This is the Air Yards Report Week 7! Find out which players led Week 6 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 come from 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 leaders were Mike Evans, DeAndre Hopkins, Davante Adams, A.J. Brown, and Tyreek Hill. Five of these six players, all 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 Who Shined in Week 6
A.J. Brown | Philadelphia Eagles — 152 Air Yards (2nd Overall)
Active for the first time since Week 1, A.J. Brown continued where he left off, posting over 100 Air Yards and finishing as a top-12 wide receiver in fantasy points. He has also scored a touchdown and seen at least nine targets in both games he has played this season. While this production is what most expected from Brown this season, it is nice to see that he is fully recovered from the hamstring injury that forced him to miss three games.
Drake London | Atlanta Falcons — 95 Air Yards (13th Overall)
Drake London has seen 80 Air Yards or more in each of the last four games. During this time he has averaged 21 fantasy points per game. He has been peppered with targets, seeing at least nine targets per game in this same four-game sample, and has been utilized all over the field with a 34.5-percent slot snap rate. Now fifth among wide receivers in targets with 54 on the season, London is a set-and-forget WR1 for the rest of the season.
Players Who Disappointed But Will Bounce Back
D.K. Metcalf | Seattle Seahawks — 166 Air Yards (1st Overall)
D.K. Metcalf had a disappointing Thursday night in Week 6. He saw 11 targets but only was able to corral three receptions for 48 scoreless yards. Metcalf also had a long touchdown and its associated Air Yards nullified by a penalty. However, Metcalf is still averaging nine targets per game and 112 Air Yards per game. Look for him to bounce back in what will likely be a shootout in a dome against the Falcons this week.
Ladd McConkey | Los Angeles Chargers — 97 Air Yards (12th Overall)
The bye-week rookie bump is here for Ladd McConkey. He saw a career-high 97 Air Yards last week and also set a career-high in targets with eight. While the Chargers will continue to be the most run-heavy team in the league, with a 51.6-percent rush ratio, McConkey is Justin Herbert’s go-to target. He makes for an upside flex play this week against an exploitable Cardinals defense.
Tight End to Prioritize
Dalton Schultz | Houston Texans — 67 Air Yards (1st Overall)
With Nico Collins on injured reserve, Dalton Schultz saw a season-high 67 Air Yards on eight targets in Week 6. While Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell are the primary beneficiaries of Collins’ injury, Schultz is worthy of low-end TE1 consideration considering the wasteland that is the position in fantasy.
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