Alt passing yards and standard passing yards measure distinct quarterback performance aspects in football analysis:
Standard Passing Yards
Standard passing yards represent the total air yardage accumulated when a quarterback completes a forward pass to a receiver. This statistic credits the quarterback with all yards gained from the line of scrimmage to the point where the receiver is tackled or goes out of bounds. It is the official NFL statistic recorded in game logs, season totals, and career records. Fantasy football scoring universally uses this metric for passing yardage points.
Alt Passing Yards (Adjusted/Air Yards Based)
Alt passing yards refer to analytical adjustments isolating the quarterback's direct contribution. Key variants include:
- Air Yards (AY): The vertical distance the pass travels through the air from the quarterback's release point to the point of reception. It excludes all yards gained by the receiver after the catch (YAC).
- Completed Air Yards (CAY): The sum of Air Yards solely for completed passes.
- Intended Air Yards (IAY): The targeted depth of the pass attempt, measured to the point where the ball was thrown (regardless of completion).
- Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt (ANY/A): A formula incorporating yards, TDs, INTs, and sacks: (Pass Yds + 20Pass TD - 45INT - Sack Yds Lost) / (Pass Att + Sacks). It adjusts standard yards for efficiency and negative plays.
Key Differences in Analysis
- QB Contribution vs. Total Play Result: Standard yards reflect the total offensive play outcome. Alt yards like CAY or AY isolate the QB's throwing distance and accuracy, removing YAC influenced by receiver skill and blocking.
- Predictive Value vs. Descriptive Stat: Air Yards metrics (AY, CAY, IAY) are valued for their predictive power regarding future QB performance and efficiency, often correlating better with future success than raw volume. Standard yards are primarily descriptive of past production volume.
- Efficiency Context: Metrics like ANY/A provide significant context to standard yards by factoring in touchdowns, interceptions, and sacks, offering a clearer picture of overall passing efficiency and value.
- Fantasy Relevance: Standard passing yards are the universal scoring input in fantasy football. While Air Yards help analysts identify QBs potentially due for regression (high YAC inflating stats) or breakout (high Air Yards without results), they do not directly translate to fantasy points. Fantasy value comes entirely from the raw passing yard number on the stat sheet.
Summary: Standard passing yards measure the total result of completed passes. Alt passing yards (like Air Yards) dissect the QB's throwing contribution or adjust for efficiency factors (ANY/A). Standard yards determine fantasy scoring, while alt yards provide deeper analytical context for QB evaluation and future projection.
