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

Slot machines function the same way for every spin, so you won't discover any secrets to beat them. However there are some things you can keep in mind to maximize your winnings.

First, check out a game's RTP. This statistic shows how many players are likely to win over the long term.

Slot Efficiency

The goal of slot efficiency is to maximize the amount of changes that can be made without breaking the constraints of a set of pre-defined rules. These constraints may include, for instance, the minimum allowed operational delay (usually expressed as scheduling delays), fairness, equity access, competition environmental goals and more. The process of allocation of slots with free bonus rounds can be complex and optimizing it in order to achieve desired performance metrics requires a thorough analysis of the variables involved.

The process starts by identifying the different types of requests to be prioritised in accordance with the past experience. Once the type of request is determined and a slot allocation model is used to minimize the required delay criteria. Numerous research gaps have been discovered in relation to the models for optimizing slot scheduling, particularly when trying to balance efficiency and fairness.

A common method for prioritizing slot assignments is the ABC (assigned by velocity) strategy that gathers information on the history of an item and creates the velocity group. Items with the highest velocity receive the best slots, whereas lower velocity items are placed further back in the warehouse.

Another important aspect of slot efficiency is the distance factor, which is the amount of space that has to be allocated to support the pick-to ship process. The calculation considers the speed of the group, racking locations, and equipment handling characteristics of the products.

To increase the efficiency of a slot, it is also important to think about the cost of the change to a particular slot. Managers can estimate the cost of a typical change to a slot and the impact it has on other aspects of slot efficiency, such as velocity by analyzing a typical slot.

After a few months of validating the data, and re-evaluating the recommendations, the casino started using the software more frequently. The gaming operations team estimates that they can save between 10-12 hours per month on their usual analysis. This does not include the time spent reviewing the data of customers or developing a new, actionable strategy.

The team was able, with the help of the new recommendations offered by SRE to make dozens game changes that increased the amount of money players earn. Dancing Drums Explosion, and Twinstar Wave XL from Scientific Games saw significant gains in the top lease rankings and WAP rankings. The casino was also able to shift their budget away from marketing and other costs to improving the floor's performance.

Perimeter Efficiency

We all know that wide receivers are more likely to score more touchdowns on areas that are not targeted by slot targets because they're usually targeted way downfield and are often faced with one-on-one coverage. But what might surprise people is the difference between the top five slot receivers and the rest in terms of scoring on perimeter targets.

Mike Evans, Amari cooper, Tyler Lockett, and Michael Gallup were the top five scorers on perimeter routes of the 66 wide receivers who received at least 40 targets in each of the previous two seasons. The bottom half of this list is dominated by players who are more possession-based such as Chris Godwin and Diontae Johnston. The Bucs will likely move the two latter players into the slot more often during this season, which will increase their targets. However, they'll have to improve their scoring on the perimeter in order to keep their high standards.

The slot is a great option for wide receivers who are quick, as they can open up more quickly when their route will not be covered by a cornerback or linebacker. Corey Coleman is the only wide receiver who isn't a speedy wideout, but could benefit from more slot work. He's a reliable target for intermediate and short routes.

The bottom of the list is populated by possession-based receivers who perform better on short and intermediate routes than deep ones such as Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler. Jeudy will be the Rams principal slot receiver this year is a sleeper choice. Courtland Cooper and Amari Sutton are likely to play a bigger role in downfield targets. Hamler is expected to excel on shorter-to-mid and intermediate routes, since it was where he excelled when playing for the Bills in 2021. Hamler could be a fantastic replacement for the former 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. However, it's not always a reliable indicator of a receiver's abilities because certain receivers excel in the slot, but cannot play deep, and vice versa.

For example for instance, the Eagles' Alshon Jeffery leads the league in targets per game (4.8) but is only ranked sixth in slot receiving score (58.5). This is because most of his targets come from the outside and it's hard to gain a first down on a wide-open, deep route in that setting.

Certain receivers are better playing inside, whereas others struggle to do so on the outside. For instance the Panthers handed Robby Anderson 978 snaps last season, and he completed 74 percent of his slot routes, compared to just 26% for boundary routes. That's a huge improvement and illustrates how much more efficient he is when aligned in the slot.

Furthermore, the Buccaneers' Chris Godwin lines inside on the majority of his passing downs, and has a top five slot receiving score (58.5). However, he also played 51 percent of his perimeter routes last season, and is a star in one-on-one coverage.

Speed receivers are more efficient when they line up inside, as they can get targeted way down the field and often find themselves with 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 like McDuffie and Moore in this group. McDuffie leads the NFL in forced fumbles with seven, and Moore is the most effective tackle-stop performance (-3.5) on this list. By using McDuffie in the slot when they run nickel or dime packages and then placing him on the outside of base defense, Spagnuolo has maximized his skills. Moore's ability to stop big run plays is an enormous asset 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 important to note that their slot counterparts are equally excellent. Wide receivers who have a high slot grade have touchdowns that are about the same as those on the perimeter. This is due to the fact that quarterbacks have a more stable target distribution when throwing to slot and outside receivers than to other inside options, such as tight ends and backfield pass-catchers.

That's why it's interesting to see a receiver such as CeeDee Lamb on this list in 2022 because he plays the slot in three WR sets and flanker in two of the sets. In fact Lamb is running a greater number of routes in the slot than most of the players listed on this list. This is a great way to gain matchup advantages for your team. It also helps explain why Lamb is the most highly-rated receiver in our system.

Of course, he plays the X position, and makes some big plays on the perimeter as well. Lamb isn't nearly as explosive as the players in this list however, he's highly skilled and is an excellent player for the Cowboys scheme.

Mecole Hardman is another example of a player who's capable of putting up big numbers on both kinds of targets. He has a very high slot receiver rating and is among the league's best at catching back-shoulder throws, but he's also a great player for contested-catch.

Another player on this list that's a true slot specialist is Baltimore's Jalen Hilton, who has lined up in the slot on 85.7 percent of his defensive snaps this season. He has the third-lowest EPA for targets and the fifth-highest EPA for run stops among cornerbacks who play in the slot. This makes him an important part of his team's defensive line. He's had a difficult time stopping passes from outside, and his EPA against this kind of target is negative. This is a result of playing alongside unsafe linebackers who can't match up with Hilton's size and speed, as well as his route-running abilities.