RADIO
Snap counts are not the be-all-end-all for fantasy production, but they paint a clear picture with the necessary context. Every snap is an opportunity for a player to make his presence felt and if their snaps go up or down, you get an idea of what the team thinks of their skill set. A running back can have all the rushing talent in the world, but if he can't catch the ball or is useless in pass protection, his snaps will not reflect that talent.
We do not have much of a sample for rising or falling snaps but for the sake of trying to identify worthwhile trends early, that's the basis we will use. Snap% listed reflects a player's usage in Week 9 contests.
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Rising Snap Counts for Fantasy Football
Pat Freiermuth, TE, PIT (49%>60%>78%>71% snaps)
Pat Freiermuth put on a show for us on Monday Night Football. Not only did he score two TD on six targets, but he also mauled as a blocker downfield. Freiermuth is clearly an impact player and may possess a stranglehold on the starting TE role for the next decade in Pittsburgh given the premature comparisons to Heath Miller. His snap rate jump in recent weeks is mainly due to Eric Ebron's absence, but after scoring three TD in this span and showing what he's got as a player, it will be tough to keep him off of the field. Freiermuth may not remain a TE1 for the rest of this season, but he is in the mix as a starting option for anyone in a pinch.
Brandon Aiyuk, WR, SF (71%> 71%>88%>93% snaps)
Brandon Aiyuk is finally alive! After half a season of turmoil between fantasy managers and Kyle Shanahan, Aiyuk looks fully in the mix for the second half. His snap rate in Week 9 was a season-high and so were his targets, receiving yards, and fantasy points. Shanahan and the coaches acknowledged the issue with Aiyuk was in some ways maturity that they called knowing "how to practice." Whether it was actually practice or another matter is neither here nor there because it no longer matters. While it may be tough to go back to the well after all of the hurt this year, it is time to re-administer Aiyuk into lineups as a WR2/3 going forward.
Brandon Bolden, RB, NE (20%>28%>32%>47% snaps)
Brandon Bolden may be in for a massive role this week. Both Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson are dealing with head injuries and Bolden's role has already risen significantly since James White's injury. Bolden's not only been a stellar pass-catching back this season with 189 yards (career-high) on 24 targets, but his carry total is the highest since 2015. Bolden is clearly trusted by the nebulous Belichick which is really all you need. Fire up Bolden as a FLEX in Week 10 if both Harris and Stevenson are out.
Falling Snap Counts for Fantasy Football
Chuba Hubbard, RB, CAR (65%>53%55%>17% snaps)
Chuba Hubbard's obviously no longer the starter in Carolina thanks to Christian McCaffrey's return but even worse, he may not even be the RB2. Ameer Abdullah has come in the past two weeks and looked significantly better despite a limited role. Hubbard has had his fair share of workhorse touches since taking on the starter job and disappointed plenty despite his fantasy production. 3.5 yards-per-carry and 4.2 yards-per-touch are not cutting it--he's a JAG. Hubbard can probably be dropped because even if CMC is re-injured, the team would likely go with a committee between him and Abdullah.
Jared Cook, TE, LAC (67%>64%>55%>42% snaps)
Jared Cook is still a decent starting TE but his diminished role should tell us everything we need to know about whether to trust him in fantasy. Cook's performance thus far is not a far cry from his career rate, but he is definitely not as spry as the past few spike seasons with New Orleans and the Raiders. From the looks of things, the Chargers are mixing their three TEs Cook, Donald Parham Jr., and Stephen Anderson up. All three played between 41 and 45% of the snaps in Week 9 and could alternate roles game-to-game. Cook remains a fine backup that can be used as a spot-starter but do not expect many top-8 TE weeks.
Rashard Higgins, WR, CLE (63%>59%>56%>6% snaps)
For anyone wondering who might step up outside in a post-OBJ Browns' world, it does not seem like Rashard "Hollywood" Higgins based on early returns. Higgins was active and played the fewest snaps of the season. He has seemingly fallen to WR4 on the depth chart as speedy rookie Anthony Schwartz has usurped him. Higgins should be monitored in future weeks but left on waivers for the time being since the appeal is minimal if any.
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