WR leaders in fantasy points per route run

Yards per route route is one of the most valuable unique stats provided by Pro Football Focus, and as several of our writers have noted over the years, it is one of the most telling “efficiency” stats in fantasy football.

The same is true for fantasy points per route run (FP/RR).

So which wide receivers stood out from a FP/RR perspective in 2017 — and which teams struggled against receivers on a per-route basis?

The best wideouts in terms of FP/RR

Not surprisingly, the best wideouts in the game are also the best wideouts from a FP/RR perspective.

Here are the top 10 wideouts (minimum 100 routes run) in terms of FP/RR from 2017 (PPR scoring):

The first six names are no-brainers. But seeing Tyreek Hill, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Robert Woods slip into the top 10 may be a bit surprising. (All of those players ranked high in terms of fantasy points scored above aDOT-based expectations, too.)

The bottom 10 (min. 100 routes) is filled with names you hardly recognize: Bryce Treggs, Kaelin Clay, Chad Hansen, and others.

The average FP/RR among receivers last year was 0.30, which means guys like Antonio Brown, DeAndre Hopkins, and Julio Jones were scoring fantasy points at nearly double the rate compared to the average receiver. That really helps put into perspective just how valuable it can be to have a truly elite WR1 for fantasy purposes.

Any study that puts players like Brown, Hopkins, Jones, and Odell Beckham Jr. at the top — and players like Treggs, Clay, and Hansen at the bottom — passes the eye test, and the data (shown in full below) speak for itself.

Which teams gave up the most fantasy points per route run (FP/RR)

It gets really interesting when you line up teams that give up a plethora of FP/RR with a wideout that is efficient in this category. We sliced and diced the numbers and found out which teams give up the most FP/RR to wideouts last season (e.g. excluding tight ends and running backs).

Here are the results:

Two Florida teams bookend these rankings: Tampa Bay gave up the most FP/RR to wideouts, while Jacksonville gave up the fewest.

How you can put this data to use

This data is fantastic for DFS purposes — and I intend to keep you updated throughout the year as 2018 data starts rolling in — but it can be useful from a season-long perspective as well.

Atlanta Falcons (Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley)

For example, Falcons receivers have the second-easiest 2018 schedule from a FP/RR perspective. Not only will they get two games against the Buccaneers (the softest team from a FP/RR perspective), but they’ll also get a game against the Packers (second-most FP/RR given up), a game against the Chiefs (fourth-most), and two games against the Panthers (fifth-most).

The Falcons do have some touch wideout matchups (against Jacksonville and Cincinnati – the two best team from a FP/RR given up perspective last year), but overall, things are lining up for Julio Jones in 2018.

Minnesota Vikings (Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen)

The Vikings have the sixth-easiest schedule from a FP/RR perspective next season, which bodes well for Diggs and Thielen. It doesn’t hurt that Kirk Cousins is now their quarterback, too.

Washington Redskins (Josh Doctson, Paul Richardson)

The Redskins don’t have superstar wideouts, but I’m throwing them in here because they have the easiest schedule from a FP/RR perspective next season.

The Redskins draw the Buccaneers, Packers, Texans, and Panthers — four of the bottom five teams in terms of FP/RR given up to receivers last year. They also get two games against the Cowboys, two against the Giants, and two against the Eagles — all teams that ranked in the bottom half of the league in terms of FP/RR. Other favorable matchups (from a team perspective): Jets, Patriots, Colts, and Saints.

Doctson and Richardson might not win your league, but 14 of their 16 games are against teams that ranked in the bottom half of the league in terms of FP/RR given up to opposing wideouts last year.

The full chart

Below is the full list of players, sorted by their fantasy points per route run from 2017. Only receivers who ran a minimum of 100 routes last year are included, and the fantasy points are based on PPR scoring.