Now that we've got 4 weeks of data, we can start adjusting matchup statuses more confidently and, in turn, we've got several notable names who have been adjusted this week. 

We're also keeping close tabs on an emerging trend; where a bad matchup will steer target volume away from certain corners and towards more favorable matchups. This can be a leading indicator of the strength of a corner that the stats will take a few weeks to catch up to. 

 

 

 

2024 Fantasy Football WR/CB Matchup Report For Week 5

WR CB Matchup Report
      
Left WR vs Right CB
Wide ReceiverTeamDK / FD $CornerbackOppMatchup
Michael WilsonARI$4400 / $5200Isaac YiadomSFNeutral
The Week 5 matchup between Michael Wilson of the Cardinals and Isaac Yiadom of the 49ers is perfectly average. Wilson is the 4th option in the Arizona receiving progression and Yiadom is near league average in every statistical measure.
Darnell MooneyATL$4800 / $5700Jamel DeanTBNeutral
This matchup features two players whose arrows are starting to point up lately. Darnell Mooney, who is quietly developing nice rapport with Kirk Cousins, and Jamel Dean who is starting to show shade of his old self. While the improvement is nice, both players are still firmly in “average” territory.
Rashod BatemanBAL$4000 / $5600Cam Taylor-BrittCINNeutral
What to do with Cam Taylor-Britt has become a recurring theme of this report. He does a nice job limiting catches overall, as evidenced by his 64.3% catch rate, but is still getting gashed for deep catches nearly every week. I’ll list this one as neutral but the bigger issue for Batement is the fact that Ravens wide receivers account for the lowest percentage of team targets in the league.
Mack HollinsBUF$3100 / $5300Kamari LassiterHOUNeutral
Texans rookie corner Kamari Lassiter continues to show himself capable at the NFL level, which is typically not the case for rookie DBs. Last week he did let a deep completion get by him but overall he’s pretty consistently average. His opponent, Mack Hollins, is still one of the snap leaders for the Bills, but rarely has much to show for it from a fantasy standpoint.
Diontae JohnsonCAR$6100 / $7100Tyrique StevensonCHINeutral
In Week 5, we’ll get a true sense of how much separation Diontae Johnson can generate in this offense. He’ll be facing Tyrique Steveson who has been heavily-targeted (29) but does a solid job of holding his assignment to just 17 catches (58.6%). The additional volume helps Jonhson’s floor and if he can create space like he did in his Pittsburgh heyday, he’s got nice upside to go with it.
DJ MooreCHI$6600 / $6400Jaycee HornCARDowngrade
There are rumors swirling about how happy DJ Moore is in the Bears offense. One thing he won’t be happy about is his matchup this week against Jaycee Horn. Horn has held opponents to just 9 catches and 98 yards this season and has been stockpiling forced incompletions, pass breakups, and interceptions. This looks like a rough one for Moore but fortunately Horn hasn’t shadowed much so he’ll have a chance to accumulate points away from Jaycee’s coverage.
Ja'Marr ChaseCIN$8000 / $9300Brandon StephensBALNeutral
Ja'Marr Chase was the unlucky recipient of Jaycee Horn’s coverage last week and, in turn, had a pretty quiet game by his standards. He’s in a better spot in Week 5 as he’ll line up against Brandon Stephens of the Ravens. Stephens is performed fairly well this season but is the most-targeted player in the Ravens’ secondary, giving Chase a nice boost to his volume this week.
Jerry JeudyCLE$5200 / $5900Benjamin St-JusteWASUpgrade
Benjamin St-Juste is the gift that keeps on giving this year. He’s allowed 244 receiving yards this season (6th), has surrendered 3 touchdowns (T-3rd), and quarterbacks have a rating of 126.2 when throwing into his coverage. His primary responsibility this week, Jerry Jeudy, is quietly having a solid season as the WR2 in Cleveland. This matchup could present the opportunity for his first big game as a Brown.
Jalen TolbertDAL$4200 / $5100Joey Porter JrPITDowngrade
Brandin Cooks, the Cowboys’ preferred option on the left, has already been ruled out of their Week 5 game with a knee injury. We have to project a bit to name his replacement but odds are that it will be Jalen Tolbert. Tolber will have his work cut out for him this week as he figures to be the focus of Joey Porter Porter’s coverage grade is dragged down by a number of penalties on his side of the ledger but he remains one of the more difficult matchups in the league.
Courtland SuttonDEN$5500 / $5700Jakorian BennettLVNeutral
There is no shortage of opportunity going Courtland Sutton’s way this year, as he’s 2nd in the league with 482 air yards and his 34 targets are the 6th most in the league. Unfortunately most of that opportunity has been unrealized as Sutton currently sits as WR44 in fantasy points. Sutton will face Jakorian Bennett this week who is still struggling to bring guys down, missing 2 more tackles last week and increasing his missed tackle rate to 66.7% this year.
Jameson WilliamsDET#N/ATariq Woolen#N/ADowngrade
Tariq Woolen continues his ascent into the conversation of the league’s elite cover corners and this week he’ll be lined up across for Jameson Williams. Williams came back to earth last week, after a hot start to the season, and will be facing a corner who’s allowed just 4 receptions this season and a 7.0 passer rating when throwing into his coverage. Jamo has the skillset to get loose on any play but this is categorically a tough spot for him.
Romeo DoubsGB$5400 / $5700Tre’Davious WhiteLARUpgrade
The Rams secondary has been a favorite target of ours this year but Tre’Davious White showed some promise last week, allowing just 1 catch for 7 yards against DJ Moore. This doesn’t excuse the body of his work from this season, nor change his favorable status for Romeo Doubs, but certainly a data point to keep an eye on.
Nico CollinsHOU$7700 / $8800Christian BenfordBUFDowngrade
I’m almost running out of superlatives to assign to the 2024 season for Nico Collins. He is currently on pace for a 2,000 yard season and is clearly the focal point of this passing game. He’ll have a tricky matchup this week against another player who is coming into his own, Christian Benford of the Bills. Benford has held his opponents to just 5 catches and 27 yards on the season. Collins has the skill to overcome a tough matchup but this will be a good test for him.
Alec PierceIND$4900 / $5400Montaric BrownJACNeutral
With 4 weeks of data at our disposal, we are at a point where we can comfortably adjust Montaric Brown’s matchup status to “Neutral.” His yards per catch is now sitting at 8.9 and he’s coming off a game against a very tough Texans receiving corps where he allowed a 33% catch rate and broke up 2 passes. He’ll be assigned to Alec Pierce this week who is still seeing his fantasy production wane as his teammates get more involved.
Gabe DavisJAC$4500 / $5900Jaylon JonesINDUpgrade
Things went from bad to worse last week fro Gabe Davis, as he caught just 1 pass for -2 yards against the Texans. He’ll look to get things back on track this week as he’s set to face Jaylon Jones of the Colts. Jones has been the preferred target in the Indy secondary, seeing 25 passes thrown into his coverage and allowing 231 receiving yards on the season. Davis is little more than a desperation play this week but he’s in a favorable matchup if you find yourself in that position.
Justin WatsonKC$3700 / $5600Marshon LattimoreNODowngrade
The Chiefs wide receiver room is reeling after the loss of Rashee Rice in Week 4. While this clearly creates a void for someone to emerge, I doubt its Justin Watson. There is nothing about the way the Chiefs have utilized him that would suggest he’d step into that role. Further complicating the issue is that Watson is set to run against Marshon Lattimore this week. Lattimore has quickly become one of the stingiest corners this season, allowing just 5 catches for 56 yards so far.
Jakobi MeyersLV$5500 / $5800Pat SurtainDENDowngrade
Jakobi Meyers didn’t exactly answer the call with Davante Adams out last week. He saw a nice uptick to 10 targets, but only caught 5 of them for 49 yards. Adams is expected to be out again this week, meaning that Meyers will be the focal point for the Broncos’ Patrick Surtain. His 56.5 PFF coverage grade may look appealing but it is distorted by 6 penalties on the young season. Surtain is still putting the clamps on his primary matchup every week.
Quentin JohnstonLAC#N/ATrent McDuffie#N/ANeutral
Quentin Johnston kept his bounceback season going last week when he scored this 3rd touchdown of the year against Pittsburgh. Johnston will face the toughest matchup in the Chiefs secondary this week in Trent McDuffie but he hasn’t been much to write home about this year. McDuffie has been the picture of mediocrity, posting league-average numbers in nearly every category. 
 
Demarcus RobinsonLAR$4800 / $5500Eric StokesGBNeutral
Deciphering the receiver pecking order for the Rams has been tricky. Demarcus Robinson is still seeing the field a ton but is rarely converting that playing time into fantasy production and last week we saw both Tutu Atwell and Jordan Whittington surpass Robinson in snap count. The snaps where Robinson is out there, he’ll run against Eric Stokes. Stokes is hovering near the midpoint in most stats, though his 72.2% catch rate is starting to get away from him.
Jaylen WaddleMIA$5700 / $6500Jonathan JonesNENeutral
We’ve got to do a bit of projecting here but my expectation is that we’ll see Christian Gonzalez cover Tyreek Hill this week, as he did for their only matchup last year. That leaves Jaylen Waddle in the much friendlier coverage of Jonathan Jones. Jones hasn’t been bad this season, allowing just 8 catches on the year, but has been known to get beat for chunk plays at 17.6 yards per reception.
Jordan AddisonMIN$5300 / $6400D.J. ReedNYJDowngrade
Jordan Addison returned from a 2-week absence and stepped back into a big role for the Vikings; catching a 29-yard touchdown from Sam Darnold and scoring a 2nd time on a 7-yard end around. It was great to see Addison get back to his usual self last week but Week 5 presents a new challenge, running against DJ Reed. Reed is the 1a in the league’s toughest secondary and his stats bear that out; allowing just 26 yards on a 36.4% catch rate this season. Addison is still startable but expectations should be tempered.
K.J. OsbornNE$3300 / $4800Jalen RamseyMIADowngrade
I hope you’re not in a position to be considering KJ Osborn in any fantasy format this week. In the event you are, I’d suggest you steer clear as Osborn will be in the coverage of Jalen Ramsey. Ramsey is in his usual form, having allowed just 5 catches for 46 yards this season.
Chris OlaveNO$6500 / $6900Trent McDuffieKCDowngrade
Another week, another tough matchup for Chris Olave. The case of Chris Olave this year is the perfect embodiment of what I try to warn about when looking at individual matchups. He’s managing to produce at a fairly consistent level in spite of his tough matchups, having surpassed 80 yards in 3 straight games, but his upside is capped. That will be the case again this week running against Trent McDuffie who, were it not for 3 penalties against him, would have one of the best coverage grades in the league.
Malik NabersNYG$7300 / $8100Trevon DiggsSEADowngrade
If you have to choose your matchup against a tough Browns’ secondary, Martin Emerson Jr. is the one you’d pick. That isn’t offering relief, however, as Emerson has allowed just 10.7 yards per reception and a 58.3% catch rate on the season. Malik Nabers enters the matchup fresh of a statement game against the forgiving Commanders' secondary. He’ll certainly face more resistance this week, but not enough to change the matchup designation at this point. 
 
Mike WilliamsNYJ$5000 / $5700Shaquill GriffinMINNeutral
Mike Williams is starting to come on for the New York Jets, hitting season high marks for routes run, targets, catches, and yards in a monsoon of a game last week. His matchup against Shaquill Griffin this week is difficult to diagnose. Griffin’s catch rate (47.1%) and yards per catch (8.6) are among the best in the league but his missed tackles and penalties are dragging down his grade. We’ll file this one under “Neutral.”
Parris CampbellPHI#N/AJamel Dean#N/ANeutral
I’m going to go out on a limb and project both DeVonta Smith and AJ Brown to miss this week’s game. Back to back DNPs usually don't bode well. Assuming that's the case, it leaves Parris Campbell lining up on the left side of the offense and facing Jamel Dean this week. Dean has been the picture of average this season and doesn’t move the needle as an individual matchup.
George PickensPIT$6000 / $6000Trevon DiggsDALNeutral
George Pickens broke through for his first 100-yard game of the season, ringing up the Colts for 113 yards on 7 catches last week. This week he’ll have a tall task if he wants to repeat that output, as he’ll be the primary assignment of the Cowboys’ Trevon Diggs. Diggs is fresh off a game where he limited OROY candidate Malik Nabers to just 3 catches for 24 yards. Diggs is allowing a 68.4% catch rate but is doing a good job of capping his opponent’s upside on a weekly basis.
Brandon AiyukSF$6300 / $6700Starling Thomas VARINeutral
The slow start to Brandon Aiyuk’s 2024 dragged on last week as he posted a 2/48 line in their blowout of the Patriots. He’ll look to shake off the hold out rust this week against Starling Thomas of the Cardinals. Thomas has been has been playing a pretty average level of corner-backing but has allowed a touchdown in each of his prior two games.
DK MetcalfSEA$7000 / $8200Deonte BanksNYGUpgrade
DK Metcalf continues to thrive in this Ryan Grubb after he posted his 3rd-straight 100-yard game Monday night against the Lions. He’s got a great opportunity to stay hot this week as he draws one of our favorite punching bags, Deonte Banks. Banks is 5th in the league with 259 yards allowed and has been rung up for 4 touchdowns this season. Wheels up DK.
Mike EvansTB$7100 / $8300Mike HughesATLNeutral
The rollercoaster of the 2024 season is currently on the upswing after he posted an 8/94/1 line against the Eagles in Week 4. This week he’ll be running against Mike Hughes of the Falcons on Thursday Night Football. Hughes has played well enough this season but as has been the case with the Falcons for the last few years, most passes are funneled toward the middle of the field. Evans is still very startable this week but the volume decrease chips away at his upside.
Terry McLaurinWAS$6100 / $6600Martin Emerson Jr.CLENeutral
The arrow continues to point up on the Commanders offense and that has found Terry McClaurin on the fringes of WR1 territory in each of the last 2 weeks. This week he’s in an interesting spot against the Cleveland Browns. He’ll face Martin Emerson who is in the midst of the worst season of his career. I believe that Emerson is a better corner than what his numbers would imply this year and will keep this matchup as “Neutral” until further notice.
 

 

Right WR vs Left CB
Wide ReceiverTeamDraftKings/FanDuelCornerbackOppMatchup
Marvin HarrisonARI$7500 / $7400Charvarius WardSFNeutral
Marvin Harrison kept his touchdown streak alive last week, finding the end zone against the Commanders. He’ll face a bigger challenge this week running against Charvarius Ward of the 49ers. Ward is doing a nice job with just 52.6% of his targets being caught but is closer to league average with 13.1 yards per catch allowed. Ward isn’t a downgrade by any means, just much more capable than anything the Commanders are trotting out.
Drake LondonATL$6300 / $6500Zyon McCollumTBDowngrade
Zyon McCollum has moved into “no questions asked” territory this year and is a clear downgrade week in and week out. This week he’ll be assigned to Drake London, who’s struggled mightily against other top corners in the past. London should be involved enough to justify a start for his fantasy managers but this projects to be one of his lower scoring games of the year.
Zay FlowersBAL$6400 / $6900Dax HillCINNeutral
Zay Flowers is clearly the primary receiving option for the Baltimore Ravens this year, but on a Ravens team throws the ball to their wide receivers less than anyone in the league. Game script has had a role to play in that outcome and hopefully this week’s matchup against the Bengals can be a bit more competitive. Flowers is slated to face Dax Hill who is a member of the cornerback middle class.
Keon ColemanBUF$4700 / $5400Derek Stingley JrHOUDowngrade
Despite relatively unremarkable fantasy production, Keon Coleman is clearly one of the starters in a crowded Bills receiver room. He is one off the lead in total snaps and has a 23.1% target share in the red zone. This week he’ll have his work cut out for him, running against Derek Stingley Stingley has started to return to his old self and has allowed less than 25 receiving yards in 3 of 4 games this season.
Xavier LegetteCAR$5100 / $6000Jaylon JohnsonCHIDowngrade
It was nice to see Xavier Legette take full advantage of the opportunity afforded to him by the absence of Adam Thielen, posting a 6/66/1 line against the Bengals. He’s got a tall task if he aims to repeat that type of performance running against Jaylon Johnson of the Bears. As we detailed last week, if it weren’t for a missed tackle that went for chunk yardage, Johnson’s counting stats would be among the best in the league. Legette is back to flex territory this week.
Rome OdunzeCHI$5300 / $5600Mike JacksonCARNeutral
Rome Odunze came back to earth last week as the Bears passing offense largely struggled against the Rams. He’ll have a shot to get back on track this week running against Mike Jackson of the Panthers. Jackson is right around league average in both catch rate and yards per catch but he’s seeing a heap of targets, the 4th-most in the league, as quarterbacks avoid throwing toward his teammate Jaycee Horn.
Tee HigginsCIN$6000 / $6800Nate WigginsBALNeutral
Tee Higgins took another step toward his typical production last week when he posted a 6/60 line against the Panthers. He should be able to hold serve in Week 5, where he’ll line up against Nate Wiggins of the Ravens. Wiggins doesn’t get targeted much but has a 75% catch rate and is being run up for nearly 15 yards per catch this year.
Amari CooperCLE$6200 / $6200Noah IgbinogheneWASUpgrade
Despite the big game a few weeks ago, Amari Cooper is still the NFL’s leader in unrealized air yards, with 344 of them on his ledger this year. He’ll have as good a chance as ever to convert them into the “realized” category this week as he’s set to face Noah Igbinoghene of the Commanders. The trouble for Noah is that he gets beat frequently. He’s allowed 2 touchdowns on just 9 catches (22% TD rate) and the 2 other times he was dead to rights he opted to foul as a last-ditch effort. This week has the potential to be similar to Cooper’s Week 3 outburst against the Giants.
Jalen TolbertDAL$4200 / $5100Cor'Dale FlottPITUpgrade
Marlon Humphrey is quite having a season that lives up to the lofty standard he has set for himself but he remains one of the better cover corners in the league. He’s allowing a few more balls to be caught but still boasts an impressive yards per catch average at just 6.9. Jalen Tolbert is in for a long day at the office running against Humphrey.
Josh ReynoldsDEN$4100 / $5100Jack JonesLVNeutral
We’ve got another MID-off on our hands as Josh Reynolds and Jack Jones are essentially the poster boys for replacement level play. The Broncos offense is anemic at best and Jack Jones is offering limited resistance to those trying to catch balls in his coverage this year.
Tim PatrickDET#N/ATre Brown#N/ANeutral
There was a shakeup with the Lions’ 3rd wide receiver spot last week when Tim Patrick overtook Kalif Raymond in the pecking order. Assuming they stick with that change, Patrick will face the Seahawks’ Trey Brown this week. Brown has done well to keep opponents to a 50% catch rate and his 13.3 yards allowed per reception are inline with the league average as well.
Dontayvion WicksGB$5000 / $5900Cobie DurantLARNeutral
Another week of unremarkable play is in the books for Cobie Durant, so we won’t spend much time reviewing his statistics. He’ll be assigned to Dontayvion Wicks this week, one of the most-added players in fantasy after his 2-touchdown performance last week. What is most encouraging for Wicks managers is that he stayed on the field for 2 receiver sets after Christian Watson exited with an injury. Wicks is in a decent spot this week to capitalize on his additional playing time.
Tank DellHOU$5400 / $6000Rasul DouglasBUFNeutral
After practices on back to back days this week, it appears that Tank Dell is in line to return from a chest injury that caused him to miss Week 4. When he does, he’ll primarily run against the Bills’ Rasul Douglas. Douglas has performed in an above-average fashion this year, allowing just 9.7 yards per reception but has a touchdown and a penalty that are dragging his coverage rating into the mid-60s.
Michael PittmanIND$6000 / $6100Ronald DarbyJACNeutral
We talked last week about Michael Pittman’s favorable matchup for generating YAC and he did just that. Pittman posted his first 100-yard game of the season and moved his yards after catch closer to his career averages. This week he’ll face Ronald Darby of the Jaguars, a player who is pretty close to average overball but who has given up the most yards after catch on the season (148). Look for Pittman to get the momentum going in a matchup that should feature a ton of passing.
Brian ThomasJAC$5900 / $6300Samuel Womack IIIINDNeutral
Brian Thomas is quickly cementing himself as the preferred option in the Jaguars passing game, with a 17/275/2 slashline this year. He’ll have a fair fight on his hands this week, facking Samuel Womack III of the Colts. Womack has barely been targeted this year as opposing OCs look to take full advantage of Jaylon Jones being on the field, but he has given up a touchdown on just 3 passes into his coverage this year.
Xavier WorthyKC$6200 / $7300Paulson AdeboNOUpgrade
Xavier Worthy is going to have to step up in a big way for the suddenly thin Chiefs wide receiver room and he’s got a great opportunity in front of him this week. Worthy will run the majority of his routes in the coverage of Paulson Adebo. Adebo has been the benefactor of offenses avoiding Marshon Lattimore this season, seeing a league-high 40 targets this season. He’s done a commendable job of limited catches at just 57.5% but that volume of targets has him near the top of the list with 308 receiving yards allowed. Worthy slides into WR2 territory and makes for an interesting captain play in DFS Showdown.
Tre TuckerLV$4100 / $5800Riley MossDENNeutral
In light of the Davante Adams saga, Tre Tucker is suddenly vaulted into fantasy relevance and has performed admirably. He turned in a 22.6 point effort in Week 3 and managed to catch 5 of 6 targets for 41 yards in a very tough matchup last week against Denzel Ward. This week he’ll be in a decent spot as he faces Riley Moss of Denver. Moss is another mid-range DB who sees a lot of volume due to the strength of his teammate on the other side (Surtain). He’s bang average in most statistical categories but has allowed the most yardage in the Broncos secondary.
Joshua PalmerLAC#N/AJaylen Watson#N/ANeutral
The Chargers are expecting the return of Joshua Palmer this week, after logging a Full Practice on Thursday. Palmer’s return finds him in the coverage of Jaylen Watson. Apart from drawing a couple of penalties already, there isn’t much about Watson’s numbers that stand out in either direction, as could be said regarding Joshua Palmer as well.
Jordan WhittingtonLAR$4600 / $5400Corey BallentineGBUpgrade
While his fantasy production wouldn’t show it, Jordan Whittington’s underlying metrics are starting to suggest he’s the preferred option in the Rams patch-work receivers room. He led the team in snap-share last week and ran a route on 100% of drop backs en route to a career-high 8 targets. This week he’ll face Corey Ballentine, the next man up in the Packers secondary after they lost Jaire Alexander to injury. We’ve only got a small sample size to work with for Ballentine, one where he’s given up a touchdown and 21.5 yards per catch on the 2 receptions he’s allowed.
Tyreek HillMIA$7600 / $8600Christian GonzalezNEDowngrade
I’m sure you’re tired of reading this but it needs to be stated again. Until the Miami Dolphins can secure competent quarterback play, things like individual matchups are a secondary consideration. When these teams faced off last year, Christian Gonzalez took on the task of shadowing Tyreek Hill, who caught 4 passes for 40 yards. Hill can clearly break loose on any given play but this matchup is a tough one, even for him.
Justin JeffersonMIN$8600 / $9500Sauce GardnerNYJDowngrade
We will get the true test of what Sam Darnold and the Minnesota passing game can do this week, as two of the greats at their position will square off. To date, even the best of corners have struggled to slow Justin Jefferson - who has posted WR1 numbers against corners like Derek Stingley and Jaire Alexander. Against lesser corners he might have been THE WR1 in those weeks, so the matchup isn’t without impact, but a player of Jefferson’s caliber is rarely denied.
Ja'Lynn PolkNE$3700 / $5000Kendall FullerMIANeutral
The Dolphins’ other outside corner, Kendall Fuller, missed Week 4 with a concussion but returned to practice in a limited fashion today and hopes to suit up in Week 5, If he does he’ll be assigned to cover rookie Ja’Lynn Polk of the Patriots. Like most Patriots receivers, Polk has been fairly uninspiring this season but did appear to separate himself from the pack in that room last week; setting season highs in snaps, routes, targets, catches, and yards. In the even Fuller misses the game, something called Storm Duck will be his backfill and is likely a more favorable matchup than Fuller’s “Neutral” status.
Rashid ShaheedNO$5600 / $6300Jaylen WatsonKCNeutral
The rollercoaster of Rashid Shaheed’s season carries on, as a big play receiver in a low-volume offense often does. This week he’ll face Jaylen Watson of the Chiefs in a game script that should call for more passing. Watson is the picture of league average as by almost every measure of cornerbacking.
Darius SlaytonNYG$3900 / $5000Caelen CarsonSEAUpgrade
Denzel Ward looked like his old self last week against the Jaguars, posting 90.4 coverage rating and allowing just 1 catch on 4 targets. That moves his season average to just 27.3% and I wouldn’t be surprised if he improves on that figure this week against Darius Slayton and the sputtering Giants. 
 
Allen LazardNYJ$4500 / $5900Stephon GilmoreMINNeutral
The fluky, touchdown-dependent, nature of Allen Lazard’s fantasy production makes him hard to trust on a week-to-week basis. He’ll find himself with an ok matchup this week as he’ll face Stephon Gilmore of the Vikings. Gilmore is allowing a fair amount of targets to be hauled in, 77.8%, but is doing a nice job of limited yardage at just 8.1 per. You’re basically hoping for a touchdown if you start Lazard this (or any) week.
Jahan DotsonPHI#N/AZyon McCollum#N/ADowngrade
With the Eagles likely to be without both AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith, they’ll need to see Jahan Dotson perform in a fashion that led to the Commanders spending 1st round draft capital on him. He’ll have a difficult time doing so this week, as he’s slated to be the primary assignment for Zyon McCollum. McCollum is in the midst of a breakout campaign this year, allowing just 4 catches for 52 yards while accumulating 3 pass breakups and an interception. It’s hard to know for sure how the Eagles will deploy their patch-work receiving corps but its likely that Dotson will see more McCollum than any other corner.
Van JeffersonPIT$3200 / $4400Caelen CarsonDALUpgrade
Caelen Carson has been called on in the Dallas Cowboys secondary and he has struggled this year. He’s given up the most yardage among his teammates, carries a 66.7% catch rate, and a yards per reception north of 14. His assignment this week will be Van Jefferson, who has done very little in his role as a starter for the Steelers. This one favors Jefferson but not enough to make him interesting from a fantasy perspective.
Deebo SamuelSF$6800 / $8000Sean Murphy-BuntingARIUpgrade
Its nice to see Deebo Samuel back for the San Francisco 49ers and this week he's in a beautiful spot against Sean Murphy-Bunting of the Cardinals. Murphy-Bunting has kept things under control from a yardage standpoint, where he’s allowed just 99 on the season, but has allowed a catch on 90.9% of his targets. That is extremely problematic when you’re covering a YAC monster like Deebo Samuel. Look for Deebo to bounce back nicely this week.
Tyler LockettSEA$5200 / $6200Cor'Dale FlottNYGUpgrade
Yes, the benefit of being shadowed by Deonte Banks is going to Lockett’s teammate (DK Metcalf) this week but the opportunity is still terrific for Tyler Lockett as well. They’re facing the Giants secondary that has been getting gashed all season and Lockett specifically gets to fae Cor’Dale Flott. Flott is allowing an 81% catch rate and opposing quarterbacks have a 128.4 passer rating when throwing into his coverage.
Sterling ShepardTB$3000 / $4700AJ TerrellATLDowngrade
With the Bucs missing both Jalen McMillian and Trey Palmer, they’ll turn to a guy they just signed off the street - Sterling Shepard. Shepard comes in cold, not knowing the offense, and has the task of running against the Falcons best corner - AJ Terrell. Shepard should be avoided at all costs.
Calvin RidleyTEN#N/AJalen Ramsey#N/ADowngrade
Somehow, amidst the chaos of the Will Levis-led Titans offense, Calvin Ridley has managed to be somewhat productive. He’ll have his work cut out for him if he wants to keep rolling this week as he’s slated to run against Jalen Ramsey for the majority of the day. Ramsey is firmly back in the “Downgrade” camp having allowed just 5 catches for 46 yards on the season. Levis is likely to look away from Ramsey’s coverage for his pass attempts, as have most quarterbacks this season.
Noah BrownWAS$3900 / $4900Denzel WardCLEDowngrade
Noah Brown has done a good job cementing himself as the 2nd-option among Commanders wide receivers but largely hasn’t popped from a fantasy perspective. It will be a tall order to do so this week as he gets the Browns best corner, Denzel Ward. Ward is allowing a catch on just 44.1% of targets and has yet to allow a touchdown this season. Tough spot for Brown

 

 

 

Slot WR vs Slot CB
Wide ReceiverTeamDraftKings/FanDuelCornerbackOppMatchup
Jaxon Smith-NjigbaSEA$5800 / $6300Nick McCloudNYGUpgrade
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before… attack the Giants secondary at every opportunity. Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s opportunity this week comes against Nick McCloud of the Giants. McCloud has gotten limited run but has allowed a 100% catch rate so far and the way the Seahawks move JSN around the formation, he’ll see plenty of routes in the coverage of the other favorable matchups offered by the Giants.
Chris GodwinTB$6800 / $7100Mike SainristilATLUpgrade
In a game of limited information, we know a couple things to be true. Chris Godwin is at his best when he’s running out of the slot, as he has on 62% of snaps this year, and the Atlanta Falcons funnel targets to the middle of the field. When running those slot routes, Godwin will be facing Dee Alford of the Falcons. Alford has given up the most yards (184) and touchdowns (2) in the Falcons backfield and is allowing an 84% catch rate this year. Wheels up!