2024 Fantasy Football WR vs. CB Matchup Report Week 13

WR CB Matchup Report
      
Left WR vs Right CB
Wide ReceiverTeamDK / FD $CornerbackOppMatchup
Marvin HarrisonARI$6000 / $6900Shaquill GriffinMINNeutral
Marvin Harrison Jr continues to alternate between good weeks and bad but last week we got a nice midpoint performance out of him, catching 3 of 6 targets for 47 yards against Seattle. This week he’ll face Shaquill Griffin of the Vikings who is having an above average season, albeit in somewhat limited playing time. 
Darnell MooneyATL$5600 / $6500Kristian FultonLACNeutral
Darnell Mooney will return from bye this week and hope to continue his breakout season as he runs in the coverage of the Chargers’ Kristian Fulton. Fulton was previously a downgrade, largely due to his ability to limit targets for his assignment, but has drawn 13 of his 29 targets over the last 2 games. Over that span he’s surrendered nearly 100 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns, which slides him back to the “Neutral” category. 
Rashod BatemanBAL$4400 / $5500Quinyon MitchellPHIDowngrade
Rashod Bateman continues to show himself to be a legitimate touchdown threat, finding the end zone for a 5th time last week against the Chargers. He’ll have to overcome a very tough matchup to hit paydirt this week, running in the coverage of breakout rookie Quinyon Mitchell. Mitchell has yet to allow a touchdown this year and has been one of the best corners in the league since the Eagles’ Week 5 bye. I’d project Bateman to finish closer to his floor this week. 
Amari CooperBUF$5200 / $6100Isaac YiadomSFNeutral
Amari Cooper, and his fantasy managers, are hopeful that the Bills’ Week 12 bye has allowed Cooper ample time to recover from his wrist injury. That injury has played a role in Cooper playing just 3 games since being traded to Buffalo and in him only averaging just over 8 fantasy points per game for his new team. He’ll be in an ok spot this week against Isaac Yiadom of the 49ers who has done well to keep his assignment to about 23 yards per game but was missing tackles left and right last time out. 
David MooreCAR$3500 / $5100Jamel DeanTBUpgrade
David Moore was the surprise star last week for the Panthers, catching 6 of 10 targets for 81 yards and a score to help keep his team more competitive than almost anyone could have imagined against the Chiefs. It’s hard to picture this as anything more than a flash in the pan but we’ll find out this week in a favorable spot against Jamel Dean of the Bucs. Dean returned from an extended absence last week and did well to keep his opponent to just 16 yards receiving. It's hard to give Dean much credit for that performance when you consider it came against the Giants and I’d imagine the 55.6 yards per game he allowed through the first 6 weeks is closer to his baseline.
Ja'Marr ChaseCIN$8600 / $9300Joey Porter JrPITNeutral
Ja'Marr Chase returns from bye in Week 13 and aims to keep his white-hot streak going. He’ll have to overcome the shadow coverage of Joey Porter Jr this week but recently that hasn’t been the limiting factor it once was. Despite 4 games where Porter has held his assignment under 10 receiving yards, his 417 yards are the 21st most in the league. When Porter gets beat, he gets rung up for huge yardage and Chase is the type of player who can do that on any given week. 
Cedric TillmanCLE$5100 / $6200Patrick SurtainDENDowngrade
The downward trend of Cedric Tillman’s fantasy production continued last week as he finished with 2.8 fantasy points, his 4th straight week of declining production. Many would say there's nowhere to go but up from there but Patrick Surtain might not abide by that concept. Surtain is fresh off his heaviest target volume game of the season, where the Raiders threw his direction 8 times, where he did will to limit his assignment to just 5 catches for 35 yards. That pulls his yards per catch average for the season to an unbelievable 7.7. Surtain remains one of the best cover corners in the game right now. 
Courtland SuttonDEN$6300 / $7400Martin Emerson Jr.CLEUpgrade
Courtland Sutton continues to make a strong case to be considered a fantasy league-winner and he’s in a beautiful spot to bolster that position this week, running in the coverage of Martin Emerson Jr. Emerson has allowed 40 or more yards in all but 4 games this season and has tallied 4 scores on his side of the ledger. Better still for Sutton is that Emerson has hardly let a week go by without a 20+ yards catch from his assignment, a specialty of Sutton’s. 
Nico CollinsHOU$7900 / $9100Tyson CampbellJACUpgrade
Last week marked the 2nd consecutive where Nico Collins had a huge touchdown play taken off the board thanks to a ticky-tack penalty. He’d currently be the WR1 since his return had those plays stood but he could hit that mark this week with a strong performance against Tyson Campbell. Campbell initially looked sharp after returning from injury in Week 7 but has proceeded to allow 14 catches for 165 yards and 2 scores over his last 3 games. Nico should be able to impose his will here. 
Alec PierceIND$4900 / $5600Christian GonzalezNENeutral
It's the same story with Alec Pierce every week; he either catches a couple of deep passes or he torches your lineup. His Week 13 matchup against Christian Gonzalez doesn’t bode well in that regard as Gonzales has given up a reception over 25 yards just 1 time this season and, despite a bit of a mid-season slump, has gotten back to the tight brand of coverage we know him for. A positive sign for Gonzalez but not quite to the point of moving him back to “Downgrade” territory. 
Parker WashingtonJAC$3900 / $5500Kamari LassiterHOUNeutral
With Gabe Davis heading to season-ending IR, it will be Parker Washington who steps up in his place to the left side of the formation. That’s where he’ll find Kamari Lassiter awaiting him this week. Lassiter has really settled in nicely over his recent stretch of games, allowing 25 yards or fewer in 3 of his last 4 and holding quarterbacks to a 56.0 passer rating when targeting the rookie this season. A few more performances like these will have Lassiter’s status changed to “Downgrade”
Quentin JohnstonLAC$5000 / $6200AJ TerrellATLNeutral
I couldn’t have written a more glowing report of Quentin Johnston’s circumstance heading into Week 12 and he thanked me with an 0-5 performance, dropping 3 passes in spectacular fashion. We’ll see if he brings the stick-em this week as he faces off with A.J. Terrell of the Falcons. Terrell is having a fine season by most regards, allowing completions a bit more than he should but doing well to keep yardage down to 10.4 per catch 
Demarcus RobinsonLAR$4000 / $5700Alontae TaylorNOUpgrade
The NFL is following its typical protocol with Demarcus Robinson, who was arrested for a DUI earlier in the week, and waiting for the legal process to play out before issuing any sort of suspension. That means he’ll be out there for a golden matchup against Alontae Taylor. Taylor has amassed 710 receiving yards allowed, the most in the league, and is being absolutely peppered with targets. The fact that he’s only given up 3 scores on that volume is somewhat impressive but overall this is a matchup to take advantage of for Robisnon. 
Justin JeffersonMIN$8100 / $8900Sean Murphy-BuntingARINeutral
Taking Justin Jefferson out of the game was clearly a focus for the Bears last week but fortunately his teammates Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson showed they can keep opposing defenses honest. Jefferson is in a nice spot to rebound this week running against Sean Murphy-Bunting of Arizona, who allowed a catch on an absurd 80% of targets but stops the bleeding nicely with just 11.2 yards per reception this year. Jefferson can do some serious damage if he’s catching passed at that clip this week. 
Kayshon BoutteNE$3400 / $5100Jaylon JonesINDUpgrade
Kayshon Boutte continues to see a ton of playing time for the Patriots but rarely has much to show for it in any given week. He’ll at least have a somewhat favorable matchup this week, running in the coverage of Jaylon Jones. Jones is a bit of an enigma as he’s targeted a ton and 6th in the league in yards allowed but has only surrendered 1 score and keeps quarterbacks to a 84.6 rating when targeting him. 
Marquez Valdes-ScantlingNO$4500 / $6000Darious WilliamsLARNeutral
A couple of journeymen squaring off in this one as Marquez Valdez-Scantling will see a lot of Darious Williams this week. Valdez-Scantling is making the most of his opportunity with the injury-riddled Saints while Williams is starting to show why was a backup to start the year. A deep shot certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibility for MVS but overall this looks to be a pretty fair fight. 
Garrett WilsonNYJ$6900 / $8000Josh JobeSEAUpgrade
We’ll have to wait and see if the Jets decide to make the move away from Aaron Rdogers at quarterback before the season is over. For now, it appears he’ll be starting this week and that means good things for one of the league’s best “floor” receivers. This week Garrett Wilson is set to run in the coverage of Josh Jobe, a platoon corner who the Rams thrust into the starting lineup in Week 7. Jobe was rung up for 80 yards back in Week 7 but for the most part is good about keeping yardage at or below 35/game. 
A.J. BrownPHI$8300 / $8800Brandon StephensBALUpgrade
As of this writing, it appears that Devonta Smith’s availability is very much in doubt this week. His absence would move AJ Brown to play the left side of the alignment, where one of the best matchups in the league awaits. Brandon Stephens is technically coming off his best game of the season, allowing 1 catch for 16 yards, but was the beneficiary of Quentin Johnston forgetting how to catch the football. Even with this meager addition, Stephens still sits 2nd with 649 yards allowed and it being targeted nearly 14 yards down-field on average. 
George PickensPIT$6800 / $7400Cam Taylor-BrittCINUpgrade
Playing Week 12 in a snow globe didn’t exactly aid Pickens’ ability to produce last week so we’ll flag performance as an outlier in an otherwise fantastic campaign. This week he’s in a juicy matchup against Cam Taylor-Britt of the Bengals. His 620 receiving yards finds him 3rd on the list and no defensive back in the league has allowed more than Taylor-Britt’s 9 receiving touchdowns. Assuming we don’t see white-out conditions once more, Pickens should vie to be one of the league’s top scorers in Week 13.
Jauan JenningsSF$5400 / $6100Rasul DouglasBUFNeutral
Jauan Jennings, and most of the 49ers offense for that matter, struggled to get much going last week with starting quarterback Brock Purdy absent due to a shoulder injury. Purdy’s availability remains unclear but what is certain is that Jennings will face off with Rasul Douglas in coverage. Douglas is in the midst of a 3-game skid that has seen catches 15 of his last 16 targets, inflating his catch rate to nearly 76%, and has contributed more than 45% of his yardage this season. Douglas is still a very capable corner but this recent trend is undeniable. 
DK MetcalfSEA$6400 / $7800DJ ReedNYJDowngrade
The Seahawks offense sputtered against the Cardinals last week so it's hard to take much away from his 9-point performance. He’ll have a tough test on paper this week as he’s set to face DJ Reed of the Jets. The Jets have drawn much speculation as to whether or not they’ve turned the page to next season but when Reed is giving his all, he’s one of the best cover corners in the league. Despite a recent stretch of weak games for Reed, he still sports a respectable 56.1% catch rate and has held his opponents under 30 yards in 6 of 9 games this year. 
Mike EvansTB$6700 / $8300Jaycee HornCARDowngrade
Mike Evans had a golden opportunity in Week 12, his 1st game back from an extended absence, but the Buccaneers took the wind out of his sails when they limited him to just 60% of snaps. He projects to see a full workload this week but unfortunately will run his routes in the coverage of Jaycee Horn. Horn typically doesn’t shadow but does get closer when facing a team, such as the Bucs, with a clear alpha receiving weapon. Horn let the Chiefs get the best of him last week but still boasts strong marks in catch rate (53.8%) and yards per catch (11.2) for the season. 
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine-IkhineTEN$4300 / $5900Benjamin St-JusteWASUpgrade
Nick Westbrook-Ikhinee-Ikhine continues his Randy Moss impersonation by catching another touchdown last week, his 6th score in 7 games. I don’t want to minimize the achievement here but catching 17 passes over 7 games is exactly what Westbrooke-Ikhine has always been, this year it just happens to be that 6 of those catches came in the end zone. If he aims to sustain this production, he’s in a decent spot to do so against Benjamin St-Juste this week. St-Juste has 4 scores on his side of the ledger this season and his 568 yards allowed are the 5th most in the NFL. 
Terry McLaurinWAS$7100 / $7900Jarvis Brownlee Jr.TENNeutral
Commanders fans and Terry McClaurin managers alike were very unhappy with Terry McClaurin for about 99.6% of their Week 12 game against the Cowboys but a field-length busted-play score changed that outlook. In Week 13 he draws a matchup with Jarvis Brownlee Jr. who has been getting gashed for big plays himself over the recent stretch of games. This has inflated his yardage total to approach the 500 mark and leaves him sporting a hefty 15.6 yards per catch average. 
      
Right WR vs Left CB
Wide ReceiverTeamDraftKings/FanDuelCornerbackOppMatchup
Michael WilsonARI$4200 / $5400Stephon GilmoreMINNeutral
Michael Wilson continues to be an afterthought in the Cardinals offense while his matchup this week, Stephon Gilmore, continues his hot streak of late. Gilmore has combined for just 45 receiving yards over that span of games but did let one of his catches go for a score last week against Chicago. 
Drake LondonATL$6500 / $7300Tarheeb StillLACNeutral
Drake London returns from bye this week and walks into a so-so spot, running in the coverage of Tarheeb Still. Still was called up to the starting ranks midway through the season and has played better than you’d expect for a 5th-round selection. Still’s catch rate is sitting around 60% but he’s done a nice job holding his opponents to just 10.3 yards per catch this year. 
Zay FlowersBAL$6200 / $7100Darius SlayPHINeutral
Zay Flowers was yet again in double-digits last week, continuing his transformation into a more reliable fantasy asset and more potent on-field threat. This week he technically finds himself in the best of the matchups available to him, facing off with Darius Slay of the Eagles, but that doesn’t mean he's in a plus spot overall. Slay is seeing a bit more target volume directed his way recently but the strength of play by his supporting cast, Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, have allowed him to play a more ball-hawking style that fits him perfectly. 
Keon ColemanBUF$5000 / $5900Charvarius WardSFNeutral
The matchup between Keon Coleman and Charvarius Ward this week is a battle between players returning from injury. Coleman was seemingly coming into his own as a big-play threat before injury and Ward was in the midst of another solid season defensively. Ward has held his assignment to a 53% catch rate and has logged 16 or fewer yards in 4 of his 7 games this season. 
Xavier LegetteCAR$5100 / $5800Zyon McCollumTBNeutral
Xavier Legette continues to cement himself as the primary receiving option for the Panthers and Bryce Young looks to be getting more comfortable in the offense of late. Legette finds himself in an above-average spot this week, running in the coverage of Zyon McCollum. McCollum has been a bit streaky this season but appears to be in the midst of a downswing, allowing a catch on 15 of his last 18 targets. 
Tee HigginsCIN$6600 / $7600Donte JacksonPITNeutral
Tee Higgins has quietly put together a very nice season for himself, despite missing several games with injury. He’s averaging 18.5 points and has finished top-10 in 3 of his 6 games this year. This week he’ll face Donte Jackson of the Steelers, who is about as close to league-average as you can get. Higgins should be able to keep his strong season going here. 
Jerry JeudyCLE$5900 / $6100Riley MossDENUpgrade
Jerry Jeudy managed to put up a pretty solid performance despite the blizzard he was playing in last week and will have a good chance to keep up the momentum in a plus matchup against Riley Moss. Moss finally managed to stop the bleeding last week, allowing just 1 catch for 6 yards, but is still sporting the 4th-most receptions allowed in the league this year. This game has some shootout potential and Jeudy should be able to take full advantage.
Lil'Jordan HumphreyDEN$3200 / $4900Denzel WardCLEDowngrade
Lil'Jordan Humphrey is technically the starting right wide receiver for the Broncos but they have been using a pretty heavy rotation at that spot this year. When he’s there this week he’ll have one of the more difficult matchups out there, running against Denzel Ward of the Browns. Ward has held his opponent to 2 or fewer catches in 8 of 11 games this year and currently leading the league with 16 pass break-ups. 
Tank DellHOU$5900 / $6400Ronald DarbyJACUpgrade
If Tank Dell can’t get it going in this spot, I’m not sure if we’ll see him do it this season. He’ll run in the coverage of the Jaguars’ Ronald Darby, who has allowed 569 receiving yards this year to go with 5 touchdowns. The Jaguars will need to keep this one competitive in order to induce the Texans to throw but if they do Dell is in a great spot. 
Michael PittmanIND$5200 / $6600Jonathan JonesNENeutral
Michael Pittman Jr took full advantage of the opportunity afforded to him by the absence of Josh Downs last week, catching 6 of 7 targets for 96 yards. He’ll have a similar opportunity this week with Downs ruled out and in a plus matchup against Jonathan Jones of the Patriots. Jones has been all over the map this season, starting off the year bleeding yardage before really tightening things up down the stretch. He also posted a 175 yard, 3 touchdown, game against the Rams for good measure. Jones is difficult to project but on skill alone Pittman has an edge. 
Brian ThomasJAC$5500 / $6700Derek StingleyHOUDowngrade
Brian Thomas Jr, the Jaguars standout rookie, will get a considerable test this week as he’s set to face off with Derek Stingley of the Texans. Stingley has been amassing pass break-ups and interceptions of late and sports impressive totals for catch rate and yards per catch, at 47.5% and 9.6 respectively. 
Joshua PalmerLAC$4300 / $5500Clark Phillips IIIATLNeutral
Joshua Palmer has largely been relegated to being an afterthought in the Chargers offense as Ladd McKonkey has emerged and Quentin Johnson remembered how to catch the football (at least prior to last week). He’ll face off with another secondary piece this week, Clark Phillips III of the Falcons. Philips has started 2 games this season, allowing a catch on 6 of 7 targets for 113 yards. 
Puka NacuaLAR$7600 / $8700Kool-Aid McKinstryNONeutral
Puka Nacua looks to be fully back to his old self and is a key feature of the Rams’ offense on a weekly basis. This week he’ll face coverage of Kool-Aid McKinstry, the Saints’ 2nd-round rookie. McKinstry has played well for a rookie as a platoon option for New Orleans but when called upon as a starter his catch rate balloons up toward 70%. This one still goes down as “Neutral” but I’d color it as above average more than anything. 
Jordan AddisonMIN$5300 / $6300Starling Thomas VARINeutral
Jordan Addison was the primary beneficiary of the Bears’ decision to bracket Justin Jefferson last week and parlayed that into a huge 8/162/1 statline (with a 2nd touchdown shaken loose by a brutal helmet to helmet hit). This week he’ll match up with Starling Thomas V of the Cardinals, who largely don’t have the personnel to limit Jefferson in the same way. Thomas himself is pretty close the midpoint of the league in almost every statistical category. 
Ja'Lynn PolkNE$3200 / $4700Samuel Womack IIIINDDowngrade
The Patriots remain pretty committed to being noncommittal with their right wide spot this year. While nobody has taken a majority of those snaps, Ja’Lynn Polk has seen more than anyone else and this week that pits him against Samuel Womack III of the Colts. After a 2-game detour allowing 60+ yards, Womack has rebounded to allow just 3 catches for 32 yards over his last 3 games; bringing his season average to 18.8 yards per game. 
Mason TiptonNO$4100 / $4900Cobie DurantLARNeutral
I surely hope you’re not finding yourself in a position where you’re considering Mason Tipton anywhere in your fantasy portfolio. If you are, know that he’s in a completely average spot this week - running against Cobie Durant of the Rams. Durant did well to limit Eagles’ receivers last week but generally is good for a handful of catches for 30 to 50 yards every week. 
Davante AdamsNYJ$7000 / $7000Tariq WoolenSEANeutral
The general uncertainty around the Jets offense inflicts Davante Adams and his projection this week. Even if it is Tyrod Taylor under center for New York, he has shown an ability to be competent in spot starts. Adams himself will have to contend with Tariq Woolen in coverage, which is an interesting spot in its own right. Woolen has done well to limit yardage this season but has been rung up for 5 touchdowns in just 9 games.
Jahan DotsonPHI$3800 / $5200Nate WigginsBALNeutral
Admittedly hedging here a bit with the uncertainty around Devonta Smith’s availability this week but the right side of the Eagles’ offense is a near even split anyway. When Dotson is aligned to the right this week, he’ll see coverage from Nate Wiggins. Wiggins is close to bang average in almost every regard but the ineptitude of teammate Brandon Stephens works to funnel targets away from Wiggins, muting most of his counting stats for the season. 
Mike WilliamsPIT$4000 / $5400Josh NewtonCINNeutral
Mike Williams officially overtook Van Jefferson in snaps last week, albeit by a single snap, and should continue to see his role expand going forward. This week that places him in a matchup with Josh Newton of the Bengals. Newton was previously a rotational corner for Cincinnati before DJ Turner’s injury forced him to start in Week 12. Newton did ok in that start, allowing 3 catches for 47 yards. 
Deebo SamuelSF$6200 / $7200Christian BenfordBUFDowngrade
Good news for Deebo Samuel as it appears that Brock Purdy will be available to play this week against the Bills. That’s basically where the good news ends as Samuel will be in the crosshairs of Christian Benford in coverage. Benford has tallied just 180 receiving yards allowed this year and nearly half of that total came from a gamer where he was on the hook for hail mary to end the 1st half. Deebo’s role as a ball carrier boosts his floor to an extent but his ceiling is capped as a pass-catcher thanks to Benford.
Tyler LockettSEA$4500 / $5600Sauce GardnerNYJDowngrade
Tyler Lockett continues to be slowly phased out of the Seattle offense, averaging just 3.25 targets per game over his last 4, and has a long day in the office ahead of him this week against Sauce Gardner. Gardner is actually having a bit of a down year by his standard, but that still has him as one of the stingiest corners in the league. I wouldn’t expect much from Lockett in this spot. 
Jalen McMillanTB$3700 / $5200Mike JacksonCARUpgrade
It has been fairly disappointing to see the lack of production from Jalen McMillian, despite a glaring need for pass-catchers in Tampa Bay. Perhaps this is the week he gets going as he’ll be the primary assignment of Mike Jackson. Jackson is often beat up on by opposing quarterbacks looking to avoid Jaycee Horn’s coverage and that has caused him to accumulate over 500 receiving yards allowed this year. You’re really throwing a dart with McMillian but he is certainly in as good a spot as he could hope for. 
Calvin RidleyTEN$5700 / $6800Mike SainristilWASNeutral
Calvin Ridley continues to post solid WR2 type numbers every week and has a good shot to keep his streak alive this week, running in the coverage of Mike Sainristil. Sainristil, the Commanders’ 2nd-rounder, was starting to play himself into “Downgrade” consideration a few weeks back but has proceeded to revert to the struggles that plague most rookie corners. He’s allowed over 100 yards and a touchdown in his last 3 games and has shown some issue with missed tackles during that stretch. 
      
Slot WR vs Slot CB
Wide ReceiverTeamDraftKings/FanDuelCornerbackOppMatchup
Jaxon Smith-NjigbaSEA$6300 / $7700Isaiah OliverNYJUpgrade
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a very appealing option this week as he runs 86% of his routes out of the slot, the highest rate in the league. This means he’ll largely avoid the coverage of the Jets’ premier perimeter corners and instead matchup with Isaiah Oliver. Oliver is a serviceable corner by most standers but has become a bit of a target funnel while quarterbacks avoid throwing outside. 
Ladd McConkeyLAC$6100 / $6300Richie GrantATLUpgrade
Ladd McKonkey has quickly emerged as one of the more reliable options in the league and has demonstrated that his ability to get open at will translates to the NFL level. This week he gets a juicy matchup against a Falcons’ slot corner position been targeting all season but with a new face in coverage. Injury has bumped Richie Grant into the starting lineup for the 3rd time this week and in his 2 previous starts he allowed 10 catches on 12 targets for 98 yards and a score. McKonkey should be a volume monster this week.