Two prominent running backs resurfaced in Week 10 to decisively varying results. Although it wasn’t pretty, Leonard Fournette immediately assumed a full plate despite a six-week hiatus. Sony Michel, on the other hand, paid the price for New England’s unexpected loss.

On the other end of Sunday’s biggest upset, Tennessee’s running backs continued to produce in tandem after weeks of neither offering dividends. A couple of other backfields saw a youngster inching closer to assuming a prominent role. Let’s run through the snap counts of all five situations and determine the rest-of-season ramifications.

View Snap Count leaders across the NFL

Jacksonville Jaguars

 
The snap count alone would suggest the Jaguars eased Fournette back into action. Not quite. In just his third game of the season, the second-year pro saw the field for 39 of 75 plays. Yet he still stockpiled 29 touches, including six inside the red zone. He wasn’t effective behind a battered offensive line, but fantasy investors will take the 109 total yards and two touchdowns from their largely absent top pick. While a bell-cow role places him back on the precipice of RB1 consideration, an already depleted offensive line also lost center Brandon Linder to a season-ending knee injury. Fournette is going to need to keep piling up yards in ugly fashion. With his star teammate back from a hamstring injury, T.J. Yeldon saw fewer than 57 percent (36%) of the snaps for the first time this season. He still, however, matched Fournette’s five receptions during a 29-26 loss in which Jacksonville trailed for the final three quarters. With only five carries over the last two games, he only wields PPR potency in the right spot. That makes him more of a depth piece a la Theo Riddick than someone to start with any excitement. Yet the Jaguars, losers of five of their last six games, could find themselves down big this Sunday against a Steelers squad that has conversely won six of their last seven. For those hoping Carlos Hyde could salvage some semblance of value … sorry. It’s safe (and necessary in a standard-sized league) to drop the former Brown after he recorded five yards on nine snaps.

New England Patriots

 
After missing two games with a knee injury, Sony Michel returned to a mitigated role in a 34-10 loss to Tennessee. He settled for just 17 snaps, so James White can’t blame his poorest showing of the season on his teammate. Although limited to just seven of New England’s 10 games, Michel has participated in all three losses. He tallied 121 combined yards on 31.7 percent of the snaps in those shortcomings. Fortunately for the rookie, the Patriots close the season with four more games against their tepid AFC East brethren. The Jets, Bills, and Dolphins have allowed a combined 28 rushing touchdowns, and the latest loss should keep them motivated through Week 16 to joust for playoff positioning. As for White, Week 10 marked his first game without 80 total yards or a touchdown. He has received at least one red-zone touch in all but one game, so he’s far from game-script dependent despite Michel also garnering 3.1 red-zone carries per contest (and yet fullback James Develin vultured a one-yard score on Sunday). Both remain top-20 options — with White earning more merit in PPR formats — in spite of an atypical road bump. But don’t forget about Rex Burkhead, who’s eligible to return from the injured reserve in Week 13. He could complicate matters for both backs if given a sizable role during the fantasy playoffs. Cordarrelle Patterson, on the other hand, returned to an inconsequential role after drawing 21 carries in two games without Michel.

New York Jets

 
Although not a game bearing much fantasy expectations, it at least seemed like a strong spot for a game-dependent running back to snap out of his funk against a feeble AFC East opponent. All that happened when LeSean McCoy exploded for 113 yards and two touchdowns against the Jets after previously recording 24 combined rushing yards in the last three games. While Isiah Crowell salvaged a garbage-time touchdown, he delivered only 37 yards in a home game against a team playing Matt Barkley at quarterback. This looked like the perfect spot for one of his occasional week-winning outbursts, but the Jets instead suffered their fourth straight double-digit defeat. Crowell has totaled 185 yards and the one score during those blowouts. Playing all but 49 seconds from behind, the Jets turned to Elijah McGuire on most plays. He posted 30 rushing yards — matched by Trenton Cannon in Week 10 — for the second time since returning from a foot injury. Despite seeing more snaps, the 24-year-old has mustered 19 combined touches in both games. More concerningly, none have come inside the 20. For now, he looks like a poor man’s Bilal Powell, who was no more than a flex play for someone seeking a firm floor. Perhaps that changes if/when the Jets move on from head coach Todd Bowles, a change that seems imminent after allowing 41 points to a team that procured 45 in their previous six games. Crowell investors, meanwhile, can’t count on the Jets ever crafting the right game script. Especially since they play the Patriots and Titans following Week 11’s bye.

Philadelphia Eagles

 
It was a frustrating Sunday night for anyone starting one of Philadelphia’s three running backs. Splitting the snaps fairly evenly, they produced a combined 89 yards on 18 touches. While Wendell Smallwood led the way in snaps, Josh Adams emerged as the long-term winner. Amassing a team-high seven carries and 47 yards, the rookie made it abundantly clear who deserves the most work. Doug Pederson concurred, saying the neophyte will garner more opportunities over the final seven weeks. Before spending your FAAB on Adams, that could theoretically mean 10-12 carries a game. At least stashers can hang their hats on impact upside. Yet Smallwood and Corey Clement have done nothing to escape a timeshare, and both backs have established cavernous floors while hitting their heads on diminished ceilings. It’s also likely the Eagles eschew all of them against a strong New Orleans run defense in Week 11. Yet if Pederson honors his word and makes a notable change, Adams can earn his way into Week 12 lineups against the Giants.

Tennessee Titans

 
Some onlookers will say this is a case of snap counts not mattering. Dion Lewis dominated the playing time in a stunning blowout over his old team, but Derrick Henry reaped the rewards with two touchdowns. This is a developing pattern for the Alabama alum, who has found the end zone four times in the past three showcases despite playing 26.2 percent of the snaps. He has seen the field when it counts, handling nine red-zone carries with three scores inside the 10. Let’s not forget Henry was the RB52 who hadn’t tallied a single touchdown through Week 6. Whether he can sustain his revival depends on Marcus Mariota continuing to improve a stale Titans offense. Their remaining schedule offers some tasty matchups against the Jets, Giants, and one of two division meetings with the Colts this Sunday. Yet Henry should not be considered more than a touchdown-dependent flex play until he receives more work between the 20s. Lewis, on the other hand, has taken 64 touches for 345 yards over those same three bouts. Just one of his 14 red-zone touches ended with the referees’ arms raised, so don’t be shocked if he snatches some scores from his backfield partner. He remains Tennessee’s preferred running back, and one well worth starting against the Colts.

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