Welcome to the Championship edition of the weekly wide receiver/cornerback breakdown! We will review each of the outside matchups, as well as my ten 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. It is the final week of the regular season so let’s win some championships and some DFS money before we keep this party going in the playoffs! Follow me on Twitter (@fightingchance) as well!
| Left WR | Right CB | Analysis |
| DeAndre Hopkins ARI | Jalen Ramsey LAR | Yes, he will be matched up with Jalen Ramsey here, but the Rams have to be demoralized by the offensive situation which is going to make things very difficult on their defense. Hopkins is seeing crazy volume lately with 47 targets and 34 catches in the last four games. He did have eight catches for 52 yards and a score in Week 13 against Ramsey and the Rams. This will come down to whether Kyler Murray can play or not, and obviously you fade Hopkins without Murray. However, I do think that Murray plays and I expect more yardage from Hopkins this time around. He won't be the strongest DFS option, but you can't ignore him completely either. Look for him to finish the year with another nine catches to get to 120 on the season for 75 yards and a decent chance at a touchdown. |
| Calvin Ridley ATL | Jamel Dean TB | Can you say absolute stud? Ridley is on an incredible heater to hed the season as he has four straight games with over 100 yards and two touchdowns over that span. I see no way that the Falcons throw Julio Jones out there, but even if they do he will be limited. Dean is the best corner that Tampa has, but it just doesn't matter as the whole unit hasn't been as good in the second half. He allows just a 62 percent catch rate and 9.2 yards per catch. But this is Calvin Ridley we are talking about here. Sometimes it doesn't matter if a corner is good, a receiver can just be that locked in and that is where we are at with Ridley. He had a season high ten catches for 163 yards and a score against Tampa just two weeks ago and I expect another huge output. |
| Marquise Brown BAL | William Jackson CIN | He had another touchdown last week, making it four in the last five games, although the four catches and 25 yards aren't exactly awe-inspiring. However, it is a great change from the middle of the season when Brown was unuseable. The Bengals have been playing better of late, but their defense is still leaky to be nice. They likely will finish the season without William Jackson, which gives Brown a very favorable matchup. Baltimore has focused more on running of late, but we know that Brown and Mark Andrews are the main targets in the pass game. He had six catches for 77 yards and a touchdown the first game against the Bengals and I could easily see similar production this week in a game that the Ravens absolutely have to have to make the playoffs. |
| Stefon Diggs BUF | Xavien Howard MIA | The best receiver not named Davante Adams did it again on Monday night with nine catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns against the Pats. That is now 120 catches for nearly 1,500 yards, although he has just eight touchdowns on the year. Diggs has been amazing. In the last four weeks he has 40 catches for 514 yards and four touchdowns. Yes, Xavien Howard is very good as is the rest of the Miami secondary, but if the Bills play this game hard, Diggs can't be stopped. And if Buffalo is without John Brown and Cole Beasley, Diggs could be looking at 15+ targets. He had a monster game against Miami in Week 2 and look for him to finish 2020 with a minimum of eight catches and 85 yards in this one. |
| D.J. Moore CAR | Marshon Lattimore NO | The reception total is far below what we hoped as are the touchdowns, but Moore is going to break 1,100 yards, which isn't bad at all. He has eight or more targets in the last four weeks, and is finishing the season fairly strong outside of last week's tough one against Washington. This week will also be a question mark as Week 17 often comes down to motivation. The Panthers are done after this one, and the Saints still have a shot at a first-round bye. Moore will be blanketed by Marshon Lattimore who has been playing much better in the last month. Moore gets a start in your fantasy championship, but won't be on my DFS radar for the season finale. |
| Allen Robinson CHI | Jaire Alexander GB | In what could be his final game for the Bears, Robinson will look to keep his ridiculous production going. Yes he will face Jaire Alexander, and yes the Packers are trying to sew up home field advantage, but Robinson is just that good. He already has 100 catches and over 1,200 yards we would have just liked to see more than six touchdowns. However, given the quarterback play perhaps we should feel lucky he got six. he had eight catches for 74 yards and two touchdowns the last time against Green Bay and he is the only reliable receiver the Bears have. Look for him to be a star again. And while he should be in some DFS lineups, he isn't one of the elite plays of the week. |
| Tee Higgins CIN | Marcus Peters BAL | Was it a fluke? Higgins had a great matchup last week and had six catches for 99 yards and a touchdown against the Texans in a game where Brandon Allen threw for over 300 yards. However, this week is very different. The Ravens are a very good defense and they need this game to try to make the playoffs. This little hot streak by the Bengals is a nice story, but they aren't this talented. Whether Tyler Boyd plays in this game or not is irrelevant to me, I am not trusting Cincinnati to do it again. |
| Rashard Higgins CLE | Steven Nelson PIT | Higgins was on a nice little three game roll but it feels like the air was let out of the balloon with the loss to the Jets and the receivers all being held out due to Covid. Signs point to them all being ready to roll this week, but with a loss of a week of practice and a really tough matchup against the Steelers my confidence in Higgins has taken a big hit. I could be wrong on this one, but I feel like Pittsburgh has been here before and is going to step up and play a big game and perhaps the Browns can run the ball well but after Jarvis Landry I don't have a ton of confidence in any Cleveland receiver. |
| Amari Cooper DAL | James Bradberry NYG | He is four catches away from 90 and has nearly 1,100 yards, but what a rollercoaster year it has been for Cooper. A week after just two catches for ten yards against the 49ers, he came back with four and 121 against the Eagles. He will finish the year against one of the better corners in football in a game the Cowboys desperately need. He had just two catches for 23 yards in Week 5 against the Giants, and it seems like Dallas always finds a way to cough up a game they need (sorry Bowden, Ronis, Colton, Piacenti). Andy Dalton has looked great in the past couple of weeks but Cooper comes with plenty of risk this week. If this is your fantasy championship I give him a start, but I much prefer CeeDee Lamb or even Michael Gallup for DFS purposes. |
| Jerry Jeudy DEN | Trayvon Mullen LV | The first job of a receiver is to catch the ball, something Jeudy has really struggled with at times this year, especially last week. However, after being nearly forgotten for a month in the offense he bounced back and had a season-high 15 targets. With Tim Patrick fading and K.J. Hamler likely out with injury, you could have a worse dart throw than Jeudy against a Raiders secondary that has been bad all season. Jeudy did have four catches for 68 yards against them back in Week 10 and if he can hold on to the damn ball he can do better this week. |
| Marvin Jones DET | Cameron Dantzler MIN | He has had a pretty good season and has had to be the lead receiver for most of it with Kenny Golladay on the shelf. The Lions finish the year against a fairly weak secondary in Minnesota, although Dantzler has played pretty well in the second half. The problem here is that the Lions will either have a highly injured Matthew Stafford or Chase Daniel or David Blough throwing the ball, all of which are not good options. Jones has helped us in some games along the way, but we can't let him ruin our lineups in Week 17. |
| Davante Adams GB | Jaylon Johnson CHI | You aren't really coming here wondering if you should use Adams, right? I mean it is obvious. He missed two games and still has 109 yards and SEVENTEEN TOUCHDOWNS! The Bears are a decent secondary, but he is just making everyone look silly. He is the top receiver in fantasy to close out the year since the Packers need to win to clinch home field. He could be sat if they get a big lead, but he will have a huge game getting them that big lead. |
| Brandin Cooks HOU | Malcolm Butler TEN | He blew up with seven catches for 141 yards and a touchdown last week against the Bengals and that was his fifth straight with 59+ yards and fourth straight with five catches or more. Deshaun Watson is going to finish the season strong, and the Titans secondary will help him do that with their awful play. Cooks had nine catches for 68 yards and a score against them back in Week 6, and that was when he was still battling Will Fuller for targets. I feel like Cooks is going to be underutilized in fantasy this week with the Texans just playing out the string, but don't overlook this matchup in cash games or in your Week 17 finale. |
| T.Y. Hilton IND | Greg Mabin JAX | Somehow Zach Pascal has become a thing and has been eating up all of the touchdowns recently. Hilton was still fine with three catches and 60 yards, but that is now back-to-back weeks without a touchdown. He gets a dream matchup to finish the year against a horrible Jaguars secondary and a team that gave up a long time ago. I could definitely see Hilton working into a small percentage of GPP lineups and will be a solid WR3 pick if this is your fantasy championship as well. |
| D.J. Chark JAX | Xavier Rhodes IND | He has back to back decent games and did score last week, but what about this Jaguars offense is instilling confidence in you? Chark has five touchdowns all season long and just two after the team's Week 8 bye. I might have confidence in him again next year with a better quarterback, but finishing the season against a pretty solid and ultra-motivated Indianapolis secondary does not make me want to put this guy in my lineups. Rhodes is a top six corner according to Pro Football Focus and this matchup is not even close to in Chark's favor. |
| Mecole Hardman KC | Casey Hayward LAC | Many hoped for a second year boom for Hradman that just never came. The Kansas City offense continues to revolve around two guys and for most of the season Hardman was targeted less than Demarcus Robinson too. He likely won't play this entire game as the Chiefs have home-field clinched, and even if he does I don't have confidence in Chad Henne to be able to deliver the ball downfield to Hardman. He will be a hard pass for the season finale for me. |
| Robert Woods LAR | Patrick Peterson ARZ | He was very good with ten catches against Arizona the last time they played, but the Rams offense is going to struggle mightily in this one. The Rams played russian roulette with the quarterback position having just a "graduate" of the AAF as their backup and the gun went off with Jared Goff's thumb injury. There's no way that you can trust John Wolford to move the ball effectively having never taken a snap in the NFL before. If he succeeds, great. But I wouldn't even consider risking my season or my DFS dollars on this situation. Woods is a fine receiver, but he will be covered by a good corner with a complete unknown throwing him the ball. |
| Mike Williams LAC | Bashaud Breeland KC | This corner matchup could change by Sunday and it could also change during the game as the Chiefs have nothing to play for. If Keenan Allen rests I could see giving Williams a shot against a defense that will feature backups, but I still don't think I trust Williams even in that case. He was the number one receiver last week against a banged up Broncos team and still had four catches for 54 yards despite double digit targets. He hasn't had a decent game since Week 11 and although he has big game potential, they are much too few and far between to risk any sort of roster spot on him in the season's final week. |
| Nelson Agholor LV | Michael Ojemudia DEN | It has been a very boom or bust type of year for Agholor who has come alive after the team's Week 6 bye. He has three games over 85 yards, and four under 50 in the last ten weeks of the year. He went five for 155 and a score last week against a tough Dolphins secondary and gets a Broncos defensive backfield that will be down their top two guys but still has played well. He has been better at home than on the road this season, and the Raiders will want to finish strong. He laid an egg against Denver back in Week 10, and although I wouldn't consider Agholor for DFS games this week he is still worthy of your WR3 spot in your fantasy finale. |
| DeVante Parker MIA | Tre'Davious White BUF | He was inactive again after more limited practices, and you have to figure the Dolphins stud receiver wanst to get some game reps in a game they can make the playoffs in. He had some success back in Week 2 against the Bills with five catches and 53 yards with a touchdown and he does have a four inch height advantage on White which could help in the red zone. However, I don't know that we will get a full snap count out of Parker and White is still a top-15 corner according to Pro Football Focus. He is a start if this is your fantasy championship but Parker can't be considered for DFS purposes with the injury concerns alone. |
| Adam Thielen MIN | Amani Oruwariye DET | He certainly bounced back after a couple of down weeks against the tough Saints with eight catches for 97 yards and a score against the Saints on Christmas. The volume was back with the nine targets, and he found the end zone for the 14th time this season. I know he had just two catches for 38 yards the first time they played the Lions, but I promise Detroit has given up and can't wait for this game to be over. Thielen will be a smash play in the season finale and both he and Justin Jefferson should have big numbers. |
| Damiere Byrd NE | Bryce Hall NYJ | It was another embarrassing performance on Monday night as the Patriots couldn't move the ball again and Byrd had one catch for seven yards. He now hasn't topped 50 yards since Week 11, and has just one touchdown on the season. The Jets defense has come alive in recent weeks, and even a bad defense can likely hold this Patriots offense in check. Byrd did have five catches for 65 yads against the Jets in the beginning of November, but he isn't a factor in a terrible passing offense and finishes the season a fantasy afterthought. |
| Emmanuel Sanders NO | Rasul Douglas CAR | The Saints pass game has understandably taking a dive in the last few weeks of the season as Drew Brees is not 100 percent and both Michael Thomas and Tre'Quan Smith done for the year. Sanders is putting up some points, but not enough to be overly fantasy relevant. If for some reason this is your fantasy championship he can be your flex, but he is not someone to consider for DFS purposes in the season finale against a fairly solid corner in Douglas. |
| Darius Slayton NYG | Chidobe Awuzie DAL | He does have 25 targets in the last three weeks, but it has only turned into nine catches. Daniel Jones has been off, and his low percentage plays to Slayton are more often than not coming up short. He has topped 35 yards just once since Week 10, and hasn't scored since Week 6. He did have a big game against the Cowboys back in Week 5 with eight catches and 129 yards, but the Dallas secondary has actually been playing decent of late, and the Giants have scored just 38 points in the last four weeks combined. Even with a soft matchup on paper there is no way to trust Slayton in the final week of the year. |
| Breshad Perriman NYJ | J.C. Jackson NE | Please don't look into the first matchup where Perriman had five catches for 101 yards and two touchdowns against the Pats in Week 9. First, Joe Flacco was quarterbacking and he can actually throw the ball deep, and it was just a flukey game in a small window of fantasy relevance for Perriman. He has five catches in the last four weeks, and even though the Patriots defense is giving up down the stretch they still should have little trouble with Darnold and Perriman in this one. |
| Jalen Reagor PHI | Ronald Darby WSH | The Eagles offense has come alive under Jalen Hurts, although they were unable to mount a sustained attack against the Cowboys last week. None of their wide receivers have become viable fantasy assets including Reagor who had just three catches for 30 yards in that game. Even the tight ends have come into question as far as trust this week and you should stay far away from Reagor in the finale against a pretty tough Washington secondary. |
| Diontae Johnson PIT | Denzel Ward CLE | He continues to be the most targeted and consistent receiver on the team, even if he does drop a few balls from time to time. He has 27 targets in the last two weeks and has eight or more cathces in five of the last six weeks. The Steelers really got their groove back in the second half last week agianst the Colts and Johnson finished with eight catches for 75 yards and a score in that one. Ward is a really good corner, but with the number of targets he sees, Johnson is virtually unstoppable. He will have another game of at least 14 fantasy points with a chance of dropping 20 in this one. Johnson will be a lesser owned great option for DFS games for the season finale and a must-start in your fantasy championship. |
| D.K. Metcalf SEA | Jason Verrett SF | He still wasn’t great last week with six catches and 59 yards, but it was much better than the previous game he played against Jalen Ramsey and the Rams. He will be seeing a lot of Jason Verrett who is highly ranked by Pro Football Focus, but Metcalf is still going to have a solid game. How good depends on how prolific the playcalling goes as Seattle has been incredibly conservative for the last month to six weeks. He did have 12 catches for 161 yards and two scores in Week 8 agianst the 49ers, but the Seattle offense hasn't been the same. He should still be good for eight catches and at least 75 yards but I am not sure I see a major explosion coming on Sunday. |
| Kendrick Bourne SF | Shaquill Griffin SEA | With Deebo Samuel out and now Brandon Aiyuk missing the game, Bourne will be the de facto top receiver for the season finale. C.J. Beathard is just a below average quarterback, the offensive line will be without Trent Williams and the Seahawks secondary has been playing much better of late. If you are totally desperate you can use Bourne in the flex spot of your season finale, but the only 49er you can consider for DFS purposes is Jeff Wilson. |
| Mike Evans TB | Kendall Sheffield ATL | He had one of the best games of his career last Saturday with ten catches for 181 yards and two touchdowns against the Lions. It was his second straight 100-yard game in a row and the week before that he had six catches for 110 yards against these same Falcons. Evans is on an incredible roll and has 13 touchdowns on the year. Sheffield allows a 77 percent catch rate, nearly 15 yards per catch and a 114 quarterback rating against. This is going to be another monster game for Evans. |
| A.J. Brown TEN | Vernon Hargreaves HOU | He has been under 50 receiving yards in each of the last two weeks, but Brown is still a dynamic receiver and he will come into the final game against one of the worst secondaries in football. The first time they played against the Texans he had five catches for 58 yards and two touchdowns back in Week 6 and he should have a similar outing again in the finale. Hargreaves allows nearly 13 yards per reception and is ranked 117th among all corners according to Pro Football Focus. 117th! In a league with 32 teams. Brown is a top ten receiver play in DFS contests this week. |
| Cam Sims WSH | Darius Slay PHI | With one game left and Terry McLaurin out, Sims sits on the edge of fantasy relevance one more time. He has 17 targets in the last two weeks, but it has turned into eight catches. He still has just one touchdown all season long, but the volume should give him slight value in PPR leagues. Darius Slay should do a good job of keeping him in check for most of the game, but Sims has some big play ability. He will be a long dart throw in DFS games and a less than ideal flex play if this is your fantasy championship. |
| Right WR | Left CB | Analysis |
| Christian Kirk ARI | Darious Williams LAR | He actually had his best game since Week 9 on Saturday against the 49ers with seven catches and 76 yards, but it is too little, too late for Kirk. He had just 68 receiving yards in the previous four games combined and hasn't scored since November 8th. The Rams might have a beaten up offense but their secondary is still one of the best in football and Williams is the fourth rated corner by Pro Football Focus. Kirk had just one catch for two yards in Week 13 gainst the Rams and while I think he will do better than that I would be surprised if he topped 40 receiving yards. |
| Russell Gage ATL | Sean Murphy-Bunting TB | It has been a very up and down year for Gage as his play when Julio Jones has been in and out of the lineup has been sporadic. He had 50+ receiving yards in four of the last five games and we were gaining confidence in him. However, Gage fell flat with just four catches and 23 yards against the Chiefs in Week 16. He finishes against Tampa who he had five catches for 68 yards and a score against just two weeks ago. Last week has left a bad taste in our mouths, but Gage could bounce back for a decent fantasy day in Week 17 against Murphy-Bunting who allows nearly 13 yards per grab, an 80 percent catch rate, and a 126.9 quarterback rating against. |
| Miles Boykin BAL | LeShaun Sims CIN | Ahhh, Miles Boykin. I have enjoyed writing each and every week how you are not fantasy relevant, and I hope it will continue in the playoffs. But again, even against Cincinnati, who he had no catches against back in Week 5, you shouldn't trust Miles Boykin. That was fun. |
| Gabriel Davis BUF | Byron Jones MIA | It seems unlikely that we will see John Brown much if at all in the finale after his trip to the Covid list and with the Bills having nothing to play for. You would also think that if Cole Beasley's injury is even the slightest bit a problem he won't play with only seeding at stake. The problem here is that we might not see a full game of Josh Allen. Davis has just five catches for 51 yards in the last two weeks, and his little magical run may have come to an end. If the Bills seem committed to playing everyone for 60 minutes and Brown and Beasley sit, you could get some nice sneaky value out of Davis. |
| Robby Anderson CAR | Janoris Jenkins NO | He needs eight catches for 100 on the season, and you have to say that it was a positive year for Anderson. If he hadn't gotten off to such a hot start, and had more than three touchdowns, we would have a much better feel about 2020 for him as it comes to a close. He did have six catches for 74 yards against the Saints in Week 7, and he does have a five inch height advantage on Jenkins, but Anderson is also not heavily targeted in the red zone, so that might not be a huge factor. Jenkins does allow nearly 13 yards per catch, but also just a 59 percent catch rate. He is sure to see a lot of targets in this one, but his catches tend to be of the shorter variety, and we are likely to get 12-14 fantasy points from Anderson but the chance of much more isn't high. He has popped up on the injury report so be sure that he is active. |
| Darnell Mooney CHI | Kevin King GB | There wree times during the year where I started to feel good about Mooney's chances in 202, but ultimately it never really happened for him. I had high hopes for him last week after two straight games with touchdowns and a matchup against the Jaguars, but he let us down big time with just four catches for 39 yards. That is about where he comes in most weeks, including three catches for 34 yards against the Packers the first time. Mooney will not be a fantasy option in the last week of the season. |
| A.J. Green CIN | Marlon Humphrey BAL | Whether Tyler Boyd plays this week or not won't make a difference. In a game where Brandon Allen threw for over 300 yards, Green still had just 64 yards against one of the worst secondaries in football. The Ravens might be beaten up in the defensive backfield, but they are still a formidable defense. Green had no catches against Baltimore in Week 5, and I'd expect another disappointing day. |
| Donovan Peoples-Jones CLE | Joe Haden PIT | He had a few good games before the Covid contact tracing forced him to miss last week, but the Browns offense still isn't awesome and he had just eight catches in those three games. Peoples-Jones needs some big plays to make his fantasy day, and the Steelers just don't give up a ton of them. He also will have missed a solid week of practice, which is still very valuable to a young receiver trying to make a mark. It is nice to see the kid finishing the season strong, but he and the Browns likely go out on a bad note and there isn't a fantasy contest around where Peoples-Jones belongs on a roster. |
| Michael Gallup DAL | Isaac Yiadom NYG | I think I speak for everyone when I say where the hell has this been all season? Gallup had a decent game here and there, but he has found what we thought he would do all season long here at the end. He has four touchdowns in the last four weeks, and although the yardage hasn't been there every week he had a monster 121 yards in Week 15. Now, is this fool's gold or is Gallup a thing in the season finale? He has been mostly solid with Andy Dalton under center this year and has six or more targets in four of the last five games. The Giants are going nowhere and Yiadom isn't a great corner. Gallup had four catches for 73 yards the first time they played the Giants which was the game Dak Prescott was injured. If you remember, Dalton and Gallup connected a couple of times late in that game. He is someone you can use as a sleeper option in the last week of the year. |
| Tim Patrick DEN | Keisean Nixon LV | Touchdowns have mader him a factor this season, but he and the Broncos pass game is ending the season on a low note for sure. Hehasn't had more than three catches in three weeks and hasn't topped 45 receiving yards since Week 11. He has just four targets in three of the last four weeks, and Jerry Jeudy was the star of the show last week. Even with K.J. Hamler likely out for this game, it still makes Patrick a bit of a long shot of a flex play in your fantasty championship against a bad Raiders secondary. |
| Quintez Cephus DET | Chris Jones MIN | With the injury to Kenny Golladay and the release of Marvin Hall, I thought maybe that Cephus could have possibly been a factor down the stretch. However, he hasn't had more than two catches since Week 3 and has one touchdown all year. The Lions are looking at a bad quarterback situation this week and Cephus is nowhere near the fantasy radar. |
| Allen Lazard GB | Kyle Fuller CHI | He is the clear number two receiver on the offense, but that hasn't added up to much since he returned from injury. His best game since Week 11 was his five catches for 56 yards against the Panthers in Week 15. He did have a touchdown the last time they played the Bears, but he also had just four catches for 23 yards. The Packers are likely to throw some but run a lot to shorten this game, and Lazard won't be someone you want to put in any fantasy lineup to end the year. |
| Chad Hansen HOU | Tye Smith TEN | The wind was certainly taken out of his fantasy sails last week with just one catch for eight yards after three straight with over 55 yards. The bad news is the six targets combined in the last two weeks. The Texans are sure going to throw plenty against the Titans in their quest for the upset, but it appears that Hansen's value was incredibly short lived and the time has passed. Tennessee is a pretty bad secondary as we have seen all season long, but I don't think three receivers for Houston can be fantasy relevant. |
| Michael Pittman IND | Chris Claybrooks JAX | He left last week with a concussion, but I am not sure it will matter if he even plays. Pittman hasn't topped 50 yards since Week 11 and had more than three catches just once in the last six weeks. Even against the terrible Jaguars it is hard to get on board with Pittman even if he clears concussion protocol in time for the game. |
| Laviska Shenault JAX | Rock Ya-Sin IND | I do like what I have seen from him this year and perhaps with Trevor Lawrence at quarterback next season he can be more fantasy relevance. He has five or more catches and at least 40 yards in three straight games, but we need more than that down the stretch. The Colts are a really strong pass defense, and Mike Glennon can't make them pay too much. It is possible that he could possibly score in garbage time in this massacre but I need more than that from my fantasy receiver. |
| Demarcus Robinson KC | Michael Davis LAC | He should see some action this week with the Chiefs resting the "important players" and Sammy Watkins being injured, but with Chad Henne at quarterback I don't see a lot of effort coming from the Kansas City side this week, although the Chargers secondary isn't very good. The entire Chiefs team is a fade for me this week though whether it be season long or DFS purposes. |
| Josh Reynolds LAR | Dre Kirkpatrick ARZ | With Cooper Kupp out with Covid that will put Reynolds in line for a bigger workload. The problem is how much will that matter with John Wolford at quarterback? Well, it takes Reynolds from an afterthought for the season finale to at leaset someone you could possibly use as a dart throw. He isn't someone I would trust even with Jared Goff quarterbacking, but he could at least be looking at six to eight targets in this one. |
| Tyron Johnson LAC | Charvarious Ward KC | He had scored in two straight weeks and with Keenan Allen inactive against a bad Broncos secondary, I had some hope that Johnson could continue his hot streak. However, he finished with just three catches for 26 yards on just three targets. The Chiefs are going to sit anyone that matters in this game and likely will even filter out mid-range players during the game. That being said do you really want to trust a guy who has 18 catches in 16 games in your fantasy championship or DFS contest? I think that is too much of a stretch. |
| Bryan Edwards LV | De'Vante Bausby DEN | There was hope for some excitement from the rookie third-round pick this year, but he was injured early and then never got back in the flow. Edwards one catch last week was his first since Week 12 and he couldn't be farther from the fantasy radar, even against a fairly terrible Broncos secondary. |
| Mack Hollins MIA | Levi Wallace BUF | The Dolphins will be without Jakeem Grant again, but DeVante Parker and Mike Gesicki should be in the game. Hollins has 126 yards in the last three weeks, but only one touchdown all season long. Even though Lynn Bowden cam back to the pack, Hollins still won't be a fantasy factor unless he would feature as the Dolphins top receiver against the Bills. |
| Justin Jefferson MIN | Mike Ford DET | It has been an incredible rookie year for Jefferson as he has 79 catches and 1,267 yards with seven touchdowns so far. He had just three catches for 64 yards back in Week 9 against the Lions, but the Detroit secondary has had a ton of injuries and they are just getting worse by the week. If you missed the game on Saturday just take a look at the box score at what the Bucs did to Detroit. Jefferson will be a top play for your fantasy championship and is absolutely in play in both cash and GPP games for DFS purposes. |
| N'Keal Harry NE | Bless Austin NYJ | C'mon you aren't really thinking about using Harry or anyone on the Patriots in the last week are you? What do you want to donate money? Moving along. |
| Marquez Callaway NO | Donte Jackson CAR | Even without Michael Thomas and Tre'Quan Smith out, there was no other wide receiver that was worthwhile other than Emmanuel Sanders. It was Callaway's first game in a while due to injury, but he had just four targets. This offense is going to run the ball as much as they can and focus on tight ends and Sanders. The Panthers secondary isn't terrible, and Callaway isn't a reliable option that you can trust in the season finale. |
| Sterling Shepard NYG | Trevon Diggs DAL | The most proven receiver on the team, Shepard had his best game of the season with nine catches on a dozen targets and a touchdown. The score was his first since Week 7, and it came when the game was decided against the Ravens. The Cowboys secondary isn't very good, but Diggs is the best they have. He has allowed just 57 yards against him combined in the last two weeks since returning from injury and a 59 percent catch rate for the season. Shepard will be the most targeted receiver, but he isn't a big play receiver that is going to shine most of the time. He could get you 12-14 fantasy points so if that fits your roster act accordingly. |
| Denzel Mims NYJ | Jason McCourty NE | The Jets offense stinks, and Mims production has fallen off in each of the last five weeks. Even against a just okay Browns secondary he failed to have a catch on two targets in a game where the Jets offense was actually decent again. He still doesn't have a touchdown all season and likely will finish without one. The Patriots secondary is a step down without Stephon Gilmore but Mims is still a mile away from being on the fantasy radar. |
| Alshon Jeffery PHI | Kendall Fuller WSH | It was another single catch game for Jeffery as he continues to be completely average this season. He now has six catches in the seven games he has played and shouldn't even be a thought of yours for a single second, especially against Washington. |
| Chase Claypool PIT | Terrence Mitchell CLE | What was a very exciting rookie season has turned kind of ordinary in the past five weeks. It has been that long since Claypool found the end zone and he hasn't topped 60 receiving yards since Week 10. The volume hasn't even been there for Claypool as he has had more than four catches just once since Week 9. He is a great big play threat and can have a multi-touchdown game at any time, but if you follow the trends of what is happening lately it is hard to trust Claypool this week. He had four catches for 74 yards in Week 6 against the Browns, and that is probably his ceiling for this game. |
| Richie James SF | D.J. Reed SEA | The last time that both Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk were both out we say James go for nine catches and 184 yards and a touchdown against the Packers. George Kittle was also out in that game, but it still should be a decent game for James. He should be the second most targeted guy after Kittle and he has some big play ability. C.J. Beathard doesn't have a big arm to target him too far down the field, but James should still have solid value. He is a decent dart throw in DFS games and a reasonable flex play if this is your fantasy championship. |
| David Moore SEA | Emmanuel Moseley SF | His 45 yards last week were his most since November 8th, but it came on just one catch and it was his only target of the game. The Seahawks offense is running so conservative that Tyler Lockett isn't a fantasy factor anymore, so Moore certainly isn't especially in a matchup with a solid corner. |
| Antonio Brown TB | A.J. Terrell ATL | He did score for the second straight week, but Brown is definitely third in line for targets after Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. He had just four catches for 35 yards in a game where the Bucs scored 47 points and both Tom Brady and Blaine Gabbert had multiple touchdowns. Brown had five catches for 93 yards and a score two weeks ago against the Falcons and Atlanta has absolutely nothing to play for. Brown feels like a low-end DFS option though as I like the other two receivers more, and he is a reasonable flex play if this is your fantasy championship. |
| Corey Davis TEN | Keion Crossen HOU | He had no catches last week but he also played in snow, had Jaire Alexander on him, and the offense never got going on Sunday night. Things will be very different this week as they will be indoors and be playing a secondary that just made the Bengals and Brandon Allen look like a solid quarterback. Davis was injured the first time they played Houston, but the Texans have allowed 30 passing touchdowns in 15 games. Davis had three 100-yard ames in the previous five weeks before that dud, and you have to have a short memory in fantasy sports. Davis will be a big time factor as the Titans will play strong as they have hopes for a division title in Week 17. |
| Isaiah Wright WSH | Kevon Seymour PHI | With Terry McLaurin out it was Cam Sims who stepped up with Steven Sims being decent out of the slot. The pass game wasn’t very good and Wright didn't have a catch against the Panthers. Washington will play an even lesser secondary in Philadelphia, but the Football Team offense isn't good enough to have this many players capable of putting up fantasy stats. You can completely ignore Wright, even against the Eagles. |
Now, here are my ten favorite matchups in the slot in Week 17.
| Slot WR | Slot CB | Analysis |
| Chris Godwin TB | Isaiah Oliver ATL | He had only four catches for 36 yards against two weeks ago, but Godwin lit it up with five catches for 84 yards and another score last week against the Lions. Godwin seems to be the firm number two receiver on the team in terms of volume, and Oliver is pretty awful in the slot. Tampa Bay might ease up if they get a big lead, but Brady should be throwing plenty in this one again and Godwin should be a full-systems go in your lineups for this coming Sunday. |
| CeeDee Lamb DAL | Jabrill Peppers NYG | Lamb has been playing great in the last two weeks with 150 yards through the air and 20 more on the ground with two total touchdowns. Andy Dalton has found his groove and the Cowboys offense has woken up. The Giants secondary has one good corner and James Bradberry will be on Amari Cooper. Lamb has awesome big play ability and won't need to make too many plays to have a fantasy relevant afternoon. He will be one of my targeted value options in Week 17 in a game where I think the Cowboys will be able to pass on the Giants some and I think Lamb will do the most damage. |
| Zach Pascal IND | Tre Herndon JAX | He has six targets in each of the last two weeks and 143 yards and three scores in that time. He certainly has caught fire at the right time for fantasy players. The Colts need this game and the Jaguars are all set for their offseason and welcoming in Trevor Lawrence. The Jaguars defense has given up for the year and they weren't that good to begin with. T.Y. Hilton might have a solid game but look for Pascal out of the slot to have another touchdown. |
| Keke Coutee HOU | Desmond King TEN | He has 50+ yards or a touchdown in the last four weeks and five or more catches in three of the last four. This choice comes down to a great matchup and the fact that I think this will be a high scoring game. The Titans traded for King midseason, but he hasn't quite lived up to what they hoped. The Texans are likely to finish the season strong through the air, and Brandin Cooks can't get it all. He will be a DFS dart throw or a great flex play to help you win your fantasy championship. |
| Jarvis Landry CLE | Mike Hilton PIT | Before being screwed with missing last week's game, Landry and the rest should be activated in time for this game. And while the others are young, unpolished receivers, Landry has been in the system and playing with Baker Mayfield for years. The Steelers do have a great secondary, but are a little vulnerable out of the slot. Landry has had great volume of late as he has 29 catches on 38 targets in the last four weeks including three touchdowns. Going against the Steelers might not be the best idea for your Week 17 DFS contests, but Landry will be a low-end WR2 or a very solid WR3 for your fantasy championship. |
| Juju Smith-Schuster PIT | Kevin Johnson CLE | Sometimes the good Juju comes to play, sometimes Evil Juju comes to crush your fantasy dreams. However, I feel like the Steelers found their groove in the second half against the Colts and Smith-Schuster had nine catches for 96 yards and a score in that one. The Browns just gave up a bunch to Jamison Crowder, and Johnson allows a 74 percent catch rate and nearly 12 yards a catch which is very high for a slot corner. He had a bad game with just six yards the last time against Cleveland, but that was in mid-October. The Steelers would love to crush the Browns playoff hopes and I see them playing hard and Juju helping you bring home the fantasy championship even with Mason Rudolph at quarterback. |
| Curtis Samuel CAR | Chauncey Gardner-Johnson NO | His usage has really improved in the second half of the season and what I liked the most was his seven rushing attempts last week. Christian McCaffrey is a long shot to play, and Mike Davis is just shot, and the team should give Samuel a solid number of rushes again this week. He also has been targeted a solid number of times and has at least 65+ receiving yards in four of the last five. He had six catches for 48 yards with a short rushing touchdown the last time out against the Saints, and he is the one guy on the Panthers I have confidence in this week. Look for Samuel to finish the season strong with 12-14 fantasy points in PPR leagues for Week 17. |
| Jamison Crowder NYJ | Jonathan Jones NE | The Darnold-Crowder connection is back and better than ever as he had another great game against the Browns. In the last two weeks Crowder has 13 catches for 158 yards and a touchdown. He faces the Patriots this week, and in case you haven't noticed their defense isn't very good. They didn't give up a lot to Cole Beasley in the slot last week, but Crowder is the Jets best receiver and will certainly get more attention than Beasley did. He is a bit of a risk for DFS purposes, but Crowder will be a lock-and-loaded WR3 if this is your fantasy championship. |
| Tyler Lockett SEA | K'Waun Williams SF | He is on here for potential, and certainly not because of recent performance. Lockett has had more than 60 yards just three times since since Week 7 and has just one touchdown over that span. He also had just four catches for 33 yards in Week 8 against San Francisco. However, unlike most slot receivers he has a chance at a huge game at any time. Now, I am not banking on that chance because the Seahawks have been running an incredibly conservative offense. If you are looking for a small chance at a high reward, Lockett is your guy. |
| Jalen Guyton LAC | L'Jarius Sneed KC | I'm throwing him on the bottom because there are a lot slot guys hurt or not playing this week. The Chiefs have nothing to play for and likely will have their "B" or even "C" team out there while Justin Herbert and the Chargers want to finish strong. Guyton has shown he can be a little more than just a fly pattern and hasn't been terrible since given a bit bigger role. This one is a dart throw, but I like a team with an aerial offense against a team with no motivation to succeed. |
Elite
Davante Adams vs Kyle Fuller . I also like Stefon Diggs here, but I just can’t pick against Adams. He had 18 fantasy points against the Bears back in Week 12 and he has been white hot since that game. Adams has 35 catches in the last four weeks with 420 yards and six touchdowns over that span. The Bears need this game, but the Packers clinch home field with a win so they should be motivated to win this game. Adams is the best receiver in fantasy football and his 17 touchdowns in 13 games will be worth his large salary.
Calvin Ridley vs Jamel Dean. The Bucs can’t win the division but are locked into the playoffs, so this is just a seeding game for them. Atlanta might have nothing to play for, but why not go out with a win? Ridley has eight 100-yard games and one with 90 in 14 games. He also has scored in three of the last five and Dean has allowed 12 of the last 16 targets against him to be caught and four touchdown passes in the last five weeks. Ridley just an absolute stud and crushed the Bucs just two weeks ago with 32 fantasy points. He will be a smash play in the finale.
Affordable
Justin Jefferson vs Mike Ford . The kid has had an amazing rookie season and he has topped 70 receiving yards in six of the last seven weeks. He has far surpassed Adam Thielen in terms of targets and has the much larger big play ability. The Lions secondary has had injuries and were bad to begin with and now they are really, really bad. The Lions have allowed 12 passing touchdowns in the last three weeks, and you have to think that Kirk Cousins is going to throw a minimum of three in this one. Jefferson is an absolute smash play in this one.
A.J. Brown vs Vernon Hargreaves . The Texans defense is absolutely awful and have allowed seven touchdown passes in the last three weeks including over 350 yards passing to both Mitchell Trubisky and Brandon Allen ! Ryan Tannehill didn’t look great last week, but it was in bad weather in Green Bay. Brown has ten touchdowns in 13 games and is averaging over 70 yards per game. He ripped the Texans for five catches and two touchdowns the first time they played, and the Titans need to win this game. Brown is a virtual lock to have a touchdown in the final game of the season.
Bargain Bin
CeeDee Lamb vs Jabrill Peppers . I also like Zach Pascal this week, but I feel like Lamb is the safer play. The Giants have one good corner and that is James Bradberry , and he won’t approach Lamb all game. The Giants gave up a strong game to Jarvis Landry out of the slot a couple of weeks ago and Peppers allows nearly 12 yards per catch and a 65 percent catch rate. The Cowboys need this game and Andy Dalton has caught fire of late and has nine touchdown passes in the last four weeks. The Cowboys might not win this game, but I think Dalton has a solid performance. With Amari Cooper potentially locked down by Bradberry that leaves Gallup and Lamb to likely run wild. The Giants are more susceptible out of the slot than with Gallup and Isaac Yiadom . Lamb is a really fast receiver with big play ability and is in line for a great game to finish his rookie season.
*Information gathered from research done at Pro Football Focus.