From last week’s piece, Michael Thomas, Antonio Brown and Robert Woods came through, while Adam Thielen and Cole Beasley left more to be desired. This week, I got some great options for you and many of the guys below will be some of my favorite pieces in DFS this week. In seasonal formats, be sure to check the tables to potentially assist you in any tough lineup decisions.
Oh yeah, follow me on Twitter (@colbyrconway) as well!
Offense | Left WR | Defense | Right CB | Analysis |
| ARI | ||||
| ATL | Julio Jones | NYJ | Morris Claiborne | Jones finally scored last week and it's about damn time. They need to use him more, especially in the red zone. Believe it or not, in DFS this week, he's not my preferred Falcons receiver in this matchup. However, Jones is still a WR1 and you can never go wrong with him in your lineup. |
| BAL | Breshad Perriman | MIA | Xavien Howard | Miami has been bad against the pass, but my utter lack of faith and trust in Joe Flacco is the reason that Perriman continues to be nonexistent on any of my rosters. Don't do it to yourself. |
| BUF | Zay Jones | OAK | Dexter McDonald | Jones has been incredibly inefficient, but if you need a silver lining, it's that he received nine targets against the Bucs. However, he's caught just seven of 32 targets on the year. He's nearly impossible to trust at this juncture of the season. You can hold in dynasty formats, but redraft leagues, he can safely be dropped. |
| CAR | Kelvin Benjamin | TB | Robert McClain | Benjamin's big body should come in handy in this contest, so long as Cam Newton plays like he can. He's been incredibly inconsistent, which has impacted Benjamin's numbers this year. His targets have fluctuated anywhere from two targets in Week 3, up to 13 just a couple of weeks ago. I like Benjamin to score and put up WR2 numbers. |
| CHI | Tre McBride | NO | Ken Crawley | If they don't have to, Chicago would love to run the football every play. I want no wide receiver in this Chicago offense. |
| CIN | Brandon LaFell | IND | Vontae Davis | LaFell had more targets than A.J. Green last week, but don't bank on that happening this week. Green will get double-digit targets, while LaFell will hover between 6-8 looks from Andy Dalton. In what is a heavy bye week, you may be forced to start LaFell, but you shouldn't feel good about it. In DFS, you have a choice, so avoid him wisely. |
| CLE | Kenny Britt | MIN | Xavier Rhodes | Rhodes is a tough matchup for any receiver and I don't expect Kenny Britt to be the one that cracks Rhodes' code. Don't start Britt anywhere. |
| DAL | Dez Bryant | WAS | Bashaud Breeland | Everyone was on Bryant against the 49ers and a late touchdown saved his fantasy day in standard formats. He's received eight or more targets in all but one game this season and he's the clear focal point in the Dallas passing attack. He's a low-end WR1 in this divisional matchup. |
| DEN | Demaryius Thomas | KC | Terrance Mitchell | Thomas burned us last week, but it can't happen two weeks in a row. Mitchell has been thrown at a ton this season and Thomas is a WR2 at the worst this week. He should have scored last week if it wouldn't have been called back. Love some Thomas this week. |
| DET | Kenny Golladay | PIT | Artie Burns | Golladay is on track to play and that should help the Detroit offense. Golden Tate likely is out of action, leaving Golladay and Marvin Jones as the top options in the Detroit passing attack. He's a flex option at best this weekend. |
| GB | ||||
| HOU | DeAndre Hopkins | SEA | Shaquil Griffin | With the majority of his routes coming away from Richard Sherman, Hopkins is the Houston receiver you want this week. Griffin has been good in his own right, but Hopkins is a beast out wide and is fantasy relevant again with Deshaun Watson under center. Hopkins will score a touchdown at some point in this game, and it will come on either a fade, or that play-action slant they run with Nuk in the end zone. |
| IND | Donte Moncrief | CIN | Adam Jones | Moncrief has more than four targets in just two games this season and has yet to exceed 68 receiving yards in a game. He has just one touchdown on the year and I expect Indy to struggle to move the ball against the Cincy defense. Moncrief is a low-end flex option at best, given the nature of the bye week beast. |
| JAX | ||||
| KC | Demarcus Robinson | DEN | Bradley Roby | Roby has allowed just 18 receptions on 31 targets this season, totaling 183 yards.* Robinson is just a complementary piece in the Kansas City offense and a matchup against this Denver defense isn't the fondest of scenarios. He's likely unowned in your league and that trend can remain for the time being. |
| LAC | Tyrell Williams | NE | Malcolm Butler | Philip Rivers' QB rating is actually the highest when throwing to Williams, yet Rivers has targeted Williams 38 less times than Keenan Allen. In fact, Williams has just six targets over the last three weeks. His fantasy value continues to fade. |
| LAR | ||||
| MIA | DeVante Parker | BAL | Jimmy Smith | With Parker logging some practice time, I expect him back in some capacity in this matchup against the Ravens. I'm not particularly fond of any Miami Dolphin in this matchup, but I'm not down on Parker's fantasy value the rest of the season. |
| MIN | Laquon Treadwell | CLE | Jason McCourty | With Diggs out of the lineup the past two weeks, Treadwell has just six receptions on seven targets. Diggs' return will push Treadwell down to a distant third in the pecking order among wide receivers, making him an extremely tough start in seasonal and daily formats. |
| NE | Brandin Cooks | LAC | Casey Hayward | When Tom Brady targets Brandin Cooks, his QB rating is a league-high 128.7.* Even in a less than ideal matchup, having Tom Brady as your quarterback can transcend that. Cooks remains in the WR2 category for me in Week 8. |
| NO | Michael Thomas | CHI | Prince Amukamara | Only 12 receivers average more yards per route run than Thomas, and it would be nice if he could haul in any of his targets that are downfield.* On six targets of 20 or more yards, he's caught just two of them, however, those were the only two that were catchable.* Chicago's defense is underrated, but Thomas is a must start in seasonal formats. |
| NYG | ||||
| NYJ | Jermaine Kearse | ATL | Robert Alford | Alford has allowed the most receiving yards among the Atlanta corners, but in his defense, he has been targeted a team-high 40 times.* The 27-year-old has scored in two of the last three weeks, and in a game where the Jets must keep up, Kearse has a good chance to push that streak to three out of four. He's a solid flex option. |
| OAK | Amari Cooper | BUF | E.J. Gaines | After the success last week against the Chiefs, expect Oakland to continue moving Cooper around in the offense, including some snaps out of the slot. He won't reach the numbers he did last week, but I like him for high-end WR3 numbers against the Bills' secondary. |
| PHI | Alshon Jeffery | SF | Dontae Johnson | Johnson doesn't grade out too well at his position and he's allowed the eighth-most receiving yards among cornerbacks when in coverage.* Alshon can put up productive games in plus matchups, and this is one of those opportunities. He's lead the Philadelphia wide receivers in targets in all but two weeks this season. |
| PIT | Antonio Brown | DET | Darius Slay | While Slay has been extremely good this season, Brown is a different animal out there. While Slay will shadow Brown in this one, he'll likely only cover him for around 75 percent of his routes, so one-quarter of Brown's snaps will come on one of Detroit's lesser corners.* Start him with confidence on Sunday Night Football. |
| SEA | Paul Richardson | HOU | Kevin Johnson | Richardson saw just two targets last week despite outsnapping Tyler Lockett. Richardson's role in the offense is diminishing and the likely return of Kevin Johnson helps the Houston defense. Richardson isn't the Seahawk receiver you want in your seasonal or daily lineups in Week 8. |
| SF | Marquise Goodwin | PHI | Ronald Darby | In C.J. Beathard's first start, Goodwin was the most targeted wide receiver. He caught four passes for a team-high 80 yards. While the matchup is good on paper, Goodwin may not have time to get down field for some big plays, due to the fact that the 49ers won't be able to hold off the vicious Philadelphia pass rush. |
| TB | Mike Evans | CAR | Kevin Seymour | Evans continues to produce and has scored a touchdown in each of the two games against Carolina last year. Does he make it three games in a row with a touchdown against the Panthers? Hell yeah he does! WR1, lock it up. |
| TEN | ||||
| WAS | Terrelle Pryor | DAL | Jourdan Lewis | Pryor's snap count is something to monitor this week, after he was nonexistent for much of Monday's contest against the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite a favorable matchup, leave Pryor on your bench. |
Offense | Right WR | Defense | Left CB | Analysis |
| ARI | ||||
| ATL | Taylor Gabriel | NYJ | Darryl Roberts | Gabriel saw just two targets last week, playing third fiddle to Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu. In what is likely to be a heavy Devonta Freeman game, Gabriel's fantasy value is rather low, even against the Jets. Sanu will have a better game than Gabriel. |
| BAL | Mike Wallace | MIA | Cordrea Tankersley | Tankersley has gone through some growing pains at the cornerback position and even though Wallace is an established veteran, the incompetencies of Joe Flacco have Wallace off my radar. This Thursday night game is the epitome of the Thursday trap that we all want, and probably should, attempt to avoid in DFS. |
| BUF | Andre Holmes | OAK | David Amerson | If only Holmes had a larger role in the offense. Amerson has allowed a QB rating of 156.3 when targeted this season, but Holmes' role in the offense won't equate to big time fantasy production.* Leave him on the bench and away from your DFS roster. |
| CAR | Devin Funchess | TB | Brent Grimes | Funchess' target numbers have been consistent over the past month. He's logged at least eight targets in each of the past five games, but he hasn't caught more than four passes in a game since Week 5. The opportunity is there and even in a below-average matchup, volume should keep Funchess in the WR 3 realm. |
| CHI | Tanner Gentry | NO | Marshon Lattimore | I mentioned it above and I'll say it again. Chicago doesn't want to throw the ball if they aren't required. Gentry has potential, but it won't happen early on in Mitchell Trubisky's career, seeing as they threw the ball just seven times last week. In fact, Chicago is averaging just 16 pass attempts per game with Trubisky under center. |
| CIN | A.J. Green | IND | Rashaan Melvin | I wrote about it in the DFS coach and Green has a tasty matchup. Blake Bortles made this defense look like a JV squad and the loss of Malik Hooker in the secondary makes Indianapolis even more vulnerable in the back end. Green shook loose for a big one against the Bills a few weeks back, and there's no reason it can't happen here. He's a WR1 for me this week. |
| CLE | Ricardo Louis | MIN | Trae Waynes | Over the last three weeks, Waynes has allowed a team-high 15 receptions, but the QB rating when targeting Waynes is just 73.8.* I like attacking Waynes in DFS more often than not, but I won't be doing it with Ricardo Louis. |
| DAL | Terrance Williams | WAS | Josh Norman | Norman is expected to return, which means Williams will struggle to produce in this matchup. Norman could potentially be on a pitch count, but even so, Williams just isn't my cup of tea in Week 8. |
| DEN | Emmanuel Sanders | KC | Marcus Peters | Tough matchup for Sanders, presuming he returns from injury. I'm still starting Sanders if he suits up, because he won't see Peters all game long. Despite missing the team's last game, he still has a tie for the team-lead in red zone targets, and Denver should be able to move the football against this Kansas City defense. He's an excellent flex option. |
| DET | Marvin Jones | PIT | Joe Haden | The matchup isn't ideal on paper, but Jones is the top option in the passing game and Detroit is going to sling the rock. Jones has 22 targets over his last two contests and the absence of Golden Tate should allow him to see double-digit targets. He's a WR2 for me. |
| GB | ||||
| HOU | Will Fuller V | SEA | Richard Sherman | Fuller has been a touchdown machine since his return from injury, but that streak could end in Week 8. Fuller will escape Sherman's coverage on a handful of routes in the game, but the majority of his snaps will likely come with Sherman across from him. He should still log a few receptions, especially if Houston throws him a couple more screen passes. He's better suited as a flex option, but no more. |
| IND | T.Y. Hilton | CIN | Dre Kirkpatrick | Kirkpatrick has allowed 0.86 yards per coverage snap this season, and has been burned for two touchdowns on the year.* If Indy has any chance of moving the football, it will need to come via Hilton in the passing game. I like him for high-end WR3 production this week. |
| JAX | ||||
| KC | Tyreek Hill | DEN | Aqib Talib | Hill is a burner who really only needs one play to make fantasy value. This is a tough matchup, but he's a focal point of the offense. I don't think he breaks a big play in this one, but a touchdown in the return game isn't out of the question. I like him as a more of a flex option on Monday Night Football. |
| LAC | Travis Benjamin | NE | Stephon Gilmore | Benjamin has just one target in each of the last two games, and just 10 targets over the last four weeks. If you had to start Benjamin last week, you were bailed out by his lone catch going for a long touchdown. It's a favorable matchup, but his role in the offense is so touchdown dependent. |
| LAR | ||||
| MIA | Kenny Stills | BAL | Brandon Carr | It's not an ideal matchup, but Stills is coming off a two-touchdown performance and there was an obvious rapport with new quarterback Matt Moore. He's no more than a flex option in seasonal formats and tournament play in DFS, but he does have some appeal against the Ravens. |
| MIN | Stefon Diggs | CLE | Jamar Taylor | Please get back on the field, Stefon! If he is healthy enough to suit up, he's a must start in seasonal formats. In this contest against the Browns, be greedy and expect high-end WR2 numbers, even coming off a groin jury. |
| NE | Chris Hogan | LAC | Trevor Williams | Hogan's productive, and target totals, have dipped lately, and the Chargers secondary is playing well of late. I trust Tom Brady to deliver the football to his receivers, but like every week, which one? I do like Hogan this week in seasonal formats, but not enough to trust him in my cash game lineup on DFS. |
| NO | Ted Ginn | CHI | Kyle Fuller | I'll say it every week, but Ginn needs a big play and/or a touchdown to be relevant in fantasy formats. He has 111 receptions the past two weeks, including a touchdown and a 47-yard reception. Trusting him in cash is risky, but if you want a boom-or-bust option in a DFS lineup, you could win with Ginn. |
| NYG | ||||
| NYJ | Robby Anderson | ATL | Desmond Trufant | Kearse may have been productive against the Dolphins generous secondary, but it won't be as easy against a corner of Trufant's caliber. Trufant has allowed just 14 receptions on the year and has been the recipient of just 25 targets on the year.* Production for Kearse will be tougher than last week. |
| OAK | Michael Crabtree | BUF | Tre'Davious White | Cooper may have stole the show on Thursday night against the Chiefs, but don't forget that it was Crabtree who caught the game-winning touchdown and has been the more consistent receiver on this Oakland squad. Crabtree is a near-lock for WR2 numbers this week. |
| PHI | Torrey Smith | SF | Rashard Robinson | Smith's value in the offense is fading quickly, with Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor being the clear-cut first and second options among wide receivers. Sprinkle some Mack Hollins and Zach Ertz in there and there isn't much left for Smith. You can do better than Smith. |
| PIT | Martavis Bryant | DET | Nevin Lawson | The Bryant saga continues. Reports come out that he wants a trade, but he denies it, only to respond to someone Instagram insinuating that he wants out of Pittsburgh. Regardless of what goes on off the field, he's not producing and Juju Smith-Schuster is the better receiver. There's little hope left for Bryant in Pittsburgh. |
| SEA | Tyler Lockett | HOU | Johnathan Joseph | Despite being the second or third option in the passing game, depending how you view Jimmy Graham, Lockett doesn't carry much fantasy value in this one. Joseph is playing excellent at the cornerback position and is playing like he's back in his prime years. Lockett is far from a lock this week. |
| SF | Pierre Garcon | PHI | Jalen Mills | Garcon is a reception machine and he even though he didn't fare as well as I thought he would last week, you can safely fire him up. He's a safe bet for low-end WR2 production in PPR formats, but he drops to the WR3 realm in standard formats. |
| TB | DeSean Jackson | CAR | James Bradberry | The Panthers have allowed just 21 passes of 20 or more yards and unless Jackson can take a screen to the house, it's going to be hard for him to reach value in DFS. Tampa Bay will likely sling it a bit, but this isn't the matchup for Jackson, particularly in DFS. |
| TEN | ||||
| WAS | Josh Doctson | DAL | Anthony Brown | #FreeDoctson! I love Doctson in all formats this week and with Washington likely falling behind early, they are going to need to throw it a ton. In DFS, his price tag is super friendly and the production will be there as well. Fire him up! |
Now, here are my 10 favorite matchups in the slot this weekend.
Offense | Slot WR | Defense | Slot CB | Analysis |
| SEA | Doug Baldwin | HOU | Kareem Jackson | The likely return of Kevin Johnson pushes Jackson into the slot, which bodes well for Baldwin. Jackson has been the vulnerable piece in the Houston secondary and Baldwin is coming off an excellent performance. It's a great spot for Baldwin. |
| MIA | Jarvis Landry | BAL | Lardarius Webb | I love me some Landry this week. He's about a quarter step behind Baldwin for the top spot in this week's top 10 matchups out of the slot. Only two other corners have allowed more receiving yards out of the slot this season than Webb.* |
| PHI | Nelson Agholor | SF | K'Waun Williams | Williams has played better of late, but with Carson Wentz running the Eagles' offense, I love Agholor in Week 8. He's scoring touchdowns and has turned into one of Wentz's go-to options. He may only get about six targets in this game, but that should be plenty for 75 yards and a touchdown. |
| LAC | Keenan Allen | NE | Eric Rowe | Allen's fantasy value is highest in PPR formats and Rowe has allowed five receptions on nine targets out of the slot this year.* Allen continues to get plenty of looks from Philip Rivers and he's firmly entrenched as a WR2 this week. |
| ATL | Mohamed Sanu | NYJ | Buster Skrine | I love Sanu this week against Skrine. He allowed three touchdowns last week! He'll allow another one this week against Sanu and you'll find the veteran receiver in many of my DFS lineups. |
| MIN | Adam Thielen | CLE | Briean Boddy-Calhoun | If Diggs doesn't play, I only like Thielen more. He continues to get looks in the offense and he's proven that he can perform even when Diggs is on the field. Excellent flex option, especially in PPR formats, where he likely creeps up into low-end WR2 realm. |
| NE | Danny Amendola | LAC | Desmond King | The Chargers defense is very good, but if you want to attack this unit in the passing game, you want to look at King in the slot. He's allowed 18 receptions on 22 targets and a 101.9 QB rating when targeted.* Amendola could have a 6-65-1 line in this one. |
| PIT | JuJu Smith-Schuster | DET | Quandre Diggs | It's not a great matchup, but with Martavis Bryant likely benched, Smith-Schuster's role as the No. 3 option in the passing game is solidified. He'll need a touchdown to make value, but I think it happens. Darius Slay will shadow Antonio Brown and Pittsburgh will need JuJu to make some plays. |
| TB | Adam Humphries | CAR | Captain Munnerlyn | Humphries only saw three targets last week against the Bills, but let me remind you that it was the first time since the first game of the season that he failed to record at least five targets. He's a great play in PPR formats, seeing as he doesn't find the end zone often. |
| NYJ | Jeremy Kerley | ATL | Brian Poole | Kerley doesn't receive a ton of targets and has just one touchdown on the year, but on a site like DraftKings, you could do worse at the salary point than Kerley. Poole has allowed the seventh-most receiving yards out of the slot so far this season.* |
Elite
Doug Baldwin vs. Kareem Jackson
The likely return of Kevin Johnson pushes Jackson into the slot, where he struggled early on in the season. Before moving outside when Johnson hurt his knee against the Bengals, Jackson was allowing two yards per coverage snap and a 91 QB rating when targeted.* Baldwin is the clear-cut top option in the Seattle passing attack and coming off a big game, I like Baldwin to do some damage against my Houston Texans.
After being nonexistent in the second half of last week’s game, expect Bill Lazor to game plan numerous ways to get the football into Green’s hands. Green has found the end zone in three of the last four games, and has seen at least seven targets in the games that he scored. The absence of Malik Hooker will hurt this Colts defense more than people may think, and with a player of Green’s caliber, the glaring hole will rear its ugly head. Green is a lock for WR1 production against the Colts. Oh yeah, his 2.63 yards per route run is the third-highest in football.*
Affordable
Demaryius Thomas vs. Terrance Mitchell
Thomas flopped last week, but in his defense, he was shadowed by Casey Hayward for nearly 84 percent of his routes and Hayward grades out as a top 10 corner by Pro Football Focus.* This week, Thomas gets to square off with Mitchell, who is graded as the 81st-best corner.* Even so, Thomas had a long touchdown called back last week and he still leads the Broncos in targets on the year. Trevor Siemian has had his problems this season, but that’s not derailing my thoughts on slotting Thomas in any of my lineups. Regardless of whether Emmanuel Sanders suits up, Thomas has a floor of mid-level WR2 but upside as a solid WR1. Lock him in.
Nelson Agholor vs. K’Waun Williams
Williams hasn’t allowed the big game in recent weeks like I expected him to, but Carson Wentz has this offense rolling and Agholor has been an integral part of the passing attack. He’s seen at least five targets in each of his last three games, and he’s even found the end zone in each of those contests. Dak Prescott and the Cowboys just lit this defense up, and with Philadelphia riding sky high, there’s no reason Wentz can’t throw another three or four touchdown passes. Agholor is a lock to come down with at least one of them.
Bargain Bin
Mohamed Sanu vs. Buster Skrine
Skrine allowed three touchdowns last week against the Dolphins, including two out of the slot! Listen, when in slot coverage last week, Skrine allowed seven receptions on as many targets for 118 yards with two touchdowns, not to mention a QB rating of 158.3.* Sanu does plenty of damage out of the slot and he’s tied for the team lead in red zone targets. Julio Jones may have received four red zone targets last week, but this week, I expect Matt Ryan to take an extra look or two towards Sanu’s direction when Skrine is in coverage. Sanu is a great option in DFS this week.
*Information gathered from research done at Pro Football Focus.