It’s lovely to be subjective. Even after seeing the same game, seeing the same players, and reading the same statistics, football fans can have drastically different ideas about it.
Maybe this explains why arguments about sports may get so fervent. Objectivity is impeded by fandom, agendas, and narratives. However, objective discourse may not always be achievable, even as it searches for less subjective methods.
Everybody has a distinct idea of what excellence looks like. Is Tyreek Hill, with his output, or Justin Jefferson, with his reputation the best wide receiver in the NFL? Would it be more appropriate to discuss their supporting casts or their part in their offense?
Perhaps our answer lies in value. A wins-above-replacement metric, theoretically, is the optimal way to display how valuable a certain player is. Whether or not that makes someone the best is up to you, and frankly part of why sports talk radio still exists.
If you’re a Dallas Cowboys fan trudging through the receiver discourse, value may be where you want to hitch your wagon.
Per Pro Football Focus’ wins above replacement, Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb was the most valuable receiver in the NFL this past season.
Our response might have to do with worth. In theory, the best metric to show how valuable a certain player is is wins-above-replacement. It’s up to you whether or not that makes someone the best, which is, to be honest, part of the reason sports talk radio is still around.
If you’re a Dallas Cowboys supporter who is tired of listening to receiver talk, value might be the place for you to pull your wagon.
Cowboys wide out CeeDee Lamb was the most valuable receiver in the NFL this past season, according to Pro Football Focus’s wins above replacement.
It might be challenging to compare Lamb to his elite receiving peers because the other players on the leaderboard are not publicly known. But don’t worry—he is unrivaled.
With a league-high 135 receptions for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns, the Cowboys’ top receiver cemented his place among the NFL’s finest… just in time for a promotion.
Behind Hill and San Francisco 49ers star Brandon Aiyuk, and tied with Jefferson, Lamb had the third-best offensive grade of any qualified receiver. His playing time is likely what makes him more valuable.
It’s one thing to provide top play; it’s another to provide more elite play than your peers. Per-snap, Jefferson and Lamb were about equal, although the star player for the Minnesota Vikings was sidelined for half the season due to a hamstring ailment.
Lamb also performed the fifth-highest number of passing play snaps (675), outperforming the four players in front of him by a considerable margin. Jefferson, Aiyuk, and Hill each played 491, 474, and 391 passing snaps. Lamb led the group with 181 targets, which is hardly surprising.
Every one of these athletes performed like the finest football receiver. However, when player margins are this tiny, it becomes impossible to overlook a seismic difference in playing time.
