What Is Utilization And How Does It Help In Fantasy Football?

Navigating the ever-changing waters of a fantasy football season isn't easy. We walk away from our drafts with an air of confidence. Then, chaos ensues. Players we thought were good capsize, and unknowns emerge from the depths to conquer leagues from the waiver wire.

• Should I bench my underperforming RB1?
• Who are the top waiver wire options?
• My WR2 is out for the season. Who should I target in a trade?
• Is this recent breakout from my TE real, or should I sell high?

Lineup Decisions

Scenario: It's Week 7. Josh Jacobs has registered only one top-12 performance through the first six games, averaging 12.3 fantasy points. You are considering benching him for Jameson Williams in the flex position, who has averaged 14.7 points over five contests.

Utilization Says: Stick with Jacobs. While Williams bested him early, Jacobs' Utilization Score (70) is stronger than Williams' (65). Jacobs is operating as a near-every-down option with a 65% snap share and is dominating high-leverage opportunities, handling 86% of carries inside the 5-yard line and accounting for 70% of snaps in the two-minute offense. He is due for positive regression. Williams has lived chiefly off big plays with an 18% target share and is due for negative regression.

Result: Positive regression hits for Jacobs with 20.2 fantasy points in Week 7. But he doesn't stop there, averaging a whopping 20.5 points the rest of the season. Williams duds with 0.6 points, averaging 13.3 points the rest of the way.

The Waiver Wire

Scenario: It's Week 3, and you don't love your depth at running back after an injury to Isiah Pacheco. You aren't at the top of the waiver wire after missing out on Carson Steele. You need a pre-emptive add on the down low who could develop into an eventual starter.

Utilization Says: Stash Bucky Irving on your bench. Irving was my No. 1 must-roster add of the week heading into Week 4 after surging to a team-leading 56% attempt share in Week 3 with Rachaad White battling a groin injury. Pairing that information with his strong preseason performance and the coaching staff's lack of enthusiasm regarding White's less-assertive running style, Irving became a high-upside bet. He was available in 65% of leagues at the time.

Result: Irving posted an RB21 finish with 12.5 fantasy points in Week 4. In Week 6, an injury to White opened the door for an 18.5-point performance, and his role continued to grow the rest of the season. After the Week 11 bye, the team instituted Irving as its RB1, and he rewarded fantasy managers with 21.6 points per contest over his final five healthy games, including a monster 23-point outing in the fantasy championship.

Trades

Scenario 1: You are heading into Week 5 and your WR2, Jaylen Waddle, has been a massive disappointment with only 9.7 fantasy points per game. The waiver wire is picked over, so you need someone to target in a trade.

Utilization Says: Buy low on Drake London. London's 13 points per game were an immediate upgrade over Waddle, but what interests you most is his potential for much more. London boasts a 73 Utilization Score with a mouth-watering 28% target share. His historical Utilization Score comps have averaged 16.7 points per game and finished as low-end WR1s.

Result: London breaks out with 33.4 points in Week 5 and averages 17.6 points the rest of the way, operating as the WR10. That's a pretty juicy upgrade over his WR20 standing when you pulled the trigger on a trade to add London!

Scenario 2: You grabbed Tucker Kraft off the waiver wire to start in place of David Njoku until he returns. Now Njoku is back, and a leaguemate is pestering you about a trade for Kraft. However, you are tentative due to Kraft's 17.3 and 24.8-point outbursts over the last two games.