Welcome to the Week 8 edition of the 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 8 marks the midway point of the season; it’s time to get serious.
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Week 8 Fantasy Football Usage Report
Quentin Johnston Variance
Week 8 was Quentin Johnston‘s second game back from injury, and the results since coming back have not been good. In that time, Johnston has run 90.5% and 80% of the routes on 89.5% and 52.8% of the snaps. However, he has held target shares of only 10.9% and 0%. Perhaps most importantly, Oronde Gadsden II has been a revelation for the Chargers, complicating their pass catchers’ projections. Johnston’s 5.5 PPR PPG over his last two games is a far cry from how he started the season.
It’s important to remember that Quentin Johnston‘s player archetype was always one with high variance. Johnston ran hot to start the season; it’s not crazy that he’s running cold right now, especially coming off an injury. Johnston runs a lot of the higher difficulty routes in LA’s offense; his variance is likely to continue. He’s a boom/bust WR3 moving forward.
Is Saquon Barkley back?
Prior to Week 8, Saquon Barkley‘s 2025 was one of the more disappointing performances in the league. The Eagles’ offense struggled to have a consistent identity, their offensive line has battled through injuries, and Barkley’s signature big plays have been rare. That all changed this week. The Eagles clearly built their offense around Barkley in Week 8, and he rewarded them. Barkley saw a total of 18 opportunities. He played 59.3% of the snaps despite not playing the fourth quarter due to the Eagles easily handling the game and a possible groin injury. On those opportunities, Barkley gained 174 total yards and two touchdowns for 33.4 PPR points.
By the eye test, Saquon Barkley doesn’t look much different from how he did in 2024. The problem for him is the offensive line performing worse and the Eagles’ general offensive variability. Barkley remains a low-end RB1 for the time being until we see consistency from the offense, but his 2024 ceiling still exists.
Texans’ Rookie Wide Receivers
Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel have been slow to get going in their rookie seasons for the Texans. They’ve each had their moments, but neither has consistently been on the field and getting opportunities. In Week 8, without Nico Collins or Christian Kirk, it was their time to show what they could do. Overall, they didn’t disappoint. Higgins filled in for Collins and played 82.5% of the snaps, ran 81% of the routes, and had a 17.9% target share, scoring 13.4 PPR points. Noel rotated in the slot and played 38.8% of the snaps, ran 45.2% of the routes, and had a 15.4% target share, scoring 11.3 PPR points.
Jayden Higgins‘ value looks to be dependent on Nico Collins‘ health for the time being. He’s still worth a bench stash, but only worth starting if Collins is out. Jaylin Noel, likewise, has value as long as Christian Kirk is sidelined. The difference for him is that Kirk is an easier bar to cross, so Noel could eventually be a starter even when Kirk is healthy. Noel is worth a bench stash as well.
Chase Brown Resurgence
Since Joe Burrow‘s injury, Chase Brown has barely made an impact in fantasy football. But since Joe Flacco joined the team, Brown has seemingly gotten back on track. Interestingly, Samaje Perine has mixed in more, with Brown playing only 63.2% and 54.2% of the snaps and receiving 68.1% and 60% of the backfield opportunities in the last two weeks. But he’s played better with this lower snap count, scoring 12 and 25.5 PPR points while averaging 7.3 yards per touch.
It looks as though this updated role for Chase Brown, along with Joe Flacco getting the offense on track, has been beneficial for him. You won’t be able to count on a performance like he had in Week 8 every week, but you can feel confident in playing Brown now as a low-end RB2. That’s much better than we were thinking only a few weeks ago.
George Kittle Ramps Up
George Kittle returned from injury in Week 7, but was held without a catch for the first time in his career. In that game, Kittle ran 85.7% of the routes while playing 81.8% of the snaps. In Week 8, Kittle got back on track, scoring 14.3 PPR points while earning a 12.5% target share. He also ran 91.9% of the routes while playing 89.6% of the snaps. The target share isn’t where we want it to be, but the playing time is exactly where it should be. Kittle is still Kittle. The targets will come, and the fantasy points will come along with them.
Before the season, George Kittle was drafted as the TE3. He could still reach those heights in fantasy production, but it’s not as simple now. Tyler Warren has established himself as one of the top tight ends in the league. Jake Ferguson is having a fantastic season. Dallas Goedert is scoring more touchdowns than ever. Kittle is still a TE1 for the rest of the season, but where he ranks in the top 12 isn’t as clear anymore.
Tetairoa McMillan Under the Radar Start
The 2025 rookie class has provided plenty of great performances to start the season. Without any real true boom weeks, Tetairoa McMillan‘s start has gone a bit under the radar, but it shouldn’t be. McMillan has been a bona fide WR1 for the Panthers since he stepped on the field. On the season, McMillan leads the Panthers with a 24.1% target share while running 93% of the routes and playing 89.2% of the snaps. McMillan has turned this opportunity into 12.5 PPR PPG. If it weren’t for the Panthers being more of a running offense and suffering from inconsistent quarterback play, McMillan could be having an all-time great rookie season.
Tetairoa McMillan is obviously quite talented. Unfortunately for him, his quarterback play hasn’t been good enough for him to truly break out. He’s a solid WR2 you can play with confidence, but his ceiling will be limited all season until the quarterback play improves.
TreVeyon Henderson Hope
Speaking of great rookie performances to start the 2025 season, we’ve had the exact opposite in TreVeyon Henderson. He’s had what should be a fantastic run out and has made little impact. Rhamondre Stevenson can’t stop fumbling, Antonio Gibson is done for the year with an injury, and Henderson has still done next to nothing. Entering Week 8, Henderson has played only 34.2% of the snaps, received 33.9% of the backfield opportunities, and had an 8.8% target share, leading to 6.7 PPR PPG.
In Week 8, he gave us some hope. He had just 35.7% of the opportunities on a 20.6% snap share and fumbled for the first time since 2021, but he ran for 75 yards on only 10 attempts, looking explosive whenever he had the chance. The Patriots said before the week that they wanted to get TreVeyon Henderson more involved. That didn’t happen. But at least Henderson looked great whenever he got an opportunity, which is a far cry from where he was. Hopefully, Henderson can parlay this into future opportunities. It’s worth it to continue to stash him on your bench.
Troy Franklin Ascension
Troy Franklin‘s 2024 season has been one of surprise. Franklin was mostly a non-factor as a rookie, despite landing on the team that drafted his college quarterback after falling in the NFL Draft. His 2025 preseason usage didn’t point to an imminent breakout either. But Franklin has established himself as the Broncos’ WR2. On the season, he’s run 81.8% of the routes, which is second on the team, and earned an 18.2% target share. His production has been a bit inconsistent, but he now averages 11.6 PPR PPG on the season.
This season, Troy Franklin has seen the type of role he has in Denver’s offense change week to week, but there is always a role for him. His average depth of target in a week has been anywhere between -0.7 and 18. His slot rate in a given week has been anywhere between 38.5% and 72.7%. Franklin is a boom/bust flex play.
Chimere Dike Mini Breakout
Quietly, Chimere Dike has put together back-to-back solid games for the Titans while Calvin Ridley has been out. In Week 7, Dike ran 66.7% of the routes on 56.6% of the snaps, earning a 12.5% target share and scoring 16.9 PPR points due to a nice downfield touchdown catch. In Week 8, his role grew to 90.7% of the routes on 88.7% of the snaps, earning a 22.9% target share and scoring 16.5 PPR points while leading the team in catches and receiving yards.
The Titans are thinking about the future. Chimere Dike is building his case as to why he should be a part of it. That will earn him opportunities now, and when Calvin Ridley gets back, as Ridley may not be long for the team after this season. It’s hard to have too much confidence in his production continuing because of the Titans’ general woes this season, but you can flex Dike if you need to.
Devin Neal Handcuff
In Week 7, Kendre Miller was lost for the season due to a torn ACL. This left Devin Neal as the Saints’ RB2. In Week 8, the question was how much of the backfield work Neal would get. The Saints had moved towards more of a split for Alvin Kamara in 2025, but that was with Miller. We didn’t know if it would be the same with Neal.
It turns out that the Saints trust Neal, too. Neal played 45.8% of the snaps (Kamara played 51.4%) and received 27.3% of the backfield opportunities, although there were only 11 to go around. The Saints found themselves in a game script that didn’t allow for much involvement from the running backs in general, but Neal’s snap share shows confidence.
Neal was someone I liked before the NFL Draft as a player who was a competent back in all areas and could be called upon to handle a large role if need be. Neal’s weakness is that he’s an average athlete, limiting his ceiling. Neal should now be looked at as a solid handcuff running back.
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