Atlanta Falcons - Coleman Trending Upward?
Quarterback: Matt Ryan (100%)
Running Backs: Tevin Coleman (65%), Ito Smith (29%)
Wide Receivers: Julio Jones (97%), Mohamed Sanu (93%), Calvin Ridley (71%), Justin Hardy (13%)
Tight End: Austin Hooper (81%), Logan Paulsen (36%)
Tevin Coleman had a disappointing Week 10 in the box score, but it's worth noting that he saw 65% of the snaps, his highest percentage since Week 3, while Ito Smith saw just 29%, his lowest since Devonta Freeman was placed on IR. Coleman only out-touched Smith 14-8, so it's not like Smith is going anywhere, but it's an encouraging sign that Coleman could see a bigger piece of the pie moving forward.
Carolina Panthers - Will the Wheels Fall Off?
Quarterback: Cam Newton (95%)
Running Backs: Christian McCaffrey (95%), Alex Armah (11%)
Wide Receivers: Devin Funchess (86%), D.J. Moore (86%), Jarius Wright (51%), Curtis Samuel (33%)
Tight End: Greg Olsen (79%), Chris Manhertz (26%), Ian Thomas (16%)
It's not troubling that Christian McCaffrey has played at least 95% of the Carolina Panthers' snaps in every week since Week 3. What is troubling, however, is that the Panthers don't rest him when the game is out of hand. Carolina was down 31-14 at half and 45-14 after three quarters. Why is their top back in there, risking injury for a sure loss? Riverboat Ron must have been using his back in fantasy leagues, because I can think of no other plausible reason for that nonsense, especially when his team is leading the race for the NFC Wild Card spots. SMH.
New Orleans Saints - Ingram Ingress
Quarterbacks: Drew Brees (84%), Taysom Hill (31%), Teddy Bridgewater (15%)
Running Backs: Alvin Kamara ( 45%), Mark Ingram (41%), Dwayne Washington (21%)
Wide Receiver: Tre'Quan Smith (68%), Michael Thomas (61%), Keith Kirkwood (45%), Austin Carr (29%)
Tight End: Josh Hill (57%), Benjamin Watson (37%), Dan Arnold (36%)
I read so much chatter on Twitter, reddit, and chat boards over the past few weeks about how Mark Ingram is not living up to his expectations. Hopefully Ingram shut those folks up with his performance this past week against the Bengals. The Saints are a running team, first and foremost. They just so happen to have the most accurate quarterback in league history. The Saints have the third-highest rushing percentage in the league. Ingram has double-digit carries in four of his five games this year, and his 63 rushes are just 4 fewer than Alvin Kamara in that time frame.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Barber Stuck in Neutral
Quarterback: Ryan Fitzpatrick (100%)
Running Backs: Peyton Barber (48%), Jacquizz Rodgers (38%), Shaun Wilson (14%)
Wide Receivers: Mike Evans (80%), Adam Humphries (78%), DeSean Jackson (64%), Chris Godwin (49%)
Tight Ends: O.J. Howard (65%), Cameron Brate (28%), Antony Auclair (20%)
With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers playing catch-up all the time, it's been difficult for Peyton Barber to remain involved in most of their games, seeing only around 54% of the snaps this season and averaging 13 carries a game. The New York Giants are only favored by 1.0 point, so hopefully Barber can remain involved this week, but he remains a low-ceiling play with just two scores on the season.