NFC Divisional Round: Target and Snap Count Update

A look at target numbers and snap counts leading into the NFC Divisional Round playoffs

Whether you're playing playoff fantasy football or trying to take down a DFS tournament, the NFL fantasy season continues on! As we move into the Divisional Round, there are no shortage of fantasy options with four games on tap. 

And when we start looking at setting lineups, there is nothing more important than usage. The playoffs are unpredictable enough without at least some type of data, so looking at recent target numbers and snap counts is going to be incredibly important to help inform decisions that might already feel like throwing darts at a board. While some teams (ahem...49ers) have a very limited usage tree, there are others who are a bit harder to decipher (ahem... Packers receivers). 

With four teams suiting up this weekend, let's take a look at some notable target numbers and snap counts for each NFC matchup and see if we can find the best plays (you can find the AFC version of this article here).

Buccaneers at Lions

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers running back room is pretty easy to decipher as Rachaad White sees 70 percent-plus of snaps every week with Chase Edmonds seeing the rest. That said, Edmonds doesn't see much usage in his snaps and White is the only Tampa Bay back to look at. 

Receiver isn't all that much different with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin seeing most of the snaps and targets. David Moore and Trey Palmer figure into the mix a bit, with Moore seeing the biggest bump during Wild Card weekend. Even still, both of those guys are nothing more than a lottery ticket with Evans and Godwin (in that order) being the priorities here.

Cade Otton was the big winner during Wild Card Weekend with a 94 percent snap count and 11 targets. He's played his way into the tight end conversation this week and is a very solid option who might help you stand apart from the crown. 

Detriot Lions

Jahmyr Gibbs only saw 34 percent of snaps with David Montgomery coming in at 54 percent. Gibbs saw more targets (four to one), but his usage is a little worrisome moving forward. He has a ton of upside, but the backfield split limits said upside. While Montgomery found the end zone, he's still risky with such a low percentage of snaps. 

Amon-Ra St. Brown unsurprisingly dominated the Lions' receiver targets with Josh Reynolds moving into a more featured with as Khalif Raymond sat. Jameson Williams saw 70 percent of the snaps, but only saw two targets. He has some upside, but Reynolds look like the guy to pay attention to of the two if Raymond misses this week's game. 

Sam LaPorta played 80 percent of the snaps and looks to be (at least somewhat) healthy so he looks safe to deploy this week. 

Packers at 49ers

Green Bay Packers

Aaron Jones saw the lions' share of work with A.J. Dillon out while Emmanuel Wilson saw 27 percent of the snaps. Jones will face a tough defense this weekend, but is well-positioned to see the majority of work if Dillon is out again. 

The Packers receiver room is tough to figure out, but Romeo Doubs saw the most snaps and targets with Dontayvion Wicks and Jayden Reed more or less splitting the rest. Bo Melton registered two targets of his own, but I think Doubs/Wicks/Reed is the priority order here. Christian Watson could complicate things if he returns this weekend, but Doubs looks like he's the safest play with Wicks and Reed being more or less a toss-up. 

Luke Musgrave and Tyler Kraft each saw three targets, but Kraft saw 80 percent of the snaps to Musgrave's 27. And Musgrave caught the lone touchdown of the two. Clear as mud, but I'm still leaning Kraft. 

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers running back room runs through Christian McCaffrey. I don't think we need to belabor this one too much. You can take a look at Elijah Mitchell if you want, but there's really not a lot of upside there. At all. 

Receiver isn't too much trickier as Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk dominate the snap count and targets. There's really no third option and it would be a fool's errand to try and chase a non-Aiyuk/Samel receiver as Ronnie Bell, Jauan Jennings, Chris Conley, and RayRay McCloud just don't see enough usage to be...useful. 

George Kittle is the only 49ers tight end you need to be concerned with. There's really no one else who factors into the equation here. 

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