Welcome to the weekly wide receiver/cornerback breakdown! 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. You know ‘em, you hate ‘em. Bye week SZN is here! The Niners, Jets, Saints, and Falcons are off this week, which surprisingly doesn’t complicate decisions too much this week outside of Calvin Ridley and Deebo Samuel. Injuries though, of course, are killing us. Don’t worry, we have you covered in all formats. This article is critical for daily players and season long, as this will help you gain a competitive advantage when setting your lineups. Follow me on Twitter (@fightingchance) as well!
| Left WR | Right CB | Analysis |
| DeAndre Hopkins ARZ | Denzel Ward CLE | He not only got through last week's game without injury, but Hopkins had six catches for 87 yards and a touchdown against the 49ers. Hopefully this gets the elite talent on track to have his usual dominating season. He is helped out by facing the Browns, who not only have most of their secondary banged up, but haven't been that good to begin with anyway. The Cardinals offense is firing on all cylinders and Hopkins is always a guy to consider for your lineups in daily and season long formats as well. |
| Marquise Brown BAL | Michael Davis LAC | You gotta love that he has been targeted at least five times in every game this season, and twice he's seen ten passes his way. His nine catches, 125 yards and two touchdowns Monday night was his best output of the season. The Ravens are definitely throwing more this year, and Brown has been a big beneficiary of that. Rashod Bateman very well could come back this week, but Hollywood has solidified himself as the top receiver with his early season play. Davis has been playing strong lately, only allowed five of ten targets at him to be caught for a combined 31 yards and has surrendered just one touchdown this season. I am still playing Brown in my season long leagues, but in DFS I will probably look elsewhere. |
| Stefon Diggs BUF | Janoris Jenkins TEN | He has just one touchdown so far through five games, and it isn't like he is being ignored, the touchdowns have just been going elsewhere. Last week against the Chiefs the Bills didn't run a lot of plays in general and did run the ball a good deal. This is the week that Diggs is going to have the big game though. The Titans have been absolutely putrid as a defense, especially agianst the pass. Jenkins hasn't been the worst offender on the team, but he is allowing nearly 70% of passes to be caught and has a 104.6 quarterback rating against in 2021. With guys like DIggs it is a matter of time before he has a big game, and this should be that time. |
| D.J. Moore CAR | Patrick Peterson MIN | I didn't expect that Sam Darnold would struggle as much as he did last week but Moore still led the team with 42 yards and seven targets. The Panthers hope to welcome back Christian McCaffrey this week, but that should have little impact on Moore's role. His 50 targets and 440 yards are both among league leaders. Patrick Peterson has played better the past two weeks, but he was on an overrated Odell Beckham and the Lions receivers last week. Moore should continue his dynamite season and is in play in all fantasy formats for Week 6. |
| Allen Robinson CHI | Kevin King GB | Tell me again how Justin Fields is going to save this offense? First of all, I haven't seen much that impresses me about Fields and second the Bears aren't throwing the ball that much. The Bears get a break that Jaire Alexander is on IR but honestly at this point if you have an option that has played remotely as well I would seriously considering benching Robinson in season long leagues. Darnell Mooney has outperformed him in two straight games and until we see the Bears pass game show some sort of teeth, Robinson is a high-risk guy for your lineups. It is time for us to be honest with ourselves with what we are seeing on Sundays. |
| Tee Higgins CIN | Amani Oruwariye DET | Ja'Marr Chase was the big performer last week, but Higgins was still an integral part of the offense with seven targets. The Bengals should put up big points this week against the Lions, and Oruwariye was beaten repeatedly by Justin Jefferson last week for over 100 yards. He is averaging nearly 16 yards per completion against him, which is a very high number. Higgins also has a three inch height advantage over Oruwariye which we know is big considering how much Higgins is looked to in the red zone. Fire up this man in any format and you should be rewarded nicely. |
| Odell Beckham CLE | Robert Alford ARZ | We getting ready to call him what he really is? Beckham is getting to be an afterthought in this offense. A week after two catches on a nice seven targets, he had two more catches on just three targets in a game where the Browns scored 42 points and Cleveland threw the ball 32 times. I'm not sure if it is a chemistry thing or an effort thing or he just isn't getting open, but Beckham now has four catches for 47 yards in the last two games combined. Robert Alford is allowing under nine yards a catch and has given up just one touchdown on the season. I sure would be trying to find a better option on my team if Beckham was on my roster. |
| Amari Cooper DAL | J.C. Jackson NE | His hammy isn't 100% but Cooper still finished the game with three catches for 60 yards and a touchdown against the Giants. He has just three catches in four straight weeks, but has found the end zone in two games in a row to make his fantasy outlook better. The Cowboys are still running more than anyone would like (except those who are riding Zeke Elliot right now), and Cooper is averaging 4.5 targets per game since his Week 1 explosion. J.C. Jackson has allowed just 60% of balls to be caught, but he's also giving up 15 yards per catch and a lot of yards after the catch. I might not focus on Cooper in DFS with a lingering hammy issue, but he is still a go for your season long leagues. |
| Courtland Sutton DEN | Casey Hayward LV | What I wouldn't give for some consistency here! Sutton has been so boom or bust so far this season, and we got another boom last week with seven catches and 120 yards in a game it looked like he might not even play in. We know the talent is there, and we know that Teddy Bridgewater will continue to be the quarterback. Jerry Jeudy is getting closer but not ready yet, so Sutton will continue to play as the top receiver. Hayward has been dominant though, allowing just one-third of passes his way to be caught and just 39 receiving yards all season. Sutton can't be trusted for DFS, but as your flex with expectations in check I think you could do worse. |
| Kalif Raymond DET | Chidobe Awuzie CIN | With Quintez Cephus now down for a stretch we have to look elsewhere for production for this team. A week after two touchdowns, Raymond didn't even have a single catch against a beatable Vikings secondary. Awuzie was beaten for nine catches and 94 yards last week, but I have a hard time going into the week with much confidence in Raymond. If he is on your team already, perhaps give him consideration for your flex depending on the rest of your roster, but if he is on the waiver wire I would let him go. I believe the fantasy production from this passing game is going to come from other sources. |
| Davante Adams GB | Jaylon Johnson CHI | I mean what are we doing here? Do I really need to sell you on Adams? The guy is an ABSOLUTE BEAST and has shown it all season long. Does he have an off game here and there? Sure does. Are they often? Sure arent!Jaylon Johnson has had a really good season and hasn't allowed a touchdown yet, so could I fault you for not riding Adams in DFS? Sure but I offer that there is no answer for Adams and he is always a dynamite play! |
| Brandin Cooks HOU | Xavier Rhodes IND | As we worried, Cooks was kind of taken out of the game by Patriots scheming and had just three catches on the afternoon, while Davis Mills found success elsewhere. Rhodes has been a great corner in his career, but outside of one play on Monday night didn't have a very effective evening. In fact, he has let eight of 11 targets at him to be caught in three weeks. The Colts as a whole have allowed 15 passing touchdowns in five games including four on Monday to Lamar Jackson who looked like the most accurate passer in the league. Davis Mills is not nearly as talented, but I still think Cooks is worth a start in seasonal leagues. |
| Michael Pittman IND | Desmond King HOU | He scored his first touchdown of the season on Monday night, and Pittman had six catches or more for the fourth straight game. He has become the focal point of the passing game, and the most reliable receiver on the team. King has allowed an 83% catch rate, 12.7 yards per catch and a 124.5 quarterback rating against. The Colts should be ahead in this one and might run more, but I still really like Pittman this week in both season long and DFS contests. |
| Marvin Jones JAX | Xavien Howard MIA | Ewwww! You would have thought with D.J. Chark out that Jones would have gotten more attention but he had just one catch on five targets for 25 yards. The inside receivers and tight ends got all of the attentino against the Titans. Howard has been one of the best corners in the league for a number of years but has been getting destroyed lately. He gave up three touchdowns himself last week, and five on the season. He is also allowing just under 17 yards a catch and 112 yards of YAC in just five weeks. I still think Jones is a bit of a risky play the way the offense has been so inconsistent, but in most season long leagues now that bye weeks are in play he is likely at least worth your flex. |
| Mecole Hardman KC | William Jackson WFT | All of the Hardman defenders will be out this week after he caught nine balls for 76 yards against the Bills on Sunday night. Considering he had just 13 catches in the previous four weeks, the nine snags was impressive. He also gets a matchup against a Football Team secondary that has been one of the worst in the league this season. Washington is giving up 293 yards per game through the air and 14 touchdowns in five games. Personally, I still stay away from Hardman, but if he is on your roster this is a week that you might feel good about playing him. |
| Robert Woods LAR | James Bradberry NYG | Speaking of a guy who nearly doubled his season production, Woods also had a huge game with 12 catches for 150 yards against the Seahawks last Thursday. Previous to that game he had 15 catches and 172 yards in thre previous four games combined. He should be shadowed by James Bradberry this week, which in 2020 was a death sentence for opposing receivers. This year, Bradberry is allowing nearly 75% of balls to be caught and has already given up four touchdowns in five weeks. He is also giving up over 20 yards after the catch per game this year. If you have Woods, I would have no hesitation to keep him in your starting lineups this weekend. |
| Mike Williams LAC | Marlon Humphrey BAL | Once Denzel Ward went down there was no stopping Williams who finished with eight catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns. Outside of the Raiders, no one has been able to stop Williams this season. While Marlon Humphrey's stats have been solid with just a 56% catch rate and under 12 yards per grab, the Ravens secondary has been subpar allowing just over 296 yards a game through the air. Not to mention they are coming off a short week after making Carson Wentz look much better than he actually is. Justin Herbert shouldn't have much trouble with this defense, and it is hard to ignore the volume and the success that Williams is having this season. I would absolutely use him in both season long and DFS games in Week 6. |
| Henry Ruggs LV | Kyle Fuller DEN | The three targets were a massive disappointment after 20 in the previous three weeks, but at least Ruggs stayed efficient and caught all three of them. Every time I start to feel more comfortable with this guy, he has a game like this and it makes me hesitant again. On the flip side, I think the Broncos are just putting a cardboard cutout of Fuller on the field lately because he has allowed all ten targets at him the last three weeks to be caught for nearly 200 yards and a score. His quarterback rating against for the year is 124.4. I would think of using Ruggs if the game was indoors at home, but on the road I would probably just stick to using him in your 2021 leagues. |
| Preston Williams MIA | Shaquill Griffin JAX | He got off to a solid start in the first half and then went completely quiet in the last two quarters and finished with three catches for 60 yards. He gets an uptick of situation this week with it looking like Tuan Tagovailoa will return for the Dolphins which brings some more stability to the offense and hopef rot he passing game. Griffin has been rated under 60 in every game but one by Pro Football Focus and the Jaguars secondary has allowed 287 yards per game through the air. If you are dealing with bad injuries and a couple guys on bye, perhaps Williams could fill in your flex. |
| Justin Jefferson MIN | Donte Jackson CAR | Jefferson had seven catches for 124 yards last week and now has been targeted at least seven times in every game, has six or more catches in four straight and has scored in three of five games this season. He has a bit of a stiffer test this week though with Donte Jackson and the Panthers. Jackson is allowing just 10.2 yards per catch, which as an outside corner is pretty strong. He also has just an 82.5 quarterback rating against. Jefferson does have a couple inches on him though and great leaping ability which could come in handy on deep passes or in the red zone. I like Jefferson to come out of this with another really good game, even though it is on the road. |
| Nelson Agholor NE | Trevon Diggs DAL | The Pats were down four offensive lineman last week so throwing the ball deep wasn't going to be in the game plan. However, Agholor still was only targeted four times and caught three for 32 yards. He has topped 50 yards once in the last month and hasn't had more than three catches since Week 1. Trevon Diggs has become one of the premiere corners in the league and he should just toy with Agholor all game, don't give him a second thought. |
| Darius Slayton NYG | Jalen Ramsey LAR | Who is going to get the Ramsey treatment? Slayton or Toney? Kenny Golladay is definitely out so one of these two is going to get Ramseyed. Honestly whether it is Ramsey or Robert Rochell I don't have a ton of confidence in Slayton this week. He missed two games with a hammy and only had 127 yards in three games anyway. Leave him on your bench and see if he gets through this unscathed. |
| DeVonta Smith PHI | Jamel Dean TB | There is no doubt who the top receiving option on this team is, and it is Smith by a lot. He had seven catches for the second straight week and finished one yard shy of 200 in those games. However, he draws one of the toughest matchups out there in Dean. One of the best corners in football, Dean has allowed just 45% of passes to be caught and hasn't allowed 100 yards total in four games. I would still probably start Smith in my season long leagues with very lowered expectations, and in DFS showdown slates he is tough to trust even with the player pool being just two teams. |
| Diontae Johnson PIT | D.J. Reed SEA | One the one hand, the Steelers really relied on the run game last week and there is plenty of chatter about Ben Roethlisberger dealing with injuries. On the other, they are playing the Seahawks who have had one of the worst secondaries in the league. Johnson had just two targets last week which is very uncharacteristic of him, but he did catch both for 72 yards and a score. I have to believe that he is getting more than two targets this week, even though Reed is the best corner the Seahawks have. I'd give Johnson a start in season long leagues, but DFS is probably a no go. |
| D.K. Metcalf SEA | Joe Haden PIT | I'm very torn on this one. Metcalf came up huge with five catches for 98 yards and two scores against Jalen Ramsey and the Rams, but at the same time they lost Russell Wilson for a stretch. I know Geno Smith came in and led the offense well, but he is still Geno Smith and I can't expect that to continue. The Steelers secondary has been awful though, and Haden who is supposed to be a stud has been anything but. He has allowed nearly 75% of passes his way to be caught with a 119.4 quarterback rating against. I can't put my DFS dollars on the arm of Geno Smith, but based on what I saw last week and how the Steelers are playing I still fire up Metcalf in season long leagues. |
| Mike Evans TB | Steven Nelson PHI | The Eagles secondary has been better than we thought coming into the season, but it just seems like the Bucs passing game is unstoppable right now! Evans had 113 yards and two touchdowns last week and has had four really solid games after an opening night dud. The Eagles pass defense is third best in the league, allowing just under 195 yards through the air, but they are giving up two passing touchdowns per game. Tom Brady has a bit of an injury, but we know he is going to power through it and I really like Evans in both seasonal leagues and on the DFS showdown slates for Thursday night. |
| A.J. Brown TEN | Tre'Davious White BUF | The Titans rode the back of Derrick Henry in squashing the Jaguars and didn't really have to throw much at all. However, the good news is that Brown came out of the game healthy and without a setback. I don't think Julio Jones is going to play again which means all eyes are on Brown in the secondary. White is one of the best corners in football, although he is giving up four catches a game, they average just ten yards per catch. With a tough matchup I probably don't trust Brown at his price tag in DFS contests, but he is never someone you consider sitting when healthy in redraft leagues. |
| Terry McLaurin WAS | Mike Hughes KC | The volume has been undeniable as he has 49 targets in five weeks, although the performance of Taylor Heinicke gets a little bit scarier every week. I will chalk it up to playing a really good defense in New Orleans last week, a problem they won't have against the Chiefs this week. Kansas City allows the fifth most yards in the air so far this season, including a beating put on them by Josh Allen. Now, the Washington offense isn't that great, but they sure will be behind in this one which means we are looking for some good garbage time production from McLaurin. I'm a little worried about Heinickie, but I'm still using McLaurin in any fantasy game. |
| Right WR | Left CB | Analysis |
| A.J. Green ARZ | Greedy Williams CLE | He had been targeted six times in each game before the colossal dud that was one catch against the 49ers. I sure expected more points in that one, but it was a defensive battle. The Browns secondary has been decimated by injury, and wasn't playing that well before everyone got hurt. Green has a chance here to be successful, but if I was picking a Cardinals receiver not named DeAndre Hopkins it would be Rondale Moore. He can get much more volume, runs a better array of targets, and is a vastly better and more athletic receiver at this point of their careers. |
| Devin Duvernay BAL | Asante Samuel LAC | With Sammy Watkins not practicing and Rashod Bateman likely playing in his first game of the season, the Ravens will turn to Duvernay as the opposite starting outside receiver. He did have his best game of the season last week with four catches for 45 yards, but do I have to say more that those numbers were his best game? Duvernay has some speed and skills but I don't expect the Ravens to have the same success throwing the ball and end up with over 400 yards. Duvernay has more chances with Watkins out but he still isn't fantasy relevant as of now. |
| Emmanuel Sanders BUF | Kristian Fulton TEN | The volume wasn't great as he only had five targets last week, but Sanders is making the most of it with three catches for 54 yards and two touchdowns agianst the Chiefs. The Bills have really played one horrible secondary after another and it doesn't get any tougher this week against the Titans. Fulton is allowing over 18 yards per catch which matches perfectly with Sanders and his 17 yards per grab average. I don't know how long this streak can continue for Sanders but it would be really hard to pull him out of your lineups right now considering his production and who the opponent is this week. |
| Robby Anderson CAR | Bashaud Breeland MIN | He now has 18 targets in the last two weeks after only having 11 in the first three games, but the production still isn't there as he has just seven catches for 76 yards in the last two games and hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 1. I don't know if it is a lack of chemistry which seems impossible since these guys were on the same team once before or what it is, but there is nothing to hang your hat on right now if you are considering using Anderson in any fantasy game. Bashaud Breeland has allowed 77% of passes thrown his way to be caught and four touchdowns in five weeks, but I still don't know how happy I would be to put Anderson into my starting lineup for Week 6. |
| Marquise Goodwin CHI | Eric Stokes GB | HEYYYYY! He actually had a catch! That is six total now on the season for Goodwin and he had four of them in Week 1. This offense is in quick sand and he is probably fourth or fifth on the target hierarchy. There is no scenario to consider using Goodwin in 2021. |
| Ja'Marr Chase CIN | Jerry Jacobs DET | You have to love how much that Joe Burrow looks to his former college teammate and how Chase is making the most of it. He had a season high ten targets in Week 6 with six catches for 159 yards and a touchdown against the Packers. He has had a great knack for the big play all year and that is a great thing against the Lions who are terrible against the pass. This one should be a blowout so the Bengals might run some more in the second half, but to get out to that lead they should be able to exploit this Lions secondary easily. Chase is great for DFS and season long leagues. |
| Donovan Peoples-Jones CLE | Marco Wilson ARZ | There aren't too many 300 yard games in Baker Mayfield's career, so excuse me if I am not too excited about Peoples-Jones five catches for 70 yards last week against a subpar Chargers secondary. I need to see more before I even start to consider giving him my attention, and the task gets tougher this week against Wilson and the Cardinals. If he can do something similar again, I will take this more seriously, but for now I still don't believe he belongs on fantasy rosters. |
| CeeDee Lamb DAL | Jalen Mills NE | It was good to see Lamb get back on track with four catches for 84 yards and a score, but my concern isn't totally gone after he was targeted just six times after a whopping 24 in the first two weeks. Jalen Mills was having a real fine season before being hit on four of five targets in Week 4. He will look to rebound but those first three weeks of the year they Pats didn't play the strongest offenses. The concern with Lamb is more that the Cowboys have been running more so there have been fewer targets to go around. Lamb is still a must start in all full season leagues though. |
| Tim Patrick DEN | Amik Robertson LV | As long as Jerry Jeudy is out, there is going to be a chance that Patrick could have a fantasy relevant game. Not really ever for DFS purposes, but now that we are into bye week season, Patrick could come into play. He had a great game last week with seven catches and 89 yards, but unfortunately he hasn't scored in three weeks. With Trayvon Mullen and Damon Arnette both hurt the Raiders turn to Robertson who has been burned for a touchdown in each of the last two weeks and nine of 12 targets overall. This could be a play that not many are thinking about, but with Casey Hayward on the other side locking up Courtland Sutton, Patrick could get his. |
| Khadarel Hodge DET | Darius Phillips CIN | He was targeted five times last week against the Vikings, but it only amounted to one catch and 17 yards. Hodge is just not a fantasy factor, and the Lions pass game isn't strong enough for more than two guys to be fantasy relevant if they even can sustain two guys relevance on a consistent basis. Leave him buried on the waiver wire where he belongs. |
| Allen Lazard GB | Kindle Vildor CHI | This is another instance that it really doesn't matter who they are playing he just isn't fantasy relevant. You don't need me to tell you that Davante Adams is the man and Rodgers also likes to throw to the backs and tight end. Lazard has four catches for 39 yards combined in the last two weeks. Nothing to see here folks! |
| Chris Conley HOU | Isaiah Rodgers IND | His one big play was a flea flicker and he had another 40 yard grab and Conley more than doubled his production in one game against the Patriots. Don't get fooled by one good game even if the next opponent is the weak Colts defense. Conley isn't a guy you want to be messing with in any fantasy format. |
| Zach Pascal IND | Terrence Mitchell HOU | He has become completely touchdown dependent and the Carson Wentz only has seven touchdown passes in five games. He still has the second most targets, catches, and yards on the team but all of his production has been trending down. The Texans pass defense isn't the reason they haven't been playing well and have allowed just seven touchdowns in five games. If you play Pascal in your seasonal leagues you are taking a pretty significant risk. |
| Laviska Shenault JAX | Byron Jones MIA | It was supposed to be 'Viska SZN last week against the Titans but it turned out he caught just one ball for 58 yards in one of the more disappointing fantasy outputs of the year. I have not lost hope in him yet, and I do believe that with only he and Marvin Jones with some backs and tight ends as real options that Shenault will still see big success. Jones was taken to the woodsheed by Tom Brady last week and has a couple of other off games too and although the Jags pass game isn't great, I still like Shenault to get back to his rolle of some deep plays, but also screens and some gadget plays. I like him as a WR3 in season long leagues this week. |
| Demarcus Robinson KC | Kendall Fuller WFT | It is only Week 6 and I'm starting to run out of ways to tell you that Robinson isn't fantasy relevant, even if there was an injury. Maybe I will just invite you to watch them play and you will see that he is an afterthought in the gameplan. Even against one of the worst pass defenses in football this season, Robinson stays on waivers. |
| Van Jefferson LAR | Adoree Jackson NYG | I was starting to worry that perhaps Jefferson was really having an impact on Robert Woods and his rough start, but last Thursday's games put a lot of those fears at bay. He was targeted just four times and caught one while Woods went bananas with double digit catches. Jackson has been swiss cheese for the Giants lately, allowing 11 of the last 14 targets against him to be caught with 137 yards in the last two weeks. I still feel like the offense is going to cruise through Kupp and Woods so let's not give Jefferson any real consideration in fantasy leagues this week. |
| Jalen Guyton LAC | Anthony Averett BAL | Sadly two catches and 35 yards is his second best game of the season and that was in one where the Chargers eviscerated the Browns through the air. Rookie Josh Palmer had the same number of targets and Donald Parham has a touchdown in two straight games. Guyton is not a fantasy guy without a couple injuries. |
| Bryan Edwards LV | Patrick Surtain DEN | The late game and overtime heroics haven't been there in the past few games and Edwards fantasy value is taking a significant drop in the past two weeks. He has nine targets in the last two games but it has only been good for three catches and 26 yards total. He still hasn't scored a touchdown yet. The Broncos rookie corner has been solid even if not spectacular but he should be able to keep Edwards under wraps like most other defenses have been able to do. |
| Albert Wilson MIA | Tyson Campbell JAX | Even with Fuller and Parker out last week and the team getting trounced, Wilson didn't even see a single target. The matchup gets much easier against the Jaguars, and Tua Tagovailoa should return, but there is just no way that you can trust this guy from a fantasy perspective, even against the terrible Jaguars. There are far better options out there I promise. |
| Adam Thielen MIN | Keith Taylor CAR | It has been a bit of a rough stretch for Thielen as he has four straight games with 50 receiving yards or less and no touchdowns in two weeks. He also has just five catches combined in the last two games against the Browns and Lions who aren't exactly intimidating defenses. The Panthers rookie fifth rounder was pressed into more action last weekend and was, well, average. With Donte Jackson focused on Justin Jefferson this could be an opportunity for Thielen to get back in fantasy football players good graces. |
| Kendrick Bourne NE | Anthony Brown DAL | After a couple strong games, it was back to fantasy irrelevance for Bourne in Week 5 as he had just three targets, three catches and 26 yards. The Cowboys secondary has actually been pretty decent this season and Brown has allowed just a 59% catch rate so far this season. He is allowing nearly 15 yards per catch which is a bit high but has just a 84.3 quarterback rating against. I just don't have a lot of faith in this offense from a fantasy perspective as Mac Jones has just five touchdown passes in five weeks. |
| Kadarius Toney NYG | Robert Rochell LAR | He was able to practice which bodes well for him playing after his huge breakout performance of ten catches for 189 yards last week against the Cowboys. It will be a little tougher with Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton returning, but they also catch a break with Darious Williams on IR for the Rams. With the way he played last week, Toney could see more Jalen Ramsey than Slayton will which would hurt his value. As does the returning receivers, as does Daniel Jones not practicing this week. Rochell was forced into more playing time last week and was burned for a touchdown among a few other catches. If you like to swing for the fences go with Toney this week, if you are a more conservative player, you might want to shy away in DFS but it would be hard to sit him in season long leagues at this point. |
| Jalen Reagor PHI | Richard Sherman TB | He has more than three catches just twice in five games and has topped 50 receiving yards just once. He also hasn't scored since the season's opening weekend. Sherman was much better in his second week since signing with the Bucs and the only concern with him is the short turnaround on Thursday night. I wouldn't trust Reagor in season long leagues or with DFS Showdown slates. |
| Chase Claypool PIT | Sidney Jones SEA | It was great to see Claypool not only get through the game without a setback to his hamstring injury, but it was also his third straight game with over 70 yards. He got a big boost this week with JuJu Smith-Schuster being finished for the season. The Steelers don't have a deep receiving corps now after their first two and that should help Claypool's value immensely. Jones has been an absolute mess at corner the past two weeks, allowing 11 of 14 targets to be caught for a ridiculous 270 yards and two scores. He has also been allowing big plays and yards after the catch, all which are Claypool's bread and butter. I'm loving him in both season long and DFS games this week. |
| Tyler Lockett SEA | Cameron Sutton PIT | We are to the disappointing part of the season for Lockett as after he had 278 yards and three touchdowns the first two weeks he has just 112 yards and no scores the last three. This is what you sign up for when you draft Lockett and you know it. You have to like the matchup this week against the Steelers who were expected to be a good defense but have given up ten passing touchdowns in five games. I know Geno Smith came in last week and looked solid, but I am not sure that I expect that to continue. I start Lockett in season long leagues, but even with Metcalf not quite 100% I have to shy away from Lockett in DFS games until I see that Geno can repeat that performance. |
| Antonio Brown TB | Darius Slay PHI | He had seven catches for the second straight week and his second 100-yard game of the season. It is getting hard to ignore Brown as an every week starter in your fantasy lineup and he has to get DFS consideration as well as the Bucs offense is just lethal through the air. Sure, there are three guys to choose from, but Brady seems to choose them all! Slay has allowed just seven yards a catch and a 63% catch rate, but how can you stop Tom Brady? Brown is always the best DFS value as he is consistently the cheapest of the three Tampa receivers. |
| Josh Reynolds TEN | Levi Wallace BUF | Even with A.J. Brown returning, I expected something from Reynolds with Julio Jones still out especially against the Jaguars. But the Titans only threw 22 times and Marcus Johnson was inexplicably targeted five times in the game. Reynolds saw just one target, and even though Julio will miss this game as well there is no way that you can trust Reynolds after last week's performance and a much tougher matchup against Wallace and the Bills. Wallace had a rough game last week, but that was against the Chiefs, not this run-heavy, uninspired offense that the Titans are putting on the field. |
| DeAndre Carter WFT | Deandre Baker KC | The kick returner was forced into action once Curtis Samuel left the game and most of the rest of Washington's pass catching options were hurt. He did have eight targets which he convered to four catches for 62 yards, and an 11 yard rushing play, but I just can't put any fantasy stock into this guy. Curtis Samuel and Dyami Brown are going to continue to be out, and sure the Chiefs secondary isn't good and there will be plenty of garbage time, but I think a lot will be spread around after Terry McLaurin and I can't count on Carter to have any sort of significant role in this game. |
Now, here are my 10 favorite matchups in the slot in Week 6.
| Slot WR | Slot CB | Analysis |
| Tyreek Hill KC | Kamren Curl WFT | He didn't practice on Wednesday, but I am feeling no trepidation that he won't be on the field this weekend. Hill has had some up and down games, but overall he has been very solid. What hasn't been solid, has been the Washington pass defense which has been absolutely awful against much worse teams than the Chiefs. Kansas City has lost more games already than we thought they would all year and I expect Hill to unload big time on this pathetic group of defenders. |
| Keenan Allen LAC | Tavon Young BAL | While he hasn't had a game under 10 fantasy points in PPR leagues, Allen has been a bit off the past couple weeks. The Ravens and Young were destroyed last week as he allowed seven catches on eight targets with 13 yards per catch and a touchdown. For the season he has allowed 83% of passes thrown his way to be caught. Justin Herbert is going to torch this secondary up, down and sideways and Allen and Mike Williams should both have really good games. |
| Cooper Kupp LAR | Julian Love NYG | Even when Robert Woods stole the show last Thursday, Kupp still had double digit targets and seven catches for 92 yards. He hasn't scored in two weeks, but that should be remedied against the Giants. Love has been used somewhat in the slot the past couple of weeks and while he hasn't been crushed, he is certainly a guy that the Rams are going to pick up plenty this weekend. Kupp is the master of the YAC and finding holes in the defense to get open. With ten days to get ready for this one, the Rams should have a great gameplan together to get their top receiver the ball and I am looking for another 100 yard game with a score for Kupp. |
| Darnell Mooney CHI | Chandon Sullivan GB | At least for now, the tide is changing away from Allen Robinson and towards Mooney. He has had seven targets or more in three of five games and two weeks ago rolled up 125 receiving yards. Now, the question becomes how effective can the offense be with Justin Fields at quarterback and so far the answer is not very good. However, Sullivan is allowing nearly 85% of passes his way to be caught for 12 yards a clip which is kind of high out of the slot. His 125.9 quarterback rating against means even Justin Fields should be able to find Mooney enough for this to be a quality fantasy day for him in your season long leagues. |
| Chris Godwin TB | Avonte Maddox PHI | He hasn't scored in three weeks, but Godwin also hasn't had a game under 55 receiving yards yet and has been over 10 fantasy points in PPR leagues every week but one. Avonte Maddox has actually played pretty well this year, allowing under eight yards a catch and just one touchdown through five weeks. I am not saying sit Godwin in your seasonal leagues, but if you are playing the showdown slate on Thursday, Godwin would probably be third in the pecking order for me when it comes to choosing Tampa Bay receivers. |
| Randall Cobb GB | Duke Shelley CHI | He didn't do much last week, but how could he when every single pass seemed to go to Davante Adams? This week should be a little more spread out and I like Cobb to have a decent game. Shelley has allowed 76% of passes his way to be caught and over 115 yards after the catch in five weeks. With no other realistic pass catcher on the field at wide receiver, look for Cobb to get six or seven targets and top ten fantasy points in PPR leagues this week. |
| Jakobi Meyers NE | Jourdan Lewis DAL | I know, he still hasn't scored a touchdown yet in his career, but it has to come eventually right!?!??!?! He clearly has a good chemistry with Mac Jones as he is the only wide receiver that is having consistent production from week to week. Like the rest of the Cowboys secondary, Lewis has been playing better than expected, but I still think he is the weak link of this unit. Look for the Pats to have to throw more in this one to keep up with the Cowboys high powered offense and for Meyers to come up with at least seven targets, six catches and 80 yards in this game. |
| Tyler Boyd CIN | A.J. Parker DET | He definitely takes a back seat when Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase are healthy, but this game is against the Lions and the slot receivers aren't that strong this week. We know Boyd is capable of having some pretty big games and at his best can top 20 fantasy points in PPR leagues. The Lions secondary wasn't going to be that good coming into the season and now they are dealing with several injuries. Parker has allowed 12 of 13 passes his way to be caught and has allowed two touchdowns and he is usually on the field for about half the game. Joe Burrow should be able to pick this team apart and while I don't like Boyd for DFS this is a good week to pull him off the bench in your seasonal leagues. |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown DET | Mike Hilton CIN | This entire article I've been teasing the fact that some Lion has to step up and I think it will be St. Brown. Hilton is allowing an 82% catch rate and has a quarterback rating against of 109.5. I just don't trust any Lions receiver to be consistent, but I liked what we saw from St. Brown the last two weeks and he has eight targets in each of those games. Look for Jared Goff to look his way more than any other receiver out there. St. Brown could be a risky dart throw in DFS GPPs but I do think he will be a guy you can pick up in your seasonal leagues and if you don't use him this week, keep your eye on him for the weeks ahead. |
| Christian Kirk ARZ | Troy Hill CLE | This one is iffy but he has been incredibly efficent catching 21 of 23 passes this season, it is just always a question of how much volume he will see. With the Cardinals losing their tight end last week, Kirk did see a decent bump with five targets and he caught them all. We all know he is good for a blow up game from time to time and the Browns secondary has been destroyed by injury. There is certainly some risk associated with Kirk but I think he is in a great spot to succeed this week and you can fire him up if he is on your roster. |
Elite
Tyreek Hill vs Camren Kurl
I usually only give five picks here, but I am doing an extra elite one because I just can’t ignore the Chiefs offense against this AWFUL defense that Washington is putting out there. The Chiefs are 2-3 and going against a team that they should be able to manhandle offensively? Both Hill and Travis Kelce should have absolute field days in this one.
He has one of the safest floors among any wide receiver right now as his worst game this season was five catches for 64 yards and in that one he still saw 13 targets. I love to preach volume in fantasy football and Kupp has been targeted ten or more times in all five games this season. Even last week when Robert Woods broke out, he still scored 16 points in PPR leagues. The Giants secondary has allowed ten passing touchdowns in five games and you know Matthew Stafford is going to be able to move the ball on this bunch. When he has a game like that, look for his favorite target to be peppered all day with targets and it is just a matter of time before he breaks a big gain.
Terry McLaurin vs. Mike Hughes
He has been boom-or-bust this season, but everyone seems to be booming against the Chiefs secondary. Kansas City has allowed nearly 300 yards per game through the air and ten passing touchdowns through five weeks. Taylor Heinickie is far from perfect, but he has shown he can beat less than ideal defenses. Hughes himself has been beaten for three touchdowns and the Football Team doesn’t have another reliable option to throw the ball down the field to with Logan Thomas and Curtis Samuel out of this one. I just said a second ago that I love to preach volume and that is what McLaurin is in for. With the lack of other options and the fact that the Chiefs are likely to put up 200 points on the Washington secondary, there should be at least a dozen passes coming McLaurin’s way this weekend.
Affordable
Ja’Marr Chase vs. Jerry Jacobs
It is a winning DFS story as old as time. A dynamic rookie gets a matchup against a secondary that wasn’t very good to start the season that has now lost two more guys to IR since Week 1. I don’t want to spoil it, but the story ends with you winning money every time when you use him in your lineups. Jacobs is averaging allowing 17.5 yards per catch and Chase has been one of the best deep threats in the league averaging 19.8 yards per catch. The Bengals should have an explosive offense this week and Chase should break at least one big play in this one.
While I have admitted that I was wrong about Mike Williams, that won’t get rid of my undying love for Keenan Allen! He is the third most targeted receiver in the league this season and is in the top 20 with over 15 fantasy points a game in PPR leagues. Young is allowing a lot of catches for a lot of yards out of the slot and Justin Herbert just continues to show what a stud he is in this league. Mike Williams will likely get his in this game too, but Allen has the easier matchup in the slot and he has a real good chance of going over his season average in fantasy points in Week 6.
Bargain Bin
Darnell Mooney vs. Chandon Sullivan
I’ve been the guy for weeks saying “why are we excited about Justin Fields?” and yet here I am putting one of his receivers in my DFS picks? There is just no denying that the targets are going Mooney’s way and away from Allen Robinson and the price is SO enticing that it is hard to ignore. The Packers have allowed 12 passing touchdowns already this season, and I do expect them to be ahead which should force the Bears to throw more. Chicago also has Damien Williams banged up, so that might make them opt to throw more as well. Mooney might not reach his 125 receiving yards from two weeks ago, but he should see the most targets on the team and that should lead to a great return on this small price tag.
*Information gathered from research done at Pro Football Focus.