It’s that time of week, ladies and gentlemen! We will breakdown each of the outside matchups, as well as my 10 favorite matchups out of the slot. Then, below the charts in this article, I break down my five absolute favorite matchups by price in DFS, as well as likely ownership in seasonal formats. This article is critical to seasonal and daily players, as this will help you gain a competitive advantage when setting your lineups.
Remember, the No. 1 wide receiver doesn’t always matchup against the No. 1 cornerback. This isn’t a game of Madden! Seriously, it’s not!
Follow me on Twitter (@colbyrconway) as well!
| Offense | Left WR | Defense | Right CB | Analysis |
| ARI | Chad Williams | SF | Jimmie Ward | It's not that Williams is a bad receiver, but the opportunity just isn't there, and opportunity is everything in fantasy football. Williams is an easy fade yet again in Week 5. |
| ATL | Julio Jones | PIT | Coty Sensabaugh | Of qualified receivers, Jones' 3.46 yards per route run trails only DeSean Jackson .* However, the bugaboo with Jones is that he's not finding the end zone at all. Listen, the dude is on pace for over 2,000 receiving yards with ZERO TOUCHDOWNS! However, he's a must-start in all formats, as he has been piling up the yardage. He remains a WR1. |
| BAL | Michael Crabtree | CLE | Terrance Mitchell | Terrance Mitchell has allowed 1.31 yards per coverage snap this season, but the drops continue to plague Crabtree in 2018.* John Brown has been more fantasy relevant than Crabtree this season and if you have serviceable depth at the wide receiver position, Crabtree would luck much better on your bench compared to your starting lineup. |
| BUF | Kelvin Benjamin | TEN | Malcolm Butler | Butler has allowed more receiving yards than he'd like to admit, but he's gone up against some tough receivers here in the early parts of the 2018 campaign. However, Benjamin won't have the same success against Butler that other receivers have had in recent weeks. Benjamin has just seven grabs for 92 yards on the season and Josh Allen 's inconsistencies and rookie struggles will continue to lessen Benjamin's fantasy value. |
| CAR | Devin Funchess | NYG | Janoris Jenkins | Funchess should see volume with Greg Olsen likely out of action following the team's bye, and should see shadow coverage from Jackrabbit Jenkins.* Jenkins hasn't been great this season, in fact, he hasn't been very good at all, but he's talented and Cam Newton hasn't exactly made a wide receiver fantasy relevant in quite some time. Funchess is a low-end flex option in Week 5. |
| CHI | BYE | BYE | BYE | BYE |
| CIN | A.J. Green | MIA | Xavien Howard | Howard has been good for the most part in 2018, but when he has been beat, it's been for huge gains. He's allowed 224 receiving yards on just eight grabs in coverage, good for a whopping 28 yards allowed per reception!* Green has been balling out and remains a WR1 this week. |
| CLE | Rashard Higgins | BAL | Jimmy Smith | Don't forget the fact that Jimmy Smith allowed a passer rating of just 49.2 when targeted in 2017.* He's returning from a four-game suspension and with his name back in the lineup, I'm fading Higgins this week. Smith is a damn good cornerback. |
| DAL | Michael Gallup | HOU | Jonathan Joseph | If there was ever a time for Gallup to get things going in this Dallas passing game, it's this week against my Houston Texans. Joseph plays far off in coverage and Gallup could get loose if he can shake the initial tackle. It's not an attractive play, and it comes with risk, but there's upside against Joseph, whom is ranked as the 94th-best cornerback in the league, according to Pro Football Focus' player grading system. |
| DEN | Courtland Sutton | NYJ | Morris Claiborne | Claiborne has been exceptional this year for the Jets, allowing a measly 0.54 yards per coverage snap and 34.0 passer rating when targeted.* It's not a great matchup for the rookie, but he can certainly be a flex option in deeper formats. |
| DET | Kenny Golladay | GB | Tramon Williams | Golladay has four receptions or 70+ yards in each game this season and has been the team's most threatening wideout through the first quarter of the season. He's out-performed Marvin Jones and has found the end zone twice on the season. Williams has allowed two touchdowns in coverage this season, setting up Golladay for a big day in a potential shootout.* Golladay is a low-end WR2 in Week 5. |
| GB | Davante Adams | DET | Nevin Lawson | Lawson could have his hands full in this one. Adams has been solid this season, while Lawson has allowed a 109.8 passer rating when targeted, and one touchdown on seven receptions this season.* Best-case scenario here is that Detroit keeps this game close and Aaron Rodgers gets to sling the rock for four quarters in a divisional matchup. Adams is a WR1. |
| HOU | DeAndre Hopkins | DAL | Byron Jones | This is going to be a fascinating matchup on Sunday Night Football. Of qualified corners, Jones has the highest coverage grade in the league, per Pro Football Focus. On the other hand, Hopkins has the second-highest receiving grade among wideouts. Hopkins has at least six catches and 78 yards in every game this season, making him a high-floor WR1 in Week 5. |
| IND | Ryan Grant | NE | Jason McCourty | Andrew Luck will have his hands full in this contest, especially if T.Y. Hilton is unable to suit up. Ryan Grant is a serviceable wide receiver, but he cannot be the lead dog for a team. McCourty has allowed just eight yards per reception this season, to go along with a sparkling 67.7 passer rating allowed when targeted.* Grant is a flex option in Week 5, but not necessarily an attractive one. |
| JAX | Keelan Cole | KC | Steven Nelson | With no Leonard Fournette , Blake Bortles is due for a big game, as he's done in the past. The Kansas City defense has allowed 626 receiving yards and five touchdowns to wideouts through four games this season, and Nelson is exploitable on the outside. Cole has back-end WR2 potential in this matchup. |
| KC | Sammy Watkins | JAX | Jalen Ramsey | Kansas City is optimistic about Watkins' chances to play in this matchup, but Ramsey and the Jacksonville defense is ferocious, to say the least. Ramsey hasn't been as dominant as he was last season, but he's still one of the more talented corners in the game. If Watkins plays and is on a pitch count, he's likely not worth starting, as he seems more suited for a decoy role. Monitor his status in practice throughout the week. |
| LAC | Mike Williams | OAK | Gareon Conley | Williams is developing into a monster for the Chargers offense, serving as the No. 2 receiver behind slot man Keenan Allen . Per Next Gen Stats, Williams share of the team's air yards is over 26 percent, and is averaging 17 air yards per target. Pretty solid marks right there. The Raiders have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to receivers this season, making Williams a reliable WR2. |
| LAR | Brandin Cooks | SEA | Tre Flowers | Flowers is averaging nearly 15 yards allowed per reception and Cooks is averaging 3.28 yards per route run in his first season with Sean McVay and the Rams.* See what I'm getting at here? With no Earl Thomas to clean things up in the secondary, Cooks is going to have a field day, making him an intriguing option in all formats in Week 5. |
| MIA | DeVante Parker | CIN | William Jackson | Parker didn't make a huge splash in his season debut against the Raiders, hauling in just two balls for 40 yards. Despite sizable potential since coming in the league, Parker has yet to put it all together at the game's highest level, and in this matchup with a talented William Jackson, Parker will end up on more benches than just starting lineups. Parker is a WR4 this week. |
| MIN | Laquon Treadwell | PHI | Ronald Darby | Attacking Darby can be profitable at times, but with Laquon Treadwell opposing him, I'm less inclined. Kirk Cousins stares down Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen , with Treadwell fighting for the scraps. Treadwell will be on the bench in most leagues this week. |
| NE | Chris Hogan | IND | Pierre Desir | Hogan has really struggled here in 2018, and with Julian Edelman returning and Josh Gordon getting more involved in the offense, it's tough to see Hogan being as valuable as he was last season. Per Next Gen Stats, Hogan is creating minimal separation, in fact, his average separation is just 2.6 yards, which is pretty low. Hogan remains a flex option, because of the man under center, but he can explode at any point, especially in a good matchup. |
| NO | Michael Thomas | WAS | Quinton Dunbar | It was a down week for Thomas last week, but let's not knock the guy. He remained effective with the targets he did receive from Drew Brees , and despite Dunbar ranking in the top 10 at his position, per Pro Football Focus, Thomas remains a WR1 in Week 5. Don't get cute. Don't overthink it. It's simple. |
| NYG | Cody Latimer | CAR | Donte Jackson | Latimer continues to get run in the New York offense, but he's still an uninspiring fantasy asset. There are plenty of mouths to feed in the Big Apple, and Eli Manning is struggling to keep guys like Odell Beckham and Sterling Shepard consistently producing in fantasy. Latimer shouldn't even be owned in most leagues. |
| NYJ | Quincy Enunwa | DEN | Isaac Yiadom | Yiadom has allowed an 80 percent catch rate in coverage this season and Enunwa is far and away Sam Darnold 's preferred target in the New York passing game. Enunwa has reached double-digit fantasy points in a PPR format in all but one game this season (9.7 points against Cleveland), and he should be able to do it yet again this week against Yiadom and the rest of the Denver defense. |
| OAK | Jordy Nelson | LAC | Trevor Williams | Williams has allowed two touchdowns in coverage this season, including 11 grabs on 15 targets, good for a 120.6 passer rating when targeted.* Nelson has scored in back-to-back weeks and resembles the same Jordy we saw in Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers . He remains a viable starting option in all formats. |
| PHI | Alshon Jeffery | MIN | Xavier Rhodes | Jeffery was excellent in his 2018 debut, hauling in eight passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. This matchup with Rhodes is tough, but Jeffery looks dominant and healthy. I'm buying into Jeffery's health and rapport with Carson Wentz , not to mention that Rhodes has allowed a catch rate of 71.4 percent. Jeffery is a legitimate WR2. |
| PIT | Antonio Brown | ATL | Robert Alford | The Falcons have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to wide receivers through the first few weeks of the season, highlighted by a whopping seven touchdowns to the position. Brown is arguably the best at his position and despite not having a huge game yet this season, it's coming, and this week seems like the right opportunity for a 150-yard game. |
| SEA | Tyler Lockett | LAR | Marcus Peters | In last week's shootout, Peters looked a little hobbled with that calf injury, but he was out there. He allowed seven grabs on eight targets for 103 yards. Kirk Cousins and his weapons are by no means an easy task, but it wasn't the type of performance we've come to expect from the former Washington Husky. If Peters still looks hobbled, Lockett becomes a sneaky play in GPP formats with his big play ability. |
| SF | Marquise Goodwin | ARI | Jamar Taylor | Goodwin doesn't carry the same sort of excitement with C.J. Beathard compared to Jimmy Garoppolo , but against Taylor, Goodwin is a flex candidate in Week 5. Taylor has allowed a catch rate of 83 percent this season, to go along with 268 receiving yards.* The speedy 49er makes for a sneaky GPP option this weekend. |
| TB | BYE | BYE | BYE | BYE |
| TEN | Tajae Sharpe | BUF | Ryan Lewis | Lewis allowed a hefty 2.92 yards per coverage snap last week, but if it weren't for a touchdown in last week's victory against the Philadelphia Eagles, it would have been another ho-hum outing for Sharpe.* Corey Davis gets so much work in this passing attack, and with Dion Lewis seeing nearly 10 targets last week, Sharpe is a distant third option, at best, in this passing attack. |
| WAS | Josh Doctson | NO | Marshon Lattimore | Lattimore has been the best of New Orleans' corners, but even he hasn't captured his caliber of play from his rookie season. He's yet to record an interception this season, and while Doctson's average targeted air yards metric is just barely over 10 yards, he's still worthy of a flex consideration in an uber-friendly matchup against this Saints defense. |
| Offense | Right WR | Defense | Left CB | Analysis |
| ARI | Christian Kirk | SF | Ahkello Witherspoon | Kirk has only had one fantasy relevant game this season, and that came in Week 3 against the Chicago Bears. However, in a GPP format, Kirk makes a lot of sense this week against a San Francisco defense that has allowed 11 passing touchdowns this season. Witherspoon, Kirk's primary adversary this weekend, has allowed four of them.* Kirk is a sneaky GPP play in Week 5. |
| ATL | Calvin Ridley | PIT | Joe Haden | Oh, baby!! Ridley is going to eat again this week! He's been lethal in the red zone and he's already the team's best, and most dynamic, red zone option. Even if the yardage isn't there, he'll find his way to pay dirt in this contest, en route to another top 15 finish at the position. Good luck, Joe, you got your hands full with the rook. |
| BAL | John Brown | CLE | Denzel Ward | Ward has a couple of interceptions on the season, and has held his own as the team's de facto No. 1 cornerback. He's allowed a mere 69.7 passer rating when targeted this season, which is pretty damn good.* However, I'm buying into the rapport between Brown and quarterback Joe Flacco , and Brown's knack of finding the end zone. Brown is a quality flex option in Week 5, despite the matchup with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2018 draft. |
| BUF | Zay Jones | TEN | Adoree' Jackson | Jackson has been solid this season, allowing just 1.12 yards per coverage snap.* Jones isn't doing a good job creating separation, and Josh Allen 's accuracy concerns don't quite mesh well. The Tennessee defense has been pretty good as a whole, and much like Kelvin Benjamin , Jones should be on your bench in Week 5. |
| CAR | Torrey Smith | NYG | B.W. Webb | Webb has been sufficient in coverage, but the reason for benching Smith this week isn't due to Webb's prowess in coverage. Smith has only had one fantasy relevant game this season, and that was against the Falcons, when he totaled 33 yards on three grabs with his lone touchdown on the year. Avoid this situation, as you won't be upset. |
| CHI | BYE | BYE | BYE | BYE |
| CIN | Alex Erickson | MIA | Torry McTyer | The injury to Ross opens up the door for Erickson, but don't expect al that much in this contest. McTyer has allowed over 15 yards per reception so far, but Erickson just won't see enough work. |
| CLE | Antonio Callaway | BAL | Marlon Humphrey | I like Callaway in this matchup with Baker Mayfield under center for The Land, however, Hue Jackson has alluded to the fact that Callaway may see his snaps limited, seeing as he didn't play at all last season as he served a suspension. Even if that's the case, Callaway only needs one reception to potentially score double-digit fantasy points. Callaway is a high-upside flex option. |
| DAL | Allen Hurns | HOU | Shareece Wright | Per Pro Football Focus' player grading system, Wright is far and away Houston's best cornerback, but even he ranks outside of the top 60 at the position. However, Dak Prescott spreads the ball around so much, that Hurns is a touchdown dependent fantasy option in this contest. He'll likely end up on your bench for this contest. |
| DEN | Demaryius Thomas | NYJ | Darryl Roberts | Thomas has the seventh-highest drop rate in the league, dropping five of 26 catchable targets.* Honestly, Thomas is playing his way out of Denver, and rookie Courtland Sutton simply looks better than the veteran. Thomas is a flex option at best this week. |
| DET | Marvin Jones | GB | Josh Jackson | While Jackson has yet to allow a touchdown on his watch, he has allowed a 101.2 passer rating when targeted and 172 receiving yards on 14 grabs.* Jones leads the Lions in share of air yards, but in terms of fantasy production, he trails both Kenny Golladay and Golden Tate . It's been a slow start for Jones, who has just 15 receptions through four games, and the early season emergence of Golladay has subtracted significantly from Jones' production. |
| GB | Geronimo Allison | DET | Darius Slay | Allison will likely get some run in the slot as well this week, but when he's on the outside, he will see some Darius Slay . To no one's surprise, Slay has been good yet again in 2018, allowing a measly 56.8 passer rating when targeted.* Allison remains a solid flex option, and perhaps even a back-end WR2 if Randall Cobb were to miss a second consecutive game. |
| HOU | Will Fuller | DAL | Chidobe Awuzie | If Fuller plays, simply put, he's in your lineup, unless you are super depth at the wide receiver position. Fuller has been a fantasy monster with Deshaun Watson , as the two have hooked up for a touchdown in every game the deadly duo have played together. Fuller is a legit WR2 on a weekly basis, so long as Watson is under center. |
| IND | Chester Rogers | NE | Stephon Gilmore | Rogers had a productive PPR day last week, and with T.Y. Hilton likely to miss the Thursday contest with the Patriots, Rogers is in line for added run. However, I don't expect Andrew Luck to throw the ball 60+ times again, so opportunities might be slightly reduced for Rogers in a tough, tough matchup with Gilmore. He's best left out of your starting lineup. |
| JAX | Donte Moncrief | KC | Orlando Scandrick | Despite scoring a long touchdown last week, Moncrief will need touchdowns to be relevant in fantasy formats this season. While Scandrick has allowed two touchdowns in coverage this season, he's allowed just 11 receptions on 28 targets.* While the Kansas City defense has been vulnerable for the majority of the season, attacking Scandrick isn't the way to go. Keelan Cole and Dede Westbrook are far more attractive plays in Week 5. |
| KC | Chris Conley | JAX | A..J. Bouye | Nope. Avoiding the Jacksonville defense has been a good decision more often than not, so why change now? Patrick Mahomes has been sensational for the Chiefs this season, but he has perhaps his toughest test this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Conley can be left out of your starting lineup. |
| LAC | Tyrell Williams | OAK | Rashaan Melvin | Williams hasn't been much of anything in 2018, as he's scored more than seven fantasy points in just one game this season. That's even in a PPR league, folks! It's Keenan Allen and Mike Williams in Week 5, not Tyrell Williams . Leave him on your bench or in free agency. |
| LAR | Robert Woods | SEA | Shaquil Griffin | Of all the Seattle corners, Griffin is the one you want to avoid if possible. He's allowed just one touchdown in coverage and a 61.7 passer rating when targeted here in 2018. Jared Goff has kept all of his receivers fantasy relevant on a weekly basis, and with their creative play calling and exceptional schemes, Woods should be fine. He remains a WR2 in Week 5. |
| MIA | Kenny Stills | CIN | Dre Kirkpatrick | Stills is averaging 17 air yards per target this season, which is fourth-best among qualified receivers, per NFL Next Gen Stats. Ryan Tannehill is content in spreading the ball around the Miami pass catchers, hence the reasoning for Stills failing to catch more than four passes in any game this season. Stills remains a flex option, but he'll need a touchdown to pay off for your fantasy team. |
| MIN | Stefon Diggs | PHI | Jalen Mills | Philadelphia's front seven is very good, and while secondary is talented in its own right, they have been peppered with targets and have succumbed quite a few yards. The Eagles have allowed the third-most receiving yards to wideouts, and Diggs gets a favorable matchup with Mills, who has allowed 1.59 yards per coverage snap and a 118.8 passer rating when targeted.* Diggs is a WR1 in Week 5. |
| NE | Josh Gordon | IND | Nate Hairston | The Josh Gordon experiment will take some time in New England, but unlike last week, Gordon is competing with numerous talented receivers for Tom Brady 's attention. Julian Edelman returns from suspension and Rob Gronkowski should be a bit healthier. However, Gordon carries big time upside, due to his freak abilities as a wide receiver. He's an upside flex option in Week 5 against an Indianapolis defense that just allowed nearly 400 passing yards to Deshaun Watson and 100 yard outings to receivers DeAndre Hopkins and rookie Keke Coutee . |
| NO | Tre'Quan Smith | WAS | Josh Norman | Norman has allowed 15.2 yards per reception thus far this season, including one touchdown in coverage.* Smith is a GPP option at best. |
| NYG | Odell Beckham Jr. | CAR | James Bradberry | LET ODELL EAT! He's yet to have the typical big OBJ game, but it's coming folks. Beckham should have a field day against Bradberry, but to his credit, Bradberry has been better this year compared to 2017. However, with Beckham just sitting in the soft spots of the Carolina zones, he should rack up the receptions. Double-digit receptions? Why not!? |
| NYJ | Robby Anderson | DEN | Bradley Roby | If only Josh McCown were under center, says Anderson, but no one else. Sam Darnold is obviously the guy and with that has gone Anderson's fantasy potential. He caught a long touchdown in the season opener, but since that, he's been non-existent and a big fantasy bust. Simply put, he cannot be started in any format at this juncture. |
| OAK | Amari Cooper | LAC | Casey Hayward | Cooper has had some appeal in recent weeks, but Casey Hayward is this dude's kryptonite. Cooper failed to post more than once catch in a game in Hayward's coverage last season.* Cooper is a flex option this week, not a WR2, but if you have depth, you should seriously consider benching Cooper. |
| PHI | Kamar Aiken | MIN | Mike Hughes | Despite Trae Waynes being out of action, Aiken is not worth starting. Nothing to see here, folks. |
| PIT | James Washington | ATL | Desmond Trufant | Washington is getting a hearty 17.2 air yards per target, which is third-best among qualified receivers, per Next Gen Stats. However, Washington has failed to do anything with those targets down field. With just five catches for 49 yards on the season, he's best left on your bench. When Le'Veon Bell returns, Washington will be struggling for regular looks from veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger . |
| SEA | Jaron Brown | LAR | Sam Shields | Starting for Aqib Talib last week, Shields was peppered with targets, 13 to be exact.* Shields allowed 162 receiving yards and two touchdowns on his watch, and while Jaron Brown isn't exactly a feared target, he gains low-end flex option in deeper formats and GPP appeal.* |
| SF | Pierre Garcon | ARI | Patrick Peterson | Death, taxes and avoid Patrick Peterson . Jimmy Grapes is no longer under center, and I don't envision C.J. Beathard being the quarterback to support a fantasy relevant wide receiver with Patrick Peterson in coverage. Garcon is an easy fade in Week 5. |
| TB | BYE | BYE | BYE | BYE |
| TEN | Corey Davis | BUF | Tre'Davious White | White doesn't see much action thrown his way, but he's allowing nearly 16 yards per reception and 1.93 yards per coverage snap through the first four weeks of the season.* Davis is getting a ton of volume this season, as evidenced by the fact that only Julio Jones has a higher share of his team's air yards than Davis in Tennessee, per Next Gen Stats. Davis is a volume-driven WR2 with the ability to put up another big stat line. |
| WAS | Paul Richardson | NO | Ken Crawley | The Saints have allowed yardage to quarterbacks and wide receivers in bunches this season. Opposing wideouts have scored 10 touchdowns in four games against this defense, as well as racked up 989 receiving yards. Crawley has been brutal on the outside, allowing a perfect 158.3 passer rating when targeted.* Richardson is a quality flex option this week. |
Now, here are my 10 favorite matchups in the slot in Week 4.
| Offense | Slot WR | Defense | Slot CB | Analysis |
| LAC | Keenan Allen | OAK | Leon Hall | Hall has allowed the eighth-most receiving yards out of the slot this season, along with a 114.6 passer rating when targeted.* Allen hasn't surpassed 70 receiving yards since he totaled 108 in Week 1 against the Chiefs, but that is about to change this week. Seven grabs for 111 yards and a score for Allen in this matchup. BOOK IT. |
| DEN | Emmanuel Sanders | NYJ | Buster Skrine | Skrine has allowed a catch rate of 75 percent in slot coverage, as well as the second-most receiving yards out of the slot.* Sanders will move out of the slot in 2WR sets, but when in the slot against Skrine, Case Keenum will target him early and often. It feels like an Emmanuel Sanders week in Week 5. |
| MIN | Adam Thielen | PHI | Sidney Jones | Adam Thielen leads all wide receivers with 28 receptions out of the slot and ranks third in the league in slot yardage.* He receives plenty of looks from Kirk Cousins , and in a game where Minnesota will need to score, Thielen will be involved. He's a WR1. Easy. |
| KC | Tyreek Hill | JAX | Tyler Patmon | Patmon has been a quality slot corner for the Jaguars, much better than D.J. Hayden . However, Tyreek Hill is a matchup nightmare and although he will move around the offense, it might behoove the Chiefs to leave Hill in the slot so that he can spend the majority of his afternoon away from the likes of Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye . Hill is a WR1 this week. |
| NE | Julian Edelman | IND | Kenny Moore III | There might be some rust to shake off, given that Edelman is fresh off a four-game suspension after tearing his ACL early last season, but Tom Brady is excited to have his favorite wide receiver back on the field. As always, Edelman should enter WR2 territory from the get go, and has uber potential in PPR formats. |
| PIT | JuJu Smith-Schuster | ATL | Brian Poole | JuJu trails only Minnesota's Adam Thielen in receptions out of the slot, but his 340 receiving yards out of the slot are tops amongst all wide receivers.* The Falcons have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to wide receivers, which certainly bodes well for Smith-Schuster in Week 5. |
| WAS | Jamison Crowder | NO | P.J. Williams | The Saints have allowed the most fantasy points per game to wide receivers in 2018, and in slot coverage, Williams allows nearly everything thrown his way to be caught. Alex Smith spreads the ball around a ton, which diminishes some of the affinity with Crowder, but in PPR formats, Crowder is a solid flex option. |
| LAR | Cooper Kupp | SEA | Justin Coleman | Coleman has allowed just over eight yards per reception in slot coverage this season, but just a measly 0.55 yards per coverage snap.* While Coleman has been pretty good in defending the slot, but Kupp, on the offensive side of the ball, has been much better. The Football Nerd is averaging a ridiculous 3.16 yards per route run out of the slot this season, and his 21 receptions are tied for third in the league.* Start Kupp everywhere. |
| JAX | Dede Westbrook | KC | Kendall Fuller | You can exploit Fuller in this Kansas City defense, and he's a part of a larger unit that has been torched by wide receivers in 2018. Per Pro Football Focus' player grades, Fuller is the No. 50 ranked corner in the league.* Westbrook is doing a great job creating separation, giving Blake Bortles plenty of room to deliver the football. Start Westbrook this week everywhere you feasibly can. |
| CLE | Jarvis Landry | BAL | Tavon Young | Young is one of four cornerbacks to allow multiple touchdowns in coverage out of the slot, along with M.J. Stewart , Brian Poole and Tramon Williams .* Landry can operate at his peak potential with Baker Mayfield under center, even if he wasn't a breakout player last week. However, he did find the end zone for the first time this season in last week's loss to the Raiders, setting him up for another WR2 week against Tavon Young . |
Elite
JuJu Smith-Schuster vs. Brian Poole
You don’t need many reasons to start Smith-Schuster. With his performance on the field, if he’s healthy, he’s in your lineup Honestly, it’s that simple. However, there are a few added reasons that bolster Smith-Schuster’s Week 5 outlook. For starters, the Falcons have allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers in 2018. Only the Saints and the Buccaneers have allowed more touchdowns to wide receivers than the Atlanta Falcons. Smith-Schuster has the most receiving yards out of the slot in the National Football League and Poole has allowed three touchdowns in slot coverage.* Start JuJu everywhere. Duh.
Cooks has accounted for nearly one-third of the team’s air yards, trailing only Robert Woods on the Rams squad. What makes Cooks so attractive in Week 5, is not that Flowers is a bad corner by any means, but he has been exploitable in 2018. Through three games, he’s allowed 189 yards and one touchdown, alongside a 102.3 passer rating when targeted.* Cooks has been incredibly consistent this season, catching seven passes in three of four games, as well as notching at least 87 receiving yards in every contest this season. Cooks has elite potential in this matchup against the Legion of Whom in Seattle.
Affordable
Emmanuel Sanders vs. Buster Skrine
Skrine has allowed the second-most yards in slot coverage this season and with Denver running out of 3WR sets more often than not, the majority of Sanders’ afternoon is going to be spent in this advantageous matchup, which he should have no problem dominating from the start of the contest. The strength of the New York pass defense is on the outside with Trumaine Johnson and Morris Claiborne , not in the slot with Skrine. We’ve attacked Skrine before and we’ll do it again with Emmanuel Sanders in Week 5.
Bargain Bin
Christian Kirk vs Ahkello Witherspoon
This is a shot in the dark, but hey, bargain bin pricing! The San Francisco 49ers defense has allowed 11 passing touchdowns on the season, five of which have ended up in the hands of the opponent’s wide receiver. Of the 11 passing touchdowns the San Francisco defense has allowed, Witherspoon has allowed four of them! Over one-third of the passing touchdowns have been scored on Witherspoon! Kirk has only one had game this season that warrant him as a starter in fantasy football, but this week, the stars are aligning for Kirk to have a double-digit fantasy point outing against the 49ers.
*Information gathered from research done at Pro Football Focus.