WR CB Matchup Report
      
Left WR vs Right CB
Wide ReceiverTeamDK / FD $CornerbackOppMatchup
Michael WilsonARI$4600 / $5500D.J. ReedNYJDowngrade
The Cardinals typically rotate their receiver deployment but last week we saw the most stark split between left and right with Wilson establishing himself to the left. Which side you play doesn’t matter much when facing the premier perimeter corners of the Jets but in this case it means Michael will see more of DJ Reed. Reed continues his stellar season on the whole, but has given up a 38 yard catch in Week 7 and a 50 yarder last week; which cumulatively account for over 40% of his total yardage on the season. This is a very tough spot for Wilson.
Darnell MooneyATL$6500 / $7500Alontae TaylorNOUpgrade
It was hamstring injuries that kept both Marshon Lattimore and Kool-Aid McKinstry out of the Saints’ Week 9 contest; lending us insight as to how they’ll approach their backfield this week. Darnell Mooney is in the midst of a breakout season, currently ranking 22nd among receivers in fantasy points per game, playing on the left side of the Atlanta offense. This week that means he’ll be in the coverage of Alontae Taylor. Taylor is suddenly the most tenured defensive back for the Saints but that doesn’t mean he’s been effective. His 450 receiving yards allowed this season are currently the 4th-most in the league.
Rashod BatemanBAL$4300 / $5400Cam Taylor-BrittCINUpgrade
The boom or bust nature of Rashod Bateman’s production makes him hard to trust but if there were a week to project an upswing, it's this one. Bateman will be the primary assignment of Cam Taylor-Britt on Thursday Night Football. In addition to the 449 yards he's surrendered, Taylor-Britt is particularly susceptible to the deep ball; where he’s allowing 15 yards per reception and has given up a 20+ yard catch in 6 of 9 games this year. This plays perfectly into Bateman’s hand in a game that should shoot out.
Amari CooperBUF$5800 / $6700Jaylon JonesINDNeutral
The Bills’ receiving corps has been riddled with injury of late and while the trend continues overall. They are expecting Amari Cooper to return in Week 10. Prior to missing last week Cooper had been slowly ramping up his snap count but primarily playing on the left side of the formation. This is where he’ll face Jaylone Jones of the Colts, who promptly gave up a 5/5 day for 76 yards and a score after we recategorized him as a “Downgrade” last week. He gets a mulligan considering he was largely covering Justin Jefferson but his trend is something we’ll be monitoring closely.
David MooreCAR$3000 / $4400Cor'Dale FlottNYGNeutral
Diagnosing this matchup is a bit tricky. The Giants’ Deonte Banks has been dominating snaps on the right side of theri defense but is also shadowing at the highest rate in the league. This oddity is explained by most teams having their best receiver line up on the offensive left. David Moore, who played the vast majority of his snaps last week from that side, is far from the Panthers’ best receiver. I’m expecting Cor'Dale Flott to pick up his assignment and should be able to slow Moore. Flott’s 79.2% catch rate is one of the highest in the league but had done well to hold opponents to just 28 receiving yards per game.
DJ MooreCHI$6300 / $6500Christian GonzalezNEDowngrade
2024 has been a season of squandered opportunities for DJ Moore. He is 16th in unrealized air yards at 384, including 96 last week, and his 10 red zone targets have only netted him receiving scores this year. This week he’ll almost certainly be shadowed by Christian Gonzalez, who does so at the 2nd-highest rate in the league, but that hasn’t been as big a problem for receivers this year as we once thought. Gonzalez still plays very tight coverage, averaging just 1.3 yards of separation per target, but is letting his yardage totals get away from him a bit. He won’t be in the “Downgrade” category much longer if this trend holds.
Ja'Marr ChaseCIN$8400 / $9100Brandon StephensBALUpgrade
Another week, another golden matchup for Ja'Marr Chase. He’ll be assigned to Brandon Stephens of the Ravens, the only corner in the NFL to give up over 500 yards this season and the player who allowed Chase to slash 10 for 193 and 2 scores in Week 5. Chase technically plays more slot snaps than anything but in games where Tee Higgins is out, as he will be this week, he moves outside to lead the team in snaps from the left side of the offense.
Cedric TillmanCLE#N/ABYE#N/A 
 
Jalen BrooksDAL$3300 / $4900Quinyon MitchellPHIDowngrade
We don’t yet have reliable reporting as to the availability of the newly-acquired Jonathan Mingo so we’ll hold steady with the Cowboys’ prior alignment, placing Jalen Brooks to the left. He’ll match up there with the Eagles’ rookie corner, Quinyon Mitchell, who has more than adjusted to the NFL level of late. Over his last 4 games, Mitchell is allowing just 1.75 catches and 16 receiving yards on average and has accumulated 9 total yards after catch. Brooks is somewhat of an afterthought in this offense and Mitchell only makes things worse for him.
Courtland SuttonDEN$5600 / $6600Joshua WilliamsKCNeutral
Courtland Sutton remains the clear #1 option for the Broncos this season but recently has been doing a better job of converting his opportunity into production, surpassing 15 fantasy points in 4 of his last 6 games. This week's matchup against the Chiefs secondary is a bit murky, as they have been platooning corners since Jaylon Watson went down. It was Joshua Williams in Week 9 who played the right side and we’ll project him to do the same against Sutton this week. Williams has played limited snaps this year but enough to where his 70% catch rate and 10.9 yards per reception put him in the “Neutral” camp.
Jameson WilliamsDET$5900 / $6300Derek StingleyHOUDowngrade
The oft-suspended Jameson Williams will return from his most recent stint, a 2-gamer for performance enhancing substances, in Week 10 against the Texans. When he does he’ll face a tough matchup against Derek Stingley Stingley enters this game off his worst PFF coverage game of the season, 31.9, but much of that was due to penalties. He allowed 3 catches for 22 yards, mostly covering Davante Adams, increasing his total to 6 games where he’s held opponentings to 25 yards or less. Williams remains a viable fantasy option but expect much of his production to come when he isn’t in Stingley’s coverage.
Romeo DoubsGB#N/ABYE#N/A 
 
Tank DellHOU$7400 / $7200Terrion ArnoldDETUpgrade
Despite the early-week excitement at the prospect of a Nico Collins return in Week 10, its looking increasingly likely that he won’t play against the Lions. That leaves Tank Dell as the de facto WR1 for Houston and lining up on the left side of their formation. Dell has been gaining momentum of late, logging his 1st 100-yard game in Week 9 and his first touchdown the week prior. This week he’ll be in a good spot running against Terrion Arnold of Detroit. Arnold appears to be getting his feet under him more of late but is still allowing a 78.9% catch rate over his last 3 games.
Alec PierceIND$4900 / $5300Rasul DouglasBUFDowngrade
It’s hard to take away much from the Colts’ offense in Joe Flacco’s first game as the rest-of-season starter so our position on Alec Pierce remains unchanged. He has one of the biggest boom or bust profiles in the league and largely shouldn’t be trusted in season-long formats. This week he draws Rasul Douglas, who is allowing about 26 receiving yards per game and has yet to allow a single catch of more than 34 yards this season.
Brian ThomasJAC$6600 / $7300Stephon GilmoreMINUpgrade
The rookie phenom for the Jaguars finally hit a speed bump last week as he was held to 2 catches for 22 yards. Things might not get much better for him this week either. Not because of his matchup against Stephon Gilmore, who is allowing a catch on nearly 70% of targets thrown his way, but because of the presumed absence of Trevor Lawerence. That leaves Mac Jones as the next man up and his tape as a Patriot leaves little cause for optimism.
Justin WatsonKC$3700 / $5200Riley MossDENNeutral
Another circumstance where a team’s best player lining up on the right side of the alignment muddies the matchup assignment is that of the Chiefs. With Hopkins taking the right side of the formation it leaves Justin Watson to run his “go” routes on the left and in the coverage of Riley Moss. Moss has come back to earth over the last few weeks but is certainly still capable of further limiting Watson’s limited role.
Jakobi MeyersLV#N/ABYE#N/A 
 
Quentin JohnstonLAC$4900 / $5900Jarvis Brownlee Jr.TENNeutral
Quentin Johnston continues to look more and more capable at the NFL level, last week adding a touchdown on 4 catches for 118 yards. He’ll have a decent opportunity to keep the trend alive this week, running in the coverage of Jarvis Brownlee Jr. Brownlee’s stats are all over the place this season, alternating both good and back weeks both in volume of catches and receiving yards, but net out to settle into the “Neutral” category overall.
Demarcus RobinsonLAR$5100 / $5500Cam SmithMIAUpgrade
Assuming we don’t see Puka Nacua ejected after 3 plays again, it will be hard for Demarcus Robinson to come anywhere near his 6/94/2 statline from a week ago. He’ll certainly be out there for plenty of snaps and running in the coverage of Cam Smith of Miami. This will mark Smith’s 3rd start in the NFL, having allowed 9 catches on 10 targets in the prior two weeks for 89 yards and a score. Despite the plus matchup, Robinson is better left on your bench.
Jaylen WaddleMIA$5600 / $6000Darious WilliamsLARUpgrade
Following the “nowhere to go but up” principle, the Rams have been starting Darious Williams in place of Tre'Davious White for 4 weeks but their thesis might turn out to be wrong. The UDFA journeyman has allowed 73.3% of his targets to be caught and allowed his first touchdown of the season last week. This week he’ll be assigned to cover Jaylen Waddle of the Dolphins, who also found his first end zone trip of the year last week but somehow managed to do it while totalling -4 yards in the box score.
Justin JeffersonMIN$8800 / $9500Tyson CampbellJACDowngrade
We’ve seen a large enough sample size of Justin Jefferson dominating snaps on the left side of the offense to switch him to this side of the matchup chart. Lining up here he’ll have the toughest out in the Jacksonville secondary, Tyson Campbell. Campbell crashed back to earth last week, allowing 6 catches on 7 targets for 76 yards. We can give him some grace considering it was against AJ Brown but that also illustrates the broader point that elite receivers can overcome even difficult matchups.
Kendrick BourneNE$3200 / $5000Jaylon JohnsonCHIDowngrade
Yes, there is reason to be excited about the potential of Drake Maye as an NFL quarterback. But that doesn’t mean he’s supporting fantasy production quite yet. Kendrick Bourne has seen the field a ton since returning in Week 5 but has yet to score more than 8.1 fantasy points. I wouldn’t count on this being the week that he surpasses that total as he’ll be facing one of the league’s premier corners, Jaylon Johnson of the Bears. Johnson is averaging just 20.6 yards allowed per game and hasn’t given up more than 2 catches in any game this season.
Cedrick WilsonNO$4600 / $5500A.J. TerrellATLNeutral
While there is no official word on the status of Chris Olave this week, a 2nd-straight DNP on the practice report all but assures that he won’t be available against Atlanta. After Olave exited the game last week, Cedrick Wilson played the most snaps on the left side of the formation and is where he’ll see AJ Terrell this week. Terrell has always had a higher than average catch rate but has been letting his yardage get away from him recently. I’m moving him down to “Neutral” until we see him back to his typical form.
Jalin HyattNYG$3100 / $4200Mike JacksonCARUpgrade
Another concussion protocol player we’re expecting will miss Week 10 is Darious Slayton of the Giants. The last time the Giants were down a man in their receiving corps it was Jaylin Hyatt who picked up the slack, at least in terms of playing time. This week that finds him in the sights of the Panthers’ Mike Jackson. Jackson’s 446 yards allowed ranks as the 6th-most in the NFL and over 150 of those yards have come after the catch.
Garrett WilsonNYJ$7200 / $7900Starling Thomas VARINeutral
Week 9 was the quintessential example of why Davante Adams joining the Jets was to the benefit of Garrett Wilson. Adams’ presence drew the attention of Derek Stingley Jr and left Wilson with a supple matchup against Kamari Lassier, which he exploited to the tune of 9 catches for 90 yards and 2 touchdowns. This week he draws Starling Thomas of the Cardinals, who isn’t quite as favorable as his Week 9 matchup but sports a mid-50’s coverage grade for the season.
DeVonta SmithPHI$7800 / $8500Caelen CarsonDALUpgrade
There was some concern about DeVonta Smith’s availability due to a hamstring injury but he has told reporters he’ll be out there and he’ll be in an excellent spot with his individual matchup. He draws Caelen Carson of the Cowboys, who returned to action last week and picked up right where he left off. Carson went 8/8 on targets in his coverage, allowing 97 receiving yards and posting a 36 coverage rating on PFF. Smith should be able to impose his will on Carson this week.
George PickensPIT$6800 / $7000Benjamin St-JusteWASUpgrade
George Pickens is the latest receiver to acquire a new running mate by way of trade as the Steelers added Mike Williams from the Jets. While I don’t think that Williams will draw the toughest corner matchup, like we discussed above with Wilson, I do think he'll serve to keep opposing defenses honest and draw their backfield back a few steps. This week Pickens draws Benjamin St-Juste of the Commanders’, who has been rung up for 441 receiving yards this season. His touchdown production has slowed of late but he’s largely traded scores for penalties, which simply can’t be sustained.
Jauan JenningsSF$5200 / $5800Josh HayesTBUpgrade
Jauan Jennings is expected to return to the field for the 49ers this week and I’m projecting him to play the majority of his snaps on the left side of the alignment. He’ll have an appealing matchup awaiting him there, running against Josh Hayes of the Buccaneers. Making his 1st start of the season he was almost single-handedly responsible for DeAndre Hopkins’ breakout game as a Chief, allowing 6 catches for 77 yards and a score. Jennings has certainly shown us the ability to make the most of an expanded role so it’ll be interesting to see how this one plays out.
DK MetcalfSEA#N/ABYE#N/A 
 
Trey PalmerTB$4000 / $5300Renardo GreenSFNeutral
It has been a battle of attrition in the Buccaneers’ wide receiver’s room recently and while 2nd-year wideout Trey Palmer has seen a huge uptick in his playing time, it hasn’t yet converted into fantasy production. This week we’ll face Renardo Green of the 49ers, who’s also seeing the field much more of late. Over that stretch, Green has done well to keep his opponent to a 50% catch rate but has let some passes get behind him with 2 scores in just 3 games.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine-IkhineTEN$3800 / $5400Cam HartLACNeutral
He can’t keep getting away with this! Nick Westbrook-Ikhine-Ikhine now has 4 straight games with a receiving touchdown, despite only catching 10 passes over that stretch. He’s clearly a big benefactor of the DeAndre Hopkins trade but he simply cannot keep scoring at this rate. This week he’ll face Cam Hart of the Chargers. Hart is coming off his worst performance of the season, allowing 5 catches on 7 targets for 69 yards and a touchdown.
Terry McLaurinWAS$7300 / $7800Joey Porter JrPITDowngrade
Terry McClaurin, the WR7 in total points, has shown that he can generate fantasy points in a variety of different ways this season. He’ll have to get creative again to overcome a difficult matchup this week, Joey Porter Jr of the Steelers. Porter hasn’t been shadowing very much recently and that appears to have stabilized his numbers. He’s allowed 4 catches for just 25 yards over his last two games.
      
Right WR vs Left CB
Wide ReceiverTeamDraftKings/FanDuelCornerbackOppMatchup
Marvin HarrisonARI$6400 / $6800Sauce GardnerNYJDowngrade
Marvin Harrison continues his hot and cold start to his NFL career and might be staring down another cold week as he gets set to face Sauce Gardner of the Jets. Gardner is currently ranked 7th in average separation and is holding his opponents under 2 catches per game. He has established a bit of an unfortunate trend recently allowing a catch of more than 30 yards in each of his last 3 games.
Drake LondonATL$6700 / $7800Shemar Jean-CharlesNOUpgrade
Drake London was kind enough to score a touchdown before exiting his Week 9 game with a hip pointer. That hip point has him carrying a questionable tag ahead of this week but there is optimism that he’ll be able to give it a go against the Saints. If he does, he’ll face Shemar Jean-Charles. Coming off his first start of his career, Jean-Charles allowed 75 yards and a touchdown on 3 catches last week against Caroline. London is in a nice spot if he’s able to take the field.
Zay FlowersBAL$7200 / $7700Zyon McCollumCINDowngrade
Many are projecting the Week 6 tilt between the Baltimore Ravens and Washington Commanders to be one of the highest-scoring on the slate. If this game does shoot out, its likely that Zay Flowers had a hand in it. Flowers has blossomed into one of the best separators in the league and should be able to take full advantage of that skill running against Mike Sainristil. To be fair, Sainristil has stabilized a bit over his last two game but he still has 3 touchdowns to his name on the year.
Mack HollinsBUF$3300 / $5100Samuel Womack IIIINDUpgrade
The merry-go -round keeps spinning with the Bills receivers and while the return of Amari Cooper would normally threaten Mack Hollins’ playing time, the absence of Keon Coleman gets him back on the field. This week he’ll be the assignment of the Colts’ Samuel Womack III. After a very brief stint on the list of “Downgrade” matchups at cornerback, Womack has come crashing back to earth; allowing 6 catches for 135 yards and a touchdown in his last 2 games. Hollins typically doesn’t get the type of usage to make the most of this opportunity, but his individual matchup is nice nonetheless.
Xavier LegetteCAR$5700 / $5900Deonte BanksNYGUpgrade
Xavier Legette is sort of the last man standing in a Panthers receiving corps that has traded away 2 of their pass-catchers and might be sending a 3rd to season-ending IR. Legette has shown some of what his size/speed combo can do at the NFL level and has seen both his target share and air yards share explode in the last two weeks. His matchup this week, Deonte Banks, is one of only 12 cornerbacks in the league that has given up more than 400 receiving yards and the 6 touchdowns on his ledger are the most in the NFL. Legette is set up for a breakout this week in Germany.
Rome OdunzeCHI$5200 / $5900Jonathan JonesNEUpgrade
While the rookie campaign of Rome Odunze has been somewhat underwhelming on the whole, he has shown a promising ability to get open and last week made it over the century mark for the 2nd time this season. In Week 10 he’ll look to build on his momentum as he faces Jonathan Jones of the Patriots. Jones sees a lot of targets as quarterbacks avoid throwing in the direction of Christian Gonzalez and has had mixed results this year. Overall, Odunze should be able to make the most of an opponent who allows a catch on nearly 74% of targets at a 15 yards per catch clip.
Tee HigginsCIN$6400 / $7400Denzel WardBALDowngrade
Both Cor’Dale Flott and his primary assignment this week, Tee Higgins, enter this game off their best performance of the season. Despite the good game, Flott is still allowing a 78.9% catch rate on the season and has already racked up 7 missed tackles. That's a dangerous combination when facing the size/speed combination of a player like Tee Higgins.
Jerry JeudyCLE#N/ABYE#N/A 
 
Jalen TolbertDAL$5100 / $6400Isaiah RodgersPHINeutral
Like with the other side of the offense, we don’t have reliable reporting about the availability of Jonathan Mingo so we’ll hold steady with the Cowboys’ deployment from weeks past. That puts Jalen Tolber to the right and running in the coverage of Isaiah Rodgers. Rodgers has been a platoon option for the Eagles but the injury to Darius Slay has propelled him into the starting rotation. In his first start last week he held his assignment to 1 catch for 16 and broke up a pass. The sample is too small to project anything but a nice sign for the former Minutemen.
Troy FranklinDEN$4000 / $5100Trent McDuffieKCDowngrade
Broncos rookie Troy Franklin has been seeing his playing time increase over the last 4 games and has been spending a fair amount of time on the right side of the formation. This week that matches him up with Trent McDuffie of the Chiefs. McDuffie hasn’t been locking down his opponents necessarily, but he has been consistently holding them to sub-par performances. He’s allowing 23.4 receiving yards per game and doesn’t have a single outing where he allowed over 37 yards. I like Franklin to come on down the stretch run for the Broncos but doubt that we see it get started this week.
Tim PatrickDET$3400 / $4800Kamari LassiterHOUNeutral
Despite playing over 75% of snaps in back to back weeks for the Lions, Tim Patrick’s role is largely ceremonial. He is averaging just 2 targets and 15 yards per game this season and the return of Jameson Williams likely doesn’t play to his benefit. One thing he has going for him is a nice matchup against Kamari Lassiter of the Texans this week. The rookie corner has been a bit all over the place this season and is fresh off a 4/4 performance where he surrendered 53 yard and a touchdown.
Dontayvion WicksGB#N/ABYE#N/A 
 
Xavier HutchinsonHOU$3600 / $5600Carlton Davis IIIDETNeutral
Despite the Houston Texans activating Nico Collins from IR on Friday, there is still no guarantees about his availability for this Sunday. Until we get reliable reporting that effect, we’ll continue to have Xavier Hutchinson assigned to the right side of the offense. Awaiting him on the other side of the line of scrimmage will be Carlton Davis III of Detroit. To his credit, Davis has been getting on the right track of late, but still remains on the short list of corners who have allowed over 400 receiving yards and is tied for the most penalties in the league. Hutchinson has a chance at his best game of the season in this spot but his role isn’t large enough to put him on the fantasy radar.
Adonai MitchellIND$3400 / $5200Christian BenfordBUFDowngrade
Adonai Mitchell and Colts fans alike hope that Joe Flacco can get this offense back on track in Week 10 after they sputted to just 227 total yards against Minnesota last time out. It has been a quiet freshman campaign for Mitchell but he has at least been seeing more targets with Flacco under center. He’ll have a tough time gaining momentum this week running against Christian Benford, a player we’re recategorizing to a “Downgrade” as of this week. Benford was assigned responsibility for Aaron Rodgers’ 52-yard hail mary heading into half time of Week 6. Removing that clear outlier, he hasn’t allowed more than 29 yards in any game and has held his assignment to under 10 yards in 5 of 8 games.
Parker WashingtonJAC$3900 / $5400Shaquill GriffinMINDowngrade
Last week marked the 2nd where Parker Washington saw an expanded role and for the 2nd consecutive game he logged 3 catches for about 40 yards. It is widely expected that Mac Jones will be making his first start for the Jaguars, in place of an injured Trevor Lawerence, so Washington will have to contend with sub-par quarterbacking in addition to a difficult matchup against Shaquill Griffin. Griffin has had his snaps limited recently so his aggregate numbers are skewed but his average of 10.2 yards per reception and a 45.5% catch rate reveal him as one of the tougher outs in the league.
DeAndre HopkinsKC$5300 / $6000Pat SurtainDENDowngrade
DeAndre Hopkins had his 1st breakout performance as a Chief last week, logging 8 catches for 86 yards and 2 touchdowns. He won’t be running in the friend confines of Josh Hayes’ coverage this week, instead trading it for one of the toughest cover corners in the league - Patrick Surtain. Surtain shadows at the 3rd highest rate in the NFL this season and is holding his assignment to just 16.5 receiving yards per game. Prime Hopkins could absolutely overcome a matchup like this but we haven’t had an opportunity to see him challenged in this way recently. This will be one of the best matchups to follow this week.
Tre TuckerLV#N/ABYE#N/A 
 
Joshua PalmerLAC$4800 / $5800Darrell Baker Jr.TENNeutral
Joshua Palmer has done a nice job to maximize his yardage over the last 3 weeks, surpassing 60 yards in each game while averaging less than 3 catches. He’s got an interesting individual matchup this week, running against Darrell Baker Jr. of the Titans. Baker has only started 3 games this season and has done well to hold his opponent to 14 yards or fewer in each, but has given up a touchdown reception in back to back games. Whether its maintaining his 60-yard streak or Baker allowing another touchdown, Palmer is likely capped around 10 fantasy points in Week 10.
Puka NacuaLAR$7100 / $8000Kendall FullerMIADowngrade
He’s hoping that Puka Nacua can quell the urge to throw punches this week and plays a full complement of snaps against the Dolphins. Assuming he does, he’ll see Kendall Fuller on the majority of his routes. Fuller is in the midst of a career year, having allowed just 10 catches on the entire season despite playing 211 coverage snaps (4.7%). Removing his “down” game against Indianapolis, 4 catches for 49 yards, Fuller would be having one of the best seasons of any cornerback in recent memory. Puka Nacua is the type of receiver we’d expect can overcome a tough matchup but realistically his upside will be capped this week.
Tyreek HillMIA$7500 / $8400Ahkello WitherspoonLARUpgrade
Just when we thought the Dolphins offense, and Tyreek Hill, were starting to come back online, he pops up with a DNP at Friday’s practice. This puts his availability for Monday night in serious doubt as he navigates a wrist injury. Should be able to suit up, he’ll be in a nice spot against Ahkello Witherspoon of the Rams. Witherspoon has been starting the last 4 weeks and is allowing a catch on nearly 77% of his targets at 15.3 years per reception. He hasn’t been gashed for big yardage yet but I’d expect that will change quickly if Hill ends up playing in Week 10.
Jordan AddisonMIN$5300 / $6600Ronald DarbyJACUpgrade
As was largely expected to be the case, Jordan Addison hasn't been able to sustain his touchdown rate from last season thus far in 2024. He’ll still find the end zone from time to time and that is largely the determining factor of his fantasy viability. He’ll have as good a shot as any at finding the end zone this week as he’s set to face Ronald Darby of the Jaguars. Darby has given up 4 trips to the end zone this season and is near the top of the list of most yards allowed this season, at 474.
Kayshon BoutteNE$3500 / $5000Tyrique StevensonCHINeutral
Kayshon Boutte, the Patriots’ second year man out of LSU, has been getting increasingly more involved and last week set career-high marks for snaps and route run. While he is among the leaders on his team in air yards each of the last 2 weeks, he’s yet to convert those into meaningful fantasy production. This week he’ll draw Tyrique Stevenson of the Bears, who sees a very high target volume but does well to hold his opponents to a 52% catch rate. His yardage total nearing the 400 mark, on the other hand, leaves room for improvement. We’ll net those two out as “Neutral” and see if this is the week that Boutte can post a nice score.
Marquez Valdes-ScantlingNO$3900 / $4900Mike HughesATLNeutral
Marquez Valdes-Scantling saw his first significant playing time as a Saint, playing 41% of snaps and catching 1 pass for 5 yards last week against Carolina. Valdes-Scantling will run his routes in the coverage of Mike Hughes this week, who is still being stingy in terms of yards per catch but is pushing the 70% threshold for catch rate. This matchup doesn't really favor either side and fantasy managers should plan on looking elsewhere for receiver production.
Malik NabersNYG$7600 / $8700Jaycee HornCARDowngrade
The Giants are heading to Germany in Week 10 and the fans in Munich will be treated to seeing one of the league’s best young receivers play, Malik Nabers. Nabers is WR7 in fantasy points per game and is pushing near a 50% air yards share on the season. He’ll have a tough out this week when he faces Jaycee Horn of the Panthers. Horn was already flexing his ability this season but has clamped down even more recently, allowing just 3 catches for 45 yards over his last 4 games. Nabers can overcome this type of spot but has his upside limited to a slight degree because of the matchup
Davante AdamsNYJ$7000 / $7600Sean Murphy BuntingARINeutral
Davante Adams found the end zone last week, his first trip as a Jet, and generally is looking increasingly comfortable in the New York offense. He’s seen 26 targets in his 3 games since being traded and this week has a good chance at making the most of his opportunity while running in the coverage of Sean Murphy-Bunting. It’s specifically the 80% catch rate that Murphy-Bunting allows that sets up nicely for Davante Adams who is getting peppered with targets. You’d think the Cardinals’ perimeter receiver would see more action, given his sky-high catch rate but he’s actually seen just 20 targets thrown his direction.
A.J. BrownPHI$8200 / $8900Trevon DiggsDALDowngrade
AJ Brown has been our go-to example of elite receivers overcoming difficult matchups this season and in Week 10 he’ll have another tough one against Trevon Diggs. The All-Pro corner started off the season looking like his typical self but has had a hard time maintaining the same energy as the Cowboys’ season has started to slip away. He’s allowed 55 or more receiving yards in 2 of his last 3 games and all 3 of his touchdowns allowed have come in that same
Mike WilliamsPIT$4100 / $5000Mike SainristilWASNeutral
Mike Williams is expected to make his Steeler debut after being acquired at the trade deadline. While he won’t surpass George Pickens in the pecking order, his skillset is perfectly aligned with Russel Wilson’s love for throwing moon balls to the end zone. He’ll have a decent shot at converting those targets thanks in large part to his matchup against Mike Sainristil of Washington, who is allowing a catch on 70% of targets into his coverage. Sainristil has done a nice job of stopping the bleeding after opening the season with 3 consecutive weeks allowing a touchdown.
Deebo SamuelSF$6900 / $8300Zyon McCollumTBNeutral
Deebo Samuel and the 49ers are heading east for a 1p game at the Bucs that sportsbooks project to be the highest scoring of the Sunday slate. He’ll run his routes in the coverage of Zyon McCollum who has stabilized recently after a nosedive in the middle of the season. McCollum enters this week having allowed just 8 receiving yards on 4 catches in his prior 2 games and is starting to look like the version of himself that was a “Downgrade” matchup again. I’ll keep him as “Neutral” for the moment but another strong performance this week will change that.
Tyler LockettSEA#N/ABYE#N/A 
 
Sterling ShepardTB$4100 / $5700Charvarius WardSFNeutral
Sterling Shepard continues to see significant playing time for the Buccaneers since they lost both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Unfortunately that time on the field hasn’t yet converted to fantasy production. This week he’ll be the assignment of Charvarius Ward of the 49ers. Ward’s season can be best described as solid; maintaining a tidy 53% catch rate but showing a tendency to let his yardage balloon from time to time.
Calvin RidleyTEN$5700 / $5800Eli AppleLACUpgrade
The Titans are expected to start Will Levis this week for the first time since Week 6 and their fans and pass catchers alike are bracing for that reality. In games where Levis is the starter, Calvin Ridley is averaging just 2 catches for 34 yards. He does have a nice individual matchup working in his favor, as he’s expected to see Eli Apple of the Chargers this week. Apple was signed off the street to start for LA last week and while he did ok in most regards, he has a long track record of getting torched in the secondary.
Noah BrownWAS$4300 / $5300Donte JacksonPITNeutral
Noah Brown is showing some signs of life, following his hail mary game with a 5 catch, 60 yard, performance in Week 9. This week he’ll face Donte Jackson of the Steelers, who sits near league average in just about every statistical category. Jackson has had some difficulty with missed tackles of late, so there is some yardage upside for Brown but his role in the offense makes him hard to trust.
      
Slot WR vs Slot CB
Wide ReceiverTeamDraftKings/FanDuelCornerbackOppMatchup
Josh DownsSEA$6200 / $7100Taron Johnson#N/AUpgrade
While the offense was hard to watch last week, the connection between Joe Flacco and Josh Downs remains evident. In games where Joe Flacco played, Downs has amassed 29 catches while all other Colts wide receivers have combined for 25. He’ll have a great chance at sustaining that volume this week, running against Taron Johnson of the Bills. Johnson has only played 5 games this season but has tallied 210 yards and his 85.7% catch rate is the stuff dreams are made of for a player like Downs.
Wan'Dale RobinsonTB$5500 / $5700Chau Smith-WadeSFUpgrade
This week sets up as an interesting spot for Wan’Dale Robinson. The Giants’ slot receiver sees plenty of targets in a typical week and the absence of Darius Slayton could send a few more looks his way. Those targets have a very good chance of being caught this week thanks to the coverage of Chau Smith-Wade and his 75% catch rate. What is most appealing for anyone that has followed Robinson’s near-zero average depth of target is that Chau Smith-Wade has allowed almost 77% of his yards to come after the catch. Robinson is in a position to set a season high in receiving yards in this one.