This week I look at some interesting stats and tidbits that will ultimately make you smile at your own brilliance or help you with your team/lineup decisions heading into the end of the first half of the fantasy season.
10 mind-boggling stats about the Patriots defense/st
- The Patriots have allowed only five scoring drives out of 78 and only three offensive touchdowns! They allow 4.40 plays per drive and 0.35 points per drive. The NFL average is 1.95. Miami allows 3.13.
- New England has 18 interceptions in 7 games. The next closest team (Carolina) has just 9.
- Using Fanduel scoring as a guideline, the Patriots defense has scored 152 fantasy points. That's more than Patrick Mahomes II, more than Michael Thomas, and equal to Dalvin Cook's totals using FanDuel scoring.
- Daniel Jones is the only quarterback to throw a touchdown pass against New England - caught by Golden Tate.
- The Patriots lead the NFL with a +14 turnover ratio. Next closest is Pittsburgh with +7
- The Patriots have held opposing quarterbacks to less than 100 yards passing in three games this year.
- Opponents are converting only 14% of their third down plays.
- The QB rating against is a mere 35.6. Next closest is San Francisco with 64.6
- New England has scored 175 more points than their opponent, which is more than 23 teams have scored total.
- The Patriots 7 interceptions in the last two games is more than 27 teams have total.
But they haven't played anyone - this is true. Their opponents are PIT, MIA, NYJ (x2), BUF, WAS, and NYG. A combined 12-32 record, and that's with Buffalo's five wins. The one game that gave them a test (Buffalo) they allowed a 100-yard rusher (Frank Gore) and allowed one of their three offensive touchdowns (Josh Allen).
1st quarter touchdown leaders
Arguably the best way to put a smile on your face on Fantasy Sunday is when you player scores in the first quarter. He has at least solidified a decent week and there may be more to come. Here are your leaders in 1st quarter touchdowns
Quarterbacks
- 5 Patrick Mahomes II, KC
- 5 Jacoby Brissett, IND (4 pass, 1 rush)
- 4 Tom Brady, NE
- 4 Aaron Rodgers, GB
- 4 Matthew Stafford, DET
- 4 Kirk Cousins, MIN
Running Backs
- 4 Mark Ingram, BAL
- 4 Aaron Jones, GB
- 3 Christian McCaffrey, CAR
- 3 Sony Michel, NE
- 2 Chase Edmonds, ARI
- 2 Jordan Howard, PHI
- 2 Matt Breida, SF
- 2 Kerryon Johnson, DET
- 2 Austin Ekeler, LAC
Wide Receivers & Tight Ends
- 4 Adam Thielen, MIN
- 3 D.J. Chark, JAC
- 2 A.J. Brown, TEN
- 2 Tyler Lockett, SEA
- 2 Marvin Jones, DET
- 2 Sammy Watkins, KC
- 2 Mike Evans, TB
- 2 Phillip Dorsett, NE
- 2 Tyrell Williams, OAK
- 2 Zach Pascal, IND
- 2 Marquise Brown, BAL
Wait, what?
Lamar Jackson is 6th in the league in rushing yards with 576 on 84 carries. He is 16th in passing yards with 1,650. He's on pace for 1,316 rushing yards and 3,771 yards passing.
Tom Brady has just as many yards rushing as he does rushing touchdowns - 3
Baker Mayfield has 5 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions.
Sam Darnold has 8 rushing attempts for 0 yards. I don't think any/many are kneel-downs.
Cincinnati is averaging 53.1 yards rushing per game. They are allowing 189.0 yards rushing per game. At 0-7 you'd think they played New England. Oh, that's their Week 15 opponent. Perhaps Brady's last game before the playoffs?
Chicago is the only team without a pass play over 40 yards.
The Titans and Jets kickers are both 50% on field goal attempts this season. 50%!
Arizona has allowed 17 passing touchdowns, but only 3 rushing touchdowns
Start your players vs these teams
Points allowed per drive
- 3.13 MIA
- 3.10 ATL
- 2.60 ARI
- 2.52 CIN
- 2.51 OAK
- 2.39 WAS
- 2.36 KC
- 2.35 IND
- 2.28 TB
- 1.95 NFL Avg
Yards allowed per drive
- 41.3 MIA
- 40.6 KC
- 40.6 ATL
- 39.3 ARI
- 38.9 CIN
- 36.9 DET
- 36.5 IND
- 36.5 OAK
- 35.8 NYG
- 35.1 WAS
- 35.1 BAL
quarterBACKS WITH A TOP 10 FANTASY SCORING WEEK
Five times
- Matt Ryan, ATL
Four times
- Tom Brady, NE
- Lamar Jackson, BAL
- Patrick Mahomes II, KC
- Dak Prescott, DAL
- Deshaun Watson, HOU
- Russell Wilson, SEA
Three times
- Jared Goff, LAR
- Philip Rivers, LAC
- Carson Wentz, PHI
Two times
- Kirk Cousins, MIN
- Andy Dalton, CIN
- Kyler Murray, ARI
- Matthew Stafford, DET
- Jameis Winston, TB
Running backs with a Top 10 fantasy scoring week
Five times
- Christian McCaffrey, CAR
Four times
- Dalvin Cook, MIN
Three times
- Chris Carson, SEA
- Nick Chubb, CLE
- Austin Ekeler, LAC
Two times
- James Conner, PIT
- Ezekiel Elliott, DAL
- Leonard Fournette, JAC
- Todd Gurley, LAR
- Derrick Henry, TEN
- Mark Ingram, BAL
- Josh Jacobs, OAK
- David Johnson, ARI
- Aaron Jones, GB
- Phillip Lindsay, DEN
- Marlon Mack, IND
wide receivers WITH A TOP 10 FANTASY SCORING WEEK
Five times
- None
Four times
- Chris Godwin, TB
Three times
- Cooper Kupp, LAR
Two times
- Nelson Agholor, PHI
- D.J. Chark, JAC
- Amari Cooper, DAL
- Mike Evans, TB
- Kenny Golladay, DET
- Julio Jones, ATL
- Terry McLaurin, WAS
- John Ross, CIN
- Adam Thielen, MIN
tight ends WITH A TOP 10 FANTASY SCORING WEEK
Five times
- None
Four times
- Mark Andrews, BAL
- Will Dissly, SEA
- Travis Kelce, KC
Three times
- Darren Fells, HOU
- Austin Hooper, ATL
Two times
- Cameron Brate, TB
- Jared Cook, NO
- Eric Ebron, IND
- Evan Engram, NYG
- Zach Ertz, PHI
- Gerald Everett, LAR
- Jimmy Graham, GB
- George Kittle, SF
- Greg Olsen, CAR
- James O'Shaughnessy, JAC
- Ricky Seals-Jones, CLE
- Darren Waller, OAK
players with 10+ targets in a game
Five times
- Tyler Boyd, CIN
- Michael Thomas, NO
Four times
- Keenan Allen, LAC
- Julian Edelman, NE
- Cooper Kupp, LAR
Three times
- Odell Beckham, CLE
- DeAndre Hopkins, HOU
- D.J. Moore, CAR
Two times
- Nelson Agholor, PHI
- Danny Amendola, DET
- Cole Beasley, BUF
- John Brown, BUF
- Tarik Cohen, CHI
- Evan Engram, NYG
- Mike Evans, TB
- Gerald Everett, LAR
- Larry Fitzgerald, ARI
- Chris Godwin, TB
- T.Y. Hilton, IND
- Julio Jones, ATL
- Christian Kirk, ARI
- Tyler Lockett, SEA
- Christian McCaffrey, CAR
- Allen Robinson, CHI
- Auden Tate, CIN
- Sammy Watkins, KC
- Mike Williams, LAC
- Robert Woods, LAR
fantasy equals
I talked about how the Patriots defense is equal to Dalvin Cook from a FanDuel scoring standpoint. Here's some other fantasy equals using FanDuel scoring.
Tom Brady 135.98
Austin Ekeler 136.10
David Johnson 106.50
D.J. Chark 106.60
Julio Jones 100.10
Austin Hooper 101.60
Terry McLaurin 83.90
Darren Waller 83.20
JuJu Smith-Schuster 56.50
A.J. Brown 55.50
New England Def/ST 152.00
Christian McCaffrey 163.80
Sony Michel 81.30
Todd Gurley 80.70
Travis Kelce 79.10
Mark Andrews 78.90
Ezekiel Elliott 123.70
Chris Godwin 123.70
Mitchell Trubisky 55.60
Devante Parker 55.40
Phillip Dorsett 59.40
James White 59.50
Questions, suggestions, and comments are always welcome to haseley@footballguys.com