Fantasy football gurus shoved receiving targets down owners' throats for years. While receptions, yards and touchdowns are what ultimately win matchups, it all starts with targets, targets and targets.
Now that most informed owners are finally weighing targets in their personnel and sit/start decisions, those gurus can turn their attention elsewhere, such as average depth of target.
Fans are infatuated with yards per catch, and rightfully so. Most 34-reception receivers are hardly relevant, yet J.J. Nelson was a WR3 in many lineups because he had 568 yards on those 34 receptions, or 16.71 yards per reception, sixth in the NFL behind Marvin Jones, Julio Jones, Kenny Stills, Chris Hogan and the league leader DeSean Jackson (17.95).
Was Nelson the beneficiary of bad tackling and/or botched assignments near the line of scrimmage that led to numerous bubble screen bursts? Or was he actually one of the best deep threats in the league?
He was actually one of the best and most reliable deep threats in the league. Though his 2.3-catch-per-game-played volume is a legitimate concern (as is the 4.5 targets per game), the 5-foot-10, 160-pound speedster ranked second in the NFL in average depth of target.
MORE: Breaking Down 2016 NFL Scoring by Age
Targets to Nelson traveled an average distance of 18.13 yards, second only to Sammie Coates (21.65), according to Pro Football Focus. Nelson — who credits his big-play ability to quarterback Carson Palmer — is one of only six receivers who had an average depth of 16 yards or more and one of only 13 above 15 yards.
“[Palmer] has the best deep ball I’ve ever seen,” Nelson said. “I love catching them. With B.A. loving those type of plays, I’m good here, you know what I’m saying?”
And with Michael Floyd gone, Nelson's deep-ball opportunities should go up in an offense that loves to take shots. Both Floyd (15.08 yards per target) and Brown (14.77) also ranked in the top 15.
Here are the top 20 receivers in average depth of target (min. 40 targets):
| Player | Team (2016) | Targets | Avg. Depth of Targets | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sammie Coats | PIT | 54 | 21.65 |
| 2 | J.J. Nelson | ARI | 67 | 18.13 |
| 3 | Robby Anderson | NYJ | 75 | 17.47 |
| 4 | DeSean Jackson | WAS | 89 | 16.89 |
| 5 | Marquise Goodwin | BUF | 63 | 16.56 |
| 6 | Mike Evans | TB | 168 | 16.01 |
| 7 | Corey Coleman | CLE | 62 | 15.97 |
| 8 | Kenny Stills | MIA | 80 | 15.58 |
| 9 | Terrelle Pryor | CLE | 132 | 15.48 |
| 10 | Will Fuller | HOU | 99 | 15.35 |
| 11 | Alshon Jeffery | CHI | 92 | 15.35 |
| 12 | Dez Bryant | DAL | 100 | 15.12 |
| 13 | Michael Floyd | ARI | 75 | 15.08 |
| 14 | Paul Richardson | SEA | 41 | 14.83 |
| 15 | John Brown | ARI | 66 | 14.77 |
| 16 | Chris Hogan | NE | 77 | 14.68 |
| 17 | Breshad Perriman | BAL | 64 | 14.67 |
| 18 | Sammy Watkins | BUF | 50 | 14.64 |
| 19 | Marvin Jones | DET | 107 | 14.47 |
| 20 | Torrey Smith | SF | 45 | 14.36 |
