I’ll take the results from last week, especially that of Adam Thielen and A.J. Green. I have a good feeling about this week, too, so let’s lock and load these guys, get some wins in season long and win some serious cash in daily! Hell yeah! Let’s get to it!
Oh yeah, follow me on Twitter (@colbyrconway) as well!
Offense | Left WR | Defense | Right CB | Analysis |
| ARI | Jaron Brown | HOU | Kevin Johnson | Johnson grades out poorly at Pro Football Focus, but he played a very good game against the Rams in Week 10, albeit a losing effort. Brown has just three receptions over his last two games, but he did find the end zone two weeks ago against the 49ers. You can take a chance on Brown in a GPP, but he's not a reliable season-long play by any means. |
| ATL | Julio Jones | SEA | Shaquill Griffin | Matt Ryan has a 96.4 QB rating when targeting Jones and without Richard Sherman, this Seattle defense is a little less imposing on the back end. The team's safeties are also dealing with some ailments, and if either of them were to miss time, Jones would have even more appeal this week. He has just one touchdown on the season, but I think he adds one to that total this week. |
| BAL | Chris Moore | GB | Kevin King | Breshad Perriman is a healthy scratch, opening the door for Chris Moore to make some plays for this Baltimore offense. He has just six receptions on the year, so I expect the passing attack to lean on Jeremy Maclin, Mike Wallace and recently-activated Danny Woodhead. |
| BUF | Zay Jones | LAC | Trevor Williams | Jones is back practicing in full and he'll be out there this weekend. However, rookie Nathan Peterman will be under center and this pass offense is underwhelming to begin with. Furthermore, the Chargers' pass defense is stout. It will be a bunch of LeSean McCoy and Charles Clay. |
| CAR | ||||
| CHI | Dontrelle Inman | DET | Nevin Lawson | If you feel so inclined to play a receiver for the Bears, Inman is the one you want to play. However, that doesn't mean you should feel confident or good about it. He did see eight targets last week and seems to have the strongest rapport with Mitchell Trubisky. Additionally, he shouldn't see too much of Darius Slay, and that is key when targeting this Detroit defense. He's a GPP play at best. |
| CIN | A.J. Green | DEN | Aqib Talib | Green had a pedestrian, underwhelming day until he took a short pass all the way to the house. Green actually saw three fewer targets than Brandon LaFell last week, but that isn't something that we should expect moving forward. Green is the top option in the passing attack, but this matchup isn't favorable. In seasonal formats, you're definitely starting Green, but he makes for a solid fade in DFS cash games. |
| CLE | Corey Coleman | JAX | A.J. Bouye | Bouye has allowed a lower QB rating when targeted this season than teammate Jalen Ramsey, not to mention more cover snaps per reception.* I'm fading this matchup in all formats. |
| DAL | Dez Bryant | PHI | Ronald Darby | In the second game post-Zeke, Bryant gets to face the returning Ronald Darby and the Eagles' secondary. Hopefully Tyron Smith can play, or Dak Prescott may be running for his life. Receivers who get targeted a bunch tend to do well against the Eagles, but all of that damage has come with Darby on the shelf. In the eleven coverage snaps Darby has had so far, he's been targeted just once. That will certainly change moving forward, as Dez will get a reasonable workload to keep him somewhere in the WR2 realm. |
| DEN | Demaryius Thomas | CIN | Adam Jones | Thomas will see some Jones and William Jackson, as the two continues to get reps on the outside. Even with Brock Osweiler under center, Thomas has found the end zone twice, while seeing his fair share of targets. Emmanuel Sanders will likely be targeted more, but Osweiler will lean on Thomas, especially in the red zone. He remains a quality WR2. |
| DET | Kenny Golladay | CHI | Prince Amukamara | Golladay saw just 11 snaps in his return following a six-week absence, and while he's sure to receive more snaps this week, I'm not sure his fantasy value skyrockets. He received just three targets last week and I don't envision him seeing more than five against the Lions. This game will go by pretty quick, minimizing the amount of opportunities Golladay could receive. |
| GB | Davante Adams | BAL | Jimmy Smith | Adams has been able to salvage his fantasy value with Aaron Rodgers, which can't be said for other Green Bay receivers. He's received 23 targets over the past three weeks, hauling in 14 of them for 155 yards and one touchdown. He's become Brett Hundley's go-to target and he remains a high-end WR3 in PPR formats in Week 11, despite the tough matchup with Smith. |
| HOU | DeAndre Hopkins | ARI | Patrick Peterson | Peterson isn't targeted often, but all Tom Savage does is throw to Hopkins. I expect Houston to move Hopkins around to attempt to get him away from Peterson, but at least two-thirds of his routes will come with Peterson in his vicinity. Hopkins' high volume will keep him as a high-end WR2, despite the tough matchup. |
| IND | ||||
| JAX | Keelan Cole | CLE | Jamar Taylor | With Dede Westbrook likely being limited in his return, Cole has some interesting fantasy appeal this week. Jason McCourty will shadow Marqise Lee, and if the Browns can bottle up Leonard Fournette, I expect Blake Bortles to deliver the football on a consistent basis to Cole and tight end Marcedes Lewis. I love Cole in GPPs, but I'm not too comfortable starting him in shallower seasonal formats. |
| KC | Demarcus Robinson | NYG | Janoris Jenkins | Jenkins was burned last week and even though Robinson will line up against him here and there, it won't be a ton by any means. He moves all over the field but he's still not a big favorite of mine this week. If you want to go contrarian in this Chiefs-Giants game, you can try Robinson, but I'd rather play the chalk with Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. |
| LAC | Travis Benjamin | BUF | E.J. Gaines | There's so many mouths to feed in LA and its quite tough to pick in fantasy. Furthermore, no receiver for the Chargers is putting together a standout campaign. Sure, Benjamin saw nine targets in Week 8, but he has three or less in four of his last five games, including two games with zero receptions. He's boom-or-bust and even though the Buffalo defense is declining a bit, there are better options to target in daily and season long. |
| LAR | Sammy Watkins | MIN | Xavier Rhodes | Watkins leads the team with 10 targets on passes of 20 or more yards, but he's only been able to haul in two of them. The big plays are few and far between for Watkins, and he's playing third fiddle to Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp. He did find the end zone last week against the Texans, but I don't see it happening here against the Vikings. He can be benched in most formats for this contest. |
| MIA | DeVante Parker | TB | Robert McClain | Parker is tied for the team lead in receptions and targets over the last two weeks. Furthermore, he's put up at least 15 points in PPR formats in all but two games this season, so despite scoring just one touchdown on the season, he's displayed a nice fantasy floor. The breakout is coming and against this Bucs defense, it certainly could happen. He's a middle of the pack WR2 for me in Week 11. |
| MIN | Laquon Treadwell | LAR | Kayvon Webster | Treadwell received just one target last week and he hasn't seen more than four in a game since Week 2, which was the only time he completed that feat. He's a distant No. 3 in the passing game and is no more than a WR5. |
| NE | Brandin Cooks | OAK | Dexter McDonald | Cooks saw a season-high 11 targets and he'll continue to be the top option out wide while Chris Hogan is on the shelf. Cooks should get targets again and in an easier matchup, he should be able to hook up with Tom Brady for a big one. Cooks has elite upside this week and falls in the WR1 realm for me. |
| NO | Michael Thomas | WAS | Bashaud Breeland | Josh Norman doesn't travel and he exclusively plays on the left side. Thomas will see more of Breeland, which is excellent for fantasy purposes. Norman grades out as a top-30 corner, while Breeland is scratching and clawing to stay in the top-90.* Breeland gets thrown at a bunch and Brees loves to throw to Thomas, so it's easy to see why Thomas is a WR1 for me this week. |
| NYG | Tavarres King | KC | Terrance Mitchell | With the news of Sterling Shepard being inactive, King gets a slight upgrade for me this week. If you want to get cute, throw him in a GPP lineup. However, be wary of the wind in this matchup. |
| NYJ | ||||
| OAK | Michael Crabtree | NE | Stephon Gilmore | In his last 33 coverage snaps, Gilmore has been targeted seven times, allowing four receptions for 39 yards and a touchdown, not to mention a 112.5 QB rating when targeted.* I like Crabtree more weeks than not, and I expect Derek Carr to target him early and often. Carr has a QB rating of 110 when targeting him this week, maintaining his WR2 status. |
| PHI | Alshon Jeffery | DAL | Jourdan Lewis | Gimme all the Alshon in Week 11! Since Week 7, Lewis has been handing out fantasy points on silver platters to opposing receivers. He's allowed nine receptions just 13 targets for 132 yards!* Opposing quarterbacks have had much success when throwing at Lewis, and Carson Wentz will give Jeffery every opportunity to post WR1 numbers this weekend. |
| PIT | Antonio Brown | TEN | LeShaun Sims | Sims grades out as an average corner, while Brown ranks as an excellent receiver, to say the least. There's not much to say, other than the fact that Brown is an elite WR1 in this plus matchup. |
| SEA | Paul Richardson | ATL | Robert Alford | Over the last month, Alford has allowed the most receiving yards among the Atlanta corners and the most yards per coverage snap (1.42).* Doug Baldwin will have a big game and Richardson could see the second-most targets. He saw just two targets last week, but I expect that number to approach six or seven this week. |
| SF | ||||
| TB | Mike Evans | MIA | Xavien Howard | Everything bodes well for a big game against a flopping Dolphins squad. Of qualified corners (116), Howard ranks 115th.* Yeah, that's not very good. Evans is coming off a suspension and should be out for blood this week. Sure, Ryan Fitzpatrick is under center, but he has been on the receiving end of a Fitzmagic touchdown earlier this season. He's a top-tier WR1 in Week 11. |
| TEN | Corey Davis | PIT | Artie Burns | Burns has allowed three touchdowns on the year and continues to be thrown at more than other Pittsburgh corners.* Davis saw a whopping 10 targets last week and he's the team's No. 1 wide receiver. Davis and Marcus Mariota were ineffective when trying to hook up last week, but the synergy between the two can only improve. Davis should post back-end WR2 numbers and be a fantasy game changer down the stretch. |
| WAS | Josh Doctson | NO | Marshon Lattimore | Doctson is the team's top threat on the outside, but he's in for a dogfight with rookie sensation Marshon Lattimore. Doctson has 12 targets over the last two weeks, but during that same span, Lattimore has allowed five receptions and 0.86 yards per coverage snap.* He'll get his targets, but the tough matchup makes him a WR3 for me in Week 11 |
Offense | Right WR | Defense | Left CB | Analysis |
| ARI | John Brown | HOU | Johnathan Joseph | Joseph has been torched over the last four weeks, allowing 216 receiving yards and two touchdowns on just 14 targets.* He's allowed a near-perfect passer rating (153.3) during that span, but Brown's production with Blaine Gabbert under center has yet to be seen. Brown is a GPP dart at best. |
| ATL | Taylor Gabriel | SEA | Jeremy Lane | Lane has allowed a catch rate of 71 percent on the season and the team will need him to step up with Richard Sherman out for the rest of the season. Gabriel doesn't get a bunch of work in this passing attack and his fantasy value is very low. He cannot be trusted. |
| BAL | Mike Wallace | GB | Davon House | House doesn't grade out too well over at Pro Football Focus, but that still doesn't make Wallace an attractive play in daily or seasonal formats this week. He hasn't caught more than four passes since Week 4, and in fact, that's the only time he's done it all season. I like Jeremy Maclin a lot more on this Baltimore squad. |
| BUF | Kelvin Benjamin | LAC | Casey Hayward | Hayward is Pro Football Focus' sixth-best cornerback and Benjamin will be playing with a rookie cornerback, Nathan Peterman. The Bills will run the ball early and often, minimizing Benjamin's fantasy output for this week. He will need a touchdown to pay off this week, but I wouldn't bank on that occurring. |
| CAR | ||||
| CHI | Josh Bellamy | DET | Darius Slay | I'm not a huge fan of Inman on this Bears squad to begin with, but with the majority of his routes likely coming against Big Play Darius Slay, I like him even less! He won't be in any of my lineups, and you can count on that. |
| CIN | Josh Malone | DEN | Bradley Roby | Malone is getting the snaps on the outside, despite the team taking John Ross three rounds earlier. In a plus matchup against the Titans last week, he saw just one target and I don't expect him to be a huge factor against the Broncos. |
| CLE | Ricardo Louis | JAX | Jalen Ramsey | I just don't see much production coming against Ramsey this week. Sure, someone has to catch the football for Cleveland, but it won't be happening on this side of the field on Ramsey's watch. |
| DAL | Terrance Williams | PHI | Jalen Mills | Williams is going up against the league's most targeted corner, but we can't just ignore the fact that he caught just one pass last week on four targets. The week before he caught all NINE of his targets. What Williams will see in this one? I think a happy medium is likely, meaning he will catch about five passes for 64 yards and I do think he finds the end zone against Mills. |
| DEN | Emmanuel Sanders | CIN | Dre Kirkpatrick | You could tell that Sanders was completely healthy last week, compared to his unimpressive outing against the Eagles the week prior. Sanders saw a team-high 11 targets and reeled in 137 yards through the air against the Patriots on Sunday Night Football in Week 10. Brock Osweiler will continue to target him, while Demaryius Thomas carries the higher touchdown appeal in this matchup. |
| DET | Marvin Jones | CHI | Kyle Fuller | With Kenny Golladay back in the mix, Jones didn't see his normal workload. In the five games he missed, Jones saw eight or more targets in four of them. Golladay returned against the Browns, and Jones saw just two targets. Golden Tate is the consistent option, while Jones falls to the low-end WR3 realm, as he's no longer the only player to run vertical routes for the Lions offense. |
| GB | Jordy Nelson | BAL | Brandon Carr | The loss of Aaron Rodgers has drastically cut into Nelson's production. He's seen 15 targets over the last week, but he's caught just eight of time for 68 yards with zero touchdowns. He's down to the WR3 range for me against this Ravens defense. |
| HOU | Bruce Ellington | ARI | Tramon Williams | Williams grades out well over at Pro Football Focus, but I still really like Bruce Ellington this week. No Will Fuller means some additional targets for Ellington, as well as the fact that DeAndre Hopkins will see a few less targets with Patrick Peterson shadowing him all afternoon. Ellington's stat line may not be that appealing by the end of the game, but he'll exceed value and expectations. |
| IND | ||||
| JAX | Marqise Lee | CLE | Jason McCourty | Cleveland might be a hapless organization, but McCourty has sure been a bright spot this season. He's allowed a QB rating of just 54.2 when targeted and only Marshon Lattimore has a better grade for the season.* I'd rather play Keelan Cole than Lee this week, believe it or not. |
| KC | Tyreek Hill | NYG | Ross Cockrell | Andy Reid moves Hill all over the field, including in the slot and out of the backfield. He'll see coverage from just about every member of the Giants secondary, but that doesn’t scare me one bit. He needs just one play to reach value in DFS, and two plays will nearly ensure you finish in the green. Alex Smith has a QB rating of 126.9 when targeting Hill on the season and he's going to be involved early and often in this matchup. As always, he has WR1 upside. UPDATE: Eli Apple is a healthy scratch, meaning Cockrell will deal with Hill. Slight upgrade for Hill, but the wind is a huge factor in this one. |
| LAC | Tyrell Williams | BUF | Tre'Davious White | Keenan Allen is the consistent option in the passing game, with Tyrell Williams being the next guy, but even he just isn't reliable, given how his targets fluctuate. He has 11 targets over his last two games, but just 12 in the four games before that. He also has just one red zone target on the year and hasn't scored since the beginning of last month. Seeing as he hasn't topped 50 receiving yards since October 1, he can be left on all benches. |
| LAR | Robert Woods | MIN | Trae Waynes | Xavier Rhodes won't shadow either receiver, meaning that Woods will see some of Minnesota's top corner when he travels to that side of the field. However, he'll see more of Trae Waynes, who grades out as the No. 50 cornerback. By no means is he a bad corner, but with the opposition avoiding Rhodes, Waynes gets targeted in bundles. He's allowed the eighth-most receiving yards on the season, setting up Woods for another prime performance, albeit not as good as last week. |
| MIA | Kenny Stills | TB | Brent Grimes | Stills needs the big play and/or touchdown to be fantasy relevant. He's attracted 22 targets over the last three weeks, but he hasn't scored or topped 70 yards in any of those contests. I tend to be a bit lower on Stills than most, and even against these Bucs, he's my third favorite Miami receiver on the slate. |
| MIN | Stefon Diggs | LAR | Trumaine Johnson | Diggs continues to feast on the opposition. He scored last week and totaled 78 yards on four grabs. He saw just five targets, but that's right around his season average per game. He and Adam Thielen are a lethal duo that give opposing defenses fits. DeAndre Hopkins was able to get 100 yards receiving out wide last week with freakin' Tom Savage throwing the football, so why not Diggs this week with Case Keenum? |
| NE | Phillip Dorsett | OAK | Sean Smith | Even with the news of David Amerson being doubtful, I'm not high on Dorsett by any means. He remains a GPP option if you want exposure to this game without rostering the chalk (Cooks). |
| NO | Ted Ginn | WAS | Josh Norman | Norman did lose track of his man last week for a big gain, but I wouldn't bet on it happening two weeks in a row. New Orleans wants to run the ball a ton, and mix in some passes to Michael Thomas, with Ginn being the option after that. He's no more than a low-end WR3 against Norman and the rest of the Washington secondary. |
| NYG | Roger Lewis | KC | Marcus Peters | If you want to take a chance on a Giants pass-catcher that isn't Sterling Shepard or Evan Engram, be my guest. Lewis saw four targets last week, including two in the red zone, and even though he scored, he's no where near my radar, as this matchup with Marcus Peters is far from favorable. |
| NYJ | ||||
| OAK | Amari Cooper | NE | Malcolm Butler | The New England corners will likely travel with their assignments, so Cooper will see a bunch of Butler on Sunday. Since Week 7, Butler has allowed 1.43 yards per coverage snap and one touchdown on 18 targets.* Cooper has been dropping footballs all year and I'd rather have Crabtree than him this week. |
| PHI | Mack Hollins | DAL | Anthony Brown | Torrey Smith had been getting most of the reps here, but Hollins is creeping in on Smith. Hollins is a younger Smith, in that he's fast and can stretch the field for this Philadelphia offense. He caught a touchdown the other week on a beautiful go route and he certainly could do it against a vulnerable Dallas defense. He's a very sneaky, under the radar GPP play this week, but there is ample volatility. Don't play him in seasonal formats. |
| PIT | Martavis Bryant | TEN | Adoree' Jackson | Bryant saw five targets and is certainly the No. 3 receiver, behind Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster. However, if there were ever an opportunity for Bryant to have his second notable game (91 yards and a TD in Week 2) of the season, it would be at home on Thursday Night Football. Tennessee has struggled against receivers all season long and Pittsburgh's playmaker's best games in his career have come at home. Throw him in a GPP lineup, but err on the side of caution in seasonal formats. |
| SEA | Tyler Lockett | ATL | Desmond Trufant | Lockett saw seven or more targets in three straight contests, but that mark dropped to a mere two targets in last week's contest. The consistent cog in the passing attack is Doug Baldwin, while the other guys' numbers fluctuate on a weekly basis. Seattle will need to score to win, so Lockett sure makes some sense in a GPP lineup. |
| SF | ||||
| TB | DeSean Jackson | MIA | Cordrea Tankersley | Since Week 7, Tankersley as allowed the 11th-highest QB rating when targeted among qualified cornerbacks.* While the catch rate barely hovers above 50 percent, those eight receptions have gone for 148 yards and two scores.* Jackson hooked up often with Ryan Fitzpatrick last week, but with Mike Evans back in the fold, he is going to need the long ball to reach value. It could happen, therefore, Jackson makes for a nice GPP play. |
| TEN | Rishard Matthews | PIT | Coty Sensabaugh | If he only he could find the end zone! He has a decent floor in PPR formats, but he leaves much to be desired in standard formats due to the fact that he doesn't find the end zone as regularly as we would like. The injury to Joe Haden helps his outlook a bit in Week 11, but he still remains a WR3 for now. |
| WAS | Maurice Harris | NO | Ken Crawley | Harris made one hell of a catch last week and that should parlay into some extended run out wide for the Redskins. Josh Doctson and Jamison Crowder will get their run, and Harris has usurped Ryan Grant in the pecking order. He saw just three targets last week, but that touchdown catch on Xavier Rhodes sticks in all our minds. Still, he can't be trusted in any format, especially against these upstart New Orleans corners. |
Now, here are my 10 favorite matchups in the slot this weekend.
Offense | Slot WR | Defense | Slot CB | Analysis |
| ARI | Larry Fitzgerald | HOU | Kareem Jackson | Since the start of Week 6, Jackson has allowed the second-most receiving yards out of the slot and Fitzgerald should be just fine with Blaine Gabbert under center. Fitzgerald has WR1 upside. |
| NYG | Sterling Shepard | KC | Steven Nelson | SHEPARD IS INACTIVE. Slight upgrade to Tavarres King. |
| MIN | Adam Thielen | LAR | Nickell Robey-Coleman | The top three guys here are practically interchangeable, meaning Thielen is going to go off…. Again. Thielen has seen double-digit targets in four straight games, including five receptions in each of them. He's a WR2 at the very least this week, but he does have high-end upside. |
| MIA | Jarvis Landry | TB | Javien Elliott | Landry is averaging just under 11 targets per game and he's already matched his career-high with five touchdowns on the season. Even with the struggles of the Miami offense, Landry has been very consistent and is one of the most valuable assets there is in PPR formats. Continue rolling with him across the board. UPDATE: Vernon Hargreaves is inactive, meaning it will likely be Elliott who will be responsible for covering Landry. Significant upgrade for Landry. |
| DET | Golden Tate | CHI | Bryce Callahan | When Matthew Stafford targets Golden Tate, he has a 108.9 QB rating, which is seventh-highest among qualified wide receivers. Tate has the most receptions out of the slot on the season and this dude catches everything! He has WR1 upside in this matchup. |
| SEA | Doug Baldwin | ATL | Brian Poole | Baldwin is going to feast in this matchup! Over the last four weeks, Poole has allowed a 88.9 percent catch rate and a 102.5 QB rating when targeted.* Baldwin is the team's top receiver and he's seen double-digit targets in three of the last four weeks. He has WR1 written all over him. |
| PIT | JuJu Smith-Schuster | TEN | Logan Ryan | Ryan has been much better of late, but JuJu is on a roll with Big Ben and we all know how much better this offense is in its home stadium. He's matched Antonio Brown in targets over the last two games and he's clearly ahead of Martavis Bryant. A WR2 week for JuJu is highly likely. |
| BAL | Jeremy Maclin | GB | Damarious Randall | Maclin has caught 11 of his 14 targets over his last two games, including a quality game in Week 9 against the Titans. He's one of my favorite less appealing plays of the slate and I don't expect him to be owned in daily whatsoever. |
| NE | Danny Amendola | OAK | T.J. Carrie | Opposing teams have attacked Carrie out of the slot in recent weeks, leading to a 75 percent catch rate over the last month or so. During this span, his 1.69 yards allowed per coverage snap is the fourth-highest and we all know that Brady loves his shifty slot guys. Amendola's fantasy value this week will be at its highest in PPR formats, because I don't see him finding the end zone in this matchup. |
| PHI | Nelson Agholor | DAL | Orlando Scandrick | Scandrick has been better of late, but Agholor is Carson Wentz's second favorite wide receiver, behind only Alshon Jeffery. He saw just four targets in the team's last game, but he'll see seven targets in this outing. He will post quality WR3 numbers this week. |
Elite
Brandin Cooks vs. Dexter McDonald
Oh baby, if only this matchup could get any tastier! First off, Cooks saw a team-high 11 targets last week, hauling in six of them for over 70 yards. Tom Brady has a 115.3 QB rating when targeting Cooks this season, which is higher than any other New England receiver and fourth-best in the National Football League.* The Raiders rank dead last in coverage on passes of 16 or more yards and Cooks continues to get down the field for this Patriots offense. Additionally, McDonald has allowed a catch rate of just under 81 percent on the season and 128 QB rating when targeted.* Oh yeah, I’m getting giddy thinking of Cooks’ output this week just thinking about it! FIRE HIM UP!
Antonio Brown vs. LeShaun Sims
Sims has allowed a catch rate of 80 percent on the season, not to mention a 121.4 QB rating when targeted this season.* Additionally, his 1.32 yards per coverage snap is the highest among the team’s corners.* On the other hand, Brown is an elite receiver who won’t let us fantasy players down two weeks in a row! His seven targets last week were a season-low and his fantasy floor in this matchup is so high that it’s hard to fathom. He’s a lock for WR1 production.
Affordable
Larry Fitzgerald vs. Kareem Jackson
Fitzgerald is one of the most talented receivers the game has ever seen, but the reason I’m so high on him this week is due to Jackson’s coverage struggles on the season. Of qualified corners, he’s allowed the most receiving yards out of the slot, the highest QB rating when targeted and the second-most yards per coverage snap out of the slot.* Yeah, Jackson has really struggled, as well as the rest of the Houston secondary. To make things simple, here you go: Fitzgerald is awesome out of the slot and Jackson has been pretty bad out of the slot, and this equation results in big-time fantasy production.
Bargain Bin
Bruce Ellington vs. Tramon Williams
Williams has been pretty good this season, but a few extra looks in the passing game should allow Ellington to exceed value in daily formats, while posting a respectable mark in season long. DeAndre Hopkins will be shadowed to the full extent by Patrick Peterson, and Will Fuller won’t be out on the field. To further add to my love for Ellington this week, Bill O’Brien came out publicly and said Ellington needs to get the football more. At a near-minimum price across the daily spectrum, it’s hard to avoid putting Ellington in your lineups. I know he’ll be in mine. Ellington saw eight targets last week and he could see double-digit looks this week. See the WR coach for my prediction on Ellington this Sunday.
*Information gathered from research done at Pro Football Focus.