Hidden Stat Line: Week 7 Backfield Breakdown

If you look at the Top 12 for RB snap share this week, you'll find only five guys who entered September as probable starters. James Robinson won his job before Week 1 with some help from a trade, but each of the other six guys was elevated after a teammate got injured.

On top of that, Week 7 took another big chunk out of the position, with Devonta Freeman, Chris Carson, Kenyan Drake, Jeff Wilson and Phillip Lindsay all suffering injuries. It'll be a busy next few days for fantasy waiver wires, and we're here to help with all the usage info you'll need to make well-informed decisions on those claims and bids, not to mention Week 8 start/sit decisions.

Week 7 RB Leaderboard

Classify Me, Captain

Three-down Role with 80-plus Percent Snap Share

1. Cleveland Browns - Kareem Hunt
2. Green Bay Packers - Jamaal Williams
3. Pittsburgh Steelers - James Conner
4. Jacksonville Jaguars - James Robinson

Three-down Role, But Subbed Out Sometimes

1. Philadelphia Eagles - Boston Scott
2. Atlanta Falcons - Todd Gurley
3. Cincinnati Bengals - Giovani Bernard
4. New Orleans Saints - Alvin Kamara
5. Carolina Panthers - Mike Davis
6. Houston Texans - David Johnson
7. Dallas Cowboys - Ezekiel Elliott
8. Kansas City Chiefs - Clyde Edwards-Helaire

Clear Lead Back, But Usually Off the Field for Obvious Passing Situations

1. New York Giants - Dion Lewis (ankle), then Wayne Gallman
2. Tennessee Titans - Derrick Henry
3. Washington FT - Antonio Gibson
4. Las Vegas Raiders - Josh Jacobs
5. San Francisco 49ers - Jeff Wilson (ankle), then JaMycal Hasty
6. Seattle Seahawks - Chris Carson (foot), then Carlos Hyde
7. Arizona Cardinals - Kenyan Drake (ankle), then Chase Edmonds in a three-down role

Two-Man Split

1. Buffalo Bills - Devin Singletary & Zack Moss
2. New York Jets - La'Mical Perine & Frank Gore
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Leonard Fournette & Ronald Jones
4. Los Angeles Chargers - Joshua Kelley & Justin Jackson
5. Denver Broncos - Melvin Gordon & Phillip Lindsay (concussion)

Not-So-Pretty Committee

1. Detroit Lions - D'Andre Swift, Adrian Peterson & Kerryon Johnson
2. New England Patriots - Damien Harris, Rex Burkhead & James White

(Italics denote backfields with significant role changes relative to the previous week, i.e., the ones that are most important to analyze in the recaps below)

Game-by-Game Breakdowns

(Snap totals, snap shares, carries and targets come from pro-football-reference.com or NFL.com's game books. Data on dropbacks and routes run come from Pro Football Focus.)

Giants (21) at Eagles (22)

Giants

• Freeman got the start, playing five of seven snaps in the first quarter and five of 15 in the second. The veteran then injured his ankle in the third quarter and missed the rest of the game.
• Gallman played 26 of 38 second-half snaps (68 percent), getting 10 carries and four targets after the break. Dion Lewis saw only 10 snaps and two touches in the second half.
• Lewis still got most of the work in obvious passing situations, logging seven of nine snaps on 3rd-and-medium/longs. He lost a fumble with about 50 seconds remaining in the first half, ending the Giants' two-minute drill before it ever really got started.

Eagles

• Scott got the start and led the backfield in snaps in each quarter, including 16 of 18 snaps and a game-winning TD reception in Q4.
• Scott played six of 10 snaps on 3rd-and-medium/long, with Clement taking three and Huntley one.
• Scott played 17 of 22 snaps in the red zone, seeing three carries and two targets. He also played three of four snaps inside the 5-yard line, but Carson Wentz had the team's only carry in that area (a one-yard TD).

Lions (23) at Falcons (22)

Lions

• Swift led the backfield in snaps for a second straight week, jumping 14 percentage points ahead of Peterson after having a smaller advantage (38% to 35%) in the previous game.
• Johnson got seven of 10 snaps on 3rd-and-medium/long. Swift continues to see the most targets in this committee, but that's largely because the Lions are making an effort to throw him the ball on first and second downs, not because he's getting a lot of playing time in clear passing situations.
• Johnson played seven of eight snaps in the two-minute drill at the end of the game, but Swift played four of four in the two-minute drill at the end of the first half. It won't come as any big surprise if the rookie eventually asserts himself over Kerryon on passing downs, though it hasn't happened yet.

Falcons

• Gurley's snap share was a season high, topping 64 percent from the Week 2 loss to Dallas. He played 17 of 19 snaps in the fourth quarter with the game on the line, gaining 32 yards on nine touches in the process.
• Gurley scored a one-yard touchdown in the first quarter, later adding a go-ahead, 10-yard TD with 72 seconds remaining. He tried to stop at the 1-yard line so the Falcons could run out the clock and kick a chip-shot FG as time expired, but Gurley accidentally fell into the end zone, setting up the latest chapter of late-game heartbreak for the Falcons.
• Smith has four carries and two targets over the past three games. Hill has 18 carries and seven targets over that same stretch. The gap between them has slowly widened as the year has progressed, making Hill an excellent bench stash in fantasy leagues with 12+ teams.

Browns (37) at Bengals (34)

Browns

• Hunt got a big snap boost, up from 70 and 53 percent in the first two games with Nick Chubb (knee) unavailable. Granted, the 53 percent came in a blowout loss, with Hunt getting 66 percent through the first three quarters of that game.
• Hunt got five carries and one target in the red zone, including an eight-yard TD reception with about five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
• No. 3 RB Dontrell Hilliard was active, but he strictly played special teams.

Bengals

• Bernard played eight of nine snaps on third downs, plus each of the team's five snaps inside the 5-yard line. He didn't get any inside-the-5 carries, but he did have a three-yard TD catch on a 4th-and-1 with 66 seconds remaining in the game.
• The Bengals never trailed by more than four points, yet ran the ball only 10 times on 36 first-down snaps (seven for Bernard, two for Joe Burrow, one for Tee Higgins). Their offense became even more pass-happy with Joe Mixon (foot) unavailable.

Bills (18) at Jets (10)

Bills

• Moss got six third-down snaps to Singletary's five. It was the same thing we saw Weeks 1-2, with both backs trusted in all situations and Singletary having only a slight advantage in terms of usage.
• Singletary had 13 opportunities (carries + targets) to Moss' 10, but the rookie had a 72-47 advantage in total yards. Neither has been efficient overall this year, with Singletary at 3.8 YPC and Moss at 3.6.
• Moss played only 25 percent of snaps Week 6, but that may have been a matter of easing him back into action after he missed three games with a foot injury. The rookie has played 45, 46 and 47 percent of snaps in his other three games, averaging 8.0 carries and 2.3 targets.
• Singletary did get five of the six snaps in goal-to-go situations, but there was never a true goal-line opportunity, as the Bills didn't make it inside the Jets' 5-yard line, instead settling for six field goals.

Jets

• Gore has played only 41 snaps in two games with Le'Veon Bell gone from the team, but those snaps have included 22 carries and four targets, i.e., he's gotten the ball on 63 percent of his plays. A wise man once told me there's no better offense than the one that telegraphs its intention to give the ball to a 37-year-old running back.
• Perine's 70 percent snap share was a bump up from 58 percent in the first game post-Bell. The rookie is averaging 9.0 carries, 3.0 targets and 45.5 yards over the small sample.
• Perine scored a TD from five yards and out and played both of the Jets' snaps that came inside the Buffalo 10-yard line. Perine got six of the eight red-zone snaps, and all three of the RZ carries. He also took the lone short-yardage carry, getting stuffed for a loss on a 4th-and-1.
• Perine played eight of 10 snaps on third downs, including seven of nine on 3rd-and-medium/long.

Panthers (24) at Saints (27)

Panthers

• Curtis Samuel took only two of his 22 snaps in the backfield, down from seven (out of 48) in the previous game, per PFF. However, one of those two snaps was a game-tying, five-yard rushing TD late in the third quarter. That one had to hurt for anyone starting Davis in a fantasy lineup.
• Davis is now down to 4.0 YPC and 5.7 YPT. His ability to break tackles has been impressive, but he still hasn't been nearly as efficient as Christian McCaffrey, who has career averages of 4.6 YPC and 6.7 YPT. A few weeks back, I started to wonder if Davis could maintain a decent-sized role even after McCaffrey returned to the lineup. Maybe that still happens, especially if the Panthers aren't competing for a playoff spot, but the past couple weeks have favored the idea of McCaffrey taking back his accustomed every-down role. (Maybe Davis' nickname should've been 70% CMC, not 90% CMC.)

Saints

• Kamara was held out of the end zone for a second straight week, yet still has 19.9 or more PPR points in every game this year. The 83 rushing yards matched a season high from Week 4, and he's seen eight or more targets in five of six games. Kamara leads the NFL in scrimmage yards, despite already having his bye week (137.3 per game, 824 total).
• Murray got double-digit carries for a fourth time in six games. He's drawn either one or two targets each week this year, but his average of 10.5 carries for 44.2 yards at least puts him on the map as a suitable bye-week replacement for desperate fantasy teams. That's in addition to elite handcuff status, behind a starter averaging 20.2 touches per week.
• Murray got a carry from the 2-yard line, his third inside-the-5 carry this year. Kamara has five of those, while Drew Brees and red-zone deity Taysom Hill have two apiece.
• Kamara is on pace for 123 receptions, which would break McCaffrey's RB record of 116.
• Kamara has blocked on only 11 of 171 pass snaps (6.4 percent) this year, while Murray has done so on 12 of 57 (21.2 percent), per PFF. TE Josh Hill has blocked on exactly half of his 70 pass snaps, so he's usually the sixth blocker if the Saints use one (mostly they just send all five guys on routes and have Brees get rid of the ball in a hurry).

Packers (35) at Texans (20)

Packers

• The Packers got Dillon some touches, but a lot of his playing time came in double-HBformations, as Williams rarely came off the field. Williams is a rock-solid RB1 if Aaron Jones (calf) misses any additional time.
• Williams played each of the four snaps on 3rd/4th-and-short, plus seven of eight snaps on 3rd-and-medium/longs. He got each of the five red-zone carries, including a one-yard TD to put the Packers up by 22 points with less than four minutes remaining.
• Williams did block on nine of his 30 pass snaps (30 percent), identical to his season mark of 30 percent. Jones, by contract, has blocked on only 13 percent of his pass snaps, per PFF.

Texans

• David has 11-to-19 carries and 2-to-4 targets in every game. He won't produce efficiently, but you know he'll get double-digit carries and run a bunch of routes. His snap shares the past three weeks were 78, 78 and 79 percent.
• David got seven of 10 snaps on 3rd-and-medium/longs, and he was even in the game late in the fourth quarter when the Texans were in hurry-up mode after recovering an onside kick (David then lost a fumble to end the drive).
• David still hasn't reached 20 PPR points in a game, but he's scored more than 11 points six times in seven tries.

Steelers (27) at Titans (24)

Steelers

• Jaylen Samuels played 11 percent of snaps and took one carry for five yards. Anthony McFarland played 6 percent, with one carry for nine yards and one incomplete target.
• Last week in HSL, we pointed out that Conner played all but one snap before halftime in a blowout win over Cleveland, hinting at upside beyond the 63-66 percent snap share range he landed in the past three games. Well, it came to fruition Sunday in a closer contest, but Snell vultured a one-yard TD to limit Conner to a modest fantasy day. Tough break.
• Even worse, Snell's TD followed a sequence where Conner got a carry from the 12-yard line, a carry from the 3-yard line and a target from the 1-yard line on three straight plays. Conner then was removed for a breather at the worst possible time for his fantasy managers. Also, Conner had a one-yard receiving TD called back on an O-line penalty in the first quarter. Only divine intervention kept him out of the end zone in this game.

Titans

• Henry's snap share bounced back to its Week 1-3 range ( 75, 71 and 75 percent). He'd dropped to 52 and 60 percent Weeks 5-6, with the Titans a bit more aggressive subbing in McNichols for likely passing situations.
• The big difference, in terms of snaps, was on second downs. Henry got 18 of 20 (90 percent) in Sunday's loss to Pittsburgh, compared to 15 of 25 (60 percent) in a win over Houston the previous week. The Titans went from using McNichols in likely passing situations the previous two weeks to using him only in clear passing situations Week 7.
• Despite the small role increase from a snap/route standpoint, Henry had his second-worst fantasy game of the season, facing a Pittsburgh defense ranked No. 1 in DVOA against the run. Apart from one long run by Miles Sanders in Week 5, the Steelers have completely shut down the run this year.

Cowboys (3) at Football Team (25)

Cowboys

• Elliott played 76 percent of snaps through the end of the third quarter, while Pollard got each of the seven snaps in the final frame. Prior to the final quarter, Elliott had a 12-5 advantage in carries
• Zeke technically made it through the game without a fumble, but he had a drop/bobble that was intercepted in the red zone shortly before halftime, and he dropped the ball on a toss play on Ben DiNucci's first snap after Andy Dalton suffered a concussion. Something tells me Elliott won't be too happy if someone offers him a Butterfinger bar on Halloween this year.
• Elliott played 10 of 13 snaps on third downs.

Football Team

• You might notice that the RB snap shares here add up to way more than 100 percent. That's largely because McKissic played 15 slot snaps, up from 3.3 per game prior to Sunday, per PFF. Washington's WR group was depleted by injuries, with Isaiah Wright (shoulder) and Antonio Gandy-Golden (hamstring) both inactive. The team adjusted by using more looks with Gibson playing RB and McKissic playing slot.
• Barber was reintroduced to the offense, following four straight games with four or fewer carries and 11 percent or less of snaps. And it wasn't strictly the product of a blowout, as Barber played 10 of 36 snaps (28 percent) in the first half, taking three carries for 12 yards.
• Gibson had more than 13 carries for the first time, and more than doubled his previous high of 55 rushing yards. On the other hand, he lost more work to Barber and failed to see multiple targets for the first time. Gibson had three straight games with exactly five targets prior to Sunday.
• Gibson played three snaps in the slot, three out wide, and 27 in the backfield, per PFF. For the season, he's played 89 percent of his snaps in the backfield, while McKissic has played 74 percent of his in the backfield.
• Gibson and McKissic were still getting touches with Washington up by 22 points midway through the fourth quarter, but Barber got all three carries on the final drive in garbage time. So if we only look at "competitive" play, Gibson took 20 of the team's 32 RB carries (63 percent). Of course, it's debatable whether any snap against the Dallas defense can truly be called competitive.

Buccaneers (45) at Raiders (20)

Bucs

• LeSean McCoy and Ke'Shawn Vaughn technically were active for the game, but the vet didn't play at all, and the rookie was limited to two snaps on special teams.
• RoJo started and played nine of 13 snaps in the first quarter, but Fournette then took 23 of 26 in the second quarter.
• It shifted back to RoJo for 11 of 13 snaps in the third quarter, followed by Fournette taking an 11-8 advantage in the fourth.
• Jones didn't play a single snap on third downs. Fournette got 12 of 13, and the Bucs had one other without an RB on the field.
• Jones and Fournette got three red-zone carries apiece. Fournette got seven of the 10 snaps in goal-to-go situations, and three of the four snaps inside the 5-yard line. However, Jones' lone snap inside the five went for a one-yard rushing TD, while Fournette was stuffed for a loss on his one carry near the goal line.

Raiders

• The snap share for Jacobs was a season low, his first time below 59 percent. He played 20 of 30 snaps (67 percent) before halftime, but only 12 of 35 (34 percent) after the break. The Raiders trailed for the rest of the afternoon after Tampa scored 21 consecutive points in the second quarter.
• Jacobs really disappeared in the fourth quarter, playing two of 15 snaps.
• Richard's unusual stat line (seven carries, zero targets) was simply a product of garbage time. Down by 25 points, the Raiders handed him the ball on six consecutive plays to run out the clock at the very end of the game. Otherwise, he handled his usual role in clear passing situations, taking nine of the 11 snaps on 3rd-and-medium/longs.
• Jacobs is now down to 3.4 YPC, ranking 42nd among 44 qualified rushers. The Raiders are 28th in PFF's team run-blocking grades, but 3.4 YPC is still pretty ugly. Jacobs hasn't taken a single carry more than 16 yards, despite ranking a respectable 18th in PFF elusive rating (out of 41 RBs with 40-plus carries). He led all qualified rushers in elusive rating last year, FWIW.
• Jacobs got six targets Week 1, and he's seen either three of four in each subsequent game. Sunday's loss was his first time all season with fewer than 15 carries or 73 total yards.

Jaguars (29) at Chargers (39)

Jags

• Chris Thompson was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Saturday, freeing up Robinson for an every-down role. The rookie had already been trending up in passing-down usage over the previous three games, with a 67-to-52 advantage over Thompson in routes run.
• Just as a reminder, Robinson had played 76, 57 and 69 percent of snaps over his last three games with Thompson in the lineup, averaging 14.0 carries, 5.0 targets and 76.7 total yards.

Bolts

• Jackson got the start and caught two passes for 21 yards on the first two snaps, but he otherwise had a quiet game, seeing a big drop off from 59 percent snap share, 15 carries and six targets the previous week.
• Pope's involvement, while modest, could be a mild annoyance for anyone hoping to start Kelley or Jackson in a fantasy lineup. Pope played 6 percent of snaps Week 6 and 15 percent Week 7.
• The playing time on 3rd-and-medium/longs was an even split: 4 snaps for Kelley, 4 for Jackson, 3 for Pope.
• Kelley got the lone snap inside the 5-yard line. He was stuffed for a two-yard loss, and Justin Herbert ran it in from five yards out on the next snap.
• Kelley got three of five carries in the four-minute drill to close out the game. Jackson got one, and Herbert took one.
• Kelley is dead last among qualified rushers at 3.1 YPC, but Anthony Lynn probably loves the hard-nosed mentality he brings to the table! It's a good thing Herbert is unbothered by silly obstacles like "2nd-and-long" or "NFL defenses".

Chiefs (43) at Broncos (16)

Chiefs

• The Chiefs ran only 51 plays on offense, thanks to a kick-return TD and a pick-six. They had only six offensive snaps in the third quarter.
• Edwards-Helaire played 15 of 22 snaps (68 percent) in the first half, but Bell then took 10 of 13 (77 percent) in the third quarter.
• DeAndre Washington played 10 snaps, but all of them came in Q4 garbage time.
• If we exclude the final 10 minutes, CEH played 59 percent of snaps to Bell's 41 percent.
• CEH got three red-zone carries and two RZ targets. Bell got two RZ carries. CEH got the only two snaps in goal-to-go situations before Washington and Chad Henne took the field for garbage time.

Broncos

• Lindsay suffered a concussion late in the second quarter. Prior to his exit, he played 14 of 35 snaps (40 percent), while Gordon played 60 percent. Lindsay had a 9-6 advantage in carries at the time, but Gordon had a 2-0 edge in targets.
• Gordon played 15 of 17 snaps in the third quarter, followed by Freeman getting 12 of 18 in the fourth.
• As a reminder... Gordon played 79, 62 and 80 percent of snaps in the three previous games Lindsay missed, averaging 16.7 carries, 4.0 targets, 80.0 total yards and 1.0 TD.
• Freeman played 21, 38 and 20 percent of snaps in the games Lindsay missed, averaging 2.7 carries, 1.3 targets and 22.3 yards.

49ers (33) at Patriots (6)

49ers

• Wilson got the start and played 32 of 43 snaps (74 percent) in the first half, entering the break with a 14-92-2 rushing line plus two catches for eight yards. He added another TD in the third quarter, but in typical 2020 49ers fashion, he was then knocked out of the game with a high-ankle sprain.
• Hasty played 11 of 17 snaps over the final 22 minutes of the game after Wilson's departure, taking eight carries for 37 yards. McKinnon got only five snaps in that same stretch, with three carries (his only three of the game) for a loss of one yard.
• Wilson played 36 of 48 snaps prior to his exit, with McKinnon taking seven and Hasty only four.
• McKinnon played six of seven snaps on 3rd-and-medium/longs.
• Wilson played two of the two snaps in goal-to-go situations, immediately rushing for a TD both times.

Patriots

• Harris was the starter, but he only had five carries through three quarters before adding five more for 29 yard in a meaningless fourth quarter.
• White played only four of 34 snaps in the second half, way behind both Burkhead (18) and Harris (14).
• White did play each of the team's six third-downs snaps, including three after halftime. But Burkhead got seven of nine snaps on 2nd-and-longs, while White took just one. If you're desperate for something positive, White did play all three snaps in the two-minute drill at the end of the first half.

Seahawks (34) at Cardinals (37) — OT

Seahawks

• Carson suffered a foot sprain early in the second quarter and wasn't able to return. Later on, Homer was forced out with a knee contusion. Hyde and Dallas were the only healthy RBs by the end of the game.
• Hyde played 57 percent of snaps after the first quarter, accounting for 15 of the 18 RB carries and three of the six RB targets.
• Hyde played two of eight snaps on 3rd-and-medium/long, with Dallas getting four and Homer two. The Seahawks normally use Homer in those situations, and while his absence freed up some work for Dallas, it's possible Hyde could also get some passing-down work if both Carson and Homer are out for Week 8 against the 49ers.
• Tuesday update: Hyde (hamstring) also has an injury!

Cardinals

• Drake injured his ankle in the fourth quarter, but Edmonds was playing a few more snaps than usual even before that happened — 48 percent through three quarters, with zero carries but five targets.
• Edmonds played each of the 10 snaps in overtime, taking three carries for 44 yards.
• Edmonds played all seven snaps on 3rd-and-medium/longs, including six before Drake left the game.
• Backup RB Jonathan Ward was active but only played special teams, while rookie seventh-round pick Eno Benjamin occupied his usual place on the inactive list. Ward being active Sunday night doesn't necessarily mean he's ahead of Benjamin for reps on offense; it was probably a special teams decision more than anything else.

Bears (10) at Los Angeles Rams (24)

Bears

• Montgomery has played four games since Tarik Cohen suffered an ACL tear, logging 81-to-85 percent of snaps each week. In those four games, Montgomery has averaged 13.3 carries for 40.5 yards and 0.25 TDs, plus 4.8 catches for 30.0 yards on 6.0 targets. It is worth mentioning that he's drawn some tough matchups (IND, TB, LAR).... but he also struggled against the Panthers.
• Anyway, Monty has scored at least 10.7 PPR points each week since the Cohen injury, averaging 13.8. He's producing as a mid-to-low RB2, despite having an RB1-type role.
• Montgomery blocked on 15 of his 36 pass snaps (42 percent), per PFF. Prior to Monday, he had blocked on only 13 percent of pass snaps this year. It may have been an opponent-specific adjustment to facing a pass rush led by Aaron Donald. Whatever the case, it didn't help Chicago move the ball, though Monty allowed only one hurry on those 15 pass-block snaps. Giovani Bernard (11) was the only other RB with double-digit pass-block snaps this week.

Rams

• Cam Akers played only three snaps and didn't have any carries or targets. He played one snap without a carry or target the week before, and the Rams continue to get solid results from the Henderson/Brown duo.
• This was Henderson's third straight game with either 14 or 15 carries. He hasn't seen more than four targets in any game this year, but he's averaging 14.0 carries for 67.7 yards and 0.5 TDs over the past six weeks.
• Brown saw his snap share drop from 45 percent the previous week to 40 percent Monday night, but his carrie shot up from two to 10.
• Brown scored a one-yard TD after picking up 12 yards on the previous snap. But Henderson had a carry and a target from the 5-yard line earlier in the game, plus he's taken seven of the team's 13 inside-the-five carries for the season (converting three for TDs). Brown has three carries inside the 5-yard line, with Jared Goff adding two and Gerald Everett one. Henderson is still the better bet for goal-line work, but the Rams also trust Brown from in close.

RB Waiver Targets

This list is limited to players on less than 50 percent of Yahoo rosters as of Monday evening. Rankings are intended for a typical fantasy team, not one that's absolutely desperate for a Week 5 starter. With that in mind, we'll include some backups who make sense to stash on benches even if they didn't have any teammate injuries or role changes impacting their value this past weekend.

(List will be updated Tuesday)

1. JaMycal Hasty
2. Carlos Hyde  
3. Wayne Gallman
4. DeeJay Dallas
5. La'Mical Perine
6. Zack Moss
7. Joshua Kelley
8. Gus Edwards
9. Tony Pollard
10. Rex Burkhead
11. Brian Hill