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 4 Snaps | 2015 Snaps/Game | Opponent Wk 4 Snps | 2015 Opp Snps/Gm |
1 | Jacksonville (79) | Houston (79.0) | Indianapolis (79) | Philadelphia (73.5) |
2 | Washington (79) | Washington (71.0) | Philadelphia (79) | Carolina (71.5) |
3 | Baltimore (78) | New England (70.0) | Pittsburgh (78) | Jacksonville (70.0) |
4 | Houston (75) | Atlanta (68.3) | Atlanta (75) | Buffalo (69.8) |
5 | CHI / TB (75) | Baltimore (68.0) | OAK / CAR (75) | Oakland (69.5) |
New Orleans at Philadelphia
The Eagles, who ran the most snaps in 2014, have averaged just 60.3 per game thus far (28th). They rank dead last in third down conversion rate (26 percent), 31st in yards-per-carry, and grade 30th in rushing offense (-4.9). The Saints’ run defense ranks third (+20.9), and just prompted a -7.4 run-blocking effort from the vaunted Cowboys. Sam Bradford, who showed signs of life in the second half of Philadelphia’s Week 4 game, needs to keep making progress. Fortunately, New Orleans’ pass rush ranks 28th (-6.0), and their coverage is the worst in the NFL (-22.8).
A year removed from allowing the second-most snaps per game, the Eagles lead the league (73.5). Their run defense is again strong (+16.6 grade; fourth-best), and their pass coverage has improved (-2.1; 10th-best). The Saints, who rank sixth in snaps per game (67.8), want a run-based offense, but are third in pass attempts. They posted their quickest snap pace of the season and, despite averaging 4.1 yards per carry, had Drew Brees throw 41 times in a Week 4 game that was close throughout. Actions speak louder than words, and there will be plenty of action in this matchup.
DOMINATE FANTASY FOOTBALL & BETTING WITH AI-POWERED DATA & TOOLS TRUSTED BY ALL 32
Already have a subscription? Log In
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