A simple look at the score or an examination of fantasy football categories doesn’t always reveal a player’s full performance. Dalton Del Don tries to identify misleading numbers that are worth looking into.

Yes… The numbers lie.

Geno Smith’s six touchdown passes are a lie

Smith leads the league by far in passing yards and attempts, but he is tied for 19th in touchdowns. Smith ranks third in passes inside the five this season, and he has somehow converted just two of 15 targets in the end zone (fourth most) into points. Smith’s 2.4% TD rate ranks 32nd out of 34 qualified quarterbacks, and this is someone who is a year removed from leading the NFC in touchdown passes.

The Seahawks’ wide receivers haven’t done Smith any favors this season, but that should decline along with his TD rate. Seattle ranks first in pass rate above expectations and neutral pass rate inside the 10-yard line. Smith is facing an Atlanta defense with the league’s second-lowest pressure rate in a game this week, totaling 51 points, so more touchdowns will begin come Sunday.

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DK Metcalf’s WR26 ranking is a lie

Metcalf was the WR26 in fantasy points per game this season, but he is the WR5 in expected fantasy points. Last week, Metcalf was inches away from scoring three separate touchdowns as he easily led the league in air yards. He ranks in the top five in targets and top 10 in air yards percentage on a team that attempts by far the most passes in the NFL. Seattle leads the league in PROE and neutral pass rate inside the 10. Metcalf is seeing the most targets of his career and Geno Smith is facing a big touchdown drop.

The Falcons are tough to beat but have the second-least pressure in the league, so the window to trade Metcalf may be closing after this weekend.

Amari Cooper’s WR50 ranking is a lie

Cooper was a fantasy bust despite posting the seventh-most goals and second-most air yards in the league this season. Deshaun Watson has one of the lowest six-week YPAs in NFL history and is also receiving the most sacks this year. Cooper has suffered from most uncatchable air yards and will now receive a significant improvement at quarterback with the move to Buffalo.

Cooper has suffered some drops and hasn’t played his best football this season, but quarterback play is clearly responsible for most of his ugly stats. He continued to score goals and scored the most goals since 2018. Cooper went from the third-highest scoring offense to the seventh-highest. The Bills clearly lack an alpha wide receiver, a role Cooper will eventually (immediately?) fill. The rise from Watson to Josh Allen is as dramatic as it gets, making Cooper suddenly a top-20 WR again.

Ladd McConkey’s WR45 ranking is a lie

McConkey enjoyed the rookie boom from last week’s bye, recording career highs in targets, aDOT and air yards. He was tackled at the one-yard line and missed time (he was evaluated for a concussion and later a midsection problem), so his performance could have been higher even in a difficult matchup. Assuming McConkey’s health is good, his fantasy ranking is highly misleading.

McConkey has posted a target percentage of at least 25% in four of five games and leads LA in routes as a rookie despite missing practice with Justin Herbert (foot) throughout August. McConkey ranks in the top 20 in first read target rate and 1D/RR, two key forward indicators. He is in the top 15 in goals per route pass.

The Chargers are undoubtedly run-heavy, but they have the second-highest neutral pass rate inside the 10-yard line this season. Los Angeles posted a season-high +2% PROE in its first game back from the bye and likely won’t continue to play with the lead as often. McConkey has faced top-10 WR fantasy point defenders in four of five games this season, but the Chargers’ passing game plan will ease up considerably going forward. Quentin Johnston didn’t practice on Wednesday, so now is the time to trade for McConkey.