Determining NFL Running Back Value
Category
Business, Education and Humanities
Department
Economics
Student Status
Undergraduate
Research Advisor
Dr. Michael Davidsson
Document Type
Event
Location
Meadowlark
Start Date
10-4-2025 9:50 AM
End Date
10-4-2025 10:10 AM
Description
The analysis of sports analytics is an imperfect metric to evaluate player performance. In the NFL, player salaries are increasing at record levels as is the salary cap, or money teams are allowed to spend on players, is increasing at a similar rate. The allocation of these millions is the difficult job of NFL teams' front office where the combination of analytics, player performance, and financial analysis combine. The purpose of this study is to help general managers and decision makers use econometric analysis to win games, and inevitably contribute to the winning of a championship. The analysis consists of NFL running backs specifically and weather the positions wage disparity is justified. Despite the high visibility and importance of the skill position, running backs salaries are among the lowest quartile in the league. This value over salary metric being tested is a team's tool for individual analysis in comparing monetary value against league average performance metrics such as Yards Per Attempt, Touchdowns, Success Percentage, Attempts, and Cap hit. In the attempt to capture a player's true value, the results should give insight to weather a player's value on the field is being under or overcompensated off the field. The findings show correlation between salary and performance with a few main challenges. The age and health of the player as well as the structure of NFL contracts. In conclusion, by applying statical models with data analytics. This paper aims to provide a better view of running backs market value in the NFL, along with contributing to the broadening of existing economic analysis in sports.
Determining NFL Running Back Value
Meadowlark
The analysis of sports analytics is an imperfect metric to evaluate player performance. In the NFL, player salaries are increasing at record levels as is the salary cap, or money teams are allowed to spend on players, is increasing at a similar rate. The allocation of these millions is the difficult job of NFL teams' front office where the combination of analytics, player performance, and financial analysis combine. The purpose of this study is to help general managers and decision makers use econometric analysis to win games, and inevitably contribute to the winning of a championship. The analysis consists of NFL running backs specifically and weather the positions wage disparity is justified. Despite the high visibility and importance of the skill position, running backs salaries are among the lowest quartile in the league. This value over salary metric being tested is a team's tool for individual analysis in comparing monetary value against league average performance metrics such as Yards Per Attempt, Touchdowns, Success Percentage, Attempts, and Cap hit. In the attempt to capture a player's true value, the results should give insight to weather a player's value on the field is being under or overcompensated off the field. The findings show correlation between salary and performance with a few main challenges. The age and health of the player as well as the structure of NFL contracts. In conclusion, by applying statical models with data analytics. This paper aims to provide a better view of running backs market value in the NFL, along with contributing to the broadening of existing economic analysis in sports.
