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 five absolute favorite matchups. Covid, bye weeks, and injuries have made this week extremely difficult, so be sure to not miss a single player here! This article is also critical for daily players, as this will help you gain a competitive advantage when setting your lineups. Follow me on Twitter (@fightingchance) as well!
| Left WR | Right CB | Analysis |
| DeAndre Hopkins ARZ | Tre'Davious White BUF | We all know that White is one of the better corners in the league, but man he hasn't played like it this year. D.K. Metcalf was just the latest receiver to tear up the Bills secondary, and he is allowing a very concerning 15.6 yards per catch. Hopkins was a no show last week with just a few catches against Miami, but that was one of few games this year he wasn't a beast. The name recognition in this matchup might scare some people away, but Hopkins should ball out for sure in a game that will feature a lot of passing and he is Murray's favorite receiver. |
| Marquise Brown BAL | J.C. Jackson NE | It has gotten to the point that it is not about the matchup with Brown anymore, it is a lack of usage. After having six targets or more in the first six games of the season, he has just seven total in the last two weeks. Sure, it was against solid defenses in Pittsburgh and Indianapolis, but to not even be looked at more than once a quarter is very underwhelming. The Patriots defense has looked awful the past few weeks and just gave up 27 points to a Joe Flacco-led Jets offense so there could be hope for Brown this week, but until Lamar Jackson gets more accurate and looks Brown's way more often, he is a very risky play. |
| Stefon Diggs BUF | Patrick Peterson ARZ | He is now leading the NFL in targets, catches, and yards through nine weeks, and with the Bills pass offense seemingly back on track after a waxing of the Seahawks, the concerns of the team fizzling out seem to have gone by the wayside. Peterson has tons of name recognition, but has not been shutting down receivers like in the past and is ranked 75th among all corners according to Pro Football Focus. He is allowing 13.6 yards per completion, while Diggs averages 12.9 per catch. This one will be indoors and feature two high powered offenses, so don't be surprised if Josh Allen throws it 35+ times. On volume alone Diggs is a great play each week, with a matchup he can win, he is a great play. |
| D.J. Moore CAR | Jamel Dean TB | In a game where the team scored 30 points and Teddy Bridgewater threw the ball a very uncharacteristically 49 times, Moore had two catches on three targets for 18 yards. This is his biggest disappointment to date in a season littered with disappointments. Sure, the Chiefs defense is solid, but Moore now appears to be behind Curtis Samuel in target share in this offense. The Bucs were trashed on Sunday night by Drew Brees, but they are still a great secondary and Dean is a top-ten corner according to Pro Football Focus. Moore has an average depth of target of 12 yards and he averages over 18 yards per catch. This means it is basically all or nothing for Moore and for too many games this season it has been more "nothing" than "all". |
| Allen Robinson CHI | Kris Boyd MIN | He is tied for the second most targets in football with 86 through nine games and he has to be looked at that much because he is dealing with some of the more inaccurate quarterback play in the league. Robinson has been one of the more consistent receivers in the league this season with 70 or more passing yards and five or more catches in seven of nine games so far. Robinson owns a three-inch height advantage over him, and a world of talent. Boyd allows an 81 percent catch rate and nearly 14 yards per catch. Robinson isn't a big deep threat target, but as stated earlier he sees a ton of volume. Only the possible ineptness of Nick Foles can stop this from being a 100-yard game from Robinson. |
| A.J. Green CIN | Steven Nelson PIT | He was just working his way back into the good graces of fantasy players when he dropped a total dud against the weak Titans secondary with two catches for 19 yards. Green has definitely fell to third on the target hierarchy for the Bengals, and in a game like this against the Steelers that might not lead to a lot of work. Joe Burrow is having a great rookie season, but some of the league's elite defenses have given him fits. Green might not deserved to be dropped yet, but it would be hard to trust him in any fantasy lineup this week. |
| Rashard Higgins CLE | Vernon Hargreaves HOU | This is going to be one of the most interesting matchups of the week. Higgins scored in Weeks 5 and 6 and then had a 100-yard game in Week 7 when Odell Beckham went out for the year. Fantasy players went ga-ga for the guy figuring he was going to continue to blow up and then he had just one catch for 14 yards before their bye. However, the weather conditions were really bad in that game. So, this is a game after two weeks off with Higgins being a starting receiver against a secondary that has allowed 18 passing touchdowns in eight games. Hargreaves allows almost 15 yards per catch and is ranked 111th in cornerbacks in football this season. You don't need to be a statistician to know that isn't good. If Higgins doesn't pop off this week there should be many questions about his prospects this season. |
| Jerry Jeudy DEN | Trayvon Mullen LV | It was a potential breakout game for Jeudy last week and he now has two straight weeks of being targeted 10+ times since Drew Lock has returned from injury. It doesn't hurt that the games were against two weak secondaries in the Chargers and Falcons. The good news is they face another paper thin defense in Vegas, and this is a third straight good matchup for Jeudy. Justin Herbert and Mike Williams just had a strong game against Mullen and the Raiders last week and this looks like fun week to have Jeudy in your lineups. |
| Marvin Jones DET | Kendall Fuller WAS | He does have three touchdowns in the last two weeks since Kenny Golladay went down, but his usage is still not great with just 11 targets and six catches combined in the last two games. Jones, just isn't an "alpha male" receiver even if the top guy is out. He certainly makes a slightly better play than if Golladay was playing, but I am still not excited about him. Fuller is the seventh best corner in 2020 according to Pro Football Focus and allows just a 45 percent catch rate. |
| Davante Adams GB | C.J. Henderson JAX | If you have been paying attention at all you'd know that Adams is one of the more unstoppable receivers in football. You'd also know that the Jaguars are one of the worst pass defenses in football (fifth worst in fact), and Henderson is not having a great rookie season. This is a smash play in all formats. |
| Will Fuller HOU | Denzel Ward CLE | It is now SIX straight games that Fuller has found the end zone and he has three 100-yard games in the last five. The Texans pass game is on fire right now, and Fuller is a big part of this. The Browns secondary hasn't been very good and have allowed 17 pass touchdowns in eight games. Ward has long been one of the better corners in football and has allowed just .24 fantasy points and .88 yards per route covered, both of which are strong numbers. Ward will be a formidable opponent, but I still have plenty of confidence that Fuller will return great value this week. |
| Michael Pittman IND | Malcolm Butler TEN | It was a much better second game back from injury for Pittman than his first, although it was helped that T.Y. Hilton didn't play. I expect that to be the case again in Week 10, and Pittman should get among the most targets on the team. The matchup is pretty favorable against the Titans, although Butler is the best they have. He allows just a 61 percent catch rate and is rated at 67.4 out of 100 on PFF for coverage which is actually pretty solid. Pittman hasn't shown enough to warrant DFS consideration yet, but is still a flex play in Week 10. |
| D.J. Chark JAX | Jaire Alexander GB | This is going to be one that a lot of fantasy players will be really tuned into. As we all know, Jaire Alexander is ranked as the top corner in the game this season, and Chark is coming off a huge seven catch, 146-yard game with a touchdown in Week 9. Do we trust that Jake Luton can play as well as he did last week? Is Chark going to continue to be targeted as much as he has been in the last three weeks? Can Alexander be beaten? These are all questions that you have to answer for yourself. Personally, the matchup with Alexander means that Chark will be a guy that I will be mostly fading, but not completely in DFS contests and he is a start in season long leagues if he is on your roster. |
| Robert Woods LAR | Quinton Dunbar SEA | He now has 23 targets in the last three week, and Woods has a touchdown in three of the last four weeks. The downside is he also has had games of under 30 receiving yards in two of the last three. Woods did have a good game against the Dolphins and you have to hope that it carries over against the worst secondary in football. The Seahawks are allowing an unfathomable 362 yards per game on the ground which means that the Rams are going to throw. Dunbar allows 14 yards per reception, and Woods catches 79 percent of his targets. There are a lot of things saying that Woods is in for a solid game in Week 10. |
| Mike Williams LAC | Byron Jones MIA | He has back to back games with with five catches, although he remains a very boom or bust candidate. It will remain to be seen whether it is Jones or Xavien Howard that covers Williams, as Howard has been playing great, and Jones has not lived up to his lofty contract with a ranking of 80th on PFF out of all corners in 2020 and allowing almost 12.5 yards per catch against him. Howard kept DeAndre Hopkins under wraps last week while Jones was getting burned by Christian Kirk. Williams always has a chance to have a big game or give you three fantasy points. I remain confident in Herbert and Williams heading into this game against Miami. |
| Henry Ruggs LV | Michael Ojemudia DEN | It has gone from bad to worse for Ruggs as he had two catches for 35 yards three weeks ago, two catches for eight yards two weeks ago, and then last week against a weak Chargers secondary he had no catches on three targets. Ojemudia is a corner that we like to target, but Ruggs just isn't being used. He really doesn't even belong on fantasy rosters right now. |
| DeVante Parker MIA | Casey Hayward LAC | With Preston Williams now due to miss a bunch of time and the Dolphins trading away Isaiah Ford a couple of weeks ago, options are getting limited for Tua Tagovailoa which has to be good news for Parker. He is the most talented receiver on the team by a mile now and while Hayward is a great corner, the Chargers are still giving up two passing touchdowns a game. Despite how good he played last week, there is still some uncertainty surrounding Tua, and that has to put a little doubt on Parker. Hayward allows just a 46 percent catch rate, but he also gives up an average of 16.4 yards per catch which is near the worst among regular corners. Without needing a ton of volume to have a good game, Parker is still a strong start in season long leagues. |
| Adam Thielen MIN | Kyle Fuller CHI | Dalvin Cook's success has been crushing the pass game's production and Thielen's numbers have suffered for it as he has just five catches for 65 yards in the last two weeks combined. More alarming, he has just nine targets in the last two weeks combined. Fuller is allowing just a 46 percent catch rate and .27 fantasy points per route covered, both of which are great metrics. This is likely to be a game without a lot of scoring and spent on the ground so I wouldn't be surprised to see Kirk Cousins to throw it fewer than 25 times. I can't think of a roster where Thielen wouldn't at least be a flex start in season long leagues, but Thielen will be a fade in DFS contests this week. |
| Jakobi Meyers NE | Marcus Peters BAL | He burst on the scene Monday night with 12 catches and now has 24 targets in the last two weeks. Meyers appears to be the only thing on the Patriots offense that works at all besides Cam Newton running. He has had two straight solid games, but against a Bills secondary that has disappointed and the terrible Jets defense. This will be a different week as they play the tough, physical Ravens secondary. With really no one else reliable to throw to, I expect Meyers to get close to ten targets in this one as well. He should get five to seven catches for 70-80 yards and is a decent season long leagues until we see his production tank. |
| Michael Thomas NO | Jason Verrett SF | He did get through a game healthy finally after missing seven weeks due to injury last week against the Saints. It wasn't a great game with just five catches and 51 yards in Week 9. With another week to heal and prepare, Thomas should be rounding back into shape. Jason Verrett is still ranked in the top five of all corners by Pro Football Focus, but like with Davante Adams last Thursday, the 49ers defense isn't in a place to shut down a receiver of Thomas' caliber. They could get Richard Sherman back this week, but even he can't keep Thomas from being at worst a top-20 receiver for Week 10. He might not be worth his DFS salary, but he will be a great start in all of your yearly leagues. |
| Darius Slayton NYG | Darius Slay PHI | Few players have disappointed me this year as much as Slayton. I thought that he and Daniel Jones would progress together and be close to studs in 2020. He has had two catches or fewer in three of the last four games, and hasn't topped 60 receiving yards in four weeks and he only has one touchdown since Week 2. Slay allows just 10.6 yards per catch and Slayton had just two catches for 23 yards three weeks ago when the Giants played the Eagles. He is a low-end flex play at best for Sunday. |
| Travis Fulgham PHI | James Bradberry NYG | We will finally get the test with Fulgham that we have been waiting for. Jalen Reagor is already back and Alshon Jeffery will be returning this week as well as Miles Sanders. Will Fulgham hold his value when the Eagles have most of their weapons back. He had seven targets in the game before their bye, which was down from the three previous games when he had double digits, but seven targets is still healthy. Bradberry has had a strong season but he has been fading lately with Mike Evans and Terry McLaurin both having their way with him in the past couple weeks. Fulgham had five catches for 73 yards against the Giants in Week 7. I have no faith in Jeffery and Fulgham will be a solid start for sure in Week 10. |
| Diontae Johnson PIT | William Jackson CIN | The Steelers nearly lost to the Cowboys and all of fantasy football nation has been writing off the whole offense ever since. I know it was an easy matchup and it didn't go like we thought, but Johnson still had six catches for 77 yards and still had ten targets for the fourth time this season. The concern with him is always injury, but when he plays his absolute floor is ten points in PPR leagues. He is going against another one of the worst secondaries in football and Johnson is a very solid play in all formats of fantasy football for this Sunday. |
| Bradon Aiyuk SF | Marshon Lattimore NO | I was hopeful that Deebo Samuel would return this week, but he didn't practice on Wednesday so I am erring on the side that he will be out. If Deebo does play he is a must-start. That makes Aiyuk the top receiver on the team this week, and in the last two games he played he combined for 14 catches for 206 yards and a score. New Orleans thought their pass defense would be a strength but it has been the opposite. Lattimore is ranked 74 among all cornerbacks by Pro Football Focus and is allowing over 14.5 yards per catch. Aiyuk has shown great ability after the catch and makes a solid play in this one. |
| D.K. Metcalf SEA | Jalen Ramsey LAR | I know that I have been saying all year how good Ramsey is and week in and week out he has proven it. Allen Robinson had a pretty decent game against him before the bye but for the most part he has been shutting receivers down. But this is DK Metcalf, and this is going to be a game where both teams are going to throw a lot. Metcalf is on fire with 19 catches for 169 yards and three scores in the last two weeks and I just still think he will produce. I can't fault you if you fade him in this matchup for DFS lineups, but man I think I'm gonna throw him in a few and he could have both feet in concrete bricks and I'd still start him in season long leagues. I hate the Seahawks with every ounce of my being, but I can't deny how good Metcalf is. |
| Mike Evans TB | Rasul Douglas CAR | We are going to have a hard time in the next couple of weeks trying to figure out what is going on in Tampa Bay with all of these great weapons and the first week didn't help us much with the blowout. Evans did tie for the team lead in targets, which was great considering how much he has been forgotten when Chris Godwin plays. He has only scored once in the last four weeks, and he hasn't topped 65 receiving yards since Week 4. In fact, he has three games this season with 10 receiving yards or less. Douglas has a DADOT (defensive average depth of target) of 8.5 yards which is fairly low and allowing just 10.7 yards per reception, so he isn't giving up the big plays. Of the three top receivers on this team, I worry about Evans the most. |
| A.J. Brown TEN | Xavier Rhodes IND | Brown continues his touchdown barrage since returning from injury and has now scored in five straight games. He has a really tough matchup this week againts the Colts who have allowed just ten passing touchdowns in eight weeks. Xavier Rhodes is ranked as the fifth best corner according to Pro Football Focus and is allowing just a 45 percent catch rate. However, this is why I don't sit Brown in season long leagues. First, he is by far their best receiver and has had at least seven targets in every game he has played so he gets voluem. Rhodes doesn't allow a lot of catches, but he does surrender 14.3 yards per catch which is pretty high for a great corner. Brown won't need a ton of volume to make it a solid fantasy day, and he could still return you 13-15 fantasy points Thursday night. |
| Terry McLaurin WAS | Desmond Trufant DET | It doesn't matter who the quarterback is, McLaurin is going to produce. He had seven catches for 115 yards and a touchdown last week against the Giants and has scored in two straight. Trufant allows a 67 percent catch rate and has a DADOT of 12.4 which is extremely high for a decent corner so he does get thrown on down the field. McLaurin has had at least seven targets in every game this season, and is just an amazing wide receiver. The Lions secondary only gives up about 243 yards per game through the air, but they have allowed 17 pass touchdowns in eight games. McLaurin is a dynamite start in all types of fantasy contests in Week 10. |
| Right WR | Left CB | Analysis |
| Christian Kirk ARZ | Levi Wallace BUF | I was going to be pretty quick to write Kirk off as a product of an easy schedule, but the production continued last week against a pretty decent Dolphins secondary. He now has a touchdown in four of the last five weeks and six scores in that time. He has had five catches in three of the last four weeks, and the Cardinals pass game is on fire lately. The Bills secondary has been much worse than expected, and Wallace is only recently back from injury. Vegas has this game at an over/under of 56 so we should expect a good deal of scoring in this one. Kirk is the second best receiver on the team and should be a big part of the offensive gameplan. |
| Miles Boykin BAL | Jason McCourty NE | I am running out of ways each week to give reasons why Boykin isn't even worth being on fantasy rosters nevermind near a starting spot. The Patriots defense has been a big disappointment, but Boykin has four catches in the last four weeks and just won't be someone to consider at all in 2020. |
| John Brown BUF | Dre Kirkpatrick ARZ | I just wrote a second ago how this game is one to expect a lot of scoring in, and Brown finally looked healthy last week with eight catches for 99 yards and again looks like the second best receiver on this team. Kirkpatrick allows a 76 percent catch rate and is ranked an embarrasing 108th in Pro Football Focus ranking of cornerbacks. Brown is a great play in all fantasy contests this week. |
| Robby Anderson CAR | Carlton Davis TB | He continues to be the most targeted receiver on the team, and his nine catches last week tied for a season high. However, Anderson hasn't found the end zone since Week 1 and his amazing season is starting to fade some. He certainly isn't bad or a guy to sit, but he was looking amazing in September and the first part of October, but we need a resurgence here. It isn't likely to happen this week as Davis is a top-15 corner according to Pro Football Focus and allows just a 53 percent catch rate and 10.5 yards per catch. Anderson did have nine catches for 109 yards the first time they played Tampa Bay and the Bucs were just shellacked by the Saints last week so Anderson isn't someone to sit in season long games, but you can probably find better DFS targets at the price. |
| Darnell Mooney CHI | Chris Jones MIN | He had his best game last week as far as usage with a team-high 11 targets, but still had just five catches for 43 yards. The Bears continue to play weak pass defenses which keeps Mooney in play as a flex play or a potential dart throw in DFS contests. That trend continues in Week 10 against the Vikings who are going to be without at least one cornerback. Jones is a very inexperienced cornerback and Mooney could take advantage of it. Unfortunately, he has to split work with Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller and Jimmy Graham which limits his potential upside. If he is targeted at least ten times again this week that should turn into a solid game. |
| Tee Higgins CIN | Joe Haden PIT | He has had at least five catches in three straight games, and Higgins continues to impress in his rookie season. He will face one of his stiffest tests to date as they face the Steelers. Now, Higgins has had success against other tough defenses like Baltimore and Indy and the Steelers were just nearly beaten by the lowly Cowboys secondary so Higgins doesn't naturally go to your bench because of the matchup. Higgins will still be the second most targeted receiver on the team and unless Joe Burrow just implodes he should still give you 12-14 fantasy points in PPR leagues. |
| KhaDarel Hodge CLE | Phillip Gaines HOU | I am still hopeful for Donovan Peoples-Jones, but he didn't play many snaps in the game before the bye so I still wait. Hodge didn't do anything in Week 8 either, but the weather was crap. He has just three catches on the season and barring something crazy doesn't even belong on fantasy rosters. |
| Tim Patrick DEN | Nevin Lawson LV | He had a season-high nine targets last week, but it was in a game where the Broncos threw the ball nearly 50 times. We can't them to keep up that kind of volume throwing, but this game shouldn't be too far off. The Raiders secondary allows nearly 270 yards per game through the air and Lawson is just 5'9" to Patrick's 6'4". Lawson also has an DADOT of almost 11 yards, so if Patrick can get open down the field he could have some success in this one. |
| Marvin Hall DET | Ronald Darby WAS | Hall had the big game in Week 8 and got everyone's attention, but he hadn't done anything the rest of the season so it seemed like a longshot to be reproduced. Sure enough, he had just three catches for 28 yards last week, while veteran Danny Amendola was the guy that Stafford looked to the most. I expect that trend to continue, and unless Hall makes a couple of big plays he is not likely to be a fantasy factor. Throw him back to the waiver wire if you grabbed him as they play the tough Football Team secondary. |
| Marquez Valdes-Scantling GB | Sidney Jones JAX | He did have two touchdowns last week, but it was against the weakened 49ers secondary and they were the only two catches he had all night. Allen Lazard is going to come back this week, and that will further hurt the targets for MVS. The only reason you might consider him as a flex play this week is because they are playing the awful Jaguars secondary, but given that he has just 14 targets in the last four weeks when the Packers were banged up at receiving options means unless he finds himself open deep like he did last Thursday he isn't likely to have much fantasy value. |
| Brandin Cooks HOU | Terrance Mitchell CLE | He didn't have a very efficient game with just three catches on nine targets, but they were good for 83 yards and a score. That is now three of the last four games where Cooks has a touchdow and he hasn't had under 60 receiving yards since Week 4. The Texans have found their groove and the Browns secondary has allowed 17 pass touchdowns in eight games. Mitchell has been burned for three of those and allows 13.2 yards per catch and Cooks should have one or two big plays in him and will return great value with Will Fuller drawing Denzel Ward. |
| Marcus Johnson IND | Breon Borders TEN | He did lead the team in targets last week, but the seven looks were only good for two catches and 14 yards and that was without their top receiver. T.Y. Hilton is going to play in this one, and even though he isn't that great it still takes targets away from Johnson. He does have a great matchup against a weak Titans secondary, but unless he breaks an unexpected big play, Johnson isn't going to have any real fantasy value. |
| Laviska Shenault JAX | Josh Jackson GB | He left last week early with a hamstring injury, but Shenault practiced on Wednesday so that is a good sign for his availability this week. He is now catching passes from a rookie quarterback, but Jake Luton looked good last week and I like his prospects going forward. However, it has been since Week 5 since Shenault had anything that resembled a fantasy friendly game and his rushing attempts have almost completely gone away too. Jackson isn't a strong corner, but right now it seems like this would be a rough week to put too much faith in Shenault. I could see scenarios where you start him in season long leagues in your flex, but he is a no go in DFS for me. |
| Jalen Guyton LAC | Trayvon Mullen LV | He is a big play or nothing guy and the big plays are too hard to predict when they are coming. Guyton hasn't had more than two catches in any game and he has had just a single catch for under ten yards in each of the last two weeks. The Raiders secondary is far from fearsome, but Guyton belongs on waiver wires even in the best matchups. |
| Josh Reynolds LAR | Quinton Dunbar SEA | He certainly saw unexpected usage in the two games before the Rams bye with 17 targets, but the Rams pass game is barely keeping Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods fantasy relevant lately, so there is no way that Reynolds can continue to be holding on to the edge of fringe value. He does have at least 40 receiving yards in four straight games with two touchdowns over that span, and he is playing the NFL's worst secondary by a decent margin. He makes sense as a DFS GPP dart throw with his ridiculously low price on DraftKings, but he is far from a sure thing. |
| Nelson Agholor LV | Davontae Harris DEN | He has scored in four of the last five weeks, but Agholor is doing it without a lot of targets. He has just 20 targets in those five games, and they have resulted in 13 catches. That isn't a lot of volume to count on this scoring streak continuing. The thing working in Agholor's favor is there aren't any real reliable receivers after Darren Waller so he doesn't have to contend with much. The Broncos defense is beat up and Harris is a very inexperienced corner. He has allowed 3.9 yards per route covered, which is a metric you like to see under one yard. I am not in love with Agholor as a player, but he is in a position to succeed again. |
| Jakeem Grant MIA | Michael Davis LAC | With Isaiah Ford in New England and Preston Williams on IR, there just aren't many receiving options in Miami. Grant had four catches on five targets for just 35 yards last week in a game where they had success throwing the ball. They could activate Antonio Callaway off of IR, but he didn't even make a big impact in the XFL. Grant could get some volume with the lack of reliable options, but Davis is a very solid cornerback and Grant remains far too much of a question mark to trust in Week 10. |
| Justin Jefferson MIN | Jaylon Johnson CHI | Minnesota just hasn't been passing much lately and it is reminiscent of early in the season where they ran the ball a ton and Jefferson didn't do much. He has just six catches for 90 yards combined in the last two weeks. The Bears have allowed just ten passing touchdowns this season, and Johnson is allowing just a 50 percent catch rate. Jefferson has averaged 18.4 yards per catch this season, so he doesn't need a ton of looks to make it a good fantasy day. I don't expect the Vikings to score a lot of points in this game, but the upside is big. Jefferson is certainly a fade in DFS contests given the matchup and his previous two weeks, but given a roster with any injuries or bye week issues and he makes sense as a start in a season long league. |
| Damiere Byrd NE | Jimmy Smith BAL | He had nine targets last week which he translated into five catches for 65 yards against the lowly Jets. However, it appears that N'Keal Harry could be returning and Isaiah Ford should be cleared this week after his trade from Miami. With extra options for Cam Newton and a game against the tough Ravens secondary there is almost no scenario where Byrd makes a sensible start for this game. |
| Emmanuel Sanders NO | Emmanuel Moseley SF | He did score in his return from the Covid list, but with Michael Thomas back he had just four catches on five targets for 38 yards. It could have been needing a little time to get back on track, or it could have been partially that the Saints didn't play their starters the whole game. Moseley was a great corner last season but hasn't been playing as well this season. He is allowing nearly 13 yards per catch and has a DADOT of 12.1 so he is getting beaten on a little bit deeper throws. The Saints should win this one and the Niners secondary hasn't played well of late and while he isn't a great DFS target, Sanders rolls in as a WR3 this week. |
| Sterling Shepard NYG | Avonte Maddox PHI | Shepard continues to be the most consistent and active receiver on the team since returning from injury and had six catches last week and now has 20 in the three weeks he has been back. Golden Tate should be back this week, but the Eagles secondary outside of Darius Slay is mostly garbage. Shepard had six catches for 59 yards and a touchdown in the first meeting between these two teams and in PPR leagues he continues to be a solid start. Shepard could also be a lower salary option in DFS GPP contests for Week 10. |
| Jalen Reagor PHI | Isaac Yiadom NYG | I really like Reagor and he did score in the game before the bye, but has just seven catches for 57 yards in the two games since returning from injury. He is likely the most talented receiver on the team, but will now have to deal with Alshon Jeffery returning this week as well. The Giants secondary is pretty junky after James Bradberry so Reagor is a very reasonable flex play for Week 10. |
| Chase Claypool PIT | Darius Phillips CIN | In a game where the offense sputtered against the lowly Cowboys secondary, Claypool led the team with 13 targets and had eight catches for 69 yards. It is two solid games after his one game disaster against the one catch game against the Titans. The Bengals have allowed 17 passing touchdowns this season and Phillips has been burned for four of them. He also allows 16.3 yards per catch, while Claypool is one of the best young deep threats in the league. The Steelers offense does have several receivers to throw to, but all signs point to a solid game from Claypool on Sunday. |
| David Moore SEA | Troy Hill LAR | He did have a touchdown for the second straight week, but again Moore didn't do much besides the score. He had four catches for 71 yards, but the touchdown went for 55 yards. He now has four touchdowns in eight games, and faces a corner in Hill who allows 74 percent of passes at him to be caught. He does only surrender 9.6 yards per catch and a 6.2 yards DADOT so he hasn't been getting beaten for big plays. Moore could be the farthest out there of emergency flex options in a game that will feature lots of passing but it will be a risky proposition. |
| Richie James SF | Janoris Jenkins NO | With Deebo Samuel unlikely to play and Kendrick Bourne on the Covid list, that puts James back in play again after his nine catch, 184 yard outburst against the Packers last Thursday night. He gets another fairly soft matchup against the Saints secondary who played the best game of their season last week against the Bucs. However, Jenkins allows 12.9 yards per reception with a DADOT of 14.4 yards so he is susceptible to the big plays that made James a star in Week 9. This one is a bit of a long shot, but it is 2020 so who knows and James could be a flex play if Samuel is indeed ruled out. |
| Antonio Brown TB | Donte Jackson CAR | He played a solid number of snaps and had three catches on five targets for 31 yards in his 2020 debut. Tom Brady seemingly forced Brown on to this team, so you would think that he will continue to see some work. The Panthers secondary is fairly solid and has allowed just 13 pass touchdowns in nine weeks. It still remains to be seen how the targets will be spread out in Tampa Bay which makes Brown a bit of a risky option in DFS contests but belongs in your flex spot in season long leagues. |
| Corey Davis TEN | Rock Ya-Sin IND | Davis threw up the ol' goose egg in Week 9 against the Bears with no catches on three targets. That came on the heels of three straight games of five or more catches and back to back games with ten targets. He gets a bit of a pass since it was against Chicago, and we should be ready to get him back in our lineups. Rock Ya-Sin was a healthy scratch a couple of times this season and is ranked a nice round 100th in the cornerback rankings by Pro Football Focus. Davis is a great start in your flex spot for Thursday night. |
| Cam Sims WAS | Jeffrey Okudah DET | He had a big three catch, 110-yard game last week against the Giants, but didn't we learned anything about chasing big production games from guys we didn't expect it from? Also, the Football Team offense led by Alex Smith is not going to have more than one receiver be fantasy relevant. Sims never had more than 22 receiving yards in a game before last week's outburst and he shouldn't be counted on at all to even be on rosters this week against the Lions. |
Now, here are my 10 favorite matchups in the slot in Week 10.
| Slot WR | Slot CB | Analysis |
| Keenan Allen LAC | Nik Needham MIA | There is only one word for Allen right now and that is unstoppable. The guy has ten targets or more in every game that Justin Herbert has started outside of the one he left early for injury. He has at least nine catches in three straight games, and 100 yards in two of the last three. He has also scored in two straight and is going against Needham who allows nearly 70 percent of passes to be completed agianst him. This is one of the highest rated matchups in the receiver's favor of the week in Pro Football Focus, and it should be an easy pitch and catch for Herbert and Allen all day. |
| Juju Smith-Schuster PIT | LeShaun Sims CIN | It took some time for the Steelers pass game to get in gear last week, but he still ended up with 93 yards and a touchdown despite being third on the team in targets. The Bengals secondary has allowed 17 pass touchdowns in eight games, and Sims allows over two yards per route covered which is among the worst of starting cornerbacks. He ranks 97th in the league in Pro Football Focus cornerback rankings, and his rating of 45.3 out of 100 in coverage is just downright awful. Smith-Schuster has plenty of competition for targets, but the Bengals are so bad that all three of them should be able to have solid games. |
| Cooper Kupp LAR | D.J. Reed SEA | He had freaking 20 targets in the game before the bye against the Dolphins, and the Rams will certainly be throwing a whole lot to try to keep up with the Seahawks elite passing game. Kupp has been the most looked at receiver on the team, and while the Rams pass game hasn't always looked good, he really only has two games all year where he came in at under ten fantasy points in PPR leagues. This game seems like Goff will throw at least 40 times, which is good news for Kupp. Reed allows an 86 percent catch rate and nearly 13 yards per completion. This has good game written all over it for Kupp. |
| Tyler Boyd CIN | Cameron Sutton PIT | There is some concern with Joe Burrow struggling against the Steelers defense, but Garrett freaking Gilbert was able to have a pretty decent game last week, so the Bengals should be able to move the ball. Boyd has had fewer than eight targets just three of eight games this season. He scored in two straight games before the bye, and is the most targeted receiver on the team. He won't be a dynamite DFS target against the Steelers, but Sutton has allowed nearly 13 yards per reception so he could be in play in GPP tournaments. Boyd remains one of the more consistent receivers in fantasy football. |
| Chris Godwin TB | Corn Elder CAR | This one has to do more with talent than the matchup and that Godwin might be the best slot receiver in football. There is a concern with so many cooks in the kitchen catching the ball from Tampa now, but he tied for the team lead in targets in a game he almost didn't play with a finger injury. Elder is a solid corner who allows just nine yards a catch, but was burned by Tyreek Hill last week out of the slot for 113 yards and two touchdowns. The Panthers pass defense is pretty solid, but a guy like Godwin you just don't sit. |
| Jarvis Landry CLE | Eric Murray HOU | The Browns have played one game without Odell Beckham so far and it was in terribly rainy conditions. However, the good news was that Landry was targeted a season-high 11 times even if he only caught four of them for 52 yards. Austin Hooper will return, but Landry should continue to be the guy that Baker Mayfield looks to the most. Murray isn't awful, but he does allow 77 percent of passes to be caught and just under 13 yards per completion. Landry should continue to be fantasy relevant just based on volume alone and while he still might not be the best DFS option, he is a WR3 in season long for the rest of the year. |
| Curtis Samuel CAR | Sean Murphy-Bunting TB | Maybe there is something here after all? With D.J. Moore fading, Samuel has been gaining usage and production and now has four touchdowns in the last three weeks. I have to admit that it was the nine targets that caught my attention last week. However, he has also been ultra-efficient with 19 catches on 20 targets in the last three weeks, and that percentage seems to be unsustainable. He continues to be used weekly in the run game as well, even if it is only a few targets. The Bucs defense is good, and Murphy-Bunting kept Tre'Quan Smith mostly in check last week. However, on the season he is allowing a mindblowing 90 percent catch rate and over 12 yards per reception against him. Samuel at least belongs on all rosters at this point. |
| Tyler Lockett SEA | Troy Hill LAR | You have to put him on here because he could have one of those classic monster Lockett games, but he has only had one of those in the last five games and has been under 45 receiving yards in the other four. It isn't for a lack of volume, the Seahawks throw plenty. Hill does allow under ten yards per reception, but is giving up a 74 percent catch rate and they have faced the Dolphins, Bears, 49ers, Football Team, and the Giants lately, none of them have strong slot receivers. All the way back in Week 3, Cole Beasley beat him for six catches and 100 yards. Lockett is overdue for a big game and he is at worst a season long play. |
| Anthony Miller CHI | Jeff Gladney MIN | It has been a bit of a resurgence again this year for Miller as he has 13 catches for 132 yards in the last two weeks. The 19 targets are by far his best two week stretch this season. Normally, I wouldn't put too much stock in it, but the Vikings secondary has allowed nearly 290 yards per game through the air with 19 pass touchdowns in eight games. I certainly don't expect Nick Foles to reach those numbers, but nonetheless it should be a better game than usual for the Bears offense. and with David Montgomery concussed, they could pass more than usual. Gladney has a rating of just 54.2 out of 100 on Pro Football Focus for coverage, and assuming that Foles can be relatively accurate, Miller could be good for close to 15 fantasy points in PPR leagues. |
| Larry Fitzgerald ARI | Taron Johnson BUF | He isn't lighting the world on fire, but Fitz does have 12 catches for 116 yards in the last two games. Unfortunately, he hasn't found the end zone all season long. Johnson kept Tyler Lockett mostly under wraps last week, but he is a pretty awful corner. He is allowing a ridiculous 81 percent catch rate and 11.1 yards per reception. The Cardinals pass offense is clicking on all cylinders right now, and the Bills secondary has not been the strength we thought it would be. He likely isn't going to have a big breakout game, but look for Fitzgerald to roll into the 12-15 fantasy point range for Week 10. |
Elite
Keenan Allen vs. Nik Needham. He is just a no brainer right now with the amount that Justin Herbert throws to him and I have no idea how or why he is the sixth highest salaried receiver on DraftKings as I feel he should be higher. He is automatic every single week. And the Dolphins secondary might not be too bad, but that certainly isn’t because of Needham. I have practically built this column around picking on this guy for the last two seasons. If Allen gets a dozen targets which is well within the realm of possibility and Needham allows 12.1 yards per catch, it doesn’t take a math major to figure out that this is going to be a big day for him.
Cooper Kupp vs D.J. Reed . Kupp is 11th among wide receivers in targets so far with 71, and he is averaging six catches a game. I don’t even know how this is a real number nine weeks into the season, but Seattle’s secondary is still allowing 362 yards per game through the air. On the flip side, the Seattle offense is so good that the Rams are certainly going to have to throw at least 35 times to try to keep in the game against the Seahawks. Reed has allowed 2.46 yards per route covered, which is about two and a half times higher than you want that number to be. Vegas has this one set at an over/under of 55.5 which means plenty of scoring, which means plenty of passing, which means plenty of targets are coming Kupp’s way on Sunday.
Affordable
Terry McLaurin vs. Desmond Trufant . I don’t know what McLaurin has to do to get priced by DFS sites to his talent and production, but it is up to us to take advantage of it until they do. Even against some of the best corners in the league he has had great games and now he faces Trufant. Last week was his first back from a hamstring injury so he might not be 100% and he is rated just 45.5 out of 100 on his defense by Pro Football Focus. The Lions have been mauled by top receivers all season long. It doesn’t matter who the quarterback is, the Football Team has one reliable receiver to throw to, and they all have been able to get him the ball. Only Jalen Ramsey has been able to keep McLaurin in check for an entire game and he continues to be a bargain that we need to have on our rosters.
Chase Claypool vs Darius Phillips. I know that they have three quality receivers, and I know that they offense didn’t look great last week. But I had to take someone going against a secondary that has allowed 17 pass touchdowns in eight games. It might be hard to guess which one is going to pop off, but let’s be honest, this is the Bengals! More than one of them could have a great game! Claypool led the team in targets last week and he is the most explosive big play threat of the three. After a terrible one catch game in Week 7, Claypool has led the team in targets for the last two games combined. He clearly has a great connection with Ben Roethlisberger , and Darius Phillips wouldn’t be starting on probably 25 other NFL teams. The ownership might be down after the Steelers disappointed last week, and Claypool is in line for a great game.
Bargain Bin
John Brown vs. Dre Kirkpatrick . If you look at the three games that Brown played where he was fully healthy this season, he has had 19 catches for 251 yards and two scores. The other four games he played he was either slowed by injury or just returning a little too soon. He has shown in the last year and a half that he can be a dangerous vertical threat, and we know that Josh Allen has the arm to get him the ball. Kirkpatrick is one of the beating posts of the Cardinals secondary and with a game sure to feature plenty of offense and Stefon Diggs covered by Patrick Peterson , that all adds up to paydirt for Brown.
*Information gathered from research done at Pro Football Focus