Now, most fantasy seasons are over and the championships take place in Week 17. Still, there’s something to be learned from each week of NFL action, and that can help us in Week 18 and next year. Let’s take a look at the top trends in fantasy football usage during finals week.
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Week 17 Fantasy Football Usage Report
Jacory Croskey-Merritt gets another chance
Just looking at his stats, you’d think Jacory Croskey-Merritt’s season was mostly sunshine and rainbows. This year he has run for almost 800 yards and scored eight touchdowns. But under the hood, Croskey-Merritt has been as boom/bust as you can be.
For the season, Croskey-Merritt is averaging 8.6 PPR PPG. But he has only four games over 10 points, and nine games under six points. A big reason for this is that Croskey-Merrit offers virtually nothing as a receiver. The rookie leads the Commanders in rushing attempts and has handled 47.6% of backfield opportunities, but he only has a 2.9% target share.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt is the Commanders’ best pure runner, but he’s limited to just that. Players like him will always be fickle and dependent on a coaching staff committed to fielding a one-dimensional player. This is a backfield that could see a lot of change in 2026. I’ll see if Croskey-Merritt can maintain a role.
Isaac Tesla’s role is growing
For most of the season, rookie WR Isaac TeSlaa was a situational contested catching specialist for the Lions. He’s been great at it too. But now, in the last five games, we have seen TeSlaa’s role grow.
During that time, he has earned a 9.2% target share while running 73.1% of routes and playing 67.1% of snaps. It’s not much, but it’s significantly more than before. TeSlaa is averaging 12.7 PPR PPG over that span as he has become a lethal threat in the red zone. On 15 catches this season, TeSlaa has six touchdowns.
Any time a player can earn a role in one of the best offenses in the NFL, I will take notice. However, we have to remember that this is without Sam LaPorta. Most likely, Isaac TeSlaa will be an interesting waiver wire pickup in 2026 in the event of an injury to a Lions’ pass catcher.
Xavier Worthy’s Disappearance Act
It’s hard to be excited about any aspect of Xavier Worthy’s second season. He is averaging just 7.9 PPR PPG on a 16.1% target share. Thursday was more of the same. Worthy played 79.1% of snaps, ran 72% of routes, had a target share of 9.1% and scored 0 PPR points. But there are excuses to be made. He separated his shoulder in Week 1 and came back before many thought he would. Is he still suffering from the consequences of that injury? Patrick Mahomes has also missed the last two games and that doesn’t help.
All things considered, we have to face the fact that Xavier Worthy is not the level of player we hoped he would be. He has had opportunities and outside of late 2024 when Rashee Rice was injured, he has done little. We need to lower our expectations.
CJ Stroud’s difficult season
After a great rookie season, CJ Stroud had an uninspiring sophomore year and another in year three. This year, Stroud is averaging 16.3 PPG, not including the game he left early with an injury. He has completed 64.8% of his passes, which is a career high, and is averaging 220.9 passing yards per game, has 18 touchdowns for a 4.5% rate and 8 interceptions for a 2% rate. It’s an improvement over his second season, but still not the level of production we were hoping for after his rookie performance.
The Texans have let CJ Stroud down with their offensive line and coordinators. Houston’s offense is continually hampered by poor blocking and schemes. Stroud is still showing flashes of his talent. I believe he can get back to where he was, but I’m not confident that will happen until these areas improve.
Derrick Henry is timeless
What a game. What a season at almost 32 years old. Derrick Henry is truly ‘built differently’. In a must-win game for the Ravens, Henry ran for over 200 yards and scored four TDs on his way to 45.6 PPR points. On the season, Henry is averaging 16.7 PPR PPG, has gained over 1,600 total yards and is averaging 5.1 yards per carry. He still performs like he always has.
In 2026, Derrick Henry is still under contract with the Ravens. He will be 33 years old by the end of the season and has a chance to continue making history. Every time people doubt Henry, he makes them pay. A few years ago I gave up trying to apply historical trends to Henry. I will continue to draft him at his ADP in 2026.
Jalen McMillan is muddying the waters
Returning from a serious neck injury in Week 15, McMillan picks up where he left off at the end of his rookie season. In his three games, McMillan has played 49.6% of Buccaneers snaps, run 55.7% of routes, earned a 13.5% target share and scored 9.3 PPR PPG.
He had a particularly great Week 17, scoring 18.4 PPR points by catching seven of his nine targets for 114 yards. With the Buccaneers already having plenty of weapons competing for goals, McMillan’s re-emergence has clouded the imagination.
Cam Ward settles in
For much of his rookie season, Cam Ward showed why he was the No. 1 overall pick, but he has more than struggled. But over his last four games, he started to settle down a bit. During that time, Ward has completed 59.2% of his passes with eight touchdowns and just one interception while averaging 15.5 PPG. The Titans’ running game has improved, making the offense more balanced and taking some of the weight off Ward’s shoulders. From where he started, this is a nice improvement.
The next step for Cam Ward is what the Titans do this offseason. Hopefully they will do the right thing and use all their resources to support him. They have some good pieces, but they could use improvements across the board. Ward has the skills; he just needs to put them together with a little help from the front office.
AJ Barner emerges as a reliable target
AJ Barner has had a solid season that has seemingly gone under the radar. On the season, Barner has played 78.9% of the Seahawks snaps, run 69.1% of the routes, earned a 14.3% target share and scored 8.5 PPR PPG. When the Seahawks drafted Elijah Arroyo and talked about his talents, not many expected Barner to be the one to become a reliable target on offense. Obviously, we won’t consider Barner a top 10 tight end anytime soon, but he has proven to be a stream-worthy tight end.
It’s a good season from an unknown player who deserves attention. Seattle’s offense has Jaxon Smith-Njigba as the dominant number one target, but there is room for another player to play a bigger role. Maybe that will be AJ Barner.
Ashton Jeanty finds the good in the bad
Ashton Jeanty’s rookie season hasn’t lived up to the expectations he had as one of the best running back prospects we’ve seen in a while. The Raiders’ offense was one of the worst in the league. Geno Smith has regressed, the offensive line is terrible and the system is bad.
However, there is reason for optimism. Jeanty’s role and ability to handle a large workload are elite. Jeanty averages 19.3 opportunities per game, which is 83.5% of the Raiders’ backfield share, and he has a 13.9% target share. For the season, he is averaging 14.5 PPR PPG.
It’s hard not to be disappointed by Ashton Jeanty’s rookie season. But considering his situation, you should be inspired. I’m curious to see where his 2026 ADP ends up, because I want to bet on a talent like Jeanty.
Saquon Barkley comes down
It will always be difficult for a player to even come close to repeating a season like Saquon Barkley had in 2024, but his 2025 season left a lot to be desired. His role with the Eagles is still large, as he controlled 80.3% of the opportunities in the backfield and earned a 10.9% target share. The fantasy points weren’t there, however, as he averaged 14.5 PPR points this season. The Eagles’ offense as a whole has taken a step back this season, and it hasn’t helped that their offensive line has dealt with a lot of injuries.
Next year Saquon Barkley will be 29 years old. For a phenomenally athletic player like him, that should still be relatively close to his peak. Barkley can bounce back. If his ADP is cheaper in 2026, I’m interested.
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