FTN Network, a company specializing in NFL data for betting and fantasy sports has announced the signing of Adam Schatz who is described as an ‘industry-leading data analyst’.

Schatz has signed a multi-year contract with the company and becomes the Chief Analytics Officer. As a result of the partnership, Schatz’s DVOA will move from Football Outsiders (which he created in 2003).

The DVOA, which stands for Defense-adjusted Value Over Average breaks down the NFL play-by-play, and assigns each play a value based on both total yards and yards towards a first down. It compares each play to a league-average baseline based on a situation. As an example, five yards on third and four are worth more than five yards on first.

Performance also gets adjusted for quality of opponent; attacking players with a positive DVOA are considered above average, while defenders with a negative DVOA are considered above the average defender.

FTN Network CEO Kevin Adams commented: “Adding Aaron as Chief Analytics Officer for the long term and as a voice in the FTN community was of utmost importance to us. The day we launched the 2023 FTN Football Almanac, the site almost crashed and we had to upgrade our server capacity fourfold, showcasing the literal impact Aaron’s talents have made on our site already. Aaron is the best of the best, and we’re incredibly proud to be able to offer Aaron and his data and insights to our community, and continue to provide the best leg up when it comes to fantasy and betting.”

Schatz will provide a plethora of written content for the site, as well as running a bi-weekly podcast with another Mike Tanier, an NFL writer named “The Schatz and Tanier NFL Podcast”.

“I have been incredibly impressed with FTN since our first meeting for the 2023 Football Almanac. The resources and support that I have received since I started working with FTN have not only been a natural fit, but have made the adjustment to my new environment almost seamless. Because of the flexibility and depth of FTN’s data, I’ve been able to prepare for the upcoming football season without skipping a beat. I’m looking forward to creating more engaging content for the FTN community over the next few years.”