Box Score Breakdown: Week 5 Snaps, Routes, Personnel and Usage

Week 5 was a wild one, with 10 of 13 games going down to the wire ahead of MNF, including a pair of overtime thrillers in which both teams scored 30-plus points and both QBs threw for at least three touchdowns. The Broncos, Bears and Commanders — all led by rookie QBs — were the only teams to win comfortably without theatrics inside of the two-minute warning.

It's been the highest-scoring week of the season so far, by a long shot, with teams averaging 24.8 points and 64.7 plays (compared to Week 1-4 averages of 21.7 points and 60.9 plays). Offenses weren't all that much better from an efficiency standpoint, but QBs pushed the ball downfield a bit more than in previous weeks (8.1 aDOT, compared to 7.5 for Weeks 1-4) and completed a lower percentage of passes (63.4% vs. 66.1%) for more yards per attempt (7.3 vs. 7.0), which meant more clock-stopping incompletions and more big plays, thus boosting overall play volume. 

We also had some big plays on special teams, namely a pair of blocked field goals returned for touchdowns, plus a pair of defensive TDs that originated in the opponent's end zone and covered more than 100 yards. It was truly one of the most exciting regular-season weeks on record, featuring something fun for everyone (besides Breece Hall's fantasy managers).

Now that we're more than one-fourth of the way into the season and a lot of roles/usage stuff is well established, I'm going to focus more of my recap energy on specific situations rather than commenting on all the stuff that basically amounts to normal variations in production or target/carry volume. You may notice fewer notes below, with more of my focus going toward role changes, injury situations and key rookies or breakout players. As always, I'm happy to discuss anyone or anything else in the comments at the bottom (or on twitter - @Rotocats).

Any RB/WR/TE with a target, carry or snap share of at least 15 percent is listed below. Any personnel grouping used on at least 10 percent of snaps is listed, in addition to rates for 11 and 12 personnel (by far the two most popular sets league-wide).

Buccaneers (30) at Falcons (36) - OT

Buccaneers Personnel: 11 - 69% / 12 - 20%

51 Plays — 30 DBs — 5.6 aDOT — 19-of-24 for 180 yards — 3 TDs, 0 INT, 1 sack, 5 scrambles

• RB Bucky Irving got nearly half the RB touches for a third straight week and topped 40% snap share for a second straight game, but he lost a fumble with three minutes remaining and the Bucs up by three points.
  • Irving did get two of four carries on the next drive (one of which was wiped out by a holding penalty), so the Bucs apparently weren't too discouraged by his fumble.
• WR Sterling Shepard filled in as the No. 3 receiver and scored a TD on his lone reception with Jalen McMillan (hamstring) and Trey Palmer (concussion) inactive.

Falcons Personnel: 11 - 99% / 12 - 0%

81 Plays — 63 DBs — 7.7 aDOT — 42-of-59 for 509 yards — 4 TDs, 1 INT, 4 sacks, 0 scrambles

• RB Bijan Robinson took less than 70% of snaps for a second straight week, after logging 74% or more in each of Atlanta's first three games. 
  • Tyler Allgeier got only nine snaps and three touches Week 1 but now has four straight games with at least seven touches and 12 snaps, including back-to-back games with 20-plus snaps and multiple targets.
  • Robinson's touches by week, starting from the opener: 23, 18, 18, 11, 15
  • Robinson has been more efficient with his targets this year, catching 95% after only 67% last season, but his target rate per route has dropped from 23% to 17% with the Falcons swapping out Arthur Smith for a WR-loving McVay acolyte.
• WR Drake London got a bit banged up and missed a few snaps, and he was subbed out on the overtime drive after receptions of 6 and 18 yards on back-to-back plays. KhaDarel Hodge came on for London and had a 45-yard, catch-and-run, walk-off touchdown.
  • WR Darnell Mooney had a crucial drop but still put up his best stat line of a shockingly productive season. He's up to 24% target share and 37% air yard share, right in the same range as London in terms of dominating a passing game that's become increasingly friendly from both a volume and efficiency standpoint.
• TE Kyle Pitts had his best game of the season but was still only fourth on the team in targets, behind all three of the starting WRs. Ray-Ray McCloud has more targets than Pitts in four of five games so far.

Stock ⬆️:   WRs Darnell Mooney & Drake London

Stock ⬇️:   RB Bijan Robinson

  Buccaneers Injuries 🚑: S Jordan Whitehead (groin)   

  Falcons Injuries 🚑: CB Dee Alford (concussion)

Jets (17) at Vikings (23) 

Jets Personnel: 11 - 73% / 12 - 24%

71 Plays — 57 DBs — 7.2 aDOT — 29-of-54 for 244 yards — 2 TDs, 3 INTs, 3 sacks, 0 scrambles

• RB Breece Hall had another rough week but has still topped 70% snap share each week this season, and his share of the RB opportunities was up to 65% in this one (13 of 20), after slipping to 55% in Week 3 and 63% in Week 4. Braelon Allen's involvement is frustrating for Hall drafters, but the bigger problem(s) of late have been terrible play-calling/scheming, subpar blocking and tough matchups against two red-hot defenses (DEN, MIN) that rank Top 8 in YPC allowed, EPA/carry and rushing success rate.
• WR Garrett Wilson finally had a huge fantasy game, although it required 22 targets and he's still running way too many short, perimeter routes that require precise route-running to gain not many yards. Criticizing Nathaniel Hackett may be old hat, but it's fair. He stinks, and the Jets should use their upcoming bye to drastically rethink what they're doing on offense.
• I want Aaron Rodgers to do well, rather than providing more LOLJets material, but it's painful listening to broadcasters try to blame his receiver for a back-shoulder throw that's five yards off target or one of his linemen for a sack that happens 4-5 seconds after the snap. 
  • Speaking of painful... Rodgers sprained an ankle but was able to play the entire game. He also had some issues with his legs the week before, and was listed with a knee injury on the Week 5 practice reports. He should be ready to play Week 6 against the Bills on Monday Night Football.

Vikings Personnel: 11 - 61% / 12 - 18% / 21 - 21%

66 Plays — 37 DBs — 13.7 aDOT — 15-of-32 for 203 yards — 0 TD, 1 INT, 4 sacks, 1 scramble

• RB Aaron Jones had 54 total yards in the first quarter before leaving with a hip injury and missing the rest of the game.
  • RB Ty Chandler played 83% of snaps after the first quarter, getting 16 of the 19 RB opportunities. It amounted to only 39 scrimmage yards against a tough defense, but the role alone gives him an RB2 projection if Jones isn't ready after the Week 6 bye.
  • Jones is scheduled for an MRI on Monday.
• Jones is the only Viking besides Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison with more than seven total targets in the three games Addison has played (Weeks 1, 4-5). 
  • Jefferson has 28 targets (36%) and 376 air yards (46%) in those three games, with Addison getting 16 targets (21%) and 272 air yards (33%).
• WR Jalen Nailor wasn't targeted, but he got 56% of snaps and 58% of routes, working as the clear No. 3 receiver over Brandon Powell for the first time in Addison's three games.
  • Nailor has only three targets on 44 routes in the three games Addison has played. In the two games Addison missed, Nailor still had an extremely low target rate (eight on 60 routes, 13.3% TPRR)
• QB Sam Darnold missed one snap after taking a hard hit to the torso. He returned to the game and will now have a bye week to rest.

Stock ⬆️:   RB Ty Chandler 

Stock ⬇️:   QB Aaron Rodgers

  Jets Injuries 🚑: QB Aaron Rodgers (ankle) + CB Michael Carter (hamstring)

  Vikings Injuries 🚑: RB Aaron Jones (hip) 

Dolphins (15) at Patriots (10) 

Dolphins Personnel: 11 - 27% / 12 - 9% / 21 - 48% / 22 - 13%

75 Plays — 36 DBs — 9.6 aDOT — 18-of-31 for 194 yards — 0 TD, 1 INT, 3 sacks, 2 scrambles

• RB De'Von Achane was concussed in the first quarter, finishing his day with four touches for 17 yards. He took 11 of 14 snaps before the injury, with Raheem Mostert playing four (two touches) and Jaylen Wright taking two (one touch).
  • It's promising for Wright long term that he got a couple of snaps even before Achane's concussion, not to mention 12 carries for 82 yards after the injury.
• RB stats post-Achane injury:
  • Mostert: 60% snaps, 17 carries, two targets, 94 total yards
  • Wright: 37% snaps, 12 carries, zero targets, 82 total yards
    • Remember that Miami has a Week 6 bye and won't get QB Tua Tagovailoa back until at least Week 8. Still, Wright is a good bench stash in most formats if you can afford some patience. And Mostert obviously needs to be rostered, although his usage before the Achane injury wasn't encouraging.
• TE Jonnu Smith was targeted eight times and had 62 yards, but his snap share (39%) and route share (56%) were only up slightly compared to previous weeks.
• WR Odell Beckham saw two incomplete targets on nine routes in his season debut, including an intercepted pass on a play where CB Christian Gonzalez jumped his slant route.

Patriots Personnel: 11 - 58% / 12 - 35%

55 Plays — 37 DBs — 9.1 aDOT — 18-of-34 for 160 yards — 0 TD, 0 INT, 2 sacks, 1 scramble

• RB Rhamondre Stevenson's benching lasted for one drive, a three-and-out. Stevenson then scored a 33-yard TD on the subsequent drive, housing his third touch in a span of three snaps.
  • RB Antonio Gibson played more than usual, but that was partially a result of getting 10 snaps to Stevenson's five on the final two drives in comeback mode. If we don't count the opening drive or the final two series, then Stevenson got 56% of snaps and 15 of the 20 RB opportunities, with Gibson at 37% and just five opps.
• WR Ja'Lynn Polk was a full-time player for a second straight week, playing 100% of snaps after 82% the week before. He finished second on the team with six targets, behind only slot man DeMario Douglas (nine), with Polk's first two targets being downfield into tight coverage and his next two being shorter looks in tight coverage.
  • After starting with four incompletions, Polk's fifth target was a 13-yard gain over the middle on a play where Jacoby Brissett ran around a bit. Polk's sixth and final target was the memorable one, as he appeared to score a go-ahead TD from 12 yards out with 68 seconds remaining, only to have it overturned because his second foot inbounds was a "toe-heel, not a drag". 
• WR Kendrick Bourne got only 27% of snaps, nine routes and one target in his first game back from an ACL tear. Fellow WR K.J. Osborn was inactive with a shoulder injury.
  • Kayshon Boutte took most of Osborn's snaps and was targeted twice on 21 routes (similar to Osborn's extremely low target rate).

Stock ⬆️:   RB Jaylen Wright  /   WR Ja'Lynn Polk

Stock ⬇️:   QB Jacoby Brissett

  Dolphins Injuries 🚑: RB De'Von Achane (head) + S Jevon Holland (hand)  

Bills (20) at Texans (23) 

Bills Personnel: 11 - 54% / 12 - 15% / 6OL - 25%

59 Plays — 35 DBs — 12.5 aDOT — 9-of-30 for 131 yards — 1 TD, 0 INT, 1 sack, 4 scrambles

• With WR Khalil Shakir (ankle) inactive, Curtis Samuel got a big boost in playing time but the other main wideouts didn't, with Tyrell Shavers instead taking 27% of snaps and 26% of routes to help fill the void.
  • WR Keon Coleman had a 49-yard, catch-and-run touchdown on a fourth down but otherwise saw just four incomplete targets on an afternoon when Josh Allen completed nine of 30 pass attempts and settled for a bunch of low-probability heaves downfield.
• Allen missed one snap late in the game after his head smashed against the ground and he was slow to get up / looked confused. It was reported as an ankle injury, curiously, and he returned in short order.
  • The NFL seems to have an unwritten rule that concussion protocol can be skirted by top players in close games, which lends credence to the idea that new rules to "improve player safety" often have ulterior motivations, like pumping up scoring. A real cynic might even point out how those changes have added more subjectivity to refereeing, which definitely impacts every team the same and doesn't at all help legendary players like Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, because NFL refs are robots and totally immune to subconscious biases or playing favorites.
  • Allen is down to QB6 in standard fantasy scoring, with two huge games, two terrible ones and now one mediocre stat line. He hasn't scored a rushing TD since Week 1 and is averaging only 26.2 pass attempts for 189.0 yards per game. Allen is playing well, but the more RB-friendly nature of the offense under Joe Brady — along with the lousy WR group — leaves Allen with an uphill battle to outscore Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels in fantasy. His per-game scoring is also well behind Baker Mayfield, Jordan Love, Joe Burrow and Joe Flacco, and in the same range as Geno Smith, Kyler Murray, Dak Prescott, Justin Fields and Jalen Hurts. There's real risk Allen is merely an acceptable QB1 this year, rather than the elite one he's long been.
    • Allen has just two of Buffalo's 13 carries inside the 10-yard line, and none of the five carries inside the 5.

Texans Personnel: 11 - 67% / 12 - 33%

67 Plays — 42 DBs — 5.6 aDOT — 28-of-38 for 331 yards — 1 TD, 1 INT, 1 sack, 3 scrambles

• RB Cam Akers made his third consecutive start and scored his second TD in that period, but his snap share has dropped with each passing game, going from 43% in Week 3 to 38% in Week 4 to 33% in Week 5 (even though Houston led for nearly the entire game).
  • RB Dare Ogunbowale got 69% of snaps and 22 of the 34 RB opportunities, including 15 of the 24 carries even though he's always been a passing-down specialist and special-teams guy.
  • RB Dameon Pierce (hamstring) practiced Friday, so either he or Joe Mixon (ankle) may be ready for Week 6. Still, Ogunbowale is worth adding in case both of Houston's top two RBs are out again.
• WR Nico Collins left with a hamstring injury after scoring a 67-yard TD on a deep bomb late in the first quarter. He was listed on the Week 4 injury report with a hamstring injury, but he avoided a game designation after being limited in only one practice and then put 12-151-1 on Jacksonville's pathetic defense.
  • Early reports suggest it's not an especially bad hamstring injury, but there will still be considerable re-injury risk if Collins is back for Week 6 or 7.
  • WR Xavier Hutchinson took most of the vacated snaps, whereas Robert Woods filled in for Tank Dell the previous week when Dell was inactive due to a chest/rib injury.
• Dell was targeted just four times on 33 routes, dropping his already-disappointing TPRR down even further to 16% for the season. His route shares haven't been much different from Stefon Diggs', but Diggs is getting way more targets all the same.

Stock ⬆️:   RB Dare Ogunbowale

Stock ⬇️:   QB Josh Allen

  Bills Injuries 🚑: QB Josh Allen (ankle, not a concussion, definitely not a concussion)    

  Texans Injuries 🚑: WR Nico Collins (hamstring) + S Jimmie Ward (groin)

Browns (13) at Commanders (34) 

Browns Personnel: 11 - 69% / 12 - 31%

59 Plays — 39 DBs — 9.1 aDOT — 16-of-29 for 141 yards — 1 TD, 0 INT, 7 sacks, 3 scrambles

• Coach Kevin Stefanski said after the game that Deshaun Watson is still the starting QB, but there's no way this can persist beyond another week or two, especially when the team has a competent backup in Jameis Winston.
• RB D'Onta Foreman had more of a role this week, including 50% of snaps and four carries in the first quarter. Garbage time wasn't a huge factor, as he and Jerome Ford shared the work, including Ford taking a carry on the very last snap of the game.
  • Ford dropped to 59% snap share, down from 83% in Week 4 and 77% in Week 4. He finished with 12 of the 24 RB opportunities (50%), after taking 31 of 38 (82%) over the previous two games. Given Nick Chubb's potential return soon and the disastrous state of Cleveland's offense, Ford seems unlikely to provide much additional value.
• TE David Njoku returned from a high-ankle sprain and took 63% of snaps in the first half, but he then injured his knee in the third quarter and didn't play in the fourth.
  • Njoku looks bigger and slower this year, and he was targeted just three times on 20 routes Sunday, with his only catch being a gimme on the first snap of the game.
• WR Amari Cooper is the 2024 king of production-free air yards. He had the 86-yard, two-TD game Week 3 but has otherwise seen at least eight targets and 67 air yards each week without scoring more than 10 PPR points. It doesn't help that he keeps dropping passes; the count varies site from site, but basically everyone has him among the top/bottom 5 for most drops. There's still plenty of long-term upside, of course, given the possibility of Winston making starts and the offensive line getting healthier.
• Eight Browns exited the game early, including one with a facial laceration (S Rodney McLeod), one with cramping (LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah) and one with an illness (DE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo). A few others said the dog ate their homework, but Cleveland's coaches were too busy napping to hear the excuse.

Commanders Personnel: 11 - 60% / 12 - 22%

65 Plays — 37 DBs — 11.3 aDOT — 15-of-28 for 236 yards — 1 TD, 1 INT, 3 sacks, 6 scrambles

• RB Brian Robinson played through his injury and scored two short TDs, playing 54% of snaps in the first half  before sitting out the entire second half. No injury/aggravation was reported, so it may have just been a product of Washington exercising caution with an 18-point lead and two solid backfield alternatives in Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols.
• With WR Noah Brown (groin) inactive, Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus split the No. 2 receiver role. Brown had a 42-yard, deep-ball TD but only one other target on 19 routes. 
• WR Terry McLaurin leads the league in air-yard share (57%) and is fifth in air yards (537). He lost a fumble on an end-around but otherwise had another impressive game, with gains of 66 and 23 yards against a solid secondary. The 66-yarder came up three yards shy of the end zone.
• Ekeler hasn't lost a step. He could still produce as a strong RB1 for fantasy if he were on a different team.

Stock ⬆️:   WR Terry McLaurin

Stock ⬇️:   QB Deshaun Watson + RB Jerome Ford

  Browns Injuries 🚑: TE David Njoku (knee) + CB Denzel Ward (hamstring) + C Ethan Pocic (knee) + DE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (illness) + S Grant Delpit (head)    

Ravens (41) at Bengals (38) 

Ravens Personnel: 11 - 30% / 12 - 35% / 21 - 10% / 22 - 18%

77 Plays — 47 DBs — 9.5 aDOT — 26-of-42 for 348 yards — 4 TDs, 0 INT, 1 sacks, 4 scrambles

• TE Mark Andrews made some nice plays in the second half and played more snaps than he had Weeks 3-4, but he still ran a route on less than half of Lamar Jackson's dropbacks.
  • Andrews was wide open for a TD late in the game, but an underthrow by Jackson led to Andrews being tackled at the 2-yard line and Charlie Kolar scoring a TD on the next play.
    • Kolar had a randomly great game, with four targets on seven routes, including the short TD and a 55-yard rumble.
• Isaiah Likely scored two TDs but was targeted just three times on 30 routes. He hasn't seen many passes since Week 1, it's increasingly clear the Ravens prefer him to Andrews in obvious passing situations (they sometimes use both together, of course).
  • Likely's 70% route share was a season high, and the 70% snap share matched his previous season high from the Week 1 explosion at Kansas City.
• RB Derrick Henry played 68% of snaps in the first half and 24% in the second half. His 51-yard, game-winning run in overtime accounted for more than half his yardage, but he still did fine for fantasy thanks to his seventh TD of the season.
  • Henry is tied for the league lead with nine carries inside the 5-yard line this season. That accounts for 100% of the team total, and while he's converted only three of them, he also has a five-yard TD rush, a five-yard TD catch and two scores from long distance.

Bengals Personnel: 11 - 65% / 12 - 25% / 6OL - 11%

65 Plays — 42 DBs — 8.2 aDOT — 30-of-39 for 392 yards — 5 TDs, 1 INT, 3 sacks, 0 scrambles

• RB Zack Moss left the game with four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter after Ravens OLB Odafe Oweh landed on his lower leg while making a chase-down tackle (not technically a hip drop because Oweh's body never fully left the ground). It didn't look good, but Moss surprisingly returned for one carry, only to be stuffed at the line of scrimmage and then come out for the rest of the game. The Bengals reportedly are optimistic, but there's still concern about a possible high-ankle sprain
  • No. 2 back Chase Brown has outplayed Moss recently and scored his third TD in two weeks in Sunday's loss. Moss is a better pass-blocker and probably has better vision, but the speed differential between the two is gargantuan. That said, Moss was the clear leader of the backfield before his injury, whereas the split was closer to 50/50 in a comfortable win over Carolina the week before.
• Moss is the only Bengal besides Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase with more than 10 targets in the three games since Higgins returned from his hamstring injury. Higgins actually has five more targets and 62 more air yards than Chase in that period, but Chase has been the big-play merchant, including two long TDs that were mostly YAC-based.

Stock ⬆️:   RB Chase Brown 

Stock ⬇️:   TE Mark Andrews

  Ravens Injuries 🚑: CB Marlon Humphrey (lower leg)

  Bengals Injuries 🚑: CB Dax Hill (knee - possible ACL tear)

Colts (34) at Jaguars (37) 

Colts Personnel: 11 - 72% / 12 - 23%

69 Plays — 50 DBs — 7.6 aDOT — 34-of-45 for 383 yards — 3 TDs, 0 INT, 4 sacks, 1 scramble

• RB Trey Sermon took 58% of snaps and 16 of the 24 RB opportunities (67%), including 53% of snaps and a short TD in the fourth quarter when Indianapolis was trailing.
  • Tyler Goodson ran just one more route than Sermon and saw three fewer targets and five fewer carries.
• WR Adonai Mitchell is the only Colt besides Josh Downs and Michael Pittman with more than seven targets in the three games Downs has played. And Mitchell saw just four targets in the first two games with Downs playing, followed by seven targets on 11 routes in Sunday's loss.
  • WR Alec Pierce still got far more snaps and routes than Mitchell, and Pierce incredibly turned a zero-target game into a 134-yard performance with catches of 24 and 45 yards with about five minutes remaining, followed by a 65-yard TD just inside of the three-minute mark. He scored 22.4 PPR points in a snap of five snaps after failing to draw a target on the Colts' first 62 plays of the game.
    • Pierce incredibly has a 13-368-3 receiving line on 17 targets, good for 28.3 yards per catch and 21.6 per target. He'll set some records if he gets enough volume to qualify... a big 'if' given his 13% TPRR and the reality of running so many clear-out routes.

Jaguars Personnel: 11 - 61% / 12 - 23%

57 Plays — 34 DBs — 6.3 aDOT — 28-of-34 for 371 yards — 2 TDs, 1 INT, 0 sacks, 0 scrambles

• RB Tank Bigsby played more snaps than Travis Etienne for the first time, with Bigsby getting more than twice as many carries (13-6) and taking two of them for TDs of 19 and 65 yards.
  • Etienne semi-saved his fantasy day with seven targets on 14 routes, but he played just 17% of snaps in the second half after 58% in the first half. D'Ernest Johnson also took a decent bit of playing time, in addition to Bigsby's more impressive involvement. In fact, Johnson played more second-half snaps (eight) than Etienne (five).
  • Coach Doug Pederson said Etienne is still the starter, noting that Etienne's workload was scaled back in the second half because he aggravated the shoulder injury he suffered the previous week. In other words, it'll be hard to start either Etienne or Bigsby as a fantasy starter these next couple weeks. Note that Etienne was ceding a lot of snaps before the injury aggravation, albeit with a very high rate of touches per snap.
• WR Brian Thomas reached 22.15 mph on his 85-yard TD, the fastest speed by a ballcarrier this season. I guess that's what you'd expect from a guy who ran 4.34 40 and got behind the defense before running 60 yards straight forward. Still, it was impressive to watch him leave two defenders in the dust, including safety Julian Blackmon, who probably had a decent enough angle to catch 95 percent of wide receivers... just not Thomas.
  • Thomas is up to 2.78 yards per route run, the third best mark by a rookie through Week 5 since at least 2000 (100 route min.), per Austin Gayle of The Ringer. The only WRs with better rookie-year marks through Week 5 were Greg Jennings (3.28) and Ja'Marr Chase (2.98).
  • Thomas is ninth in fantasy scoring among WRs, with 22% target share, 30% air yard share and 25% TPRR. He can be treated as a fantasy WR2 for now.
• Christian Kirk dropped to 54% snap share and 68% route share, playing zero of the 23 snaps in multi-TE formations. Gabe Davis took 13 of the 23, with Thomas getting nine, Tim Jones getting, Devin Duvernay three and Parker Washington two.
  • In 12 personnel, Davis took 14 of 18 snaps and Thomas took nine of 18.
  • The Jags usually use more 11 personnel, so this isn't necessarily a big concern for Kirk, nor is it anything entirely how. He did, however, get one-third of the snaps in 12 personnel Weeks 1-4, which is better than taking none of them like this past Sunday.

Stock ⬆️:   RB Tank Bigsby + WR Brian Thomas  /   WR Josh Downs

Stock ⬇️:   RB Travis Etienne

  Colts Injuries 🚑: G Will Fries (broken tibia)    

Panthers (10) at Bears (36) 

Panthers Personnel: 11 - 72% / 12 - 14%

58 Plays — 4 DBs — 7.4 aDOT — 22-of-35 for 194 yards — 0 TD, 1 INT, 4 sacks, 2 scrambles

• It was a rough day for Carolina's offense, scoring 10 points and losing four starters to injuries (see below). Only RB Chuba Hubbard escaped unscathed for fantasy purposes, thanks to a 38-yard TD run in the second quarter.
  • Hubbard took 76% of snaps and 17 of 19 RB opportunities before the final five minutes, while Miles Sanders saw all three of his targets from Bryce Young on the final drive deep in garbage time 
    • WR Diontae Johnson was also rested for the final drive. He played 90% of snaps before that.
• WR Xavier Legette played 75% of snaps pre-halftime before missing the entire second half with a shoulder injury.
  • WR Jalen Coker filled in with 81% snap share in the second half, catching three passes for 37 yards after catching a 31-yarder at the end of the first half.
• TE Tommy Tremble played 84% of snaps prior to losing a fumble late in the second quarter. Tremble was concussed on the play and missed the rest of the game, which led to rookie Ja'Tavion Sanders playing 98% of snaps the rest of the way.
  • The Panthers lost four of their 11 starters on offense to injuries in this one. Legette, Tremble, C Austin Corbett and RT Taylor Moton.

Bears Personnel: 11 - 71% / 12 - 19%

69 Plays — 35 DBs — 7.6 aDOT — 20-of-29 for 304 yards — 2 TDs, 0 INT, 1 sack, 5 scrambles

• RB D'Andre Swift got 67% of snaps for a second straight week, this time taking 23 of the 33 RB opportunities en route to 120 total yards and a TD.
  • Swift also had 67% snap share and 23 opportunities (out of 33) the week before.
    • RB Roschon Johnson was again the No. 2 back and scored a pair of one-yard TD after punching one in the week before, but his first score came after Swift had a one-yard touchdown canceled by a penalty and then took another carry from the 3-yard line. Two drives later, Swift got carries on back-to-back plays from the 2-yard line and the 1-yard line, converting on the second. Then, in the third quarter, Swift got a carry from the 2-yard line before a clipping penalty moved Chicago back from the goal line. Finally, midway through the fourth quarter, Swift got carries from the 7-yard line and 6-yard line before a penalty set Johnson up for a 1-yard TD. 
      • Long story short.... Johnson and Swift shared the goal-line work. Also, Johnson was stuffed on a 3rd-and-2 and then 4th-and-1 on consecutive plays in the second quarter. This might've been the all-time record for most short-yardage opportunities for a single team.... not really, but it's rare to see anything close to this quantity.
• WR DJ Moore scored from 34 and 30 yards out. There had been some rumblings of frustration, so a two-TD game with a team-high eight targets should keep things jolly in Chicago, at least for now.
  • It's still kind of hard to tell how the WR distribution will play out with Moore, Allen and Odunze all healthy. Here's what we have for Weeks 1, 4 and 5:
    • Moore: 28% TS / 39% AYS
    • Allen: 25% TS / 30% AYS
    • Odunze: 17% TS / 18% AYS
    • Swift: 13% TS  /  0% AYS
    • Kmet: 10% TS  / 9% AYS
      • That might seem clear at first glance, but Allen's volume was heavily concentrated in Week 1, which was Odunze's NFL debut, and both Odunze and Kmet had massive games while Allen was out Weeks 2-3. Moore's usage has really been the only consistent thing, but even then there have been weeks where it was almost all short/quick stuff.

Stock ⬆️:   RB D'Andre Swift

Stock ⬇️:   QB Andy Dalton

  Panthers Injuries 🚑: WR Xavier Legette (shoulder) + TE Tommy Tremble (concussion) + C Austin Corbett (biceps) + OT Taylor Moton (elbow) + OLB Jadeveon Clowney (shoulder)   

  Bears Injuries 🚑: G Teven Jenkins (ankle)

Raiders (18) at Broncos (34) 

Raiders Personnel: 11 - 66% / 12 - 28%

65 Plays — 42 DBs — 8.3 aDOT — 22-of-37 for 231 yards — 1 TD, 3 INTs, 3 sacks, 2 scrambles

• RB Alexander Mattison got 57% of snaps and 18 of 26 RB opportunities with Zamir White (groin) inactive.
  • Mattison didn't play in the fourth quarter, apart from scoring a two-point conversion. Before that, he took 81% of snaps and 18 of the 23 RB opportunities.
  • Ameer Abdullah played 100% of snaps in the fourth quarter and scored a three-yard TD with four minutes remaining.
  • Mattison's huge role was especially interesting because coach Antonio Pierce mentioned the likelihood of giving him more work early last week, before it was known that White would miss time. And White didn't practice at all last week, so additional missed games wouldn't be surprising.
• TE Brock Bowers had a 57-yard TD on the opening drive. His other 11 targets produced only 40 yards, but the role/usage was still highly encouraging, with Bowers' snap share (78%) and route share (80%) both being new high-water marks (as were the 12 targets).
• QB Aidan O'Connell replaced Gardner Minshew after Minshew tossed his second pick of the game late in the third quarter.
  • O'Connell then completed 10 of 20 passes for 95 yards, producing eight points on four drives. He threw five passes apiece to Bowers, Jakobi Meyers and DJ Turner (although one of Turner's didn't officially count as a target because of a penalty.
• Receiving shares in two games without WR Davante Adams (hamstring):
  • Meyers: 32% TS / 39% AYS
  • Bowers: 25% TS / 18% AYS
  • Tucker: 18% TS / 26% AYS
  • Turner: 8% TS / 20% AYS
  • RBs: 13.4% TSX

Broncos Personnel: 11 - 53% / 12 - 12% / 6OL - 12%

58 Plays — 31 DBs — 5.7 aDOT — 19-of-27 for 206 yards — 2 TDs, 0 INT, 3 sacks, 1 scramble

• RB Javonte Williams has back-to-back games with at least 18 touches, 59% snap share and 80 total yards. (But still no touchdowns.)
  • Williams didn't play the final five snaps. Before that he got 68% of snaps and 19 of the 27 RB opportunities. 
  • Williams got two carries from the 5-yard line and another from the 3-yard line, but the short TDs ultimately were a four-yard catch by Jaleel McLaughlin on third down and then a one-yard sneak by Bo Nix.
    • Nix has three of the team's four rushing TDs this year.
• WR Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims both got some playing time, with Franklin notably having a 20-yard gain to set up a field goal but then dropping what should've been a 45-yard TD late in the third quarter.
• TE Greg Dulcich was a healthy scratch, leaving tight end as a three-way timeshare between guys that all landed below one-third route share.

Stock ⬆️:   RB Alexander Mattison / RB Javonte Williams 

Stock ⬇️:   QB Gardner Minshew  /   TE Greg Dulcich

  Raiders Injuries 🚑: DT Christian Wilkins (ankle)    

  Broncos Injuries 🚑: RT Alex Palczewski (ankle) 

Cardinals (24) at 49ers (23) 

Cardinals Personnel: 11 - 46% / 12 - 33% / 13 - 18%

57 Plays — 33 DBs — 7.5 aDOT — 19-of-30 for 195 yards — 1 TD, 1 INT, 1 sack, 2 scrambles

• RB James Conner had a ceiling game in terms of workload, with 79% of snaps and 22 of the 23 RB opportunities. Trey Benson didn't get any snaps, and Emari Demercado only subbed in for some clear passing situations (many of which were blocking snaps).
• TE Trey McBride leads all tight ends in target share (26%), TPRR (30%) and air yard share (22%) in his active games. And only Cade Otton has a higher route share (84%, with McBride and George Kittle tied for second at 21%).
• WR Marvin Harrison had a fourth-down conversion on the game-winning drive but otherwise struggled through an inefficient day. A lot of his targets were desperation heaves / jump balls, which has been the case the past few weeks in general. It's good that Kyle Murray trusts him to make those plays, but Harrison hasn't actually been winning many of them, and he could probably be doing a better job getting open.
• WR Michael Wilson has three straight games with at least six targets, after seeing only four over the first two weeks of the season.
• QB Kyler Murray reached 21.27 mph on his 50-yard TD run on the opening drive — the fastest speed recorded by any QB (sorry, Lamar) since the NFL began tracking player speed eight years ago.

49ers Personnel: 11 - 56% / 12 - 5% / 21 - 35%

63 Plays — 41 DBs — 9.8 aDOT — 19-of-35 for 244 yards — 1 TD, 2 INTs, 2 sacks, 4 scrambles

• RB Jordan Mason had season lows for snap share (63%) and carries (14), after getting at least 75% of snaps and 19 carries in each previous game.
  • It wasn't a product of his lost fumble. That happened in the fourth quarter, and his snap share was down to 63% before the fourth quarter, with Isaac Guerendo taking 13% of snaps and the Niners running a bunch of plays with FB Kyle Juszcczyk as their lone back.
  • I keep thinking more targets will come for Mason given that he's near the top of the RB routes run leaderboard every week, but his target rate remains the lowest among starting RBs, in part because the 49ers have so many talented pass catchers and in part because Purdy loves to scramble and try to open up big plays rather than taking check-downs. Purdy's critics might still call him overrated, and they might even have a point, but nobody can justly accuse him of being a "game manager" at this point.
• Receiving shares in the four games TE George Kittle and WR Deebo Samuel have played:
  • Kittle: 24% TS / 16% AYS
  • Aiyuk: 22% TS / 29% AYS
  • Samuel: 22% TS / 20% AYS
  • Jennings: 15% TS / 20% AYS
  • Jusczyk: 7% TS / 5% AYS
  • Mason: 5% TS / 3% AYS 
• WR Brandon Aiyuk finally had his get-right game. He was also fed early and often when Kittle and Samuel were out Week 3 against the Rams, but it didn't amount to much and QB Brock Purdy eventually honed in on Jennings, who had the massive three-TD outing that week.
  • WR Jauan Jennings has 101 yards on 10 targets in two games since his W3 explosion. That's much better than his norms from 2021-23 when Samuel and Aiyuk both were healthy, but it's probably not enough to be a fantasy starter outside of 14-team leagues, desperation situations, etc. His numbers from Weeks 1-2 were similar to Weeks 4-5, FWIW (101 yards on nine targets).
• The 49ers lost both starting safeties and their placekicker before halftime, setting the stage for Arizona's comeback, which was further aided by a Mason fumble and a couple mistakes from Purdy

Stock ⬆️:   TE George Kittle  /   TE Trey McBride

Stock ⬇️:   RB Jordan Mason

  Cardinals Injuries 🚑: G Will Hernandez (knee)    

  49ers Injuries 🚑: S Talanoa Hufanga (wrist) + K Jake Moody (ankle) + S Ji'Ayir Brown (ankle) 

Packers (24) at Rams (19) 

Packers Personnel: 11 - 78% / 12 - 17%

58 Plays — 29 DBs — 8.0 aDOT — 15-of-26 for 224 yards — 2 TDs, 1 INT, 2 sacks, 1 scramble

• RB Josh Jacobs took on a season-high 74% snap share, up from 52% and 61% the previous two weeks, and he scored his first touchdowns of the season. He got 20 of the 27 RB opportunities, with Emanuel Wilson taking the rest.
• The Packers were a spotlight team for fantasy this week, with injuries to WR Christian Watson and TE Luke Musgrave thinning out the target/snap competition and Romeo Doubs then absent due to disagreement with the team (reportedly).
  • TE Tucker Kraft followed up his breakout Week 4 (6-53-1) with a two-TD performance while handling 84% of snaps and 71% of routes.
  • WR Dontayvion Wicks led the team in targets (seven) and air yards (92) for a second straight week, but his issues with drops continued and he finished with only 2-20-0 receiving on 24 routes.
  • WR Malik Health played more snaps than Bo Melton, which was a bit surprising. The two combined for only five targets and 26 yards.
• WR Jayden Reed still didn't play in 12 personnel. His snap/route shares were better than usual because the Packers rarely used multi-TE formations with Musgrave absent.
• Doubs is expected to rejoin the team Wednesday and practice.

Rams Personnel: 11 - 95% / 12 - 5%

76 Plays — 48 DBs — 8.2 aDOT — 29-of-45 for 260 yards — 1 TD, 1 INT, 3 sacks, 0 scrambles

• RB Blake Corum got his first non-garbage-time work of the season, usurping Ronnie Rivers as the No. 2 RB.
  • Corum got five of his six touches on a first-half TD drive, including carries from the 9-yard line, 4-yard line and 1-yard line on three consecutive snaps. After the third carry was stuffed, Kyren Williams came in and scored a 1-yard TD on third down.
  • Williams played 86% of snaps and took 23 of the 29 RB opportunities, i.e., his normal workload. Corum replaced Rivers rather than taking a bite out of Williams. Still, it's a step in the right direction for the rookie and makes him worth stashing on a bench in nearly any fantasy league.
• TE Colby Parkinson drew a career-high 13 targets, catching seven for 52 yards. His usage speaks more to the Rams' lack of alternatives than anything else, but it's enough to keep him on the TE1 radar. He could lose volume but gain efficiency if/when the team's WRs are healthy.
  • WRs Jordan Whittington and Tutu Atwell were also busy for a second straight week, each seeing 10 targets and combining for 13 catches and 154 total yards.
  • Whittington has been targeted on 24% of his routes and caught 78.3 percent of those passes for 11.2 yards per reception and 8.7 per target. He drew six of his 10 targets Sunday in the fourth quarter, including receptions on three straight plays. Whittington looks like a WR3 until Cooper Kupp (ankle) returns, which may or may not happen after the Week 6 bye.
• Receiving shares Week 3-5 (no Kupp, no Puca):
  • Parkinson: 26% TS / 19% AYS
  • Whittington: 22% TS / 17% AYS
  • Atwell: 22% TS / 34% AYS
  • Robinson: 12% TS / 28% AYS
  • Kyren: 7% TS / -1% AYS

Stock ⬆️:   TE Tucker Kraft  /   WR Jordan Whittington + RB Blake Corum

Stock ⬇️:   WR Bo Melton  /   RB Ronnie Rivers

Giants (29) at Seahawks (20) 

Giants Personnel: 11 - 77% / 12 - 7%

71 Plays — 39 DBs — 5.0 aDOT — 23-of-34 for 257 yards — 2 TDs, 0 INT, 3 sacks, 2 scrambles

• RB Eric Gray played 10 of 19 snaps in the first quarter before his lost fumble (returned for a 102-yard TD), with three carries for two yards and three catches for 52 yards, while Tyrone Tracy got two carries for nine yards and one catch for one yard on 47% of snaps.
  • After Gray's costly fumble, Tracy took 67% of snaps and 17 of the 19 RB opportunities en route to 18-129-0 rushing.
  • Tracy's initial role was disappointing, but the way things played out keeps him on the board as a volatile fantasy RB2 if RB Devin Singletary misses a friendly Week 6 matchup against Cincinnati's barely-there defense.
• WR Darius Slayton took full advantage of Malik Nabers' absence, putting up 8-112-1 on 11 targets, after totaling 10-122-0 on 15 targets over the first four weeks combined.
  • Slayton's 114 air yards were 73% of the team total.
• WR Wan'Dale Robinson was already maxed out on target rate/share before the Nabers injury, but Robinson did get a few more snaps and routes in the absence of his superstar teammate.
  • Jalin Hyatt, meanwhile, replaced most of Nabers' snaps and ran 26 routes without being targeted.
• Rookie TE Theo Johnson had by far his best receiving game yet, with 5-48-0 on five targets. He's been above two-thirds route/snap share throughout the season but hadn't seen many targets before Sunday.
• Brian Daboll is the most underrated coach/schemer/playcaller in the NFL. If you give him a half-decent O-line he'll figure out a way to score points, even if Daniel Jones is his QB and Isaiah Hodgins or Wan'Dale Robinson or Darius Slayton is his top receiver.

Seahawks Personnel: 11 - 86% / 12 - 10%

58 Plays — 51 DBs — 5.2 aDOT — 28-of-40 for 284 yards — 1 TD, 0 INT, 7 sacks, 4 scrambles

• Kenneth Walker has 30 opportunities to Zach Charbonnet's 14 in two games since returning from an oblique injury.
• WR DK Metcalf had three targets on the opening drive and wasn't targeted again until early in the third quarter, at which point he promptly lost a fumble (for the second straight week).
• TE Noah Fant rebounded to 69% snap share and 72% route share after dipping to the 50-60% range the previous two games. Fant was targeted just three times on 34 routes and is now at a miserly 12% TPRR for the season.

Stock ⬆️:   RB Tyrone Tracy + QB Daniel Jones

Stock ⬇️:   WR Jalin Hyatt

  Seahawks Injuries 🚑: OLB Uchenna Nwosu (thigh) + CB Riq Woolen (ankle) + LB Derick Hall (foot)

Cowboys (20) at Steelers (17) 

Cowboys Personnel: 11 - 75% / 12 - 11%

75 Plays — 45 DBs — 7.0 aDOT — 29-of-42 for 352 yards — 2 TDs, 2 INTs, 2 sacks, 1 scramble

• RB Rico Dowdle had season highs for snap share (51%), carries (20) and total yards (114), plus he caught his second TD pass in as many weeks.
  • He did nearly fumble the game away in the closing minute, but the Cowboys recovered and then scored the winning TD.
  • Deuce Vaughn was a healthy scratch, leaving Dowdle, Ezekiel Elliott and Hunter Leupke as the backfield options. Leupke got some lone-back snaps again, and Elliott's snap share actually rebounded some from Weeks 3-4 even though he didn't get many touches.
• WR Jalen Tolbert saw a team-high 10 targets and 117 air yards, capping things off with a game-winning TD in the final minute.
  • WRs Jalen Brooks and KaVontae Turpin shared most of the snaps that had been going to Brandin Cooks, who was placed on IR on Saturday after undergoing knee surgery. Tolbert also picked up a couple extra snaps; he'd already been in the 75-80 percent range most weeks.
  • Tolber has played well this season, catching 69.0 percent of his targets for 12.4 yards per reception and 8.5 YPT. His per-rate target route was low before Sunday night, but WR3 fantasy value isn't out of the question. He's now averaging 4.0 catches for 49.4 yards and 0.4 TDs on 5.8 targets per game.
• WR CeeDee Lamb isn't having a disastrous season by any means, but basically all of his stats are slightly down, be it for usage or efficiency.
• TE Jake Ferguson has at least five targets in every appearance this season, including 11, 7 and 7 in three games since returning from a knee injury. He's a rock-solid TE1. Right now I'd rank him fifth at the position for ROS value, behind Travis Kelce, Brock Bowers, George Kittle and Trey McBride (more or less in that order, although it'll probably change by next week).

Steelers Personnel: 11 - 56% / 12 - 32%

57 Plays — 32 DBs — 10.5 aDOT — 16-of-28 for 150 yards — 2 TD, 0 INT, 3 sacks, 1 scramble

• RB Najee Harris had season highs for snap share (74%) and route share (61%) with both Jaylen Warren and Cordarrelle Patterson inactive due to injuries.
  • Harris nonetheless had his usual mediocre fantasy game. He took 16 of the 22 RB opportunities, with Aaron Shampklin and Jonathan Ward poaching a few touches.
• WR George Pickens had season lows for snap share (60%) and route share (65%), although that didn't stop him from drawing a team-high seven targets on 20 routes.
  • Pickens took just one of 20 snaps in 12 personnel, after getting 79% of those snaps Weeks 1-4. The snaps instead went to Calvin Austin (11-of-20) and Scotty Miller (8-of-20) alongside Van Jefferson (16-of-20).
    • I'm not sure if this is a change that will stick or just Arthur Smith shooting himself in the foot to make a point about blocking or something like that. 

Stock ⬆️:   RB Rico Dowdle

Stock ⬇️:   WR George Pickens

  Cowboys Injuries 🚑: LT Tyler Guyton (knee)   

  Steelers Injuries 🚑: OLB Nate Herbig (hamstring)

Vocab/Index

• DBs = QB dropbacks = pass attempts + sacks + scrambles 
• AY = Air Yards
• Sn% = Percentage of team snaps on offense the player has taken (in his active games)
• RT% = Percentage of team dropbacks on which the player ran a route (in his active games)
• TS= Percentage of team targets this season (in his active games)
• AYS = Percentage of team air yards this season (in his active games)
• TPRR = Targets per Route Run