NFL Snap Report

What is the Fantasy Life NFL Snap Report Tool?

The Fantasy Life NFL Snap Report Tool condenses weeks of gameplay into an easy-to-use interface that displays the number of snaps that players have accrued each week. With just a few simple clicks, you can quickly assemble a list of players and how much playing time they’re getting in each game.

 With multiple seasons of data available for players on all 32 NFL teams and for each skill position, the Fantasy Life NFL Snap Report Tool is the best resource there is to highlight trends in how often players are taking the field and to contextualize their week-to-week usage.

By using the tool, fantasy managers can make more optimal waiver wire additions and start/sit decisions, as they’ll know which players are earning touches. The NFL Snap Report Tool should be your go-to resource to identify the next hot waiver wire add or to move on from a player who’s being utilized less and less by his coaching staff before it’s too late.

What are snaps?

The textbook definition of a snap in football is the exchange between the center and the QB, signaling the start of a play. However, for fantasy purposes, a snap is any offensive play, which also includes wildcat formations or other gadget plays where the QB may not touch the football.

Evaluating a good vs an unfavorable snap share

For RBs, the total snaps played for a single player relative to their teammate(s) helps gauge which RB has a complementary role, a lead role, or a true workhorse.

For example, Saquon Barkley earned 856 snaps during the 2023 season, whereas Matt Breida played just 264 snaps last year. Such a gap in total snap count highlighted Barkley’s workhorse role compared to Breida’s complementary role. At the same time, while Joe Mixon was also a lead back last season, he wasn’t a true workhorse like Barkley was, as Mixon saw 624 snaps compared to 448 snaps for Samaje Perine.

 You can evaluate pass-catchers using a similar approach. On a per-game basis, Ja’Marr Chase played 66.1 snaps compared to 53.3 snaps for Tee Higgins and 49.8 snaps for Tyler Boyd. Using the NFL Snap Report Tool, we can create benchmarks for the top-12 players at each position from the 2022 season.

How to evaluate benchmarks for RB vs pass-catchers (WR/TE)

RBs can have multiple roles (e.g., early-down rusher, short-yardage grinder, pass-catching back, etc.), and WRs sometimes only play in certain packages (e.g., 11 personnel versus 12 personnel), so comparing raw snap totals between players at a position can still skew our perception. However, a player’s total snaps calculated as a rate based on their QB’s snaps can help establish a more useful benchmark.

 Unsurprisingly, Chase and Justin Jefferson were on the field with their respective QBs for more or less every single snap. However, there’s a stark difference between how often Mixon was on the field compared to a RB like Dalvin Cook.

Using this rate rather than total snaps or snaps per game, we can project for which RBs will be more involved in their team’s passing game going forward and therefore theoretically provide more fantasy value relative to their team’s other pass-catching options.

Spotting Trends in the NFL Snap Report Tool

The weekly values displayed in the user interface give instant insight into a player’s on-field time. Combined with other information (e.g., injury news), we can quickly determine whether a player is worth adding and/or starting in fantasy.

 For example, Michael Bandy’s snaps spiked in games last year without Joshua Palmer or Mike Williams on the field. However, once Keenan Allen returned from injury, Bandy returned to his normal spot on the depth chart with little usage or snaps played.

How to use the NFL Snap Report Tool for Fantasy Football

Filtering by team and viewing the weekly values can accomplish two things. First, without any injuries, you can establish the primary starters for each NFL team, including the third WR in three-WR sets, which can sometimes be unsettled prior to the start of a season. Second, we can promptly identify which players benefit from vacated touches if an injury were to occur to a previously entrenched starter.

How to use the NFL Snap Report Tool for Sports Betting

Total snaps for a QBs (i.e., total offensive plays run) can indicate which passers are piloting fast-paced offenses. Before a matchup, comparing totals between opposing QBs along with WR snaps, can help project total points scored for that game. With more plays run, the final score could exceed the projected total, thereby creating a window for a bet to be placed on the corresponding over or under for the game total.