This is the Air Yards Report Week 4! Find out which players led Week 3 in Air Yards and how YOU should use Air Yards when setting your fantasy lineups.
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What are Air Yards?
Air Yards measure how many yards the football travels past the line of scrimmage on a passing play. Some Air Yards have completed passes, and some are incomplete passes. They are not a perfect measurement of future fantasy success but a tool that we can utilize to help us make lineup decisions. In 2023, the Air Yards receiving leaders were Mike Evans, DeAndre Hopkins, Davante Adams, A.J. Brown, and Tyreek Hill. All five players, save for Hopkins, finished inside the top 10 in fantasy points on the season. In 2022, the Air Yards receiving leaders were Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown, and Stefon Diggs. All five players finished within the top six scorers at the WR position.
This season we will parse through the Air Yards Metric to help identify players who you should prioritize as starters in your fantasy lineups, players who disappointed but are likely to bounce back based on their Air Yards, and players you should feel free to fade despite voluminous Air Yards.
Air Yards Standouts that Shined in Week 4
Dontayvion Wicks | Green Bay Packers – 200 Air Yards (1st Overall)
The waiver wire pickup of the week is for real! Dontayvion Wicks led the Packers with 13 targets in Week 4 and turned that opportunity into 24.8 fantasy points. However, he left a lot of points on the field with 122 Unrealized Air Yards. Wicks is now No. 9 among all receivers on the season with 242 Unrealized Air Yards. With Christian Watson expected to miss multiple weeks due to injury, Wicks should continue to see this type of usage and his Air Yards numbers suggest that he has just scratched the surface of his fantasy production.
Diontae Johnson | Chicago Bears – 159 Air Yards (4th Overall)
Diontae Johnson has posted two consecutive games with over 100 Air Yards. He has also seen double digit targets in each contest as well. This has led to back-to-back top 10 weekly finishes in fantasy points among receivers. With Andy Dalton now under center, Johnson is a set and forget WR2 with WR1 upside.
Players Who Disappointed But Will Bounce Back
Tyreek Hill | Miami Dolphins – 129 Air Yards (12th Overall)
Unfortunately Tyler Huntley was not the magic elixir for Tyreek Hill and the Dolphins offense who are in desperate need of Tua Tagovailoa’s return from injury. However, at least Huntley was able to push the ball downfield to Hill as Hill topped 100 Air Yards for the first time since Week 1. At present, there are a lot of receivers I would rather start over Hill, but the list is a lot smaller with Huntley now behind center.
Ja’Lynn Polk | New England Patriots- 106Air Yards (15th Overall)
Ja’Lynn Polk secured a starting role in the Patriots offense last week seeing a season high 82.8-percent Snap Share and running a season high of 34 routes. He also led the team with 106 Air Yards and seven targets. With this type of usage, the Polk breakout may be happening before Drake Maye plays a snap. Polk is a player to stash on your bench for now, but he may be in your lineup sooner than you think.
Air Yards Player to Fade
Bo Melton | Green Bay Packers – 100 Air Yards (19th Overall)
Bo Melton saw 100 Air Yards on three targets last week as the Packers were in comeback mode against the Vikings. He hauled in one of those targets for 28 yards. Unless the Packers are down big again, he will not be fantasy relevant.
Tight End to Prioritize
Tyler Conklin | New York Jets – 61 Air Yards (3rd Overall)
The tight end position is an absolute wasteland in fantasy football this season. Tyler Conklin saw eight targets and 61 Air Yards last week. This is the opportunity you should chase if you need a starting tight end this week in fantasy.
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