2022 Fantasy Football WR/CB Match-Up Report NFL Week 16: Justin Jefferson is Unstoppable
Welcome to the weekly wide receiver/cornerback breakdown for fantasy football Week 16! 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 to use for DFS purposes. It is the fantasy football playoffs, so if you are reading this, congrats on making it this far, let’s survive and advance! This article is also critical for fantasy football DFS players, as this will help you gain a competitive advantage when setting your lineups. Follow me on Twitter (@fightingchance) as well!
| WR CB Matchup Report | |||||
| Thursday/Saturday/Monday | |||||
| Left WR vs Right CB | |||||
| Wide Receiver | Team | DK / FD $ | Cornerback | Opp | Matchup |
| Drake London | ATL | $4800 / $6400 | Marlon Humphrey | BAL | Safe |
| I can't say that Desmond Ridder is any better than Marcus Mariota was, and he still only threw the ball 26 times. That isn't as bad as some games Mariota had, but you'd still like to see the ball in the air more. However, London has been revived as a fantasy option at just the right time as he had seven catches for 70 yards on 11 targets. He had eight more targets than anyone else on the team, and is the only viable option in the passing game. London has had double digit targets in back to back games, and while the Ravens secondary has been better down the stretch, you can go with London in your fantasy championship and in DFS lineups as well. | |||||
| Demarcus Robinson | BAL | $4000 / $6000 | A.J. Terrell | ATL | Risky |
| The yardage hasn’t been great lately as he has had just 139 receiving yards combined in the last four games, but Robinson also has had five or more catches in four of the last five games. He hasn’t scored since Week 2, but the Ravens have a nice easy matchup against the Falcons in Week 16. If you are in standard or half point PPR leagues he probably isn’t worth the start, but for those of you playing in full point PPR leagues you can still feel good about Robinson in your flex spot. | |||||
| Stefon Diggs | BUF | $8500 / $8700 | Jaylon Johnson | CHI | Safe |
| It was a relatively quiet Saturday night for Diggs although the conditions were far from ideal against the Dolphins. Diggs finished with five catches for 60 yards which isn’t awesome, but he did have nine targets which is solid against a middle-of-the-road Dolphins secondary. This week they get a Bears unit that are absolutely dreadful and have been getting torched lately. Diggs has been a little off more than usual since Josh Allen’s elbow injury, but he is still a stud in a pillow soft matchup and he will be a great start in both your fantasy semis and DFS lineups. | |||||
| DJ Moore | CAR | $5500 / $7100 | Jeff Okudah | DET | Moderate |
| What in the world are you supposed to do with this guy? A week after no catches on three targets, Moore has five catches for 73 yards and a touchdown in a game where Moore wasn't definitely going to play. Three weeks ago he had 103 yards. The Lions secondary isn't awesome, but they have been improving in the last six weeks, and Okudah is the best of the bunch. Moore is so up and down and I can't trust the Panthers offense for DFS purposes but you drafted Moore to be your second receiver back in August and while he hasn't lived up to that, he still at least belongs as a WR3 or at worst a flex against the Lions | |||||
| Dante Pettis | CHI | $3200 / $4900 | Tre'Davious White | BUF | Risky |
| With Chase Claypool hurt and Equanimeous St. Brown being concussed, it is sadly up to Pettis to be the top receiver on this team. He had just one catch on four targets for 13 yards, and although it was against a tough Eagles secondary, I wouldn't expect much of anything against the Bills. He topped 50 receiving yards just twice all season and both were in the first six weeks. The Bears offense is expected to be pathetic this week and you shouldn't trust Pettis in any fantasy game. | |||||
| Ja'Marr Chase | CIN | $8300 / $8800 | Jonathan Jones | NE | Safe |
| He has been a beast since returning from injury, and even though Week 15 wasn't his best he still finished with seven catches for 60 yards and a touchdown. He has now scored in four of the last five games, and the Bengals offense is firing on all cylinders. The once intimidating Patriots defense has become a sieve against the pass, and Joe Burrow should be able to feast. If you need me to tell you to play Chase in your fantasy playoffs you don't deserve to be there and I also think he is one of the best plays on the board for Week 16 DFS cash and GPP games. | |||||
| Amari Cooper | CLE | $5900 / $6700 | Marshon Lattimore | NO | Moderate |
| It has been a bad combo of a banged-up Cooper and a very anemic offense since Deshaun Watson started for the Browns. He has still been respectable, but a line of four catches for 58 yards isn’t helping anyone win their fantasy playoff matchups. That was his highest yardage total in three weeks, and he hasn’t found the end zone in four games. The Saints secondary hasn’t been bad all year long despite being without Lattimore for much of the season. It is hard not to start Cooper if he is on your roster, but the confidence is not at an all-time high right now. | |||||
| Michael Gallup | DAL | $4200 / $5700 | Darius Slay | PHI | Risky |
| The disappointment continues as the Cowboys had a lot of passing yards and points last week and Gallup came up incredibly small with one catch for two yards on two targets. If there is any good news, it is that the other target was in the end zone but it obviously was not completed. Gallup has just seven catches for 65 yards combined in the last three games and this is going to be a terrible matchup against perhaps the best secondary in football in Philadelphia. He had just two catches for 18 yards against the Eagles back in Week 6 and unless you absolutely can't avoid using him, I would leave Gallup on my fantasy benches for Week 16. | |||||
| DJ Chark Jr. | DET | $4200 / $5700 | Jaycee Horn | CAR | Moderate |
| After back to back big games, Chark came crashing back to Earth with one catch for 18 yards on just two targets. It was a really tough matchup against the Jets who have a very strong secondary, but that outcome is super disappointing. The Panthers stink, but they allow just 214 yards per game through the air and 18 passing touchdowns. I don't see this being an overly high scoring game and Horn allows just 52% of passes to be caught for less than ten yards per grab. I would look in another direction than Chark this week. | |||||
| Chris Moore | HOU | $4700 / $6100 | Kristian Fulton | TEN | Moderate |
| I thought it was going to be a bigger game for Moore figuring that Houston was going to get killed by the Chiefs, but Houston played tough again and Moore finished with just 42 yards on four catches. He was by far the most targeted receiver with nine, and I expect that level of volume to continue. The Titans secondary had a nice little run a few weeks ago, but they haven't been good for most of the season. Houston has been playing great against solid teams and I think they can possibly beat the Titans. I don't have enough confidence here for DFS games, but I don't think Moore is the worst option for a flex play in your fantasy semi-finals. | |||||
| Michael Pittman Jr. | IND | Asante Samuel | LAC | Moderate | |
| A week after a down game against the Cowboys, Pittman bounced back well for you PPR folks with ten catches for 60 yards on 14 targets on Saturday against the Vikings. He now has six or more catches in seven of the last nine games, although he has only scored twice all season. He certainly doesn’t have the draw that he did before the season started, but with a matchup against the Chargers who have allowed the fifth most touchdown passes in the league, Pittman still belongs in your full season fantasy league semi-finals. | |||||
| Zay Jones | JAC | $12300 / $12000 | Sauce Gardner | NYJ | Moderate |
| He had three touchdowns against the Cowboys along with six catches and 109 yards and now has four scores in the last two weeks and over 75 receiving yards in three of the last four. Jones is threatening Christian Kirk for the top receiver on the team and has seven or more targets in the last five games. The matchup gets really tough on Thursday against the Jets as Sauce Gardner has become one of the best corners already in his rookie year. It isn't likely to be a shadow situation so I could still use Jones in your fantasy semis or the Thursday night DFS showdown slate. | |||||
| Kadarius Toney | KC | $4400 / $5600 | Tariq Woolen | SEA | Risky |
| He played for the first time in a month, but Toney had just one catch for five yards and was only targeted once. It is impossible to know if he is 100% and given Toney's injury history I would say the chances are small. I like Toney's talent, but it is too late in the fantasy season to trust him in any sort of lineup and the Seahawks secondary seems to get a little better each week as Woolen is quickly becoming a star. | |||||
| Davante Adams | LV | Levi Wallace | PIT | Safe | |
| It was one of his worst games of the season and it was against a terrible secondary in New England. The Raiders are now pretty much fully healthy at receiver and tight end, but I don't think that is the reason as Adams still had nine targets. He has just seven catches in the last two games combined and hasn't topped 75 receiving yards in three of the last four weeks. The Steelers have allowed 24 passing touchdowns this season, and Derek Carr is starting to heat up down the stretch. Despite the recent disappointments, Adams is a great option in season long and DFS lineups as people might be shying away from him after last week's letdown. | |||||
| Mike Williams | LAC | Stephen Gilmore | IND | Safe | |
| I'm not exactly sure why the Chargers didn't throw to Williams until the end, but thankfully they did so he at least finished with four catches for 67 yards on eight targets. I had much higher hopes for Williams in what I thought was a plus matchup against the Titans and he will get a tougher one this week against the Colts. Well, I guess it depends if it is the first half last week Colts or the second half Colts defense where everything just went to hell and the Vikings had a monster second half. I feel like the Colts are just playing out the string and the effort isn't really there. Fire up Williams in both your season long and DFS contests. | |||||
| Justin Jefferson | MIN | $9300 / $9300 | Fabian Moreau | NYG | Safe |
| Like the whole Vikings offense, Jefferson had a quiet first half but then exploded after halftime and finished with 12 catches for 123 yards and a score against the Colts. I mean, what do I have to say here? Jefferson has been an absolute beast this season outside of three weeks and there’s no reason why he won’t do it again this week against a Giants secondary that has struggled with injuries in the second half of the year. Jefferson will be an elite option for both season long semi-finals and the DFS slate for Week 16. | |||||
| Rashid Shaheed | NO | $3500/$5600 | Denzel Ward | CLE | Safe |
| He went from total obscurity to actually having an impact on this offense. Shaheed is a complete boom-or-bust type player, but he has been making those big plays lately. He had three catches for 95 yards and a score last week against the Falcons, and the matchup gets a little tougher this week against Cleveland. With Jarvis Landry to IR and Chris Olave on the shelf this week, that pretty much makes Shaheed the number one receiver on this team. The weather doesn't look great in this game and the Saints might not throw a ton, but I still like Shaheed as a big play threat as a flex play in your fantasy semis and a low cost DFS dart throw | |||||
| Nelson Agholor | NE | $3300 / $5300 | Eli Apple | CIN | Risky |
| DeVante Parker is concussed and the Patriots pass game has been terrible of late and I wonder if Mac Jones is the answer or if it is Matt Patricia's play calling. Agholor had just one catch for three yards in Week 15 against a really bad Raiders secondary. The only good news is that he had six targets which tied for the team high with Jakobi Meyers. The matchup gets much tougher this week against the Bengals and I have absolutely no faith that Agholor will do anything fantasy worthy in Week 16. | |||||
| Darius Slayton Jr. | NYG | #N/A | Patrick Peterson | MIN | Moderate |
| He remains the most targeted wide receiver for the Giants, but this passing game is pretty anemic and that doesn't make Slayton very appealing. He had five catches for 23 yards on seven targets on Sunday night against the Commanders which is one of the weaker secondaries in the league. The matchup doesn't get much harder against the Vikings, but I am guessing that the Giants are going to run the hell out of the ball again. Slayton has just 65 receiving yards in the last two weeks combined after six straight weeks over 50 receiving yards. He isn't a terrible flex play as the Vikings allow nearly 280 yards per game through the air and just made Matt Ryan look like a competent quarterback for a half last Saturday. | |||||
| Garrett Wilson | NYJ | $13500 / $13500 | Tyson Campbell | JAC | Safe |
| Despite some ineptitude at quarterback, Wilson still ended up with a solid game with four catches for 98 yards on nine targets. If Mike White was at quarterback he could have had more. Wilson clearly wasn't happy with his quarterback at times, but still came up with a great result. The Jaguars secondary is not very good at all, as they are among the bottom five in pass touchdowns allowed. I still don't have a ton of confidence in Zach Wilson but I still think he is good enough that he will make Garrett Wilson worth starting in Week 16 and he will be the best option on the Jets to start in the Thursday night DFS showdown slate. | |||||
| A.J. Brown | PHI | $8100 / $8500 | Trevon Diggs | DAL | Safe |
| He is going bananas down the stretch and Brown lit up the box score with nine catches for 181 yards on 16 targets against a pretty terrible Bears defense. His three week touchdown streak was broken, but how can you argue with the numbers he put up? The matchup gets much tougher this week against the Cowboys and Trevon Diggs, but we also know that Diggs takes a lot of chances and does give up the big play from time-to-time. Brown had five catches for 67 yards and a score against Dallas in Week 6, but with Gardner Minshew at quarterback, expectations have to be tempered. I don't think Minshew is so bad that you have to bench Brown in your fantasy playoffs, but that will take Brown out of DFS consideration. | |||||
| Diontae Johnson | PIT | Nate Hobbs | LV | Moderate | |
| He still hasn't score a touchdown, but he did have his best game of the season against the Panthers as he caught all ten of his targets for 98 yards. Both were season highs and he got back to his old "safety blanket" ways with Mitch Trubisky under center. Fantasy players are happy to see this outing, and the matchup is nearly as good as it gets this weekend against the Raiders who have been swiss cheese against the pass all season long. This MIGHT be the best chance that Johnson has all year to score a touchdown. That being said, I'm not willing to bet on it. He remains a WR3 or a strong flex play for your fantasy semi-finals and you hope his recent volume continues. I still struggle thinking of using him in DFS contests even with an elite matchup against Vegas. | |||||
| Brandon Aiyuk | SF | $6300 / $6800 | Kendall Fuller | WAS | Safe |
| Brock Purdy continues to impress, although not much has changed with the 49ers offense as it remains one that spreads the ball around. They ran the hell out of the ball last Thursday against the Seahawks but that is the strength of this team and the weakness of the Seahawks defense. The tune will be different this week as the Commanders just have an awful secondary. While Aiyuk hasn’t thrilled of late, I do see him coming through in this one in a pretty big way. I believe he will be the most targeted receiver and come close to a 100-yard game and a score and would certainly use him in both DFS games and in your fantasy football playoff matchups. | |||||
| DK Metcalf | SEA | $7100 / $8000 | Justin Williams | KC | Safe |
| The shine certainly is fading off of the Seahawks season as they lost their fourth in five games against San Francisco last Thursday and now they have to play one of the best teams in the league in Kansas City. However, this is fantasy football, no one cares about the standings here and Metcalf is still one of the best, the Chiefs have allowed the most passing touchdowns in the league, and the Seahawks lost their number two receiver, Tyler Lockett, last Thursday. All of this should add up to a monster game for Metcalf and he is an elite option in your fantasy playoffs and for DFS contests for Week 16. | |||||
| Robert Woods | TEN | $4000 / $5400 | Steven Nelson | HOU | Risky |
| I really thought he might do something this year, but it has been a colossal failure from start to finish for Woods and Week 15 was no different as he finished with two catches for 12 yards on only four targets. He has topped 50 receiving yards just twice all season, has only one touchdown on the year, and Ryan Tannehill is basically being held together with tape and staples as he is injured seemingly every week. The passing game is awful and would be worse if Tannehill does go down, and Woods can't be a fantasy asset that you count on for Week 16. | |||||
| Terry McLaurin | WAS | $6200 / $7000 | Charvarious Ward | SF | Moderate |
| He continues to be the top receiver on the team and had six catches for 70 yards even though rookie Jahan Dotson was clearly a bigger part of the offense than he has been. This week the assignment gets much tougher against the 49ers, even though Charvarious Ward was banged up last week. It is the 49ers pass rush that makes it difficult for teams to push the ball down the field, and McLaurin is great at that. He will surely still be the most targeted receiver on the team and is likely to have some success, but his upside will likely be capped to ten to twelve fantasy points in PPR scoring. If McLaurin has been in your starting lineup all season I would keep starting him for the Week 16 slate but I couldn't trust him in DFS in this ultra-tough matchup. | |||||
| Right WR vs Left CB | |||||
| Wide Receiver | Team | DraftKings/FanDuel | Cornerback | Opp | Matchup |
| Olamide Zaccheaus | ATL | $3300 / $5300 | Marcus Peters | BAL | Risky |
| Well, the passing game didn't get any better with rookie Desmond Ridder under center, and in fact no wide receiver caught a pass outside of Drake London. Zaccheaus had three targets, Damiere Byrd had one, and that is it for targets to wide receivers. Needless to say Zaccheaus isn't an option in Week 16. | |||||
| James Proche II | BAL | $3000 / $4700 | Darren Hall | ATL | Risky |
| The Ravens are running out of healthy receivers with Devin Duvernay now out and they are so desperate they have claimed Sammy Watkins. Hell, Mark Andrews hasn't even been fantasy relevant in recent weeks, Proche certainly isn't going to be | |||||
| Gabe Davis | BUF | $5000 / $6400 | Kindle Vildor | CHI | Moderate |
| The good news is that Davis had his best game in a month in Week 15, the bad news is that that was only good for four catches and 56 yards. I would blame the weather conditions, but it didn’t get overly bad until the fourth quarter and Davis hasn’t been really involved in other games where the weather wasn’t an issue. He has become quite touchdown dependent, and he only has two scores since the team’s Week 7 bye. The Bills get a great matchup fantasy wise this week against the Bears and if you were going to ride or die with Davis at all before the end of the season, this would be the week to do it. | |||||
| Terrace Marshall Jr. | CAR | $3600 / $5600 | Jerry Jacobs | DET | Risky |
| He did have three catches for 51 yards in Week 15 against the Steelers, but he now hasn't had more than three catches since Week 8 and this was the first time he topped 50 receiving yards since Week 11. The Lions are still not a great secondary, but they have gotten much better and I don't think that Sam Darnold will be a big threat to them. I like Marshall and I think he will be better next year, but I can't trust him in my fantasy semis or in DFS games for Week 16 | |||||
| Byron Pringle | CHI | $3100 / $5300 | Dane Jackson | BUF | Risky |
| He has now scored twice in the last three weeks for the Bears, but he also only has a total of four catches and four targets over those three games. He is due for more volume with all of the injuries to the Bears wide receiver group, but I don't know that I expect the Bears to do a lot through the air in Week 16. Pringle had some success on the Chiefs and now he has a chance to get a decent number of catches. He is a total dart throw for a DFS GPP and he should not be in your season long fantasy playoff starting lineup. | |||||
| Tee Higgins | CIN | $7000 / $7700 | Jack Jones | NE | Safe |
| The good news is he played more than one snap after the Week 14 debacle, and while Higgins still wasn't awesome he did finish with five catches on eight targets for 33 yards and a score. Sure, the yardage total isn't impressive, but he did score for the third straight game where he actually played and five catches on eight targets is solid volume. They get a great matchup this week against the Patriots who have allowed eight passing touchdowns in the last four games and one of those was against Arizona and they allowed 250 passing yards to Colt McCoy. Higgins is a damn good choice for your season long and DFS lineups for Week 16. | |||||
| Donovan Peoples-Jones | CLE | $5100 / $6500 | Paulson Adebo | NO | Safe |
| He has been one of my favorite value plays all season long as despite nearly 60 catches and 800 yards, Peoples-Jones has continually flown under the radar. The change in quaterback to Deshaun Watson hasn't hurt his value despite the new quarterback's struggles as he has had a 100-yard game, and then a touchdown in the previous two. I would love to see more volume, as he has had a four target and three target game sandwiched around a dozen targets, and the Browns should throw more this week with Nick Chubb not 100% and a game against the Saints whose secondary hasn't been great and this game is likely to feature 20 points by both teams. Peoples-Jones continues to be a very solid cheap option in DFS contests and is definitely worth a flex spot in your fantasy semis. | |||||
| Noah Brown | DAL | $3600 / $5600 | James Bradberry | PHI | Moderate |
| A week after having four catches for 85 yards, Brown did even better with six catches for 49 yards and two touchdowns against the Jaguars. The game was a shootout and the game script definitely led the Cowboys to throw a lot. Brown has 14 targets in the last two weeks after having 14 in the prevous five games. The Eagles are a great secondary and he had just one catch for ten yards against them back in October. I don't see this being a high scoring game like last week, so I don't suggest using Brown and chasing last week's points. | |||||
| Kalif Raymond | DET | $3100 / $5300 | C.J. Henderson | CAR | Risky |
| He had a punt return for a touchdown and his best offensive game since the end of October last week with five catches for 53 yards against the Jets. It was a very strange and not very Lions-like offense last Sunday, and I do think it will be somewhat of a struggle again with Carolina. Their secondary has been much better than you'd think considering their win-loss record and I don't think that Raymond is an option in any fantasy lineup for Week 16. | |||||
| Amari Rodgers | HOU | $3400 / $5100 | Roger McCreary | TEN | Risky |
| Even with the Texans down to almost no one at wide receiver, Rodgers still isn't coming up big. He had just three catches for 26 yards a week after 57 yards and a score in Week 14. The Houston pass game has been a little better of late and the Titans secondary is not good at all and is dealing iwth injuries. All of that being said, Rodgers is still not a good fantasy option for Week 16. | |||||
| Alec Pierce | IND | Michael Davis | LAC | Risky | |
| Pierce was held without a catch in Week 15 for the third time in five games and he has only been a fantasy factor once in the last month and a half. Don’t let that game against the Cowboys fool you and think that he is a big part of the offense. He has four targets or less in four of the last six weeks, and the Colts passing game hasn’t been great. They may throw more considering the Chargers are likely to put up some points, and the injury to Jonathan Taylor, but I don’t see Pierce being a worthy option for fantasy lineups considering how many times he has come away with no points in the last month. | |||||
| Marvin Jones Jr. | JAC | $7500 / $8000 | D.J. Reed | NYJ | Risky |
| His six targets last week were his most in a month and a half and scored for the first time in four weeks. However, Jones had just two catches and hasn't had more than three since Week 9. Jones is not an important part of the Jaguars offense and should be avoided for fantasy purposes. | |||||
| Marquez Valdes-Scantling | KC | $4300 / $5700 | Michael Jackson | SEA | Risky |
| He did have a touchdown, but Valdes-Scantling had just three catches for 26 yards on five targets in Week 15 against the Texans. That was his first touchdown in six weeks and MVS has been under 30 receiving yards in three of the last five games. The Chiefs offense might be the best in football, but the passes focus mostly on Travis Kelce and JuJu Smith-Schuster and after that it is spread around too much to trust anyone for fantasy purposes. | |||||
| Mack Hollins | LV | Cam Sutton | PIT | Moderate | |
| Hollins got way more targets than I expected with Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow back on the field, and somehow he even outperformed Davante Adams with his four catches for 40 yards You have to figure that Adams will again be the main target again this week, and the Steelers are one of the worst secondaries in football in terms of allowing touchdown passes. I think last week was an outlier for Hollins and I don't expect him to have another impact week. It is a good matchup and he had a great game last week, but I think Hollins is nothing but a desperation flex play for Week 16. | |||||
| Joshua Palmer | LAC | Isaiah Rodgers | IND | Moderate | |
| He didn't miss any snaps, but Palmer was limping around here and there during the game and Palmer finished with five catches on five targets for 49 yards on Sunday. He was just one yard short of having five straight weeks and seven of the last eight despite the Chargers being fully healthy at the moment. The Chargers passing game still is humming even though they had no touchdowns last week. Palmer is a dynamic receiver, but he is far behind Allen and Williams in the target pecking order. The Colts might not be trying hard anymore, but they still have a decent secondary and Palmer is nothing but a desperation flex for Week 16. | |||||
| Adam Thielen | MIN | $5300 / $6600 | Nick McCloud | NYG | Moderate |
| He did score for the third time in four weeks, but Thielen still only had three catches on four targets and has had three or fewer catches in two of the last three weeks. He hasn’t topped 65 receiving yards since Week 9, and although the Giants aren’t a good pass defense, Thielen is still a risky play. I couldn’t see using him in DFS lineups, but given his latest touchdown streak and a pretty strong matchup, I can see Thielen being in your flex spot for the fantasy semi-finals. | |||||
| Marquez Callaway | NO | $3000/$4700 | Martin Emerson | CLE | Moderate |
| The Saints have bare bones at the receiving corps and while Callaway is set to get more snaps, he hasn't had an impact at any point this season. The weather doesn't look great, this one looks like it will be played a lot on the ground, and Callaway shouldn't be a fantasy option for you in any format in Week 16. | |||||
| Tyquan Thornton | NE | $3000 / $5200 | Cam Taylor-Britt | CIN | Risky |
| I have said repeatedly that I like this kid's talent, but the Patriots don't use him enough and the pass game is pretty piss poor. Thornton hasn't topped 40 receiving yards once this season and there's no reason to think that will change this week. Leave Thornton on the waiver wire as you head further into fantasy playoffs. | |||||
| Isaiah Hodgins | NYG | $4100 / $5800 | Cameron Dantzler | MIN | Risky |
| He had no second half targets as the Giants grinded the game out but Hodgins continues to be involved in the offense and had four catches for 37 yards. I liked what I saw Sunday night as he fought some after the catch to try to gain extra yards. He wasn't able to extend his touchdown streak to three games, and the Giants passing game isn't one of the stronger units in the league. After Darius Slayton, the Giants really spread the ball around between their average receiving group and tight ends. Saquon Barkley is still the engine that makes the offense go and Hodgins should remain on your waiver wires even with a fairly attractive matchup. | |||||
| Elijah Moore | NYJ | $7200 / $7500 | Darious Williams | JAC | Moderate |
| He had his best game with Zach Wilson under center, but it was still only four catches for 51 yards and 20 of those came on a crazy broken play that put the Jets near field goal range to try to tie the game. Moore and Zach Wilson have been oil and water all year, and despite this decent game, I think that it wouldn't be in your fantasy team's best interest to ride this guy when your season is on the line. Moore likely belongs on your bench and he is a less than ideal option for the Thursday night DFS showdown slate unless you want to use him in a GPP and hope for a miracle. | |||||
| DeVonta Smith | PHI | $6600 / $7600 | Kelvin Joseph | DAL | Safe |
| It was another great game for Smith as he had five catches for 126 yards against a pillow soft Bears secondary. It was the third straight week he had exactly five catches on exactly eight targets. Smith has really taken advantage of the defense having to pay a lot of attention to A.J. Brown and he has had a pretty great season. The matchup this week is much tougher against Dallas, although Joseph has been targeted a lot by opposing offenses with success since Anthony Brown went down with injury. However, the downgrade at quarterback to Gardner Minshew seriously changes things. I will say that Minshew is still a professional quarterback who isn't going to tank the offense and I would still be starting Smith in my fantasy semi-finals, we just aren't expecting as much as we would with Hurts. | |||||
| George Pickens | PIT | Sam Webb | LV | Moderate | |
| It wasn't a great Week 15 against the Panthers as he only had two catches on five targets, but Pickens did make the most of it with 53 yards on those two grabs. It has been a pretty decent stretch for Pickens outside of the Week 13 against the Falcons as he has had 50 or more receiving yards in the other four games since Week 12. I don't say this with full confidence, but I am very excited for Pickens this week. The quarterback play is not going to be great, but Vegas is really one of the worst secondaries in football and they won't be at full strength. It will take a little guts by you, but I think Pickens is a great play in your fantasy semi-finals and even DFS GPPs this week. | |||||
| Jauan Jennings | SF | $3700 / $5800 | Christian Holmes | WAS | Risky |
| Jennings generally lines up in the slot, but with Deebo Samuel out, he spent more time on the outside in Week 15. He was second in targets tied with George Kittle but finished with just three catches for 31 yards. As stated earlier with Aiyuk, the 49ers ran the ball 34 times and only asked Brock Purdy to throw 26. I expect a little more pass happy approach as the Commanders are ass against the pass. Even with a cupcake matchup and likely more volume, it is still really tough to trust Jennings as he hasn’t topped 50 receiving yards since Week 1 and has scored just once this season. Keep him on your bench or likely the waiver wire for your fantasy playoffs. | |||||
| Marquise Goodwin | SEA | $4300 / $5800 | Trent McDuffie | KC | Risky |
| I am in no way a big Marquise Goodwin fan for fantasy purposes, but a few things jump out at me here. The first is he will now get more attention with Tyler Lockett out of the lineup for Seattle. The matchup is also leaps and bounds easier this week against the Chiefs than against San Francisco which seemed to be in Geno Smith’s uniform in two and a half seconds last week. The third is Goodwin has had a few good games this season, including five for 95 against the Panthers just a couple of weeks ago. I’m not saying seek him out for your fantasy playoffs, but if you need to hit the waiver wire for an option he could be a great choice and a very cheap dart throw for DFS GPP purposes I think you can do worse. | |||||
| Chris Conley | TEN | $3000 / $5200 | Desmond King | HOU | Risky |
| He was elevated from the practice squad two weeks ago and Conley did have three catches last week, but it was good for just 19 yards. He now has just 46 yards in two weeks, and that can't be a surprise considering how putrid the Titans passing game is. The Texans have been playing fairly well lately against strong offenses like the Chiefs and Cowboys and Conley should not be on your fantasy radar for Week 16. | |||||
| Jahan Dotson | WAS | $3900 / $5300 | Deommodore Lenoir | SF | Moderate |
| The kid had his best game of his career with four catches for 105 yards and a score against the Giants. He has consistenly shown big play ability all season long as well as a knack for finding the end zone as he has had six touchdowns in nine games in his rookie year. He has 15 targets in the last two weeks and is finally feeling healthy. Dotson is an exciting rookie and the future looks bright for him. I am concerned about his output this week against a really strong 49ers secondary and I would likely leave him on your bench for Week 16 and hope you advance and crank him up for Week 17. | |||||
Now, here are my 10 favorite matchups in the slot in Week 16.
| Slot WR vs Slot CB | |||||
| Wide Receiver | Team | DraftKings/FanDuel | Cornerback | Opp | Matchup |
| CeeDee Lamb | DAL | $7500 / $8300 | Avonte Maddox | PHI | Safe |
| It was another strong game for Lamb as he caught all seven of his passes for 126 yards and it was his third 100-yard game since the team's Week 10 bye. He has had just 20 targets in the last three weeks, but has made the most of it with 17 catches. This is going to be a tough matchup against the Eagles who might be the best secondary in the league. He had five catches for 53 yards in Week 6 against the Eagles and a similar output might not be a surprise. Lamb remains a definite start in your fantasy semis but likely isn't your best option for DFS games | |||||
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | DET | $7800 / $8400 | Jeremy Chinn | CAR | Safe |
| He hasn't scored in the last two weeks, but St. Brown continues to be the top receiver on the team as he had seven catches for 76 yards in a tough matchup against the Jets. He now hasn't had fewer than eight targets since Week 7 and that was the game he left early with a concussion. The matchup isn't easy this week against the Panthers despite their win-loss record, but Chinn is a safety and isn't awesome in coverage. He is allowing 76% of passes to be caught for over 13 yards per catch. I love St. Brown in both season long and DFS contests for Week 16. | |||||
| Keenan Allen | LAC | #N/A | Julian Blackmon | #N/A | Safe |
| It has been a great stretch for Allen as he appears to be fully healthy. He had eight catches for 86 yards on nine targets in Week 15 against the Titans and now has 26 catches in the last three weeks and is averaging 89 yards per game. Allen is looking like vintage Allen of late and while he doesn't score a lot of touchdowns, his volume has been great. Blackmon got destroyed last week for 123 yards and a touchdown last week against the Vikings, and I expect Allen to have another big game. He looks like an awesome play this week in both your fantasy semi-finals and DFS contests for Week 16. | |||||
| Christian Kirk | JAC | #N/A | Michael Carter | NYJ | Safe |
| He hasn't scored in four weeks, but Kirk still continues to be a fantasy asset as he had six catches for 92 yards on ten targets against the Cowboys last week. He still has 38 catches in the last six weeks and Trevor Lawrence is playing the best football of his pro career. The only complication is that Evan Engram and Zay Jones have become a bigger part of the passing game, and that could take a little away for Kirk. The Jets have a strong secondary with Sauce Gardner the top guy, but he doesn't generally line up in the slot. Carter allows 70 percent of passes to be caught and I think Kirk is a strong candidate for your full season playoffs and not a terrible option in DFS leagues as well. | |||||
| JuJu Smith-Schuster | KC | $5800 / $7300 | Coby Bryant | SEA | Safe |
| He didn't score last week, but Smith-Schuster continues to be the main target when it comes to Chiefs wide receivers, and honestly is the only consistent option they have at the position. The Chiefs are still throwing plenty to Jerick McKinnon and Travis Kelce, but Smith-Schuster still has 21 targets in the last two weeks. The Seahawks secondary has gotten a little better every single week, but the Chiefs are not easy to hold back for an entire game. You can still feel great about Juju in your fantasy semi-finals and he has again become a solid DFS option in Week 16. | |||||
| Jakobi Meyers | NE | $4800 / $6200 | Mike Hilton | CIN | Moderate |
| We aren't going to bring up the end of last week again, and it wasn't a great game for Meyers before that as he had only two catches for 47 yards against the Raiders. That was a pretty cupcake matchup, but Meyers was also returning from a concussion. I expect him to have a bigger role this week, and the Bengals are dealing with injuries in their secondary as Hilton missed last week and Cam Taylor-Britt missed some of last week's game too. The Patriots are certainly going to look to bounce back from last week's disaster and Meyers has to be dying for a good game. I can't use him in DFS considering my lack of confidence in Mac Jones but I do like him as a flex play for your fantasy semi-finals. | |||||
| K.J. Osborn | MIN | $4500 / $6100 | Darnay Holmes | NYG | Moderate |
| It has been a pretty quiet season for Osborn but he exploded last week for ten catches for 157 yards and a touchdown against the Colts. I do worry about chasing points here as Osborn's Week 15 outbreak was more than his previous four weeks of output combined. It also isn't often that your team is down 33 points and makes a furious second half comeback. Osborn has the ability to make big plays but he is behind several others on the target priority list. The matchup is not tough this week against the Giants who are dealing with several injuries to their secondary, but Osborn is a less than ideal flex play or DFS option. | |||||
Saturday Main Slate
Elite
Justin Jefferson vs. Fabian Moreau
He has over 1,600 yards already and has over 100 in three of the last four games. Jefferson also already has 111 catches and has 23 in the last two weeks. The Giants secondary is dealing with several injuries and gave up 250 yards to Taylor freakin Heinicke last Sunday night. The Vikings need to continue to win for playoff positioning and last Saturday proved that you can hold Jefferson down for a while but you can’t hold him down all game. This one will be in the dome in Minneapolis and Jefferson should have double digit catches for triple digit yards and likely another touchdown against the Giants.
Ja’Marr Chase vs. Jonathan Jones
He is as close as there is to a sure thing on a week-by-week basis. Chase has had seven catches or more in six straight games and has six touchdowns in his last five games. Tee Higgins continues to be kind of iffy, and Tyler Boyd just got hurt last week too. The Bengals are running out of able-bodied wide receivers, and Chase is one of the best in the league. Despite missing four games he already has eight touchdowns, and the Patriots secondary has been bad in the second half of the year and just gave up three touchdowns to Derek Carr. Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense is humming right now and Chase is the definition of an elite DFS option in this matchup.
Affordable
Brandon Aiyuk vs. Kendall Fuller
All right he hasn’t been a huge performer since Deebo Samuel went down, but the Niners have also faced two pretty strong pass defenses in Tampa Bay and Seattle, and they were beating the Bucs so bad they basically ran the entire second half. This one is going to be much easier as the Commanders are a soft secondary and Brock Purdy should be able to have another strong game. San Francisco is rolling lately and this should be an Aiyuk week.
JuJu Smith-Schuster vs. Coby Bryant
Seattle has given up the fourth most touchdown passes in the league (21) but their young secondary has improved as the season has gone on. However, not many teams are ready for the onslaught that Kansas City can lay on you. Smith-Schuster has been on fire the last two weeks and is by far the most reliable wide receiver on the team and should rival Travis Kelce in terms of production. The Chiefs are going to score points in this one, and Juju has become a very popular target for Patrick Mahomes.
Bargain Bin
Drake London vs. Marcus Peters
We didn’t see much, if any improvement from the Falcons passing game with Desmond Ridder at quarterback, but I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt that it was his first NFL start. The thing that I did like about it is that he threw almost every pass to Drake London. The rookie receiver now has 23 targets in the last two games, and there is no one else on this team that you can throw to with any confidence. The downside here is that it might be tough to expect a touchdown, but at his salary, he can still give you a solid return without finding the end zone. The Ravens are a pretty stout secondary, but the game is indoors, and London’s volume has been ridiculous lately.
Christmas Slate
| Christmas Day Slate | |||||
| Left WR vs Right CB | |||||
| Wide Receiver | Team | DK / FD $ | Cornerback | Opp | Matchup |
| DeAndre Hopkins | ARI | $7500 / $8400 | Carlton Dean | TB | Moderate |
| With Kyler Murray done for the year amd Colt McCoy with the concussion last week, the Cardinals have real trouble at quarterback as we saw with Trace McSorley last week. Hopkins still had seven catches and 60 yards, but man is his upside capped now. Even in terrible quarterback hell against a tough Buccaneers secondary I am still going to give Hopkins a start in my season long semi-finals unless you are absolutely stacked at wide receiver. but the recent development takes all Cardinals out of DFS consideration for me. | |||||
| Jerry Jeudy | DEN | $5900 / $7300 | Jalen Ramsey | LAR | Safe |
| With no one else at receiver worth throwing to, Jeudy has put a nice little run together and he had seven catches for 76 yards in Week 15 against the Cardinals. The matchup gets much tougher this week, and even though the Rams defense can struggle, Jalen Ramsey is still a great corner and there really is no other receiver for the defense to worry about. Even with a bum at quarterback and the defense able to focus on him, I still think Jeudy is worthy of a WR2 play in your Week 16 fantasy football playoffs. | |||||
| Christian Watson | GB | $6000 / $7700 | Xavien Howard | MIA | Safe |
| The touchdown streak had to come to an end at some point and it did on Monday night against the Rams, although at one point there was some miscommunication between Rodgers and Watson. He did finish with four catches for 46 yards in the game and had six targets. Romeo Doubs did return and that certainly ate into Watson a little, but Watson is still a great fantasy asset with his big play ability. Howard has been the class of the Dolphins secondary, although as a whole the unit has been a little disappointing. The Christmas slate is not full of great receiving options and I like Watson as a possible big play producer in Week 16. | |||||
| Van Jefferson | LAR | $4100 / $6600 | Patrick Surtain | DEN | Risky |
| The Baker magic wore off after just one game as the Rams passing game was quite anemic with just twelve completions and 111 yards. It is hard for any receiver to have any impact when there's very little stats going around. Jefferson had two catches for 32 yards in the game and now has had just two catches in three straight games and hasn't topped 45 receiving yards all season long. The Broncos secondary is a pretty decent group and Jefferson should be ignored in all formats. | |||||
| Jaylen Waddle | MIA | $7200 / $7800 | Jaire Alexander | GB | Safe |
| He has been quiet lately with just six catches in the last three games combined, but Waddle made his three catches count last Saturday as they went for 114 yards and a touchdown against the Bills. Waddle is dealing with some nagging injury, but I don’t see any way that it impacts his ability to play in Week 16. The Packers secondary has been very vulnerable for most of the season, and Tua Tagovailoa finally looked accurate again last week. Waddle’s big play ability means he is always a start in season long leagues, and while Tyreek Hill is more consistent, Waddle is always a consideration for DFS games with a soft matchup like the Packers. | |||||
| Mike Evans | TB | $6200 / $7200 | Marco Wilson | ARI | Safe |
| He got off to a really fast start in Week 15, but in the second half of the game the usual Bucs offense came out and Evans finished with five catches for 83 yards. Tom Brady stinks and this offense can't do anything most of the time. Evans hasn't scored since Week 4, but I do think that this might be his best chance to find paydirt again. The Cardinals allow over 240 yards per game and 24 passing touchdowns this season. This one should be easy enough that even Brady should be able to have some success and Evans will be a great option for your Week 16 lineups and the Christmas DFS slate. | |||||
| Right WR vs Left CB | |||||
| Wide Receiver | Team | DraftKings/FanDuel | Cornerback | Opp | Matchup |
| Marquise Brown | ARI | $5400 / $6800 | Jamel Dean | TB | Risky |
| He did have an illness coming into the week, but Brown did suit up and ended with a disappointing four catches for 19 yards. That is two straight weeks with four catches for Brown and he had a combined 53 yards in those contests. I like the guy, I really do, but he is clearly second in the pecking order on the team for targets, and with the garbage that they are serving up at quarterback I can't trust Hollywood with my fantasy football season life on the line. | |||||
| Brandon Johnson | DEN | $3000 / $5100 | Troy Hill | LAR | Risky |
| The Broncos are going nowhere fast, have question marks at quarterback, and don't get the easiest matchup this week against the Rams. I have no idea how they scored 24 points last week and Johnson did have three catches for 30 yards, but outside of Jerry Jeudy and perhaps Latavius Murray this offense should be avoided completely. | |||||
| Romeo Doubs | GB | $4700 / $5500 | Keion Crossen | MIA | Moderate |
| It was great to see right from the start that the chemistry between Rodgers and Doubs picked up right where it left off. He had five catches for 55 yards against the Rams and was involved in the game plan right from the start. If you look at his numbers from earlier in the season there really only were a couple of good games and he's only scored three times in ten games. He can be a flex play for your fantasy semi-finals, but I would like him more in Week 17 against the VIkings. Doubs is a decent option in your Week 16 Christmas DFS lineup. | |||||
| Tutu Atwell | LAR | $3600 / $5400 | Damarri Mathis | DEN | Moderate |
| Now the Rams are going to be without Ben Skowronek for the rest of the season and the Rams are going to play the first five people coming to the stadium at wide receiver. I really like Atwell and he has big play ability if he can get the ball in space, and I feel like Sean McVay should be able to gameplan this. However, he had just one catch last week, and it is hard to expect him to have any big time production. The Broncos have a pretty solid secondary and the Rams passing game is terrible so Atwell is only a desperate dart throw on the Christmas day DFS GPPs. | |||||
| Trent Sherfield | MIA | $3200 / $5100 | Chandon Sullivan | GB | Risky |
| Cedrick Wilson, Trent Sherfield, it just doesn’t matter who the other starting outside receiver is, they have zero impact for fantasy. Wilson caught one ball while Sherfield failed to bring in his one target last week, but I’ve said it all year and I’ll say it two more times in the last two installments of this article, don’t consider either for fantasy purposes, even in a plus matchup against a shaky defense. | |||||
| Russell Gage | TB | $3700 / $5700 | Antonio Hamilton | ARI | Moderate |
| It was one of his best games of the year as the Bucs tried to come back against the Bengals and he finished with eight catches for 59 yards and two scores. With Julio Jones dealing with a knee injury, Gage should be entrenched as the third receiver in this one again. You'd think that would be cause for celebration, but this Bucs offense is really pedestrian. The matchup is great against the Cardinals so you can use him in the Christmas DFS slate but I wouldn't want to risk my fantasy season on Gage in your playoff matchup. | |||||
| Slot WR vs Slot CB | |||||
| Wide Receiver | Team | DraftKings/FanDuel | Cornerback | Opp | Matchup |
| Tyreek Hill | MIA | $9000 / $9200 | Keisean Nixon | GB | Safe |
| It was business as usual for Hill on Saturday night even in the frigid conditions in Buffalo and a swirling snowstorm in the fourth quarter as Hill had nine catches for 69 yards. He also scored for the third straight game and fifth time in six weeks. Hill just can’t be stopped and he’s only had three games of fewer than 50 receiving yards. The Packers secondary has been getting trampled lately and I don’t see that changing this week as the Dolphins offense finally looked like itself in Week 15. Hill will be a no brainer in your fantasy semis and is always a great choice in DFS contests. | |||||
| Chris Godwin | TB | $6900 / $8000 | Christian Matthew | ARI | Safe |
| He's been the most consistent receiver all season long and Week 15 was no different as Godiwn finished with eight catches for 83 yards and a touchdown against the Bengals. Godwin hasn't had under five catches since Week 1 and he hasn't had fewer than 50 receiving yards since Week 9. The Cardinals secondary is bottom five in the league and I think Godwin is the best option on the team in the Sunday DFS slate and he is a no brainer in your full season semi-final playoff. | |||||
Elite
The Christmas slate isn’t exactly loaded with elite options at wide receiver, and with the Cardinals down to their third receiver it makes it even tougher. Even with that being said, we know Hill is always a great option. He has scored in five of the last six weeks, and after a game in frozen Buffalo, Hill will be back in the warmth of Miami. He has slate breaking capabilities and the Packers secondary is dealing with a few injuries and hasn’t been great in the second half of the year. Green Bay has no one to deal with Hill’s speed, and with Jaylen Waddle still not quite 100 percent, Hill is seeing elite volume. He is a great anchor to your Christmas Day slate.
Affordable
Sure, the matchup against Ramsey isn’t ideal, but the Broncos really have very few options to which to throw the ball to with any big play ability. Jeudy just had a three-touchdown game a couple of weeks ago and again led the team with receptions and yards next week. The Packers were able to throw the ball to their outside receivers on Monday and none of them are in Jeudy’s class. He has shot to have another huge game on Christmas Day, and I am surprised that his salary isn’t higher.
Bargain Bin
Aaron Rodgers still didn’t have anything nice to say about his rookie receivers, but Doubs still had a pretty good game in his first back from injury by catching all five targets. There’s not a lot to like here at the bottom of the Christmas Day slate but Doubs is nearly a lock to give you double digit points in PPR scoring as he is the reliable target against Christian Watson’s big play ability. He has five or more targets in seven of ten games he’s played this season, and he is very likely to do it again. Xavien Howard is likely to spend most of his day with Christian Watson leaving a much lesser corner on Doubs.
*Information gathered from research done at Pro Football Focus.