NFL Snap Counts: Which Players Saw More Usage in Week 3?

The NFL is unique in that playing time isn’t decided by a lineup card given to the referee before kickoff.

That’s why snap count is all the rage in the NFL betting and NFL fantasy football community. Football bettors want to know when their favorite players – or players they’ve placed prop bets on – will be on the field and for how long.

That’s why we’ve crafted this NFL snap counts report for you:

NFL Snap Counts: Running Backs

The Bell Cow Backs (Over 80%)

Only a few running backs in the league can be true bell cows, and it's getting harder to do these days. Here are the RBs on the field the most so far this season:

It's no surprise to see guys like Christian McCaffrey — when healthy — as the undisputed best backs on their team. But, Zack Moss in another interesting bell cow.

The Colts RB missed Week 1 before coming back in a big way in recent weeks. Moss played almost every snap in the Colts' big win over the Texans in Week 2 before following that up with a big performance against the Ravens in Week 3. With Jonathan Taylor on the PUP list, it was a real question of which secondary back would step up for Indy. I think we know the answer now.

The Timeshare Guys (Under 60%)

These are a few big-name rushers who have been forced to share reps so far this season. It doesn't mean they can't be productive, but they just won't have the same chances.

Dalvin Cook's going to be fighting for carries all season, especially if New York's lead back, Breece Hall, gets back to his ways from Week 1.

Though Hall (and the rest of New York's rushing attack) stumbled in Weeks 2 and 3, Breece ran for almost 100 more yards than Cook and comparable receiving yards in the opening week win over Buffalo. If Cook is going to win back some share of playing time, he'll have to be more efficient. 

The Big Movers: Guys Whose Snap Count Jumped

Week 1 was a bit of a scare for those of us with Bijan Robinson Offensive Rookie of the Year tickets. But, since splitting time with Tyler Allgeier in that opening matchup, Robinson's usage has been on a steady rise. He's clearly the lead back already, receiving six more touches than any other back in a Week 3 loss to the Lions. His rising snap count reflects that increase too.

NFL Snap Counts: Wide Receivers

The Locks (Over 95%)

These guys are your elite WRs with the offenses basically built around them. They're on the field for basically every play, every down.

Not too many surprises on this lead receiver list. The one that stood out to me most was Michael Pittman, who's the clear top receiving weapon in Indy.

The Colts certainly don't seem like a great offense to have a bunch of passing weapons from, but Pittman is the exception. In the first few weeks of the season, Pittman has seen 10 more targets and 10 more receptions than any other Colts receiver. He's also been efficient with those touches, racking up 76.7 yards per game on a 73.5% catch rate. If the Colts WR1 stays on the field this much, he'll be a must-own in fantasy and a must-bet for props.

The Odd Guys Out (Under 60%)

Being a productive fantasy or prop betting receiver is all about volume. Are you on the field? Are you getting targets? Here are the bigger names who have spent more time on the sideline than the field.

I had high hopes for Rashod Bateman coming into this season, but he's found it hard to crack into the Baltimore offense so far.

With Zay Flowers and Odell Beckham Jr. playing big roles in in the first two weeks, and Mark Andrews back from injury, I'm not sure there are enough snaps to go around for a WR3 like Bateman.

The Big Movers: Guys Whose Snap Count Jumped

After a few weeks with ~60% usage, Curtis Samuel jumped into the mid-70s in Week 3.  While Samuel slides into Washington's receiver depth chart clearly behind Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, he has the benefit of the system.

With Sam Howell at QB, the Commanders are throwing the ball over 33 times per game so far this year. Even has a WR3, that's enough to get Samuel plenty of targets.

Why Are NFL Snap Counts Important For Betting?

As we explained before, snap count percentage is the easiest way to determine playing time/player usage. 

Before you make a bet on the OVER/UNDER on Christian McCaffrey’s total carries in Week 3, for example, you’ll want to consult our snap count chart. In Week 2, C-Mac was on the field for 92 percent of the Panthers’ offensive snaps, the highest percentage among Week 2 running backs.

With those numbers in mind, you’ll probably lean toward the OVER. But keep in mind the sportsbooks recognize McCaffrey’s usage, too, so you’ll see his OVER/UNDER on carries adjusted accordingly. The key is to find value by using these NFL snap count numbers – and that’s what we addressed in the sections above.

Snap count percentage is defined as the number of a team’s offensive snaps during which a player is on the field.