NFL Air Yards Tool, Week 15: Leaders of Week 14

Each week in this space, I’m going to take a trip through the FTN air yards tool to find some of the most interesting and actionable takeaways for fantasy football.

Air yards represent the distance the ball travels from the line of scrimmage to the intended target. Regardless of whether a pass was complete or incomplete, air yards measure the amount of ground covered from passer to pass catcher. It does not account for the yards after catch on a completed pass. When calculating air yards, it’s important to keep in mind that not all air yards are created equal. An on-target throw is much more valuable than an uncatchable ball, even if the air yards are greater. Although air yards are not inductive of fantasy success, it’s a great way to calculate opportunity. The Weighted Opportunity Rating incorporates players’ share of team targets and the percentage of team air yards. Fantasy scoring is difficult to predict; however, opportunities are usually a stick stat and can translate to current and future output. Every week I will go position by position, highlighting the leaders in air yards. You can access the free air yards tool at FTN Fantasy.

Week 15 Air Yards Leaders

Quarterback

Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

(461 air yards, fantasy QB5)

Despite losing 34-23 to the roaring-hot Lions, Kirk Cousins had his best game of the season, throwing for 425 yards and two touchdowns. It was only his second game with over 300 passing yards this season, his first finishing as a top-five quarterback. Since being held to an abysmal 1.20 fantasy points against the Cowboys in Week 11, Cousins has eclipsed 22 fantasy points and finished top-10 at his position in two of the last three weeks.

Runner-up: Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks (394 air yards, fantasy QB7)
Season leader: Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (4,080 air yards, fantasy QB3)

Wide Receiver

Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

(230 air yards, fantasy WR1)

Justin Jefferson had a career game in Week 14, clearing 200 receiving yards for the first time. He saw a season-high 15 targets and had 11 catches for 223 receiving yards. Jefferson became the first player with 1,500 receiving yards this season, putting him 465 away from breaking the single-season receiving yards record. Despite failing to find the end zone, Jefferson scored 27.80 PPR points and closed the fantasy regular season as the overall WR1.

Runner-up: Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cleveland Browns (178 air yards, fantasy WR14)
Season leader: Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins (1,676 air yards, fantasy WR3)

Tight End

Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys

(106 air yards, fantasy TE5)

Despite entering the game as -17.5-point favorites, the Cowboys found themselves in a dogfight last week, trailing the Texans with under a minute left in regulation. Dalton Schultz was the primary beneficiary of the surprisingly competitive script, leading the team in targets (10), receptions (6) and receiving yards (87). It was his first time seeing double-digit targets this season and his first game over 75 receiving yards. Schultz’s TE5 finish in Week 14 was the third time he’s finished top-five at the position over the last five weeks.

Runner-up: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs (101 air yards, fantasy TE8)
Season leader: Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens (940 air yards, fantasy TE2)

Running Back

Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles

(39 air yards, fantasy RB3)

One week after being held to under 25 rushing yards, Miles Sanders had a career day, carrying the ball 17 times for 144 rushing yards and two touchdowns. It was his third game with over 130 rushing yards and two touchdowns this season and the second in the last three weeks. After failing to find the end zone all of last season, Sanders has 11 rushing touchdowns this year, tied for third in the NFL. He also became only the fifth player with 1,000-plus rushing yards in 2022.

Runner-up: Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers (27 air yards, fantasy RB2)
Season leader: Breece Hall, New York Jets (147 air yards, fantasy RB32)