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. The fantasy playoffs are almost here, and there are only a couple of weeks left to solidify our rosters. That makes staying on top of fantasy football usage more important than ever, so let’s get the top trends from Week 12.
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Week 12 Fantasy Football Usage Report
Keon Coleman Healthy Scratches
Keon Coleman started off with a bang in Week 1, but he’s been hard to find since. In a surprising move, the Bills have made Coleman a healthy scratch in each of the past two weeks. We may never know the true reason for this move, as the coachspeak wasn’t clear, but anyone with eyes can see that Coleman has been a disappointment thus far in his career. He’s made the occasional splash play, as he’s quite athletic, after all. The consistency has not been there, though.
There is a real chance Keon Coleman is not on the Bills in 2026. There’s reason to believe his benching isn’t only related to on-field performance. High draft picks like him tend to get extra chances. Obviously, Coleman is a zero for the rest of the season. I wouldn’t hold on to him in dynasty, either, if you can get anything in a trade.
Kenneth Walker Coachspeak Comes Through
After the Seahawks’ Week 11 game, we got the quote that Kenneth Walker had earned more opportunities. This was something anyone watching Walker play next to Zach Charbonnet could see. Before Week 12, Walker and Charbonnet were in a near 50/50 split. Walker had played 45.4% of the snaps to Charbonnet’s 44.6%. Walker also handled 51.2% of the backfield opportunities, while Charbonnet had 40%.
In Week 12, the coaches backed up their quote. Walker played a season high 62.5% of the snaps and received 71.4% of the backfield opportunities. Charbonnet lagged with 31.3% of the snaps and 28.6% of the backfield opportunities.
With the backfield being split so closely previously, neither Kenneth Walker nor Zach Charbonnet mattered much for fantasy football. But with usage condensing more around Walker, now we have a real asset. Walker should be considered a mid-range RB2 moving forward.
Emanuel Wilson Handcuff Status
Josh Jacobs has battled through many injuries in his career and this year, but he wasn’t able to suit up in Week 12. In his absence, Emanuel Wilson took the reins of the Packers’ backfield. Wilson first showed his ability at the end of the 2024 season, where he averaged 11.9 PPR PPG while playing alongside Jacobs. This week, he had a career day, scoring 26.5 PPR points against a tough Vikings run defense. Wilson saw 56.1% of Green Bay’s offensive snaps and handled 76.9% of the backfield opportunities.
Emanuel Wilson is officially a top handcuff. Signs pointed towards Wilson being the Packers’ workhorse if anything happened to Josh Jacobs, but we still needed to see it to be sure. Now we can be sure. The Packers have a good offense and have now shown the willingness to give Wilson a three-down role. We love that.
Rhamondre Stevenson Returns
After TreVeyon Henderson exploded during his two-game absence with a toe injury, Rhamondre Stevenson returned to the Patriots’ lineup. Based on the first half of the season, and Mike Vrabel’s “old school” coaching style, many thought the backfield split could go back Stevenson’s way or even return to how it was before his injury. Not so fast. In his return, Stevenson played only 31% of the snaps and received 25.8% of the backfield opportunities, while Henderson got the start.
The Patriots keeping TreVeyon Henderson as their starter and lead back makes sense. He’s the better player that they just invested a high draft pick into. Rhamondre Stevenson now falls into high-end handcuff and desperation flex territory.
Jameson Williams Rollercoaster
For a moment there, it looked as though Jameson Williams got back on the right track. In Weeks 10 and 11, with Dan Campbell taking over play-calling duties, Williams had a 20% target share and led the Lions in receiving yards on his way to 21.8 PPR PPG. In Week 12, Williams gave us a goose egg. He scored 0.0 fantasy points on three targets all while playing nearly every snap, as usual. Williams is already a nearly every-down player for the Lions, so it’s hard for his role to increase.
This is who Jameson Williams is. He has more peaks and valleys than the average wide receiver. He’s got plenty of talent and is dynamic as they come, but his style of play in the Lions’ offense doesn’t lend itself to week-to-week consistency. Williams is still a boom/bust WR3.
Luther Burden III’s Mini-Ascension
Through the season, Luther Burden has flashed playmaking ability, albeit while rarely being on the field. Burden entered the NFL as an athletic playmaker who needed to refine his skills. It should be no surprise that he started slow. Before Week 12, Ben Johnson was quoted as saying that Burden had earned more snaps.
Prior to this week, Burden had played only 26% of the Bears’ snaps and run 27.8% of the routes. In Week 12, those numbers increased to 50.8% and 60.5%. He also handled one carry. Unfortunately, he turned his increased opportunity into a mediocre 9.1 PPR points.
The increased playing time and opportunity are a good improvement for Luther Burden. The problem is this is still a crowded offense with plenty of weapons and a quarterback who can’t support them all yet. Burden is a great bench stash and desperation flex player, but nothing more yet.
Gunner Helm Post-Bye Bump
Don’t look now, but the Titans’ leader in targets over the last two games since their bye week is Gunner Helm. Over that time, Helm has played 63.4% of the snaps and run 47.9% of the routes while earning a 15.2% target share. The role is not great. It’s pretty average for a tight end. But what he has going for him is that the Titans, who are constantly playing from behind, attempt a lot of passes. And they clearly value him as a receiving option, seeing how he’s been targeted on 26.7% of his routes.
Gunner Helm is still playing on a bad offense with an average role, so you can’t count on him yet. The rookie should be on your watch list, though. If his role grows, Helm could reach streaming level at a weak tight end position.
John Metchie Revival
With the Jets’ offense’s dearth of pass-catching options, they’ve been begging for anyone to step up. Over the last two games, John Metchie has done his best to be that person. In Week 11, Metchie ran 72.7% of the routes, which was second on the team, while playing 82.3% of the snaps. On those routes he earned just an 11.1% target share for three targets, but caught all of them for 45 yards and a touchdown.
In Week 12, Metchie’s role increased. He played 86.4% of the snaps, ran 91.2% of the routes, and tied for the Jets’ lead with a 25% target share. He caught six of his seven targets for 65 yards and one touchdown for 18.5 PPR points.
It’s hard to have too much faith in John Metchie. He’s done little in his career so far and is now playing on an inept offense with Tyrod Taylor as his quarterback. But if he’s the Jets’ only reliable pass catcher, which he looks to be, we may have to just accept that Metchie is now a flex-worthy player.
Michael Wilson’s Breakout
No one has surprised more over the last two weeks than Michael Wilson. With Marvin Harrison Jr. out due to having his appendix removed, Wilson has stepped up as the Cardinals’ top wide receiver. Over the last two weeks, Wilson has run 85.3% of the routes while playing 82.2% of the snaps and earned a 30.2% target share. In those two games, Wilson has scored 33.5 and 21.7 PPR points. Wilson’s role has been near elite, and the Cardinals have attempted 106 passes over the last two games with Jacoby Brissett at the helm while having to play from behind. Harrison could return at any time, though.
One has to wonder what Marvin Harrison Jr. would have done these last two weeks if he were healthy. Michael Wilson likely earned more of a role in the offense with how he’s played, but I don’t think it comes at the cost of Harrison. The Cardinals’ passing offense should revolve around Trey McBride, Harrison, and Wilson, in that order. When Harrison returns, Wilson is a possible flex play.
Kirk Cousins is Back
Michael Penix Jr. was lost for the season due to a knee injury, meaning Kirk Cousins is now the Falcons’ starter for the rest of the season. Week 12 marked his second start this season after starting against the Dolphins early in the season. In Cousins’ first start this season, the Falcons passed at a 65.3% rate as they played from behind all game. Cousins did little, completing 21 of his 31 attempts for only 173 yards and zero touchdowns.
On Sunday, the Falcons passed at only a 47.3% rate as they led for most of the game. Cousins played better, though, completing 16 of his 23 passes for 199 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Kirk Cousins is way past his prime. If the Falcons can help it, they want to hide him as much as possible and rely on their running game. This is bad news for the Falcons’ pass catchers. Cousins could support maybe one weapon a week, but don’t expect more than that.
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