Today, I’m continuing my three-part series discussing the role teams in the NFL utilized their slot receivers. The teams I’ll be discussing today may not use the slot quite as often as the ones mentioned last week (which you can see here) but nonetheless their slot usage can be an extraordinary indicator of things to come. How consistent is Jarvis Landry? Is Dede Westbrook more consistent? Does Crowder catch 100 balls? Stick around and you just might find out!
1,000-1500 SLOT YARDS IN 2019
ATLANTA FALCONS– Russel Gage looks to take over the slot in 2020 for the Atlanta Falcons. Gage led the Falcons with 44 slot targets in 2019. Austin Hooper is no longer on the team and he caught 28 balls for 265 yards and two touchdowns via the slot last season. This is excellent news for the Hayden Hurst truthers. I liked Gage to take the next step next year and turn this receiver room into a three-headed monster. Looking closer at Atlanta’s slot usage definitely scares me away from Gage. In 2019, the top three targeted slot receivers for Atlanta saw 44, 37, and 33 targets. All three had over 265 yards from the slot, but no one eclipsed 295 yards. With such an even distribution of the ball to slot receivers, I’ll shy away from owning much Russel Gage.
CINCINNATI BENGALS– Cincinnati had the ninth most receiving yards from the slot from wide receivers thanks in large part to Tyler Boyd. Andy Dalton is currently playing a back-up role in Dallas and Cinci just drafted Joe Burrow number one overall. So we’re on the same page, Andy Dalton is a decent NFL quarterback. Regardless of the quarterback, Tyler Boyd and his involvement in the slot will find their way to a Top 25 WR finish in 2020.
CLEVELAND BROWNS– Jarvis Landry was WR19 in 2018 and WR13 in 2019 in half-point PPR leagues. From the slot in 2018, Jarvis caught 47 balls for 545 yards and three touchdowns. In 2019, his slot production was 46 receptions for 675 yards and a touchdown. Landry is one of the more consistent wide receivers year to year and has a huge role carved out in his offense.
GREEN BAY PACKERS– Devante Adams led the Packers in most statistical categories from the slot in 2019. Geronimo Allison was in close pursuit though. Allison saw two more slot targets(42) than his counterpart and hauled in 26 balls for 230 yards and two touchdowns. Allen Lazard is a name that popped up on waiver columns everywhere last season. Over the last 5 weeks of 2019, Lazard and Allison evenly split the secondary slot reps behind Adams. Aaron Rogers has raved about Lazard in interviews before. Devante Adams and Aaron Jones certainly limit most upside with Lazard, but he could be a sneaky play at the end of your draft.
HOUSTON TEXANS– David Johnson has averaged 99.33 slot yards per season since 2016, but do we really think Bill O’brien will utilize DJ in a way that will compliment his game? From 2015-2018, Duke Johnson Jr. averaged exactly 100 yards from the slot for the Browns. In his first year with Houston, Duke had just 47 yards on 6 targets. It’s unfortunate, but I don’t see Bill O’brien using DJ to his full potential in the receiving game in 2020.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS– Since 2017, Phillip Rivers has targeted his top slot option a minimum of 55 times. Last season he targeted Keenan Allen 71 times from the slot. Eric Ebron and Jack Doyle were the most targeted slot options for the Colts in 2019. Rivers did love Antonio Gates for all those years.
Last season, Austin Ekeler was one of four running backs with over 95 yards from the slot. Nyheim Hines produced 74 slot yards last season on 12 targets. I certainly expect Hines to play the Ekeler role for Phillip Rivers in Indy this year. Jonathan Taylor is a beast, don’t get me wrong, but Hines and Marlon Mack are going nowhere.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS– Dede Westbrook was one of eleven players to finish with 50 receptions from the slot in 2019. None of those players finished outside the top 45 WR in half point PPR scoring last season. DJ Chark and Keenan Cole had 25 receptions from the slot combined for Jacksonville. Dede led the league in snaps from the slot in 2018 and only trailed Fitz a year ago. In 2018, Westbrook finished as WR33 in half point PPR formats. In each of the last two seasons Dede has 101 targets and 66 receptions. He is a huge bargain in current drafts and lock to finish as Top 40 WR.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS– Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Hunter Henry all had over 200 yards from the slot last season. Allen led the team with 54 receptions, 587 yards, and three touchdowns. Austin Ekeler chipped in 97 yards from the slot as well. In 2016 with the Buffalo Bills, Tyrod Taylor’s weapons produced to a similar extent from the slot. Robert Woods led the Bills that year from the slot with 368 yards, but Charles Clay and Brandon Tate each chipped in over 100 yards. Lesean McCoy also had four receptions for 56 yards from the slot that season. Chargers receivers will take a hit with Rivers no longer in town, but I don’t expect their production to dip dramatically.
MIAMI DOLPHINS– Only four tight ends had over 350 receiving yards from the slot last season: Mark Andrews (698), Jared Cook (428), Travis Kelce (405), and Mike Gesicki (382). If you haven’t seen the video of Mike Giesicki throw a football over his house, run through his garage, and catch the ball before it hits the ground on the other side then go watch it now. It was one of the more impressive things I’ve ever witnessed. I have no doubt in my mind Miami will once again be one of the worst in football, but Brian Flores does stem from the Belichik coaching tree so don’t be surprised to see this team produce from the slot.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS– Jared Cook was second among tight ends with 428 yards from the slot in 2019. He caught 25 balls and 5 touchdowns on 38 targets from the slot. Drew Brees is taking less and less shots down the field as he has gotten older. Jared Cook has proven to be a solid weapon for Brees. If you’re waiting on tight ends, few will be as consistent as Jared Cook.
NEW YORK GIANTS– In just 11 games last season, Golden Tate converted 41 receptions for 552 yards and five touchdowns on 67 targets from the slot. Across a 16 game schedule, that would be equivalent to 60 receptions, 802 yards, and 7 touchdowns. That would have ranked top three in each category among fellow slot receivers. His ADP should only rise.
NEW YORK JETS– Sam Darnold missed a few games last season due to Mono. Darnold is extremely fond of the slot. Crowder caught 6 balls from the slot in the three weeks without Darnold. In the 13 games with Darnold, Crowder averaged 4 slot receptions a game. Jamison Crowder could easily finish the season with close to 100 receptions. Call me crazy, but I’d put money on a 90 catch season from Crowder.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS– Hunter Renfrow caught 33 balls for 367 yards and three touchdowns from the slot during his rookie season. His relevance as the slot receiver for the Raiders does have me keeping an eye on Renfrow, but I want little to do with this wide receiver room in my fantasy drafts this year.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES– Eagles and Ravens were the only two teams with over 500 slot yards from tight ends this season. In 2018, Zach Ertz had 609 yards from the slot. Last season that number dropped to 329 with the emergence of fellow tight end, Dallas Goddert. Goddert pulled in 23 receptions for 256 yards and two touchdowns. Goddert is the main culprit for Ertz no longer being ranked with the elite tight ends. Goddert has TE1 potential. He is just patiently waiting for the opportunity.
TENNESSEE TITANS– Nothing to really see here. Adam Humphries led the Titans last season with 46 targets from the slot. He converted that into 36 receptions for 375 yards and two touchdowns. This team plays with a run-first approach and that doesn’t look to change in 2020.
