Fantasy Football Usage Report for Week 2

Now that we've got data on all teams for 2024, the balancing act begins.

We want to be reactive to this new information without putting too much stock in a small sample.

Easier said than done.

Each week, our job here will be to comb through the data, lay out what usage trends are emerging, and discuss what it means for that player's fantasy football outlook going forward.

We'll do that for running backs first before digging into the pass-catchers. Then, we'll wrap things up by looking at which players are getting noteworthy usage -- good or bad -- in the red zone.

All snap-rate and average depth of target (aDOT) data is via Next-Gen Stats unless noted otherwise. A "deep" target here is a target 16-plus yards beyond the line of scrimmage.

Fantasy Football Running Back Usage

Below is a table listing out the Week 1 usage of key running backs.

Typically, we'll be looking at each back's most relevant sample rather than their full season. This way, we can identify players whose usage may be on the rise based on injuries or other factors.

But with only Week 1 available, let's just dump it all out.

Included in the table is each player's "adjusted opportunities." This is their carry total plus two-times their target total as targets are worth twice as much as carries on average in half-PPR leagues. You'll have to make bumps up or down for that calculation based on your league's settings.

Their "RZ Share" is the percentage of team carries or targets for plays that started in the red zone. This is of all skill players, not just running backs.

I was going to limit the table to just players who played 40% of the snaps in Week 1, but that'd cut off Zamir White. A wee bit of a red flag for him. The "FD Salary" is that player's salary if he's on the Week 2 FanDuel main slate.

Key Takeaways

• Jordan Mason was featured without Christian McCaffrey, racking up 28 carries and 1 target on an 81.4% snap rate. If McCaffrey misses more time -- which is a real possibility -- we should treat Mason as an elite fantasy option.
• Rachaad White held the edge over Bucky Irving in the opener, but Irving played well with 76 yards from scrimmage on 9 carries and 3 targets. White's the lead guy for now, but he's got more competition for touches now than he had last year.
• Kyren Williams' surface numbers -- 18 carries and 3 targets -- are just fine, but he played 90.5% of the snaps and had 5 of 12 red-zone chances. For now, his role is very similar to what it looked like last year, and that's tremendous for his fantasy outlook.

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver and Tight End Usage

Cooper Kupp, Demarcus Robinson, and Tyler Johnson

We talked about this a bit in yesterday's Week 1 fantasy football takeaways, but with confirmation now that Puka Nacua will miss time, it's time to go coocoo for Cooper Kupp once again.

Kupp finished with 21 targets for the full game; 8 of those came in the second half. Here's the full target distribution across 23 second-half Matthew Stafford pass attempts.

That's a lot of high-leverage work to go with the lofty baseline. Kupp will be deserved chalk at $7,700 on the Week 2 main slate, and he must be viewed like an elite play in season-long for now.

Demarcus Robinson and Tyler Johnson deserve recognition, too, though. Robinson earned a 20.0% target share even playing alongside Kupp and Nacua from Weeks 13 to 17 last year, and Johnson ran just one less route than Robinson in the second half. Robinson earned downfield work last year while Johnson's aDOT was just 5.3, so I still prefer Robinson, but both are in play as viable fantasy starters and low-salaried DFS plays (salaries of $5,200 and $4,000, respectively).

Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard

We should expect Mike Williams' role to expand as he gets further removed from his torn ACL. But for now, it's the Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard show.

Wilson led the New York Jets with 11 targets (37.9% target share), and Lazard was second at 31.0%. Other than Breece Hall (20.7%), no other player topped a 7% target share. Wilson and Lazard also had all four of the team's deep targets and all six in the red zone.

Lazard should eventually lose usage to Williams, but for now, he's a viable starter in season-long and a potential option for DFS. And Wilson just keeps confirming that he's someone who will consistently earn targets regardless of the quarterback.

This is a good situation for fantasy, even if the offense is still getting its bearings.

Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Tyler Lockett played just 51.7% of the snaps on Sunday, but when he was out there, they were throwing, and he was getting the ball.

Lockett earned 7 of 25 targets (28.0%), well clear of D.K. Metcalf (16.0%), Noah Fant (16.0%), and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (8.0%). Lockett also had three of five deep targets while JSN had none.

I was on JSN in DFS last week, hoping his role would expand and improve in Year 2. But earning just two targets while Metcalf is shadowed by Patrick Surtain II ain't great. I'll need to see it from JSN before I buy in again, and Lockett remains viable even on limited snaps.

Keenan Allen and DJ Moore

Now that we know Rome Odunze will likely miss time with a knee injury, it makes the usage for Keenan Allen and D.J. Moore more noteworthy. Those two were the only Chicago Bears to get more than five targets Sunday.

Moore ran 55.2% of his routes lined up against L'Jarius Sneed but still earned a 27.6% target share. That's pretty impressive, even if he didn't match Allen's marks.

Moore and Allen are both easy starts in season-long, and they could be quality targets in the $6,000 range on the main DFS slate against the Houston Texans. Caleb Williams is going to eventually get comfortable, and when he does, it seems likely these two are the benefactors.

Jameson Williams

As FanDuel Research's Skyler Carlin pointed out in his initial Week 2 FanDuel salary observations, Jameson Williams' salary went down $5,700 despite his big Week 1.

Giddy up.

Williams not only led in overall target share (32.1%), but he bathed in high-leverage looks.

When that's tied to a quarterback as efficient as Jared Goff, it's slobberin' time.

Williams is now a season-long starter, and in a potential shootout with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he's deserved DFS chalk, as well.

Red-Zone Usage

Deebo Samuel

Jordan Mason wasn't the only benefactor of Christian McCaffrey's absence; Deebo Samuel got a boost, too.

Of Samuel's eight rush attempts, three came in the red zone. This gave him a 33.3% red-zone share, an elite number for a receiver.

Samuel's Week 2 FanDuel salary is just $7,300. While Mason is the priority, Samuel also deserves loads of attention should McCaffrey miss another game.

Kenneth Walker III

Kenneth Walker III was the focal point of the Seattle Seahawks' offense Sunday. That was especially true in the red zone.

There, Walker had four of the team's five opportunities. His red-zone share was just 21.4% after he returned from injury last year, so the new coaching staff seems to view him more positively.

We'll have to keep tabs on Walker's status as he sustained an abdominal injury during the game. But early returns on Walker were great, and if he's healthy, we should give him a sizable boost.

James Cook

James Cook's surface-level usage -- 19 carries, 3 targets, and a 60.3% snap rate -- were good. His red-zone usage was still an issue, though.

Cook had just 3 carries or targets on 15 red-zone plays. His snap rate decreased to 52.9% inside the red zone versus 63.4% outside the red zone.

These issues were apparent for Cook last year, and even on the red zone snaps he does play, Josh Allen might just Leeroy Jenkins himself into the paint, anyway. Although Cook is a solid fantasy option, we have to keep the capped touchdown upside in mind.

Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery

David Montgomery had fantasy Twitter on death tilt to start Sunday night's game as he handled most of the early work ahead of Jahmyr Gibbs. But Gibbs' usage wound up being fine, including inside the red zone.

The duo played 12 games together last year after Montgomery returned from injury. In those 12 games, Gibbs handled 32.9% of the team's red-zone opportunities, a lower mark than you'd like for a fringe first-round pick.

Sunday night, though, Gibbs had 6 of 15 red-zone chances (40.0%). Gibbs played 2 of 3 snaps within 3 yards of the end zone and 9 of 15 snaps overall in the red zone.

This doesn't mean Gibbs' role is better than a year ago. It's basically the same. But I do think that's noteworthy given the stir Gibbs' early lack of involvement caused.

Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby

Travis Etienne had five of six red-zone chances for the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. That's an elite output. We'll just have to keep tabs on this mark going forward, given Etienne lost a key fumble at the goal line late.

The Jags didn't run any more plays in the red zone for the game. Overall after the fumble, Etienne played 7 of 11 snaps, only 2 ahead of Tank Bigsby.

Bigsby racked up 19 rushing yards over expectation on his 12 carries versus -8 for Etienne on his 12. Given Bigsby's effectiveness and larger frame, we'll have to monitor his usage going forward, especially once the Jags are in close.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.