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The Steelers need to push the pace in Week 14

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) throws a pass during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015, in Pittsburgh. The Steelers won 30-9. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Welcome to Snaps, Pace, and Stats, which examines trends in snap totals and no-huddle usage. This year I’ll be looking at individual players on Fridays in Advanced Matchup Plays, and it will appear both here and on RotoGrinders. Before that, however, it is helpful to take a 30,000-foot view of the upcoming games, in the hope of finding out which ones will be played on fertile fantasy soil.

 

Rank Week 13 Snaps 2015 Snaps/Game Opponent Wk 13 Snps 2015 Opp Snps/Gm
1 New England (86) Houston (72.0) Philadelphia (86) Philadelphia (70.8)
2 Arizona (79) Philadelphia (68.8) St. Louis (79) Miami (69.4)
3 N.Y. Jets (77) San Diego (68.3) N.Y. Giants (77) N.Y. Giants (69.3)
4 Carolina (76) Atlanta (68.1) Kansas City (76) Jacksonville (68.2)
5 Oakland (76) New England (67.8) New Orleans (76) Indianapolis (67.9)

 

Buffalo at Philadelphia

The Bills only run the 25th-most plays per game (62.5), while allowing the 16th-most (64.8). But they’ve been pulled into high-volume games against top-10-paced teams like the Patriots (141 snaps and 72 points combined), Jaguars (137 and 65), and Dolphins (134 and 55). Buffalo scores the eighth-most points per snap (0.39), and the Eagles – who have allowed 39.3 points per game in their last three – surrender the most plays per game (70.8).

LeSean McCoy looks rejuvenated, Tyrod Taylor trails only Cam Newton in fantasy-points-per-dropback, Sammy Watkins ranks second in PPR-points-per-target among wideouts with at least 20 looks, and Karlos Williams ranks fourth in PPR-points-per-opportunity. Philadelphia’s breakneck pace should unlock Buffalo’s snap-starved offense, in addition to feeding its own voluminous attack (68.8 plays per game; second-most). The Bills’ 22nd-graded defense (-6.1) ranks 23rd-“best” in both yards per rush (4.3) and passing yards per game surrendered (255.8).

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Pat Thorman is a Lead Writer for PFF Fantasy and was named 2013 Newcomer of the Year by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. You can follow him on Twitter at @Pat_Thorman

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