Understanding NFL Statistics

This glossary explains the traditional statistics, advanced metrics, prediction terminology and fantasy statistics used throughout this website. Use the search box or category buttons to find a term.

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Showing 76 terms

Glossary Terms

Games Played

GP
Basic

The number of games included in the statistics being displayed.

Points Per Game

PPG
Basic

The average number of points a team scores per game.

How to read it: Higher is generally better for offense.

Points Allowed Per Game

PAPG
Basic

The average number of points a defense allows per game.

How to read it: Lower is generally better for defense.

Total Yards

Basic

The total offensive yards gained through passing and rushing.

How to read it: Higher generally indicates greater offensive production.

Yards Per Game

YPG
Basic

The average number of offensive yards gained per game.

How to read it: Higher is generally better for offense.

Yards Per Play

YPP
Basic

The average number of yards gained on each offensive play. It is calculated by dividing total yards by total offensive plays.

How to read it: Higher is generally better for offense.

First Downs

1D
Basic

The number of times an offense gains enough yardage to begin a new set of downs.

Pass Rate

Basic

The percentage of offensive plays that are passing plays. Depending on the calculation used, sacks may be included as pass plays.

How to read it: Neither higher nor lower is automatically better.

Rush Rate

Basic

The percentage of offensive plays that are rushing attempts.

How to read it: Neither higher nor lower is automatically better.

Expected Points Added

EPA
Advanced

Expected Points Added measures how much a play changes a team's expected scoring value. A positive EPA play improves the team's expected scoring position, while a negative EPA play makes the situation worse.

How to read it: Positive is generally good for offense. Negative is generally good for defense when measuring EPA allowed.

EPA Per Play

EPA/Play
Advanced

The average Expected Points Added generated on each play. EPA per play measures efficiency rather than total production and makes it easier to compare teams with different numbers of plays.

How to read it: Higher is generally better for offense.

Offensive EPA Per Play

Off EPA/P
Advanced

The average EPA generated by a team's offense on each offensive play. Positive values indicate the offense is increasing expected points on average.

How to read it: Higher and more positive is generally better.

Defensive EPA Per Play

Def EPA/P
Advanced

The average EPA produced by opposing offenses while facing the defense. A defense that forces opponents into negative EPA is reducing their expected scoring value.

How to read it: Lower and more negative is generally better for defense.

Success Rate

Success %
Advanced

The percentage of plays considered successful according to the expected-points result of the play. A successful offensive play improves the offense's expected scoring position.

How to read it: Higher is generally better for offense.

Defensive Success Rate Allowed

Def Success %
Advanced

The percentage of opponent plays that are successful against the defense.

How to read it: Lower is generally better for defense.

Early Down EPA Per Play

Early Down EPA/P
Advanced

Average EPA generated on first and second downs. This helps evaluate how efficiently an offense operates before reaching third or fourth down.

How to read it: Higher is generally better for offense.

Early Down Success Rate

Advanced

The percentage of first- and second-down offensive plays that produce a successful result.

How to read it: Higher is generally better for offense.

Early Down EPA Allowed

Advanced

The average EPA generated by opponents against a defense on first and second downs.

How to read it: Lower and more negative is generally better for defense.

Explosive Play

Advanced

A play that gains a significant amount of yardage. The exact yardage threshold depends on the statistical model used by the site.

Explosive Play Rate

Explosive %
Advanced

The percentage of offensive plays classified as explosive plays.

How to read it: Higher is generally better for offense. Lower explosive-play rate allowed is better for defense.

Pass Attempts

ATT
Passing

The number of official forward-pass attempts by a quarterback.

Completions

CMP
Passing

The number of completed forward passes.

Completion Percentage

CMP%
Passing

The percentage of pass attempts that are completed.

How to read it: Higher is generally better, but depth of target and game situation also matter.

Passing Yards

Pass Yds
Passing

The total yards credited to a quarterback on completed passes.

Passing Touchdown

Pass TD
Passing

A completed forward pass that results in a touchdown.

Interception

INT
Passing

A forward pass caught by a defensive player, resulting in a turnover.

How to read it: Lower is better for quarterbacks and offenses.

Air Yards

AY
Passing

The distance a pass travels through the air before it is caught or becomes incomplete. Air yards help separate passing depth from yards gained after the catch.

Completion Percentage Over Expected

CPOE
Passing

Measures a quarterback's completion percentage relative to the expected completion percentage of the passes attempted.

How to read it: Higher and positive values generally indicate better-than-expected completion performance.

Passing EPA

Pass EPA
Passing

Expected Points Added generated from passing plays.

How to read it: Higher is generally better for offense.

Longest Completion

Long
Passing

The longest completed passing play credited to a quarterback in the selected game or statistical period.

Rushing Attempts

CAR
Rushing / Receiving

The number of rushing attempts credited to a player.

Rushing Yards

Rush Yds
Rushing / Receiving

The total number of yards gained on rushing attempts.

Yards Per Carry

YPC
Rushing / Receiving

Average rushing yards gained per rushing attempt.

How to read it: Higher is generally better.

Rushing Touchdown

Rush TD
Rushing / Receiving

A touchdown scored on a rushing play.

Rushing EPA

Rush EPA
Rushing / Receiving

Expected Points Added generated by rushing plays.

How to read it: Higher is generally better for offense.

Target

TGT
Rushing / Receiving

A pass attempt directed toward a particular receiver.

Reception

REC
Rushing / Receiving

A completed pass caught by a receiver.

Receiving Yards

Rec Yds
Rushing / Receiving

The total yards gained on completed passes caught by a receiver.

Receiving Touchdown

Rec TD
Rushing / Receiving

A touchdown scored on a completed forward pass.

Yards After Catch

YAC
Rushing / Receiving

The number of yards a receiver gains after catching the football.

How to read it: Higher generally indicates greater production after the catch.

Receiving EPA

Rec EPA
Rushing / Receiving

Expected Points Added associated with passes targeted to or completed by a receiver.

How to read it: Higher is generally better.

Sack

SACK
Defense

A defensive play in which the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage on a passing play.

How to read it: More sacks are generally better for defense.

Sack Rate

Sack %
Defense

The percentage of opponent passing opportunities that result in a sack.

How to read it: Higher is generally better for defense.

Sack Rate Allowed

Defense

The percentage of an offense's passing opportunities that result in the quarterback being sacked.

How to read it: Lower is generally better for offense.

Quarterback Hit

QB Hit
Defense

A play in which a defender legally hits the quarterback during or immediately after a passing attempt.

How to read it: More quarterback hits generally indicate greater defensive pressure.

Takeaway

TA
Defense

A turnover gained by the defense through an interception or recovered opponent fumble.

How to read it: Higher is generally better for defense.

Turnover

TO
Defense

A loss of possession caused by an interception or lost fumble.

How to read it: Lower is better for offense. More takeaways are better for defense.

Fumble

FUM
Defense

Loss of control of the football by a player before the play is ruled dead.

Fumble Lost

FL
Defense

A fumble recovered by the opposing team, resulting in a turnover.

How to read it: Lower is better for offense.

Takeaway Rate

Defense

The rate at which a defense creates turnovers relative to its defensive opportunities.

How to read it: Higher is generally better for defense.

Turnover Rate

Defense

The rate at which an offense turns the football over relative to its offensive opportunities.

How to read it: Lower is generally better for offense.

Third Down Conversion

3D Conv
Situational

A third-down play that gains enough yardage for a first down or results in a touchdown.

Third Down Conversion Percentage

3D%
Situational

The percentage of third-down opportunities successfully converted by an offense.

How to read it: Higher is generally better for offense.

Third Down Percentage Allowed

Def 3D%
Situational

The percentage of third downs opponents successfully convert against a defense.

How to read it: Lower is generally better for defense.

Red Zone

RZ
Situational

The area of the field from the opponent's 20-yard line to the goal line.

Red Zone Trip

RZ Trip
Situational

An offensive possession that reaches the opponent's red zone.

Red Zone Touchdown Percentage

RZ TD%
Situational

The percentage of red-zone trips that result in touchdowns.

How to read it: Higher is generally better for offense.

Red Zone Touchdown Percentage Allowed

Def RZ TD%
Situational

The percentage of opponent red-zone trips that result in touchdowns.

How to read it: Lower is generally better for defense.

Projected Score

Predictions

The estimated number of points a team is expected to score according to the site's statistical prediction model.

Predicted Winner

Pick
Predictions

The team with the higher projected result according to the statistical model. It is a model output, not a guarantee of the game result.

Win Probability

Win Prob
Predictions

The model's estimated probability that a team wins a game based on the statistical information used by the model.

Confidence Score

Predictions

A numerical representation of how strongly the model favors its projected winner. A higher confidence score represents a larger statistical advantage in the model, not certainty that the prediction will be correct.

Confidence Level

Predictions

A descriptive classification such as Low, Medium, or High based on the model's confidence score.

Model Version

Predictions

Identifies the specific version of the statistical prediction model used to generate a prediction. Keeping model versions separate allows results to be evaluated without changing historical predictions.

Historical / Current Season Blend

Predictions

A method of combining previous-season statistics with current-season statistics. Early in a season, historical data can provide stability because only a small number of current games have been played. Current-season data can receive greater weight as more games are completed.

FanDuel Salary

Salary
FanDuel

The salary assigned to a player by FanDuel for a particular contest or slate.

Projected Fantasy Points

Proj
FanDuel

The estimated fantasy points a player is expected to score according to the site's projection model.

How to read it: Higher is generally better, but salary must also be considered.

FanDuel Points

FD
FanDuel

Fantasy points scored or projected using FanDuel scoring rules.

How to read it: Higher is better.

DraftKings Points

DK
FanDuel

Fantasy points scored using DraftKings scoring rules.

How to read it: Higher is better.

PPR Fantasy Points

PPR
FanDuel

Fantasy scoring that awards one point for each reception in addition to yardage and touchdown scoring.

How to read it: Higher is better.

Half-PPR Fantasy Points

Half PPR
FanDuel

Fantasy scoring that awards one-half point for each reception.

How to read it: Higher is better.

Standard Fantasy Points

Standard
FanDuel

Fantasy scoring without additional points awarded simply for making a reception.

How to read it: Higher is better.

Fantasy Value

Value
FanDuel

A comparison between a player's projected fantasy production and salary. Value helps identify players who may provide useful projected production for their cost.

How to read it: Higher value is generally preferable when constructing lineups.

Salary Cap

FanDuel

The maximum combined salary allowed for all players in a fantasy lineup.

Optimized Lineup

FanDuel

A lineup generated by an optimization process that attempts to maximize projected fantasy production while satisfying salary, position, roster, and other lineup constraints.

Player Exposure

Exposure
FanDuel

The percentage of generated lineups containing a particular player. For example, a player appearing in 15 of 25 lineups has 60% exposure.

How to read it: Higher exposure means the player appears in more generated lineups; it does not automatically mean the player is better.
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About Advanced Statistics

No single statistic tells the entire story of a football team or player. Advanced metrics such as EPA, success rate, explosive-play rate and situational statistics are most useful when considered together and in the context of the opponent, game situation and sample size.