Welcome to the weekly wide receiver/cornerback breakdown! We will review each of the outside matchups, as well as my 10 favorite matchups in the slot. Then, below the charts in this article, I break down my four absolute favorite matchups. This article is critical for seasonal and daily players, as this will help you gain a competitive advantage when setting your lineups. We have entered bye week season, so you might have to dig a little deeper on that roster to find viable options
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| Left WR | Right CB | Analysis |
| Christian Kirk ARZ | Vernon Hargreaves TB | He had an awful game last Thursday, but it was against the 49ers, so we cut him a little slack. The Cardinals did move the ball a little bit at times, but it just wasn't to Kirk. This will be a completely different story this week against the Tampa Bay defense that Russell Wilson just shredded to ribbons. Obviously Kyler Murray isn't Russell Wilson , but Kirk should have a real shot at 75 yards and likely a score. |
| Julio Jones ATL | Marshon Lattimore NO | It will be the matchup of the week as one of the best receivers will go against one of the best corners in football. The Falcons offense has fallen apart, and that has led to a severe fall off in touchdowns for Jones, but he is still having a dynamite season. Lattimore has kept many of the league's top receivers from having big games this season, and he could do the same to Jones. However, you can safely assume a floor of five catches for 60 yards in this one. |
| Marquise Brown BAL | William Jackson III CIN | This will be the test of Brown's fantasy value for the rest of the season. He hasn't really been worth having on your roster since returning from injury, and if he can't at least top 75 yards in a game against one of the worst pass defenses in the league, he isn't going to get it done this year. Sure he might have a stray 50 yard catch here or there, but unless Brown has a big game in this one, you can write him off. Personally, the way that the Ravens run the ball, I am not one with confidence in Brown. The talent is undeniable , but the situation isn't helping him. |
| John Brown BUF | Denzel Ward CLE | You can count on death, taxes, and John Brown having at least five catches and at least 50 yards. He has fallen short of five catches twice, but he had four in each of those games including last week when he had 76 receiving yards. Denzel Ward is a special corner, but he has been playing a little under his talent this season, and you should expect another five catches and 75 yards from Brown in Week 10. |
| D.J. Moore CAR | Kevin King GB | Moore broke free for his first 100 yard game of the season, and he now has five or more catches in four straight games. This one won't be easy, but he is clearly the top receiver on the Panthers so he is difficult to shut down completely. This should be a pretty even matchup between Moore and King, both are quality guys at their position. Moore has been targeted 37 times in the last four games, and that number isn't going down. Look for him to come up with six catches for 80 yards, although a touchdown will be a tough task. |
| Allen Robinson CHI | Darius Slay DET | You certainly didn't see the total bomb that Robinson put up last week against the Eagles coming. The number of people who picked him in the #FFPieBet didn't see it coming either. How bad is the Bears offense right now? Can you trust them to do anything? The Lions secondary is better, especially Darius Slay , but there is no way that Robinson is that bad again, right? He had five or more catches in every game but one before last Sunday and that was against some quality defenses like New Orleans, Denver, Green Bay, and the Chargers. Robinson has to have a bounce back game, even against Detroit's best cover man. He is unlikely to have a 100 yard game, but six catches for 80 yards should be well within his reach. If he doesn't, Matt Nagy should be fired and Mitchell Trubisky should be benched. |
| A.J Green CIN | Jimmy Smith BAL | Who knows what to expect from Green in his first game of the year. When he was first injured it was thought to be three or four games, then maybe six, and here we are in Week 10. He also comes back to a rookie quarterback starting, his team with no offensive line, and playing a Ravens defense that has been steadily improving. I know you are itching to get him in your lineups after holding him this long, but the odds looked stacked against him to have a big, fantasy relevant day. |
| Odell Beckham CLE | Tre'Davious White BUF | He has had five catches in each of the last two games against some of the league's best pass defenses in New England and Denver, and the going stays tough in this one for Beckham. He has really worked hard lately, despite the ridiculous story about his cleats, and he has borderline turned his season around. Given the subpar play of Baker Mayfield and another really tough corner to face, you can't expect a 100 yard game out of Odell, but five more catches for 70-75 yards isn't out of the realm of possibility. |
| Amari Cooper DAL | Xavier Rhodes MIN | It was a somewhat quiet night for Cooper until that big 45 yard touchdown in the second half against the Giants, but at the end of the day the only thing that matters is the final stats. He gets a tough matchup against Xavier Rhodes , but the Vikings pass defense has been strange this season. They are in the top ten with yards against at just 225 per game, but they have allowed 15 passing touchdowns in just nine games. Cooper might not be looking at 100 yards here, but at least 75 and a touchdown appear to be a lock. |
| Marvin Jones DET | Prince Amukamara CHI | Jones has really been his usual inconsistent self over the past four weeks, with two great games and two games under 25 receving yards. And while I've spent most of this year telling you how I am not a huge fan of Jones, here is why my opinion is changing to a degree. The Lions can't run the ball at all, and some weeks they are barely even trying. This is leading to more pass attempts than we envisioned, and therefore more opportunity for Jones. This isn't to say put him in every DFS lineup you create this weekend, but he has become a weekly WR3 in redraft, and while I wouldn't use him this week in DFS against the Bears, there will be some times that I would consider it. |
| Davante Adams GB | Donte Jackson CAR | Adams wasn't set up to have a big game last week after not playing a while and getting a matchup with Casey Hayward of the Chargers. However, the encouraging thing was he was by far the most targeted receiver with 11 on the game, and he did catch seven of them. Of course, he fell short of 50 yards, but the Chargers pass rush was all over Aaron Rodgers , and he had little time to throw. This week will be another tough one against a Carolina secondary that has only allowed ten passing touchdowns in nine games. If Rodgers has time to throw this week, however, I have much more confidence in Adams, and while he remains a shaky option in DFS due to his salary, redraft folks can expect at least 80 yards from him. |
| Zach Pascal IND | Nik Needham MIA | You take the good, you take the both, you take them both, and there you have the Facts of Life. It was a show, look it up. Well, this time it is facts of fantasy football. The negative is that Pascal will likely have Brian Hoyer throwing him the ball, who has been on about half the teams in the NFL. The positive (for him) is that T.Y. Hilton and Parris Campbell will be out, and Pascal will be the de facto number one receiver. Couple that with a matchup against the terrible Dolphins defense, and this is a recipe for success. You will definitely find Pascal in all of my redraft leagues and many of my DFS lineups as well. |
| Tyreek Hill KC | Adoree Jackson TEN | The Titans secondary continues to deal with injuries, and Malcolm Butler is now done for the season. This leaves Jackson as their best corner, and while he is solid, Tyreek Hill is likely to eat him for lunch. Hill looks to have Patrick Mahomes back, and that just makes this matchup even more salivating. The Chiefs will be on the upswing, while the Titans are going in the wrong direction fast. Hill will be a popular #FFPieBet choice if not chosen by the hosts and should be fired up in your season long and DFS leagues. |
| Robert Woods LAR | Joe Haden PIT | I'm not sure who this guy is that is wearing Robert Woods jersey this year, but it sure wasn't the same guy from 2018. Where did that guy go? Even with Brandin Cooks leaving the game in Week 8, he still only had two targets and 36 yards. Sure, Cooper Kupp was getting it done, but two targets? Through one game he was even passed on the target share by Josh Reynolds . It is so hard to predict what to expect from the Rams this week, but I am having a hard time thinking that Woods will succeed. Haden is a quality corner, and the Rams offense has questions coming out of the bye. I'm very hopeful he proves me wrong, but right now Woods is nothing but a flex option in a week with six teams on bye. |
| Mike Williams LAC | Daryl Worley OAK | It is a little hard to believe that last week was Williams first 100 yard game of his career, but you can't argue with facts. It did come on just three catches, so it doesn't exactly load us with great confidence about it happening again. He is still waiting for his first touchdown of the season, but boy if it is ever going to happen this has to be the week right? Williams has 69 or more yards in four of the last five weeks and they will face the Raiders on Thursday who are historically bad. In just eight games they have allowed 22 passing touchdowns and you have to believe that Williams get himself one of those. He is a great play for Thursday night if you have him. |
| DeVante Parker MIA | Rock Ya-Sin IND | It might have been against the stinky Jets, but Parker still had his fourth touchdown catch in his last five games last week. His targets also stayed decent with six. With Preston Williams now done for the season, that gives Parker even a bit more of a boost. The Colts defense doesn't give up a lot of touchdowns through the air, so this might not be the week to expect another score. However, given the scheduling this week, and how consistent Parker has been (never thought I'd ever type that), he is hard not to at least put in your flex spot in your Week 10 lineups. |
| Stefon Diggs MIN | Chidobe Awuzie DAL | We all thought that Diggs would have a monster game last week, and when Adam Thielen went out early we were all waiting for the 150 yards and two touchdown box score. However, it was one catch. What a let down.There were pies to be had after that one, just ask poor Rick Wolf. Thielen is going to miss this one, but Diggs isn't a sure thing against a Dallas defense that has allowed just seven passing touchdowns in eight games. Although the way the NFL goes, watch Kirk Cousins throw for three scores this week. Diggs is a must start in redrafts, but shaky in DFS, and in my opinion a no go for the #FFPieBet, even without Adam Thielen . |
| Michael Thomas NO | Isaiah Oliver ATL | This is like when the stars align and rainbows and unicorns and candy rains from the sky! Perhaps the best receiver in the NFL this season against the WORST secondary ever created???? How can it get any better??? There is no analysis needed here, Thomas is going to blow up, he is worth every dollar in DFS, and if somehow one of the hosts doesn't pick him he absolutely should be your pie bet choice. Of course, go to ffpiebet.com if you have no idea what I'm talking about. |
| Darius Slay ton NYG | Darryl Roberts NYJ | A week after a two touchdown game, albeit on two catches, Slayton was worse this past week with just a single catch against the Cowboys. Dallas does have a very good defense, but Slayton isn't that great, and the Giants pass game is very pedestrian. Even in this plus matchup against the Jets, the chances of him getting more than three or four targets is minimal, even with Evan Engram likely to miss the game. You can find a better option than Slayton this week. |
| Robby Anderson NYJ | Janoris Jenkins NYG | The Jets finally get a little bit easier matchup, but Anderson will still face off against a pretty solid corner in Jenkins. Even in a great matchup right now, how much can you trust the Jets passing game after they looked like garbage against the Dolphins? Anderson has seven catches for just over 80 yards in the last three weeks combined, and barring a miraculous long catch, his fantasy value is in the toilet. |
| Tyrell Williams OAK | Casey Hayward LAC | The touchdown streak had to end eventually, and it did in grand fashion with just three catches against the Lions. Unfortunately, it looks like he might start a two week stretch with no touchdowns as Tyrell will battle with Casey Hayward on Thursday night. He is one of the best in the business, and has been doing work all season long. Williams honestly isn't the best receiver in the league anyway, so regression was coming. The Chargers secondary just shut Aaron Rodgers down last week, so to expect Williams to have more than 50 yards in this one would be ill advised. |
| Diontae Johnson PIT | Jalen Ramsey LAR | Given the fact that Jaylen Samuels basically was thrown to on every down, it would have been difficult to expect much out of Johnson last week. Of course, you would have liked to see more than two catches, but everyone has a bad game here and there. Here and there might happen again, as Johnson will likely draw one of the better corners in the game in Ramsey if he doesn't venture in the slot of Smith-Schuster. The Rams secondary looked like a new unit once Ramsey came to town, and Johnson is not likely to top the 40 receiving yard plateau without an out of the ordinary deep pass. |
| D.K. Metcalf SEA | Richard Sherman SF | Metcalf had a huge game with a career high in targets last week, but you have to remember he was going against the Buccaneers. This week, despite what Arizona was able to do in small bursts, Metcalf faces the best pass defense in San Francisco. Richard Sherman has been playing like the guy from five years ago, and he definitely wants to stick it to his old team by showing them he can still shut receivers down. With Josh Gordon also likely joining the team this week, it doesn't look like a great time to expect a big game from the exciting rookie. |
| Deebo Samuel SF | Tre Flowers SEA | Outside of the awful drop in the endzone, it was Samuel's best game in quite a while. And the question becomes was this an instance of the Niners playing an awful defense in Arizona, or did the addition of Emmanuel Sanders open up the offense for other receivers to shine? I tend to think it was the bad defense, and Seattle's defense has been bad of late too. If you don't believe me just watch what Jameis Winston did to them last week. However, After Samuel, Kittle, and the passes to running backs out of the backfield, there isn't likely enough left to go around for more receivers to be counted on. Deebo needs a nice run to finish his rookie season off well, but it is too hard to count on him right now. |
| Mike Evans TB | Patrick Peterson ARI | As I was just talking about how bad the Seahawks defense has been, Evans went bananas on them for 180 yards and a touchdown on 12 catches. He has been on fire of late, and has totally made up for the slow start he got off to. He now has three games of over 180 yards, and while he faces what is a bad defense, he won't have that good of a game. Patrick Peterson hasn't quite been the same lock down guy he has been in his career yet, so this is no cause to sit Evans. He has a real shot at another 100 yard game in this one as the Cardinals pass defense really is just so bad. |
| Corey Davis TEN | Bashaud Breeland KC | After many years of having no faith in him, I was all about Davis when the Titans made the quarterback switch. Well, my faith was quickly dashed after a nine yard game against the Buccaneers, and just four catch outing against the Panthers. The Chiefs are not a great pass defense by any stretch, but I think we all got a little overexcited about Ryan Tannehill . He might be better than Marcus Mariota , but he is still Ryan Tannehill . Davis might pop off with a couple good games before the season ends, but honestly my days of recommending him are over. In fact, I dropped him in a redraft league this week. |
| Right WR | Left CB | Analysis |
| KeeSean Johnson ARI | Jamel Dean TB | Johnson did have his first career touchdown last Thursday against the 49ers, but unfortunately he had just three catches on the game. He is a nice receiver, but the Cardinals passing game doesn't tend to have enough to go around to support more than just Christian Kirk and a running back. This week will be very interesting going against one of the worst defenses in football to see if any receiver differentiates himself, but you can't risk a spot in a fantasy lineup on it. |
| Calvin Ridley ATL | Eli Apple NO | Ridley did have 70 yards against a subpar Seahawks secondary in the game before their bye, but the difficulty will be reamped back up against the Saints this week. Ridley is one of my favorite fantasy receivers, but I can't ignore than he isn't having the production I envisioned. He can be reliable when he faces really poor defenses, but as soon as the competition gets tougher he tends to no show. The whole Falcons team is a mess this year, and while Ridley is still a WR3 or flex play, you can't touch him in DFS contests. |
| Miles Boykin BAL | B.W. Webb CIN | There are a lot of receivers in this list that I will say you can't trust, and Boykin is generally one of them. That theory will be put to the test against a horrific Bengals defense. Although, even with Marquise Brown out of the lineup a few weeks ago, Boykin only managed two catches for 28 yards. He will have Brown back this week, and even though the Bengals are still awful, there is no fantasy situation where you can trust Boykin this week. |
| Isaiah McKenzie BUF | Greedy Williams CLE | It isn't happening for any second receiver on the Bills no matter the matchup. John Brown , Devin Singletary , and on occasion Dawson Knox will get some targets. That’s about it. McKenzie had three catches last week for a whole 12 yards, and while he might have more than that this week against the Browns it will be nothing worthy of fantasy consideration. |
| Curtis Samuel CAR | Jaire Alexander GB | Samuel is dealing with a shoulder and a hamstring injury, but he is still toughing it out and actually producing. He had his third touchdown of the season, but those have come against a deteriorating Titans defense, the Cardinals, and the Buccaneers. If you watch football at all you don't need me to tell you that those secondaries suck. The Packers secondary, is very good on the other hand, and isn't likely to give up more than 40 yards to Samuel and if he scores a touchdown I will take a pie to the face. |
| Taylor Gabriel CHI | Rashaan Melvin DET | He has broken 50 receiving yards for the second consecutive week, but 53 of his receiving yards last week came on one play. However, have you watched Mitchell Trubisky and the Bears passing game lately? Tell me you want to put one of your roster spots on that offense? Allen Robinson had one catch for six yards last week! Trubisky looks awful, Head Coach Matt Nagy can't call an offense, and Taylor Gabriel is an incredibly inconsistent receiver. Despite the past two weeks, stay far, far away from this guy in Week 10. |
| Auden Tate CIN | Marlon Humphrey BAL | What is going to hurt Auden Tate 's value more? The fact that the Bengals are playing rookie Ryan Finley at quarterback? Or the fact that A.J. Green looks to be returning from injury this week? The answer is both. If you believe in Finley and think the Bengals will ease Green back you can try to play Tate one more time, but in this matchup against an improving Ravens secondary that will likely cost you dearly. |
| Antonio Callaway CLE | Levi Wallace BUF | Callaway showed a pulse a bit last week with 56 receving yards, but the Browns passing game has been so poor they are having a hard enough time keeping Beckham and Landry fantasy relevant, Callaway barely has a chance. Put that together with the fact that they are playing one of the strongest defenses in football, and you would have to be borderline insane to give Callaway a spot in any fantasy lineup this week. |
| Michael Gallup DAL | Trae Waynes MIN | Gallup may have scored last week, but it was against the Giants, and he hasn't topped 50 yards in three weeks. He does have 17 targets in the last three weeks, but he was averaging nearly 10 a game in the beginning of the season. I like Gallup and his talent a lot, but he hasn't been a big part of the offense lately. Yards will be hard to come by against the Vikings and while Gallup is a flex play this week, he isn't a DFS target. |
| Kenny Golladay DET | Kyle Fuller CHI | Golladay has topped 120 receiving yards in three of the last four games, and he has been a huge part of the offense. The Lions have basically abandoned the running game, and Stafford is throwing way more than anticipated. The Bears defense was great last week, and have only allowed eight passing touchdowns in eight games. The Lions could look to score two on them this week, and despite Kyle Fuller being a solid corner, look for Golladay to top 65 yards and a touchdown. |
| Allen Lazard GB | James Bradberry CAR | After Davante Adams , this will be the most targeted wide receiver on the Packers, although it is debatable if that means anything Davante Adams is going to hog the most, and then Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams will be next. Every so often Jimmy Graham decides he wants to try, and then we get to the receivers. Lazard is still holding strong with four receptions a game, but he isn't targeted deep down the field. He is an extremely risky flex play at best, and against a tough Panthers secondary you should look in another direction. |
| Deon Cain IND | Ryan Lewis MIA | The Colts will now be without T.Y. Hilton and rookie Parris Campbell and they will be going against one of the worst pass defenses in the league. This should lead to some opportunities for Cain right? Unlikely. Zach Pascal seems like a safe play, but other than that no receiver moves the needle for me. They will likely be playing with backup Brian Hoyer , and the team likes to run first anyway. If I was to take the chance on anyone after Pascal it would be one of the tight ends, and Cain should be ignored in fantasy even against the Dolphins. |
| Demarcus Robinson KC | LeShaun Sims TEN | It will remain to be seen if Patrick Mahomes plays this week, but lets be honest it really doesn't matter in Robinson's fantasy value. He had that one huge week, and never even topped 50 receving yards again, even with Tyreek Hill missing time. The Titans secondary is falling to pieces so there is a chance he could make one big play to save his fantasy day, but that isn't the kind of production I want to count on as we inch closer to the playoffs. |
| Josh Reynolds LAR | Steven Nelson PIT | Whenever one of the main Rams receivers has been hurt in the past couple of years, Reynolds steps in and is pretty productive. That was the case in Week 8 when he had three catches for 73 yards and a touchdown on an impressive eight targets. The Steelers secondary is pretty strong, but Reynolds is going to be a nice plug and play option while Brandin Cooks recovers from his concussion issues. Reynolds is also going to be a very attractive DFS bargain that can help you pay up at the other positions, and maybe help you be able to afford Christian McCaffrey . |
| Andre Patton LAC | Trayvon Mullen OAK | The Chargers receiving group has dealt with its fair share of injuries this season, leaving Patton as the other starter on the outside in three receiver sets. He hasn't even been looked at in over a month, and even against the Raiders holds absolutely zero fantasy value. If it was possible to have negative fantasy value, Patton would have that. |
| Allen Hurns MIA | Marvell Tell IND | The injury to Preston Williams likely earns Hurns (hey that rhymes) more playing time. He has one game of three catches, and one game of 50 receiving yards. Outside of that it is a season full of disappointment for Hurns. Ryan Fitzpatrick is breathing some life back into the Dolphins passing game, but no amount of breath is going to bring Hurns fantasy value back from the dead. Expect little to no production from him this week. |
| Bisi Johnson MIN | Byron Jones DAL | Even with Adam Thielen set to miss this week's game, there is no real fantasy value with Olabisi. Thielen missed last week's game and he had a whole whopping one catch. It was a for a touchdown, but if you want to chase points like that be my guest. The Cowboys have a legit secondary and you shouldn't be throwing darts against them. |
| Ted Ginn NO | Blidi Wreh-Wilson ATL | He didn't have a bad game with Drew Brees back, but it was far from exciting. If you own Ginn, or if he is on your waiver wire, this would be the week to take a chance with him. They play the Falcons, who we know are really bad. The only bad news for Ginn, besides he is wildly average, is that second year man Tre'Quan Smith is returning from injury and is a younger, more explosive version of himself. Smith isn't likely to steal Ginn's job this week, but it is a situation to monitor. |
| Cody Latimer NYG | Nate Hairston NYJ | The Giants passing game is pretty much a mess, and between the passes going to Golden Tate and Saquon Barkley , it doesn't leave many scraps for the rest. If Evan Engram were to miss the game it would open up some opportunity, but the backup Rhett Ellison would probably be the main beneficiary. Latimer is far too uninvolved in the Giants offense to waste a roster spot on him. |
| Demaryius Thomas NYJ | Deandre Baker NYG | Using the Jets passing game for your fantasy leagues right now is almost akin to using a lighter with your hairspray (do people still use hairspray?), it is going to send your fantasy hopes ablaze! Darnold looks worse by the week, the offensive line gives him no time to throw, and even in a poor matchup last week Thomas had two catches. Do NOT consider any Jet other than Jamison Crowder this week. |
| Zay Jones OAK | Michael Davis LAC | The Raiders passing game has sprung a new little flower in the last couple of weeks and that is……Hunter Renfrow! Zay Jones is fantasy irrelevant. He was in Buffalo, he remains irrelevant in Oakland. That is all. |
| James Washington PIT | Troy Hill LAR | James Washington may have had a better game than Diontae Johnson last week, but don't let that fool you into thinking that he has moved past him in the target hierarchy. Washington is still a non-factor in the Steelers passing game. A passing game that is barely supporting JuJu Smith-Schuster right now! The Rams secondary has been playing very well of late, and you should expect 35 yards or less from Washington in this game. |
| Josh Gordon SEA | Emmanuel Moseley SF | It is hard to believe that he has found another home, but Gordon should make his Seahawks debut Monday night against San Francisco. Coming off the injury that had the Patriots cut him, Gordon will be on the team just about a week when they suit up. This isn't enough time for him to become an integral part of the offense, so while he will play, he isn't likely to be targeted more than three or four times. The 49ers defense looked a bit mortal last Thursday, but they won't get beaten too badly on Monday and it won't be with Josh Gordon . If he is to score, it would likely be on a botched coverage or broken play. |
| Dante Pettis SF | Shaquill Griffin SEA | Pettis did score a touchdown last Thursday (and do a sweet Thriller dance for Halloween), but it was his only catch and target of the evening. Pettis has a mind-numbingly disappointing 11 receptions on the season, and even against the subpar Seahawks secondary (say that five times fast), should not be used in any lineups. If you really want to use an extreme dart throw to pay up for a couple studs in DFS, at least Pettis has a great matchup, you risk a giant ZERO in your lineups. |
| Breshad Perriman TB | Byron Murphy ARI | The third receiver for the Buccaneers, Perriman finally showed a bit of a pulse against the Seahawks with four catches, including a touchdown. That was more than he had all season up to this point. He faces an equally easy matchup this week against the Cardinals, but it is hard to envision him having a huge role. The Buccaneers played easy defenses earlier in the year like the Giants and Titans, so just because there is a cupcake on the schedule doesn't mean you should give Perriman a chance. |
| A.J. Brown, TEN | Charvarius Ward KC | He has been more consistent than Corey Davis since Ryan Tannehill took over at quarterback, and if you want to take a chance on a Titans receiver, he would be my recommendation. You have to figure that Tennessee is going to have to try to throw a lot to stay in the game, or even if they get blown out that will leave a lot of potential garbage time production. Brown could be a sneaky good flex play in redraft or a potential cheap option to help you buy up in DFS leagues. |
Now, here are my 10 favorite matchups in the slot in Week 10.
| Slot WR | Slot CB | Analysis |
| Chris Godwin TB | Tramaine Brock ARZ | Last week it was the Mike Evans show again, but at least this time it wasn't a complete disappearing act for Godwin as he had seven catches for 61 yards. It makes sense since he laid a total egg when I picked him in the #FFPieBet, and then did much better the following week. This one is set up for a ten catch/100 yard day for Godwin as he faces one of the league's worst secondaries. This could be a rare game where both he and Mike Evans go for triple digits in receiving yards. |
| Keenan Allen LAC | Trayvon Mullen OAK | If Allen is going to break out of this slump, this is the week he is going to do it. Before last week against the Packers where the Chargers ran a ton, Allen's targets had been back above ten for two straight weeks. Only the Buccaneers have given up more passing touchdowns than the Raiders, so while the risk is there since Allen hasn't topped 12 fantasy points since Week 3, everything is set up for success. He is a viable option in all redraft and DFS formats this week. |
| Cooper Kupp LAR | Mike Hilton PIT | Kupp was right back to his explosive self before the Rams bye as he topped 200 yards and had a touchdown. It was against Cincinnati and the Steelers secondary is much better, but Kupp is the focal point of the entire offense, and the Rams should be able to put up at least 28 points. Kupp is always a smash play in redraft leagues, and while he might not be quite the slam dunk he often is in DFS games, there is never a week that it is a bad idea to use him. |
| Emmanuel Sanders SF | Jamar Taylor SEA | It may have just been one game, but I think it was proven that the 49ers traded for Sanders to be their number one receiver. He and Jimmy Garoppolo had an amazing connection considering they were teammates for just over a week, and although it was against an awful secondary, you just can't overlook the fact he was targeted far more than any other receiver. The 49ers are in for a tough game, but it is against another soft secondary, as the Seahawks were just absolutely torched by the Buccaneers. Sanders is unlikely to have a game like Mike Evans did last Sunday, but he has a real shot at his first 100 yard game as a member of the Niners. |
| Golden Tate NYG | Brian Poole NYJ | With Sterling Shepard continuously out, it just leaves a plethora of targets to go Tate's way. He has had at least six catches in his last four contests, and had 80 yards in three straight games until that tough matchup with the Cowboys last Monday night. Now there is news that Evan Engram could potentially miss this game, which could open up even more targets for Tate. Considering they are playing the Jets who are deteriorating right before our eyes, it looks like another dynamite week for Tate for any fantasy format. |
| Tyler Lockett SEA | K'Waun Williams SF | Thank you, Tyler Lockett ! After losing the #FFPieBet the first two weeks I participated, I went with Lockett in Week 9 and he came through in a major way with 152 yards and two touchdowns. The sledding will be much tougher this week as the Seahawks have a road game against the 49ers, but the Cardinals did show that this defense isn't totally unstoppable. The Seahawks also did bring in Josh Gordon , but I don't see him taking too many targets away from Lockett. This isn't a week where you expect a monster game from Tate, but he likely will have five or six catches for 70 yards, and he could potentially sneak in a score. |
| Hunter Renfrow OAK | Desmond King LAC | This will be the first time you've spotted Renfrow in this article, but you can't deny that the Raiders don't look bad, and they have started to use Renfrow more. He has topped 60 yards and had a touchdown in each of the last two weeks, and was targeted a season high seven times in Week 9. Those aren't numbers that completely jump off the page at you, but there are six teams on bye, and the rookie seems to be improving some. The Raiders do have a tough matchup against the Chargers on Thursday, however, Casey Hayward is the man, and then the rest of the secondary isn't quite as good. Hayward should spend most of his time on Tyrell Williams , so it could open up a few more looks for Renfrow. He isn't likely to break 100 yards or anything, but a floor of 12-13 fantasy points certainly seems like a realistic goal. |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster PIT | Nickell Robey-Coleman LAR | Since having a quality game against the 49ers in Week 3, Smith-Schuster has been frustrating fantasy owners with incredibly boom or bust performances. Mason Rudolph is back under center, but that didn't stop him from putting up pedestrian stats last week against the Colts where he had just 16 receiving yards. The Rams secondary has gotten a new jolt of life since Jalen Ramsey came to town, but their slot corner is far from a superstar. The Steelers will likely look to run the ball a lot again, and have check downs to Jaylen Samuels , but there will be plenty of pass attempts to go around for Smith-Schuster to have a quality game. Look for six catches for 80 yards and a touchdown. |
| Jamison Crowder NYJ | Corey Ballantine NYG | The Jets are a complete disaster. A burning dumpster if you will. Since that shocking win against the Cowboys, they have flown in a downward direction at warp speed. Amid the ashes though, last week Crowder had his best game since Week 1 with eight catches for 83 yards and a score against the soft Dolphins. Despite the fact that the Jets will likely remain in a free fall, Crowder should continue to succeed. Especially if Le'Veon Bell is forced to miss the game, that would likely make Crowder the check down option of choice for Darnold. The Giants secondary is terrible, and while they may not be huge gains, Crowder should have another eight to ten catches and threaten a 100 yard afternoon. |
| Sammy Watkins KC | Logan Ryan TEN | I kind of hate myself for putting Watkins in here, but hear me out. The Chiefs should be welcoming back Patrick Mahomes this week, which will be a nice boost to the passing game. Matt Moore did an admirable job, but let's face it, Mahomes is on a whole other level. Except those dumb Head and Shoulders commercials, but that doesn't matter in fantasy football, just had to get that out there. They are also facing a Titans secondary that has completely gone downhill. They lost Malcolm Butler for rhe season, and the only other real viable corner they have is Adoree Jackson who should be tethered to Tyreek Hill all day. This should leave Watkins open plenty and able to do some damage. It isn't going to be his three touchdown game from Week 1, but Watkins could have six or seven catches for 70 yards in this one. |
Elite
Michael Thomas vs. Isaiah Oliver
Thomas is leading the NFL in both receptions and receiving yards through nine games, and welcomed future Hall of Famer Drew Brees back from injury in Week 8. He is coming off a bye week, and is facing a Falcons secondary that has allowed 19 passing touchdowns through eight games. This is an absolute no brainer. He is the most expensive receiver on both FanDuel and DraftKings, but there is almost no doubt that he will still be worth the price tag. He hasn’t been targeted under ten times in five games, and he hasn’t had under 89 receiving yards since Week 3. If there was ever a week to pay for the highest salary guy, this is it.
Affordable
The Colts are in a bit of a bind here as they turn to Brian Hoyer with the injury to Jacoby Brissett . Although, it might not be too bad as Hoyer threw three touchdowns in relief last week. Pascal has been a bit hit or miss the past few weeks, but he is surely set up for success this week. The receiving corps is in shambles with T.Y. Hilton set to miss the game, as well as rookie Parris Campbell . That leaves Pascal, Deon Cain , and Chester Rogers as the starting wide receivers. You tell me which one you think is going to be successful. Outside the dud against the Broncos (which is understandable), Pascal has 11 catches for 182 yards and three touchdowns in two of the other games he has played in the last three. They will face the Dolphins secondary that has allowed 19 passing touchdowns in their first eight games, including one to Sam Darnold last week who is seeing ghosts on the field! Hoyer is bound to throw two touchdowns, one of which is set to go to Pascal for sure. He will be their most targeted receiver in a game that they should have success throwing the ball. He is a dynamite option for DFS leagues this week.
As stated earlier in this article, the Giants don’t have a lot of weapons left to throw the ball to. Shepard is out, Engram is out. And as inconsistent as Daniel Jones has been, he has made a few good plays in almost every game. The Jets have been completely manhandled the last two weeks and have given up three passing touchdowns each to some of the best in the NFL, Gardner Minshew and Ryan Fitzpatrick . I hope you picked up the sarcasm there because I thought I laid it on pretty thick. Daniel Jones has proven that he can have some success against lesser defenses, and the Jets certainly qualify there. He has surely proven a rapport with Golden Tate since his return from suspension, and the Jets have exactly zero corners who scare you. Tate is going to be a very high volume target receiver this week and has a real shot at 100 yards and a score.
Bargain Bin
Josh Reynolds vs. Steven Nelson
This one is flying a little against the grain of a solid receiver against a subpar defense, as yardage-wise, Pittsburgh isn’t that bad, allowing 228 yards per game through the air. However, with Brandin Cooks set to miss this game, and Robert Woods playing the Disappearing Man for some reason, Reynolds does appear to be in line for an expanded role. Cooper Kupp will garner the most attention from the defense, and despite his lack of production, Woods will likely draw plenty of attention as well. This should leave Reynolds to have some space and be able to do some work. He was by far the second most targeted receiver after Kupp last week with his eight targets, while Darrell Henderson and Gerald Everett were next with just three. Reynolds has some great speed, solid hands, and is able to get himself open. I have more faith in the Rams passing game than some others and he appears to be a great option among the lower salaried receivers.
*Information gathered from research done at Pro Football Focus.