(Leading up to the 2021 NFL season, FTN’s Tyler Loechner will dive into the fantasy football numbers to bring you his Fantasy Stat of the Day, five days a week.)

The Scott Fish Bowl (SFB11) has several unique scoring rules, one of which is that RBs, WRs and TEs get an extra 0.5 points per first down. Monday, we look at which RBs stand to benefit the most from this rule. Today’s Stat of the Day will examine the WRs that should rise to the top with 0.5 points per first down (in addition to 0.5 points per reception).

Have you tried Underdog Fantasy best ball leagues yet? What are you waiting for? Create an account with code FTN for a bonus.

Mike Evans (97%) and A.J. Brown (89%) catch a first down on almost every reception

The chart below shows the WRs who had the most first-down receptions in 2020. 

playerposTargetsReceptions1st Downs
DeAndre HopkinsWR17611886
Stefon DiggsWR18113282
Davante AdamsWR15511777
Allen RobinsonWR15710473
Calvin RidleyWR1539072
DK MetcalfWR1378468
Mike EvansWR1226967
Keenan AllenWR15510266
Tyler LockettWR13910165
Justin JeffersonWR1328964
A.J. BrownWR1137062
Tyreek HillWR1399059

For starters, the correlation between receptions and first downs among WRs is extremely high. It has an R-squared of 0.97 on a scale of 0-1, with 1 being a perfect match. This means you could sort by receptions and get a similar list.

But looking a little closer at the data tells us which players are above or below average when it comes to collecting enough yards to get a first down. Here are some key items:

  • DeAndre Hopkins was a monster last year, catching 86 first downs (four more than Stefon Diggs) despite catching 14 fewer passes.
  • Mike Evans (97%) and A.J. Brown (89%) gained first downs on nearly every reception they had last season. Their reception totals are significantly lower than some others on the list, but they certainly made the most of them.
  • Justin Jefferson, not possession receiver Adam Thielen, had the most first downs among Vikings WRs last season.
  • There are many deep threats on this list, so it’s not surprising to see Tyreek Hill’s name as well. But it is a little surprising not to see him higher. There are many close-to-the-line-of-scrimmage gadget-type plays in Hill’s playbook, however.
  • DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett both made the list, the only teammates in the top 12 to do so.
  • Keenan Allen is forever underrated.

NFL Fantasy Football Content

Find the Best NFL Prop Bets

Find the best prices for your favorite props each day here with the FTN Prop Shop.

Sports Betting Tools

Looking for free betting tools to help you win? Try the FTN Parlay Calculator and FTN Prop Shop.