Between the Lines: Week 9 Snap Count Analysis
AFC East
Buffalo Bills - Meh
Quarterback: Nathan Peterman (99%)
Running Backs: LeSean McCoy (41%), Chris Ivory (33%), Marcus Murphy (26%)
Wide Receivers: Zay Jones (87%), Terrelle Pryor (82%), Kelvin Benjamin (74%), Andre Holmes (26%)
Tight Ends: Logan Thomas (52%), Jason Croom (46%), Charles Clay (9%)
Yeah, meh. What else is there to say about this team's offense? The Buffalo Bills have scored 46 combined points in the past six weeks. That's an average of just under 7.7 per game. Down 28-0 after a first half that included two defensive scores for the Chicago Bears, the Bills in their wisdom elected to keep Nathan Peterman in at quarterback instead of mixing things up, either by putting in newly acquired QB Matt Barkley or bring creative and using Terrelle Pryor. Could either of them have done worse than Peterman? That's surely an emphatic no. They're not even going to win at tanking, as the Oakland Raiders are likely going to beat them to the #1 overall seed in the 2019 draft. Do snaps really matter in such an environment? Meh.
Miami Dolphins - Frustration in the Backfield
Quarterback: Brock Osweiler (100%)
Running Backs: Frank Gore (51%), Kenyan Drake (49%)
Wide Receivers: DeVante Parker (89%), Danny Amendola (82%), Jakeem Grant (51%), Kenny Stills (49%)
Tight Ends: Nick O'Leary (58%), Michael Gesicki (47%), Durham Smythe (16%)
You're not alone if you're frustrated with the Miami Dolphins' usage of Kenyan Drake. Against a team he previously scored 17 PPR points against earlier this season, Drake saw just 3 carries to Frank Gore's 20 in Week 9's game against the New York Jets. There's no need to panic yet. A much easier matchup against the porous Green Bay Packers rushing defense awaits.
New England Patriots - Bill Belichick's Zero-RB Approach?
Quarterback: Tom Brady (100%)
Running Backs: James White (79%), Kenjon Barner (4%)
Wide Receivers: Julian Edelman (90%), Josh Gordon (80%), Chris Hogan (75%), Cordarrelle Patterson (18%)
Tight Ends: Dwayne Allen (93%)
Yeah, okay, James White is a running back. You got me. Still, the leading rusher for the New England Patriots was wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, who also led the team in rushing in Week 8. This week, Patterson was able to find the end zone, which was apparently enough incentive for Yahoo to give him RB eligibility in daily leagues this week. You think you're good at zero-RB? Belichick just drafts different positions and turns them into running backs at will. That's some next level fantasy magic, folks.
New York Jets - McGuire Looking Up
Quarterback: Sam Darnold (100%)
Running Backs: Elijah McGuire (55%), Isaiah Crowell (35%), Trenton Cannon (11%)
Wide Receivers: Jermaine Kearse (73%), Quincy Enunwa (73%), Robby Anderson (71%), Deontay Burnett (30%)
Tight Ends: Chris Herndon (64%), Jordan Leggett (50%), Eric Tomlinson (36%)
When Bilal Powell left the New York Jets' Week 7 game with an injury, it looked like Trenton Cannon could carve out a role for himself in the running game. He unfortunately took too long to show what he could do. Elijah McGuire--playing his first game of the year after returning from a foot injury--immediately supplanted Cannon in the RB2 role. Not only that, he led the team's backfield in snap percentage (55%), and his 67 yards from scrimmage led the team. Assuming he stays healthy, he is absolutely worth an add for flex work in PPR leagues.
