This is the Air Yards Report Week 2! Find out which players led Week 1 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 2
Malik Nabers | New York Giants – 208 Air Yards (1st Overall)
After a quite Week 1 where Malik Nabers was out targeted by teammate Wan’Dale Robinson, the Giants prioritized the standout rookie in Week 2, peppering Nabers with a whooping 18 targets. Nabers’ 208 Air Yards was tops in the league in Week 2 and he is now No. 2 in the league in Air Yards on the season with 257. With a 50.8-percent Air Yards share, and league leading 38.5-percent Target Share, look for the Giants continue to run their offense through Nabers. With this opportunity, Nabers is a set and forget player in lineups this week even with a tough matchup against the Cleveland Browns.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba | Seattle Seahawks – 172 Air Yards (2nd Overall)
The Jaxon Smith-Njigba breakout is upon us. JSN saw 16 targets last week and led the Seahawks with 172 Air Yards. He was utilized all over the field. While he was outscored by DK Metcalf in fantasy points, JSN out targeted Metcalf and is likely the 1B to Metcalf’s 1A in what is likely to be a pass heavy offense moving forward. Treat JSN as a top 24 WR option against Dolphins.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s NFL Next Gen Stats Route Chart
Players Who Disappointed But Will Bounce Back
Christian Kirk | Jacksonville Jaguars – 72 Air Yards (29th Overall)
The Air Yards underachievers were few and far between in Week 2, so let’s take some time to highlight the struggling Christian Kirk. Kirk has caught only one pass in each of his two games thus far this season. However, he has crested at least 50 Air Yards in each week, an impressive figure for a receiver that plays predominately in the slot (73.3% slot snap rate). If the Jaguars offense has any hope of being functional this season, they will look to get Kirk more involved, and Kirk should bounce back this week against the Bills.
Amari Cooper | Cleveland Browns – 73 Air Yards (27th Overall)
Amari Cooper is now on Prayer Yards alert with two consecutive appearances on the disappointment list. Cooper is No. 5 among receivers with 243 Air Yards on the season but somehow only has only has 7.7 fantasy points to show for it. Something simply has to give here. Keep Cooper in your lineup against the Giants this week and give him a final chance to score you some fantasy points.
Air Yards Player to Fade
Jalen Tolbert | Dallas Cowboys – 116 Air Yards (10th Overall)
Jalen Tolbert led the Cowboys in Air Yards and targets in Week 2 finishing with 14.2 fantasy points on nine targets. He basically flip-flopped with Brandin Cooks‘ usage from last week. Both receivers remain highly volatile ancillary pieces in the Cowboys passing game that are best left out of your lineup.
Tight End to Prioritize
Brenton Strange | Jacksonville Jaguars – 82 Air Yards (1st Overall)
Filling in for the injured Evan Engram, last year’s second round pick by the Jaguars, Brenton Strange, lead all tight ends in Air Yards for Week 2 and finished as a top 12 tight end. He also saw six targets and one target in the redzone. With Strange seeing these opportunities, he makes for a confident streamer play in Week 3.
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