It’s time to analyze some wide receiver and cornerback matchups! Use this chart below to determine which receivers are being covered by top corners and below the chart, you will find some of my favorite matchups of the week. Also, be sure to check out the DFS WR coach for even more information on this crucial position in fantasy. Oh yeah, follow me on Twitter (@colbyrconway) as well!
Offense | Left WR | Defense | Right CB | Analysis |
| ARI | J.J. Nelson | DET | Nevin Lawson | Nelson isn't likely to push for a ton of targets in this one, but with John Brown likely drawing top corner Darius Slay, he could finish third in targets behind David Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald. What he'll do with those targets remains to be seen. |
| ATL | Julio Jones | CHI | Prince Amukamara | Regardless of the matchup, you aren't sitting Julio Jones, but you certainly will not this week against Amukamara who is three inches shorter than Jones. |
| BAL | Mike Wallace | CIN | William Jackson | Jackson missed all of last year due to injury but the former Houston standout could quickly develop into one of Cincinnati's best players. Playing this position at the professional level comes with plenty of growing pains, but the main goal will be not to allow Wallace to get open deep. Expect softer coverage from Jackson in this one. |
| BUF | Zay Jones | NYJ | Justin Burris | Love me some Zay Jones this week. When Buffalo does throw the ball, not to Shady McCoy, I expect Jones to be on the receiving end. Jordan Matthews and Charles Clay will take some targets, but this is Jones' official coming out party. Excellent flex option in seasonal leagues and DFS play. |
| CAR | Kelvin Benjamin | SF | Rashard Robinson | Benjamin has four inches on Robinson and Newton will certainly look his top wide receiver's way in the end zone. Newton is coming off a disappointing season and there is no better way to silence the naysayers than by dominating Week 1. Newton and Benjamin will be productive and profitable this weekend. |
| CHI | Josh Bellamy | ATL | Robert Alford | Bellamy isn't a major threat this week. With Desmond Trufant likely shadowing Kevin White, it's going to be a lot of Jordan Howard, Zach Miller and Kendall Wright on Sunday. |
| CIN | A.J. Green | BAL | Jimmy Smith | Smith is a good corner but he's had little to no answer for A.J. Green. Cincinnati's top wide receiver is an elite play in Week 1. Lock it in. |
| CLE | Corey Coleman | PIT | Artie Burns | DeShone Kizer wants to push the ball down the field, which plays right into Coleman's strengths. Cleveland will throw it a bunch since they'll get behind early, making Coleman a sneaky play. |
| DAL | Dez Bryant | NYG | Janoris Jenkins | Jenkins has Bryant's number big time. He recorded just two receptions on 14 targets for 18 yards in two meetings against Jenkins and the Giants in 2016. Definite risk here. |
| DEN | Demaryius Thomas | LAC | Jason Verrett | Verrett is a good corner in his own right, but Hayward is the better corner. I like Thomas' outlook for Week 1 better than his teammate Emmanuel Sanders'. |
| DET | Marvin Jones | ARI | Patrick Peterson | Jones likely draws Peterson this week, allowing Justin Bethel to cover Golladay. Peterson won't shadow Jones, so there will be opportunities to produce on Sunday. However, expectations should be slightly tempered with Peterson likely spending at least half of the game on him. |
| GB | Davante Adams | SEA | Shaquill Griffin | Adams should feast on this rookie corner. Safety help can't exactly be rolled over given the other weapons Green Bay has to offer. Aaron Rodgers will get Adams the ball and he has an excellent opportunity to find the end zone. |
| HOU | DeAndre Hopkins | JAX | A.J. Bouye | Hopkins has his work cut out for him in Week 1. If it's not Bouye guarding him, expect Jalen Ramsey to be on him. Regardless, he's getting one of these guys all day. He did go for 8-87 against Ramsey in Week 15 with Savage under center. |
| IND | Donte Moncrief | LAR | Kayvon Webster | Even with Andrew Luck under center, I don't think I'd be too keen on Moncrief. With Scott Tolzien under center, I'm avoiding like the plague. |
| JAX | Marqise Lee | HOU | Kevin Johnson | Houston has high expectations for Johnson and he will serve as the No. 2 corner to begin the season. He was playing like a top corner before going down with injury. |
| KC | Chris Conley | NE | Stephon Gilmore | Kansas City's lackluster passing attack can at best support two pass-catchers that aren't running backs. Not much to see here. |
| LAC | Tyrell Williams | DEN | Bradley Roby | Denver's stout passing attack is tough, but if there's one corner to attack, Roby is the one. Upgrade him slightly, despite the stiff matchup. |
| LAR | Robert Woods | IND | Rashaan Melvin | All the Rams receivers are in play on Sunday. Indy's defense is battered, beaten and without its top two defensive playmakers. Woods is the GPP option, while Sammy Watkins and Cooper Kupp are the more mainstream plays. |
| MIA | TB | |||
| MIN | Laquon Treadwell | NO | P.J. Williams | It's hard to trust Treadwell, even in a plus matchup, because we don't really know what we have in him. Also, we don't fully know what his role is going to be. As I see it right now, he's behind Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen and Kyle Rudolph in the pecking order. |
| NE | Chris Hogan | KC | Terrance Mitchell | Mitchell is a sneaky good corner that likely doesn't get the credit he deserves. Marcus Peters, an excellent corner in his own right, hogs a lot of the attention, is the team's top corner, but don't sleep on Mitchell. However, Tom Brady can throw a guy open and Hogan has big play potential. The only knock on Hogan is that we don't fully know what is going to be the case in this new look New England offense. |
| NO | Michael Thomas | MIN | Xavier Rhodes | SHADOW ALERT. Rhodes is going to follow Thomas all night long like a drunk guy chasing a hot blonde at a bar. This is going to be one of the most fun matchups to watch on the slate. Thomas will get his, but temper expectations and expect WR2 results. |
| NYG | Odell Beckham Jr. | DAL | Nolan Carroll | If OBJ plays and is even remotely close to even 75 percent healthy, expect big results. If he doesn't, well, he gets a zero. Monitor his status closely. |
| NYJ | Jermaine Kearse | BUF | E.J. Gaines | Gaines was one of the worst corners in all of football last year but Kearse really isn't gathering much attention except in very deep leagues and GPP fliers. Robby Anderson is the Jets receiver I'd rather take a chance on. |
| OAK | Amari Cooper | TEN | Adoree' Jackson | The Tennessee corners may be swapping a bit in this one, as Amari Cooper is a tough cover for a rookie corner in his professional regular season debut. Cooper is going to feast in this one and put WR1 numbers, regardless of whether it's Jackson or Logan Ryan opposite him. |
| PHI | Alshon Jeffery | WAS | Josh Norman | SHADOW ALERT. Normal will cover Jeffery all day and I predict that it will be a chippy day between the two. Expect plenty of pushing and shoving. While you likely have to play Jeffery in seasonal formats, especially in deeper leagues, Pryor is a much better play in DFS. |
| PIT | Antonio Brown | CLE | Jason McCourty | HA. Good luck, Jason. Brown will do what Brown gon' do. Elite WR1 numbers on the way for Brown to begin the year. |
| SEA | Paul Richardson | GB | Davon House | None of the Green Bay corners were good last year and it was an open house for receivers last year against House. Richardson has potential, but I don't expect to see a big game from him in Week 1. |
| SF | Pierre Garcon | CAR | Daryl Worley | Garcon will quickly show that he will be Brian Hoyer's favorite target this season. I'm extremely high on Garcon, especially in PPR formats. Even if Worley moves off him during the game, James Bradberry doesn't pose a significant threat to the savvy veteran. |
| TB | MIA | |||
| TEN | Eric Decker | OAK | Sean Smith | Decker will see the majority of his work inside the 20s, and if he moves inside to the slot, his 3-inch size advantage over Gareon Conley bodes well for his Week 1 prospects. However, he's not my favorite Tennessee receiver this week. Leave that to Rishard Matthews. |
| WAS | Josh Doctson | PHI | Jalen Mills | While reports say that Mills has improved, it's hard to look past his league-worst grade at his position on PFF in 2016. Doctson will need to develop a rapport with Kirk Cousins before he can be trusted. |
Offense | Right WR | Defense | Left CB | Analysis |
| ARI | John Brown | DET | Darius Slay | It's going to be tough sledding for Brown in this one. The matchup isn't ideal and Brown has plenty of concerns himself. He's no more than low-end flex consideration for me. |
| ATL | Taylor Gabriel | CHI | Marcus Cooper | Gabriel is a glorified gadget player that has big play ability. It will be interesting to see how he is used under the new offensive coordinator. He's not my cup of tea this week, even in a plus matchup. |
| BAL | Breshad Perriman | CIN | Dre Kirkpatrick | Perriman hasn't put it together thus far in his young NFL career, but the potential is there. I don't think we see it in Week 1. If you take a chance on him and it doesn't work out, it's on you. I won't be playing him anywhere. |
| BUF | Andre Holmes | NYJ | Morris Claiborne | Claiborne was decent in Dallas, but like many good players, their play drops when coming to the Jets. He will likely contain Andre Holmes, but that isn't saying much. Holmes isn't on anyone's radar. |
| CAR | Devin Funchess | SF | Keith Reaser | I believe that Kelvin Benjamin will be the most productive receiver for the Panthers on Sunday, so my expectations for Funchess are rather low. In deeper formats, he may be a flex option for you, but he isn't my preferred play this weekend, seasonal or DFS. |
| CHI | Kevin White | ATL | Desmond Trufant | White has yet to deliver on his potential and draft pick yet and it likely won't happen on Sunday against Atlanta's top corner. I'd feel much safer playing Kendall Wright in the slot than White out wide against Trufant. |
| CIN | Brandon LaFell | BAL | Brandon Carr | Even though Cincinnati will likely air it out once they realize they can't run the ball, LaFell just isn't doing it for me in Week 1. Carr is a decent corner, but it's going to be a lot of A.J. Green on Sunday. |
| CLE | Kenny Britt | PIT | Joe Haden | Injuries have decimated Haden in recent years, but he posted a PFF grade of 79 or higher each year from 2010 to 2014. If he can stay healthy in the Pittsburgh regime, he could return to those numbers. This is a statement game for Haden as well against his former club, so expect him to ball out. |
| DAL | Terrance Williams | NYG | Eli Apple | Even though Apple had his problems last year, Williams' fantasy value is touchdown dependent due to his minimal role in the passing attack. Even though he's technically the team's No. 2 receiver behind Dez Bryant, Cole Beasley is the real No. 2 receiver in Dallas. Avoid Williams. |
| DEN | Emmanuel Sanders | LAC | Casey Hayward | According to PFF, Hayward had the sixth-best grade among all corners in 2016. Trevor Siemian is an average quarterback and it's likely going to be tough sledding for Thomas on Monday Night Football. |
| DET | Kenny Golladay | ARI | Justin Bethel | Golladay, the preseason hero, carries fantasy value in this one, considering that he'll likely avoid Arizona's top two corners for most of the game. Detroit loves to throw the football and his 6-foot-4-inch frame will come in handy at some point on Sunday. |
| GB | Jordy Nelson | SEA | Richard Sherman | Despite having just six receptions against the Seahawks last year, Nelson went for two scores. Richard Sherman is a good corner, but Rodgers and Nelson click on a different level and he's damn near matchup proof. Nelson is still a WR1 this week. |
| HOU | Bruce Ellington | JAX | Jalen Ramsey | Ellington is a no-go for me. The matchup is brutal and you can't trust him at this point. |
| IND | Chester Rogers | LAR | Trumaine Johnson | With Philip Dorsett gone, Rogers will have the opportunity to prove himself in an extended capacity. However, no Andrew Luck means no Indy receiver named Chester for me. |
| JAX | Allen Robinson | HOU | Johnathan Joseph | After a big first game against the Texans in 2016, he struggled in the second outing. Blake Bortles has been abysmal this preseason and Robinson is nothing more than a flex option against a good Houston pass defense. If you have better options, play them. |
| KC | Tyreek Hill | NE | Malcolm Butler | Butler could shadow Hill but Andy Reid will find creative ways to get Hill the ball in the open field. Hill isn't matchup proof by any means, but he will get plenty of touches on a weekly basis. |
| LAC | Travis Benjamin | DEN | Aqib Talib | Benjamin is a boom-or-bust guy and Talib is one of the best corners in all of football. Benjamin's ownership will be extremely low, and rightfully so. |
| LAR | Sammy Watkins | IND | Quincy Wilson | I love me some Sammy Watkins this week. Watkins has proven that he can be a tough receiver to cover and I mentioned it in the DFS Coach; you don't have to know the playbook completely to run a fly route. Watkins will find the end zone in his first game with his new club. |
| MIA | TB | |||
| MIN | Stefon Diggs | NO | Marshon Lattimore | Lattimore is a rookie with immense potential, but he will experience growing pains at one of the hardest positions for a young player. Stefon Diggs is an excellent wide receiver and has the opportunity to put up big numbers with Sam Bradford at the helm on Monday night. Fire up Diggs with confidence. |
| NE | Brandin Cooks | KC | Marcus Peters | This is another fun matchup to watch in Week 1. Peters is a playmaking corner and Cooks is Tom Brady's shiny new toy. Peters can be burned on double-moves, so you can expect that New England will attempt to let Cooks' speed shine at some point on Thursday evening. |
| NO | Ted Ginn Jr. | MIN | Trae Waynes | Waynes is no Xavier Rhodes at this point in his career, and Ginn could be in line for some additional targets in Week 1 with Rhodes covering Thomas and Willie Snead serving a three-game suspension. Boom-or-bust, but I like Ginn for one home run on Monday. |
| NYG | Brandon Marshall | DAL | Chidobe Aquzie | If Odell Beckham plays, Marshall will see a couple less targets. If he doesn't, fire Marshall up in every single format you can imagine. Dallas' secondary is unproven, and not good, which should allow Marshall to feast. |
| NYJ | Robby Anderson | BUF | Tre'Davious White | Anderson is my favorite Jets receiver in Week 1 and Tre'Davious White will get burned at some point in this contest. I love Anderson in GPPs this week. |
| OAK | Michael Crabtree | TEN | Logan Ryan | Ryan played in the slot primarily last season, but he will likely move out wide in his first season with the Titans. Derek Carr is going to sling it early and often and we all know Crabtree gets plenty of usage in the red zone. He has an excellent opportunity to find the end zone and is a great DFS option. |
| PHI | Torrey Smith | WAS | Bashaud Breeland | Smith just might be my favorite GPP play on the slate. With Josh Norman shadowing Alshon Jeffery, Smith gets to square off against Breeland. He was one of the worst corners in the league last year according to PFF and I expect Smith to break loose for a big one on Sunday. |
| PIT | Martavis Bryant | CLE | Briean Boddy-Calhoun | Bryant is boom-or-bust and the plan is to likely get Bryant at least one big play in his return to game action. However, Big Ben's problems on the road might affect Bryant more so than Antonio Brown. I like Bryant as a flex option or tournament play, but not cash lineups. |
| SEA | Tyler Lockett | GB | Quinten Rollins | Rollins was one of many underperforming corners for the Packers last season. Lockett is coming off a leg injury so he has plenty of concerns himself, but he does have plenty of upside in a plus-matchup. Green Bay allowed the most touchdowns to opposing wide outs last season. |
| SF | Marquise Goodwin | CAR | James Bradberry | Goodwin is a burner but Bradberry is the best of the Carolina corners. Bradberry likely will cover Garcon at times, too, on Sunday, and that would be the time when Goodwin could shake loose on a double move. He's boom-or-bust, ladies and gents. |
| TB | MIA | |||
| TEN | Rishard Matthews | OAK | David Amerson | Matthews is my favorite Titans receiver this week. I'd start him in just about every format and I trust him more than Eric Decker, Corey Davis and Taywan Taylor. |
| WAS | Terrelle Pryor | PHI | Ronald Darby | I like Darby as a corner, but I love Pryor in Week 1. He's a staple in all of my DFS lineups and a must-start in all seasonal formats. Play with confidence. |
Elite
Green is an elite receiver, to say the least, and he absolutely torched Jimmy Smith and company last year. In his last five matchups with the Ravens, Green has scored a touchdown in each game and eclipsed 100 yards three times, including one 227-yard effort. John Ross won’t be out there and Brandon LaFell won’t take a ton of targets away from Green. Listen, Andy Dalton loves to throw to Green and it will be on full display in Week 1.
Antonio Brown vs. All of Cleveland
Come on now. Don’t get cute. Even with Ben’s road splits, Brown will be fine. Fire him up with the utmost confidence.
Affordable
Sammy Watkins vs. Quincy Wilson
The only thing that scares me with this matchup is that it almost seems too good to be true. Watkins, a productive receiver when healthy who loves to get down field, gets to face a rookie cornerback and a defense without its two best players in the secondary. Sure, Jared Goff had his struggles in 2016 but he showed flashes of promise in the preseason and wouldn’t it be fitting for him to go out there and start the season on a high note? Wouldn’t it be great to get the newest member of the offense a touchdown in his first regular season game with the new club? I’m high on Watkins in Week 1.
Rishard Matthews vs. David Amerson
Amerson allowed the fourth-most yards in all of football last season among cornerbacks. I’ve mentioned it before, but I’ll say it again. I have more trust in Matthews than any other receiver in the Tennessee passing attack in Week 1. Corey Davis will only be used in specific situations and Eric Decker will do his damage likely within the 20s. Matthews will get plenty of look there, too, given his rapport with quarterback Marcus Mariota. In a high-scoring game, Matthews makes for an excellent play.
Bargain Bin
Torrey Smith vs. Bashaud Breeland
If any Philadelphia receiver will get behind a Washington cornerback, it will be Smith getting behind Breeland. Josh Norman will have Alshon Jeffery on lock and Carson Wentz will rely on Zach Ertz, his running backs and Smith to move the ball. Smith is a home run threat and while Wentz didn’t throw the ball downfield much in 2016 (2nd-lowest yards per attempt), I expect that number to increase in his sophomore season. There will be points scored in this game, and one of the touchdowns will be to Torrey Smith.