Welcome to the weekly wide receiver/cornerback breakdown and a Happy Thanksgiving from our #FAmily to yours! 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. This article is also critical for daily players, as this will help you gain a competitive advantage when setting your lineups. Bye weeks are over for one week, so we have our whole roster at our disposal this week. Follow me on Twitter (@fightingchance) as well!
| Left WR | Right CB | Analysis |
| DeAndre Hopkins ARI | Stephon Gilmore NE | There is certainly some concern about Hopkins coming into this week with the questions about the health of Kyler Murray's shoulder. The offense looked flat and Hopkins had just five catches for 51 yards. Assuming Murray is good to go in this one he gets a pretty reasonable lineup even against Stephon Gilmore. The Patriots All-World cornerback. Both Will Fuller and Brandin Cooks had solid games last week against the Patriots secondary and as long as Murray is good to go you should still put Hopkins in your lineups. |
| Julio Jones ATL | Damon Arnette LV | It was a giant disappointment for Jones against a pretty beatable Saints secondary last week, but it was because his hamstring flared up again and he missed the majority of the game. He is already being called a game-time decision for this game against a weak Raiders secondary. There have already been other games this year where Jones started and was unable to finish so you definitely run a risk if you throw him in your lineups. The payoff could be great as we have seen the Raiders defense give up almost 274 yards per game through the air. He will be a high risk, high reward player. |
| Marquise Brown BAL | Joe Haden PIT | It doesn't seem to matter anymore if he has a bad matchup or a good matchup, Brown just isn't getting it done in 2020. He has a whopping six catches in the last four weeks combined after having zero receptions against a pretty weak Titans secondary. He has just two touchdowns all season long, and he hasn't broken 50 receiving yards since Week 6. It isn't all his fault as Lamar Jackson has consistently missed him with passes even when he is open, but the fact remains that Brown isn't someone you can trust. He had one catch for three yards the first time they played the Steelers and even though that was a touchdown he isn't worth having in your lineups on Thanksgiving. |
| Stefon Diggs BUF | Casey Hayward LAC | With the Bills offense back on track, so is Diggs. After having just three catches for three straight weeks he now has 19 in the last two games including ten last week against Patrick Peterson and the Cardinals. Diggs has been among the most targeted receivers in the league, and one of the most productive. Casey Hayward has a very good career, but he has not played well this season. He is allowing 17.8 yards per reception and has been burned for five touchdowns this season. Look for Diggs to have a huge game and be a great choice in DFS and seasonal leagues for Week 12. |
| D.J. Moore CAR | Kris Boyd MIN | Despite having a backup quarterback in the game last week, Moore had one of his finest outings with seven catches for 127 yards although he failed to score. P.J. Walker showed he wasn't an ordinary backup and came out firing and he has the arm to make any NFL throw. He targeted Moore 11 times which is tied for the most he saw all season. Moore now has back to back good games, even though he is still somewhat reliant on making a big play. Boyd allows a 77 percent catch rate and a 114 passing rating for the quarterback when he is targeted. The Cowboys and Andy Dalton just got back on track against this defense and no matter who is at quarterback for the Panthers you can expect Moore to top 85 receiving yards in this one. |
| Allen Robinson CHI | Jaire Alexander GB | Tbis poor guy. Not only has he dealt with terrible quarterback play all season long, but now somehow it might get worse. Nick Foles busted his hip and Mitchell Trubisky has a shoulder injury. It is unsure if either can go at this time and if they can't it will fall to Tyler Bray. Forget Bray, you better pray for the fantasy stock of Allen Robinson in this one. Jaire Alexander is the number one quarterback this season according to Pro Football Focus, and Robinson will either be dealing with a busted up average quarterback or a mediocre backup. It is really hard to sit Robinson but depending on the QB in this one it might not be the worst idea. |
| Tee Higgins CIN | Isaac Yiadom NYG | What was that crash I just heard? Ohhhhhh that was the fantasy prospects of the entire Bengals offense when Joe Burrow ripped up his knee last Sunday. What a sad way to end such a promising start to a career. Get well soon Burrow. It remains to be seen how effective Brandon Allen can be but if history is any indication it is about to get very cold in Bengals fantasy land. The only reason to consider starting Higgins this week is because of the cupcake matchup. Yiadom allows a 68 percent catch rate and 16.2 yards per reception against him. If Allen can just get the ball to Higgins three of four times he should do enough to have a solid fantasy day. |
| Rashard Higgins CLE | Tre Herndon JAX | The Browns have played in bad weather for three straight weeks so I am not sure that we still have the goods on what the offense will be without Odell Beckham. Higgins hasn't been a big part of the offense with just four targets and three catches in each of the last two weeks. However, in those games he has collected 113 yards. The Browns offense is still going to go through the two running backs, and will probably feature a decent amount of their tight ends. However, you can't dismiss a good matchup. Herndon is ranked 105th of all cornerbacks by Pro Football Focus and is allowing just under 14 yards per completion. The weather should finally be preferable to the Browns and Higgins could sneak into flex consideration. |
| Amari Cooper DAL | Kendall Fuller WAS | Outside of a couple of complete bombs, Cooper has still had a pretty solid season despite the disaster that has been the quarterback since Dak Prescott was injured. He has 11 catches for 148 yards over the past two weeks, and Andy Dalton finally looked like an NFL caliber quarterback again. Fuller is a top-25 cornerback and allows just a 53 percent catch rate, but Cooper did have seven catches for 80 yards the first time these two met and that was the game that Dalton suffered the concussion. He is still the most reliable receiver on the team and while the Cowboys might not light up the scoreboard on Thanksgiving day you should be able to expect 13-15 fantasy points from Cooper on the afternoon. |
| Jerry Jeudy DEN | Janoris Jenkins NO | The targets for Jeudy have really stepped up in the last month as he has been looked to 40 times in the last four games after just 22 the previous four games. However, the inconsistency at quarterback is hurting him as he hasn't converted more than 50 percent of those targets in any game. Drew Lock is certainly dealing with some rib problems, but his overall play is the bigger issue. Jeudy can get it done when given the opportunity. He matches up with Jenkins this week who has an DADOT (defensive average depth of target) of 12.9 yards so he is being targeted a little farther down the field and Jeudy is the best big play threat on the Broncos. However, unless he is able to break one big one, his upside is capped. The Broncos have scored just 25 points combined in the last two weeks. Jeudy still has his place in your seasonal lineups but even with a fairly good matchup against the Saints he isn't close to DFS worthy. |
| Marvin Jones DET | Bradley Roby HOU | Considering Kenny Golladay only got in one limited practice last Wednesday and they have the short turnaround to Thanksgiving it doesn't bode well for him to return. And while Jones has been decent without Golladay lately, there has only been one game where you really got excited about his output. He does have four touchdowns in the last four weeks, but Jones is only averaging 57 yards per game in the last month and while the Texans secondary is pretty bad, Roby doesn't allow the big play. He allows just 7.7 yards per reception against him and .22 fantasy points per route run which is a very good number. Jones could work in your WR3 or better yet flex spot, but there is nothing to get overly excited about for Week 12. |
| Davante Adams GB | Jaylon Johnson CHI | He was actually targeted fewer than ten times for the first time this year in a game that he finished but Adams was still good for seven catches and 106 yards with a touchdown last week against a very strong Colts defense. Adams now plays the Bears who are coming off their bye, but did you see how good they made Kirk Cousins look in that Monday night before they were off? The Bears secondary has slipped some in recent weeks and Johnson was a big part of that as he allowed 102 yards on him in that game. Adams is a target beast and there is no doubt that Aaron Rodgers will feature him. Despite the tough matchup on paper, Adams is still a no brainer start in both season long and DFS contests. |
| Will Fuller HOU | Desmond Trufant DET | I hate to jinx it but is it possible that Fuller stays healthy for an entire season? So this is what we could have had all of these years if he could stay on the field? He is well on pace for 1,000 yards and this week will definitely help against the weak Lions secondary. Fuller vs. Trufant is one of the matchups on PFF that is most weighted in the receivers favor. The Texans pass game is in a major groove, and Trufant is one of the worst rated cornerbacks with a 37.7 grade out of 100 in coverage and is ranked an embarrassing 120th of all corners. Fuller is nearly guaranteed a 100 yard game with a touchdown on Turkey Day and he should be in all of your Thanksgiving DFS lineups and of course seasonal leagues as well. |
| Michael Pittman IND | Malcolm Butler TEN | After a quiet return from Injured Reserve, Pittman has now posted three straight games with over 50 receiving yards and had his first NFL touchdown last week against the Packers. It wasn't long ago if you need to remember his 101-yard breakout effort which was against these same Titans. Conventional wisdom would say that Tennessee should learn from their game tape how to do a better job of stopping Pittman this time around, but I have to say that I am not overly confident. Pittman clearly has earned some trust with Philip Rivers and he looks like a guy who should be in your lineups every week. With "studs" like a washed up T.Y. Hilton, Zach Pascal, and Marcus Johnson around, there is no doubt why Rivers has started to look towards his team's second round pick for more production. |
| D.J. Chark JAX | Denzel Ward CLE | Things have gone from bad to worse at quarterback for the Jags, and just when we thought that Jake Luton might bring a little firepower to the offense he has basically imploded for two straight games. The Jaguars are certainly trying to get that number one pick as they bring in Mike Glennon. Last week was an utter disaster against the Steelers and Chark's already tenuous fantasy value has taken another hit. He has just 97 yards in the last two weeks combined, and it won't get too much easier this week against Ward and the Browns. He is rated 13th of all corners by Pro Football Focus and is rated 77.8 in coverage which is a very high number. He is alos allowing just 10.3 yards per reception, and the Browns defense is a major reason for their record. Even without byes it might be hard for you to sit Chark in a seasonal league, but he has likely fallen out of DFS consideration for the rest of the season. |
| Demarcus Robinson KC | Jamel Dean TB | It was so Sammy Watkins to injure himself in practice as he was close to returning to the lineup and that means sustained increased run for Robinson. He is far from a stud by any means, but he does have two touchdowns in the last three weeks, and at least ten fantasy points in PPR leagues in three straight. He will get a nightmare matchup this week with Dean who is the 12th best corner according to PFF. He hasn't allowed more than 35 yards in the last four weeks but he has surrendered four touchdowns over that span. It is hard to imagine Luton bouncing back in a big way against the Bucs and I don't know that Chark is the best option for your Week 12 lineups. |
| Robert Woods LAR | Jason Verrett SF | It was the breakout game fantasy players have been waiting for since Week 1 with Woods as he exploded for season highs with 12 catches for 130 yards and a touchdown. The Rams pass game is in a nice groove right now and tore apart a strong Bucs defense. Before this outburst I wouldn't have had great hopes for Woods this week as he broke 40 yards just twice in the previous six weeks. However, he did score the last time they played the Niners (despite just 29 receiving yards) and Verrett has allowed 12 of the last 14 targets his way to be caught. The Niners pass defense has been quite leaky lately and Woods looks like a great candidate to have a second consecutive solid game. |
| Mike Williams LAC | Tre'Davious White BUF | Previously mostly a boom or bust guy, Williams might be having his most consistent season with the emergence of Justin Herbert this year. He now has 65 yards or more in five of nine games,and has only real dud in the last month. White has been a shell of the guy he was last season when he was nearly Defensive Player of the Year as he is ranked 34th by PFF and is allowing 15.7 yards per catch. Williams also enjoys a five inch height advantage on him and despite the name recognition Williams could be a great Week 12 play. |
| Henry Ruggs LV | Darqueze Dennard ATL | I don't care how sweet of a matchup this is, Ruggs just isn't a reliable fantasy option this year. Sure, the Falcons aren't a good defense, but they have held three of their last four opponents under 23 points. Ruggs could break off a bit play but he has just 14 catches all season long including none against a bad Chargers secondary so I don't think the game against Atlanta makes him any more viable. Could he have a big play? Sure. Do you want to bank a starting lineup spot on it? You shouldn't. |
| DeVante Parker MIA | Lamar Jackson NYJ | It has been a very up and down season for Parker and he certainly hasn't been helped by the switch to Tua Tagovailoa. He has had two pretty decent games and two pretty horrible games since the change was made. Parker has the talent, and the Jets secondary is going to be a little compromised this week which is dangerous considering they are already pretty bad. Tua was benched last week so it remains to be seen how he will bounce back from that this week. The Jets are such a great matchup for any struggling quarterback and Lamar Jackson is bad. He allowed a whopping 165 yards three weeks ago against the Cardinals and he has been burned for a touchdown in each of the last three games. This one looks like it should be a get right game for Parker and the Dolphins and he will be a WR2 for Week 12 and it will remain a personal decision if you can stomach the risk of using him in DFS. |
| Adam Thielen MIN | Rasul Douglas CAR | He will have to clear the Covid list in time to play in this one, but Thielen has not been ruled out at this time. Thielen has four touchdowns in the last two weeks, while Douglas has slowly been falling down the list of the top corners this season. He played a solid game last week against the Lions pass game that was down two of their top three receivers, but the two games before that Douglas was victimized for 164 yards. The Vikings pass game is in a serious groove the past few weeks, and without Donte Jackson it is likely that Douglas will have to split time between both Thielen and Jefferson. Thielen has 11 touchdowns in ten weeks and is always a great option to start in any fantasy lineup. |
| Damiere Byrd NE | Patrick Peterson ARI | Peterson hasn't been playing his best lately and has been taken to the cleaners for three touchdowns in the last two weeks. However, he also has been guarding D.K. Metcalf and Stefon Diggs. Damiere Byrd isn't as good as either of those guys on one leg. Sure, he exploded last week for six catches and 132 yards with a touchdown, but the Patriots also threw the ball a ridiculous amount for their offense. in games where the Pats run the game plan they want to, Byrd is rarely a fantasy factor. In fact, he has just four games all season with ten fantasy points in PPR leagues. So, Peterson could probably send the ball boy out there and they would be able to keep Byrd in check. Don't chase last week's points, it doesn't happen for this guy often. |
| Michael Thomas NO | Bryce Callahan DEN | HEYYYYYYY! There he is! Who would have thought that it would have taken Taysom Hill to unlock Michael Thomas. There is 2020 for you. He had nine catches for 104 yards after having just ten catches for 95 yards in the previous three games he played combined. Callahan and the Denver secondary have played fairly well of late and he is the second ranked cornerback by PFF. However, he is 5'9" and Michael Thomas is 6'3". It certainly seemed like Taysom Hill knew where to go with the ball as Thomas enjoyed an over 50 percent target share. While I think they will throw more to Alvin Kamara this week, Thomas should be a stud even with a tougher than normal matchup at cornerback. |
| Darius Slayton NYG | William Jackson III CIN | The rollercoaster ride he has put fantasy players on this season has been borderline on tragic. He will have a good game followed by three pretty poor games before popping off again. He has mostly been matchup dependent but has even disappointed in a couple of weeks we expected good things. Jackson has been on a bit of a down streak as he has allowed over 60 receiving yards in three straight games including 81 last week to Terry McLaurin. The Bengals secondary as a whole have allowed 22 pass touchdowns so far, the second most in the league. Daniel Jones should have some success this week and while Slayton has become a really tough DFS target with his inconsistency, this is a perfect week to be sure that Slayton is in your season long lineups. |
| Breshad Perriman NYJ | Byron Jones MIA | This is one guy that certainly hopes that Sam Darnold never sees the field again as he has three touchdowns in the last two weeks. The volume wasn’t there last week as he only had two catches on four targets, but the touchdown is what is important. The Jets have to throw a bunch because they are always behind and Perriman had four catches for 72 yards the first time they played in Week 6. Despite the touchdown outbreak I am still not really buying into the Perriman narrative. However, if Joe Flacco is under center again it is hard to argue that he and Perriman have some connection downfield that Darnold can't offer. He would be just a long dart throw in DFS or an emergency flex play for seasonal lineups. |
| Travis Fulgham PHI | Tre Flowers SEA | What started out as a beautiful love story in Week 4 between Carson Wentz and Travis Fulgham has devolved into a dysfunctional relationship as Wentz devolves to an average quarterback and the Eagles welcome back other offensive weapons to muddy the targets for Fulgham. He has just one catch for eight yards in each of the last two games, and the Seahawks secondary has been a bit better of late. Flowers personally allows a 76 percent catch rate but only about 11 yards per catch. Fulgham has still been getting plenty of targets lately, but it hasn't amounted to much. Jalen Reagor seems to be the only wide receiver from Philadelphia you can trust right now. |
| Diontae Johnson PIT | Jimmy Smith BAL | It will be interesting to see how targets are distributed with Ben Roethlisberger back between Johnson and James Washington. Johnson is more of the sure handed guy and not the big, explosive play guy. Both could be successful this week though against a Giants secondary that got some overhauling this offseason, but still doesn't look great. Johnson is a bit of a dart throw for you Monday-Thursday DFS folks, and he is definitely worth flex consideration for your seasonal leagues. |
| D.K. Metcalf SEA | Darius Slay PHI | He does have four touchdowns in the last four weeks, but Metcalf has failed to top 50 receiving yards in each of the last two games. He had a hard thrown touchdown pass he didn't catch, but also had a long gain called back by penalty. Slay is a top-30 cornerback, but Metcalf has four inches and almost 40 pounds on. It is going to be really hard for Slay to hold him down, especially in the red zone. Last week had the feeling of a monster game for Metcalf, and that should come to fruition this week. Despite playing a corner that you know his name and two less than stellar games, Metcalf should be a stud this week. |
| Deebo Samuel SF | Jalen Ramsey LAR | It isn't a guarantee that he will play, but this has been the targeted week for a while. San Francisco badly needs its top receiver back, as he is such a diverse player that so many different plays can be run with him on the field. He will likely see tons of Jalen Ramsey if he is able to play, but Deebo did have six catches for 66 yards and a touchdown the first time these two teams played. Much of that production came on misdirections and other creative plays to get him the ball away from Ramsey, but you'd think Shanahan would incorporate that again. Samuel won't be a great DFS option but still seasonal lineup choice. |
| Mike Evans TB | Bashaud Breeland KC | Stop me if you have heard this story before. Evans sees a bunch of targets, it doesn't amount to a ton of yards but he scores a fairly short touchdown. That seems to be the way in 2020 for Evans and it was the same against the Rams Monday night as he had 49 yards and a touchdown. That is now nine on the year in 11 games but just 563 yards. Breeland is just 5'11" and Evans is 6'5" so this is a recipe for a red zone touchdown for Evans in this one. Breeland allows just ten yards per reception so it doesn't look like this will be a game where Evans has many big plays. However, this game has one of the highest over/under totals of the slate and there should be a ton of throwing in this one. Evans isn't the best daily target but as always belongs in your season long lineups. |
| A.J. Brown TEN | Xavier Rhodes IND | Brown has a touchdown in every game but two this season. One was the opening week of the season, and the other one was against the Colts just two weeks ago. Brown had just one catch in Week 10 against Indianapolis and that was in the first quarter of the game. Rhodes is the ninth rated corner according to PFF and he allows just a 44 percent catch rate, .2 fantasy points per route run and .99 yards per route covered all of which are elite totals of this metrics. Brown is still one of the best receivers in football, but the Colts are a great secondary and Rhodes is having a great season. He could still have a good game, and likely still belongs in your weekly lineups. |
| Terry McLaurin WAS | Chidobe Awuzie DAL | He has been dealing with maybe the worst quarterback play outside of Chicago, but McLaurin still gets it done each and every week. He has just one game all season long with fewer than 50 yards and just two with less than 70. He has just three touchdowns this season, but McLaurin is a beast every Sunday. The Cowboys secondary has been a mess this season, and part of that was the injury to Awuzie. Although his return hasn't made anything better. He allowed 86 yards in the game against the Vikings last week and he won't be able to stop McLaurin. Terry will be a must-start in Thanksgiving Day DFS and his status as a weekly WR1 remains intact. |
| Right WR | Left CB | Analysis |
| Christian Kirk ARI | J.C. Jackson NE | After a stout month, Kirk has fallen off in the last two weeks against less than stellar defenses in the Bills and Seahawks with just eight catches for 77 yards combined in the last two games. Some of his value will be tied to the health of the shoulder of Kyler Murray. The Patriots defense has been a serious liability this season against the run and the pass, and after a really strong start to the season, Jackson has really fallen off. His coverage rating with Pro Football Focus has been 50.5 or less out of 100 in three of the last four weeks and the good week was against Baltimore who can't throw the ball. Kirk is a bit of a risk as I think that hot streak was a bit of a outlier in his career. Even with a plus matchup, Kirk remains best served as a flex play. |
| Calvin Ridley ATL | Trayvon Mullen OAK | We will see if Julio Jones plays or not, but Ridley will be a great play regardless in Week 12. He has cooled off in scoring since the beginning of the season, but Ridley has topped 50 receiveing yards in four of the last five weeks. He also has five or more catches in four of the last five. Mullen was torched by the Chiefs last week, and has allowed over 12 yards per catch. The Falcons offense is running in place of late, but they should get back on track against the Raiders and Ridley is a great DFS and seasonal pick this Sunday. |
| Devin Duvernay BAL | Steven Nelson PIT | Another week, another pathetic showing by the Baltimore passing game. Dez Bryant actually had four catches, but that won't be consistent production. There isn't a single wide receiver I feel good about starting on Thanksgiving against the Steelers. |
| John Brown BUF | Michael Davis LAC | When healthy Brown has been one of the most productive second receivers on any NFL team. The problem in 2020 is that he has had a really hard time staying on the field. He had 14 catches for 171 yards in the two weeks before the bye, but he did tweak his ankle in that Week 10 game. He did not practice Tuesday, but if he can get some work in this week he will be a great play against a Chargers secondary that is allowing yards and points through the air like it is there job when indeed their job is the exact opposite. If Brown is unable to go, Gabriel Davis becomes a sneaky dart throw in a game that should feature lots of passing and lots of points. |
| Robby Anderson CAR | Chris Jones MIN | He is still offering value in PPR leagues, but it now has been ten weeks since Anderson found the end zone in the season opener. He has even had some plus matchups, and he still has come up kind of small. He faces a Vikings secondary that just helped the Cowboys get back on track on offense, and Jones has allowed 11 of the last 13 passes his way to be completed. Whether the Panthers have Teddy Bridgewater or P.J. Walker quarterbacking shouldn't make much of a difference and while I still expect 12-14 fantasy points from Anderson I have all but given up on the explosive games he started the season with. |
| Darnell Mooney CHI | Kevin King GB | He was working on the fringe of weekly fantasy relevance, but with either an injured Nick Foles, an injured Mitchell Trubisky or an awful Tyler Bray at quarterback against a fairly solid Packers secondary your thoughts of using Mooney this week should have flown out the window. |
| A.J. Green CIN | James Bradberry NYG | Green may have scored last week, but he was still on his third straight weeks with less than 40 receiving yards and that touchdown was his first of the season. All of this was with Joe Burrow at quarterback. Now, with Brandon Allen under center, things are about to go south for the Bengals in a big way throwing the ball. I wouldn't have used Green this week even with Burrow against James Bradberry who has been playing a little worse of late but is still one of the better corners in the league in 2020. |
| KhaDarel Hodge CLE | Chris Claybrooks JAX | This one is almost a little tempting after Hodge had three catches for 73 yards against the Eagles and the fact that the Browns should finally be playing a game in decent weather. However, I still think that the backs will run the offense and Jarvis Landry will still be plenty involved. The Jaguars are one of the worst pass defenses in football, but Hodge just hasn't gotten enough work this season to be considered fantasy worthy or even rosterable at this point. |
| Michael Gallup DAL | Ronald Darby WSH | The Cowboys offense actually looked like it belonged on an NFL field last week and as has been the case most of the season, Gallup was almost a spectator. He was targeted five times and had just two catches for 29 yards. It is the fifth time in the last seven games that he failed to meet the 50 receiving yard mark and the last time they played the Football Team he had exactly no catches on two targets. Continue to leave him on the waiver wire where he belongs in 2020. |
| Tim Patrick DEN | Patrick Robinson NO | The Broncos offense has been struggling of late as they often struggle to run the ball and Drew Lock has really struggled and has injured ribs. Patrick has had three 100-yard games this season, with the last coming in Week 11 against the Dolphins, however, more than half of his 119 yards came on the last play of the game. Patrick has been dealing with his own hamstring injury and his production has struggled in the last month outside of that one big catch. Robinson does allow nearly 16 yards per catch and Patrick has a five inch height advantage on him. If Lock and the Broncos are able to move the ball at all Patrick should have a pretty solid game. |
| Marvin Hall DET | Vernon Hargreaves HOU | For you dart throw lovers, here comes one for you if Kenny Golladay is not able to play. That would put Hall into the starting lineup against the Texans secondary and especially Hargreaves who is ranked 121st of all cornerbacks and his Pro Football Focus rating on coverage is 32.4 out of 100 which is one of the worst ratings on their list. Hall doesn't get a lot of volume as he has only six targets in the last two weeks but he is capable of big plays and he certainly could have you celebrating with some pumpkin pie on Thursday afternoon. |
| Allen Lazard GB | Kyle Fuller CHI | I really like Lazard, but this stiuation still isn't conducive to fantasy success. He is still just has one game under his belt after coming back from core surgery. He came back to a tough game against the Colts and now has another rough one against the Bears. No matter what the Vikings did to them two weeks ago, their secondary is very strong. Lazard has a six inch height advantage against Fuller, but he is still one of the better corners around. He allows just a 48 percent catch rate and I think you should avoid Lazard for one more week. |
| Brandin Cooks HOU | Amani Oruwariye DET | Did I mention that I love Brandin Cooks this year? I wrote him off a lot in the beginning of the season due to the concussion concerns but he has stayed healthy all season long and now that the Texans are through that brutal start to the season he is playing really well. The Lions secondary has allowed 18 passing touchdowns this season, but none have been charged to Oruwariye. He allows just a 47 percent catch rate, yet 15.7 yards per catch and his DADOT is 14 yards so he does get targeted deeper down the field. Deshaun Watson is on a great hot streak and Cooks has had 60 or more receiving yards in five of the last six games. He should be a great choice in Thanksgiving DFS and season long games. |
| T.Y. Hilton IND | Breon Borders TEN | We all know his name, but we don't know this game. Hilton has long been a beacon of fantasy football and has been a great WR2 for most of his career. However, he has yet to find the end zone all season long and he has had over 50 receiving yards in just three games all year long. Philip Rivers has been playing better of late but it hasn't translated to production for Hilton. He had just four catches for 40 yards two weeks ago against these same Titans and he should be avoided in all fantasy formats for this week and the rest of the season. |
| Chris Conley JAX | Terrance Mitchell CLE | The Jaguars offense is a disaster with Jake Luton at quarterback and it will be even worse with Mike Glennon under center. Even their top receiver D.J. Chark isn't fantasy relevant every week. With Laviska Shenault likely to miss another game, that would put Conley back as the other starting outside receiver. The Browns secondary isn't bad and he has had just two games all season long where he has even topped 50 receiving yards. He has more than four catches just once and has found the end zone one time all year. Pay no mind to Conley for Wek 12 or any other week this year. |
| Mecole Hardman KC | Carlton Davis TB | He had a great game in Week 8 against the Jets, but those seven catches represent more than 25% of his season catches in one game. He has just four catches on five targets in the last two weeks for 64 yards total. He also has just three touchdowns on the season. The Chiefs will be throwing plenty in this game, but the Bucs secondary is still very strong even though Jared Goff tore them up last week. Hardman has six games with two catches or less and is nowhere near the fantasy radar this week against a very strong Tampa Bay defense. |
| Josh Reynolds LAR | Emmanuel Moseley SF | After a few weeks of increased production I said on the Monday livestream that it felt that Reynolds hot streak was not something that could be sustained. He fell short of his recent hot streak on Monday night against the Bucs with just three catches for 32 yards. The Rams pass offense is on a nice streak right now, but it was a return to the two big guns last week. Reynolds had just two catches for 45 yards the first time these two teams met but he did find the end zone. San Francisco's defense has been giving up a lot lately but I still don't see Reynolds having a big game. This should be another one where Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp are the focus and Reynolds should fall short of ten fantasy points in PPR leagues. |
| Jalen Guyton LAC | Levi Wallace BUF | Despite how strong the Chargers passing game is they aren't able to keep three receivers fantasy relevant and Guyton is a low volume, high risk player. He has a couple of big plays this season but they are few and far between and he has seven games this season where he has just one catch. The Bills secondary has been weaker than we expected coming into the year, but Guyton is still a long way from fantasy relevant for Week 12. |
| Nelson Agholor LV | A.J. Terrell ATL | This isn't saying much, but Agholor has been the most consistent receiver for the Raiders this season. That being said he still has a handful of games where he has completely disappeared. He does have six touchdowns in ten games and he is coming off a six catch, 88-yard game with a touchdown against the Chiefs. He gets a fantastic matchup against Terrell and the Falcons secondary that has allowed the second most pass touchdowns in the league with 22. The Raiders are sure to score a bunch of points in this one and Agholor will be a salary saver in DFS games and a great choice in season long leagues. |
| Jakeem Grant MIA | Bryce Hall NYJ | The Dolphins offense is certainly very conservative under Tagovailoa and it is hard to even trust DeVante Parker on a weekly basis. With the injury to Preston Williams there was some thought that maybe Grant would step up in his absence. However, unless we see Ryan Fitzpatrick come into the game that is very unlikely. Grant was targeted six times last week, but had just two catches for 12 yards. Hall and the Jets secondary are pretty awful, but it would just be a very ill-adised long shot to give Grant a shot in your starting lineups with some uncertainty at the quarterback position. |
| Justin Jefferson MIN | Troy Pride CAR | The kid is on fire with two straight games over 85 receiving yards and the touchdown last week. The Vikings pass game is playing its best all season, and Jefferson is really starting to come into his own. He gets a break this week as the Panthers should be without their second best corner Donte Jackson, and that leaves Pride to try to cover Jefferson. He has allowed seven of the last eight targets at him to be caught, and allows 14.5 yards per reception against him. Pro Football Focus has him at 123 in their cornerback rankings and to put that into perspective there are 32 NFL teams. So Pride is almost worse than the top four corners on every team. Jefferson should ball out this week assuming Adam Thielen gets cleared for Covid. |
| N'Keal Harry NE | Dre Kirkpatrick ARZ | Yes he had five catches last week, however, it is also true that the Patriots threw more than they would like when their offense is running correctly. It was Harry's first game with more than one catch since October 4th due to injuries and just generally not being that good. Kirkpatrick is kind of a bad corner, but the Patriots offense won't be able to take advantage of it and will definitely look to run the ball more against the Cardinals bad run defense. Harry could come up with two or three catches but I am not expecting anything from a fantasy perspective here for you to hang your hopes on. |
| Emmanuel Sanders NO | A.J. Bouye DEN | The good news is that Taysom Hill wasn't awful and that Sanders had four catches for 66 yards. It does appear that the quarterback change isn't going to torpedo his fantasy value. However, most of that 66 yards came on one catch, and Hill underthrew it by a good ten yards so we likely won't see many deep balls being thrown to Sanders in the upcoming weeks. However, the usage is the key. I don't expect the Saints offense to be as prolific as they are under Brees, but it won't be a disaster. Bouye is ranked 100th on Pro Football Focus for cornerbacks and has allowed a touchdown pass in two of the last three games he has played. Don't expect a huge game out of Sanders, but he should be able to rack up 12-14 fantasy points in this one. |
| Sterling Shepard NYG | LeShaun Sims CIN | He has been uber consistent since coming back from injury with at least six catches in all four games. He is running a lot of shorter routes so he hasn't even hit 75 receiving yards yet, but in PPR leagues Shepard has been a solid contributor. The Bengals have allowed the second most passing touchdowns this season, and Sims is a big part of why. Cincinnati is going to struggle to move the ball with their backup quarterback, and that should put the Giants offense in positions to score. Shepard will be a sneaky DFS play and a great WR3 this week against the lowly Bengals. |
| Denzel Mims NYJ | Xavien Howard MIA | The Jets are at least seeing what they have with their rookie receiver as Mims has seen seven or more targets in three of his four games and has 60+ yards in each of the last two. This one is going to be a struggle. Mims would be better off with Joe Flacco under center as he seems to want to take more shots down the field while noodle armed Sam Darnold throws it to Jamison Crowder a hundred times. Xavien Howard is one of the best corners in the league this year as is only allowing a 52 percent catch rate. PFF has Howard ranked fifth overall at cornerback and Mims only chance of having a strong game here is if he can do some damage on plays where maybe Howard isn't on him. |
| Jalen Reagor PHI | D.J. Reed SEA | While his stats haven't been great, Reagor appears to be the most consistent receiver the Eagles have right now. He does have back to back games with four catches, but they have added up to just 99 yards and he hasn't scored since Week 8. The biggest problem is that Carson Wentz has stunk, plain and simple. They get a chance to right the wrongs against the Seahawks secondary that is improving but is still bad. Reed has allowed an 81 percent catch rate and nearly 14 yards per completion against him. If there was going to be a game for Reagor to pop off, this would be it. C'mon Carson Wentz! Don't suck for once ok? |
| Chase Claypool PIT | Marcus Peters BAL | This is my favorite of the Steelers receivers. While Diontae Johnson gets more targets, Claypool is the big play guy and has a real knack for finding the end zone. It remains to be seen if the Ravens lose any corners to their Covid outbreak, but so far they are good. Peters has been a little shaky lately as the last five targets at him have been caught for 128 yards in the last two games. However, he hasn't been beaten for a touchdown since Week 6. Claypool also hasn't topped 70 receiving yards since Week 6, and he tends to need to find the end zone for a great fantasy day. This one will be a hard fought contest but I still like Claypool to make a couple of big plays and bring you 13-15 fantasy points to go with your Thanksgiving dessert. |
| Brandon Aiyuk SF | Darious Williams LAR | This dude lives on the Covid list, but hopefully he will be cleared in time for Sunday. Aiyuk has proven in his rookie season that he will be a part of fantasy football for a long time and he has 75+ receiving yards in three straight games to go with his 21 catches in that span. The Niners are going to have a tough time moving the ball in this one though as Williams is one of the up and coming great corners in this league. He is currently ranked third by PFF and allows just a 47 percent catch rate and a 42.3 quarterback ranking against which is among the lowest in the league. He also had two picks against the Seahawks in Week 10 and has four on the year. Aiyuk should still have a fairly decent game on Sunday because of Kyle Shanahan's play calling, but Williams will keep his upside in check for sure. |
| David Moore SEA | Avonte Maddox PHI | He has some good games from time to time and that gets fantasy players excited because they know how good that Russell Wilson can be. However, Moore disappears from the minds of fantasy players as soon as he appears. He has just four catches for 21 yards in the last two weeks combined and even against Maddox and a bad Eagles secondary he shouldn't be on your radar at all for Week 12. |
| Antonio Brown TB | Charvarius Ward KC | Despite the lackluster play from Tom Brady on Monday, it didn't hurt Brown much as he had 13 targets which went for eight catches and 57 yards. Unfortunately for Brown though, he was the only one of the big three receivers not to find the end zone. His targets have gone up in each of the three weeks he has been with the team, although it is hard to see it going up much past the 13. However, he is absolutely going to continue to be a huge part of this passing game, which should be great this week against the Chiefs in a game where there is going to be tons of passing. . Fire up Brown in all fantasy formats this week as I see him finding the end zone for the first time in 2020. |
| Corey Davis TEN | Rock Ya-Sin IND | He had his third 100-yard game of the season against the Ravens last week, and Davis continues to be a solid contributor. I have long dogged this guy throughout his career, but that time has passed. This is going to be a tough one for the Titans just like it was two weeks ago against the Colts. Davis had five catches for 67 yards in that one, and I think that is realistic expectations for this game as well. The Colts have allowed just 14 passing touchdowns in ten games, so expecting a score from Davis in this one may be a fool's errand. He will likely get you 10-12 fantasy points in PPR leagues which is decent WR3 production. |
| Cam Sims WSH | Anthony Brown DAL | People might look at this game and think that there is a chance that someone besides Terry McLaurin has a chance of being fantasy relevant in this one. Don't fall into the trap. Sims does have a couple of big plays this season, but almost everything was in that big 110 yard outburst and he has just 135 receiving yadrs in the rest of the season. Dallas isn't a great defense by any stretch, but Alex Smith is still limited by his skills at quarterback, and Sims isn't likely to make much of an impact. |
Now, here are my 10 favorite matchups in the slot in Week 12.
| Slot WR | Slot CB | Analysis |
| Keenan Allen LAC | Taron Johnson BUF | What else do you need to see from this guy? I know it was the Jets but look at the volume and the production he has had all season long. Allen has now also scored in four straight games. He is the closest thing there is to a sure thing at receiver this season. Taron Johnson isn't a terrible corner, but he has consistently allowed four or five catches a week against him and he is about to get the ultimate test. He allows nearly an 80 percent catch rate and I could see Allen having double digit receptions in this one. |
| Tyreek Hill KC | Sean Murphy-Bunting TB | He has scored in every game but two and Hill is really turning it on lately with 20 catches for 215 yards and three touchdowns in the last two weeks. He is one of the elite receivers in this game, and you can count on him every week. This game is sure to feature a lot of passing, and as usual that will be big for Hill and Kelce. Murphy-Bunting is ranked 95th by PFF among cornerbacks and he allows a ridiculous 82 percent catch rate. If you think Tampa isn't vulnerable to a great slot receiver check out what Cooper Kupp did to them last week. Now, put Hill in there who is a better receiver than Kupp and lock Hill into all of your lineups. |
| Chris Godwin TB | Tyrann Mathieu KC | He isn't making big plays and he is in an offense where the ball really gets shared a lot, but Godwin is still making the most of his opportunites. He only has two games all season where he has had fewer than ten fantasy points and they were both games following missing time with injury. The Bucs are going to have to throw a lot this week again, and even when Tom Brady looked HORRIBLE last week, Godwin still made things happen with seven catches for 53 yards and an impressive touchdown leap. Mathieu allows nearly 12 yards per reception against him, and Godwin should be in line for double digit targets again in Week 12. |
| Tyler Lockett SEA | Nickell Robey-Coleman PHI | We have back to back solid games from Lockett as he has averaged 16 fantasy points in the last two weeks. He also had nine targets in each of those games. The Seahawks are still a pass first team, and Russell Wilson, as we know, is on record setting paces. There aren't too many guys that Lockett has a height advantage over, but even he has two inches on the 5'8" Robey-Coleman. The Eagles slot corner allows a 79 percent catch rate and nearly 12 yards per reception. If Lockett indeed sees another game with close to double digit targets, fantasy players will be counting their wins on Monday night. |
| Cooper Kupp LAR | Jamar Taylor SF | Kupp is officially on a heater as he has over 100 yards in two of the last three weeks and over ten catches in those two games as well. The Rams offense is running at the best it has all season, and Jared Goff is getting back to throwing to his wide receivers again. The Niners secondary has been getting beaten soundly lately, so even though Kupp had just three catches for 11 yards the last time they played I am not concerned. Taylor is allowing 13.5 yards per catch which is very high for a slot guy and that is because he allows a lot of yards after the catch which is Kupp's specialty. This is going to be another one where Kupp has at least six catches and 80 yards and I think he finds the end zone as well. |
| CeeDee Lamb DAL | Jimmy Moreland WSH | We finally showed some explosion in the Cowboys offense and Lamb finally looked like the guy from the beginning of the season again. I know he had no catches the first time these teams played, but the Cowboys were in a dark place then. Andy Dalton looked like a reasonably good quarterback again, and Lamb was featured in the run game a little bit last week. Clearly the team wants to get him involved and we have seen him do great things with the ball in his hands. He has a touchdown in back to back weeks and Lamb has a four inch height advantage on Moreland. This game actually has playoff implications and you will be able to enjoy your apple pie even more after celebrating Lamb's big game. |
| Jarvis Landry CLE | D.J. Hayden JAX | I know, he hasn't done squat since Odell Beckham went down, but the Browns also haven't played a game in good weather in a month either. It could be that Landry's hip is still an issue, but I think his usage is about to go up. The weather should be fine in Jacksonville and Hayden and the rest of the Jags secondary are not good. He allows a mindblowing 89 percent catch rate and his grade in coverage according to PFF is an embarrasing 32.6 out of 100. If it is going to happen for Landry at all this year, this is the week it will be. |
| Tyler Boyd CIN | Darnay Holmes NYG | Yeah, I know. Brandon Allen at quarterback. That is a big detriment, but they are still going to throw some and who better to throw to than the slot guy who will run short and intermediate routes. Boyd has also shown great, reliable hands in his career, and hopefully Allen realizes early on that Boyd is the one to pepper with targets. Holmes was targeted 12 times two weeks ago and allowed 11 receptions in that game, and has surrendered an 80 percent catch rate for the season. The Bengals aren't likely to score many points or move the ball a lot, but I expect Boyd to do the vast majority of the heavy lifting with a bad quarterback under center. |
| Curtis Samuel CAR | Jeff Gladney MIN | After a horrile week against the Bucs, Samuel was right back as a major piece of the offense with eight catches for 70 yards and a score with backup Phillip Walker in there. Teddy Bridgewater is back this week and Samuel has five touchdowns in the last five weeks. Gladney has allowed five catches in four of the last five weeks and a whopping seven touchdows on the season. Assuming that Samuel will continue to get the volume he has enjoyed lately this is shaping up for a strong week. |
| Juju Smith-Schuster PIT | Marlon Humphrey BAL | I didn't like this guy when the game was on Thursday, but with him getting extra days to rest I now like Smith-Schuster this week as well. He left last week early with the injury, but Juju had topped 65 receiving yards in four games before that. He had seven catches for 67 yards back in Week 8 against the Ravens, and the Steelers have too many weapons right now for defenses to hold them down. Pittsburgh is also throwing at a ridiculous rate right now and there should be plenty of targets for all three receivers to be productive. |
Elite
There is no one that I feel more comfortable with on a weekly basis than Allen. He had his best game last week with 16 catches for 145 yards and a touchdown and yes it was against the Jets but he has been doing this all season long. Allen has seven catches or more in seven games this season, and six touchdowns. The Bills given up a lot against the slot this season and Allen is next in line. Can he be stopped? I don’t think so and he is expensive but worth it.
Why not stay in the same game? This one is sure to be one of the highest scoring games of the weekend, and we know both quarterbacks can heave the ball down the field. The Chargers are allowing two passing touchdowns per game and Diggs is by far the best receiver on the team. He has already been targeted over 100 times this season and is averaging 12.4 yards per catch. Josh Allen is going to have his way with a Chargers secondary that has found creative ways to lose games late. Diggs is a no brainer to have a big game in Week 12.
Affordable
The Rams offense had been in quicksand for several weeks and the two receivers weren’t seeing a lot of action. That has changed in recent weeks and Kupp has been the bigger beneficiary. He continues to be great with yards after the catch, and the 49ers secondary has been getting blistered in recent weeks. Even with some down games, Kupp still has had at least 10 fantasy points in eight of the ten games this season and over 15 fantasy points in four games. His floor is very safe, and yet his ceiling is very high as the Rams are looking to keep their hot streak rolling.
Antonio Brown vs Charvarius Ward
When Tom Brady wants you on the team, the team listens. That is how we got here with Brown and his led the team last week with 13 targets. He clearly has shown no rust after missing over a year in the NFL. Even last week when Tom Brady played terribly Brown still had eight catches for 57 yards. Vegas has this one at a 56 total which means lots of points and lots of passing between these two teams. The Chiefs just allowed a bunch of yards and points to the Raiders last week and the Tampa offense is much better. He is definitely due for a touchdown and it certainly feels like it is coming this week against Ward who allows 12.2 yards per catch, a 115.5 quarterback rating against, and has allowed three touchdowns this season.
Bargain Bin
Michael Pittman vs Malcolm Butler
Do you remember when Pittman burst on the fantasy scene? Yeah, that was a game against these Titans just two weeks ago. The guy was an early second round pick for a reason, he is really good. It also helps that Philip Rivers has stopped playing like hot garbage lately and that has helped Pittman produce on a high level. Butler has allowed 13 of the last 16 targets thrown at him to be completed and he was burned for a touchdown last week. Pittman also enjoys a five inch height advantage on Butler which means if there is a red zone situation he should have no trouble taking Butler to the cleaners.
*Information gathered from research done at Pro Football Focus.