A New Way to Look at Receiver Efficiency: Per Target Stats

Photo Via:Sportsnet 

Although target based stats such as Catch % (Receptions/Targets), are becoming more and more mainstream; targets are usually not used in measuring receivers statistical value. Yet it is a much better way to look at efficiency than per catch stats. As often times those can be distorted by the decisions of quarterbacks, in comparison with targets which are much better at giving insight into what a receiver does with his opportunities. This is why I have put together five per target stats to quantify receivers’ performances:

Catch %: Receptions/Targets

Yards Per Target: Receiving Yards/Targets

TD%: Receiving Touchdowns/Targets

YAC Per Target: Yards After Catch/Targets

1D%: Receiving First Downs/Targets

One caveat with per target stats is found within its subjective nature. Targets are defined as the total number of times a quarterback throws the ball to a receiver. Certain plays cause problems in trying to determine which receiver was targeted, but the vast majority of the time it is clear. Interceptions and deliberate throwaways are not considered.

To show you how these stats look on the games’ top pass catchers, I calculated the 5 per target stats in the 2017 NFL Season for the 19 pass catchers (Receivers and Tight Ends) included in NFL Network’s Top 100 Players of 2018.  Therefore this is not a leaderboard for this past season, which will be published soon.

Catch %:

1. Tyreek Hill Chiefs 71.43%
2. Jarvis Landry Browns 70.00%
3. Michael Thomas Saints 69.80%
4. Larry Fitzgerald Cardinals 67.70%
5. Travis Kelce Chiefs 67.48%
6. Stefon Diggs Vikings 67.37%
7. Zach Ertz Eagles 67.27%
8. Delanie Walker Titans 66.67%
9. Rob Gronkowski Patriots 65.09%
10. Keenan Allen Chargers 64.15%
11. Doug Baldwin Seahawks 64.10%
12. Adam Thielen Vikings 63.63%
13. Antonio Brown Steelers 62.35%
14. Davante Adams Packers 63.25%
15. Odell Beckham Jr Giants 60.98%
16. Julio Jones Falcons 59.06%
17. Jimmy Graham Packers 58.16%
18. DeAndre Hopkins Texans 54.55%
19. AJ Green Bengals 51.72%

Yards Per Target:

1. Tyreek Hill Chiefs 11.27
2. Rob Gronkowski Patriots 10.22
3. Julio Jones Falcons 9.69
4. Antonio Brown Steelers 9.46
5. Stefon Diggs Vikings 8.94
6. Adam Thielen Vikings 8.92
7. Keenan Allen Chargers 8.76
8. Doug Baldwin Seahawks 8.47
9. Travis Kelce Chiefs 8.44
10. Michael Thomas Saints 8.36
11. DeAndre Hopkins Texans 7.83
12. Davante Adams Packers 7.56
13. Zach Ertz Eagles 7.49
14. AJ Green Bengals 7.43
15. Odell Beckham Jr. Giants 7.37
16. Delanie Walker Titans 7.27
17. Larry Fitzgerald Cardinals 7.18
18. Jarvis Landry Browns 6.17
19. Jimmy Graham Packers 5.31

TD%:

1. Jimmy Graham Packers 10.20%
2. Davante Adams Packers 8.55%
3. Stefon Diggs Vikings 8.42%
4. Rob Gronkowski Patriots 7.55%
5. DeAndre Hopkins Texans 7.39%
6. Odell Beckham Jr Giants 7.32%
7. Zach Ertz Eagles 7.27%
8. Doug Baldwin Seahawks 6.84%
9. Tyreek Hill Chiefs 6.67%
10. Travis Kelce Chiefs 6.50%
11. Jarvis Landry Browns 5.63%
12. Antonio Brown Steelers 5.56%
13. AJ Green Bengals 5.52%
14. Keenan Allen Chargers 3.77%
15. Larry Fitzgerald Cardinals 3.73%
16. Michael Thomas Saints 3.36%
17. Adam Thielen Vikings 2.80%
18. Delanie Walker Titans 2.70%
19. Julio Jones Falcons 2.01%

YAC Per Target

1. Tyreek Hill Chiefs 4.45
2. Travis Kelce Chiefs 3.59
3. Rob Gronkowski Patriots 3.42
4. Julio Jones Falcons 3.07
5. Davante Adams Packers 3.05
6. Antonio Brown Steelers 3.04
7. Adam Thielen Vikings 2.95
8. Jarvis Landry Browns 2.91
9. Keenan Allen Chargers 2.88
10. Michael Thomas Saints 2.84
11. Stefon Diggs Vikings 2.80
12. Larry Fitzgerald Cardinals 2.52
13. Zach Ertz Eagles 2.29
14. Delanie Walker Titans: 2.28
15. Doug Baldwin Seahawks 2.24
16. AJ Green Bengals 2.13
17. DeAndre Hopkins Texans 1.98
18. Jimmy Graham Packers 1.94
19. Odell Beckham Jr Giants 1.78

1st Down %

1. Rob Gronkowski Patriots 53.77%
2. Michael Thomas Saints 46.98%
3. Keenan Allen Chargers 46.54%
4. Julio Jones Falcons 44.97%
5. Travis Kelce Chiefs 44.72%
6. Stefon Diggs Vikings 44.21%
7. Antonio Brown Steelers 43.83%
8. Zach Ertz Eagles 41.82%
9. Adam Thielen Vikings 41.26%
10. Larry Fitzgerald Cardinals 40.99%
11. DeAndre Hopkins Texans 39.20%
12. Tyreek Hill Chiefs 39.05%
13. Delanie Walker Titans 38.74%
14. Davante Adams Packers 38.46%
15. AJ Green Bengals 37.93%
16. Doug Baldwin Seahawks 37.61%
17. Jarvis Landry Browns 37.50%
18. Odell Beckham Jr Giants 36.59%
19. Jimmy Graham Packers 32.66%