XFL Week 4 Team-by-Team Usage Recap

The last two weeks of the XFL have shown us that parity in this league is much greater than we may have expected after the first two weeks. Teams we thought were a complete waste like New York and Tampa Bay have shown life while teams like DC and LA have struggled. This makes breaking down usage and trends all the more important to see what is really going on inside these teams.

Editor’s Note: The premium stats in this article are provided by Pro Football Focus along with our own manual charting.

Team Stats and Usage Comps

The XFL opened in Week 1 with a 60%-to-40% pass/rush ratio but that number descended to a 53/47 split by Week 3. In Week 4, the passing numbers were up slightly back to a 56/44 split. Dallas and Houston have remained amongst the most pass-heavy offenses in the league with Dallas going with a 64/36 split in Week 4 while Houston threw it 69.5% of the time. These two were outdone by the Wildcats in Week 4, however, who threw the ball 75.5% of the time while stumbling in an upsetting loss against the Guardians. DC also struggled greatly in Week 4 which led to them throwing the ball 64.9% of the time after opting for a more run-heavy approach in two of the first three weeks. DC’s offensive woes also led to Tampa Bay running the ball 49 times (61.2%) in Week 4 after they had been a more balanced offense throughout the season. The Vipers led the league with 80 offensive plays last week and also lead the league on the season by averaging 70.8 offensive plays per game.

Red-zone efficiency was up for the second week in a row in Week 4 as the league averaged a 63.3% conversion rate. The league average on the season is now at 49.9%. DC is the worst in converting red-zone drives into a score as they have done so on just two-of-nine drives (22.2%). Houston remains the best in the league in this department having converted 11-of-15 (73.3%) red-zone drives into a TD this season.

Yards per play were way down in Week 4 with the league average being just 3.6. DC was unsurprisingly at the bottom averaging an embarrassing 1.9 yards per play while LA easily led the league at 5.7. On the season, Houston is the best here as well averaging 5.7 YPP while New York is the worst at just 4.1.

Now that we have some of the league trends out of the way, let’s get to the team-by-team recaps.

Seattle Dragons

It took four weeks but Seattle finally realized that Brandon Silvers isn’t the answer at QB for them. Silvers completed just 4-of-10 pass attempts for 27 yards in the first half. BJ Daniels took over for the second half and completed just 5-of-10 passes but managed a robust 10 yards per attempt compared to Silvers’ 2.7. Daniels connected with TE Evan Rodriguez for a 10-yard TD while also throwing one pick. Daniels provides serious fantasy upside thanks to his mobility as he led the team with seven rushing attempts for 84 yards. He projects as a strong fantasy play each week if he keeps the starting job while potentially uplifting the entire offense.

Week 4 Team Target and Snap Leaders

Austin Proehl – 5 targets (23.8% MS%), 89.1% snap share
Keenan Reynolds – 4 targets (19% MS%), 97.8% snap share
Kenneth Farrow – 3 targets (14.3% MS%), 54.3% snap share

Keenan Reynolds and Austin Proehl are tied with 26 targets each on the season as they continue to be the favorite one-two punch for the Dragons. Their targets didn’t amount to much last week as they each only caught one pass for a combined five yards. Reynolds continues to see one of the highest snap shares in the league. His 97.5% snap share on the season is tied with Cam Phillips for the highest mark in the XFL. The WR3 position here has become something of a mess with Dontez Byrd and Alonzo Moore rotating and eating into each other’s work. Moore led the team with one big 57-yard catch from Daniels in Week 4. Both are going to be good for low-volume but deeper targets and could become more intriguing with Daniels under center.

Week 4 Team Backfield

BJ Daniels – 7 carries (35% MS%), 58.7% snap share
Kenneth Farrow – 5 carries (25% MS%), 54.3% snap share
Trey Williams – 5 carries (25% MS%), 23.9% snap share

What was already a messy backfield with three RBs rotating all season at a near-even split has now become even more of a mess with a running QB taking over under center. Kenneth Farrow and Trey Williams each saw five carries, but the difference was Farrow saw a higher snap percentage while seeing four targets in the passing games. Williams didn’t see a target and was not credited with a route run per PFF compared to Farrow who ran 13 routes on the day. What little value Ja’Quan Gardner had is probably smashed with Daniels entering the picture. Gardner hit season-lows in both carries (3) and snap share (23.9%) in Week 4.

DC Defenders

We all know what a mess Cardale Jones and the entire DC Defenders offense was in Week 4 (and Week 3). Jones laughably completed just nine-of-22 pass attempts at Tampa for 72 yards (3.3 YPA) while getting picked off once. He was throwing teammates like DeAndre Thompkins under the bus on the sidelines. Tyree Jackson came in after the game was well out of hand and only attempted two passes.

Week 4 Team Target and Snap Leaders

Eli Rogers – 9 targets (39.1% MS%), 90.2% snap share
Rashad Ross – 7 targets (30.4% MS%), 82.9% snap share
DeAndre Thompkins – 3 targets (13% MS%), 70.7% snap share

Eli Rogers remains virtually the only thing consistent on this offense. His 39.1% market share of his team’s targets was the highest mark in the league in Week 4 and he leads the league with a 27.1% market share on the season. Rashad Ross finally saw a full complement of snaps in Week 4 having been on the field 82.9% of the time. He previously was held under 60% in each game this season. It amounted to a season-high seven targets but unfortunately came on the worst game of the season for DC. The Defenders only featured five players who ran a route in Week 4 as they averaged a paltry 1.9 yards per play.

Week 4 Team Backfield

Donnel Pumphrey – 7 carries (53.8% MS%), 56.1% snap share
Nick Brossette – 6 carries (46.2% MS%), 39% snap share

That’s it for the DC backfield. Just two players recorded a carry and the biggest story really is that neither of them was Jhurell Pressley. He had been dealing with a shoulder injury in practice which could explain him being active but not seeing work, but he hasn’t been the same RB that we saw in the AAF this year even when playing. Donnel Pumphrey averaged 4.9 YPA in Week 4 as the leader of this backfield and notably tied DeAndre Thompkins with three targets on the day. Pumphrey was one of just five players who ran a route for DC last week. I wouldn’t rush to speculate that Nick Brossette is suddenly going to be a thing as he ran for just 12 yards on six carries.

Los Angeles Wildcats

After stomping DC 39-9 in Week 3, LA was stopped in its tracks by what had easily looked like the worst team in the league losing 17-14 at New York. It’s worth noting LA was on a very short week going across the country for a 2pm ET game. Josh Johnson put up solid volume in the game throwing for 325 yards with two TDs and one INT while completing 63% of his passes. The biggest problem LA had was converting on third down (2/12) to keep the chains moving, but Johnson showed some of his big-play potential.

Week 4 Team Target and Snap Leaders

Tre McBride – 12 targets (32.4% MS%), 96.8% snap share
Jordan Smallwood – 7 targets (18.9% MS%), 66.1% snap share
Brandon Barnes – 4 targets (10.8% MS%), 66.1% snap share

Tre McBride slid right into the target-monster role without Nelson Spruce (knee) as McBride had his second huge performance in a row. He put up 8-127-1 in Week 4 after going 5-109-2 in Week 3. Johnson is certainly capable of supporting two top wideouts in this offense, but you can’t expect 100 yards and a score every week. Jordan Smallwood continues to have a consistent role, though it has come with a fairly low ceiling. Saeed Blacknall was the recipient of Johnson’s other TD but was on the field for just 30.6% of the team’s snaps.

Week 4 Team Backfield

Dujuan Harris – 5 carries (38.5% MS%), 71% snap share
Larry Rose III – 5 carries (38.5% MS%), 16.1% snap share

The backfield has been a huge letdown for the Wildcats all season with the exception of Martez Carter‘s breakout performance in Week 3. Unfortunately for them, he couldn’t go in this one and the team was forced to utilize 31-year-old journeyman Dujuan Harris as the primary ball carrier alongside Larry Rose III. Harris was fairly efficient on just five carries going for 25 yards. Rose continues to be misused by this coaching staff. They’re running him between the tackles while his best attribute is as a pass-catcher. He didn’t run a single route in Week 4 and played just 10 snaps. He was limited in practice with a foot injury leading up to this game, so maybe that played a part in his limited usage as the game went on. Either way, until they start really using him in the passing game, he’s a fade. The statuses of Carter (foot) and Elijah Hood (ankle) are unclear for Week 5.

Houston Roughnecks

PJ Walker continued his quest as the frontrunner for MVP in Week 4, but this time he got some help from Houston’s defense to help carry the game. Walker still threw for two TDs and showed great scrambling ability in the game while spreading the ball around to nine different players.

Week 4 Team Target and Snap Leaders

Kahlil Lewis – 13 targets (31.7% MS%), 75.4% snap share
Nick Holley – 10 targets (24.4% MS%), 100% snap share
Cam Phillips – 3 targets (7.3% MS%), 100% snap share

Cam Phillips came back down to earth in Week 4 as it looks like he was used as more of a decoy. He has been dealing with an ankle injury which is worth monitoring going forward. Phillips’ limited usage opened the door for both Kahlil Lewis and Nick Holley to shine out of the slot in Week 4. With the hiccup from Phillips, Lewis now leads the team with 35 targets and a 23.8% market share on the season. Nick Holley was a favorite play of mine in Week 4 that I hyped up a little in this piece last week. Both Holley and Phillips were the only two receivers to see 100% of their team’s snaps in Week 4. Holley is second on the team with an 88.8% snap share on the season. Five different players saw three targets from Walker in Week 4 with Blake Jackson notably leading that bunch with a 2-26-1 line. Sammie Coates continues to bust as his snap share has dropped every week. Here’s how it looks from Week 1-4: 71%, 61.8%, 48.3%, 46.2%.

Week 4 Team Backfield

James Butler – 11 carries (61.1% MS%), 49.2% snap share
Andre Williams – 2 carries (11.1% MS%), 24.6% snap share

Same as usual here with the backfield in Houston. James Butler is the only RB with value, but given their pass-heavy approach to the game and his limited usage in the passing game, he’s completely TD dependent. He ran just five routes in Week 4 after running just six in Week 3. His 15 routes run in Week 2 look like an outlier right now. Andre Williams got his two carries in the second quarter when the team was up 15-8 and was never heard from again. The backfield is an afterthought on this offense as we anxiously await the return of De’Angelo Henderson who hasn’t practiced since Week 1 as he deals with a shoulder injury.

Tampa Bay Vipers

The Vipers dismantled the Defenders in Week 4 as QB Taylor Cornelius proved he can be serviceable when he finds a little rhythm without another QB constantly mixing in. He completed an impressive 77% of his passes for 211 yards, one TD and one INT while continuing to surprise with his mobility as well running for 36 yards and a bruising rushing TD.

Week 4 Team Target and Snap Leaders

Daniel Williams – 11 targets (35.5% MS%), 87.1% snap share
Reece Horn – 6 targets (19.4% MS%), 64.7% snap share
Jalen Tolliver – 4 targets (12.9% MS%), 88.2% snap share

After Jalen Tolliver went nuts in Week 3 it was time for Daniel Williams to retake the throne as the target leader for the Vipers. The plus here is that the Vipers passing game is very condensed between these three wideouts. The downside is trying to predict which one is going to take the reigns each week. Williams notably has the third-highest target MS% in the league this season at 23.3% and both he and Tolliver rank top three in total snaps and top five in routes run. TE DeAndre Goolsby notably was the recipient of Cornelius’ TD pass in Week 4 and he has filled in while Nick Truesdell is on the mend. We could see Truesdell return this week which could muddy the target distribution here slightly.

Week 4 Team Backfield

De’Veon Smith – 24 carries (49% MS%), 61.2% snap share
Jacques Patrick – 21 carries (42.9% MS%), 43.5% snap share

Tampa Bay ran the ball 49 times in their rout of the Defenders in Week 4. De’Veon Smith has been the back to own here the last two weeks with a 61% snap share each week. He was also the only RB used in the passing game as he ran 18 routes while Jacques Patrick ran none. Smith has also notably run the second-most routes of any RB this season. Smith and Patrick were the top two players in rushing attempts in Week 4 and are second and third respectively in rushing attempts this season.

New York Guardians

The Guardians pulled off probably the biggest upset of the season in Week 4 taking down the Wildcats 17-14. With QB Matt McGloin inactive, the team turned to former AAF average Joe Luis Perez to take control under center instead of the electrifying Marquise Williams. Perez was serviceable completing 69% of his attempts for just 150 yards with one TD and no INTs.

Week 4 Team Target and Snap Leaders

Colby Pearson – 6 targets (23.1% MS%), 85.7% snap share
Jake Powell – 4 targets (15.4% MS%), 96.8% snap share
Mekale McKay – 4 targets (15.4% MS%), 87.3% snap share

The Guardians receiving usage continues to baffle me as Mekale McKay isn’t getting fed the proper amount of targets he should. He had a drop on an awkwardly-placed deep ball from Perez that could have resulted in a TD, but we have seen a larger body of work from him that shows he can be a baller when fed properly. Colby Pearson led the team in receiving in Week 4 as he has this season with just 19 targets all year. Jake Powell led the receiving options in snap percentage in Week 4 but continues to do little with the targets he is seeing. WR Tanner Gentry was activated off IR for Week 4 but wound up as a healthy scratch for the game. His return would be a big boost to this depleted receiving corps.

Week 4 Team Backfield

Darius Victor – 18 carries (62.1% MS%), 55.6% snap share
Tim Cook – 8 carries (27.6% MS%), 34.9% snap share

It was all Darius Victor for the backfield in Week 4 as the bruising back had the highest market share of his team’s carries in Week 4. Victor did well with his volume turning his 18 carries into 82 yards (4.6 YPA). Tim Cook remains an important piece of this backfield and we could easily see it revert back to more of a 56/44 split as it has been this season. Cook encouragingly ran 11 routes in Week 4 after running none in Week 3. My boy Justin Stockton was a healthy scratch once again, dampening his outlook on becoming a consistent piece of this offense in 2020.

Dallas Renegades

The biggest news out of Dallas is that QB Landry Jones reinjured his knee that kept him out of the entire preseason and Week 1 and is set to miss at least two weeks going forward. Before getting pulled/hurt, Jones was pretty atrocious doing his best Jameis Winston impression and handing out picks like candy on Halloween. The team will be forced to turn to ex-underwear model Phillip Nelson for now unless Team 9 transfer and former BattleHawks QB Brogan Roback can beat him out for the job. The team also reactivated former Syracuse standout Eric Dungey who has been away from the team dealing with a family matter.

Week 4 Team Target and Snap Leaders

Donald Parham – 10 targets (25% MS%), 97.2% snap share
Cameron Artis-Payne – 8 targets (20% MS%), 65.3% snap share
Flynn Nagel – 6 targets (15% MS%), 90.3% snap share
Jeff Badet – 6 targets (15% MS%), 72.2% snap share

The Renegades continued to fade the WR position by feeding their talented TE Donald Parham with the most targets in Week 4. Parham leads the team with 34 targets this season (20.7% MS%) which is nine more than the next best, RB Lance Dunbar (25 targets). There is no way Parham isn’t on an NFL roster this upcoming season. Jeff Badet and Flynn Nagel remain the best options here at WR, but with the passing game funneling through Parham and the RBs, the ceiling just isn’t there. That likely won’t change with a likely downgrade at RB coming.

Week 4 Team Backfield

Cameron Artis-Payne – 12 carries (52.2% MS%), 65.3% snap share
Lance Dunbar – 9 carries (39.1% MS%), 48.6% snap share

This backfield remained dominated by two of the best RBs in the XFL. Cameron Artis-Payne continues to mix in heavily as a dual-threat back and could be needed even more going forward with the change at QB. He only averaged 2.6 YPC on the ground last week but has run more routes this season than wideouts like De’Mornay Pierson-El. His volume keeps him in play even with Nelson under center. Lance Dunbar saw his touches drop a little last week, though his snap share was on par with his season averages. Dunbar should bounce back and remains the top pass-catching back in the league.

St. Louis BattleHawks

Same story, different week for Jordan Ta’amu and the BattleHawks in Week 4. They have surprisingly been one of the most consistent teams in the league this season. Ta’amu continued to be an efficiency king completing 74% of his passes for 264 yards with one TD and no INTs. He also led the team with 16 carries and 63 yards out of the backfield.

Week 4 Team Target and Snap Leaders

L’Damian Washington – 6 targets (23.1% MS%), 97.4% snap share
De’Mornay Pierson-El – 5 targets (19.2% MS%), 47.4% snap share
Brandon Reilly – 5 targets (19.2% MS%), 41% snap share

L’Damian Washington was back to looking like the lead wideout here after operating as more of a decoy in Week 3. He played the most snaps of any WR in Week 4 and is top three with a 92.8% snap share on the season. De’Mornay Pierson-El continues to be extremely efficient with the touches he sees as he went 5-71-1 in Week 4. He leads the team with 23 targets this season despite seeing just a 55.3% snap share. Brandon Reilly was a bit of a surprise in Week 4 as we have usually seen Alonzo Russell or Marcus Lucas as the usual third option in the passing game. Reilly’s snap share was still below that of Lucas (53.8%) and Russell (73.1%) so I wouldn’t bump him up in any depth charts at this point but he’s a player to keep an eye on.

Week 4 Team Backfield

Jordan Ta’amu – 16 carries (34.8% MS%), 100% snap share
Matt Jones – 15 carries (32.6% MS%), 43.6% snap share
Christine Michael – 12 carries (26.1% MS%), 51.3% snap share

As mentioned, Jordan Ta’amu kind of stole the thunder of the usuals here as both Matt Jones and Christine Michael were out-carried by their QB, then Keith Ford came in and stole the rushing TD. Snap shares have rotated between Jones and Michael, so there is nothing to be alarmed about there. Jones still has a comfortable lead as the team’s leading rusher with 20 more carries than Michael. Jones also is leading the league with 67 carries while Michael remains in the top four with 47. St. Louis continues to be the most run-heavy offense, but neither Jones nor Michael recorded a route run in Week 4, making them extremely one-dimensional fantasy backs. And if Ford continues to work in, that could be a bigger problem going forward.