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. The wide receiver landscape is changing rapidly due to injuries and unexpected play both good and bad. This article is also critical for daily players, as this will help you gain a competitive advantage when setting your lineups. Good luck to you all this week whether it is for the championship or just some of that daily money! Follow me on Twitter (@fightingchance) as well!
| Left WR | Right CB | Analysis |
| DeAndre Hopkins ARI | Quinton Dunbar SEA | He had a good target share last week against the Cowboys, but he just struggled to connect with Kyler Murray. That hasn't been a problem at all this season, and I don't think it is a trend that will continue. Dunbar is allowing .24 fantasy points per route, and 1.44 yards per route covered (ideally under 1.00). He has more talent than he has been showing this season, but unless the Seahawks figured something out in their bye week, the Cardinals should be able to move the ball well through the air. If the history of this season is any indicator, Hopkins will be a great play for Week 7. |
| Julio Jones ATL | Jeffrey Okudah DET | I'm sorry to those of you who were too nervous to start Jones last week when he exploded for eight catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns against the Vikings and it doesn't get much harder this week against the Lions who have allowed ten passing touchdowns in five games. Okudah is one of the lowest graded corners in the league according to Pro Football Focus. Let's face it, Jones is a stud no matter the opponent and now that he is healthy he is a no doubt start in season long leagues and DFS contests. |
| Stefon Diggs BUF | Pierre Desir NYJ | He has become the focal point of an offense that has a hard time running the ball. Diggs has had at least six targets in each of the first six games, and eight or more in four of six games. The Jets are just absolutely awful, and basically every receiver eats Pierre Desir's lunch. The only thing that could stop Diggs from having a monster game wwould be if the Bills get so far ahead that the either ease up on the offense or take out their starters. Diggs is in an absolute smash spot for Week 7. |
| D.J. Moore CAR | Marshon Lattimore NO | Moore had double digit targets for the second time this season, and he had exactly 93 receiving yards in two straight weeks. Usually a stud, Lattimore is ranked outside the top-100 in Pro Football Focus ranking of cornerbacks. The Saints defense just hasn't been what they have in the past. Robby Anderson is probably still the receiver to play in Carolina, especially considering he will be getting the lesser corner, but Moore still seems like a great start against Lattimore who is allowing a nearly 80 percent catch rate. Moore is starting to get back in fantasy players good graces, and if he can have another good game against New Orleans he will claim his spot among the top half of WR2s. Moore isn't a sure thing DFS option, but he definitely is a start in season long leagues. |
| Allen Robinson CHI | Jalen Ramsey LAR | Robinson has had at least nine targets in every single game so far this season, although in Week 6 it was good for just five catches and 53 yards. He hasn't scored a touchdown in two weeks and has had a couple of tough matchups, and now he gets one of the toughest against Jalen Ramsey. The Rams stud corner has been shutting people down left and right. Ramsey is allowing just a 56 percent catch rate and .16 fantasy points per route which is an elite level number. Robinson will still give you at least ten fantasy points just based on volume alone as the Bears have no other receiver worth mentioning. He won't be a guy you should target in DFS, but will still be a WR3 for Week 7. |
| A.J. Green CIN | Denzel Ward CLE | He led the team in targets and had season highs in both catches and yards, and it leaves you wondering if Green is back as a functioning member of this offense after having just one catch and three yards in the previous two weeks combined. Personally, I am not buying it. He is 32 years old, and has had a good number of injuries in his career. He is also been passed over by Tee Higgins as the top outside receiver in my opinion. He will draw a very tough matchup against Denzel Ward who is in the top-20 in rankings according to Pro Football Focus this year and has been to several Pro Bowls. Green is nothing more than a less than ideal flex play for this Sunday. |
| Odell Beckham Jr CLE | William Jackson CIN | The offense was completely kept under wraps last week, so it should be no surprise that Beckham fared as poorly as he did with just two catches for 25 yards. He is more matchup dependent than perhaps any other receiver in football. The good news for those rostering Beckham is that the Bengals secondary is pretty bad, and Jackson is a big part of why. He already was owned by Beckham back in Week 2 when the receiver had four catches for 74 yards and a long touchdown and it could have been more. Assuming Baker Mayfield's ribs are somewhat healthy, Beckham is a must-start in season long leagues and is certainly in play in DFS contests as well. |
| Amari Cooper DAL | Kendall Fuller WAS | The bad news is the Cowboys offense looked dreadful in the first full game without Dak Prescott. The good news is that Cooper still saw ten targets and had a touchdown. Sure, it was because they threw the ball 55 times, but Cooper was still heavily involved. Washington gives up the second fewest yards through the air and Fuller is a top-five corner according to PFF through six weeks. However, sometimes you just can't argue with volume. Cooper has nine or more targets in every game but one, and there's no reason to think this week will be any different. He won't go for 100 yards or perhaps score a touchdown but is definitely worth a start in all season long leagues. |
| Tim Patrick DEN | Charvarious Ward KC | With K.J. Hamler nowhere to be found, and Noah Fant still hurt, Patrick has come in and saved the day with back to back 100-yard games. The first one seemed kind of fluky against the Jets, but when he did it against with the Patriots you have to take notice. Jerry Jeudy has been a low volume target receiver who has made the most of what has come his way. Patrick has 15 targets in the last two weeks and even though Fant will likely be back this week, why wouldn't they keep using him. Denver is going to have to pass plenty to keep up with the Chiefs, so Patrick should see good volume. Ward has played fairly well this year, but is allowing almost 17 yards per catch to opposing receivers. Patrick isn't a DFS target, but he should continue to see enough looks to be a WR3 for Week 7. |
| Kenny Golladay DET | Isaiah Oliver ATL | He has either 100 yards or a touchdown in all three games this season, and has been everything we hoped he would upon returning from injury. I am not going to spend much time here. Oliver isn't very good and Golladay is one of the top ten receivers in football. The Falcons have allowed a ridiculous 18 passing touchdowns in six games. This is a smash play in season long and DFS games for Week 7. |
| Davante Adams GB | Bradley Roby HOU | The Packers couldn't get anything going last week against the Bucs, and Adams still had ten targets and six catches for 61 yards. Considering that Aaron Rodgers didn't finish the game, this isn't a terrible game. Roby is a top-30 cornerback according to PFF, but he can't stop Adams. Nothing can stop Adams. He gets volume that few other receivers do. Start Adams with total confidence in any fantasy format. |
| Will Fuller HOU | Jaire Alexander GB | The problem with Fuller has always been his health concerns, but he has been great through six weeks. He has had 100 yards in three of six weeks and six or more catches in six or more catches. He has scored in four straight games. Houston has been getting better although three straight solid matchups will do that. Fuller will face one of his toughest tests of the year against Jaire Alexander who has been the top corner ranked by PFF. All of his stats have been elite, and if you have a strong receiving group you might consider giving Fuller a rest on your bench this week. See what happened with Mike Evans last week as an example. |
| D.J. Chark JAX | Michael Davis LAC | It has been a rough season for Chark as far as injuries are concerned, but he played through the pain and had seven catches on a team-high 14 targets. He has been very up and down and it has been hard for fantasy players to trust him too much. The Chargers secondary has been allowing a lot of pass yards, but is surrendering under two touchdowns through the air per game. Davis is a top-30 cornerback by Pro Football Focus and is allowing just .22 fantasy points per route covered. Chark has been very productive when he plays, so assuming he is out there he should still be in your season long lineups even without an ideal matchup. |
| Demarcus Robinson KC | Michael Ojemudia DEN | It was Robinson, not Mecole Hardman, who was the main beneficiary of Sammy Watkins missing the game with six targets to Hardman's one. He had five catches for 69 yards, and the catches nearly doubled his season long output. Even if Watkins was to miss this game, which seems likely, Robinson is nothing more than an emergency flex option. The Chiefs are going to welcome a new weapon in Le'Veon Bell this week, which will take even more plays out of an offense that already spreads it around plenty after Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. Robinson could surprise and deliver another 10-12 point fantasy performance, but he could just as easily give you three to five points from a Chiefs offense that hasn't been in high gear since Week 3 against the Ravens. |
| Robert Woods LAR | Kyle Fuller CHI | He has had at least four catches in every game but one, but Woods also has three games this season where he failed to reach 40 receiving yards including last week. His average depth of target is not indicative of a guy of his talent and speed. More than that, the Rams offense as a whole has struggled against good defenses, and even some less than good defenses. Fuller is having a great season, allowing just a 49 percent catch rate. He is allowing about 11 yards per catch against him, but I see this as a game where the Rams are going to struggle to move the ball. The Chicago defense has allowed just four passing touchdowns in six games. Woods is still a WR3 for the coming week, but I don't have high expectations of more than seven to ten fantasy points in this one. |
| Mike Williams LAC | Sidney Jones JAX | I have often criticized Williams as a "fly pattern or nothing" kind of receiver, and he has struggled the last couple of seasons with health and Philip Rivers declining arm strength and decision making. He still has a hamstring injury, but he has a new breath of energy injected into the team with the emergence of rookie quarterback Justin Herbert. The kid has a cannon arm, and Williams finally has someone who can get him the ball deep down the field as we saw in the game before the bye. Sidney Jones is a top-15 cornerback according to PFF, allowing just a 46 percent catch rate which is an amazing number. However, when he gets beat he gives it up big as he has allowed an average of 22 yards per catch. If Williams can get deep once or twice he could have a great fantasy week without getting a lot of volume. Williams is a rock solid WR3 for Week 7. |
| Henry Ruggs LV | Jamel Dean TB | In this short passing offense of the Raiders, there aren't a ton of shots down the field to their big play receiver. However, Ruggs showed last week that he doesn't need a lot of volume to have a good game. He had 118 receiving yards and a touchdown against the Chiefs. He will have his hands full for sure with Jamel Dean who is rated as the second best cornerback in 2020 according to Pro Football Focus. He is allowing a 59 percent catch rate and under 10 yards per reception against him. Ruggs is going to have to get a little lucky to be successful again. He will be a flex play at best in Week 7. |
| Damiere Byrd NE | Emmanuel Moseley SF | He is leading the team in snaps played and has been the most productive of their receivers, but considering the pass game in New England right now that is not saying much. Cam Newton looks uncomfortable throwing the ball, and let's face it the weapons aren't good. Byrd had just four targets against a less than stellar Broncos secondary, and now they get a little tougher matchup against a 49ers secondary that is starting to get healthy. There likely won't be a ton of points in this one and Byrd would be categorized as a emergency flex play for Sunday. |
| Michael Thomas NO | Rasul Douglas CAR | It feels good to have Thomas back in this article for the first time since the opening week. There is no doubt that he will play this week, although he doesn't come back to a cupcake matchup. The Panthers have allowed just seven passing touchdowns this season, and all of their starting cornerbacks are inside the top-25 of Pro Football Focus position rankings. Douglas himself is allowing just .15 fantasy points per route. However, this is Michael Thomas. He was your first round pick. He hasn't played in six weeks. Get him in your lineup. |
| Darius Slayton NYG | Darius Slay PHI | It has been a bit of an up and down season for Slayton, although he has had a really tough schedule. He does have two 100-yard games and three touchdowns, so it hasn't been a total bomb. He faces Darius Slay this week who has gone to Pro Bowls and is a top 40 cornerback in 2020, but isn't an elite shutdown corner. Daniel Jones has struggled this season, but the rest of the Eagles secondary isn't great. Slayton doesn't look like a great DFS target but is still a solid flex play for Week 7. |
| Breshad Perriman NYJ | Josh Norman BUF | He did have eight targets and 62 yards last week, but the Jets offense is terrible. The Bills defense hasn't been as strong as in 2019, but they are still plenty good enough to hold down Perriman and the Jets who were shutout by the Dolphins last week. I think your team is in some serious trouble if you have to start Perriman in this one. |
| DeSean Jackson PHI | James Bradberry NYG | The hamstring still has him limited in practice, but he is truly expected to go this week. However, there is no guarantee he will be able to finish the game, nor that he will be successful given the amount of time he has had off. Oh, and one more thing, James Bradberry would likely cover him plenty and is one of the best in the league. This won't be a good return for Jackson. |
| Diontae Johnson PIT | Malcolm Butler TEN | The back injury is a concern, but we have been told that he will be practicing this week so you would think that he would be on the field on Sunday. Johnson is a great receiver but has become really hard to trust since he has not been able to finish the last two games he started. If he is able to play and you have the stomach to start him, he could pay off nicely. Malcolm Butler is allowing 1.78 yards per route covered (ideally well under 1.00) and 12.6 yards per reception against him. Johnson has commanded a strong target share when he has played and with Juju Smith-Schuster trending down this could be a fine game for Johnson if he can stay on the field. |
| Deebo Samuel SF | Stephon Gilmore NE | The best news for Samuel last week is that Jimmy Garoppolo looked healthy again. Nothing happens in the San Francisco offense if their leader can't throw. The better news is that the team had some creative playcalling to get Samuel the ball since he was dealing with elite corner Jalen Ramsey. They will have to do that again as the Niners face another one of the best in the business in Gilmore. I almost never consider a receiver going against Gilmore for DFS purposes, but between screen passes, slants, and rushing attempts I believe that Deebo will get enough work to be worth a start as a WR3 in your season long leagues. |
| D.K. Metcalf SEA | Patrick Peterson ARZ | I am running out of ways to praise this kid on a week in and week out basis as his size is immense, his speed is unfair for his size, and his hands are tremendous. He is the top receiver on the team, and could one day be the top receiver in the league. He faces a corner with a great name in Patrick Peterson who isn't playing up to his reputation this year. He is barely inside PFF's top-100 corners, and is allowing almost 13 yards per reception. Amari Cooper had seven catches for over 70 yards and a score last week against him, and Metcalf remains a great start in any fantasy format in Week 7. |
| Mike Evans TB | Trayvon Mullen LV | Part of the regression last week came because the team was blowing out Green Bay and didn't have to do anything but run. However, part of it also was the return of Chris Godwin. Evans has had just a ten percent target share in the games that Godwin has been healthy, and bad news for Evans is that Godwin is fine heading into this one. He has had a very strange amount of short catches this season based on his career history, and the touchdown streak he was on couldn't last forever. Mullen isn't a great corner, but he isn't horrible either. He is allowing a very respectable 61 percent catch rate and a little less than ideal 12 yards per reception against him. The Bucs shouldn't blow out the Raiders so the offense should be working the whole game. Evans isn't an elite option this week, but he still will be a solid WR2 in this one. |
| A.J. Brown TEN | Steven Nelson PIT | After missing weeks with injury, Brown came out and in a span of 6 days he had 12 catches for 138 yards and three touchdowns in two games. He has shown that he is not only the top receiver on the team, but one of the more dynamic receivers in the NFL. Ryan Tannehill is playing at a very high level, which also adds to Brown's value. However, the task will get much tougher this week against a Steelers defense that allows under 220 yards passing a game.Nelson and the Steelers just completely shut down Odell Beckham and the Browns, however, I expect Brown to do better. He won't be a DFS target, but he could still get you seven to ten points in your PPR leagues. |
| Terry McLaurin WAS | Daryl Worley DAL | After facing two of the best corners in the league in the last two weeks in James Bradberry and Jalen Ramsey we will all scream FREE TERRY this week as he gets a three-ply toilet paper soft matchup against the Cowboys. You know, the good stuff. You don't need me to tell you that Dallas has a terrible defense, and even with Kyle Allen at quarterback last week McLaurin had seven catches for 74 yards. He has gotten it done against solid secondaries all season long and now he goes against one of the worst. McLaurin belongs in all of the lineups this week! |
| Right WR | Left CB | Analysis |
| Christian Kirk ARZ | Shaquill Griffin SEA | I told you last week that I wasn't a fan of Kirk's but I couldn't ignore the matchup. Well, queue that same advice up again this week because it still stands. Kirk had only two catches last week but they went for 86 yards and both were touchdowns. He is making the plays when they count, something he wasn't always doing before. The Seahawks secondary is a bottom-five unit and Kirk should be fired up in season long leagues again, and will be a nice money saving GPP option in DFS contests. |
| Calvin Ridley ATL | Amani Oruwariye DET | He popped up with an elbow ailment which kept him practicing on a limited basis, but it doesn't seem like he is in trouble of missing the game. He took a backseat to Julio's explosion last week, but 18 fantasy points is still a pretty damn good day. Oruwariye is allowing just a 46 percent catch rate, but over 13 yards per catch. Ridley is just nearly unstoppable and is probably the best number two receiver in football. The Lions have allowed ten passing touchdowns in five games and Ridley should be fired up regardless of format. |
| John Brown BUF | Lamar Jackson NYJ | He didn't have a catch last week and missed Wednesday's practice with his knee injury. Brown clearly isn't 100 percent and has fallen behind Cole Beasley in production on the offense. There is a chance that he misses this game, but I still included him here because it wouldn't make the next best outside receiver fantasy relevant even against the Jets. Even if Brown gives it a go, he is probably best served on your bench for the week. |
| Robby Anderson CAR | Patrick Robinson NO | He had his lowest catch total of the season last week, but it shouldn't have been too much of a shock coming against a tough Bears defense. The Panthers offense is playing better than we expected, but they still aren't talented enough to have their way with the best defenses. Patrick Robinson is actually being rated higher by Pro Football Focus, but he is allowing nearly 16 yards per reception. Anderson should go back to getting a high volume this week with Marshon Lattimore likely on D.J. Moore and that, along with the Saints secondary giving up a whopping 15 pass touchdowns already, make Anderson a very attractive start across all fantasy formats. |
| Darnell Mooney CHI | Darious Williams LAR | He has five targets in four straight games with a high of nine back in Week 4, but he has only topped 40 receiving yards once in that span and twice had under 20 yards. He has also scored just once in the first six weeks. The Bears passing game just doesn't do enough to have more than one receiver fantasy relevant, and that would be Allen Robinson. Continue to monitor Mooney in case his usage starts turning into production, but right now he belongs on waiver wires across the board |
| Tee Higgins CIN | Terrance Mitchell CLE | A.J. Green might have had more catches last week, but Higgins played the most snaps of any receiver and his arrow is pointing straight up. He is certainly helped by having two veteran receivers around him taking pressure from the defense. Higgins has topped 60 yards in three straight games and is coming off his first 100-yard contest. Fire him up in both season long and DFS contests. |
| Rashad Higgins CLE | LeShaun Sims CIN | Yes, he has touchdowns in two straight weeks, but he also has just five targets and four catches for 44 yards in the last two weeks. He didn't record a target or a catch in Week 2 against the Bengals and I don't expect him to do so this week either. |
| Michael Gallup DAL | Ronald Darby WAS | We had hoped that the change to Andy Dalton might help Gallup get a little more work going forward, but that was indeed not the case as he had six targets on a day where Dallas threw the ball over 50 times. He also caught just two for 23 yards. Gallup isn't being helped by the perception right now that the Cowboys offense won't be nearly as good under Dalton, which is probably going to be true. The hope has to be after a couple of weeks that they find a groove together, but the leaking offensive line isn't helping an immobile Dalton's chances. Darby is a top-25 cornerback and I could see scenarios where Gallup is on your bench this week. |
| Tim Patrick DEN | Bashaud Breeland KC | Injuries to Noah Fant and K.J.Hamler have thrust Patrick into a more prominent role in the offense and he has thrived with back-to-back 100 yard games. One was against the Jets, but hey he still gets credit. With Jerry Jeudy being a low-volume option, Patrick is picking up a lot of slack with 15 targets in the last two weeks. He will likely be heavily targeted again this week in a game where the Broncos will have to throw to try to compete with the Chiefs offense. Noah Fant looks to return this week, but hopefully Drew Lock is also more accurate and Patrick will be a solid WR3 and perhaps a dart throw in DFS GPPs this weekend. |
| Marvin Jones DET | A.J. Terrell ATL | He has had four catches and 50 yards in just two games this season, and has been a colossal disappointment. Jones has a COMBINED three catches and 17 yards in the past two weeks against the Saints and Jaguars. He did miss practice Wednesday with a knee injury and if he can't get it together against the Falcons it is time for everyone to let him go if you haven't already. Last chance pal! |
| Marquez Valdes-Scantling GB | Vernon Hargreaves HOU | You almost have to treat last week as a throw away game for the Packers as they were just destroyed by the Bucs. However, MVS hasn't scored since Week 1 and he hasn't even topped 50 receiving yards in three straight games. Aaron Rodgers did attempt a couple of long passes to him that went for nothing, but at least he is still involved in the game plan. Hargreaves is ranked 105th of all corners by PFF so if Valdes-Scantling can't produce this week it is time to shuttle him to the waiver wire. The uncertainty of the Packers offense makes him someone to not consider as a selection in DFS games. |
| Brandin Cooks HOU | Josh Jackson GB | He has come alive the past two weeks after a disaster start to the season. Of course it came against the Jaguars and Titans but Cooks has a combined 17 catches for 229 yards and two touchdowns in the last two weeks. He gets a monster break with Packers corner Kevin King to possibly miss the game. If King does miss the game Cooks is a smash play in season long leagues and DFS games, and even if he plays Cooks still has plenty of value in season long leagues. Jackson and every other Packer corner not named Jaire Alexander were embarrassed last week by Tampa Bay. |
| Laviska Shenault JAX | Casey Heyward LAC | I love that he still had seven targets last week and now has six or more targets in four straight games. However, my excitement for Shenault is a little down this week. First, Heyward is a dynamite corner, even if he hasn't been playing his best football this season. The Jaguars offense is also still very inconsistent and will score a bunch of points one week and very few the next. Lastly, Gardner Minshew still has games where he will look to Keelan Cole a lot which hinders Shenault's upside some weeks. Against a pretty solid secondary, Sheanult is a less than ideal flex play at best. |
| Mecole Hardman KC | De'Vante Bausby DEN | We keep waiting for Hardman to be consistent and we are just left waiting. We thought that maybe with Sammy Watkins out that he could be the man to step up. In fact, it was worse as he was only targeted once last week and he didn't catch it. There is a chance he could be successful against an inexpereinced near-special teamer like Bausby, but it would be taking a pretty big chance. You won't find Hardman in my lineups this week as he will likely either get you 14 points or two. |
| Josh Reynolds LAR | Jaylon Johnson CHI | He did catch a touchdown last week, but he has had just two catches in each of the last two weeks, and the Rams are not really using a high powered pass offense at the moment. The Bears have been one of the better secondaries in football this season and have allowed just four touchdowns. With Reynolds being at least the fourth option in the offense it would be an utter shock if he had a big fantasy game this week. |
| Jalen Guyton LAC | C.J. Henderson JAX | Guyton has had some pretty big catches in the last couple weeks. Well, two to be exact. He has two catches for 121 yards and a touchdown in that span on just four targets. He could possibly find some relevance later in the season if he can find a better connection with Justin Herbert but it will likely take injuries to two receivers for him to even be considered to even be put on a fantasy roster. |
| Nelson Agholor LV | Carlton Dean TB | He has been very efficient this season as he has caught all but one of his targets, but the bad news is he has just 11 targets in five weeks. Do the math with me, that is ten catches on the season. He does have three touchdowns, but if you want to play roulette with that low volume, you be my guest. Even against a defense like Atlanta or Dallas I wouldn't trust Agholor, but against Tampa Bay and Carlton Dean it would be utterly ridiculous to even consider him. |
| N'Keal Harry NE | Jason Verrett SF | Ever since Week 2 where he had eight catches, Harry has basically been a no-show. He hit rock bottom last week with no catches on two targets against an average Broncos secondary. Right now the Patriots offense is completely broken and James White catching dump offs and Cam Newton running is all you can count on. Jason Verrett has actually looked great since being forced into the starting lineup and PFF has him ranked third among all corners after six weeks. Harry is a hard pass for any lineup you have this week. |
| Emmanuel Sanders NO | Donte Jackson CAR | This one will be very interesting as Sanders had really started to make an impact in the past two weeks with 18 catches and 215 yards combined. We do expect Michael Thomas to return this week and how much will that cut into Sanders target share? My initial thought is quite a bit as Sanders is also not a deep threat kind of player. The Panthers secondary is so much better than you think and Jackson is in the top-20 corners according to Pro Football Focus. he is allowing a 75 percent catch rate, but just 9.6 yards per completion. Sanders is a flex play at best for Week 7. |
| Austin Mack NYG | Nickell Robey-Coleman PHI | I don’t care who the matchup is here. The Giants pass game hasn't been enough to keep Darius Slayton as a consistent play and Golden Tate has fallen off the radar. There is no way that their third string outside receiver should even be considered for fantasy purposes. |
| Jeff Smith NYJ | Cameron Lewis BUF | The Jets offense is so bad that it pains me to have to write about them and to think that you might actually consider using them for fantasy. Smith had 20 targets in two games with Breshad Perriman out, but it fell to just four with Perriman returning. Buffalo's pass defense hasn't been as good this year, but they would have to all play from their knees to make Smith fantasy relevant for Week 7. |
| Travis Fulgham PHI | Ryan Lewis NYG | I sold Fulgham short last week figuring he was going to disappoint, but he kept up great volume and had ten targets in the game. He has now topped 50 yards and scored in all three games. Alshon Jeffery has already been ruled out for this one and Greg Ward has fallen off a cliff. The Eagles are expecting to welcome DeSean Jackson back, but that actually helps Fulgham. Based on name recognition I would think that James Bradberry will at least start the game on Jackson which will open up Fulgham for a solid game. This one might not be too much of a barn burner to watch, but Fulgham should be a WR3 at worst and score you 12-14 fantasy points in PPR leagues. |
| Chase Claypool PIT | Jonathan Joseph TEN | He definitely saw his target share go down last week, but of course the Browns were going to focus more on him after the four touchdowns the week before. Claypool still caught all four of his targets for 74 yards in another great game. His value this week to me will come down to the health of Diontae Johnson. And not that Claypool isn't a guy that I would use in season long leagues either way, this value for me is in DFS games. Joseph is allowing a 65 percent catch rate but even worse is 17.1 yards per catch and two touchdowns against him. Claypool is a huge big play threat and he is going against a corner that is giving up big plays and scores. If Johnson doesn't play this puts Claypool square in my crosshairs for DFS games, but if Johnson is in there I would probably limit my DFS usage to just a few lineups here and there and seasonal leagues as well. |
| David Moore SEA | Dre Kirkpatrick ARZ | Moore caught some fantasy players attention with his Week 4 game with three catches and 95 yards with a touchdown. However, he just isn't someone that the offense looks to much and most of that 95 yards came on one catch. He followed that up with no catches on three targets in their game before the bye against a pretty terrible Vikings secondary. He has had more than three targets just once all season, and has a season high of three catches in a game. The Cardinals secondary isn't great at all, but after Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf no one else involved in the pass game is even worth being on fantasy rosters. |
| Brandon Aiyuk SF | J.C. Jackson NE | The talent is there, but right now the Niners offense is still a little out of sorts and they will play their second straight really good defense. Aiyuk has had more than three catches just once, and although he is getting some rushing attempts right now he isn't getting enough usage in the offense to warrant a spot in a starting lineup on your fantasy team. I still wouldn't drop him because we can see what he is capable of if given the chance, but Jackson is rated as the sixth overall corner by Pro Football Focus and Aiyuk isn't likely to see enough touches to warrant fantasy consideration. |
| Scotty Miller TB | Nevin Lawson LV | He is dealing with a couple of injuries that have him limited in practice, but he is not seeing the targets that he was earlier in the year. Miller was targeted just twice last week against the Packers. The offense has been more run-based the past couple of weeks and welcoming back Chris Godwin has not only hurt Mike Evans, but it trickles down to Miller as well. With Rob Gronkowski looking like he is rounding into shape too, the chances are probably going to be fewer and farther between for Miller and he can safely be dropped at this point. He might surprise with a good game here and there, but he won't be someone you can trust consistently. |
| Corey Davis TEN | Joe Haden PIT | He has been activated from the Covid list, but hasn't played since Week 3. I have never been the biggest Davis fan, although he hadn't played badly earlier in the year. Of course, that was with A.J. Brown also out of the lineup. Assuming that Jonnu Smith will be able to play, the Titans will be at full strength and that doesn't bode well for Davis target share. He might not be back to 100 percent after his time off due to Covid, and he is facing a strong corner and defense in Pittsburgh. Haden is allowing just a 48 percent catch rate and you can safely leave Davis out of your lineups this week. |
| Dontrelle Inman WAS | Trevon Diggs DAL | He has five targets in every game but once this season, but has not had more than 45 yards in any game this season. He also isn't helped by the fact that Kyle Allen isn't a very good quarterback. He has a great matchup against the Cowboys, but I expect Inman to be third in production among pass catchers behind Terry McLaurin and tight end Logan Thomas. He likely will also be behind running back Antonio Gibson. If you want to use him as a huge desperate dart throw because the Cowboys secondary is so bad and you need to save DFS salary be my guest, but that is even too far out there for me. |
Now, here are my 10 favorite matchups in the slot in Week 7.
| Slot WR | Slot CB | Analysis |
| Keenan Allen LAC | Tre Herndon JAX | I am absolutely loving the Chargers pass game right now. I have long been down on Allen and Mike Williams, but all of that has changed with Justin Herbert at quarterback. Allen did have his lowest output game before the bye with just two catches, but he was dealing with back spasms that should not be an issue any further. Allen has been a target machine this season, and with the Chargers becoming a pass-first team that should only benefit him more. The Jaguars secondary is allowing two passing touchdowns per game, and Herndon is one of the worst offenders. He is rated at just 48.3 by PFF out of 100 and is allowing a 71 percent catch rate with an average depth of target over 12 yards down the field. With Allen's target percentage, this is setting up to be a good game for this elite option. |
| Chris Godwin TB | Lamarcus Joyner LV | He finally got through a game without getting injured, and there was a big point to look at when analyzing the Tampa offense from last week. Godwin had seven targets, while Mike Evans had just two. In fact, in the games Godwin has been healthy Evans has had just a ten percent target share. Clearly we see who Tom Brady favors. Joyner has been targeted on 18 percent of routes run so far and is allowing a 70 percent catch rate. He is ranked 106th in Pro Football Focus cornerback rankings, which you don't need an analytics degree to know is bad. Godwin is a great start in both season long and DFS games this week. |
| Tyler Lockett SEA | Byron Murphy ARZ | After an amazing start to the season, Lockett left plenty to be desired in his two games following the bye where he combined for six catches an 83 yards against Miami and Minnesota. This is uncharacteristic for him to be so underutilized, but I do think that game script played at least a part in it. Murphy isn't a bad slot corner but is allowing 14 yards per completion so far this season which is higher than you want out of the slot. CeeDee Lamb just had a solid game against him last week, and Lockett should be back in business with another seven catch, 80-yard performance in a game against Arizona that should feature plenty of points. |
| Tyreek Hill KC | Bryce Callahan DEN | People are going to freak about Hill's 20-yard game on Monday but you have to pay attention to the game itself. The Chiefs were gashing the Bills on the ground, so there was no reason to throw more than they had to. Hill had a season-low three targets, but it is just how the game went. Denver's secondary played well against the Patriots last week, but the two offenses are not comparable at all. Callahan is actually ranked 11th among all corners by Pro Football Focus and is allowing just .15 fantasy points per route run. That is a metric where under .25 is pretty solid. However, Hill is not just any receiver, and he doesn't need a ton of volume to be a good fantasy producer. He is 24th in targets among wide receivers, but fourth in fantasy points. Hill only needs a big play or two in order to be a worthwhile fantasy start. He isn't in a smash play situation, but there is no reason to consider benching him for Week 7. |
| CeeDee Lamb DAL | Jimmy Moreland WAS | He didn't have a ton of production in the first half, but when garbage time came, Lamb got a good deal of work in. Even in a game where the offense looked as pathetic as possible, he still had seven catches for 64 yards. He repeatedly is helped by having his two outside receivers command the attention of the other team's top corners. He will face Moreland who is allowing a 75 percent catch rate and 1.70 yards per route covered and for reference that number should be under one yard. The Cowboy offense needs to show more than it did on Monday night, but right now it appears that Lamb can get it done against anyone. |
| Tyler Boyd CIN | Kevin Johnson CLE | We knew there would be some slight hiccups dealing with a rookie quarterback, and that is what the two weeks have been against the Ravens and Colts. However, things should be back to normal against the Browns who aren't a terrible defense but they aren't great either. These two teams played in Week 2 and Boyd had seven catches on eight targets for 72 yards and his only touchdown of the season. The Browns haven't been tested out of the slot much this year, but outside of Boyd's solid game, CeeDee Lamb also went for five catches for 79 yards and two touchdowns back in Week 4. |
| Jerry Jeudy DEN | Rashad Fenton KC | He isnt the most efficient receiver, but when Jeudy does make catches he usually makes the most of them. He has just two catches in each of the last two weesk, but he has also been under 50 yards once all season and that was last week against the Patriots. He certainly has some big play ability and if the Broncos are going to have any dreams of keeping up with the Chiefs, Jeudy will have to be a big part of it. Fenton is a top-15 corner according to Pro Football Focus, but with the lack of reliable weapons that Drew Lock has to throw to, you would think volume alone Jeudy would be a solid selection. |
| Jamison Crowder NYJ | Tre'Davious White BUF | He continues to be the only thing positive the Jets have and that is why you have to continue to use him despite the matchups. Crowder has at least ten targets in all four games he has played, and even with awful quarterback play, he has produced for the most part. White is a top-flight corner, but the Bills defense has been quite beatable lately. The Jets will have plenty of garbage time in this one, and based on the number of targets he is guaranteed he will score you a minimum of ten fantasy points with a chance to be north of 15. |
| Cole Beasley BUF | Brian Poole NYJ | He isn't a sexy option, but Beasley has had six or more targets and three or more catches in every game but one so far this season. He has also scored in two of the last three weeks. He has been helped some by John Brown not being 100 percent, but he is also just a really reliable option for Josh Allen to throw to. Oh, and did I mention the Bills were playing the worst team in football in the Jets? Brian Poole is rated as the sixth best corner on PFF, but I just don't see how that is possible. Could it be that the quarterback's first two reads are so wide open that they don't look to the slot that often? Poole is being targeted just 16 percent of the time. |
| Cooper Kupp LAR | Buster Skrine CHI | I am a little nervous about this one just because the Rams offense hasn't really been taking chances down the field and the Bears secondary has been good, but I like a couple things here. First, so far when the Rams are going downfield, it has been to Kupp. Second, while the Bears secondary is solid, Skrine is notoriously known throughout his career as a corner that you can burn, and he has been getting burned in the slot for much of his career. Kupp has at least seven targets in each of the last four games, and He has been over 65 receiving yards in four of the last five. I don't foresee a huge offensive game out of the Rams, but if there is going to be a big play or two, I am confident that Kupp will be involved in it. |
Elite
There are so many good options in the elite level for me, but I am going with Allen. He has been an absolute target monster since Justin Herbert was made the starter, and they seem to be a perfect match together. The Jaguars defense is atrocious as they have allowed 12 passing touchdowns so far and are even worse against the slot. Herndon is allowing a 71 percent catch rate, is rated as the 100th corner in 2020 according to Pro Football Focus and is giving up 12.3 yards per completion. Considering that Allen had 40 targets in the three games before he left one with the back spasms, he should be in for a really big game.
He has been an absolute beast this year with six or more catches in every game but one and three touchdowns and three 100-yard games in six weeks. I really don’t know how deep I need to go here. The Bills have been one of the more prolific offenses in football and the Jets are an absolute disaster as a team. You should basically target a receiver against them every week. Couple that with the fact that Diggs is the seventh highest salary on DK and ninth highest salary on FD makes him even more appealing. The only thing that can stop Diggs is if the Jets get so far ahead the game script makes it so they run more.
Affordable
Kenny Golladay vs Kendall Sheffield
He is at the higher end of the “affordable” receivers, but his price tag is still much lower than I would have expected. Golladay did start the season injured, but he has either a 100-yard game or a touchdown in all three contests. He now goes against the worst secondary in football and there is not a cornerback on the team that has a chance against him. Sheffield is allowing 2.79 yards per route covered, a metric that you want under 1.00 to be considered a good corner. He is also allowing a 71 percent catch rate and Golladay has a four-inch height advantage on him. This has all the makings of Golladay going over 100 yards and scoring a touchdown as well.
Terry McLaurin vs. Daryl Worley
I heard this one Wednesday on the FA Sports Talk livestream (Monday-Friday at 3pm ET) when Howard Bender and Justin Fensterman were talking about this price too. Terry McLaurin is $5,800 on DraftKings. How? Why? I know the quarterback play isn’t ideal and he had a rough game against the Rams, but the dude has been one of the more consistent receivers in football and now he goes against a defense that has allowed 14 touchdowns through the air in six games? Who else is Kyle Allen going to throw to? Cam Sims ? McLaurin is going to get a boatload of volume and should have at least 13 targets in this one. It is nearly a guarantee that he will top 80 receiving yards and have a touchdown and at his price tag this week he is an absolute steal.
Bargain Bin
Brandin Cooks vs. Josh Jackson
After getting off to such a slow start that he was dropped in many leagues after having no catches in Week 4 against the Vikings, Cooks has woken up in the last two games. The competition has gotten easier, and Deshaun Watson and Cooks have found their connection. This one has the highest over/under in Vegas at 57 points, so you know they are expecting a lot of points in this one. With the Packers stud corner, Jaire Alexander , set to be focused on stopping Will Fuller , Cooks should be able to find plenty of open space against the rest of the Packers secondary. Jackson was set to play mostly special teams before the injury to Kevin King and Cooks is all lined up for another 100-yard game.
*Information gathered from research done at Pro Football Focus.