Two weeks left in the regular season, FA Nation! Man, this season has flown by and I hope it’s been as fun for you as it’s been me! Let’s keep it going strong this week and it is imperative to your daily and seasonal success that you analyze these wide receiver matchups. Again, it is vital to the success of your lineups that these matchups are analyzed. LET’S GET IT FA NATION!
Oh yeah, follow me on Twitter (@colbyrconway) as well!
Offense | Left WR | Defense | Right CB | Analysis |
| ARI | John Brown | NYG | Ross Cockrell | Brown's yardage has decreased for the past three weeks and he's now playing with Drew Stanton under center. Also, he's dealing with a toe injury, so that's something to monitor as he hasn't played in over a month. This situation screams fade to me, despite a plus matchup against a weak New York secondary. |
| ATL | Taylor Gabriel | NO | Ken Crawley | Crawley hasn't been as lockdown as he was earlier in the season, but he's barely allowing a catch rate over 50 percent over the past four weeks, and just one touchdown during that span.* Gabriel is averaging two targets per game over the last five weeks, so we can all agree that he cannot be trusted in any format. |
| BAL | Mike Wallace | IND | Quincy Wilson | The Colts' secondary has been ravaged by injuries and allowed the third-most receiving yards to wideouts this season. Jeremy Maclin is likely out of action and Wallace has totaled 70 or more receiving yards in three straight games. During that span, he's averaging over seven targets per game. He's a high-end WR3 this week against a porous Indianapolis secondary. |
| BUF | Kelvin Benjamin | NE | Stephon Gilmore | Just two targets last week for Benjamin and in this Buffalo passing offense, it's hard to trust him as anything more than a WR3. The Patriots have allowed five touchdowns to receivers over the last four weeks, but Gilmore is one tough cookie to crack out wide. Benjamin will need a touchdown to make value, and Gilmore has allowed only three all season.* |
| CAR | Devin Funchess | TB | Ryan Smith | Funchess underwhelmed last week, so he owes us this week! Tampa Bay has been garbage against opposing wideouts this season, as they have allowed 18 more receptions to the position than the next closest team! Funchess is averaging nearly eight targets per game over the last month, scoring twice in that span. He's a WR2 in Week 16. |
| CHI | Dontrelle Inman | CLE | Jason McCourty | Inman has fallen off in his recent weeks, while Kendall Wright seems to be the new preferred target for rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Inman isn't a guy I'm considering this week, as it will primarily be Jordan Howard, Kendall Wright and the tight ends. |
| CIN | A.J. Green | DET | Darius Slay | Slay is going to shadow Green and the results against Slay haven't been great this season. Odell Beckham, Michael Thomas, Antonio Brown, Jordy Nelson and DeSean Jackson have all been held to under 35 receiving yards in Slay's coverage.* Andy Dalton hasn't been great, and isn't inspiring much confidence in rostering Green in DFS this week. You're likely starting him in seasonal formats, but in DFS, fading might be the move. |
| CLE | Josh Gordon | CHI | Prince Amukamara | Gordon has plenty of potential and can bust a big one at virtually any point, but DeShone Kizer is the limiting factor in this equation. Given the way Kizer has been playing, four or five catches for 80 or so yards and a touchdown seems to be the best performance Gordon could see this season. His potential keeps him as a WR3, but it's hard to put him much higher. |
| DAL | Dez Bryant | SEA | Shaquill Griffin | The return of Ezekiel Elliott should help Dak Prescott, meaning Bryant has an opportunity to be more effective on the outside. Touchdowns have saved him in recent weeks, but perhaps the most troubling this is that he's barely averaging more than five targets per game over the last four weeks. Aside from a 14 target game a few weeks ago, Bryant has not been getting the volume of a top receiver. |
| DEN | Demaryius Thomas | WAS | Quinton Dunbar | Thomas has been reliable over the last two weeks in fantasy, but the possibility of Paxton Lynch under center is a scary, scary thing. Well, Brock Osweiler isn't exactly a glimmer of hope either. Thomas remains a WR2 this week, but he should remain out of your DFS cash game lineups. |
| DET | Kenny Golladay | CIN | William Jackson | Golladay just isn't getting it done in recent weeks and the fantasy upside he displayed in the preseason seems like a distant memory. He remains involved in the offense, but the production just hasn't elevated like his role. I'm not trusting Golladay in my fantasy football championships. |
| GB | Geronimo Allison | MIN | Trae Waynes | Allison saw plenty of targets last week and has the more favorable matchup out wide for the Packers, but it's hard to get excited with Brett Hundley under center. Hundley doesn't like Jordy Nelson, so perhaps Allison becomes Hundley's Davante Adams. Against a stout Minnesota defense, I doubt I'm going to take that risk. |
| HOU | DeAndre Hopkins | PIT | Artie Burns | Hopkins has been a monster all year and the Pittsburgh secondary is no match for him. Despite seeing extra attention from the Pittsburgh defense, he'll still receive double-digit targets from T.J. Yates and get plenty of opportunities to put up fantasy points. His 12 receiving touchdowns lead the league and Pittsburgh has allowed the tenth-most fantasy points to receivers over the last four weeks. He's as elite as it gets this week. |
| IND | Kamar Aiken | BAL | Marlon Humphrey | Aiken isn't getting the work in the passing game and isn't a useful asset in any format. |
| JAX | Dede Westbrook | SF | Dontae Johnson | With Marqise Lee out of the mix, Westbrook could see a few extra targets this week, and boy wouldn't that be wonderful! After letting us down last week (2 for 21 against HOU), Westbrook can bounce back in a big way against a 49ers defense that has allowed 14 touchdowns to wide receivers this season. Fire him up, baby! |
| KC | Demarcus Robinson | MIA | Xavien Howard | Over the last four weeks, Howard has allowed just three receptions for 37 yards on 19 targets.* This dude is balling out right now and Robinson isn't a legitimate threat in the Kansas City offense. The offense is funneled through Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill and Kareem Hunt, so you can safely fade Robinson in every format imaginable. |
| LAC | Travis Benjamin | NYJ | Morris Claiborne | The Jets are tied with a couple other teams for the second-most passing scores allowed this season, and of those 27 touchdown passes, 15 have gone to receivers! Keenan Allen is expected to play, but Benjamin is just one deep ball or one end around away from putting up a productive fantasy day. He's a quality GPP option for you daily players out there. |
| LAR | Sammy Watkins | TEN | Brice McCain | As always, a big-play threat is appealing against a Titans defense that has allowed 23 passing touchdowns on the season. The Titans struggle on short passes and Watkins has "make-you-miss" ability to take a tunnel screen to the house. He's intriguing in standard formats this week, as well as daily contests. With LeShaun Sims out of action, the matchup is even more favorable for Watkins. |
| MIA | DeVante Parker | KC | Darrelle Revis | It's a good matchup, but I've been burned by this bridge too many times. Parker is averaging nearly seven targets per game over the last five weeks, but just 16 receptions during that span is underwhelming. It's a favorable matchup against an underperforming Kansas City secondary, but he cannot be trusted in cash. He's a GPP option only this week. |
| MIN | Adam Thielen | GB | Josh Hawkins | Adam Thielen is averaging 2.44 yards per route run and the Packers have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to opposing receivers this season.* Thielen can get down the field, Case Keenum loves to give him the rock and Green Bay struggles against the pass. See why Thielen is a WR1 this week? |
| NE | Brandin Cooks | BUF | E.J. Gaines | Cooks was quiet last time out against this Buffalo unit and he'll likely continue to struggle if teams get physical with him at the line of scrimmage. Rob Gronkowski destroys the Bills, and with that likely to continue, Cooks is a WR2 this week. |
| NO | Michael Thomas | ATL | Robert Alford | Regardless of what corner Atlanta puts on Thomas throughout the course of the game, Thomas has produced. In three career games against the Falcons, he's caught seven passes for 70 yards with a touchdown on double-digit targets in EACH of those contests. He's an elite WR1 in a key matchup for the New Orleans Saints. NOTE: He was a late addition to the injury report and will test his hamstring in pre-game warmups. |
| NYG | Tavarres King | ARI | Patrick Peterson | King is fading quick in this passing attack. Among the team's receivers, he's behind Sterling Shepard and Roger Lewis, both in terms of targets and red zone targets. The usage just isn't there and it's not a great matchup. |
| NYJ | Jermaine Kearse | LAC | Trevor Williams | Sorry, Jermaine. I would like you more this week, but your quarterback is Bryce Petty! Three catches on five targets doesn't do it for me and despite avoiding Casey Hayward, the matchup still isn't favorable for Mr. Kearse. Unless you're decimated at wide receiver, Kearse should not be in your starting lineup. |
| OAK | Michael Crabtree | PHI | Ronald Darby | Crabtree saw a whopping 17 targets last week and he could be in for a similar workload if Amari Cooper sits again with that ankle injury. The Eagles were just torched by Eli Manning and even with Derek Carr's struggles this season, Crabtree can score in any given contest. Crabtree broke a near two month drought with two scores against the Cowboys last week and he could find the end zone against the Eagles. |
| PHI | Alshon Jeffery | OAK | Sean Smith | Oakland's defense has been bad this year and we continue to salivate when our players face this soft secondary. Jeffery has yet to record a 100-yard game this season, but he's averaging nine targets per game over his last three contest and has scored in six of his last seven. He's an excellent play in all formats this week. |
| PIT | JuJu Smith-Schuster | HOU | Kevin Johnson | Johnson has struggled in coverage and Antonio Brown's absence should allow Smith-Schuster to lead the team in targets in this contest. Johnson has allowed four touchdowns in coverage this season, not to mention a whopping 136.2 QB rating when targeted.* JuJu is an excellent play, to say the least, this week. |
| SEA | Paul Richardson | DAL | Jourdan Lewis | Richardson got the volume last week, but it just didn't translate to the production I had hoped. He continues to be involved in the passing game, and despite a favorable matchup, I'm worried that the return of Ezekiel Elliott means that the Cowboys will chew up so much clock, limiting Russell Wilson's opportunities. Seattle's defense is battered and bruised, so stopping the Dallas offense could be tricky. He does have appeal in multi-entry GPPs, but not much past that. |
| SF | Marquise Goodwin | JAX | A.J. Bouye | Goodwin has a good thing going with Jimmy Garoppolo, but Bouye has been brutal on opposing receivers this season. He's one of the elite corners in the game and Goodwin is going to have some trouble with Bouye and Jalen Ramsey out wide. If you have other receivers, start them. |
| TB | Mike Evans | CAR | James Bradberry | Believe it or not, Evans has some appeal this week. Despite catching just five passes for 60 yards earlier this season against the Panthers, he's coming off a solid game (5-79-1) and no team in the NFL has allowed more fantasy points per game over the last four weeks than the Carolina Panthers. Bradberry has had his struggles in coverage this season, and Evans is going to be a sneaky play this week. |
| TEN | Corey Davis | LAR | Troy Hill | Hill played very well last week, albeit being targeted just four times.* The Tennessee offense has been lackluster this season, but Davis has exceptional talent and is sure to test Hill in this one. However, due to the struggles of the Tennessee passing attack, Davis is a flex option at best, considering that Tennessee will be playing from behind the entire game. |
| WAS | Josh Doctson | DEN | Bradley Roby | The Denver cornerbacks have been red hot lately, especially Roby. He's allowed a QB rating of 47.2 when targeted over the last four weeks, and a catch rate of just 33 percent.* Doctson struggled last week and hasn't scored in consecutive weeks, but Patrick Peterson and Casey Hayward are tough cookies to crack. This matchup isn't much easier, but I'd take my chances against Roby compared to the other two stars. Doctson has multi-entry GPP appeal this week, but the volatility is rather high. |
Offense | Right WR | Defense | Left CB | Analysis |
| ARI | Jaron Brown | NYG | Eli Apple | It's hard to get excited about any Arizona receiver who isn't named Larry Fitzgerald. His eight targets over the last two weeks trail only Fitzgerald, but he has just three receptions. However, three red zone targets in that span is encouraging. Drew Stanton under center isn't ideal and I'm fading any Arizona receiver that isn't Fitz. |
| ATL | Julio Jones | NO | Marshon Lattimore | Jones caught three passes for 73 yards on five targets against Lattimore two weeks ago and Jones will see Lattimore a good deal again in Week 16. You're not sitting Jones in seasonal formats, but I think he's a smart fade in cash games in DFS this week. |
| BAL | Chris Moore | IND | Kenny Moore | Over the last four weeks, Moore hasn't allowed a touchdown, which is good, but he's surrendered 203 receiving yards on just 18 targets (11 receptions).* Chris Moore is an unattractive option this week, despite the favorable matchup. |
| BUF | Deonte Thompson | NE | Malcolm Butler | Thompson can bust a big play, but Tyrod Taylor needs to deliver the football down field. Butler is vulnerable in coverage, and is the corner worth targeting in this secondary. He gets targeted the most and has responded by allowing six touchdowns and 1.11 yards per coverage snap this season.* Thompson has appeal in the deepest of leagues, but the upside is limited. |
| CAR | Damiere Byrd | TB | Brent Grimes | If you do away with Byrd's two touchdowns last week, his stat line is extremely underwhelming. You're banking on touchdowns with Byrd, but if you want a dart throw in a GPP lineup, you could do worse than Byrd against a Bucs defense that is allowing over two fantasy points per game to receivers than any other team. |
| CHI | Josh Bellamy | CLE | Jamar Taylor | Howard Bender likes Dontrelle Inman, I like Kendall Wright, but neither of us are high on Josh Bellamy! He's put up decent numbers over the last two weeks, but entering the Bellamy sweepstakes just doesn't seem like a profitable move this week. |
| CIN | Josh Malone | DET | Teez Tabor | Zero catches over the last two weeks and I'm not trusting Andy Dalton. No way. This isn't a favorable matchup and Malone doesn't produce enough to warrant any sort of roster spot. |
| CLE | Corey Coleman | CHI | Kyle Fuller | Chicago is league average against the pass and DeShone Kizer just doesn't inspire much confidence. Coleman was unimpressive last week, following a solid 62-yard with a touchdown performance two weeks ago. Chicago is going to run the football a ton, minimizing the opportunities for the Cleveland offense. Coleman is a flex option this weekend. |
| DAL | Terrance Williams | SEA | Byron Maxwell | In two recent matchups, both very favorable, Williams mustered six receptions for 44 yards. In another decent matchup, we just can't trust the 28-year-old receiver. Ezekiel Elliott is back, which should help the entire offense, but that isn't enough to buy into Williams. |
| DEN | Isaiah McKenzie | WAS | Josh Norman | The Denver receiving core is without both Emmanuel Sanders and Cody Latimer, meaning Brock Osweiler has just four healthy receivers to catch the pigskin. McKenzie will struggle against Norman and the entire passing game will likely be funneled to Demaryius Thomas. McKenzie shouldn't be started in any format. |
| DET | Marvin Jones | CIN | Dre Kirkpatrick | REVENGE GAME! I'm buying into the narrative this week. Cincinnati is dealing with a ton of injuries on defense and Jones is the big play threat in this passing attack. With virtually no run game, Matt Stafford will continue to throw it early and often, benefiting Jones' Week 16 output. |
| GB | Jordy Nelson | MIN | Xavier Rhodes | Brett Hundley is back under center, Davante Adams isn't playing and Nelson has to deal with Xavier Rhodes this week. Yeah, all signs point to benching Jordy Nelson and you can even drop him for another player, because he won't be relevant the rest of the way. |
| HOU | Will Fuller | PIT | Joe Haden | With quarterbacks not named Deshaun Watson, Fuller hasn't bee an usable asset in fantasy formats. However, with Watson under center, this dude was a WR2 at the least and scoring touchdowns like a mad man. He's not worth starting against the Steelers, especially considering that he's averaging just over five targets per game since Watson went down. |
| IND | T.Y. Hilton | BAL | Brandon Carr | Carr has been solid in coverage this season, allowing just 1.15 yards per coverage snap and a 68.6 QB rating when targeted.* Hilton has been boom-or-bust all season and on Saturday Night, I'm not going in on Hilton. |
| JAX | Keelan Cole | SF | Ahkello Witherspoon | Cole has been cooking in recent weeks, to the tune of touchdowns in three straight weeks and a monster outing last week against Houston. San Francisco is bad against the pass as well, but he won't be flying under the radar this week. His price in DFS is still favorable, so he makes a ton of sense there, given that Marqise Lee is out with an ankle injury. |
| KC | Tyreek Hill | MIA | Alterraun Verner | Miami ranks 27th against deep passes and everyone and their mother knows that Hill and Alex Smith can connect on a deep ball at any given time. Hill has a solid usage rate and the occasional hand off and kick return add additional opportunities to rack up some points. Hill has three touchdowns in as many weeks, and is averaging seven targets per game during that span. |
| LAC | Tyrell Williams | NYJ | Darryl Roberts | Williams can break a big play at any point, and only the New York Giants have allowed more touchdown passes this season. He's a sneaky option in GPP formats this week, as well as 12-team standard leagues, if you're very thin out wide. His stock would rise if Keenan Allen were to miss this game. |
| LAR | Robert Woods | TEN | Adoree' Jackson | In his return to action, Woods didn't skip a beat. He caught six of his seven targets and found the end zone for a fifth time this season. The Titans rank 24th against the pass and I've oft-targeted this unit in DFS. Woods is Jared Goff's preferred target and he is a mid-tier WR2 this week. |
| MIA | Kenny Stills | KC | Marcus Peters | Peters is known as one of the game's best corners and he's playing like it over the past months. He's allowed a catch rate of just 50 percent and a whopping 43 receiving yards over the last four weeks! Since his 13 target game two weeks ago, Stills has faded, and I expect his role to remain minimal in this outing. Stills is a flex option at best this week. |
| MIN | Stefon Diggs | GB | Damarious Randall | A touchdown saved Diggs in Week 16, but the volume has been there and he looks decently healthy. The 24-year-old receiver is having a solid 2017 campaign, while the Green Bay secondary has not had the same fortune. That unit has allowed the seventh-most fantasy points per game over the last month and Case Keenum will have plenty of success slinging the pigskin around the field. |
| NE | Philip Dorsett | BUF | Tre'Davious White | I wasn't on Chris Hogan in this matchup, so it shouldn't be a surprise that Dorsett isn't exactly high on my list either. Expect a lot of Rob Gronkowski in this matchup, as he's the biggest mismatch for this Buffalo secondary. Dorsett has minimal fantasy appeal. |
| NO | Ted Ginn | ATL | Desmond Trufant | Despite being targeted far fewer than his counterparts at his position in Atlanta, the most success against these corners have come from attacking Trufant. He's allowed a 70 percent catch rate over the last four weeks, including a 132.9 QB rating.* Ginn has some appeal this week in standard formats, and as a tournament play in DFS. |
| NYG | Roger Lewis | ARI | Tramon Williams | Sterling Shepard is the most trustworthy asset amongst the Giants' receiving crew, but after him, Lewis is the secondary option. Lewis gets red zone targets and he trails Shepard by just four targets over the last three weeks. In DFS, I'm not trusting him, but in deep seasonal formats, you could do worse with that second flex spot. |
| NYJ | Robby Anderson | LAC | Casey Hayward | To start Anderson, you're telling me that I have to trust Bryce Petty and deal with Casey Hayward? Anderson's Week 16 adversary has allowed a QB rating when targeted of 59.5 and a mere 29 receptions on 67 targets.* I really like Anderson, but I can't get behind him with a bad quarterback in an even worse matchup. |
| OAK | Cordarrelle Patterson | PHI | Jalen Mills | Only the Texans have allowed more receiving yards over the last two weeks than the Philadelphia Eagles. Eli Manning torched the Eagles recently and this could be a great opportunity for a struggling Derek Carr and Oakland offense. Patterson's big play ability could show up in this outing, but to his credit, Mills has been playing some good football. Unless you're in a deep league, you likely aren't even considering Patterson in your lineup. |
| PHI | Torrey Smith | OAK | David Amerson | Opponents have had plenty of success throwing against Amerson, to the tune of a 156.3 QB rating and four touchdown passes.* The veteran receiver is far from the threat he used to be, but Nick Foles can still get him a touchdown on any given week. He's best suited for the flex in deeper formats. |
| PIT | Martavis Bryant | HOU | Johnathan Joseph | Pittsburgh is without Antonio Brown in a plus-plus matchup against the Houston defense, so Bryant is sure to receive a slight uptick in targets. He's looked better of late and is averaging seven targets per game over the last month. He's scored twice during that span and gets looks in the red zone. His upside is immense this week, despite his struggles for most of this season. |
| SEA | Tyler Lockett | DAL | Chidobe Awuzie | Michael Crabtree beat Awuzie for two touchdowns last week, so there's some optimism for Lockett in Seattle's improvisation offense. Lockett burned us last week, but in deeper standard formats, he is sort of enticing in this matchup. It has to be a deep league, however. |
| SF | Kendrick Bourne | JAX | Jalen Ramsey | DeAndre Hopkins had two big plays against Ramsey last week to produce the majority of his fantasy points, but Bourne is no Hopkins. He will have a ton of problems in this matchup and will put up less than five fantasy points this week. |
| TB | Chris Godwin | CAR | Darryl Worley | As I said with Mike Evans, Carolina has been gifting fantasy points in recent weeks and Worley isn't the kind of guy that is going to make me avoid a player, although he has been decent this year. Godwin is usable in GPP contests and deeper standard formats, given the generosity of the Carolina secondary in recent weeks. |
| TEN | Rishard Matthews | LAR | Trumaine Johnson | Johnson has been targeted a good bit over the last four weeks, and he's been exploitable in recent weeks. He's allowed 1.02 yards per coverage snap and a 97.7 QB rating when targeted during the aforementioned span.* Matthews performed well last week and continues to get targeted in the predictable Tennessee offense, but the predictability of this offense has derailed his recent production. |
| WAS | Ryan Grant | DEN | Aqib Talib | Grant didn't return on my investment last week, so I'm out this week, especially given the matchup with Aqib Talib. He's allowing a miniscule 0.6 yards per coverage snap this season, and just three touchdowns on nearly 400 coverage snaps.* Grant is a full fade for me this week. |
Now, here are my 10 favorite matchups in the slot this weekend.
Offense | Slot WR | Defense | Slot CB | Analysis |
| MIA | Jarvis Landry | KC | Steven Nelson | Nelson has allowed the most yards out of the slot over the last five weeks and Landry is a target hog. Especially in PPR formats, he's a reliable, close to top-tier WR2. Start him everywhere. |
| ARI | Larry Fitzgerald | NYG | Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie | The Giants have been worthless against the pass this season and have allowed 14 touchdowns to opposing wide receivers. Fitzgerald is a target machine and he will get plenty of looks, even with Drew Stanton under center. In a favorable matchup, he's a lock in all formats this week. |
| DET | Golden Tate | CIN | Darqueze Dennard | Cincinnati is poor at covering the slot and things aren't getting easier with all the injuries they have encountered. It is a Marvin Jones revenge game, but Tate will still get his opportunities and is always a threat to take a screen pass to the house. |
| SEA | Doug Baldwin | DAL | Xavier Woods | Woods has allowed a high catch rate out of the slot this season and Baldwin is Russell Wilson's preferred target in the improv-style offense they are running out west. He caught just one pass last week, and three the week before, but you can lock him in for at least six receptions and 74 yards this week against the Cowboys. |
| NYG | Sterling Shepard | ARI | Tyrann Mathieu | Welcome back, Sterling! After a 13 target game against the 49ers a few weeks back, he disappeared for two weeks, before exploding on the scene last week for 139 yards and a touchdown on 11 receptions. It was an excellent performance for the Oklahoma standout. Mathieu has had problems in coverage this season, and attacking him often appears regularly in this piece. Let's do it again! |
| LAC | Keenan Allen | NYJ | Buster Skrine | Skrine had some problems earlier this season in slot coverage, but he's slowly getting better, but come on people! Allen should play this week and sure, he had a down week last week, but he still put up a respectable 10.4 points in a PPR format. It was no 30+ from recent weeks, but that was unsustainable. Lock him in as a high-end WR2 at the least this week. |
| LAR | Cooper Kupp | TEN | Demontre Hurst | Ryan has allowed the second-most touchdowns in slot coverage this season and even though Robert Woods has returned for the Rams, Kupp continues to get his work. He saw just three targets last week, but that's an abnormality for the rookie out of Eastern Washington. Start him as a WR3 with confidence this week against a weaker Tennessee secondary. |
| ATL | Mohamed Sanu | NO | Sterling Moore | Avoiding Marshon Lattimore and Ken Crawley is key when attacking this New Orleans defense. With Sanu taking a bunch of reps out of the slot, he'll likely deal with Sterling Moore more often than not. Moore has allowed a 124.3 QB rating when targeted and 2.0 yards per coverage snap this season.* |
| PIT | Eli Rogers | HOU | Kareem Jackson | Jackson has been burned out of the slot nearly every week this season and the absence of Antonio Brown opens the door for Rogers to get some extra looks out of the slot. His production hasn't been there this season, but for this week, I like him to get it done. |
| NE | Danny Amendola | BUF | Leonard Johnson | Johnson has allowed the third-most receiving yards, and two touchdowns, in slot coverage over the last five weeks and Amendola could see some extra work with Chris Hogan possibly missing this contest. He's much better suited for PPR formats, as receptions, not yardage is the name of his game. |
Elite
DeAndre Hopkins vs. Artie Burns
NUK! Artie Burns has done well this season in coverage, allowing 0.99 yards per coverage snap this season, but covering Hopkins for most of the game is a tall task. Hopkins’ volume in the Houston passing attack is rare, in that he routinely sees over one-third of the targets in the game. T.J. Yates only has eyes for Hopkins and you can lock Houston’s top dog in for double-digit targets and at least 85 receiving yards. He’s been very consistent all year and as the league-leader in touchdowns, he’s looking to add to that total.
JuJu Smith-Schuster vs. Kevin Johnson
Both elite options in the same game, ladies and gents! No Antonio Brown opens up some targets for JuJu, who has a very favorable matchup against Johnson. He’s allowing a catch rate near 75 percent and over 12 yards per reception. Furthermore, he’s allowing a whopping 1.58 yards per coverage snaps and a 136.2 QB rating when targeted.* Even when Brown was on the field, JuJu was getting action, so imagine what that number could spike to with AB84 out of the lineup… I guess we’ll find out this week.
Affordable
Jarvis Landry vs. Steven Nelson
Don’t you think he wants to ball out for his Pro Bowl snub? Landry has 98 receptions on the year and finally, he’s finding the end zone with regularity! Miami’s possession receiver has at least eight receptions in three of his last four games, and at least eight targets in five of his last six. Nelson has allowed the most receiving yards out of the slot over the last four weeks, and given Landry’s role in the offense, he’ll get plenty of action in this contest. You can beat Kansas City through the slot, so when Kenyan Drake isn’t running the ball, expect smokin’ Jay Cutler to sling the rock to Landry.
Bargain Bin
Mike Wallace vs. Quincy Wilson
As you read in the table above, I’m on Wallace this week. It’s a plus matchup and he’s practically unrivaled for targets out wide for this Baltimore offense with Jeremy Maclin banged up. The Colts have allowed the third-most receiving yards to receivers this season, and despite being a seasoned veteran, Wallace can still get down the field and take the top off the defense. I think it happens this week as the Colts are without their most talented players in the secondary. Fire Wallace up and don’t look back.
*Information gathered from research done at Pro Football Focus.