Why We Are In Love With Slot Rankings (And You Should Too!)

· 6 min read
Why We Are In Love With Slot Rankings (And You Should Too!)

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

Slots are the same for each spin. You won't find any tricks that can help you beat them. There are a few tips that you can apply to increase your chances of winning.

First, check out the game's RTP. This number indicates how many players should expect to win in the long-term.

Slot Efficiency

The aim of slot efficiency is to maximize the number of changes to the slot that can be made, without violating certain constraints. These constraints usually comprise the minimum allowed operational delay (usually expressed in terms of scheduling delays) fairness and equity, access and competition, environmental targets and many more. The slot allocation process isn't easy and optimizing it in order to meet the desired performance metrics requires careful examination of the factors involved.

In general, the process starts with the identification of types of requests to be prioritized based on prioritization in the past. Once the type of request has been determined, a slot allocation model is employed to reduce the delay criteria. However, many research gaps have been observed regarding the optimization of slot scheduling models especially when trying to balance fairness and efficiency.

A common method of prioritizing slot assignments is the ABC (assigned by velocity) strategy that collects information on the history of an item and creates a velocity group. Items that have the highest velocity get the most slots, while lower velocity items are placed further back in the warehouse.

Another crucial aspect of slot effectiveness is the distance factor, which measures the amount of space that has to be allotted to support the pick-to-ship process. The factor takes into account the velocity group of the items, as well as their racking placements and equipment handling characteristics.

To increase the efficiency of a slot It is also crucial to consider the cost of a given slot change. A quick analysis of the typical slot change will aid managers in determining the costs associated with the move, and the impact that it might affect other aspects of slot efficiency, including velocity.

After a couple of months validating the data, and back-dating the recommendations, the casino started using the software more frequently. The gaming operations team estimates that they will save between 10-12 hours a month by using their usual analysis. This doesn't include the time spent reviewing data from customers or developing a new, practical strategies.

Based on the new recommendations from SRE The team was able to come up with dozens of game change suggestions 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 managed to shift their budget from marketing and other expenses to improving the floor's performance.

Perimeter Efficiency

We all know wide receivers score more touchdowns when they're able to hit perimeter targets rather than slot targets. This is because they are usually targeted downfield and usually face one on one coverage. However, what may surprise people is the difference between the top five slot receivers and the rest in scoring on those perimeter targets.

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

Speedy wideouts are the biggest benefits of moving into the slot, since they have an easier time getting open downfield when their route isn't covered by a cornerback or linebacker. Corey Coleman is the only wide receiver who isn't a fast wideout but would benefit from more slot time. He's a good player for intermediate and short routes.


Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler and other receivers who are based on possession are at the bottom of the list. They're more effective on intermediate and short routes, rather than in deep areas. Jeudy is a good choice for a sleeper this year, as he'll be the primary slot receiver for the Rams while Courtland Sutton and Amari Cooper are largely expected to be involved in more downfield targets. Hamler should be able to perform well on intermediate and short-to middle routes, since that's the way he performed 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 Slot

The percentage of snaps a receiver takes in the slot is an excellent indicator of their ability to run deep routes. It is not always a true reflection of a receiver's skills since certain receivers are better in the slot but don't play deeper.

For example for instance, the Eagles' Alshon Jeffery leads the league in targets per game (4.8) but is ranked sixth in slot receiving score (58.5). This is because the majority of his targets come from outside and it's difficult to get a first down when playing a wide-open, deep and wide-open route.

On the other hand, certain receivers excel inside and aren't able to do much on the outer. For  Full File , the Panthers handed Robby Anderson 978 snaps this season, and he ran an astounding 74% of his slot routes, compared to only 26% on boundary routes. That's a huge improvement and illustrates how much more efficient the player is when positioned in the slot.

Chris Godwin, a Buccaneers player, plays inside most of his passing downs and is among the top five slot receiving scores (58.5). He also ran 51% of his perimeter routes and is a pro in one-on-one coverage.

Speed receivers are typically more efficient when they line up inside, since they can get targeted way down the field, and often are in one-on-one coverage. You'll find names like Mike Evans, Amari Cooper, and Julio Jones in our top five.

McDuffie, Moore and other slot cornerbacks are also part of this group. Both have been able to create pressures in the passing game, with McDuffie leading the NFL with seven forced fumbles. Moore having the best tackle stop performance on this list (-3.5). Through using McDuffie in the slot when they run nickel or dime packages and then placing McDuffie on the outside in base defense, Spagnuolo has maximized his abilities. In addition, Moore's ability to stop big run plays has been a tremendous advantage 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 also worth noting that their slot counterparts are just as good. Wide receivers with high slot grades score touchdowns about the same as those on the outside. This is mostly because quarterbacks have a more stable target distribution when throwing to slot and outside receivers than to other inside options like tight ends and backfield pass-catchers.

It's therefore fascinating to see a receiver 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 routes in the slot than most of the players listed on this chart. This is an excellent opportunity to increase matchup benefits for your team. It also helps explain why Lamb is the most highly-rated receiver in our system.

Of course, he also plays the X position and makes huge plays on the perimeter, too. Lamb isn't as powerful as the players in this list but he's a very high-graded receiver and is a perfect player for the Cowboys scheme.

Mecole Hardman is another example of a player who's capable of putting up big numbers on both types of targets. He is one of the top players in the league when it comes to catching throws from behind his shoulders. He's also a fantastic player who can play contested catch.

Another player on this list who's a true 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-highest EPA for runs stopped among cornerbacks in the slot. This makes him an important player in the defensive team. He's had a difficult time stopping passes from outside, and his EPA against this type of target is negative. This is a result of playing with subpar linebackers and safeties that aren't able to match Hilton's size and speed. He also has a great ability to run routes.