Ja'Marr Chase The WR1

Tags: Denver Broncos, Premium, Vanek Premium, Wide Receiver, WR Breakdown

Why Ja'Marr Chase is the WR1 in Fantasy for 2024 The NFL is packed with elite wide receivers, and teams are willing to pay big bucks for these standout players. This trend has changed how we draft for fantasy football since real-life performance often translates to fantasy success. Each year, there's a debate about who the top wide receiver is. Today, I'll show you why Ja’Marr Chase is the clear number one in all fantasy formats. With Tyler Boyd leaving and Jermaine Burton playing out wide, Chase is set to take more slot snaps, increasing his targets and making him an even bigger fantasy asset. Let's break down the stats, skills, and situational advantages that set him apart.

The Importance of Slot Snaps Slot snaps are crucial for wide receivers because they often lead to more favorable matchups and increased target opportunities. Last season, the top three wide receivers all had more routes from the slot than anywhere else. Tyreek Hill was the only one who wasn’t quite as heavy in his slot usage, but it’s a dynamic of how Miami puts him in motion and gets him on a running start while going out wide. CeeDee Lamb had 1,124 yards from the slot, while Amon-Ra St. Brown had 1,562 yards. The previous year, Justin Jefferson, the WR1, had 1,363 yards from the slot, with a 55.4 percent slot snap rate. Overall, getting slot reps has been crucial to being the top wide receiver in fantasy football. In the past few seasons, Chase has had his slot usage increase, but that role has mainly been for Tyler Boyd.

Ja’Marr Chase’s Usage According to Sports Info Solutions, Ja’Marr Chase ran 33.9% of his total routes from the slot last year, averaging an impressive 3.28 yards per route run with Joe Burrow as his quarterback. With Tyler Boyd no longer in the picture, the slot role is now wide open, and Chase is poised to see a significant increase in work from that alignment. When Chase moved inside, he was targeted at a very high rate. In fact, the only quarterback/wide receiver duo with a higher target per route run rate than Burrow and Chase were Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill. Additionally, Chase’s 3.28 yards per route run from the slot ranks in the top 10 for overall usage, highlighting his efficiency and effectiveness. Now, let's look at what his routes would change to with a move into the slot.

The significant change starts with the number of deep routes Ja'Marr Chase will run from the slot versus out wide. Currently, 41.8% of the routes Chase runs out wide are Corners, Go’s, or Post routes. These are low-percentage throws for a quarterback to connect on, especially when Chase is often double-teamed on deep routes.

Moving him inside to the slot will reduce that percentage by 17.5% and increase the number of short and intermediate routes he runs. When lined up out wide, Chase is targeted on Go routes 17% of the time. From the slot, the lowest target rate for any route (from flat to crosser) is 29%. This means Chase will get more targets than ever this upcoming season, which is great news for such a talented player.

But how efficient is he on these specific routes?

From the slot, Chase averages 4.34 yards per route run on slants. This is significant because it shows when he gets the ball over the middle with any space, it often results in an explosive play. Chase is one of the best players in the league in open-field situations, so making it easy for him to get the ball should be a priority for the Bengals' offense in 2024.

In fact, from the slot, Chase is more efficient on four out of the five qualifying routes. It's worth noting that comebacks are not run from the slot and flat routes are not run from out wide, which is why I did not include that in the stat. The deep role Chase vacates can be filled by Jermaine Burton, a deep threat who, with better quarterback play at Alabama, could have been a more talked-about prospect.

Overall, moving Chase inside will make him more utilized and efficient.

Conclusion Ja’Marr Chase’s upcoming role change, combined with his elite skills on specific routes, positions him as the number one wide receiver in all fantasy formats. With more slot snaps, increased targets, and his proven ability to produce, Chase is my number-one wide receiver and the player I will be taking across all formats as such.