NFL DFS: Five Advanced Stats You Need to Know This Season
By Dan Palyo
NFL DFS: Red Zone vs. End Zone Targets
Touchdowns are king in fantasy football and you’re not winning a GPP without getting a TD or multiple TDs from just about every player on your roster. Red zone targets refer to any time a receiver is targeted inside the 20-yard line. End zone targets refer exclusively to those times that a receiver is in the end zone when targeted. It’s pretty simple to understand, there’s nothing that complicated here.
Why Do They Matter?
Red zone targets are a stat that we hear about a lot, but this stat can be somewhat deceiving, however, as even a 5-yard comeback route caught at the 19-yard line qualifies even though that play may have a very low percentage of turning into a touchdown. Let’s look at JuJu Smith-Schuster and Michael Thomas for example. Both had 29 red-zone targets but only 9 end zone targets which led to their relatively low TD totals for receivers who had massive years in receptions and yards. Odell Beckham Jr. is the total opposite as 18 of his 20 red-zone targets were also end zone targets. He still only managed 6 TDs, but his touchdown equity was higher on a weekly basis statistically.
Top 5 Last Season (Red Zone)
- Davante Adams (31)
- Michael Thomas (29)
- JuJu Smith-Schuster (29)
- DeAndre Hopkins (25)
- Antonio Brown (24)
Top 5 Last Season (End Zone)
- DeAndre Hopkins (20)
- Antonio Brown (20)
- Odell Beckham Jr. (18)
- Mike Evans (16)
- Davante Adams/Chris Godwin (14)