NFL Snap Counts Report For Week 3 Fantasy Football: Is Rhamondre Stevenson Falling Out Of Favor?

Backfields are always changing around the NFL.

Whether due to injury or performance, running back rooms can shift before you know it, impacting fantasy teams everywhere. On the Week 3 edition of the NFL Snap Count Report, we’ll dive deep into four backfields and what we should expect going forward.

NFL Snap Counts Report For Fantasy Football Week 3

A Potential Shift in New England?

Don’t give the fantasy football community hope …

With TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) sidelined for Week 1, Rhamondre Stevenson operated as New England’s clear every-down running back. He logged 85% of the snaps, handled 72% of the designed rush attempts, and touched the ball 23 times. Henderson returned in Week 2, and honestly, I expected Stevenson to still lead this backfield.

A first-quarter fumble changed things.

Stevenson put the ball on the ground on New England’s first drive of the game. Henderson was on the field to start the next drive, rushing for a 39-yard touchdown. Following the fumble, Henderson out-touched Stevenson 16-5, while handling over 80% of the snaps over the Patriots’ next few drives. To no one’s surprise, Henderson showcased more explosiveness and speed than Stevenson, something this New England offense desperately needs right now.

For the game, Henderson led the way with a 60% snap share to Stevenson’s 36%. Even after fumbling multiple times last year, the Patriots didn’t go away from Stevenson. But yesterday really felt like the first time Mike Vrabel and company fully turned to Henderson following a Stevenson fumble. While I don’t expect Henderson to suddenly take over this backfield starting in Week 3, it will be interesting to see what the split looks like.

Jaylen Warren’s Uptick in Playing Time

Throughout the first six quarters of the season, Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle have split the work in the Pittsburgh backfield.

But we could see more opportunities for Warren starting in Week 3.

Dowdle once again drew the start this past Sunday, seeing the first two carries of the game. The Steelers running backs went on to rotate drives until Dowdle suffered a toe injury in the third quarter. He tried to return to the game but was ultimately ruled out, clouding his availability for Week 3. With Dowdle sidelined, Warren ended up logging 72% of the snaps, the highest rate of his entire career. We also saw his route rate climb from 31% in Week 1 to nearly 60% on Sunday.

If Dowdle doesn’t play in Week 3, Warren will likely handle 17-20 touches, while Travis Homer mixes in on some snaps. The matchup is suddenly awful, as Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen have transformed this Cincinnati run defense. Through two weeks, the Bengals are allowing 1.13 YBC/ATT, way down from their 2025 mark of 1.93. So we may not see tremendous efficiency on the ground from Warren, but he should be able to make up for it through the air. Warren has been targeted on 24% of his routes thus far, while 32.9% of Aaron Rodgers’ pass attempts have been at or behind the line of scrimmage, the third-highest rate in football.

Warren would be a top-24 RB without Dowdle this weekend.

Aaron Jones Takes Over As RB1

With Jordan Mason on injured reserve, the Vikings turned to their veteran, giving Jones 23 carries on Sunday. While there was some intrigue with rookie Demond Claiborne, it was all Jones against the Bears, as he logged 80% of the snaps and 85% of Minnesota’s designed rush attempts. He briefly left the game but was able to return shortly after.

Kevin O’Connell stated that Jones was pretty sore after the game, so it’s very likely we see a bit less work from the 31-year-old going forward. Not enough of a decrease to remove Jones from the RB2 ranks in fantasy, but I’d expect fewer carries in exchange for some more looks in the passing game (he wasn’t targeted on Sunday). I wouldn’t bank on 80% of the snaps again, but Jones should be a lock for 17-20 touches for as long as Mason is sidelined.

The Jaguars Are Using Four RBs … Seriously

The good news? Bhayshul Tuten comfortably led the Jaguars in carries once again on Sunday, rushing 13 times for 65 yards and a touchdown. He handled 15 of the team’s 25 RB touches in the game. The bad news? Both his snap share (49%) and rush share (54%) were identical to Week 1, as the Jaguars played four running backs throughout the game.

Four.

LeQuint Allen was active this week, playing 18% of the snaps, including 100% of the two-minute work. Chris Rodriguez logged 24% of the snaps and carried the ball six times. But the most absurd development? A team that has plenty of running backs already, the Jaguars gave 33-year-old Ameer Abdullah four touches on four snaps because, well, you just have to get him involved, right?

It was very encouraging to see Tuten convert a Wildcat carry from the goal line into a touchdown. And when you watch him play, it’s pretty obvious he’s the best player in this backfield. The only running back with a higher avoided tackle rate through two weeks than Tuten (39.3%) is Kenneth Walker, who currently looks like prime Barry Sanders. Head coach Liam Coen continues to speak very highly of Tuten, and it feels like only a matter of time before he’s at 60% of the snaps and 17 touches per game. I’d hold, and if anyone is worried about the middling usage, try to trade for him.