Slot Rankings - How Wide Receivers Score More Touchdowns in the Slot
Slot machines operate exactly the same way every game, so you won't discover any secret tricks to beat them. However, there are a few things you can keep in mind to maximize your winnings.
Take a look at the RTP of a game first. This is a measure of how much players can expect to win in the long-term.
Slot Efficiency
The aim of efficiency in slot machines is to maximize the number of changes to the slot that can be made without violating certain constraints. These constraints typically include the minimal operational delay (usually expressed in terms of scheduling delays), fairness and equity, access and competition, environmental goals, and more. The process of allocation of slots can be complex, and optimizing it in order to achieve desired performance metrics requires careful examination of the factors involved.
The process begins by identifying the types of requests to prioritize in accordance with the past experience. Once the type of request has been determined and a slot allocation model is used to minimize the required delay criterion. Numerous research gaps have been discovered in relation to the models for optimizing slot scheduling particularly when it comes to balancing fairness and efficiency.
ABC (assigned in accordance with velocity) is a popular strategy for prioritizing slot assignment. This strategy gathers information about the item's information and then determines a group based on velocity. Items with the highest velocity are given the most slots, while smaller velocity items are placed further back in the warehouse.
Another key element of slot effectiveness is the distance factor, which measures the amount of space that needs to be allocated to support the pick-to-ship process. The measure considers the speed group, the placement of racking and the handling characteristics of the products.
To increase the efficiency of a slot, it is also important to think about the costs associated with the change to a particular slot. Managers can assess the costs of a typical shift in slot and its impact on other aspects of slot efficiency like speed by studying the typical slot.
After spending a few months testing the data and back-dating the recommendations, the casino started using the system more often. The gaming operations team estimates that they can save between 10-12 hours a month on their traditional analysis. This is not including the time spent reviewing data from customers or creating a new practical strategies.
Using the new recommendations from SRE, the team was able to make dozens of game change suggestions which increased revenue for players. Dancing Drums Explosion, and Twinstar Wave XL from Scientific Games saw significant gains in the top lease rankings and WAP rankings. The casino also was able to shift its budget from marketing to other expenses and improve floor performance.
Perimeter Efficiency
We all know that wide receivers are more likely to score more touchdowns on perimeter targets than slot targets, since they're often targeted farther downfield and are often faced with one-on-one coverage. However, what may surprise some is that there's a difference between the top five slot receivers and the rest in terms of scoring on these perimeter targets.
Of the wide receivers that have seen at least 40 targets the past two seasons, the top five slot scorers on perimeter routes were all speed receivers: Mike Evans, Amari Cooper, Tyler Lockett and Michael Gallup. The bottom of the list was populated 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 this season, which should increase their targets. However, they'll need to improve their scoring from the perimeter to maintain their top-of-the-line performance.
The slot is the ideal option for wideouts that are quick, since they can get open more quickly when their route will not be covered by a cornerback or linebacker. The only non-speedy wide receiver on the list who benefits from more slot work is Corey Coleman, as he's an extremely reliable receiver on intermediate and short routes.
Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler and other possession-based receivers are at the lowest of the list. They're more effective on short and intermediate routes rather than deep zones. Jeudy is a good choice for a sleeper this year since he'll be the primary slot receiver for the Rams while Courtland Sutton and Amari Cooper are expected to be involved on more downfield targets. Hamler should be able to perform well on short-to-mid routes, given that's exactly what he excelled at in 2021 when he played for the Bills. He could be a great replacement for the departed wideout Jordan Matthews in Buffalo.
Percentage of Snaps in the Slot
The percentage of snaps that a receiver makes 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 skills as some 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 sixth in the slot receiving score (58.5). This is because the majority of his targets come from outside, and it's a challenge to get a first down in a wide-open, deep and wide-open route.
On contrary, some receivers excel at playing inside and aren't able to do much on the outer. For instance the Panthers handed Robby Anderson 978 snaps this season, and he ran 74 percent of his slot routes compared to just 26% on boundary routes. This is an enormous difference and shows just how much more productive Robby Anderson is when aligned to the slot.
Chris Godwin, a Buccaneers player, plays inside the majority of the time on his passing downs. He is among the top five slot receiving scores (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 usually more effective when lined up inside, since they are able to be targeted down the field, and often are in one-on-one coverage. That's why you'll see names like Julio Jones, Mike Evans, and Amari Cooper in the top five of our list.
On the flip side there are some excellent slot cornerbacks such as McDuffie and Moore in this group. Both have been able to create pressures during the passing game with McDuffie leading the NFL with seven forced fumbles and Moore having the highest tackle stop efficiency on this list (-3.5). By using McDuffie in the slot when they are running nickel or dime-type packages, and then deploying him on the outside of base defense, Spagnuolo has maximized his abilities. Additionally, Moore's ability to stop big run plays has been a tremendous asset when playing in the slot.
Percentage of Snaps Outside
While the NFL's top receivers, such as Baldwin, Golden Tate and Larry Fitzgerald excel on the perimeter, it's important to note that their slot counterparts are just as excellent. Wide receivers with high slot grades score touchdowns about the same as those on the outside. This is due to the fact that quarterbacks have a more stable target distribution when throwing to slot and outside receivers compared to other inside options such as tight ends and backfield pass-catchers.
It's interesting to see a player like CeeDee lamb on this list for 2022. He plays the slot in 3 WR sets, and flanker in 2 of them. In actuality, he's running a higher number of slot routes than most of the players listed on this chart. This is an excellent way to generate matchup benefits for your team and helps clarify why Lamb ranks as the highest-graded slot receiver in our system this season.
Lamb also plays at the X-position and makes big plays outside. Lamb isn't as awe-inspiring as the players in this ranking but he's an extremely high-quality receiver and is an excellent fit for the Cowboys scheme.
Rainbet Casino is another example of a player capable of putting up huge numbers on both types of targets. He's among the best players in the game at throwing throws from behind his shoulders. He's also a fantastic player who can play contested catch.
Jalen Hilton is another player who is slot specialist. He's been positioned in this position on 85.7 percent of his defensive plays to date. He has the third-lowest EPA for targets, and the fifth-highest EPA for runs stopped among cornerbacks in the slot. This makes him an important member of his team's defensive unit. On the other hand, he's struggled to prevent passes from the outside and has been able to give the negative EPA against these kinds of targets. This is due to him playing with linebackers and safety players who can't match Hilton's speed, size and route-running abilities.