What is Effective Field Goal Percentage?

Effective field goal percentage (eFG%) is a basketball efficiency metric that adjusts for the fact that three-point field goals are worth more than two-point field goals. A made three counts as 1.5 field goals in the calculation, which gives a more accurate picture of shooting value than raw field goal percentage.

eFG% isolates shot-making and shot selection. It tells you how efficiently a player scores from the field — without accounting for free throws.

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Effective Field Goal Percentage Calculator (eFG%)

eFG% Formula

eFG% = (FGM + 0.5 × 3PM) / FGA

FGM — Field Goals Made
3PM — Three-Pointers Made
FGA — Field Goal Attempts
0.5 — the constant that weights made threes as 1.5 field goals

What is a Good Effective Field Goal Percentage?

eFG%	Rating
60%+	Elite
55–59%	Very good
50–54%	Average
45–49%	Below average
Under 45%	Poor

League average typically sits around 53-54%. Unlike TS%, this benchmark is purely about field goal efficiency — free throw shooting doesn’t move this number.

NBA Effective Field Goal Percentage

2025-26 Regular Season

eFG% leaders tend to skew toward bigs and rim-runners who take high-percentage shots, alongside three-point specialists who shoot efficiently from distance. The common thread is shot selection — players who avoid mid-range attempts and operate at the rim or behind the arc tend to post the strongest eFG% numbers.

2024-25 regular season eFG% leaders (min. 20% usage, 20 min/game, 60 games played):

Player	eFG%
Jalen Duren	65.0%
Nikola Jokic	61.8%
Chet Holmgren	61.4%
Kon Knueppel	60.1%
Zion Williamson	60.0%

2025 playoff eFG% leaders (min. 20% usage, 20 min/game, 3 playoff games):

Player	eFG%
Ayo Dosunmu	70.3%
Collin Murray-Boyles	67.3%
Karl-Anthony Towns	66.7%
Victor Wembanyama	65.6%
RJ Barrett	60.5%

Dosunmu leads both the eFG% and TS% playoff lists, which tells you his efficiency isn’t free throw dependent — he’s actually making shots at an elite rate. That’s a more sustainable signal than a player propped up by free throw volume.

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eFG% vs True Shooting Percentage (TS%)

eFG% and TS% are related but measure different things. If you’re using one without the other you’re missing part of the picture.

Stat	Adjusts for 3s?	Includes Free Throws?	Best For
eFG%	Yes	No	Shot quality and selection
TS%	Yes	Yes	Total scoring efficiency

The gap between a player’s eFG% and TS% tells you something specific: how much of their efficiency comes from getting to the free throw line. A player with a 57% TS% and a 51% eFG% is drawing fouls and converting — that free throw dependence is worth knowing, especially in DFS where matchup context matters.

For a deeper look at true shooting percentage and how it applies to NBA cash game lineup construction, see the True Shooting Percentage Calculator →

eFG% in Daily Fantasy Basketball

eFG% is most useful in DFS as a shot quality filter — it tells you whether a player is getting good looks, independent of whether they’re drawing fouls.

Identifying efficient volume — Two players at similar salaries with similar recent scoring totals can look interchangeable in a DFS player pool. eFG% separates the ones scoring on quality attempts from the ones grinding out points on high volume and poor selection.

Spotting three-point dependent efficiency — A player with a strong eFG% but weak TS% is likely riding a hot three-point shooting stretch. That’s more volatile than a player posting similar eFG% through rim pressure and shot selection. I use both numbers together for this reason.

Pace and total context — In high-total games with fast pace, efficient scorers benefit more than volume scorers. eFG% helps confirm a player is converting the extra opportunities a fast game creates, not just taking more bad shots.

eFG% won’t replace matchup research or ownership analysis. But as a filter for narrowing a player pool in cash games, it’s a fast way to separate players who are scoring well from players who are just scoring a lot.