Welcome to the Week 13 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. Now, the fantasy playoffs are here in two weeks, so there isn’t much of the season left. We must be prepared.
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Week 13 Fantasy Football Usage Report
Christian Watson is the Packers’ WR1
What a story it’s been for Christian Watson in 2025. He suffered a torn ACL late in the 2024 season, so little was expected of him in 2025. But Watson managed to return in Week 8 and has led the Packers’ wide receivers since. Since coming back, Watson is playing 71.7% of the snaps, running 75% of the routes, and has earned an 18.1% target share. In Week 13, Watson had the type of game we’ve seen from him many times in the past, catching four of his 10 targets for 80 yards and a touchdown while adding a carry for three yards, giving him 18.3 PPR points on the day.
Over the last few years, the Packers’ passing offense has liked to spread the ball around. Christian Watson, though, is the one wide receiver who has been able to separate himself a bit, while healthy. Right now, Watson is the Packers’ WR1 and a fantasy WR3.
Isiah Pacheco Returns
After missing four weeks and three games due to a sprained MCL, Isiah Pacheco returned in Week 13. In Pacheco’s time off, Kareem Hunt assumed a workhorse role for the Chiefs.
Before his injury, Pacheco was playing 54.1% of the snaps and seeing 45.7% of the backfield opportunities. That’s not much, but it’s better than his role in his return. Against the Cowboys, Pacheco played only 30.3% of the snaps and recorded 23.8% of the backfield opportunities. Hunt was again the Chiefs’ workhorse, handling 76.2% of the backfield opportunities while playing 63.6% of the snaps.
Kareem Hunt is the more productive and reliable player for the Chiefs at this time. Isiah Pacheco, unfortunately, appears to have suffered the consequences of the injuries he has dealt with over the last couple of years, which have taken a toll on his body. Pacheco isn’t worth rostering.
Joe Burrow is Back
Surprisingly, Joe Burrow returned early from a Grade 3 Turf Toe injury to face the Ravens in Week 13. Everyone was watching to see how healthy Burrow looked and if he’d be able to have the offense produce like he has in the past.
Any worries you had can be wiped away. Burrow had no problem dropping back for 46 pass attempts and even ran three times. On those 46 attempts, Burrow threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns on the way to a victory in a tough divisional matchup against the Ravens, whose defense has been getting healthy.
Joe Flacco had a good run, but it’s great to have Joe Burrow back. With Burrow, we know the Bengals’ offense will be productive week in and week out with no reason to doubt it.
The Bears’ Backfield
All season long, Kyle Monangai has been working towards a 50/50 split with D’Andre Swift. We’ve finally reached that point. At first, the thought of the two of them splitting the backfield completely made me believe that neither running back would be worthwhile. I was wrong.
The Bears’ running attack is top-notch. Against the Eagles, a formidable defense, both Swift and Monangai scored over 18 PPR points. Swift played 52.9% of the snaps, had 46.5% of the backfield opportunities, and a 5.6% target share. Monangai had 44.8% of the snaps, had 53.5% of the backfield opportunities, and a 2.8% target share.
The Bears have shifted over the season to building their offense through their running backs. Both D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai are low-end RB2s moving forward.
Bucky Irving’s Game Back
Suffering multiple injuries in Week 4, with a shoulder injury being the worst of it, Bucky Irving has been out since. In his absence, Rachaad White and Sean Tucker have held down the Buccaneers’ backfield well, each with time as the lead guy. With Irving returning in Week 13, the question was how much of the backfield share he’d get back. Luckily for Irving managers, they have nothing to worry about. Irving handled 73.1% of the backfield opportunities on 52.5% of the snaps on his way to 12.1 PPR points.
I like what the Buccaneers did. They monitored Bucky Irving‘s snaps in his first game back, but they didn’t monitor his touches. He still got the workload we want and produced. He would have had an even better day if it weren’t for penalties removing another touchdown, too. Irving is a high-end RB2.
Jaguars Wide Receivers
For the first time since acquiring Jakobi Meyers, the Jaguars had Brian Thomas Jr. healthy in Week 13. While Thomas was out, Meyers and Parker Washington held down the Jacksonville wide receiver room. Before the season, we’d easily project Thomas to lead this trio. But with how he played to start the season, it wasn’t so simple.
Here’s the Jaguars’ WR workloads in Week 13: Thomas played 74.6% of the snaps, ran 84.4% of the routes, and had an 11.1% target share. Meyers played 92.1% of the snaps, ran 93.8% of the routes, and had a 22.2% target share. Washington played 38.1% of the snaps, ran 37.5% of the routes, and had an 11.1% target share, but he also left the game early
It’s inspiring that Brian Thomas Jr. played three quarters of the snaps and ran most of the routes, but we need to see him be a bigger part of the offense before we can trust him. I’m still stashing Thomas on my bench, just not starting him yet.
Marvin Harrison Jr. vs Michael Wilson
While Marvin Harrison Jr. missed two games due to appendix removal, Michael Wilson exploded. The third-year wideout had a two-game stretch that Harrison has yet to duplicate in his two seasons. With Harrison playing in Week 13, everyone was watching to see how things would play out between Wilson and Harrison.
However, the Week 13 results leave us needing to see more. Harrison played 60.7% of the snaps, ran 64.4% of the routes, and had a 17.5% target share. Wilson played 93.4% of the snaps, ran 95.6% of the routes, and also had a 17.5% target share.
The Cardinals didn’t let Marvin Harrison Jr. play a full role in his first game back, but he was still involved in the offense just as much as Michael Wilson, despite Wilson playing nearly every snap and route. If and when Harrison’s playing time increases, he could also earn more opportunities than Wilson. Harrison is a WR3 moving forward, while Wilson may return to fantasy irrelevance.
Did Chuba Hubbard get his Job Back?
After getting a chance when the latter suffered an injury, Rico Dowdle took over Chuba Hubbard‘s job, playing significantly better than Hubbard has at any point. The Pathers then made Dowdle their workhorse, leaving Hubbard to be just a handcuff running back.
But in Week 13, this situation may have changed again. Hubbard had the bigger role and played better. He played 59.4% of the snaps and handled 47.5% of the backfield opportunities on his way to 20.4 PPR points. Dowdle played only 42.2% of the snaps, handled 50% of the backfield opportunities, and scored just 9.9 PPR points.
Rico Dowdle had a great run, but he’s also slowed down over the last few games. The Carolina backfield is likely better off with a split between him and Chuba Hubbard that rides the hot hand at times. Both Dowdle and Hubbard are low-end RB2s/flex players on a team that wants to feature them.
Max Brosmer Gets His Chance
J.J. McCarthy ended up leaving his Week 12 game with a concussion, making way for undrafted rookie free agent Max Brosmer to get his first shot in the NFL. Brosmer is a physically limited player who does his damage by being smart and making the correct read. His first start couldn’t get much tougher, facing the Seahawks in Seattle. Unfortunately, Brosmer’s first start was about as bad as it gets. He threw four interceptions in his 30 pass attempts without throwing a touchdown, and was sacked four times. The Vikings failed to score any points.
We all had some hope that Brosmer could help the Vikings’ offense get back on track, but somehow, he was even worse than what J.J. McCarthy had been. With the quarterback play as bad as it is for the Vikings, their weapons are virtually unplayable, even Justin Jefferson. You have to be in a bad position to play any of them.
The New-Look Raiders?
With Chip Kelly fired as offensive coordinator, what, if any, changes the Raiders would make on offense was a big situation to monitor. Naturally, Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty led the Raiders. Jeanty handled all but one backfield opportunity, and Bowers led the pass catchers in every category.
The new wrinkle was that Jack Bech earned back a role in the offense. In the middle of the season, the second-round rookie had started earning snaps, but then he lost them. In Week 13, Bech played 56.3% of the snaps and ran 48.3% of the routes. The problem is, it doesn’t matter. This offense can’t support more than Bowers and Jeanty.
The new-look Raiders were the same-look Raiders. We can have confidence in Ashton Jeanty‘s touches week to week, helping him be a low-end RB1. Brock Bowers is so talented that he transcends the offense. Other than that, nothing matters.
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