Coaching Time: 2021 Best And Worst Play-Callers For Each Skill-Position

Eli Grabanski looks at every offensive-minded head coach and offensive coordinator, and explains which ones could have a significant impact on fantasy value.

Eli Grabanski
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Best Coaches for Wide Receivers

 

Rank WR Room Receptions WR Room Targets WR Room Receiving Yards WR Room Receiving TDs
% of Pass Attempts to WR
1 (Best) Matt Rhule – CAR HC

Joe Brady – CAR OC

 Brian Callahan – CIN OC
Kellen Moore – DAL OC
 Byron Leftwich – TB OC
Matt Rhule – CAR HC
Joe Brady – CAR OC
2 Kliff Kingsbury – AZ HC Zac Taylor – CIN HC
Matt Rhule – CAR HC
Joe Brady – CAR OC
 Eric Bieniemy – KC OC
Kliff Kingsbury – AZ HC
3 Kellen Moore – DAL OC Kliff Kingsbury – AZ HC
Kellen Moore – DAL OC
Tim Kelly – HOU OC
 Mike McCarthy – DAL HC
Eric Studesville – MIA Co-OC
4 Tim Kelly – HOU OC (See Above)
Byron Leftwich – TB OC
 Jason Garrett – NYG OC
Zac Taylor – CIN HC
5 Brian Callahan – CIN OC Matt Rhule – CAR HC
Joe Brady – CAR OC
Dan Campbell – DET HC
 Bill Lazor – CHI OC
Brian Callahan – CIN OC

 

Most WR Room Receptions

 

 

Most WR Room Targets

 

 

Most WR Room Receiving Yards

 

 

Most WR Room Receiving TDs

 

 

Highest % of Pass Attempts to WR

 

 

Takeaways

 

  • The Carolina Panthers coaching duo of Matt Rhule and Joe Brady bodes really well for the team’s wide receivers, with both coaches ranking in the top five in WR receptions, WR targets, WR receiving yards, and % of passing attempts to the WR position. This makes D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson pretty safe investments at their ADP and makes rookie Terrace Marshall Jr. a great late-round gamble.
  • Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury ranks in the top five of WR receptions, WR targets, and % of pass attempts to the WR position…DeAndre Hopkins is one of the safest WR picks you can make and there’s a real opportunity for one of Christian Kirk, A.J. Green, or Rondale Moore to beat expectations as well.

 

  • Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore ranks in the top five of WR receptions, targets, and receiving yards. In addition, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy ranks third in WR receiving touchdowns…this helps explain why both CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper are being drafted as top 20 wide receivers and there may even be some room for Michael Gallup to beat expectations as well.
  • Tim Kelly (Houston Texans offensive coordinator) ranks in the top five of WR receptions and WR receiving yards. While the Texans are projected to be bad this year, taking a shot on one of their WRs – Brandin Cooks, Anthony Miller, or Nico Collins – could be a decent option late in drafts.

 

  • Both Bengals coaches are featured pretty frequently on these lists. Head coach Zac Taylor ranks in the top five in WR targets and % of pass attempts to WR, while offensive coordinator Brian Callahan ranks in the top five in WR receptions, WR targets, and % of pass attempts to WR…it’s clear why all three of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd are all ranked as top 36 WRs.
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich ranks fourth in WR receiving yards and first in WR receiving touchdowns…it’s rare that an offense can support three fantasy-relevant wide receivers but this offense is capable of doing so with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Antonio Brown.

 

  • Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell ranks fifth in WR receiving yards. Take this with a huge grain of salt since he only coached 12 games as an interim head coach and won’t be the primary offensive play-caller in Detroit.
  • Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy ranks in the top five of WR receiving touchdowns per game. While he’s not the team’s primary play-caller, it goes to show how good the Chiefs wide receivers have been in recent years.

 

  • New York Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett ranks among the top coaches in WR receiving touchdowns per game…while expectations for the Giants offense should be low this year, this is might be a positive sign for Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, Darius Slayton, and Sterling Shepard down the road.
  • Miami Dolphins co-offensive coordinator Eric Studesville ranks in the bottom five in % of passing attempts to WR…take it with a grain of salt since he only was the 2010 Denver Broncos interim head coach for four games.

 

Worst Coaches for Wide Receivers

 

Rank WR Room Receptions WR Room Targets WR Room Receiving Yards WR Room Receiving TDs
% of Pass Attempts to WR
1 (Worst) Eric Studesville – MIA Co-OC Kevin Stefanski – CLE HC Greg Roman – BAL OC Scott Turner – WSH OC
Kevin Stefanski – CLE HC
2 Alex Van Pelt – CLE OC Greg Roman – BAL OC Alex Van Pelt – CLE OC Matt Rhule – CAR HC
Joe Brady – CAR OC
Shane Steichen – PHI OC
3 Kevin Stefanski – CLE HC Alex Van Pelt – CLE OC Kevin Stefanski – CLE HC Zac Taylor – CIN HC
Scott Turner – WSH OC
4 Greg Roman – BAL OC Arthur Smith – ATL HC Scott Turner – WSH OC Brian Callahan – CIN OC
Pete Carmichael – NOR OC
5 Jon Gruden – LV HC Jon Gruden – LV HC Brian Daboll – BUF OC Brian Daboll – BUF OC
Sean Payton – NOR HC

 

Least WR Room Receptions 

 

 

Least WR Room Targets

 

 

Least WR Room Receiving Yards

 

 

Least WR Room Receiving TDs

 

 

Lowest % of Pass Attempts to WR

 

Takeaways

 

  • Miami Dolphins co-offensive coordinator Eric Studesville may be the worst coach on paper in WR receptions per game, but keep in mind he only spent four games as the interim head coach of a 2010 Denver Broncos team that started Tim Tebow at quarterback…might want to give him a mulligan.
  • Both Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski and Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt land on quite a few of these lists, with Stefanski landing in the bottom five in WR receptions, WR targets, WR receiving yards, and % of passing attempts to WRs and Van Pelt landing in the bottom five in WR receptions, WR targets, and WR receiving yards. This may put a bit of a cap on the ceiling of Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry.

 

  • Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman lands on the bottom list in the WR receptions, WR targets, and WR receiving yards…might want to temper expectations for Marquise Brown, Rashod Bateman, and Sammy Watkins.
  • Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden ranks in the bottom five in WR receptions and WR targets…it’s likely only one of Bryan Edwards, John Brown, and Henry Ruggs is fantasy relevant in 2021.

 

  • Brand new Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith ranks in the bottom five in WR targets per game. This is interesting to see because he did have a very talented WR in A.J. Brown when he was the play-caller in Tennessee. I would only expect Calvin Ridley to be fantasy-relevant at the WR position for the Falcons in 2021.
  • Washington Football Team offensive coordinator Scott Turner lands on these lists a few times in WR receiving yards, WR receiving touchdowns, and % of pass attempts to the WR position. Terry McLaurin is probably talented enough to overcome this, but it does make me skeptical that Curtis Samuel will put up numbers similar to last year.

 

  • Shockingly, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll ranks in the bottom five in WR receiving yards and WR receiving touchdowns. It is important to note that he didn’t have a lot of talent to work with prior last year with the Bills, so  Stefon Diggs is probably a safe bet to be a WR1 again in 2021. Still don’t expect the WR room to be quite as good as last year where they averaged 19.5 receptions on 26.69 targets for 243.56 receiving yards and 1.75 receiving touchdowns per game.
  • The Carolina Panthers coaches Matt Rhule and Joe Brady land near the bottom of WR receiving touchdowns per game. They have only coached 16 games at the NFL level so the sample size is pretty small and it is important to note that Teddy Bridgewater threw just 15 passing touchdowns all year last year (the team had 16) but it will be interesting to see if the trend continues into year two.

 

  • Both the Cincinnati Bengals coaches Zac Taylor and Brian Callahan also land near the bottom in WR receiving touchdowns per game. This is a little surprising considering how frequently their offense utilizes the position in general.
  • New Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen ranks in the bottom five in % of passing attempts to wide receivers. While Nick Sirianni is expected to be the team’s primary offensive play-caller and not Steichen, this is a little worrisome – especially if the team’s passing volume is low.
  • Both of the New Orleans Saints coaches Sean Payton and Pete Carmichael Jr. land in the bottom five in % of passing attempts to wide receivers. Outside of Michael Thomas (when he gets back), it may be difficult for the Saints to produce a fantasy-relevant wide receiver.

 

Photo by Kevin Reece/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Ethan Kaplan (@DJFreddie10 on Twitter and @EthanMKaplanImages on Instagram)

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Introduction
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends

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