What is the red zone in fantasy football?
The red zone is the area of the field inside the opponent's 20-yard line, where scoring chances — and fantasy-critical touchdowns — concentrate.
The red zone is the last 20 yards before the end zone, and a player's usage there is a major driver of touchdowns and fantasy points.
Touchdowns are worth six points, so the players who get the ball inside the 20 — the goal-line back, the big-bodied red-zone receiver, the tight end on the fade — carry outsized fantasy value. A player who is productive between the 20s but never sees the red zone has a capped touchdown upside.
Red-zone touches and targets are among the most predictive stats for touchdown production. Tracking who handles the goal-line work helps you find touchdown-dependent values and avoid empty-yardage players.