Fantasy Football Takeaways: Brock Bowers' Return Headlines Utilization Report For Week 10

Let's follow the data to identify the top waiver wire options, trade targets, upgrades, and downgrades based on what we learned in Week 9.

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1. Rico Dowdle moves into mid-range RB1 territory.

The Panthers coaching staff handed the backfield over to Dowdle in Week 9 with a 74% snap share after toying around with a two-way committee in the previous two games with Chuba Hubbard. Dowdle rewarded their decision with 141 total yards and two TDs as Carolina upset Green Bay on the road.

In three games as the lead back for the Panthers, Dowdle has been a high-end RB1, averaging a sizzling 31.5 points. His worst performance in those games was a whopping 28.1 points. Over those three games, he has an average Utilization Score of 92, collecting 173 yards and a TD per game on the ground. He added 32 yards and 0.5 TDs per game receiving.

While maintaining this pace is highly unlikely, Dowdle has plenty of room to give and still finish the season as a mid-range RB1. The Panthers' passing offense is horrific, which will likely eventually bite Dowdle as defenses center their game plans around stopping him. Having said that, the Packers knew that on Sunday, and Dowdle still came through in a big way.

The Panthers' offensive line is PFF's No. 3 graded run blocking unit (76.7), and Dowdle's underlying data is strong.

PFF Run Grade: 82.1 (3rd out of 33 backs with 75 attempts)
Yards per attempt: 5.6 (3rd)
Yards after contact: 3.80 (4th)
Yards before contact: 1.80 (5th)
10-plus yard attempts: 14.4% (8th)
Missed tackles forced: 18.3% (19th)

We can look to Dowdle's time as the starter in Dallas last season to help us create a couple of range-of-outcomes scenarios.

Scenario 1: Dowdle sustains his success as the starter in 2025.

In this scenario, we will use Dowdle's average Utilization Score of 92 from his three games as the starter in Carolina. His comparisons averaged 19.1 points per game, with 92% of them performing as top-12 options.

RB1 to RB6 performers: 72%
RB7 to RB12 performers: 20%
RB13 to RB18 performers: 8%

This is a bullish case for Dowdle, but it also leaves plenty of room for regression when comparing his 31.5 points per game as a starter to the average of 19.1. Still, this points to a top-six campaign the rest of the way—making Dowdle a potential league winner.

Scenario 2: Dowdle is the starter, but is a blend of 2024 and 2025.

Dowdle started eight games for the Cowboys last year with an average Utilization Score of 77 and 14.8 fantasy points. We can give his three games in 2025 more weight than his eight from last year simply by averaging the two scores. That gives us a Utilization Score of 85, where his historical comparisons averaged 16.4 points and 63% delivered a top-12 season.

RB1 to RB6 performers: 23%
RB7 to RB12 performers: 40%
RB13 to RB18 performers: 30%
RB19 to RB24 performers: 7%

This scenario represents the bearish case for Dowdle, assuming he holds onto the starting role. While I lean toward Scenario 1, this case acknowledges the wild hot streaks we can see from players over small samples, which the Utilization Score is designed to help us consider.

Final takeaway: Dowdle offers high-end RB1 upside and provides low-end RB1 potential in a less-than-optimal runout. I view him as a mid-range RB1 moving forward.

2. Brock Bowers returns to the lineup with a boom.

After resting a PCL sprain for five weeks, Bowers looked like the No. 1 TE fantasy drafters hopped for in Round 2 of drafts during the summer. The second-year TE tied Drake London to lead all RBs, WRs and TEs with a perfect 100 Utilization Score on his way to 43.3 fantasy points in Week 9.

Excluding the three games he played with the injury this season, Bowers has averaged 16.9 fantasy points. Over that span, he has a 27% target share with 2.19 yards per route run (YPRR). All of those numbers align with historical high-end TE1s.

Bowers posted a 92 Utilization Score last year and has a score of 94 this year, including his injured games. His historical comparisons have averaged 16.3 points with 89% finishing as top-three options.

TE1 to TE3 performers: 89%
TE4 to TE6 performers: 11%

Every data point for Bowers points towards an elite top-three TE1 option. He moves to TE1 the rest of the way.

3. The Giants reversed course and used a two-headed backfield in Week 9.

Tyrone Tracy dominated the Giants' backfield after Cam Skattebo's injury on the third drive in Week 8 with a 78% snap share. The team also opted to turn the backfield over to Tracy over the final 13 games of 2024 with a 68% snap share.

However, those trends didn't hold in Week 9 against the 49ers, as the team turned to a committee of Devin Singletary and Tracy.

Tracy suffered an injury (undisclosed) that limited him to only three snaps on the final two possessions. However, the backfield split was already happening before the injury:

Snaps: Tracy 55%, Singletary 45%
Attempts: Tracy 39%, Singletary 46%
Routes: Tracy 59%, Singletary 26%
Targets: Tracy 18%, Singletary 9%

This data suggests a near-even rotation on early downs, with Tracy as the primary passing-down back. This role would still make Tracy a usable fantasy asset, but not at the level we anticipated when Skattebo went down.

It's another sobering reminder that coaching behavior can be wildly unpredictable. We do the best we can with the information we have, which was a significant sample in this case. There is a chance the Giants flip-flop on this again; we have more data pointing towards that than not, but the most recent data point isn't ideal.

Tracy DOWNGRADES to mid-range RB3 territory, and we will monitor his injury status and Utilization Score in Week 10 and reassess. Don't drop him.

Devin Singletary UPGRADES to RB4 status and should be rostered in deeper formats. He is available in 95% of Yahoo leagues.

4. Chase Brown played almost every down with Samaje Perine hurt.

Samaje Perine suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter that opened the door for Brown to dominate the backfield with a 95% snap share. The third-year back posted an elite 93 Utilization Score and delivered 19.2 fantasy points.

Brown received an upgrade in last week's Utilization Report thanks to the impact of Joe Flacco. However, it was a tempered upgrade thanks to Perine owning a significant role in the offense. If Perine has a long-term injury and isn't ready after the Week 10 bye, Brown could play a role similar to the one late last season when he took over an every-down role in Week 9.

Over that span, he led all running backs with a 95 Utilization Score and ranked fourth in fantasy points per game at 20.6.

Historical comparisons for that Utilization Score have fared exceptionally well, averaging 20.5 fantasy points with 88% ascending to top-six status.

RB1 to RB6 performers: 88%
RB7 to RB12 performers: 12%

Brown would move into top-12 territory and offer top-six upside in games without Perine.

Tahj Brooks would become the RB2 without Perine, making him an appealing waiver wire target in larger leagues. Brooks is available in 99% of leagues.

5. The Vikings' passing offense looked better in Week 9 but remains a concern.

Minnesota beat Detroit, and J.J. McCarthy put some good throws on tape in a hostile environment. Kevin O'Connell also showed more faith in the young signal caller, with a more balanced attack in Week 9, as evidenced by their dropback rate over expected (DBOE).

Weeks 1 and 2 DBOE: -9%
Week 9 DBOE: -1%

Those are steps in the right direction, but we have now seen McCarthy under center in three games, and he has yet to reach 160 yards passing.

Week 1: 143 yards, 7.2 yards per attempt, 65% completions, two touchdowns, one interception
Week 2: 158 yards, 7.5 yards per attempt, 52% completions, zero touchdowns, two interceptions
Week 9: 143 yards, 5.7 yards per attempt, 56% completions, two touchdowns, one interception

For the season, McCarthy has averaged 148 yards per game. On the one hand, he is a young player still learning and could improve. On the other hand, every other passer in the O'Connell scheme has fared better.

Carson Wentz (2025): 243
Sam Darnold (2024): 254
Nick Mullens (2023): 370
Joshua Dobbs (2023): 208
Kirk Cousins (2022-2023): 284

While McCarthy may trend towards these levels over the rest of the season, we certainly shouldn't assume it will happen. That is a problem for the pass catchers in Minnesota.

Justin Jefferson

Jefferson has an average Utilization Score of 79 with 14.2 fantasy points in three games with McCarthy this season. His 61 historical comparisons averaged 15.7 points, with 41% securing top-12 seasons.

WR1 to WR12 performers: 41%
WR13 to RB24 performers: 49%
WR25 to WR36 performers: 10%

Jefferson is still an ALPHA WR, which gives him a chance to deliver a WR1 season, but only 7% of his comparisons with McCarthy were top-six material. This data says he is a borderline WR1 unless McCarthy improves, which aligns with his WR12 rank in points per game at 15.5.

Jordan Addison

Addison isn't as easy to figure out because we only have one game with McCarthy. In Week 9, the third-year WR posted a season-low 8.4 points and a 59 Utilization Score. For this case, we will use his target share (21%), air yards share (36%), and historical passing offenses from two buckets.

151 to 175 passing yards per game offenses: 7.4 PPG, no finish better than WR60 overall.

176 to 200 passing yards per game offenses: 10.7 PPG,

WR1 to WR12: 0%
WR1 to WR24: 0%
WR25 to WR36: 25%
WR37 to WR48: 25%
WR49 to WR60: 50%

201 to 225 passing yards per game offenses: 11.2 PPG, 14% WR2s, 15% WR3s, 57% WR4s, 14% WR5s

WR1 to WR12: 0%
WR13 to WR24: 14%
WR25 to WR36: 14%
WR37 to WR48: 58%
WR49 to WR60: 14%

Even if we get significant improvement from McCarthy, Addison's fantasy value is in peril. At best, he is a boom-bust WR4 unless you believe McCarthy blows the top of the final range above. And how can we make that assumption?

6. Utilization Score Under & Overperformers

The Utilization Score is made up of the fantasy data points that have historically correlated the most strongly with future fantasy success. It is a similar but different concept compared to expected fantasy points. How it differs:

Accounts for snaps and routes in addition to attempts and targets.
Accounts for catchable targets and catchable air yards.
The underlying role accounts for ~75% of a player's Utilization Score.
Uses fantasy points per game (PPG) as a proxy for talent (i.e., has the player done something with their opportunities). Fantasy PPG is worth ~25% of a player's Utilization Score.

Keenan Allen | WR | Chargers (overperformer)

Allen has averaged 14 points per game, which is actually dead on with his historical Utilization Score (71) comparisons. However, we have seen a shift in his role over the last two games. The veteran WR's route participation dipped to 50% and 54% in those games.

Two things are impacting Allen's playing time. First, the Chargers are using less 11-personnel. Over the first seven weeks, they utilized three wide receivers on 58% of snaps. Over the last two games, that number has dipped to 47%.

Secondly, the team is giving Tre Harris more playing time, which often coincides with the non-11 personnel packages. Over the first four games, Harris had a route participation of 19%. Since Week 5, that has expanded to 35%, excluding Week 6 when he reached 86% with Quentin Johnston out.

While Allen continues to make the most of his routes with a 24% TPRR over the last two games, the volatility in playing time is an issue. He has a Utilization Score of 46 with 7.3 points per game.

We don't want to overreact to small samples, but the Chargers have a lot of mouths to feed with the emergence of Oronde Gadsden and Johnston, who is having his best season. Tack on additional playing time for Harris, and we have a problem.

Considering the latest data points, Allen's points per game are likely inflated for the season.

Allen DOWNGRADES to low-end WR3 territory, making him a player to consider moving. With Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens on bye, you might find a team looking for a win that needs WR help.

Alec Pierce | WR | Colts (underperformer)

Pierce is averaging 10.6 points (45th) with a 63 Utilization Score (37th). The fourth-year WR is on pace for a career-high target share of 20% and ranks sixth in catchable air yards per game with 67.

His historical Utilization Score comparisons have averaged 12.1 points per game, with 55% collecting a top-36 WR finish.

WR13 to WR24: 11%
WR25 to WR36: 44%
WR37 to WR48: 39%
WR49+: 6%

It's worth noting that Pierce has three tough matchups (Falcons, Chiefs, and Texans) and a bye week over the next four games. So, his short-term upside isn't fantastic if you need immediate help.

7. Utilization Score Trends

Trending Up

Kyle Monangai | RB | Bears: Monangai's Utilization Score has climbed 16 points over the last four games. A large portion of that comes from his Week 9 blowup, when he collected 22.8 points and a 92 Utilization Score without D'Andre Swift. However, he was on the rise before that, playing a larger role in Weeks 7 and 8, with 46% and 45% snap share, respectively. In those two games, he notched a 66 Utilization Score. The historical comps in that range averaged 12.4 points, with 45% majority finishing as RB3s. Monangai is a borderline RB3 with RB1 contingency upside.
Alec Pierce | WR | Colts: Pierce's Utilization Score has climbed 11 points to 63 over the last four games. See No. 6 above for his range of outcomes. Pierce is a borderline WR3.
Colston Loveland | TE | Bears: Loveland has benefited from injuries to Cole Kmet, which has helped push his Utilization Score up by 21 points over the last four weeks. He collected a 97 Utilization Score with 29.8 fantasy points in Week 9. However, the bigger story is that Loveland had a 64% route participation rate, compared to only 21% for Kmet before the concussion. Loveland UPGRADES to high-end TE2 status and offers mid-range TE1 upside if he takes over a full-time role or if Kmet misses time. Loveland is available in 76% of leagues.

Trending Down

Jordan Mason | RB | Vikings: Mason's Utilization Score (60) has fallen seven points over the last four weeks. In four games with Aaron Jones, his average score is 44 with a pedestrian 5.2 fantasy points per game. Jones took over the starting role with a 77% snap share in Week 9 before an AC joint sprain knocked him from the contest. Mason's historical comps based on games with Jones have averaged 8.0 points, with 91% finishing outside the top-36 RBs. He DOWNGRADES to RB4 territory. Note: The Vikings have a good matchup against the Ravens in Week 10, which will make Mason playable if Jones can't suit up.
Rome Odunze | WR | Bears: Odunze has been on a roller coaster since the team's bye week, and that continued in Week 9 with a Utilization Score of 25. That was the second-year WR's third score under 50 in the last four games. His Utilization Score for the season now sits at 69. His historical comparisons averaged 13.2 points, with 37% securing top-24 seasons and 42% finishing WR25 to WR36. Odunze DOWNGRADES to borderline WR2 status.

8. Waiver Wire Roundup

QB

J.J. McCarthy | Vikings: Read No. 5 above for my thoughts on McCarthy as a passer. Despite those issues, McCarthy offers a similar profile to Jaxson Dart thanks to his willingness to run. So, while I have concerns about his impact on the receivers, he is in a good offense and offers dual-threat upside. Over the next two games, the Vikings get the Ravens and Bears. In the fantasy playoffs, McCarthy will face the Commanders, Cowboys, Giants, and Lions. McCarthy is available in 71% of Yahoo leagues.
Marcus Mariota | Commanders: Mariota has averaged 16.9 points in four games with at least 80% of the snaps for Washington over the last two years. That makes him a mid-range QB2. Mariota is available in 95% of leagues if you are in a SICKO situation and have Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott or Joe Flacco on bye. The Commanders face the Lions.

RB

Trey Benson | Cardinals: I get it, not in my league, pal! But Benson is available often enough that everyone should check! We don't have a firm timeline on his return from meniscus surgery, but he is eligible as soon as this week. The Cardinals' backfield lacks challengers, so Benson could quickly ascend the ranks. He is a low-end RB2 with high-end RB2 upside, available in 41% of leagues.
Isaiah Davis | Jets: Davis has improved his Utilization Score by nine points over the last four games. He notched 17.9 points in Week 8 before the bye, and the Jets are flirting with other teams regarding a potential trade of Breece Hall. Davis offers three-down upside as a strong pass catcher. If Hall gets traded, he will enter the RB2 conversation until Braelon Allen returns. Davis is available in 87% of Yahoo leagues.
Tank Bigsby | Eagles: Bigsby has taken over the RB2 role for the Eagles over the last two games. Saquon Barkley left the Week 8 game before the bye with a hamstring injury. Bigby is a strong handcuff play that is available in 74% of leagues.
Devin Singletary | Giants: See No. 3 above. Singletary is available in 95% of leagues and faces the Bears in Week 10.
Dylan Sampson | Browns: Sampson was the clear-cut RB2 when Quinshon Judkins suffered a shoulder injury in Week 8. If Judkins isn't ready to return to action after the bye, Sampson could hold short-term RB2 value. He is available in 84% of leagues, and the Browns have a favorable schedule.
Devin Neal | Saints: Neal is officially the RB2 in New Orleans with 46% and 40% snap shares over the last two games. His Utilization Score has risen 13 points. Available in 97% of Yahoo leagues.
Tahj Brooks | Bengals: See No. 4 above. Available in 99% of Yahoo leagues.

WR

Parker Washington | Jaguars: Brian Thomas Jr. (ankle) could miss multiple games, and Dyami Brown (concussion) is questionable for Week 10. Washington has a solid 22% TPRR on the season and could be the No. 1 or No. 2 option over the next several games. The matchup in Week 10 against the Texans isn't ideal, but Washington could provide WR3 value after that. He is available in 82% of Yahoo leagues.
Jayden Reed | Packers: Reed could return in Week 10 or 11 from collarbone and Jones fracture surgery, but we don't have a firm timeline, and his practice window hasn't opened yet. The Packers need another playmaker with Kraft injured (ACL), and they have five nice matchups (NYG, DET, CHI, CHI, BAL) over the final eight games of the fantasy season. Jayden Reed is a borderline WR4 with WR2 upside upon his return and is available in 66% of leagues.
Tez Johnson | Buccaneers: Johnson may have been cut in your league with the Bucs on bye. He is a boom-bust WR4 option with upside and is available in 65% of leagues.
Alec Pierce | Colts: See Utilization Score trends above. Available in 74% of leagues.
Christian Watson | Packers: Watson exited the game briefly for a visit to the blue medical tent but finished the game with a 79% route participation rate and 112 air yards. He was the WR2 ahead of Matthew Golden before Golden's injury. He has five favorable matchups (NYG, DET, CHI, CHI, BAL) over the final eight contests. Watson is a boom-bust WR4 and is available in 72% of Yahoo leagues.
Darius Slayton | Giants: Slayton returned to a full-time role in Week 9 with a 92% route participation and 23% target share. He notched a 24% target share the week before in a part-time role in his first game back from injury. Slayton finished Week 9 with a 76 Utilization Score and 11.2 fantasy points. The Giants get a juicy matchup against the Bears' pass defense in Week 10. Slayton is a boom-bust WR4 that is available in 65% of leagues.
Tory Horton | Seahawks: Horton piled up 20.8 fantasy points with Cooper Kupp out due to a hamstring injury. Should Kupp miss more time or if the Seahawks decide to shift playing time to the stronger vertical threat, Horton would move into WR4 territory. For now, he is a WR5 stash play. Horton is available in 95% of leagues.

TE

Colston Loveland | Bears: See Utilization Score Trends above. Available in 76% of leagues.
Luke Musgrave | Packers: Musgrave notched an 88% route participation rate and 19% target share after Tucker Kraft (knee) departed on the fourth drive. The former Round 2 NFL Draft pick could surprise and is available in 99% of leagues.

Utilization Bytes For Week 10 Fantasy Football

Team Trends

We now have five weeks of data for most teams, making it a good time to examine team-level trends that affect fantasy production. You can find the data across all 32 NFL teams in the Team Styles tab of the Utilization Report tools.

Redzone Drives: Percentage of drives that reach the red zone versus how often the team is scoring a touchdown on drives in parentheses. Large deltas indicate room for positive or negative regression.
- Chiefs: 46% (33%)
- Colts: 44% (38%)
- Packers: 43% (29%)
- Rams: 38% (31%)
- Bills: 37% (35%)
- Chargers: 36% (25%)
  ——
- Broncos: 25% (25%)
- Steelers: 24% (25%)
- Texans: 23% (16%)
- Browns: 21% (15%)
- Jets: 21% (17%)
- Titans: 16% (8%)
Dropback Over Expected (DBOE): How often teams pass the ball compared to their peers when considering the score differential:
- Chiefs: 6%
- Cardinals: 5% (Pre MNF)
- Bengals: 3%
- Chargers: 3%
- Colts: 3%
  ——
- Seahawks: -5%
- Jets: -5%
- Lions: -6%
- Ravens: -6%
- Panthers: -8%
Notable four-week trends:
- Colts: 8% DBOE
- Bengals: 7% DBOE (Games with Flacco)
- Commanders: -8% DBOE
- Bills: -8% DBOE
- Ravens: -11% DBOE
- Panthers: -13% DBOE
Neutral Playclock: Teams that are leaving more or less time on the playclock when the score is within three points (neutral situations). The NFL average is 8.3 seconds.
- Cowboys: 11.1 (Pre MNF)
- 49ers: 10.4
- Rams: 10.4
- Jets: 9.9
- Saints: 9.8
- Broncos: 9.6
  ——
- Vikings: 7.3
- Buccaneers: 7.2
- Colts: 7.0
- Cardinals: 6.9 (Pre MNF)
- Eagles: 6.6
- Steelers: 6.3
Play action pass rate: Teams that are utilizing play action the most per dropback, which adds value to WRs and TEs on a per-route basis in fantasy:
- Rams: 33%
- Bears: 33%
- Colts: 33%
- Cowboys: 29% (Pre MNF)
  ——
- Browns: 21%
- Jets: 20%
- Eagles: 19%
- Bengals: 18%
- Falcons: 16%
Other trends:
- The Ravens used only three WRs in Week 9, opting for more multi-tight end sets. They put three WRs on the field together on only 32% of plays.
- The Raiders used 12 personnel with Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer on the field together as their base offense (58%) in Week 9, after the bye.

Quarterback

Geno Smith | Raiders: In two games with a healthy Brock Bowers, Smith has thrown for 326 and 284 yards on his way to 18.5 and 27.3 fantasy points. Smith remains a low-end QB2 for now, but offers spike-week potential with Bowers.
Jaxson Dart | Giants: Dart has averaged 22.8 fantasy points in his six starts, making him the QB5 over that span. While he hasn't been prolific as a passer with 196 yards per game, he has averaged 1.7 passing TDs. On the ground, Dart has been a menace to opposing defenses with 42 yards and 0.8 TDs per contest. Dart is a mid-range QB1.
Joe Flacco | Bengals: Flacco has averaged 24.9 fantasy points with 314 yards and 2.8 TDs per game in his first four games with the Bengals. Cincinnati ranks No. 2 in DBOE over that span at 7%. The veteran is in a fantastic spot with a pass-first offense, great weapons, and a defense that can't stop anyone. He is in a very similar spot to Dak Prescott—Flacco UPGRADES to low-end QB1 territory.
Matthew Stafford | Rams: Stafford is the QB8 with 20.4 fantasy points per game. He has averaged 268 passing yards and 2.6 passing TDs per contest. Replacing Cooper Kupp with Davante Adams was one of the best moves of the offseason. Adams is a massive component of the Rams' red-zone attack. He leads all WRs with eight receiving touchdowns and ranks first in endzone targets per game at 1.9. Stafford is a low-end QB1 with high-end QB1 upside.

Running Back

Aaron Jones | Vikings: Jones was the clear-cut RB1 for the Vikings with a 77% snap share and 70% rush share in Week 9 before leaving the game with an AC sprain. The injury is not believed to be serious, but it could keep the team from loading him up with touches—Jones has a long history of injuries. Should Jones return to the same role, he would move into RB2 territory. For now, he remains in the RB3 conversation.
Ashton Jeanty | Raiders: Jeanty notched a season-high in snaps (90%) and Utilization Score (91) on his way to 19.9 fantasy points in Week 9. He has averaged 20.5 fantasy points in the four contests where he handled the full workload this year. Jeanty is a borderline RB1.
Brashard Smith | Chiefs: With Isiah Pacheco out, fantasy managers were hoping for a significant bump in work for Smith, but it didn't happen. He handled only 18% of the snaps, 17% of rushing attempts, and was limited to a 3% target share. Smith remains an RB6 stash.
Bhayshul Tuten | Jaguars: Those hoping for a post-bye bump for Tuten were disappointed. The rookie's workload looked the same as before the bye with a 22% snap share. Furthermore, Travis Etienne played well. Tuten is an RB5.
Kareem Hunt | Chiefs: Hunt led the backfield with an 81% snap share with Pacheco out in Week 9. He notched a 66 Utilization Score and 12.5 fantasy points. Reports indicate Pacheco should return after the Week 10 bye, but if those are wrong, Hunt would rejoin the low-end RB2 conversation.
TreVeyon Henderson | Patriots: Henderson was the RB1 for the Patriots with Rhamondre Stevenson out. While the fantasy box score wasn't imposing with 12.7 points, his underlying Utilization Score of 81 was solid. He led the team with a 75% snap share and handled 56% of the rushing attempts. The rookie was also active in the passing game with a 70% route participation rate and 19% target share. Henderson profiles as a low-end RB2 in games without Stevenson.

Wide Receiver

Christian Kirk | Texans: Kirk returned to action to reclaim the starting slot role from Jaylin Lane and Braxton Berrios. He posted a 70% route participation, while Noel plummeted to 13%.
DeMario Douglas | Patriots: Douglas popped for 20 fantasy points against the Falcons. However, his role remained limited with a 33% route participation. With Kayshon Boutte battling a hamstring injury, Douglas may see a role expansion, but that didn't occur in Week 9. Douglas is a WR5.
Kyle Williams | Patriots: Williams saw his largest route participation of the season with Boutte (hamstring) injured. The rookie could see more playing time if Boutte can't play in Week 10, but his 9% TPRR this season isn't a ringing endorsement.
Jauan Jennings | 49ers: Jennings has posted target shares of 30%, 24%, and 23% over the last three contests. He has a Utilization Score of 65 with 9.9 fantasy points per game. He is a borderline WR3 with WR high-end WR3 upside until Ricky Pearsall and Brandon Aiyuk rejoin the team.
Tee Higgins | Bengals: Higgins averaged 8.2 points before the arrival of Joe Flacco. That number has burgeoned to 19.3 with Flacco. Higgins has a 74 Utilization Score over the last four games with seven targets and 99 air yards per contest. His historical comps have averaged 14.7, so we could see some negative regression, but 46% were low-end WR1s or high-end WR2s, so the upside is there. Higgins UPGRADES to mid-range WR2 territory.

Tight End

Dalton Kincaid | Bills: Kincaid ranks 13th in Utilization Score (71) at the position due to his 58% route participation rate. However, he is averaging 13.2 points per game (6th) thanks to his 24% TPRR (3rd) and his 44 air yards per game (5th). Still, only 17% of his comps collected a top-12 finish, averaging 10.5 points per game, so it will be interesting to see if the third-year TE can keep it up. Kincaid is a low-end TE1 with high-end TE1 upside any given Sunday.
George Kittle | 49ers: Kittle is playing a full-time role in the three games since his return, with a route participation rate that Kincaid might kill for at 86%. Unfortunately, the entire offense continues to funnel through Christian McCaffrey, and Kittle has been outdone by Jauan Jennings. The veteran tight end only has a 14% target share. However, it is hard to imagine this trend carrying on much longer—Kittle is due for a big game. Kittle is a mid-range TE1 with high-end TE1 upside.

Players Mentioned in this Article

RicoDowdle
RBCAR
PPG
13.80
Proj
15.89
BrockBowers
TELV
PPG
12.42
Proj
11.01
ChaseBrown
RBCIN
PPG
10.96