Welcome to the weekly Fantasy Football Usage Report. Volume is paramount in fantasy football, and a player’s usage determines the type of volume they receive. Each week, I’ll take a look at different usage trends throughout the NFL to help us prepare for the rest of the season. Week 4 brought some interesting trends. Let’s dive in.
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Fantasy Football Usage Report Week 4
Trey Benson, Cardinals RB1
Week 4 was Trey Benson‘s first game after James Conner was lost for the season, allowing us to see what the Cardinals’ plans are moving forward. The initial results are mixed, but encouraging. Benson played 55% of the snaps, losing the third-down role to Emari Demercado, which isn’t ideal. But Benson earned 72% of the running back opportunities, including receiving a 12.2% target share on the day. Although Demercado may be playing the third-down snaps, Benson is the running back getting the targets.
Against a tough Seahawks defense, Trey Benson was only able to score 10.4 PPR Points, but we can expect more in the future with the role he has. With his role, Benson should be viewed as a high-end RB2 for the rest of the season.
Kaleb Johnson Disappointment
Thus far this season, Kaleb Johnson has been one of the worst picks you could have made in fantasy football. The Steelers seemed to be the perfect landing spot for the third-round NFL Draft pick, but he has struggled to get on the field and has had a propensity for mistakes when he does. In Week 4, with Jaylen Warren out, Johnson’s role spoke volumes to how the Steelers feel about him. He played only 20.8% of the snaps and received 21.9% of the backfield opportunities, easily playing second fiddle to Kenneth Gainwell. It’s also worth noting that four of his seven total opportunities came late in the game when the Steelers were in control.
Week 4 was not inspiring for Kaleb Johnson. He should still be rostered in most leagues in case he can turn things around, but if you have to drop someone to make an important free agent move, Johnson is cuttable. It would take multiple injuries for Johnson to be relevant, and even then, we can’t expect production.
Woody Marks Hits the Spot
Slowly building to this moment, Woody Marks may have just taken over the Texans’ backfield. Marks has seen his snap share increasing with marks of 11.1%, 26.5%, and 47.6% before Week 4. Along with that, his opportunities have risen from three, to four, to eight. In Week 4, Marks played 56.3% of the Texans’ snaps and earned 59.5% of their backfield opportunities, including a 17.9% target share, leading the backfield in all categories. Marks isn’t the most physical runner, but he’s good in space and a legitimate pass catcher. Before the season, Marks was a player we highlighted on Press Coverage.
With Nick Chubb looking well past his prime and the chance we don’t see Joe Mixon at all this season, Woody Marks is poised to have a valuable role for the rest of the season. Marks can be seen as a weekly flex option with a chance for more now.
Jaxson Dart’s First Start
Sunday was a good day for Jaxson Dart believers everywhere (myself included). In his first start, against a tough Chargers defense while losing Malik Nabers in the first half, Dart played well. He was poised and consistently moved the offense on the way to a win. He didn’t have to pass the ball much (only 20 attempts) with the Giants in the lead early, but when he did, he was adequate. Dart completed 65% of his passes with one touchdown and no interceptions, although he was sacked five times. The rookie’s mobility was on display, though, as he ran for 54 yards and another touchdown on 10 carries. Dart’s growth is just starting.
I had a bold call before the season that Jaxson Dart would finish in the top 16 of quarterbacks in fantasy PPG. After his first start, that looks easily attainable. Dart will be a willing runner, giving him a good fantasy floor and the potential for a high ceiling.
Kendre Miller Weekly Value?
For the first time this season, Kendre Miller had a legitimate role past being Alvin Kamara‘s backup. Before Week 4, Miller hadn’t played more than a 27.4% snap share. Additionally, He hadn’t received more than a 28% opportunity share in any game. This week, that changed a bit. Miller earned a slightly improved snap share with 31.3%. More importantly, he received 35.5% of the backfield opportunities. Miller isn’t much of a receiver, but he nearly matched Kamara in carries, 11 to 15. He did well with them, too, running for 65 yards and a touchdown, giving him 12.5 PPR Points.
It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that Kendre Miller is earning a role with the Saints. He had an intriguing prospect profile and was a day two pick for them in 2023, and Alvin Kamara isn’t getting any younger. You can’t rely on Miller week to week yet, but that day could come at some point. At a minimum, he’s clearly one of the better depth running backs now.
A.J. Brown Woes
I’ve got good news, and I’ve got bad news. Let’s start with the good. A.J. Brown yet again is leading the Eagles in target share this year with 27.7%. He easily led them in targets in Week 4 with nine, giving him a 37.5% target share on the day. He’s also playing nearly all the snaps with a 93.1% share. Now the bad news. Outside of Week 3, it’s meant nothing. Week 4 was another dud for A.J. Brown, as he only caught two of those nine targets and turned them into just 2.7 PPR Points. For the season, Brown is averaging just 8.8 PPR PPG. Whether it is a lack of passing volume from the offense or Brown not converting on his opportunities, he’s not getting it done.
It’s getting hard to continue having faith in Brown. We know he’s one of the most talented wide receivers in the NFL, but he’s not producing, for whatever reason, so we have to adjust. Brown is a low-end WR2 moving forward based purely on his talent, and I can’t blame anyone who sits him.
Joe Flacco’s Days are Numbered
We always knew that Joe Flacco was a stopgap option for the Browns. He’s not their future. Two years ago, Flacco played well for the Browns, but that was a long two years ago. The Browns’ victory against the Packers in Week 3 bought Flacco some time, but that time is running out. Flacco has now thrown six interceptions against only two touchdowns this season. He’s passed for over 200 yards only one time. He’s completing less than 60% of his passes and averaging only 5.1 yards per attempt. How much longer can the Browns put Flacco out there?
Joe Flacco hasn’t been good, but the one thing he does do is complete a lot of passes. He’s so quick to check the ball down, and Kevin Stefanski has no problem passing at a high rate. That can help the Browns’ weapons still be fantasy relevant. When we get a new quarterback, that might not be the case anymore.
Chuba Hubbard’s Loose Grasp as RB1
Chubba Hubbard has been a reliable workhorse for the Panthers since partway through the 2023 season. For the first three weeks of the 2025 season, that held. Week 4 brought some change, though. Before this week, Hubbard hadn’t received below 67.2% of the snaps and 64.5% of the backfield opportunities. In Week 4, Hubbard played 50.7% of Carolina’s snaps and received just 43.3% of the backfield opportunities. It’s worth noting that for the Panthers’ final drive, the starters were pulled, but this is still a tick down in opportunity regardless.
Chuba Hubbard‘s week-to-week projection is a little more fragile than it was before Week 4. Rico Dowdle is a quality player as well, and the Panthers used a fourth-round pick on Trevor Etienne. Hubbard is still a solid RB2, but he’s a bit riskier going forward.
Brashard Smith Earns Opportunities
The seventh-round converted wide receiver, Brashard Smith, was an intriguing player for fantasy managers coming into the season. He’s athletic and has good receiving skills due to his position change. With the Chiefs’ backfield depth chart looking fairly weak, Smith had a chance to earn opportunities. In the first three weeks of the season, though, Smith played only 21 total snaps and had five total opportunities. In Week 4, Smith played 26% of the snaps and received eight total opportunities, including four targets. That gave him 25% of the backfield opportunities. It’s not a large share, but it’s a significant improvement for Smith.
We still have a long way to go for Brashard Smith before we can trust him in our fantasy lineups. Week 4 was a big step in the right direction, though. Being Patrick Mahomes‘ pass-catching back is a good place to be. If Smith can build off of this, he’ll be in consideration. He can alreadxy be rostered in deep leagues. In shallower leagues, he should be on your radar.
Brenton Strange’s Quiet Breakout
The start to Brenton Strange‘s season has been quietly encouraging. The third-year tight end stepped in as a starter with Evan Engram‘s departure and has been the Jaguars’ most consistent pass catcher. Strange has been about as much of an every-down player as a tight end can be, playing 82.5% of the snaps and running 88.7% of the routes. He now has a target share of 16% on the season, which isn’t great, but he’s still averaging nearly six targets a game. He also leads the Jaguars in receiving yards, helping him to 9.3 PPR PPG without scoring a touchdown.
Brenton Strange is slowly creeping his way up towards fringe TE1 status. If you were in a pinch, you could stream Strange. If he continues to play well and grow, he could be someone you feel comfortable relying on.
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