Advanced Fantasy Metrics: 8 Interesting Stats For Week Five

Advanced Fantasy Metrics

This article will tell you about eight must-read advanced stats you should know about as we approach Sunday’s Week 5 slate of NFL action. The advanced metrics that FantasyData provides our subscribers are not the end all be all. They are very useful at helping you better understand matchups and make the best possible lineup decision. 

Quick Links:

• Fantasy Player Projections
• Fantasy Football Rankings
• PPR Fantasy Rankings
• Half PPR Rankings
• Fantasy Stats
• Advanced Metrics -New!
• Advanced Efficiency Metrics – New!

1) Patrick Mahomes’ Deep Ball Passing Attempts (30)

Our Deep Ball Passing metric tracks attempts that travel 20 yards or farther in the air. The only other quarterback with a higher number of deep ball passing attempts than Mahomes is Matthew Stafford (31). The Chiefs QB has a completion percentage of 43.3 percent on these attempts. Mahomes completed 24 of 42 passes for 315 yards while adding an additional 54 yards on six rushing attempts in Kansas City’s win over the Lions. It was a disappointing performance from the 2018 NFL Offensive Player of the Year.

Patrick Mahomes is the first QB in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to lead his team to multiple 4-0 starts before his 25th birthday. #SCFacts pic.twitter.com/7xKnoRLAOJ

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 29, 2019

Mahomes is currently averaging 39 pass attempts, 377.5 passing yards, 2.5 touchdowns, and 30.5 fantasy points per game this season without throwing an interception. He and the Chiefs will bounce back in Week 5 against the Colts at home on Sunday Night Football. 

2) Kirk Cousins’ Deep Ball Passing Attempts (10)

Did you know that Cousins’ has a completion percentage of 60 percent on deep balls? He hasn’t been asked to do much this season with the Vikings averaging 30 rushing attempts per game under offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski. Cousins is only averaging 184 passing yards and 13.6 fantasy points per game this season.

Adam Thielen: “At some point, you’re not going to be able to run the ball for 180 yards, even with the best running back in the NFL. That’s when you have to be able to throw the ball. … You have to be able to hit the deep balls.”

— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) September 30, 2019

Wide receiver Adam Thielen publicly criticized Stefanski and Cousins last week after an embarrassing loss to the Bears. You should expect to see a higher number of pass attempts against the Giants in Week 5. New York’s defense is allowing the eighth-most passing yards (279.5) per game. 

3) Leonard Fournette’s Opportunity Share (89.6%)

Opportunity Share measures the percentage of the total team RB carries plus targets. The only other RB with a higher percentage in this metric entering Week 5 is Christian McCaffrey (96%). Fournette is coming off of a monster game that broke the spirit of the Broncos defense. He rushed 29 times for 225 in the Jaguars win, adding two receptions for 20 receiving yards. Did you know that Fournette was the fourth RB to have 200 or more rushing yards in a game in the last three seasons? The irony is that three of those four performances have come against the Broncos according to NFL Research.

RB leaders in total yards per game (draft class)

1) Christian McCaffrey – 157.2 (2017)
2) Dalvin Cook – 131.0 (2017)
3) Leonard Fournette – 129.5 (2017)
4) Nick Chubb – 124.2 (2018)
5) Austin Ekeler – 122.5 (2017/undrafted)
6) Alvin Kamara – 119.8 (2017)

— Bill Voth (@PanthersBill) September 30, 2019

Fournette is averaging 18 rushing attempts and six targets per game. He is the focal point of the Jaguars offense. It would be prudent to stash Ryquell Armstead if he is available in your league. He rushed eight times for 42 yards and had one reception for seven yards and a touchdown. Armstead has the potential to be a league winner if Fournette were to miss an extended amount of time. 

4) Mark Ingram’s Fantasy Points Per Opportunity (1.19)

Ingram has silenced those who questioned why the Ravens signed him in free agency. The 29-year old RB enters Week 5 as RB6 in PPR formats. Ingram is averaging 6.7 points per game more than expected this season. He’s only averaging 15.5 opportunities per game, but Ingram’s efficiency is allowing him to take his fantasy game to the next level. The only other RB with higher fantasy points per opportunity than Ingram seeing a similar number of opportunities is Austin Ekeler (1.32).

93% of Mark Ingram’s rushing attempts this season have come from the Shotgun formation. He’s averaging 6.3 yards per carry out of it (Source: @FantasyDataNFL).

— Moody (@EricNMoody) October 3, 2019

Ingram also has the highest Juke Rate (55%), ranked eighth in Yards Created (131), and ranked second in breakaway runs (5). Juke Rate isolates a back’s on-field elusiveness and tackle-breaking power by dividing the total number of evaded tackles by the total number of touches. Yards created tracks all yards above and beyond what was blocked. Yards created are generated by the runner after the first evaded tackle. Breakaway runs are rushing attempts of 15 or more yards. Ingram rushed 12 times for 71 yards in the Ravens loss to the Browns in Week 4. He’ll look to get back on track against the Steelers this week and can be viewed as a strong RB2. 

5) Josh Jacobs’ Fantasy Points Per Target (10.28)

Raiders head coach Jon Gruden has publicly stated that he’d like to get Jacobs involved in the offense more a receiver. He’s only been targeted five times this season as a receiver out of the backfield and has averaged only 6.25 pass routes per game. Jacobs is averaging 0.77 fantasy points per touch while averaging 15.5 rushing attempts per game.

ICYMI:

Josh Jacobs’ 307 rushing yards in 2019 are the most by a Raiders player in their first four career games in club history.#RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/D7Tg4eJ2wS

— Evert Geerlings (@E_Geerlings) October 1, 2019

The offensive situation is not ideal in Oakland. Jacobs’ fantasy success all season has been dependent on game flow. He and the Raiders will face a stout Bears defense in London this weekend before heading into the bye week. Jacobs is one of my favorite buy-low targets.