Snap counts represent the total number of offensive plays a player participated in during a given week.

The number of times a player is on the field for a player can be incredibly useful. It helps track usage, and how players are used and provide fantasy football managers with the ability to look beyond the usual on-field production by adding context to those more traditional statistics.

NFL snap counts are tracked by the NFL Game Statistics and Information System (GSIS). For the last two years, each player has had a chip inserted in his shoulder pads so that radio transmitters in stadiums can track his every move on the field. This is how the GSIS compiles snap counts (and other on-field information).

Understanding playing time can be a key factor in setting your weekly lineup. In particular, understanding and identifying trends that might give you an early jump on acquiring free agents or making trades for players who might quietly be gaining playing time.

As FantasyPros recently noted, studying snap counts and the percentage of snaps played is one of the easiest ways that we can determine one of the most basic, but important questions for potential fantasy success: Is this player even on the field often enough to make a difference? That said, NFL snap counts only outline playing time, and being on the field is only the first step to fantasy relevance. It’s not the only step. Don’t emphasize snap counts over production.