More BTA Rankings: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End
Better Than Average (BTA) was developed to show which players were truly better than their peers when the advantage of the schedule was removed. . This is a true 1:1 measurement because it only considers how well players did against all others who faced a particular defense. It counts up three occurrences:
“8” – When a WR produced one of the top 8 game performances for fantasy points allowed by a defense.
“4” – When a WR scored in the top 4 game performances for fantasy points allowed by a defense.
“1” – Who had the best fantasy game against a defense over the past year. There could only by 32 such events since each defense can only allow one “best game”.
BTA – Simply adding up the 1, 4 and 8 values for a numerical expression of how effective a wideout truly was last year against all other players in his position. The strength of schedule doesn’t matter. Only what a player produced against all other players in that position against that defense. It is a measurement of player ability against the others in his position.
| Multiple “Best Games” | |
|---|---|
| Calvin Johnson | 4 |
| Demaryius Thomas | 2 |
| Brandon Marshall | 2 |
| Alshon Jeffery | 2 |
| T.Y. Hilton | 2 |
Once again it is Calvin Johnson clearly as the best wide receiver no matter the metric used. For those who turned in the biggest game allowed by a defense all year, there were only five players. Notable here was T.Y. Hilton in his breakout season and then BOTH of the Chicago wide receivers turning in two such performances last year. Since there are only 32 instances of a defense allowing their best game in the NFL, the Lions and Bears combined for a quarter of all such efforts.
Notable also was Eric Decker as the #3 wideout for Denver and yet his stats were similar to Demaryius Thomas. Josh Gordon racked up great totals and that’s even more impressive considering that the top wide receivers were otherwise catching passes from Matt Stafford, Peyton Manning, Jay Cutler and such. No such luxury for Gordon who excelled with no notable quarterback but then again no one to compete for passes with either.
| NAME | BTA | 1 | 4 | 8 | NAME | BTA | 1 | 4 | 8 | NAME | BTA | 1 | 4 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calvin Johnson | 16 | 4 | 5 | 7 | Julio Jones | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | Kendall Wright | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Demaryius Thomas | 14 | 2 | 5 | 7 | Kenny Stills | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | Marvin Jones | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Brandon Marshall | 13 | 2 | 3 | 8 | Marques Colston | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | Nate Washington | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Josh Gordon | 13 | 1 | 6 | 6 | Mike Wallace | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | Tavon Austin | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| DeSean Jackson | 12 | 0 | 5 | 7 | Randall Cobb | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | Torrey Smith | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Eric Decker | 12 | 1 | 5 | 6 | Riley Cooper | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | Victor Cruz | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| A.J. Green | 10 | 0 | 4 | 6 | Brian Hartline | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | Wes Welker | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Antonio Brown | 10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | Greg Jennings | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | Brandon LaFell | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Dez Bryant | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Michael Floyd | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | Cecil Shorts | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Alshon Jeffery | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | Rod Streater | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | Danny Amendola | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Andre Johnson | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | Roddy White | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | Denarius Moore | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Anquan Boldin | 9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | Tiquan Underwood | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | Jarrett Boykin | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Vincent Jackson | 9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | Cordarrelle Patterson | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | Jerrel Jernigan | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Jordy Nelson | 8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | DeAndre Hopkins | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Marquise Goodwin | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Larry Fitzgerald | 8 | 0 | 3 | 5 | Doug Baldwin | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | Rishard Matthews | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Pierre Garcon | 8 | 0 | 3 | 5 | Eddie Royal | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Rueben Randle | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| T.Y. Hilton | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | Golden Tate | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | Sidney Rice | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Julian Edelman | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | Jerricho Cotchery | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Steve Smith | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Keenan Allen | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | Justin Blackmon | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | Stevie Johnson | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Harry Douglas | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | Kenbrell Thompkins | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |||||
