XFL Week 5 Team-by-Team Usage Recap

Just like that, we are at the halfway point of the regular season for the XFL. Most teams have found some pretty solid consistency in their player usage at this point but as always there are teams whose usage remains very fluid whether due to injury or just struggling to find their way on offense. We will continue our in-depth look this week at everything you need to know about player usage for every team in the XFL.

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 league saw it’s most balanced approach on offense to date in Week 5 with a virtual 50/50 split in pass-to-run ratio. The lowest the pass percentage had been all season was 53% in Week 3. We saw a little more variance than usual this week with the DC Defenders giving us the fewest pass attempts by a team in a single game with just 16. We also saw the Dallas Renegades virtually tie their own record for the highest pass percentage in a single game at 78.1%. The season-high was set by them in Week 1 at 78.2%.

The league averaged 62 offensive plays per team in Week 5 which is slightly up from the season average which has hovered around 58 plays. Tampa Bay led the league for the third week in a row with 74 offensive plays in Week 5.

Red-zone efficiency had trended up in Weeks 3-4 to 63.3% but fell slightly to 54.1% in Week 5. This is still higher than the early season numbers we saw in Weeks 1-2 when efficiency was in the 36%-40% range. Tampa Bay also leads the league with most red-zone drives this season (21) though they have the third-worst conversion rate at just 38.1%. The Roughnecks and Wildcats continue to be the most elite red-zone producers as they both converted 100% of their red-zone drives last week. On the season, Houston has converted 15-of-19 red-zone drives into a TD (78.9%) while L.A. has converted 12-of-17 (70.6%). DC continues to be the worst in this department having converted just three-of-11 drives (27.3%) this season.

Yards per play were surprisingly identical in Week 5 to what we saw in Week 4 with the league averaging 3.6. This is still really low compared to the 5.1 yards per play average we saw over the first three weeks. DC somehow got worse in Week 5 averaging a pitiful 1.2 yards per play after averaging 1.9 in Week 4. The Wildcats and Roughnecks are the only teams who maintained above five yards per play in Week 5 with marks of 5.2 and 5.3 respectively.

Here is a look at the breakdown of player usage by team from Week 5. In these, we are looking primarily at team market shares (MS%) and snaps.

Seattle Dragons

Notable Week 5 Targets and Snaps

Austin Proehl – 5 targets (22.7% MS%), 46 snaps (74.2% snap share)
Alonzo Moore – 4 targets (18.2% MS%), 27 snaps (43.5% snap share)
Keenan Reynolds – 3 targets (13.6% MS%), 61 snaps (98.4% snap share)

Austin Proehl now leads the team with 31 targets on the season, good for 23% of the team’s targets. He is quietly the overall WR5 on the season in fantasy. Keenan Reynolds continues to see elite usage rates with abysmal production. He is virtually in a tie for first place with a 97.7% snap share with Cam Phillips who is the overall WR1 this season, yet Reynolds sits right about the WR20 range.

As if Dontez Byrd and Alonzo Moore hadn’t struggled enough to find value on their own, Reuben Mwehla became recently active and stole snaps from them as the left wide receiver. Moore came out ahead of this bunch with four targets in Week 5 with 27 snaps. Byrd saw just one less target while running nearly identical snaps (29). Mwehla only saw seven snaps but is a nuisance we don’t need clouding an already low-volume WR3 role and adding another layer of variance to the potential weekly outcomes.

Notable Week 5 Backfield Touches and Snaps

B.J. Daniels – 10 carries (31.3% MS%), 100% snaps
Kenneth Farrow – 10 carries (31.3% MS%), 31 snaps (50% snap share)
Trey Williams – 7 carries (21.9% MS%), 19 snaps (30.6% snap share)
Ja’Quan Gardner – 5 carries (15.6% MS%), 12 snaps (19.4% snap share)

Enter QB B.J. Daniels and a frustrating three-man RBBC is now basically a four-man committee. To make matters worse, Daniels stole three carries in the red zone, two rushing TDs, and didn’t target a single RB in the passing game. Kenneth Farrow has continued to see the highest snap share of all backs here but that doesn’t always mean he’s the best play as Trey Williams was the one who found the end zone on the ground in Week 5. Ja’Quan Gardner being the least-valuable RB is pretty much the only thing to remain consistent here. You’re basically playing with fire rolling with anyone out of this backfield.

DC Defenders

Notable Week 5 Targets and Snaps

Jhurell Pressley – 4 targets (30.8% MS%), 30 snaps (48.4% snap share)
Khari Lee – 3 targets (23.1% MS%), 45 snaps (72.6% snap share)
Rashad Ross – 2 targets (15.4% MS%), 47 snaps (75.8% snap share)
DeAndre Thompkins – 2 targets (15.4% MS%), 40 snaps (64.5% snap share)
Eli Rogers – 1 target (7.7% MS%), 51 snaps (82.3% snap share)

The ghost of Jhurell Pressley returned in Week 5 randomly leading the team in targets and tying Donnel Pumphrey in carries out of the backfield. Continuing the trend of odd player usage over the last two weeks, TE Khari Lee was second on the team in targets while usual mainstays on offense Eli Rogers and Rashad Ross were afterthoughts. DC had no business winning their game in Week 5 to be perfectly honest and needs to turn around their passing game and find a way to average more than two yards per play if they want to be taken seriously. I would expect a return to the norm in Week 6 with Rogers and Ross being more heavily featured again.

Notable Week 5 Backfield Touches and Snaps

Jhurell Pressley – 15 carries (36.6% MS%), 30 snaps (48.4% snap share)
Donnel Pumphrey – 15 carries (36.6% MS%), 29 snaps (46.8% snap share)
Tyree Jackson – 7 carries (17.% MS%), 51 snaps (82.3% snap share)

Just when we thought we had this backfield figured out, Jhurell Pressley turned it completely upside down in Week 5. Pressley was probably the most impressive RB in the AAF last season and we hadn’t seen the same runner yet this season in the XFL until this. He took his 15 carries for 107 yards (7.1 YPA) while also running seven routes compared to none for Donnel Pumphrey. It’s one game, but given what we know about Pressley from his past, I think there is definitely an argument to be made that he retook this backfield in one fell swoop. Despite playing minimal snaps in Weeks 3-4, Pumphrey now only leads Pressley in carries on the season 46-42. For those wondering what happened to Nick Brossette, he played just four snaps last week and can be forgotten unless one of the top two backs here deals with injury again.

Los Angeles Wildcats

Notable Week 5 Targets and Snaps

Saeed Blacknall – 7 targets (19.4% MS%), 55 snaps (80.9% snap share)
Tre McBride – 6 targets (16.7% MS%), 49 snaps (72.1% snap share)
Jordan Smallwood – 6 targets (16.7% MS%), 51 snaps (75% snap share)
Brandon Barnes – 4 targets (11.1% MS%), 29 snaps (42.6% snap share)
Adonis Jennings – 2 targets (5.6% MS%), 8 snaps (11.8% snap share)

One of the biggest narratives we were chasing here last week was who was going to fill in as the primary slot receiver for the Wildcats with target hog Nelson Spruce still inactive and Kermit Whitfield released. The thought was a combination of Jordan Smallwood and Adonis Jennings with Saeed Blacknall seeing more work on the outside as a result. That pretty much all came true with the exception of Jennings being a complete bust and looking like he got benched after an egregious drop.

Smallwood saw 40 snaps in the slot and led the team with 86 yards, though he wasn’t able to haul in one of the four TD passes Josh Johnson dished out. Saeed Blacknall doubled his season target total in Week 5 while putting down a 3-78-1 line. He ran a 4.39 40-yard-dash at Penn State’s Pro Day in 2018 and is firmly on the radar as the primary deep threat on one of the most explosive offenses in the league going forward. Tre McBride missed some snaps with a rib injury in Week 5 but returned and still managed to be a focal point of this offense and caught a TD. He’s not quite the target hog that Spruce was when active. McBride is averaging 24.5% of the team’s targets in games where he was active compared to 27.7% for Spruce who is still tied for the team lead in targets despite missing the last two weeks.

Notable Week 5 Backfield Touches and Snaps

Dujuan Harris – 9 carries (39.1% MS%), 11 snaps (16.2% snap share)
Josh Johnson – 7 carries (30.4% MS%), 100% snaps
Martez Carter – 5 carries (21.7% MS%), 17 snaps (25% snap share)
Larry Rose III – 0 carries, 17 snaps (25% snap share)

This backfield was a mess leading up to the game with the potential of four backs active. It turned out that early-season workhorse Elijah Hood was ruled inactive despite not being designated with an injury. This was thought to have primed Martez Carter for a triumphant return after he sat out Week 4 following a breakout Week 3 effort. Unfortunately, 31-year-old journeyman, Dujuan Harris, won’t go away and led the team with nine carries for seven yards.

I still like Martez Carter to regain a lead role in this backfield as soon as Week 6 and get back closer to the 61% snap share and 42% market share of his team’s carries that we saw from him in Week 3. He also notably led the team’s RBs with 14 routes run in Week 3 and ran eight in Week 5 as well, so there is some hope for him to have a role in the passing game. Larry Rose III is getting closer to a proper role on this offense as primarily a passing-down back as he saw no carries but managed three targets on 11 routes run. Winston Dimel was notably recently activated to this backfield as well but didn’t see a carry. He was in on 12 snaps (one more than Harris) and saw one target in the passing game.

Houston Roughnecks

Notable Week 5 Targets and Snaps

Cam Phillips – 13 targets (34.2% MS%), 74 snaps (98.7% snap share)
Sam Mobley – 9 targets (23.7% MS%), 75 snaps (100% snap share)
Kahlil Lewis – 5 targets (13.2% MS%), 43 snaps (57.3% snap share)
Nick Holley – 5 targets (13.2% MS%), 75 snaps (100% snap share)

A return to dominance was in order for Cam Phillips after he was mysteriously targeted just three times in Week 4.He rebounded in a big way in Week 5 leading the league in targets and target MS% while hauling in two more TDs, bringing him to nine on the season. He has more than double the number of fantasy points as the WR5 on the season, Austin Proehl. After running just 35 routes all season, Sam Mobley ran 40 routes in Week 5 while seeing 100% of the team’s snaps. His previous season-high was a 56.7% snap share. Ryheem Malone is another player who saw a big jump in snaps in Week 5. After seeing just 26 snaps all season, Malone was in for 32 snaps in Week 5. Nick Holley ran on 100% of the team’s snaps for the second-straight week while finding the end zone again as well.

Notable Week 5 Backfield Touches and Snaps

James Butler – 12 carries (41.4% MS%), 32 snaps (42.7% snap share)
Andre Williams – 10 carries (34.5% MS%), 28 snaps (37.3% snap share)
P.J. Walker – 7 carries (24.1% MS%), 100% snap share

This backfield was closer to an even split than usual in Week 5 between James Butler and Andre Williams. Butler continues to be the most valuable of the two but remains pretty TD dependent. Luckily for him, he found the end zone twice in Week 5 while handling six carries inside the red zone. Williams was slightly more efficient averaging 5.4 YPA compared to 4.3 for Butler which is still respectable. De’Angelo Henderson (shoulder) made an appearance in practice last week in a limited fashion but was ultimately ruled out. He seems to be nearing a return which could make a mess of an already low-volume running game.

Tampa Bay Vipers

Notable Week 5 Targets and Snaps

Reece Horn – 11 targets (33.3% MS%), 62 snaps (74.7% snap share)
Daniel Williams – 7 targets (21.2% MS%), 76 snaps (91.6% snap share)
Jalen Tolliver – 7 targets (21.2% MS%), 83 snaps (100% snap share)
Nick Truesdell – 4 targets (12.1% MS%), 45 snaps (54.2% snap share)

Jalen Tolliver continued a dominant run by leading Tampa Bay with a 4-95-1 line in their shootout against the Wildcats. He was one of just three receivers to see the field for 100% of his team’s snaps in Week 5 and leads the team with a 90.6% snap share on the season while being just two targets behind team leader, Daniel Williams. Williams still had a solid game in Week 5 catching one more pass than Tolliver but at a lower yard per reception average. Reece Horn broke out with a big game leading the team with 11 targets and putting up a 9-90-1 line. Horn hadn’t led the team in targets since back in Week 2 and interestingly did so when Nick Truesdell was on the field then as well. Truesdell made his return after missing the last two weeks with a knee injury but wasn’t quite at his full complement of snaps yet. That should rise going forward.

Notable Week 5 Backfield Touches and Snaps

De’Veon Smith – 24 carries (60% MS%), 64 snaps (77.1% snap share)
Jacques Patrick – 7 carries (17.5% MS%), 14 snaps (16.9% snap share)
Taylor Cornelius – 7 carries (17.5% MS%), 81 snaps (97.6% snap share)
Tarean Folston – 2 carries (5% MS%), 5 snaps (6% snap share)

De’Veon Smith dominated touches out of the backfield for Tampa Bay but the bigger story involved in that is it partially happened because Jacques Patrick left the game with a back injury. Patrick was potentially on his way to having a big game scoring a TD and converting an extra point in the first quarter. He got hurt at the end of the second quarter and was never heard from again. This put Smith into a featured role the remainder of the game with only recently activated Tarean Folston as his primary backup. Smith wasn’t incredibly efficient carrying for just 2.9 YPA but he was notably credited with running 30 routes per Pro Football Focus. QB Taylor Cornelius also once again showed off his mobility and stole a rushing TD from Smith. If Patrick misses time, Smith could be an even more elite play than usual with Folston mixing in probably to a lesser extent than what we saw from Patrick. I like Folston from his days in the AAF and he is a solid pass-catching back as well, he’s a sleeper play should Patrick miss the game but I just wouldn’t expect quite the same role from him, especially after coming off a long stint on IR.

New York Guardians

Notable Week 5 Targets and Snaps

Mekale McKay – 7 targets (25% MS%), 64 snaps (97% snap share)
Colby Pearson – 6 targets (21.4% MS%), 54 snaps (81.8% snap share)
Teo Redding – 5 targets (17.9% MS%), 35 snaps (53% snap share)
Joe Horn Jr. – 3 targets (10.7% MS%), 5 snaps (7.6% snap share)

Colby Pearson was the smash play last week putting up a 5-95-1 line in a game where the Guardians randomly woke up and outscored the Renegades 30-12. Pearson leads New York with 25 targets on the season but this team just doesn’t have what it takes to feature a true WR1. They’re the only team that fails to offer a top receiving option that averages 20% or more of their team’s targets. Some teams, like Tampa, have three players within the 20% range. It just means that this team is spreading it out way too much to trust any receiver. Pair that with a below-average amount of pass attempts and you have a recipe for disaster. Mekale McKay led the team in targets in Week 5 but only managed to haul in three passes. It’s beginning to look like his hands just aren’t the same as they were last season in the AAF. Teo Redding showed up as the primary WR3 again this week and nearly had an endzone TD but he couldn’t maintain control of the ball while falling. Joe Horn Jr. either hasn’t been the same since returning from injury or is Matt McGloin-dependent to carve out value. Either way you spin that it’s not good.

Notable Week 5 Backfield Touches and Snaps

Darius Victor – 15 carries (46.9% MS%), 40 snaps (60.6% snap share)
Tim Cook – 9 carries (28.1% MS%), 22 snaps (33.3% snap share)
Justin Stockton – 5 carries (15.6% MS%), 11 snaps (16.7% snap share)

This backfield has really caught my eye as of late with the combination of Darius Victor and Justin Stockton looking capable of being a top-three RB duo in the league. Victor seems to have distanced himself from Tim Cook as of late who hasn’t been able to crack a 35% snap share in the last two weeks. Victor also notably ran 19 routes in Week 5 compared to none for Cook. Victor leads the team with 55 carries this season despite missing a good chunk of Week 2 with a concussion scare. Stockton is clearly the most electric back in the league and has really shown that off with his role on special teams returning kicks as well. Special things happen when you put the ball in his hands. If they stick with him as the primary change of pace and stop rotating him being active with Matt Colburn, he becomes an interesting play who could return a lot of value on low volume.

Dallas Renegades

Notable Week 5 Targets and Snaps

Donald Parham – 9 targets (18% MS%), 56 snaps (80% snap share)
Flynn Nagel – 9 targets (18% MS%), 54 snaps (77.1% snap share)
Jeff Badet – 8 targets (16% MS%), 49 snaps (70% snap share)
Josh Crockett – 5 targets (10% MS%), 30 snaps (42.9% snap share)

We saw some unusual usage for Dallas this week with Philip Nelson now under center as the RBs weren’t the primary targets in the passing game. Donald Parham remains the best receiving option here. Flynn Nagel was interestingly the top target for Nelson back in Week 1 and set a season-high in targets in Week 5. Jeff Badet’s usage continues to be awful despite his big-play ability. He only averaged 4.7 YPR in Week 5. Freddie Martino was notably second on the team with 36 receiving yards in Week 5 but was recently moved to IR. He saw 26 snaps in Week 5 splitting time with Jazz Ferguson who could now see a bump after playing a season-high 33 snaps in Week 5 as well. This offense needs to get more aggressive though and air it out downfield before we can see value outside of Parham, Artis Payne, and Dunbar.

Notable Week 5 Backfield Touches and Snaps

Cameron Artis-Payne – 6 carries (42.9% MS%), 35 snaps (50% snap share)
Philip Nelson – 4 carries (28.6% MS%), 100% snap share
Lance Dunbar – 2 carries (14.3% MS%), 41 snaps (58.6% snap share)

The volume overall was pretty low out of the backfield in Week 5 as neither Cameron Artis-Payne or Lance Dunbar were able to get anything going. As I mentioned above, they took a backseat to the WRs last week but still saw four targets each which really isn’t that bad at the end of the day. They’re still running routes at an elite rate and continue to be the top two backs any given week despite the downgrade at QB. The switch from offensive coordinator Hal Mumme to Jeff Jagodzinski will be worth monitoring as well.

St. Louis BattleHawks

Notable Week 5 Targets and Snaps

L’Damian Washington – 8 targets (32% MS%), 58 snaps (90.6% snap share)
Marcus Lucas – 6 targets (24% MS%), 49 snaps (76.6% snap share)
Alonzo Russell – 4 targets (16% MS%), 62 snaps (96.9% snap share)
De’Mornay Pierson-El – 3 targets (12% MS%), 23 snaps (35.9% snap share)

L’Damian Washington overtook De’Mornay Pierson-El as the top receiver for St. Louis in Week 5 as he led the team with eight targets putting up a 5-114-0 line. It was only a matter of time before Pierson-El’s low snap rates caught up with him. His 35.9% snap share was his second-lowest mark of the season. As a result of this, TE/WR hybrid human Marcus Lucas put up a season-high 76.6% snap share and saw a season-high six targets in the matchup against DC. He only caught two passes for three yards and remains a random piece of this offense. Alonzo Russell has been doing his best Keenan Reynolds impression this season by putting up epic usage rates and returning nothing in the boxscores. I still think it’s only a matter of time before he has a big game, but it will be impossible to really predict when that will happen. He’s worth a dice roll in good matchups if you’re looking for a sleeper but his price on DraftKings isn’t usually as low as it should be ($5,100 in Week 6).

Notable Week 5 Backfield Touches and Snaps

Matt Jones – 13 carries (39.4% MS%), 36 snaps (56.3% snap share)
Christine Michael – 12 carries (36.4% MS%), 23 snaps (35.9% snap share)

This backfield remains probably the most consistent in the league as Matt Jones and Christine Michael continued solid workloads at virtually an even share no matter what the game flow was. Both were equally efficient averaging over five yards per attempt against DC but remain TD dependent due to having little-to-no value in the passing game. It is worth noting, however, that Jones was credited with 10 routes run and Michael with six according to PFF. This is the first time either has been credited with a route run since Week 2.