Slot Rankings - How Wide Receivers Score More Touchdowns in the Slot

Slot machines function exactly the same way every spin, so you won't find any secret hacks to beat them. There are a few tricks you can follow to increase your chances of winning.

Find out the RTP of a game before you start. This is a measure of how much players can anticipate winning in the long term.

Slot Efficiency

Slot efficiency is the aim of increasing the number of slot switches that can be used while not violating a set of predefined constraints. These constraints typically include the minimum permitted operational delay (usually expressed in terms of scheduling delays) fairness and equity, access and competition, environmental goals, and more. The slot allocation process can be a complex process, and optimizing it to meet the desired performance metrics requires thorough analysis of the variables involved.

In general, the process starts by identifying the types of requests that are to be prioritized according to established prioritization in the past. Once the type of request is determined and a slot allocation model is used to minimize the required delay criterion. However, many research gaps have been identified related to the optimization of slot scheduling models especially when the balance between fairness and efficiency is being maintained.

A common method of prioritizing slot assignments is the ABC (assigned by velocity) strategy, which collects information on the history of an item and creates a velocity group. Items that have the highest speed are assigned the fastest multi-line slots in the warehouse, while items with slower speeds are placed further back.

The distance factor is a crucial element in the slot's efficiency. It is a measure of the amount of space required to facilitate the pick-to-ship process. The measure considers the speed group, racking locations and the characteristics of handling equipment of the items.

To increase slot efficiency It is also crucial to think about the cost of a given slot change. Managers can determine the costs of a typical shift in slot and its impact on other aspects of slot efficiency like speed by studying the typical slot.

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Perimeter Efficiency

We all know that wide receivers are more likely to score more touchdowns on areas that are not targeted by slot targets, as they're typically targeted further downfield and are often faced with one-on-one coverage. What may be surprising to some, however, is the fact that the top five slot players and the rest of the group score differently on targets in the perimeter.

Mike Evans, Amari cooper, Tyler Lockett, and Michael Gallup were the top five scorers on perimeter routes. They were among the 66 wide receivers who received at least 40 targets during each of the previous two seasons. The bottom half of the list was filled with more possession-based receivers, including Chris Godwin and Diontae Johnson. The Bucs are likely to move the latter two into the slot more often during this season, which will increase their targets. However, they'll need to improve their scoring on the perimeter in order to maintain their top-of-the-line performance.

The slot is the ideal option for wideouts who are fast, as they can get open more easily when their route won't be covered by a cornerback or linebacker. Corey Coleman is the only wide receiver who isn't a speedy wideout but would benefit from more slot work. He's a reliable target for intermediate and short routes.

The bottom of the list includes more possession-based receivers who are better on intermediate and short routes than in deep areas such as Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler. Jeudy will be the Rams principal slot receiver this season is a sleeper selection. Courtland Cooper and Amari Sutton are expected to play a greater role in downfield targets. Hamler is expected to thrive on more short-to-middle and intermediate routes, because that's where he excelled while playing for the Bills in 2021. Hamler could be a fantastic replacement for the departing wideout Jordan Matthews.

Percentage of Snaps in the Slot

The proportion of snaps a receiver takes in the slot is a good indicator of their ability to run deep routes. It's not always an accurate reflection of a receiver’s skill set, as some receivers are better in the slot but don't play more deep.

Alshon Jeffrey, for instance, leads the league in targets received per game (4.8) However, he's only 6th in the slot that receives scores (58.5). This is due to the fact that the majority of his targets come from outside, and it's a challenge to get a first down when playing an open, deep route.

Some receivers are better at playing inside, whereas others struggle to do so on the outside. For instance the Panthers handed Robby Anderson 978 snaps this season, and he completed a whopping 74% of his slot routes, compared to only 26% on boundary routes. This is an enormous difference that shows how much more productive Robby Anderson is when he is aligned to the slot.

Additionally, the Buccaneers' Chris Godwin lines in the middle on the majority of his passing downs, and has a top five slot receiving score (58.5). He also played 51% his perimeter routes and is a pro in one-on-one coverage.

Speed receivers are more effective when lined up inside, because they are able to be targeted down the field, and often are in one-on-one coverage. You'll find names like Mike Evans, Amari Cooper and Julio Jones in our top five.

On the flip side, we've got some great slot cornerbacks such as McDuffie and Moore in this group. Both have been able to create pressures during the passing game and have McDuffie leading the NFL with seven forced fumbles. Moore having the highest tackle stop performance on this list (-3.5). Spagnuolo made McDuffie's abilities more effective by putting his slot to play nickel and dime packages, and then shifting him to the outside while playing base defense. Moore's ability in stopping big run plays is an enormous benefit when playing the slot.

Percentage of Snaps Outside

While the NFL's top receivers like Baldwin, Golden Tate and Larry Fitzgerald excel on the perimeter, it's also worth noting that their slot counterparts are also good. As a whole, wide receivers with a high slot receiver grade score touchdowns at roughly the same amount as those who play on the edge. This is mainly because quarterbacks are more consistent with their target distribution when they throw to slot and outside wide receivers, as opposed to other inside options like tight ends and backfield passers.

That's why it's interesting to see a player like CeeDee Lamb on this list in 2022 since he plays slot in three WR sets and flanker in two of them. In actuality Lamb is running a greater number of routes in the slot than most of the players listed on this chart. This is an excellent way to generate matchup advantages for your team. It also helps to explain why Lamb is rated as the top-rated slot receiver in our system this season.

Lamb also plays at the X-position, and can make big plays from outside. Lamb isn't nearly as explosive as the players in this list however, he's an extremely high-quality receiver and is an excellent fit for the Cowboys' scheme.

Mecole Hardman is another example of a player who's capable of posting big numbers on both kinds of targets. He has a high slot receiver rating and is among the best players in the league at catching back-shoulder throws but he's also an excellent opponent for contested catch.

Another player on this list who's a true slot specialist is Baltimore's Jalen Hilton, who has lined up in the slot on 85.7 percent of his defensive plays this season. He's allowed the third-lowest target EPA and the fifth-best run stop EPA among cornerbacks aligned in the slot, which makes him an important player in the defense of his team. On the other hand, he's struggled to block passes from the outside and has allowed a negative EPA against these types of targets. This is due to him playing with safety and linebackers who aren't able to compete with Hilton's speed, size, and ability to run routes.