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

 
Takeaways: Despite the concerns before the season, Hopkins is an unquestionable WR1 — his high volume is reflected in both his team-leading shares of air yards and targets (9) … with Christian Kirk back in the lineup, Andy Isabella faded back into fantasy irrelevance, and his aDOT has dropped considerably since Week 2 … Kirk is the clear-cut WR2 here, and he’s struggling to post low-end WR3 numbers with his volume … Dan Arnold is an intriguing upside pick at tight end, but I’m not interested in him outside of very deep TE-premium leagues … Chase Edmonds’ positive air yards demonstrate that he’s used beyond the line of scrimmage in the passing game, and as I wrote earlier this week, he has some appeal as a flex option.

Atlanta Falcons

 
Takeaways: The player who led the Falcons in air yards last week failed to log a catch, which is kind of crazy … Ridley is on track for 2,668 air yards this season, which is absolutely wild; he’s also leading the league in air yards by almost 200 … the Falcons turned to their backup options with their starters struggle with inefficiency (Ridley) or injuries (Jones, Gage) in Week 4, so don’t expect to see Blake and Zacchaeus here every week … Hurt’s high-volume role in Atlanta’s pass-happy offenses gives him low-end TE1 floor.

Baltimore Ravens

 
Takeaways: Go off, Marquise Brown. He led the league in air yards this week in the Ravens’ whooping of the Washington Football Team, and his length aDOT proves that he’s the go-to deep threat in this offense … he’s not a bad WR3, but his boom-or-bust, low-volume nature makes him a better option in standard-scoring leagues … speaking of boom-or-bust, Mark Andrews showed up and scored two touchdowns after a pair of disappointing weeks … while he’s still a TE1, Andrews is a riskier play than his high-end status suggests … no other receivers in this offense have fantasy value due to the run-first nature of Baltimore’s offense.

Buffalo Bills

 
Takeaways: Diggs is no longer in the league’s top 10 for air yards, but he’s still having a monster season … his fall is honestly for the best, as he’s seeing more catches than he would solely as a deep threat … Josh Allen’s progression as a passer means that Diggs can be fantasy-relevant alongside Brown and Beasley, who both have seen respectable usage thus far, although Week 4 was a bit of a letdown … Davis is a high-end, high-upside receiver waiting in the wings, and he proved that the last two weeks — look out for him if anything happens to Brown or Diggs … none of the tight ends in this offense see enough consistent volume to be viable fantasy options.

Carolina Panthers

 
Takeaways: Anderson out-paced Moore in air yards this week, and as I wrote in my weekly recap, it’s starting to look like he’s edging Moore out for volume … this week will help us see who exactly is the WR1 here, as the Panthers take on the Falcons’ miserable secondary … Ian Thomas decided to show up after three weeks of slumber, but he only caught two of his three targets for five yards — he’s too touchdown-dependent to be worth rostering at this point … speaking of players not worth rostering, Samuel has pretty much been replaced by Anderson, so you can drop him if you haven’t already.

Chicago Bears

 
Takeaways: In Nick Foles’ first start as a Chicago Bear, Robinson’s dominance was on full display — he caught seven of 10 targets for 101 yards and a score … less obvious was Mooney’s success with Foles, as he caught only five of his nine targets for 52 yards, but his impressive share of air yards should clarify his high-volume role … Mooney’s emergence means bad things for Anthony Miller, and if you were still rostering him, I would cut him loose at this point.

Cincinnati Bengals

 
Takeaways: Has Tee Higgins usurped A.J. Green? Green’s share of air yards (and targets) has fallen off dramatically, and it’s clear that he’s no longer the dominant receiver he once was … while his impressive number of air yards suggest that some positive regression is in order, Green caught just one of his five targets for three yards, and that kind of efficiency isn’t going to cut it … keep Green on your roster for another week or two and see if you can sell high after a big performance … Higgins is worth adding off waivers (if you can still get him) or trading for before he gains even more control of this offense … the best receiver to start in Cincinnati is still Tyler Boyd, however, but his high-target, short-yardage role doesn’t lend itself to many air yards.

Cleveland Browns

 
Takeaways: The Browns scored 49 points and only attempted 30 passing plays — even on a good day, there won’t be much volume to go around in this offense … what little volume there is goes mostly to Odell Beckham, as it should, but Baker Mayfield isn’t an accurate enough deep passer for most of Beckham’s potential fantasy points to be realized … I’ve been ringing the “he’s droppable” bell on Landry for a little bit, but if you have him, hold onto him and see if the offense changes after the injury to Nick Chubb … Austin Hooper had his best game to date, but David Njoku has been activated from injured reserve, and Hooper hasn’t seen enough volume to be worth rostering.

Dallas Cowboys

 
Takeaways: The Cowboys defense is going to force Dak Prescott to attempt tons of passes this season, and you can tell by the large quantities of air yards that each of his receivers already have … Cooper has surprisingly locked down the WR1 role in Dallas, and after years of boom-or-bust fantasy production, he finally looks like a consistent fantasy WR1 … Schultz has a surprisingly large role in this offense, and he’s not a bad low-end TE1 — he’s basically what people were expecting out of Blake Jarwin … CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup will frustrate fantasy managers this year, and it’ll be a roll of the dice as to who out-produces the other.

Denver Broncos

 
Takeaways: Just as we all expected, with Courtland Sutton down, Patrick led this team in fantasy production against the Jets … Jerry Jeudy is still the better fantasy option, but shaky offensive play may limit the fantasy value of all of these receivers … it doesn’t look like Noah Fant will play in Week 5, and while he hasn’t gotten the most air yards on the year, his absence would greatly increase Patrick and Jeudy’s viability … is the Jake Butt breakout we’ve all been waiting for finally here? It’s not backed up by the numbers, but I’d love to see it — he earned comparisons to Gronk back in 2015.

Detroit Lions

 
Takeaways: Golladay has been back for two weeks, and he already has the third-most air yards on this roster … Marvin Jones hasn’t been very effective, but he’s worth keeping on your roster in hopes of a rebound — I’d leave him on your bench for now, though … Amendola’s usage has taken quite a hit since Golladay’s return, and the weeks of reliable WR3 production from him are over … D’Andre Swift’s positive air yards prove that he’s getting used beyond the line of scrimmage, and that’d be great for his fantasy value if he had a larger role in this offense.

Green Bay Packers

 
Takeaways: With Davante Adams and Allen Lazard out, these numbers are pretty much meaningless … MVS is an amazing deep threat for Aaron Rodgers, but his volume is likely to dip once Adams is healthy enough to play … Tonyan shocked the world by catching three touchdowns on Monday night, and his air yards certainly suggest that he’s got a solid role in this offense — I wouldn’t start him in Week 6, but he’s worth keeping around … both Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones saw lots of usage beyond the line of scrimmage due to Green Bay’s banged-up receiving corps, and it’ll be interesting to see if Matt LaFleur continues to feature them out wide once Adams gets back.

Houston Texans

 
Takeaways: I would say that the past four weeks have made it clear that Will Fuller is the best Houston receiver to roster in fantasy, but the firing of Bill O’Brien means that I want to wait at least one more week before I make that call … that said, he’s leading this team in air yards and has looked more efficient than Cooks … I’m expecting Cooks to rebound from his dismal Week 4, but his low-volume role with Fuller back in the offense is concerning … Cobb doesn’t see many air yards, but he gets enough short-yardage targets to be worth rostering in deeper leagues … good luck predicting which Texans tight end is going to vulture the obligatory touchdown every other week … both Johnson’s usage beyond the line of scrimmage is a good sign for their fantasy value.

Indianapolis Colts

 
Takeaways: It only took injuries to Parris Campbell and Michael Pittman (and serious regression from T.Y. Hilton), but Pascal is the WR1 in Indianapolis again … he’s a reliable volume-based WR3, although he doesn’t have much upside … after Pascal, it’s your guess as to who will have the better week — Mo Alie-Cox has looked good, but the return of Trey Burton seriously sapped his volume — target-wise, Burton (5) also bested Alie-Cox (2) … Marcus Johnson and Daurice Fountain pretty much offset each other as deep threats in this offense, and neither are reliable options in redraft or DFS.

Jacksonville Jaguars

 
Takeaways: Baby Chark, doo doo doo doo! The man himself returned in Week 4, and he looked good in the process — he’s a great upside play at WR2 as the Jaguars will likely be in lots of pass-heavy, come-from-behind game scripts … Chark’s return means that Conley fades back into complete fantasy irrelevance, and even though he’s leading the team in air yards, his role last week proved that he needs Chark to be out to succeed … Shenault looks like a great flex play, as his two-way usage and deep targets from Gardner Minshew will keep him fantasy relevant.

Kansas City Chiefs

 
Takeaways: You don’t need me to tell you that Hill is an amazing deep threat, and it’s no surprise to see him leading this team in air yards by a good margin … Kelce had a bit of a down week, but there’s no cause for concern, as he’s still seeing the high-volume usage necessary to be a weekly TE1 … it’s not clear from this chart, but Mecole Hardman logged four targets and scored a touchdown — some weeks he’ll see long-distance looks, others, he’ll rely on screen plays to return value — either way, he’s a high-upside flex option … Demarcus Robinson completely disappeared from the box score.

Las Vegas Raiders

 
Takeaways: Good Lord, Darren Waller — the man’s high-volume but short-yardage role means that he’s on pace for 160 targets, which would’ve been the second most behind Michael Thomas’ 185 in 2019 … Renfrow was a relative disappointment in Week 4, but he’s getting the volume to be a useful receiving option — just be prepared to cut him loose once Henry Ruggs gets back … Zay Jones and Nelson Agholor will continue to see usage as long as Bryan Edwards and Ruggs sit out, but they’re nothing more than high-upside, no-floor desperation plays or longshots in DFS.

Los Angeles Chargers

 
Takeaways: There are some weird names in this list that we may not see again for a while — looking at you, Johnson and Guyton … Justin Herbert has an absolute cannon for an arm, and his ability to make random receivers like those two relevant speaks to his arm strength … when Mike Williams gets fully healthy, he’ll be a dangerous weapon in Herbert’s arsenal … Allen is a high-volume WR1 if Herbert keeps the starting job.

Los Angeles Rams

 
Takeaways: Woods’ average depth of target is among the lowest for wide receivers, and the Rams’ run-first approach has limited his volume to the point where I’m concerned about his fantasy value … Kupp’s usage has increased over the last few weeks, and he’s now leading the team in air yards despite his short aDOT … the only receivers with double-digit aDOTs so far are Reynolds and Jefferson, but neither sees enough volume to be fantasy relevant.

Miami Dolphins

 
Takeaways: The Preston Williams hype train is officially off the tracks after his abysmal showing against Seattle’s soft secondary … meanwhile, Parker has cemented himself as the clear-cut WR1 in this offense, and he’s a locked-in WR2/3 for as long as Ryan Fitzpatrick is under center … Isaiah Ford is getting a ton of short-yardage looks as a slot receiver, and he’s a high-floor, low-upside play at WR3/4 in PPR formats … it’s kind of crazy when a tight end leads his team in aDOT for a week, and Gesicki is on track to lead the Dolphins in aDOT for the full season.

Minnesota Vikings

 
Takeaways: This offense might just be able to support both Thielen and Jefferson, although they’ll cap each other’s upside … that said, the Vikings took advantage of a struggling Houston team through the air, but Gary Kubiak and Mike Zimmer usually favor the running game, so don’t count on this kind of production from this every week … both Irv Smith and Kyle Rudolph are droppable.

New England Patriots

 
Takeaways: These numbers mostly reveal Brian Hoyers’ preferences, so take them with a grain of salt …  the Patriots are a run-first team, and there won’t be many air yards to go around except in negative game scripts, like the one we saw last Monday … Newton has favored both Edelman and Harry over Byrd thus far, so his stellar Week 4 air yards shouldn’t excite you too much.

New Orleans Saints

 
Takeaways: Sanders dominated this team in volume last week, and it looks like he’s finally gotten adjusted to playing for the Saints … while Tre’Quan Smith posted better fantasy numbers, he’s a higher-risk play because most of his points depended on touchdowns … that said, once Michael Thomas returns, look for him to take over the looks that Sanders was getting from Drew Brees … Alvin Kamara continues to be used beyond the line of scrimmage, and that demonstrates his value as a receiver — he’s a high-end RB1 in PPR formats.

New York Giants

 
Takeaways: Daniel Jones hasn’t thrown a touchdown since Week 1, and he’s completed just 61.1% of his passes thus far, so these air yard numbers haven’t necessarily translated into on-field production … Slayton is the best receiver to roster in this offense, as he’ll get the deeper looks when the Giants inevitably go down by multiple scores … Evan Engram’s abundance of short-yardage looks don’t mean much with his current catch rate (56.7%) … this is an offense to avoid if at all possible.

New York Jets

 
Takeaways: There is one fantasy receiver to care about on the Jets, and his name is Jamison Crowder … he may mostly see short-yardage looks out of the slot, but he was an excellent deep threat in Washington, and Joe Flacco might be just the quarterback to unlock his potential … Jeff Smith looked good last week, but he’ll fade back into fantasy irrelevance once Breshad Perriman returns … there’s been a lot of speculation that Herndon could re-emerge with Flacco at quarterback, as Flacco often throws to tight ends, but I would wait for data from Week 5 before picking him up.

Philadelphia Eagles

 
Takeaways: This receiving corps is quite thin … Fulgham caught a deep touchdown pass from Carson Wentz, but there’s not a whole lot of positives to talk about here … the only other one is that Ward continued to look good in his short-yardage role, although he doesn’t have a high ceiling for fantasy purposes … Ertz isn’t seeing enough usage downfield at this point, and with his inability to break tackles, the alarm bells are starting to go off for me … if you drafted Ertz, you should start to concoct a back-up plan at tight end.

San Francisco 49ers

 
Takeaways: You already knew this, but George Kittle is the best receiver in San Francisco’s offense … his air yards ranked the most among tight ends, of course, and he had a 41-yard gap over the next tight end, Dalton Schultz … the 49ers will rely on a lot of dink and dunk passes to maximize their receivers’ ability to gain yards after the catch … it’s still up in the air if C.J. Beathard or Jimmy Garoppolo will start next week, but you shouldn’t expect much to change in Kyle Shanahan’s run-first offense even if Jimmy comes back … McKinnon’s usage beyond the line of scrimmage suggests that he’ll be a valuable fantasy asset even after Raheem Mostert returns.

Seattle Seahawks

 
Takeaways: Tyler Lockett mostly disappeared after a three-score performance in Week 3, but he didn’t see a massive decrease in air yards … Metcalf is an elite deep-to-mid-range threat with his size and speed, and he’ll continue to be a valuable high-upside WR2 … David Moore has seen a lot of usage in recent weeks, but we haven’t seen enough on a weekly basis for me to feel comfortable starting him … after a slow start, Greg Olsen is starting to show signs of life, and he’s a touchdown-dependent TE1/2 in this offense.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

 
Takeaways: After Week 4, Scotty Miller leads the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in air yards — just like we all expected, right? … the Bucs have already ruled Chris Godwin and Justin Watson out for Thursday Night Football (and O.J. Howard out for the season), so Miller is poised for another big day … Mike Evans has been up-and-down thus far, and his short-yardage red-zone looks depress his aDOT … Rob Gronkowski is a great play at tight end this week given Tampa Bay’s injuries.

Washington Football Team

 
Takeaways: Dwayne Haskins couldn’t make anyone other than McLaurin a viable receiving threat, and now Kyle Allen will get a turn … two of Allen’s receivers in Carolina finished in the top-12 for air yards last season (Curtis Samuel and D.J. Moore), so McLaurin and another player could improve dramatically … my early read is that Thomas should improve the most with Allen at quarterback, but either Inman or Steven Sims could steal this thunder … McKissic is getting consistent usage beyond the line of scrimmage, and he’ll be a decent floor play at running back until Gibson supplants him.

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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.