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

Slot machines function in the same way for each spin, which means you won't discover any secrets to beat them. There are a few tricks you can follow to increase your chances of winning.

Check out the RTP of a game first. This number indicates how many players should expect to win in the long term.

Slot Efficiency

Slot efficiency is the goal of maximizing the number of slot switches that can be used while avoiding the violation of certain constraints. These constraints may include, for instance, the minimum allowed operational delay (usually expressed as scheduling delays) fairness, equity, fairness access, competition environmental goals and more. The slot allocation process is a complex one, and optimizing it to meet the desired performance metrics requires careful analysis of all the factors at play.

In general, the process begins by identifying the types of requests that are to be prioritized based on established prioritization in the past. Once the type of request has been identified the slot allocation model is utilized to minimize the required delay criteria. A number of research gaps have been identified in relation to the slot scheduling models that optimize especially when it comes to balancing fairness and efficiency.

A common method of prioritizing slot promotions assignments is the ABC (assigned by velocity) strategy that collects item history data and determines a velocity group. Items with the highest velocity are given the best slots, whereas lower velocity items are placed farther back in the warehouse.

The distance factor is a key element in slot efficiency. It is a measure of the amount of space needed for the pick-to-ship process. The measure takes into account the velocity of the items as along with their rack placements and equipment handling characteristics.

It is also important to take into consideration the costs associated with a slot change to improve the efficiency of your slot. A quick analysis of the typical slot changes can help managers understand the costs associated with the change, as well as the impact it could have on other elements of slot efficiency, such as velocity.

After a month or two validating the data and re-dating recommendations after which the casino began to use the software more frequently. The gaming operations team estimates that they will save between 10-12 hours per month by using their traditional analysis. This doesn't include the time spent reviewing the data of customers or developing a new, actionable strategy.

Based on the new recommendations from SRE, the team was able to come up with hundreds of suggestions for game changes that increased player revenue. Dancing Drums Explosion, and Twinstar Wave XL from Scientific Games saw significant gains in the premium lease rankings and WAP rankings. The casino also was able to shift its budget away from marketing to other expenses and increase floor performance.

Perimeter Efficiency

We all know that wide receivers tend score more touchdowns when they're able to hit perimeter targets rather than slot targets. This is because they are generally focused downfield and typically are in one-on-one coverage. One thing that might be surprising to some however, is that the top five slot players and the rest of the group score different on targets in the perimeter.

Mike Evans, Amari cooper, Tyler Lockett, and Michael Gallup were the top five scorers in the slot on perimeter routes among the 66 wide-receivers who saw at least 40 targets in each of the previous two seasons. The bottom half of this list is dominated by receivers who are more possession-based, such as Chris Godwin and Diontae Johnston. These two are likely to see a boost in their targets this season, if the Bucs shift them into the slot more frequently however they'll need to improve their perimeter scoring to maintain that high standard.

Speedy wideouts are the main benefit of moving into the slot because they generally have a much easier time getting open in the field in the event that their route isn't blocked by a linebacker or cornerback. Corey Coleman is the only wide receiver who's not a speedy wideout but would benefit from more slot time. He's a reliable target for short and intermediate routes.

The bottom of the list is populated by possession-based receivers that are more effective on short and intermediate routes than in deep areas, such as Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler. Jeudy is a solid option to be a sleeper for this season since the Rams' primary slot receiver for the Rams while Courtland Sutton and Amari Cooper are expected to be involved in more downfield targets. Hamler is likely to be a star on short-to-mid routes, given that's exactly what he excelled at in 2021 when he played for the Bills. Hamler could be a great replacement for departed wideout Jordan Matthews in Buffalo.

Percentage of Snaps In Slot

The proportion of snaps a receiver plays in the slot is a good indicator of their ability to run deep routes. However, it's not always a true representation of a receiver's abilities because certain receivers excel in the slot, but aren't able to play deep and vice versa.

Alshon Jeffrey, as an example, leads the league in the number of targets he receives per game (4.8) However, he's only ranked 6th when it comes to slot receiving scores (58.5). This is due to the fact that the majority of his targets have come from the outside and it's hard to gain a first down on a wide-open deep route in this setting.

On contrary, some receivers excel in playing inside and can't do much on the outer. For instance the Panthers handed Robby Anderson 978 snaps during the season, and he completed a whopping 74% of his slot routes, compared to just 26% on boundary routes. That's a huge improvement and indicates how much more efficient he is when aligned in the slot.

Chris Godwin, a Buccaneers player, lines up inside the majority of the time on his passes and is among the top five slot receiving scores (58.5). However he also ran 51% of his perimeter routes last season, and is a star in one-on-one coverage.

Speed receivers are more efficient when they are lined up inside. They are able to be targeted further down the field and are often swarmed by one-on-1 coverage. That's why you'll see names like Julio Jones, Mike Evans, and Amari Cooper in the top five of our list.

McDuffie, Moore and other slot cornerbacks are also in this group. Both have been able to create pressures in the pass game, with McDuffie leading the NFL with seven forced fumbles and Moore being the most effective tackle stop efficiency on this list (-3.5). Spagnuolo increased McDuffie's capabilities by using his slot to play nickel and dime packs and then shifting him to the outside when playing base defense. In addition, Moore's capability to stop big run plays has been a huge advantage when playing in the slot.

Percentage of Snaps Outside

While top NFL receivers such as Golden Tate, Larry Fitzgerald, and Baldwin excel on the perimeter however, their slot counterparts are also equally good. As a group wide receivers with high slot receiving grades score touchdowns around the same rate as players who play on the perimeter. This is mostly because quarterbacks have a more stable target distribution when throwing to outside and slot receivers than to other inside options like 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, as he plays the slot in three WR sets and flanker in two of the sets. In actuality, he's running a higher number of routes in the slot than most of the players listed on this chart. This is a great way to create matchup benefits for your team and explain why Lamb ranks as the highest-graded slot receiver in our system this season.

Lamb also plays at the X-position and makes huge plays outside. Lamb isn't as powerful as the players in this list however, he's a very high-graded receiver and is an excellent match for the Cowboys' scheme.

Mecole Hardman is yet another example of a player capable of posting big numbers on both targets. He's among the best players in the game at taking throws from behind his shoulders. He's also a superb player who can play contested catch.

Another player on this list who's an authentic slot specialist is Baltimore's Jalen Hilton who has played in the slot on 85.7 percent of his defensive snaps this season. He has the third-lowest EPA for targets, and the fifth-best EPA for run stops among cornerbacks in the slot. This makes him a key part of his team's defensive unit. On the other hand, he's had trouble to stop passes from the outside and has given an unfavorable EPA against these kinds of targets. This is because he's playing with linebackers and safety players who can't compete with Hilton's speed, size and ability to run routes.