains a boom-bust WR4 but would offer WR2 potential if Johnson’s role is limited.
     
  • Jameson Williams: After posting a 72% route participation last weekend, Williams regressed to 60%. Thanks to his big-play ability, he has three top-36 finishes in his last four outings, but the role remains limited. Williams is a boom-bust WR4.
     
  • Josh Downs: The rookie commanded a season-high 93% route participation and led the team with a 26% target share with Michael Pittman out due to a concussion. Downs wasn’t able to translate his nine targets into a big fantasy day with only 9.9 points. Still, it was encouraging to see him more involved after averaging only 3.7 targets over the previous three games. Downs remains WR4 material but will be in the WR3 mix if Pittman misses more time.
     
  • Joshua Palmer: Palmer returned to a full-time role with a 100% route participation and team-leading 25% target share in Week 16 against the Bills. The Chargers were without Keenan Allen, but Palmer is locked into a top-two role even once the veteran returns. Palmer UPGRADES to low-end WR3 status.
     
  • K.J. Osborn: Osborn came through with 21 fantasy points on a 21% target share. He played an expanded role with Addison and Hockenson leaving the game with injuries. Osborn has never been a high-end target earner, which isn’t likely to change, but he will get more chances with Hockenson done for the season and offers big-play upside. Osborn UPGRADES to boom-bust WR4 territory.
     
  • Nico Collins: The third-year WR returned from his calf injury but only managed a 45% route participation. Through the first three quarters, he was on pace for 76%, but he was only on the field for 25% of pass plays in the final frame with the Texans down multiple TDs. His 25% TPRR mirrored his season-long mark. Collins is a low-end WR1 when healthy with C.J. Stroud in the lineup. 
     
  • Tee Higgins: Higgins has back-to-back top-12 WR performances, averaging 23.5 points in the last two games with Ja’Marr Chase limited or out of the lineup. Higgins hasn’t dominated targets (19%) but has 100% of the end zone targets and 42% of the air yards. Higgins is a high-end WR2 until Chase returns to the lineup.
     
  • Treylon Burks: Burks posted a 77% route participation and 13% target share and looks like the No. 2 WR behind DeAndre Hopkins moving forward. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine landed on IR ahead of Week 16, and Chris Moore took over the No. 3 role with a 71% route participation. Burks hasn’t been able to string together many healthy games, but the former Round 1 NFL Draft pick will get his chance to end the season. Burks is a WR5 with upside.
     
  • Tyler Lockett: The 31-year-old WR scored 16 points in Week 16 and has 19 targets (28%) over the last two outings. He remains the team’s No. 1 option against zone coverage, while DK Metcalf is the go-to against man. Lockett remains a mid-range WR3 but could be on the verge of a spike performance.

Tight End Utilization Bytes

  • Chigoziem Okonkwo: Okonkwo hasn’t been the sleeper TE everyone had hoped for, but he tallied his second-highest route participation of the season (80%), with Tevon Wesco and Josh Whyle inactive in Week 16. The second-year TE delivered his best fantasy outing of the season with 18 points on an impressive 25% target share. If Okonkwo can hang onto the expanded route participation, he will offer borderline TE1 value.
     
  • Dalton Kincaid: The return of Dawson Knox has been like coal in the stocking for Kincaid’s fantasy managers. In Week 16, Kincaid’s route participation dipped to 52%, and he only managed a 10% target share. We have bucked the theory that rookie TEs can’t perform in fantasy in 2023, but it takes the right situation — veterans like Knox have historically been problematic for rookies to overcome. Kincaid DOWNGRADES to high-end TE2 status.
     
  • Dalton Schultz: Schultz led the Texans with 10 targets (21%) and delivered 14 fantasy points against the Browns. The veteran TE has been forgotten lately due to injuries and QB woes, but we could see C.J. Stroud return this weekend. Schultz is a low-end TE1 with high-end TE1 upside when the Texans passing game is clicking.
     
  • Darren Waller: Waller climbed to a 71% route participation and garnered a 19% target share in his second game back from injury. He didn’t come through in the box score with only 5.2 points, but the veteran TE has been a solid target earner for his career — Waller is a borderline TE1 moving forward.
     
  • Evan Engram: Engram led the Jaguars with a whopping 15 targets (36%) in Week 16. Since Kirk left the lineup, he has averaged 10.5 targets and 57.8 air yards per contest. Engram UPGRADES to high-end TE1 territory.
     
  • Gerald Everett: Everett’s upward trend in playing time continued with Donald Parham inactive (coach’s decision). The veteran TE garnered a season-high 82% route participation and has reached a 20%-plus target share in three consecutive games. Everett UPGRADES to high-end TE2 territory and offers TE1 potential if Parham remains inactive.
     
  • Kyle Pitts: The third-year TE has an 84% route participation over the last four games after a tough midseason stretch where he rarely reached 70%. Over that stretch, he has three top-12 finishes, averaging 11.3 fantasy points per contest. Arthur Smith can be maddening to interpret, but Pitts is squarely back in the low-end TE1 group.
     
  • Mike Gesicki: With Hunter Henry out, Gesicki registered a season-high 86% route participation. He was only targeted two times (6%) but managed to bring in a score to bolster his fantasy points to 9.5. Gesicki UPGRADES to mid-range TE2 status if Henry misses more time.
     
  • Noah Fant: Fant registered had a season-high in route participation (70%) and over the last two games, has separated from the TE rotation in Seattle. He remains the fourth or fifth option with only an 8% target share but could come through for DFS purposes. Fant UPGRADES to mid-range TE2 status.
     
  • Tanner Hudson: Hudson has been the No. 1 target-earning TE for the Bengals for over a month, but now his playing time is trending upward. Over the last three contests, Hudson has route participation marks of 37%, 47% and 64%. He has a high-end TPRR at 22% on the season but flopped with a 7% mark in Week 16 in an expanded role. Hudson is a mid-range TE2.
     
  • Tucker Kraft: The rookie TE notched his highest target share of the season (26%). Over the last three games, Kraft has a 91% route participation and an 18% target share. Kraft is a high-end TE2 until Luke Musgrave returns from IR.
Utilization Report