Fantasy Football Takeaways: Mike Evans Leads Week 16 Utilization Report

Fantasy Football Takeaways: Mike Evans Leads Week 16 Utilization Report

Welcome to the Utilization Report, where Dwain McFarland highlights his top fantasy football takeaways heading into Week 16.

Let's follow the data to identify the top waiver wire options, trade targets, upgrades and downgrades based on what we learned in Week 15.

Fantasy Football Takeaways Heading Into Week 16: The Utilization Report

If you love all the sweet Utilization data below, you can access it all for yourself!

  • Comparison tool
  • Team-based views with game logs
  • League-wide views for NFL leaders
  • Customizable time periods and sample sizes
  • Seasons: 2020 to 2025

Why should you care about the Utilization Score? Read this.

Get 20% off a Tier 2 FantasyLife+ subscription by using code: Dwain.

Use the Utilization Report suite of tools to dominate your league, y'all!

TB_buccaneers-logo.svg1. The return of Mike Evans shakes things up in Tampa.

Mike Evans

Evans returned from a collarbone injury in Week 15. While the Buccaneers limited his route participation rate to 70%, he still led the team in targets (10) and air yards (176). The veteran delivered 19.2 fantasy points and an 88 Utilization Score against the Falcons.

image.png

Evans has played over 70% of the pass plays in four games this season. In those contests, he has averaged 13.3 points per game (PPG). He has been highly targeted with target shares of 28%, 31%, 29% and 36%. His average Utilization Score is 77.

image.png

Evans' historical Utilization Score comparisons averaged 15.2 points per game, with 60% performing as top 18 WRs.

  • WR1 to WR12 performers: 31%
  • WR13 to WR24 performers: 53%
  • WR25 to WR36 performers: 15%

Evans UPGRADES to mid-range WR2 territory.

Emeka Egbuka

Of course, the return of Evans and Jalen McMillan came with a price. Egbuka's route participation rate plummeted to a season low of 63%. From Week 8 to Week 13, that number was 96%.

image.png

Egbuka still finished second on the team in targets (25%), but a loss of playing time would hamper his fantasy outlook over an extended period.

Egbuka DOWNGRADES to low-end WR3 territory with his playing time now uncertain.

Chris Godwin

Godwin's route participation rate has steadily climbed since his return in Week 12, and he locked down a season-high 95% in Week 15 with Evans back. 

image.png

Last season, Godwin led the Bucs with a 27% target share. To this point, he hasn't been able to capitalize on his newfound playing time. He has an 18% target share since his return. Health and the presence of Egbuka are likely contributing factors.

Godwin is a WR4 with WR2 upside if he gets hot in a full-time role.

NE_patriots-logo.svg2. TreVeyon Henderson and Tyrone Tracy post-bye bumps?

TreVeyon Henderson

Henderson erupted for 30.1 fantasy points in Week 15 against the Bills. The rookie remained in a timeshare with Rhamondre Stevenson, but regained the upper hand in the rushing department with 61% of the carries.

image.png

It's hard to know how the Patriots will handle this split moving forward. Stevenson has increased his snaps in every game since returning: 31%, 60%, 67%. However, it is clear (at least to fantasy nerds) that Henderson is the more talented back who can do a lot with a little.

Henderson has a 76 Utilization Score with 17.6 points per game since Stevenson's return. His historical comparisons have averaged 14.7 points, with 65% finishing as RB2s.

  • RB1 to RB12 performers: 30%
  • RB13 to RB24 performers: 65%
  • RB25 to RB30 performers: 5%

Henderson is a mid-range RB2 with high-end RB1 upside when he runs pure.

Tyrone Tracy Jr.

In four games under Mike Kafka, Tracy has collected 16 or more fantasy points three times. In Week 15, coming out of the bye, Tracy saw his most significant role. The second-year back handled a 76% snap share, 65% rush share and a 68% route participation.

image.png

This development could be the beginning of a trend. However, we have seen this movie before. In Week 12, it looked like Tracy was taking control of the backfield, but fell back into a near-even time share with Devin Singletary the following game. While Tracy did suffer a hip injury in the fourth quarter of Week 13, he only accounted for 44% of the snaps before getting banged up.

Under Kafka, Tracy has a 76 Utilization Score—identical to Henderson. His historical comps averaged 14.7 points, with 94% performing as top-24 RBs.

  • RB1 to RB12 performers: 30%
  • RB13 to RB24 performers: 65%
  • RB25 to RB30 performers: 5%

Tracy is a low-end RB2 with borderline RB1 upside if the Week 15 Utilization sticks. 

ARI_cardinals-logo.svg3. Michael Carter stepped into an RB1 workload in Week 15.

Often, injuries open the door for an unexpected RB to provide production during the fantasy playoffs. Last year, it was Tyjae Spears (20 PPG) and Ameer Abdullah (18.9 PPG). This year's version of that could be Carter.

Bam Knight left the game after one carry due to an ankle injury that could keep him out for an extended period. Trey Benson was not activated off of IR last week, meaning his season is over. That leaves Carter and Emari Demercado battling for opportunities.

In Week 15, against the Texans, Carter monopolized the backfield. He led the backfield in snaps (79%), attempts (70%), route participation (72%) and targets (11%). He finished the day with 13.4 points and an 81 Utilization Score.

image.png

Carter eclipsed a 65% rush share one other time this year in Week 5. He scored 18.3 fantasy points with an 89 Utilization Score in that game. His historical comps averaged 15.3 points. That aligns with his 15.9 average in two games as the lead back in 2025.

It was Demercado's first game back from a high ankle sprain, so we could see the splits change as he gets healthier. But for now, Carter projects as the RB1 for Arizona the rest of the way.

Carter UPGRADES to low-end RB2 territory and offers borderline RB1 upside if the Cardinals use him the same way in Week 16. He is available in 95% of Yahoo leagues.

IND_colts-logo.svg4. Indianapolis Colts: Downgrades across the board.

Philip Rivers threw for 120 yards at 4.4 yards per attempt in his first start in five years. It was against a stingy Seattle defense, but Rivers' lack of arm strength was evident. His 5.3 average air yards per attempt was well below the 8.0 from Daniel Jones. The NFL average for QBs with at least 250 attempts is 7.8 over the last three years.

Rivers rarely pushed the ball downfield in Week 15. A whopping 70% of his passes traveled less than 10 yards:

  • Behind the line of scrimmage: 10 of 27 attempts (37%)
  • 1 to 9 yards: 9 of 27 attempts (33%)
  • 10 to 19 yards: 5 of 27 attempts (19%)
  • 20-plus yards: 3 of 27 attempts (11%)

The veteran was unable to complete any of his 20-plus-yard attempts and tossed one interception. This development, if it holds, makes the Colts highly predictable, allowing defenses to allocate more resources to the line of scrimmage.

Yes, it is a small sample, but given his age and nearly five years away from the game, this is a prove-it situation. Until Rivers proves capable of posting at least 200 yards through the air and challenging defenses vertically, we must downgrade all parties involved.

Jonathan Taylor | RB

Taylor is still going to get his touches, and the Colts still have the No. 9 graded run blocking unit per PFF (83.1). That should keep his fantasy production respectable.

However, his scoring opportunities could decline dramatically. Indianapolis ranks third in trips to the red zone per drive at 40%. In Week 15, they only reached the redzone on 1 of 10 drives (10%). Realistically, the Colts could rank among the bottom third of teams in red zone drives the rest of the way.

Taylor ranks fifth in the NFL with 1.3 rushing attempts inside the five-yard line per game. While he still saw great overall Utilization in Week 15, he didn't get a carry inside the five due to offensive woes. He finished the day with 13.1 fantasy points and an 87 Utilization Score.

image.png

No one wants to hear this, but the offensive challenges that have plagued Ashton Jeanty all season could be at Taylor's doorstep. The superstar RB could still overcome these challenges, given his workload—a factor that has kept Jeanty ranked inside the top 18 most weeks—but it's hard to forecast Taylor as a top-three option the rest of the way.

His historical comparisons have averaged 17.1 points, with 71% achieving top-12 status.

  • RB1 to RB6 performers: 33%
  • RB7 to RB12 performers: 38%
  • RB13 to RB18 performers: 24%
  • RB19 to RB24 performers: 5%

Taylor should still be in starting lineups, but DOWNGRADES to mid-range RB1 to low-end RB1 status.

Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce | WR

Since 2011, 10 WRs played in at least eight games with 450-plus routes with a 17% target share or higher on an offense that averaged 150 to 199 yards passing per game. The cohort averaged 10.8 fantasy points per game.

  • WR1 to WR12 performers: 0 of 10
  • WR13 to WR24 performers: 2 of 10 (Vincent Jackson WR17, Adam Thielen WR24)
  • WR25 to WR36 performers: 2 of 10 (Eric Decker WR26, Corey Davis WR35)
  • WR37 to WR48 performers: 2 of 10 (Larry Fitzgerald WR38, Zay Jones WR48)

Pittman leads the Colts with a 23% target share and operates mostly underneath and in the intermediate areas of the field. Pierce ranks third on the team, behind Pittman and Tyler Warren, with an 18% target share, working deep with a 19.4 average depth of target (aDOT).

image.png

There is a chance Pittman still scratches out a WR3 finish, but the odds aren't in his favor. Pierce could be most affected by Rivers's inability to access the deep areas of the field. He was only targeted once in Week 15. The two players posted Utilization Scores of 44 and 24 in Week 15.

image.png

Pittman DOWNGRADES to high-end WR4 status and Pierce DOWNGRADES to mid-range WR5 territory. 

Note: Josh Downs saw a season-high 89% route participation rate in Week 15. The Colts may want to throw more quick passes and run more three-WR sets going forward. Still, it is hard to get excited about Downs with Rivers at QB in a crowded passing game. Downs is a WR5.

Tyler Warren | TE

Of the pass catchers, Warren might be the most insulated from the impact of Rivers. First, he gets something almost no other TE in the NFL gets—a very high route participation rate. The rookie ranks sixth in the NFL (84%) and has rarely left the field over the last two games (95% and 96%). Second, Warren primarily operates underneath with a 5.8 aDOT, which aligns with Rivers' style of play.

image.png

Warren already received a downgrade last week, but his Utilization in Week 15 was similar. Still, the offense's scoring upside is a significant concern, limiting his potential for a late-season boom. His historical comparisons have averaged 9.4 points, with 42% finishing between TE6 and TE12.

  • TE6 to TE12 performers: 42%
  • TE13 to TE18 performers: 42%
  • TE19 to TE24 performers: 13%

Warren is a borderline TE1.

5. Utilization Score Under & Overperformers

The Utilization Score is made up of the fantasy data points that have historically correlated the most strongly with future fantasy success. It is a similar but different concept compared to expected fantasy points. How it differs:

  • Accounts for snaps and routes in addition to attempts and targets.
  • Accounts for catchable targets and catchable air yards.
  • The underlying role accounts for ~75% of a player's Utilization Score.
  • Uses fantasy points per game (PPG) as a proxy for talent (i.e., has the player done something with their opportunities). Fantasy PPG is worth ~25% of a player's Utilization Score.

Underperformers are candidates for positive regression, making them potential buy-low targets. Overperformers are candidates for negative regression, making them sell-high options.

NO_saints-logo.svgChris Olave | WR | Saints (positive regression candidate)

  • Utilization Score last five weeks: 80 (ninth)
  • Fantasy points per game last five weeks: 14.3
  • Historical comps: 16.6
    • WR1 to WR6: 19%
    • WR7 to WR12: 51%
    • WR13 to WR18: 17%
    • WR19 to WR24: 9% 

OAK_raiders-logo.svgBrock Bowers | TE | Raiders (positive regression candidate)

  • Utilization Score last five weeks: 91
  • Fantasy points per game last five weeks: 14.3
  • Historical comps: 15.5
    • TE1 to TE3 performers: 80%
    • TE4 to TE6 performers: 20%

6. Utilization Score Trends

Trending Up

  • Blake Corum | RB | Rams: Corum's role change started in Week 9, but his fantasy points have boomed over the last month, pushing his Utilization Score five points higher. In his last three outings, Corum has delivered 14.1, 26.1 and 13.1 fantasy points. Since Week 9, he has averaged 10.1 attempts and 0.4 targets per game. The second-year back is outperforming his 39 Utilization Score over that span. However, he is playing at a high level in one of the NFL's best offenses. Corum leads all RBs with at least 100 attempts in 10-plus yard attempts (19.6%). The Rams reach the redzone on 41% of their drives (1st) and score a TD on 36% of their drives (1st). Corum is a boom-bust RB3.
     
  • Rashid Shaheed | WR | Seahawks: Shaheed has improved his Utilization Score by 14 points over the last four contests. In Week 15, he saw his highest route participation rate (82%) and target share (22%) with Seattle, operating slightly ahead of Cooper Kupp. He finished the day with 12.1 fantasy points and a 71 Utilization Score. The team didn't have their TE2, Elijah Arroyo, so it is hard to know how much of this boost came due to that, but Shaheed is trending in the right direction. He is the second-best WR on the Seahawks behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Shaheed UPGRADES to high-end WR4 territory and would offer WR2 upside if he overtakes Kupp for the No. 2 role.
     
  • Adonai Mitchell | WR | Jets: Mitchell's Utilization Score has risen 13 points in four games as the starter for the Jets. Over that span, he has averaged 12.8 fantasy points with a 77 Utilization Score. He has an impressive 27% target share, 57% of the endzone targets and 125 air yards per game. The QB situation remains precarious with Brady Cook as the starter, and we could see Garrett Wilson return, but Mitchell is making the most of his opportunities. Mitchell is a mid-range WR3 without Wilson and a WR4 upon his return.
     
  • Kyle Pitts | TE | Falcons: Pitts has enhanced his Utilization Score by 10 points in four games with Kirk Cousins at QB and Drake London (PCL) sidelined. Over that period, he has averaged 20.1 points with a 29% target share (8.5) and 74 air yards per game. London could return in Week 16, which would cut into Pitts' targets. Without London, Pitts is a top-four TE option. Upon his return, he is a mid-range TE1.

Trending Down

  • Bucky Irving | RB | Bucs: In three games since his return to the lineup, Irving's Utilization Score has dropped by nine points. Before his injury, he was the clear-cut RB1 for Tampa Bay. He still has a strong role with 15.3 attempts and 2.0 targets per game since his return. However, he has accounted for 0% of the attempts inside the five, with the team turning to Sean Tucker. Additionally, Rachaad White is handling about half of the passing-down work. Irving thrived on a less-than-perfect workload down the stretch in 2024, but he managed 100% of the totes inside the five, which has changed. Irving DOWNGRADES to low-end RB1 territory.
     
  • Omarion Hampton | RB | Chargers: Similar to Irving, Hampton has not returned to the same role he enjoyed before his injury. Over the last two games, his Utilization Score has dipped seven points. His workload improved in Week 15, which is a trend we could continue to see, but Kimani Vidal remained the RB1. Vidal outsnapped Hamption 63% to 37%. Hampton took over the lead rushing role with 54% of the attempts, but only registered a 21% route participation rate. Hampton has a Utilization Score of 51 over the last two games, which puts him in Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet territory. He still has a chance to reclaim a larger workload, but the season is running out. Hampton DOWNGRADES to borderline RB2 status.

7. Waiver Wire Roundup

QB

  • Marcus Mariota | Commanders: The Commanders have decided to shut Jayden Daniels (elbow) down for the rest of the season. Mariota will start the rest of the way and has averaged 17.1 fantasy points this season in seven starts. In those games, he has thrown for 215 yards and 1.4 TDs per contest. He has rushed for 37 yards and 0.15 TDs per contest. He gets a tough matchup against the Eagles in Week 16 but finishes the year against the Cowboys. Mariota is a mid-range QB2 with mid-range QB1 upside thanks to his dual-threat profile. He is available in 90% of leagues.

RB

  • Michael Carter | Cardinals: See No. 3 above. Carter is available in 95% of leagues.
     
  • Jawhar Jordan | Texans: Woody Marks suffered an ankle injury on the fourth series of the game. With Nick Chubb (ribs) also out, Jordan stepped into the lead role, scoring 13.8 fantasy points. After Marks left the game, Jordan handled 54% of the snaps and 72% of the attempts. Dare Ogunbowale played more of the pass downs, limiting Jordan to a 35% route participation rate. Jordan would be a borderline RB2 option if Marks and Chubb can't play in Week 16. He is available in 99% of leagues.
     
  • Malik Davis | Cowboys: Javonte Williams injured his shoulder in Week 15, and Hunter Luepke suffered a concussion. Williams returned, but Davis would be the next player up if he misses any time. Davis scored 11.7 fantasy points with a 28% rush share and 10% target share. He would be a low-end RB2 if Williams is out. Davis is available in 99% of leagues.

WR

  • Adonai Mitchell | Jets: See No. 6 above. Mitchell is available in 84% of Yahoo leagues.
     
  • Matthew Golden | Packers: Christian Watson suffered a chest/shoulder injury, knocking him out of the Week 15 matchup against the Broncos. The injury isn't believed to be serious, but his status for Week 16 is in jeopardy. After Watson departed from the game, Golden notched a 55% route participation rate and led the team with a 20% target share. The first-round rookie won't be easy to trust in Week 16 in that sort of role, but is worth stashing in deeper leagues. Golden is available in 68% of leagues.

TE

  • Colby Parkinson | Rams: Parkinson has eclipsed a 70% route participation rate in back-to-back contests. Over the last two weeks, he has a 72% route participation rate with an 18% target share. The veteran TE has averaged 18.4 points with an 81 Utilization Score. Tyler Higbee is eligible to return in Week 16, but we don't have a firm timeline. Parkinson UPGRADES to high-end TE2 territory in games without Higbee and is available in 96% of leagues.

Utilization Bytes For Week 16

Running Back

  • Isiah Pacheco | Chiefs: Pacheco regained the lead-ball-carrier role in Week 15, handling 56% of the rushing attempts. Kareem Hunt remained the primary passing-down option with a 51% route participation rate and handled all the short-yardage work. Pacheco is a borderline RB3 along with Hunt. 
     
  • Jacory Croskey-Merritt | Commanders: Chris Rodriguez Jr. (groin) was unable to play in Week 15, allowing Bill to regain the RB1 role. Croskey-Merritt scored 13.6 fantasy points with a 54 Utilization Score. He accounted for 62% of the rushing attempts, but rarely saw the field in the passing attack with a 19% route participation rate. Croskey-Merritt is an RB3 in games without Rodriguez.
     
  • James Cook | Bills: The Bills could be tightening up their backfield rotation with playoff seeding on the line. Cook has notched back-to-back 70%-plus snap shares (75% and 70%). Cook scorched the Patriots' defense for two rushing TDs and one receiving, unlocking 31.1 fantasy points. He achieved his highest Utilization Score of the year (89). Cook is a high-end RB1.
     
  • New Orleans Backfield | Saints: Devin Neal left the game with a hamstring injury after scoring a touchdown on the third possession. After his departure, the rushing attack diversified, with Evan Hull leading the way with 38% of attempts. Tyler Shough followed with 25%, and Taysom Hill (12.5%) and Audric Estime (12.5%) rounded things out. Hull is the favorite to lead the way if Neal misses time, but it could be a gross committee approach.
     
  • Rico Dowdle | Panthers: Coming out of the bye week, the Panthers opted for Dowdle as the RB1, leading to 12.4 fantasy points. It wasn't the workload we saw earlier in the year, but he led the team with a 59% snap share and 64% attempt share. He split the passing-down work with Chuba Hubbard. Both backs had a 45% route participation rate and 5% target share. Dowdle's historical comps have averaged 12.6 points, with the majority of his comps finishing in the low-end RB2 to high-end RB3 range (55%).  
     
  • Quinshon Judkins | Browns: Judkins bombed in the fantasy boxscore with only 4.7 points. However, he posted a season-high route participation rate of 55%, season-high routes and tied a season-high in targets at 13%. The Browns' offense is problematic, and the offensive line is hurting, but Judkins benefits from a role in the passing game. He profiles as a mid-range RB2 in games without Sampson.
     
  • Travis Etienne | Jaguars: Bhayshul Tuten suffered a finger injury and will miss multiple weeks. Over the last two games with Tuten missing time (fumbles and injuries), Etienne has scored 21.2 and 31.5 fantasy points. LeQuint Allen will remain involved on passing downs, but Etienne could handle 65% of the rushing workload and still see targets on early downs. Etienne UPGRADES to low-end RB1 territory.

Wide Receiver

  • Brian Thomas Jr. | Jaguars: Thomas got going in the fantasy boxscore with 17.1 points on a 25% target share in Week 15. In three games since his return from injury, he has averaged 11.2 points, but has beaten that mark in each of the last two games. Thomas UPGRADES to mid-range WR3 status. 
     
  • Green Bay | Packers: Christian Watson injured his shoulder on the sixth drive. While the injury isn't expected to keep him out long-term, we could see a short-term absence. After Watson exited, this was the Packers' pecking order by route participation rate and targets:
     
  • Los Angeles | Rams: Davante Adams injured his hamstring on the ninth possession in Week 15. The Rams rotated WRs in his absence over the final three drives. It's a small sample, and they were leading by 10 points when the injury occurred. But the Rams leaned even more into their 13 personnel (1 RB, 3 TEs) after Adams' departure:
     
  • Luther Burden | Bears: Burden was on pace for a season-high 75% route participation rate before leaving the game with an ankle sprain in the third quarter. He is day-to-day. With Rome Odunze in jeopardy of missing time due to reaggravating a stress fracture in his foot, Burden could make noise over the final two games if healthy.
     
  • Jauan Jennings | 49ers: Over the last four games, Jennings has a 23% target share and 14.3 fantasy points per game. His 89% route participation rate ranks first among WRs on the team and is battling George Kittle as one of the top two options not named Christian McCaffrey. Jennings is a mid-range WR3 with WR2 upside.
     
  • Michael Wilson | Cardinals: Wilson delivered 16.4 fantasy points against a stifling Texans defense. The third-year WR posted a 31% target share with 156 air yards. In four games without Marvin Harrison Jr., Wilson has delivered 33.5, 21.8, 37.2, and 16.4 points. Wilson is a WR1 in games without Harrison.
     
  • Rashee Rice | Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes suffered an ACL injury and is out for the remainder of the season. Gardner Minshew will step into the starting role, which is a significant downgrade. Rice leads the team with 9.6 targets per game (29%) since his return in Week 8. His opportunities should remain, but the Chiefs' team totals will decline in the coming games. Rice DOWNGRADES to borderline WR1 status and could fall further if Andy Reid can't work his magic with Minshew.
     
  • Tre Harris | Chargers: With Quentin Johnston out, Harris was the Chargers No. 2 WR in Week 15. The rookie posted an 82% route participation rate and a 19% target share. Harris is a low-end WR4 in games without Johnston.
     
  • Troy Franklin | Broncos: With Pat Bryant out, Franklin boomed with 20.8 fantasy points on a 21% target share. However, he played behind Lil'Jordan Humphrey, who bested the second-year WR in route participation, 76% vs. 62%. Franklin is a boom-bust WR4 option in games without Bryant.

Tight End

  • AJ Barner | Seahawks: With Elijah Arroyo out, Barner garnered a 79% route participation rate and 16% target share. Barner is a high-end TE2 option in games without Arroyo.
     
  • Dawson Knox | Bills: Knox continues to play a limited role with 44% and 43% route participation rates over the last two games. However, he has come through with 15.3 and 18.7 fantasy points thanks to 44% and 27% target per route run rates (TPRR). It is hard to sustain that sort of production in a part-time role, but the Bills are one of the better offenses in the league, and the WRs are terrible. Knox is a mid-range TE2.
     
  • George Kittle | 49ers: Kittle has a 94 Utilization Score with 18 fantasy points per game over the last four weeks. Over that span, he has a robust 29% target share, averaging 7.3 targets per contest. Kittle is a high-end TE1.
     
  • Harold Fannin Jr. | Browns: Fannin scored 12 fantasy points with a 90 Utilization Score in Week 15. He led the Browns with an insane 47% target share. Since taking over a full-time role in Week 12, he has averaged 14.3 points with an 89 Utilization Score. Fannin is a mid-range TE1 with high-end TE1 upside.   
     
  • Mike Gesicki | Bengals: With Tee Higgins out, Andre Iosivas kicked to the outside, and Gesicki played the WR3 role from the slot. He came up small in the fantasy box score with 2.1 points, but collected a season-high 75% route participation rate. Gesicki is a boom-bust TE2 in games without Higgins.
     
  • Oronde Gadsden | Chargers: Since the Week 12 bye, Gadsden has route participation rates of 68%, 71% and 61%. He managed to parlay a limited role into 10.1 fantasy points in Week 15 thanks to a 25% TPRR. However, the Chargers' passing attack is flat, and they have a -6% dropback rate over expected (DBOE) in three games since their bye. In a crowded passing attack, that isn't a good combination. Gadsden has a 54 Utilization Score over that period. He is a high-end TE2.
     
  • Travis Kelce | Chiefs: Kelce will face the rest of the season without Mahomes (ACL). The veteran has averaged 12.6 points per game on a 19% target share this year. Kelce DOWNGRADES to low-end TE1 territory.

Team Trends

We now have five weeks of data for most teams, making it a good time to examine team-level trends that affect fantasy production. You can find the data across all 32 NFL teams in the Team Styles tab of the Utilization Report tools.

  • Redzone Drive Rate vs. Touchdowns Drive Rate: Percentage of drives that reach the red zone versus how often the team is scoring a touchdown per drive. Large deltas indicate room for positive or negative regression.
    • Cardinals: 12% (35% vs. 23%)
    • Texans: 12% (30% vs. 18%)
    • Saints: 11% (26% vs. 15%)
    • Chargers: 11% (32% vs. 21%)
  • Dropback Over Expected (DBOE): How often teams pass the ball compared to their peers when considering the score differential over the last five weeks:
    • Cardinals: 10%
    • Raiders: 7%
    • Chiefs: 6%
    • Broncos: 6%
      ——
    • Bills: -5%
    • Faclons: -5%
    • Chargers: -5%
    • Bears: -5%
    • Ravens: -6%
    • Giants: -10%
    • Dolphins: -10% (pre MNF)
    • Other notable DBOE trends:
      • Cardinals: 6% DBOE in nine games with Jacoby Brissett as the starter
      • Bears: -5% DBOE in nine games since their bye week
      • Jaguars: -1% DBOE in seven games since their bye week
      • Lions: 2% DBOE in six games with Dan Campbell calling plays
      • Saints: -5% DBOE in six games with Tyler Shough as the starter
      • Browns: -2% DBOE in four games with Shedeur Sanders as the starter
      • Giants: -10% DBOE in four games under Mike Kafka
      • Falcons: -4% DBOE in four games with Kirk Cousins as the starter (with Drake London out)
      • 49ers: -2% DBOE in four games since Brock Purdy's return
      • Bengals: 3% DBOE in three games with Joe Burrow back
      • Raiders: 6% DBOE in three games with Greg Olson calling plays
  • Neutral Playclock: Teams that are leaving more or less time on the playclock when the score is within three points (neutral situations) over the last five weeks. The NFL average is 8.3 seconds.
    • Cowboys: 13.5
    • Chiefs: 10.6
    • 49ers: 10.1
    • Lions: 9.6
    • Texans: 9.4
      ——
    • Jets: 5.4
    • Panthers: 5.4
    • Cardinals: 5.2
  • Play action pass rate: Teams that are utilizing play action the most per dropback over the last five weeks, which adds value to WRs and TEs on a per-route basis in fantasy:
    • Dolphins: 43% (pre MNF)
    • Bears: 41%
    • Rams: 41%
    • Bills: 37%
      ——
    • Buccaneers: 21%
    • Jets: 21%
    • Chiefs: 19%
    • Chargers: 19%
    • Saints: 16%
    • Bengals: 16%

Players Mentioned in this Article

  1. Mike Evans
    MikeEvans
    WRTBTB
    PPG
    8.21
  2. Emeka Egbuka
    EmekaEgbuka
    WRTBTB
    PPG
    8.54
  3. Chris Godwin
    ChrisGodwin
    WRTBTB
    PPG
    6.24
  4. Tyrone Tracy
    TyroneTracy
    RBNYGNYG
    PPG
    7.77