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. It is time for the playoffs! The wild card round is this weekend, so there aren’t a lot of games, but there still are some juicy matchups! This article is 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 |
| John Brown BUF | Gareon Conley HOU | He was Mr. Consistency until Thanksgiving, when Buffalo hit a long string of games against good defenses. He still did light up the Steelers, but other than that down the stretch he busted. Luckily for Brown, the Texans are one of the worst pass defenses in football, and Conley wasn't even good enough to stay on the Raiders when the Texans picked him up. He is the receiver that Josh Allen tends to look to the most, and Brown has big play potential. His floor should be six catches for 75 yards, but I expect him to at least top 90 and almost definitely find the end zone in this one. |
| DeAndre Hopkins HOU | Tre'Davious White BUF | There were a couple of less than stellar games along the way for Hopkins, but the guy is a beast. Not only that, but he is guaranteed to be the most targeted receiver on the team. His season low in targets was seven, and he was targeted ten or more times in seven of 16 games. He does have a really tough matchup against the Bills and White, but the offense has proven that it runs through Hopkins. He won't be cheap and he might not score a touchdown, but even against an elite corner, I can't see him being shut down. He should be able to top 80 receiving yards, and likely will still rack up 15 fantasy points in this one. |
| Stefon Diggs MIN | Marshon Lattimore NO | It has been a very up and down season for Diggs, as he was a forgotten man the first three weeks before becoming a featured player for the next four. Since Week 9 it has been very boom or bust for him, although he did end the season pretty strong. He was able to have success against good corners like Chris Harris (23 fantasy points), Darius Slay (36 fantasy points in two games), and Casey Hayward (11 fantasy points), so the matchup with Marshon Lattimore doesn't mean he has no value. The Vikings are likely to fall behind in this one, which should mean they will be throwing a lot in the second half. It isn't an ideal situation for Diggs, but it is one he can still succeed in. |
| Mohamed Sanu NE | Tramaine Brock TEN | The Patriots traded a second round pick for Sanu, and outside of that first game he had with them against the Ravens you can clearly say the trade was a bust. He has been dealing with injuries, but even when he is on the field, it hasn't been exciting. The whole Patriots pass game looks awful lately, and you have to wonder how much they will score, even against Tennessee. The plan seems to be more focused on the run game, and Tom Brady looked to rookie N'Keal Harry a lot last week. Sanu has the capability to have a big game, but nothing we have watched in the last month gives us evidence that he will. He's not the worst bet in the world, but he certainly doesn't look like a good one either. |
| Michael Thomas NO | Xavier Rhodes MIN | Thomas had his worst game of the year in Week 17, but the Saints were crushing Carolina, and it just wasn't a very meaningful game. He had an incredible, record-breaking season, and there is no reason to think that will stop now. Xavier Rhodes is a top-flight corner back, but he certainly hasn't played like it this year. Thomas is virtually unstoppable, and was targeted ten times or more in 12 of 16 games. There is no chance that Drew Brees doesn't throw the ball his way a dozen times on Sunday and Thomas will break 100 yards and score. He will be the most expensive, but he will be worth it as he has been all year. |
| Greg Ward PHI | Tre Flowers SEA | Somehow the Eagles won the NFC East, and are here in the playoffs. Teams have dealt with injuries before, but man what the Eagles are doing is amazing. Of course, they played the Dolphins, Redskins, and Giants twice down the stretch, but they still won each game with few skill position players left standing. Ward is doing his best, and is the top wide receiver left. He really only returned one big fantasy game this season, but he still had six catches for 40 yards against Seattle in Week 12. He should be much more comfortable in the offense by now, and the Seahawk pass defense isn't anything great at all. Ward will be a safe play to get you around ten fantasy points, but he won't be the difference between you cashing out or not. If he fits your roster construction I have no problem with him being in your lineups, I just wouldn't go out of my way to fit him in. |
| D.K. Metcalf SEA | Rasul Douglas PHI | Outside of the game against Arizona, Metcalf has been solid the entire month of December. Russell Wilson clearly likes the rookie, especially in the red zone. Metcalf has really come into his own lately, and you can see the confidence he has on the football field. The Eagles secondary is nothing special, and Seattle is likely to put up some big chunk plays on them. Especially with Tyler Lockett not at 100 percent, Wilson could lean on Metcalf even more. Despite being on the road, Seattle is the favorite here, and they are sure to put up some points. With the running game struggling with injuries, look for Seattle to throw more than usual and to have great success against Philadelphia. Metcalf is going to rake in this one. |
| A.J. Brown TEN | Stephon Gilmore NE | He was a monster down the stretch, but of course the schedule featured a lot of cream puff defenses on it. The one tough game was against the Saints and Marshon Lattimore and Brown had just one catch on two targets. He did have a long rushing touchdown, but that was a freak thing. Here is why you can still use Brown even against the potential Defensive Player of the Year. He isn't likely to have great volume in this game, and even if he had only three catches, I wouldn't be surprised. However, he has huge big play ability, and Gilmore just looked like a fool last week against DeVante Parker and Ryan Fitzpatrick . In no way am I saying that Brown is going to torch him all day, but he will make a few big plays to have a solid fantasy day. He should be able to get you four catches for 95 yards and a touchdown against New England. |
| Right WR | Left CB | Analysis |
| Isaiah McKenzie BUF | Bradley Roby HOU | The Bills offense is far from impressive, and even against a subpar offense it just doesn't translate to success for multiple receivers. McKenzie has 27 catches in 15 games, and hasn't been fantasy relevant at all in 2019. Despite the game against the less than stellar Texans pass defense, he still isn't worth considering in DFS leagues on Wild Card Weekend. |
| Will Fuller HOU | Levi Wallace BUF | The talent is undeniable, but what is also undeniable is that he is hurt all the time. The reports as of now are looking like he will play, but how can you possibly trust him? Even if he does get on the field Saturday there is still no guarantee that he will be able to finish the game and not get hurt again. Not to mention that the Bills pass defense was one of the best in football this season. The risk is far too high for the low potential for reward in my book. Stay away! |
| Adam Thielen MIN | Eli Apple NO | He has been trying to gut it out with the hamstring injury, but it just isn't working. Thielen obviously didn't play in Week 17 since the Vikings were locked into their playoff seed, but he has three catches for 27 yards on seven targets in the two weeks since coming back. He clearly is compromised by this injury, and until we see him go through a real week of full practices you have to figure he still isn't 100 percent. The Saints are also a pretty good pass defense, and although you know his name, Thielen won't be a good DFS option this weekend. |
| N'Keal Harry NE | Tye Smith TEN | The rookie has been impressive at times with some great catches, but overall hasn't gotten much volume. He did have a season high seven targets in Week 17, and he clearly has formed some trust with Tom Brady . With the rest of their receivers all hurt to various degrees, Harry is the one guy outside of Edelman you can consider using. The Patriots pass game has been in shambles in the last month though. If New England was playing any other defense I wouldn't give Harry much consideration, but the Titans secondary isn't good at all. He will be a reasonable cheap option on Saturday. |
| Ted Ginn NO | Mike Hughes MIN | It has been a month since Ginn even tacked on nine fantasy points, and he hasn't had a fantasy worthy day since Week 1. He is so far and away an afterthought, and you shouldn't get sucked in by the fact that you know his name. He has been targeted four times in the last three weeks combined and is nowhere near the fantasy radar. |
| J.J. Arcega-Whiteside PHI | Shaquill Griffin SEA | The Eagles passing game is a shell of what it is capable of considering all of the injuries it has endured, but even with that, this rookie hasn't been relevant. He has been dealing with a foot injury and might not play, but even if he does you can look another way. Arcega-Whiteside hasn't had more than two ctaches in any game this season, and while he might have a bright future in the NFL, he certainly won't be fantasy relevant at any point in 2019. |
| David Moore SEA | Sidney Jones PHI | The Seahawks offense is kind of running in place right now, and definitely isn't functioning on all cylinders. It is good enough to make Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf fantasy worthy, but not enough for a third receiver. Seattle faces a soft Eagles secondary on Sunday, but Moore hasn't been targeted more than two times since Week 13. He is not even in the realm of consideration for fantasy purposes on Wild Card Weekend. |
| Corey Davis TEN | J.C. Jackson NE | Davis had a great game the first week that Ryan Tannehill was named starter, and then it was mostly mediocre production again for the rest of the season. Davis has a season high of six catches, but he has had four or less in every game since Week 7. He also hasn't had more than 60 receiving yards in that span. The Patriots are sure to try to take A.J. Brown out of the equation, but their defense hasn't been as good of late. Davis isn't good enough to shake the top flight talent at cornerback that New England is sure to throw at him. He is not someone to consider on Wild Card Weekend. |
Now, here are my 10 favorite matchups in the slot in Wild Card Weekend.
| Slot WR | Slot CB | Analysis |
| Julian Edelman NE | Logan Ryan TEN | The guy is a warrior, there is no denying that as he has been on the field despite nursing a myriad of injuries. After being targeted at least ten times in eight straight games, Edelman hasn't had more than seven in the last three weeks. There is no way that he misses this game, and there is no way that he won't be the most targeted receiver for New England. He comes with plenty of risk knowing he is far from healthy, but he will get work. Edelman should have at least six catches for 85 yards and his chance of scoring is high. |
| Tyler Lockett SEA | Avonte Maddox PHI | D.K. Metcalf has really gained on Lockett as being the team's most targeted receiver, but the veteran is still top dog on the team. The problem is, like Edelman, is that he is extremely banged up. Lockett finished the game against San Francisco, but he did leave it a few times. He certainly will gut this one out, and goes against a bad defense. With Russell Wilson likely to throw multiple touchdowns, it is pretty likely that Lockett gets one. He also should have six or seven catches for 80-85 yards as long as he stays in the game. There is risk, but he also should pay off. |
| Cole Beasley BUF | Vernon Hargreaves HOU | His production is quite unreliable, which always makes Beasley a tough guy to consider. When he is good, he is a top fantasy receiver. The problem is when he has off weeks he often tops out at about five fantasy points. The Bills will certainly be able to throw this week, though, on a mediocre Texans secondary, so this should be a good one for Beasley. Houston took released players from the Raiders and Buccaneers that are now starters for them, so that should tell you everything you need to know. Beasley should have a minimum or seven or eight targets, and his catch rate is generally very good. Look for him to find holes in Houston's defense all game long and return you 15-18 fantasy points on the afternoon. |
| Kenny Stills HOU | Taron Johnson BUF | He does have a knee injury, but it would be a shocker if Stills doesn't play after being rested in Week 17. He is incredibly hard to predict, as he is a pretty boom or bust type player. Going against the Bills we shouldn't expect the Texans to score a lot of points, although Stills will likely be the second most targeted receiver. He had a good game against another tough pass defense in New England, but overall if Stills doesn't score a touchdown, you are going to walk away with almost no fantasy points. It feels like the only way that Stills will be successful is if DeAndre Hopkins is totally shut down, and that is something I have a hard time believing. You won't find Stills in my DFS lineups this week. |
| Tre'Quan Smith NO | Mackensie Alexander MIN | He will be third on the target share list, and Smith made a little noise in the team's Week 17 game with five catches for 56 yards and a touchdown. That was against a Carolina team that stunk to begin with and had totally given up on the season, but Smith has now scored in four of the last six weeks. His five targets last week were also a season high, and he is builidng some rapport with Drew Brees . He showed some big play potential in his rookie year in 2018 as well, and it seems like a breakout is coming. The Vikings secondary never really played up to potential, and it feels like the Saints are going to blow them out. Smith could be a viable, cheap option to help you round out your Wild Card Weekend rosters. |
| Tajae Sharpe TEN | Jonathan Jones NE | Sharpe caught the fantasy community's attention in Week 16 with five catches and two touchdowns, but I invite you to look at the rest of his game logs this year. That was the only week he was targeted more than four times, and it was the only week he had more than 35 receiving yards. Unless Sharpe scores a touchdown, which seems unlikely against New England, he will likely return you a max of five fantasy points. His salary might be cheap, but that is for a reason. He is not featured at all in the Titans pass attack. |
| Bisi Johnson MIN | Janoris Jenkins NO | He had a chance to be featured last week with the Vikings resting their starters and still only had three catches for 34 yards. Sure, Sean Mannion stinks at quarterback, but you would have thought Bisi could have done more. He had just a single catch in the previous four games, and that is a realistic expectation for Sunday. Even though Adam Thielen is hurt, Johnson hasn't stepped up. The VIkings pass game has just suffered because of it. Jackrabbit Jenkins, or whoever covers Johnson out of the slot, almost gets a bye week as he won't be targeted much at all. |
| Robert Davis PHI | Ugo Amadi SEA | He is a warm body to line up out of the slot and was on the practice squad less than a month ago. Davis being in the game shows how injured the Eagles are. He isn't a fantasy factor. |
Elite
Michael Thomas vs. Xavier Rhodes
Yes, he is the most expensive receiver on the board by far, but damn it he is worth it! Thomas didn’t just have a big year, he had a historic one. Outside of the receptions record, he also topped 25 fantasy points in ten of sixteen games. That’s insane! He is the passing game, and now that Alvin Kamara is back to being himself, that will be something else that the Vikings have to focus on. Xavier Rhodes should be blanketing Thomas, but that isn’t very scary this season, as he has been toasted more than usual. If I have to tell you reasons to use Thomas in any DFS week, then you haven’t been watching football this year. He is a near lock for 100 yards and a touchdown in this one. He is very expensive, so you might have to get a little creative to work him in, but he should pay big dividends.
Affordable
D.K. Metcalf vs. Rasul Douglas
The kid seems to get a little better each week, and certainly more comfortable in the NFL game. Don’t be scared off by that game against Arizona as he dealt with Patrick Peterson for most of the afternoon. Rasul Douglas , or any Eagle corner for that matter, couldn’t hold Peterson’s jock. The Eagles allowed 27 passing touchdowns in this one, and even though they are the favorite, no one outside of Philadelphia is picking them to win this one. Russell Wilson is a wizard and will have a great game in this one and Metcalf should be able to top 80 yards and have a touchdown in this game.
Brown is an amazing value at $6,000 on DraftKings, and still is a very attractive $6,500 on FanDuel for their Saturday and Sunday slates. He is the Bills top receiver, and the guy they will look to stretch the field with. Josh Allen has improved his accuracy some this year, and Brown has been his guy. Good defenses have been able to take Brown away in some games in December, but Houston isn’t a good defense. Houston allowed a whopping 33 pass touchdowns this season, and Brown is almost a lock to get one in this game. The daily sites are certainly disrespecting the guy this week, but I guess his lackluster finish is the reason. Reap the rewards and lock Brown into your lineups.
Bargain Bin
Tre’Quan Smith vs. Mackensie Alexander
I also considered N’Keal Harry here, but what I have watched from the Patriots lately scares me, even against a less than stellar Titans secondary. I think the Saints are going to put up some big points on the Vikings on Sunday, and a lot will be through the air. Drew Brees has been throwing three touchdowns in every game, and why wouldn’t he do it again? While Michael Thomas and Jared Cook are certainly the featured receivers, Smith has been finding the end zone on the regular lately. He had been dealing with an ankle injury for the first ten weeks of the year, but certainly has looked healthy of late. He just needs more targets like he got last week, and Smith should shine on Sunday. He might not be a high volume guy, but three catches for 60 yards and a touchdown would still have you walking away happy with his performance.
*Information gathered from research done at Pro Football Focus.