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Air Yard Analysis: Week 6 (2020 Fantasy Football)

Air Yard Analysis: Week 6 (2020 Fantasy Football)

Welcome to Air Yard Analysis! Each week, I’ll break down the trends in air yards across the NFL. In case you haven’t used air yards for fantasy analysis before, here’s the rundown on what the advanced stat means:

Fantasy football is a game of volume. Snaps, carries, targets, receptions, yards, red-zone looks — all of these reflect the opportunities a player receives in a game. While it’s up to the player to capitalize on their chances, a player’s efficiency tends to vary more than their opportunities.

Air yards are another volume stat that’s crucial to understanding a player’s value. Air yards measure the total distance that a thrown ball travels from the line of scrimmage to the player in question, and they help us to understand which targets are worth more than others.

For example, a wide receiver who earned six targets and eight air yards is far less valuable than one who earned four targets and 92 air yards, even if the second player failed to catch all of their looks. That’s because a best-possible six receptions for eight yards gives you only 6.8 PPR points, while four catches for 92 yards would let you 13.2 PPR points. That’s a higher ceiling, and the second player could even drop a pass and still out-perform the first player.

Each week, I’ll go read through and analyze every team’s air yards to give you my take. I’ll include every player with a target in my charts, and I’ll highlight which players are leading the league in each stat.

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Arizona Cardinals

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
Andy Isabella 77 38.5 244 16.3
DeAndre Hopkins 57 7.1 494 8.1
Christian Kirk 37 18.5 378 16.4
Larry Fitzgerald 27 6.8 144 5.1
Darrell Daniels 1 1 28 4.7
Kenyan Drake 0 0 -10 -1.2
Chase Edmonds -3 -3 61 2.5


Takeaways
: After six games, it’s pretty clear how Kliff Kingsbury’s offense is designed to work — Hopkins gets short-to-mid-range looks, while Kirk and Isabella get the long-rang deep shots … Kirk converted his two targets and 37 air yards into two receptions, 86 yards, and two scores … meanwhile, Isabella failed to catch either of his two looks … this is the first game I’ve seen Chase Edmonds earn negative air yards, but to be fair, he only got two targets — he’ll have higher volume when the Cardinals have to pass to stay in games.


Atlanta Falcons

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
Julio Jones 85 8.5 359 12
Calvin Ridley 56 8 836 (#1) 14.9
Russell Gage 54 13.5 288 8.5
Hayden Hurst 22 5.5 338 10.2
Olamide Zaccheaus 19 9.5 228 10.9
Christian Blake 16 8 86 12.3
Brian Hill 5 2.5 13 1
Keith Smith 3 3 8 1.6
Ito Smith 2 2 1 0.1
Todd Gurley -6 -1.5 0 0


Takeaways
: Julio Jones is back! He had a seriously impressive day and led this team in air yards for the first time since Week 1 … Ridley continues to have a lot of fantasy value in this offense, although his floor may decrease a bit with Jones healthy … surprisingly, slot receiver Russell Gage had the longest aDOT on this team — we shouldn’t expect that to become a trend, though, as his YTD aDOT suggests that regression is in order … Hurst continues to disappoint in this offense.


Baltimore Ravens

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
Marquise Brown 76 12.7 673 (#3) 16
Miles Boykin 30 15 203 11.3
Mark Andrews 25 6.2 380 11.2
Nick Boyle 24 8 45 4.5
Willie Snead 17 8.5 114 8.1
Devin Duvernay 3 1 39 3.2
Patrick Ricard 0 0 6 1.2
J.K. Dobbins -14 -3.5 0 0


Takeaways
: Brown is the only fantasy-relevant wide receiver on this offense … he’ll have boom weeks and bust weeks, as his production depends on the number of deep targets he gets per game — if the Ravens get up early and Brown hasn’t scored yet, you can count him out … Andrews doesn’t get the targets, receiving yardage, or air yards required to be less touchdown-dependent, and he’ll bust when he doesn’t score … Dobbins saw a lot of action behind the line of scrimmage, and that’s a shift in his usage — he’d been getting targeted further downfield before.


Buffalo Bills

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
Stefon Diggs 111 13.9 637 (#6) 11
John Brown 69 17.2 371 13.7
Cole Beasley 62 8.9 303 8.2
Tyler Kroft 5 2.5 73 7.3
Devin Singletary 4 2 37 1.5
Gabriel Davis 3 3 233 12.9
Isaiah McKenzie -4 -4 -8 -0.6


Takeaways
: The Bills got shellacked by the Titans and Chiefs in consecutive weeks, but they’ll get to rebound against the Jets in Week 7 … as a refresher, Brown actually bested Diggs in air yards against the Jets back in Week 1, although not by much … Beasley continues to have a high-volume, short-yardage role that gives him value in PPR formats … Singletary looks to have taken control of this backfield once again, and his downfield targets bolster his value in PPR formats.


Carolina Panthers

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
D.J. Moore 119 10.8 559 11.9
Robby Anderson 72 14.4 503 9.9
Keith Kirkwood 33 16.5 33 16.5
Chris Manhertz 10 5 15 3
Ian Thomas 4 4 66 6
Trenton Cannon 3 1.5 3 1.5
Alex Armah 1 1 7 3.5
Mike Davis -5 -1.7 -28 -0.8


Takeaways
: Moore beat out Anderson in air yards and targets (11 to 5) last week, although I don’t think it’s a sign of things to come — Kyle Fuller is a premier corner, and he was on Anderson for most of Sunday’s game … with Curtis Samuel out of the lineup, Moore and Keith Kirkwood benefited the most … Ian Thomas continues to be a massive disappointment in fantasy, although he’ll place the Saints’ league-worst tight end defense this week, so he could be a viable streaming option.


Chicago Bears

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
Darnell Mooney 67 13.4 408 13.6
Allen Robinson 61 6.8 665 (#4) 10.2
Jimmy Graham 31 3.9 247 6.9
Demetrius Harris 23 11.5 85 8.5
Cole Kmet 15 7.5 48 9.6
David Montgomery 5 1 38 1.4
Cordarrelle Patterson 3 1.5 44 4.9
Anthony Miller -5 -1.7 290 11.2


Takeaways
: As the air yards (and, frankly, all other data points) have shown us, Mooney is the better play over Miller at this point … Miller’s negative air yards mean that he’ll depend on receptions to return fantasy value, but that’s not something he’ll do with just 4.3 targets per game … Robinson is an elite WR1, and his high-volume role gives him more value in PPR formats … Jimmy Graham will be a viable low-end TE1 if he can keep hauling in his short-range targets.


Cincinnati Bengals

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
A.J. Green 147 (#6) 13.4 659 (#5) 14.6
Tyler Boyd 87 10.9 448 9.3
Tee Higgins 85 10.6 467 13
Mike Thomas 23 7.7 91 6.5
Alex Erickson 5 5 8 4
Drew Sample 4 4 90 4.7
Cethan Carter 2 2 22 7.3
Giovani Bernard 0 0 7 0.3
Joe Mixon -1 -0.3 -31 -1.2


Takeaways
: Welcome back, A.J. Green! Green’s air yards have been his best stat all year, and they’ve (almost) always suggested incoming regression … if he can maintain his improved catch rate with such a high number of air yards, he should be back on the WR3 radar … that said, he’s still a risky start due to his early-season inefficiency, so only play him if you absolutely must … Boyd had a longer-than-usual aDOT last week, and you can expect it to dip down again next week against Cleveland — he’s still a strong option at WR2, but his short-range usage makes him a better start in PPR.


Cleveland Browns

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
Jarvis Landry 41 8.2 319 10
Odell Beckham Jr. 41 13.7 531 13.3
Rashard Higgins 29 14.5 66 11
Austin Hooper 23 3.8 203 6.2
David Njoku 6 2 55 7.9
Harrison Bryant 5 2.5 88 6.8
Donovan Peoples-Jones 4 4 4 4
Kareem Hunt 1 0.3 62 3.3
D’Ernest Johnson 0 0 -3 -1.5


Takeaways
: In Cleveland’s run-first scheme, there isn’t a lot of passing volume to go around … the volume that does exist tends to go in Odell Beckham’s direction, although he doesn’t have tons of floor; Landry led this team in air yards as recently as Week 5 … the loss of KhaDarel Hodge has paved the way for Hollywood Higgins to earn some mid-range looks every game, and he capitalized for a score in Week 6 … it’s hard to get excited about any of these receivers moving forward — they’ll require pass-heavy game scripts to hit value.


Dallas Cowboys

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
CeeDee Lamb 77 7.7 471 9.6
Michael Gallup 75 12.5 528 16
Amari Cooper 59 5.9 569 (#9) 8.8
Cedrick Wilson 29 9.7 163 8.2
Dalton Schultz 24 4.8 235 6.5
Blake Bell 17 17 67 8.4
Noah Brown 14 7 119 10.8
Tony Pollard 2 0.5 -24 -1.7
Ezekiel Elliott 1 0.1 -30 -0.7


Takeaways
: Andy Dalton stunk it up in his debut, but one thing was absolutely clear — this team wants to run the ball instead of passing … that said, their game plan didn’t work out, and multiple turnovers and poor defensive play forced them to keep the ball in the air … Dallas may have an easier time keeping up with Washington and Philadelphia over the next couple of weeks, so don’t expect their receivers to get as much volume as they got in Week 6 … while Gallup is still getting long-range targets, he has absolutely no floor, and it’d be smart to move on from him as the Cowboys embrace the run.


Denver Broncos

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
Tim Patrick 192 (#2) 24 474 16.3
Albert Okwuegbunam 85 14.2 85 14.2
Jerry Jeudy 76 15.2 429 13.8
DaeSean Hamilton 34 17 239 19.9 (#5)
Nick Vannett 5 5 42 6
Royce Freeman 2 2 16 2.7
Diontae Spencer -2 -2 5 2.5


Takeaways
: The Broncos played without Noah Fant, Melvin Gordon, and K.J. Hamler last week, so take these numbers with a grain of salt … notably, Stephon Gilmore lined up against Patrick, not Jeudy, and the former still had a successful fantasy day … while Patrick has certainly earned a role in this offense moving forward, he won’t see the volume to be a league-winner, as his numbers should decline once Fant and Hamler return.


Detroit Lions

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
Kenny Golladay 118 19.7 282 13.4
Marvin Jones 52 10.4 253 10.5
Marvin Hall 44 22 176 29.3 (#1)
T.J. Hockenson 38 6.3 170 6.8
D’Andre Swift 20 5 56 2.8
Danny Amendola 12 6 229 10
Adrian Peterson 9 9 6 0.9
Jesse James 2 2 61 8.7
Kerryon Johnson -4 -2 1 0.2
Jamal Agnew -7 -3.5 33 4.1


Takeaways
: It only took three games for Golladay to take over the team lead in total air yards … Golladay’s long-range role gives him a ton of fantasy value in standard-scoring formats, and he’s a great start this week against Jacksonville … despite being second on this team in air yards, Marvin Jones ranks fourth in total receiving yards — yikes … I said that his career-high catch rate from last season (68.1%) would regress this year, and lo and behold, it has (58.3%) … Jones’ value is capped by Hall, who continues to get a handful of deep targets per game (and is leading the league in aDOT!) … Swift’s positive air yards prove that he’s a capable receiving weapon, and that adds to his value in PPR formats.


Green Bay Packers

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
Marquez Valdes-Scantling 125 (#10) 25 556 18.5 (#8)
Davante Adams 70 7 252 8.4
Marcedes Lewis 31 15.5 48 9.6
Robert Tonyan 23 5.8 151 8.4
Malik Taylor 21 21 22 11
Aaron Jones 18 3.6 95 3.7
Darrius Shepherd 6 6 97 19.4 (#7)
Equanimeous St. Brown 5 2.5 5 2.5
Jamaal Williams 2 2 22 1.5


Takeaways
: Green Bay didn’t look good against Tampa Bay last week, and that was despite them getting Davante Adams back … MVS continues to be one of the league’s leading deep threats, and he’s never a bad high-risk, high-reward option in DFS … the lack of receiving depth forces Matt LaFleur to use his running backs beyond the line of scrimmage, and it shows — both have more air yards than you’d expect from the position.


Houston Texans

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
Will Fuller 174 (#4T) 15.8 610 (#7) 14.2
Brandin Cooks 59 6.6 456 11.4
Darren Fells 55 7.9 159 8.4
Pharaoh Brown 19 9.5 17 5.7
Randall Cobb 16 4 187 6.7
David Johnson 6 3 93 4.7
Duke Johnson 4 2 13 1.6


Takeaways
: The Texans have looked great over the past few weeks — maybe they just needed to shed some dead weight? … Fuller has the looks of a high-end WR2 in this offense, as he gets a number of long-range targets with scoring upside … Cooks seems like the WR1B in this depth chart, although time will tell if he can maintain his recent hot streak … Randall Cobb has faded as Cooks has emerged … Darren Fells posted strong numbers in Week 6, but that was only because fellow tight end Jordan Akins sat out.


Indianapolis Colts

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
Marcus Johnson 145 (#7) 18.1 215 17.9 (#9)
Zach Pascal 91 13 303 10.8
Trey Burton 42 8.4 100 6.2
T.Y. Hilton 30 6 424 11.8
Jack Doyle 26 8.7 101 9.2
De’Michael Harris 4 1.3 4 1.3
Nyheim Hines 2 0.3 15 0.6
Jordan Wilkins 0 0 1 0.3
Jonathan Taylor -6 -1.5 -36 -2.2


Takeaways
: After alternating between the active roster and the practice squad a few times this season, Johnson dominated this receiving corps in Week 6 … that said, the Colts don’t usually throw a lot, and much of his production came as the Colts were desperately trying to catch up with the Bengals … I wrote about this passing offense back in my weekly recap — these receivers are easy to fade most weeks, and it’s time to move on from T.Y. Hilton … while I do have a soft spot for Burton, he may disappoint you on weeks where the Colts opt to grind out the clock.


Jacksonville Jaguars

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
D.J. Chark 197 (#1) 14.1 431 12.7
Keelan Cole 184 (#3) 20.4 448 12.1
Tyler Davis 27 13.5 27 13.5
Chris Conley 8 4 302 13.1
Chris Thompson 7 1.8 40 2.1
James O’Shaughnessy 7 7 92 6.1
Laviska Shenault Jr. -1 -0.1 202 5.8
James Robinson -7 -1.8 -24 -0.9


Takeaways
: After missing most of the week’s practice sessions, Chark suited up for the Jaguars and led the league in air yards and targets (14) — that’s seriously impressive … Cole inflated his numbers this week, but he’s usually a shorter-range weapon in this offense … he’s a decent WR3/4 in PPR formats, but don’t let his numbers from this week excite you too much, as he probably won’t top them this season … Laviska Shenault, the Swiss Army Knife, caught three of his seven targets but failed to earn yards after the catch.


Kansas City Chiefs

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
Demarcus Robinson 64 10.7 183 9.2
Travis Kelce 59 8.4 421 7.9
Byron Pringle 33 16.5 43 14.3
Tyreek Hill 11 3.7 580 (#8) 15.3
Mecole Hardman 8 8 175 9.7
Ricky Seals-Jones 6 6 6 6
Darrel Williams -5 -5 -9 -0.8
Nick Keizer -5 -5 32 10.7
Clyde Edwards-Helaire -10 -2.5 12 0.4


Takeaways
: As I predicted last week, Robinson will see an uptick in volume with Sammy Watkins sidelined … he’ll get the same mid-range targets that Watkins would’ve gotten otherwise … Tyreek Hill didn’t get much usage last week, but that probably has to do with coverage from Tre’Davious White — he’s still one of the league’s leaders in air yards, and he’ll bounce back next week … Hardman was a big disappointment in Watkins’ absence, but he’s still a solid boom-or-bust play in DFS or in deeper redraft leagues.


Los Angeles Rams

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
Robert Woods 174 (#4T) 17.4 343 8.2
Cooper Kupp 105 13.1 316 7.2
Josh Reynolds 74 18.5 258 12.9
Tyler Higbee 36 9 150 7.1
Gerald Everett 30 7.5 88 6.8
Van Jefferson 3 3 147 14.7
Malcolm Brown 1 0.2 -15 -0.8


Takeaways
: Bobby Trees more than doubled his total share of air yards in last week’s performance … his aDOT even jumped from 5.6 to 8.2 … don’t expect this longer-range production to be a consistent thing, however; there’s a reason why he only had 169 air yards heading into this week, and it’s because the Rams are a run-first team under McVay … Kupp also saw a few deeper targets than normal, and he increased his air yards by 33% … I would try to move away from Tyler Higbee if I were you.


Miami Dolphins

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
DeVante Parker 71 8.9 389 9.7
Preston Williams 58 19.3 398 15.3
Mike Gesicki 30 15 347 11.6
Jakeem Grant 26 6.5 130 8.1
Adam Shaheen 16 5.3 28 4
Durham Smythe 11 5.5 22 4.4
Patrick Laird 1 1 2 0.7
Matt Breida -1 -0.5 -6 -0.8
Myles Gaskin -5 -1.2 -8 -0.3


Takeaways
: Parker got hurt but still led this team in air yards … he has the bye week to get healthy, however, so he should bounce back … Williams has pretty much been used as a short-yardage red-zone weapon or as a long-range perimeter weapon with nothing in between … Gesicki failed to capitalize on any of his looks, but he’s still one of the three best receivers on this offense, and he’s a viable low-end TE1 … Isaiah Ford completely disappeared … don’t expect this offense to change much with Tua Tagovailoa under center — Chan Gailey’s offense should look much the same.


Minnesota Vikings

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
Justin Jefferson 140 (#8) 12.7 469 13
Adam Thielen 70 14 696 (#2) 14.5
Chad Beebe 35 7 48 6
Kyle Rudolph 31 7.8 125 8.9
Irv Smith 29 5.8 143 8.9
Alexander Mattison 22 11 30 2.7
Ameer Abdullah -2 -1 -2 -1
Mike Boone -4 -4 -4 -4


Takeaways
: Because the Vikings can’t keep up with their opponents, Jefferson and Thielen are going to see tons of usage this season — unless one of them (likely Thielen) gets traded … both receivers are great mid-to-long range targets for Kirk Cousins, and they’ll continue to post strong fantasy numbers in pass-heavy game scripts … even though he disappointed managers in Week 6, Alexander Mattison’s usage beyond the line of scrimmage bolsters his fantasy value as a flex option


New England Patriots

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
Damiere Byrd 77 19.2 334 12.8
Julian Edelman 39 6.5 386 10.7
N’Keal Harry 29 14.5 189 6.3
Ryan Izzo 26 8.7 112 10.2
Isaiah Zuber 4 4 4 4
Damien Harris 3 3 3 3
James White -25 -2.8 -29 -1.4


Takeaways
: Yikes. It’s hard to justify rostering anyone on this passing offense with how run-oriented the Patriots are … they had a very exploitable matchup and failed to capitalize (Denver is still giving up the 12th-most points per game to opposing receivers even after New England’s lackluster showing) … Byrd and Harry are boom-or-bust options that will depend on pass-heavy game scripts to hit value, and Edelman, once a viable receiver due to volume alone, will struggle when the Patriots opt to pass … Harris earned his first-career catch on Sunday, and though he was targeted beyond the line of scrimmage, don’t expect him to have a larger passing-game role with James White on the roster.


New York Giants

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
Darius Slayton 62 15.5 559 12.7
Evan Engram 47 11.8 194 5.4
C.J. Board 28 9.3 132 12
Golden Tate 11 11 144 6
Kaden Smith 1 0.3 33 2.8
Austin Mack 1 1 1 1
Dion Lewis -2 -2 30 1.8
Devonta Freeman -3 -1.5 -19 -1.9


Takeaways
: Slayton continues to be the only receiver in this offense with consistent usage past the sticks … neither Engram nor Tate have earned much of a role downfield, and while we can critique Jason Garrett for that all we want, their aDOTs mean that they’ll struggle to hit value even with decent target shares … the looming return of Sterling Shepard will torpedo both of their fantasy value barring some offensive adjustments, and Tate is droppable.


New York Jets

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
Breshad Perriman 126 (#9) 15.8 166 11.1
Jamison Crowder 90 6.9 367 8
Jeff Smith 72 18 319 13.3
Braxton Berrios 37 12.3 212 10.6
Ryan Griffin 17 5.7 47 5.9
Ty Johnson 5 5 56 28 (#2)
Frank Gore 4 1 27 3
La’Mical Perine -6 -2 -7 -1.4


Takeaways
: Somewhat unsurprisingly, Breshad Perriman led this team in downfield usage with his ex-Ravens teammate, Joe Flacco, under center … Perriman wasn’t getting used that far downfield with Sam Darnold under center, however — he had an aDOT of just 5.1 after Week 2 — so don’t get too excited about him … Crowder is the best receiver to roster in this offense due to his high-volume role … I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: if Frank Gore has positive air yards every week, you are doing something seriously wrong as a coach.


Philadelphia Eagles

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
John Hightower 119 29.8 400 21.1 (#4)
Travis Fulgham 112 11.2 304 12.2
Zach Ertz 73 7.3 320 7.1
Richard Rodgers 29 9.7 84 8.4
Miles Sanders 15 7.5 70 2.7
Greg Ward 12 4 196 5.8
J.J. Arcega-Whiteside 8 8 68 17 (#10)
Jason Croom 3 3 3 3
Boston Scott 2 0.5 -14 -1.4


Takeaways
: Hightower and Fulgham have gotten open downfield, but both of them dropped at least one pass on Sunday … DeSean Jackson’s return this week will limit their value moving forward, but it might take a week for that to become apparent if Jackson draws James Bradberry in coverage … Richard Rodgers is set to take over at the tight end position until Dallas Goedert gets back … I wouldn’t start any of these receivers against the slow-moving Giants this week.


Pittsburgh Steelers

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
James Washington 87 12.4 235 9.8
Chase Claypool 50 12.5 322 14
Eric Ebron 30 7.5 221 9.2
JuJu Smith-Schuster 19 4.8 134 4.6
Anthony McFarland -2 -2 -1 -0.3
Ray-Ray McCloud -2 -2 -7 -1.8
James Conner -4 -4 12 0.8
Benny Snell -7 -7 -17 -5.7


Takeaways
: Without Diontae Johnson, Claypool drew tougher coverage and failed to lead the team in air yards … instead, downfield threat James Washington capitalized and caught four passes for 68 yards and a score … Claypool’s value is bolstered by Pittsburgh’s willingness to use him as a runner, however, as Claypool has now scored twice with his legs … JuJu Smith-Schuster’s short-range looks mean that he depends on volume to be fantasy-relevant, and unfortunately for him, he’s just not getting enough targets from Ben Roethlisberger right now — he’s someone to move on from ASAP.


San Francisco 49ers

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
George Kittle 66 6.6 253 6.7
Brandon Aiyuk 48 12 254 9.8
Kendrick Bourne 37 12.3 299 10.3
Kyle Juszczyk 29 14.5 68 6.8
Jerick McKinnon 8 2.7 109 4.4
Trent Taylor 5 2.5 67 5.6
Raheem Mostert -3 -1.5 39 3.2
JaMycal Hasty -5 -5 0 0
Deebo Samuel -30 -5 70 4.1


Takeaways
: While Samuel’s usage behind the line of scrimmage would normally limit his value, the receiver has looked excellent after the catch, so I won’t fault him too much for it — that said, if this is how the 49ers intend to use him moving forward, he’ll have to remain this efficient … George Kittle is closing in on Brandon Aiyuk for the team lead in air yards, and he should get there if he sees more targets than Aiyuk does this week … I’m not sure if Stephon Gilmore will cover Aiyuk or Samuel, but Kittle could see a bump in volume as a result … McKinnon didn’t post inspiring numbers last week, but he’s getting consistently used beyond the line of scrimmage, so I still like him a lot in PPR formats.


Tampa Bay Buccaneers

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
Rob Gronkowski 83 10.4 265 9.1
Cyril Grayson 42 21 68 22.7 (#3)
Scott Miller 33 16.5 374 16.3
Chris Godwin 32 4.6 142 7.1
Mike Evans 12 6 387 10.5
Tyler Johnson 7 7 50 8.3
Ke’Shawn Vaughn 4 4 19 2.7
Cameron Brate 3 3 64 7.1
LeSean McCoy 0 0 28 2
Ronald Jones -5 -2.5 16 0.6


Takeaways
: In the first week with both Chris Godwin and Mike Evans back in the lineup, Rob Gronkowski led this team in air yards … I don’t know if that’s indicative of future usage, but Gronk has been trending up over the last few weeks … while we can blame Evans’ disappointing numbers on Jaire Alexander, Chris Godwin doesn’t have that excuse … I would leave both Evans and Godwin in your lineups against the Raiders, however.


Tennessee Titans

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
A.J. Brown 91 13 233 9.7
Kalif Raymond 76 19 214 19.5 (#6)
Anthony Firkser 68 7.6 162 8.1
Adam Humphries 56 9.3 228 8.8
Jonnu Smith 13 6.5 166 6.1
Cameron Batson 12 12 36 12
Geoff Swaim 2 0.7 2 0.7
Jeremy McNichols 2 0.7 8 1.3
Khari Blasingame 0 0 1 0.5
Derrick Henry -9 -1.8 8 0.5


Takeaways
: Brown is back! It may take him a few weeks to catch up with the league in total air yards, but his speed should help him do that quickly … Raymond will continue to see volume as a deep threat in this offense until Corey Davis returns … Anthony Firkser had a strong day despite Jonnu Smith’s presence (he didn’t leave with an injury until late in the game), although the return of MyCole Pruitt will cap his upside … Humphries’ mostly short-range looks make him a fantastic volume-based WR4 in PPR formats.


Washington Football Team

PLAYER WEEK 6 AIR YDS WEEK 6 aDOT YTD AIR YARDS YTD aDOT
Terry McLaurin 96 8.7 562 (#10) 10
Logan Thomas 41 10.2 296 9
Dontrelle Inman 37 7.4 237 9.1
Isaiah Wright 22 4.4 78 4.3
Cam Sims 22 22 28 9.3
Antonio Gandy-Golden 7 7 30 6
Peyton Barber 3 3 3 1.5
Antonio Gibson -1 -0.2 -24 -1.1
J.D. McKissic -2 -0.3 54 1.6


Takeaways
: In a low-scoring, clock-draining game against the Giants, McLaurin still came away with almost 100 air yards … among all people who played in Week 6 (so not counting Tyler Lockett or D.K. Metcalf), McLaurin even ranks in the top-10 YTD … that said, it’s hard to get excited about any receiver catching passes from Kyle Allen … Isaiah Wright seems to have carved out a short-yardage role here, although time will tell how permanent it is … I was honestly expecting some more long-range looks from Allen here, but I guess they’ll have to wait for a come-from-behind game script — McLaurin and Dontrelle Inman should benefit the most when they do happen.

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Isaiah Sirois is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Isaiah, check out his archive and follow him @is_sirois.

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