2023 Fantasy Football WR/CB Match-Up Report Week 16: Cooper Kupp Will Shine in the Fantasy Playoffs
Welcome to the weekly wide receiver/cornerback breakdown for fantasy football Week 16! Here, we analyze each of the outside matchups one by one, as well as 10 of my favorite matchups in the slot. If you're still here, you are likely in your fantasy playoffs or looking to make some money in DFS, so it is important to dig deep and find the best matchups to gain a competitive advantage, optimize your starting lineups, and win!
This article is critical for fantasy football players at this time of the year, as it will help you find the right matchups to target when setting your lineups. You can follow me on Twitter, @FantasyCoachJB, and reach out with all your fantasy football questions as well.
Be sure to check out the rest of the NFL DFS Coaches and DFS Watch List throughout the week!
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Fantasy Football WR/CB Matchup Report Week 16
| WR CB Matchup Report | |||||
| Left WR vs Right CB | |||||
| Wide Receiver | Team | DK / FD $ | Cornerback | Opp | Matchup |
| Marquise Brown | ARI | $5000 / $6400 | Jaylon Johnson | CHI | Risky |
| The heel injury has really been bothering Brown and it takes away his speed which is his biggest asset. On top of that, Johnson is a solid corner who has only allowed 185 receiving yards and 1 touchdown in his coverage this season. I would not be able to trust Brown this week in fantasy playoffs or DFS lineups. | |||||
| Drake London | ATL | $5100 / $6200 | Jaylon Jones | IND | Moderate |
| Oddly enough we see back-to-back cornerbacks named Jaylon here. Indianapolis' Jaylon is not as good as Chicago's, but Jones is no slouch with his 61% reception percentage against. London is still the leading receiver in Atlanta by a long shot, but against Indy, they could choose to attack them with the run where they've been vulnerable. London is playable as a flex option, but I don't trust the volume will be there and I certainly don't trust Arthur Smith's game-planning. | |||||
| Odell Beckham. | BAL | $4300 / $5500 | Ambry Thomas | SF | Risky |
| While Beckham has emerged as a more prominent piece of the offense, he came back to life last week only catching 1 pass on 3 targets. The tight end Isaiah Likely is building rapport with Lamar Jackson and taking targets from the receivers. This week Baltimore faces another tough matchup against San Francisco and their 2nd highest team coverage grade on PFF. With the tough matchup and limited targets, Odell is a touchdown-dependent dart throw at best. | |||||
| Stefon Diggs | BUF | $8600 / $8900 | Asante Samuel Jr. | LAC | Safe |
| The Chargers don't usually shadow, but they should get Samuel matched up with Diggs pretty frequently in this game. While Samuel has only allowed a 65% reception percentage in his coverage, he has given up 651 receiving yards. Buffalo needs to keep winning to continue their playoff push and they need to get Allen and Diggs going again and this is the perfect matchup against Los Angeles to do that. | |||||
| DJ Chark Jr. | CAR | $3100 / $5200 | Jaire Alexander/Eric Stokes | GB | Moderate |
| If Alexander doesn't come back, there's no Corey Ballentine and Green Bay is down to Eric Stokes, and this becomes a good matchup. Chark doesn't get a lot of targets so he is still risky but if you get Stokes out there then he could be considered as a DFS dart throw. | |||||
| DJ Moore | CHI | $6900 / $8200 | Antonio Hamilton Sr. | ARI | Safe |
| Arizona is in the bottom 5 in team coverage grades on PFF but Hamilton is the "better" of their outside corners. He will battle with Moore, but I believe Moore will get the best of him and take advantage of his 87.5% snap share and 23% target share to put up some good stats and pay off in our lineups this week. | |||||
| Andrei Iosivas | CIN | $3000 / $4600 | Levi Wallace | PIT | Risky |
| Ja'Marr Chase is out with a shoulder sprain but Iosivas will end up sharing the role with Trenton Irwin and Charlie Jones. Even with the better matchup side against Wallace, none of them can be trusted since we don't know what kind of usage we will see and they will all be taking opportunities away from each other. | |||||
| Amari Cooper | CLE | $6400 / $7500 | Steven Nelson | HOU | Safe |
| We continue to see Cooper be the leading receiver and see plenty of targets with Joe Flacco slinging the ball around. He had over 100 receiving yards and a touchdown last week and gets a matchup this week against Nelson who doesn't give up many touchdowns but has allowed over 500 receiving yards in his coverage. With the target volume he is seeing and Cleveland throwing the ball plenty, Cooper is a low-end WR2 this week in PPR. | |||||
| Michael Gallup | DAL | $3200 / $5100 | Jalen Ramsey | MIA | Risky |
| It is a full split in this other outside receiver position with Gallup and Tolbert basically splitting snaps 50/50. Gallup only saw 1 pass thrown his way last week and add to the limited opportunities the fact that he will face Ramsey who is an excellent cover corner and it all makes Gallup a risky start this week. | |||||
| Courtland Sutton | DEN | $6500 / $7300 | Alex Austin | NE | Safe |
| Once again, I love the matchup for Sutton and playing him everywhere. He will draw coverage from a rookie 7th round corner who takes the place of JC Jackson who was placed on the reserve/non-football illness list this week. I expect to see a big game from Sutton and for him to get back in the endzone this week as well. | |||||
| Jameson Williams | DET | $3700 / $5200 | Akayleb Evans | MIN | Moderate |
| I loved seeing the usage increase last week and Williams bumped up to a 68% snap share which was his highest of the season. Dan Campbell said they need to get the ball in his hands, and there is an effort to do that as we saw him get 7 targets last week which was second on the team. I like the matchup against Evans who has been beaten by good receivers all season and I can see Williams getting behind him for some big play potential. With the increased usage and low salary, I like Williams a lot as a DFS pay-down play this week. | |||||
| Romeo Doubs | GB | $5300 / $5700 | Jaycee Horn | CAR | Risky |
| Even with Christian Watson out, Doubs couldn't take advantage of a good matchup against the Tampa Bay secondary last week. To be fair, he should have scored but Jordan Love missed him on an out route in the endzone and threw the ball out of bounds. Love and Doubs have not been connecting the past few weeks and this week he will get a tough matchup against Horn who is a solid corner. With the decrease in production and a tough matchup, I will be looking elsewhere this wewk. | |||||
| Nico Collins | HOU | $6800 / $8000 | Martin Emerson Jr. | CLE | Moderate |
| Still dealing with a calf injury, we don't know if we will see Collins return this week or not. It also seems like C.J. Stroud will miss another week in concussion protocol so even if he does play he will be less than 100% and with a backup quarterback which downgrades him. Keep an eye on practice reports, but if Nico is good to go, you may have to consider him as a WR3 or flex option even in a tough matchup against a good Cleveland secondary. If you have other options though, I would strongly consider them. | |||||
| D.J. Montgomery | IND | $3300 / $4800 | A.J. Terrell | ATL | Risky |
| With Michael Pittman in concussion protocol, it could be Montgomery given the starting nod after stepping up in relief of Pittman last week. Montgomery caught his first touchdown pass which actually would have been his second, but he dropped one in the endzone on the prior possession. He will face a tough matchup this week though, against Terrell who has shut down some of the best receivers so even with increased opportunity, I can't trust Montgomery in this matchup. | |||||
| Calvin Ridley | JAC | $6300 / $6800 | Jamel Dean | TB | Moderate |
| In the first 2 games without Christian Kirk, we saw Ridley get 13 and 12 targets but he hasn't been able to do much with them. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is also now in concussion protocol so he may have a backup quarterback throwing to him this week. I do love the matchup and like to target the Tampa Bay secondary so with the plus matchup and the volume Ridley is seeing, he should have a solid PPR floor regardless of quarterback. | |||||
| Kadarius Toney | KC | $3100 / $4900 | Amik Robertson | LV | Moderate |
| Toney outsnapped and outtargeted MVS last week so I am giving him the nod in the article this week. Both are risky with 40 and 33% snap shares respectively, but Toney is worthy of a DFS dart throw in a plus matchup against Robertson. We know he has playmaking ability and Robertson is a guy we love to pick on as a below-average corner. At this price, he's worth a look. | |||||
| Davante Adams | LV | $7300 / $7500 | L'Jarius Sneed | KC | Safe |
| Coming off a good game last week catching 8 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown, Adams has now seen double-digit targets in 4 of his last 5 games. His 24 fantasy points last week were his second-highest of the season, so hopefully something is clicking with him and rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell. Adams will likely see a shadow from Sneed this week so I don't expect a repeat of last week's big performance, but the volume he sees allows him to still be started in PPR leagues. | |||||
| Joshua Palmer | LAC | $5000 / $6000 | Rasul Douglas | BUF | Risky |
| Palmer returned to the lineup last week and was immediately thrust into a lead receiver role with Keenan Allen out and the Chargers offense looking for somebody to step up. He had 4 catches for 113 yards and a touchdown, but even with the nice day last week, it is hard to trust any piece of the Chargers offense under Easton Stick. There was a coaching change this week as well and the matchup against Buffalo and a solid corner like Douglas just adds to my trepidation to trust Palmer this week. I can't do it in the fantasy playoffs with so many unknowns. | |||||
| Demarcus Robinson | LAR | $3900 / $5900 | Isaac Yiadom | NO | Risky |
| With Tutu Atwell in the concussion protocol, Robinson took over his role and has had some success over the past 2 weeks. He was already starting to eat into the role a bit but he has now scored touchdowns in back-to-back games. He will still be behind Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua in the target pecking order and will still carry some risk with limited volume, but he can be a touchdown-dependent dart throw in DFS if you think that Puka can be limited a bit by Adebo on the other side. | |||||
| Jaylen Waddle | MIA | $7800 / $8100 | DaRon Bland | DAL | Moderate |
| Even in a tough matchup against the Jets secondary, Waddle stepped up in the absence of Tyreek Hill and caught 8 of 9 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown. The Dolphins get another tough game this week against Dallas and Waddle will see a lot of Bland who leads the league in interceptions, but has also allowed 535 receiving yards in his coverage. Waddle has a safe floor and a high ceiling so even in a tougher matchup you'll be using him in your fantasy playoffs. | |||||
| Justin Jefferson | MIN | $8100 / $9200 | Cameron Sutton | DET | Safe |
| This could be a potential shadow situation, but Sutton doesn't scare me off using one of the best receivers in the game. Jefferson saw 10 targets last week and while Addison scored the touchdowns, Jefferson still led the team in targets and catches. I expect that to continue this week and for Jefferson to get in the endzone for the first Griddy dance from him we have seen in months. | |||||
| Devante Parker | NE | $3600 / $5100 | Foster Moreau | DEN | Risky |
| Parker returned from injury last week and led all wide receivers with 5 catches, 5 targets, and 44 yards. That stat line leading receivers is a testament to how bad the receiving corps is in New England. I don't think Denver will shadow Parker with Surtain, but even without the shadow I cant trust Parker or any part of the New England offense at this point. | |||||
| A.T. Perry | NO | $3500 / $4800 | Ahkello Witherspoon | LAR | Risky |
| With no Michael Thomas, we have seen Perry in his role on the outside, but he is now sharing it with Kirkwood and Bowden since Shaheed is back on the other side. Even in a plus matchup against Witherspoon and the Rams secondary, I can't trust this rotation with the lack of volume. | |||||
| Jalin Hyatt | NYG | $3200 / $5000 | Kelee Ringo | PHI | Risky |
| We have seen an increased snap share for Hyatt and he played 71 percent of the snaps last week but wasn't able to do anything with his 3 targets. I do think he has sneaky GPP potential this week though since Philadelphia has really struggled in the secondary and is now giving opportunity to the rookie corner Ringo. It's still risky, but you can throw a dart at Hyatt hoping he can capitalize on his playmaking ability and some possible rookie mistakes by Ringo. | |||||
| Garrett Wilson | NYJ | $5800 / $7000 | Kendall Fuller | WAS | Moderate |
| Even with all of the quarterback issues in New York, Wilson has been able to sustain some fantasy value, especially when he had Zach Wilson who only had eyes for him. Now he gets Trevor Siemian who threw 2 interceptions in relief duty last week. While Wilson should still lead the team in targets, I don't trust that Siemian will be able to get him the ball enough to trust him in my fantasy semifinals. | |||||
| A.J. Brown | PHI | $8700 / $8400 | Deonte Banks | NYG | Safe |
| In the past 3 weeks, Brown has seen double-digit targets and he gets a plus matchup this week against Banks who is graded as the 107th corner of the 119 graded on PFF. Last week was a down week for the Philly offense with Jalen Hurts battling illness, but I expect them to get back on track this week in a great matchup against the Giants. | |||||
| George Pickens | PIT | $4700 / $6200 | Chidobe Awuzie | CIN | Moderate |
| Once again the Steelers are changing quarterbacks and Mason Rudolph will be under center this week. That automatically downgrades the receivers in my opinion and Pickens has already expressed his frustrations this season. The matchup with Awuzie is neutral, and it is a pretty narrow receiving hierarchy in Pittsburgh so Pickens will be involved, but I don't trust Rudolph and I don't trust Pickens' effort enough to call him safe. | |||||
| Brandon Aiyuk | SF | $6700 / $7200 | Brandon Stephens | BAL | Safe |
| Last week he faced the Arizona defense and I thought he would get back in the endzone but the touchdowns went to Deebo instead. This week they get a much tougher matchup against Baltimore so Brock Purdy should have to spread it around more and throw more. Stephens is a good corner, but he has allowed 587 receiving yards in his coverage so there is room for Aiyuk to have a productive day. I consider him a solid WR2 even in a tough matchup. | |||||
| DK Metcalf | SEA | $6700 / $7600 | Tre Avery | TEN | Safe |
| I like this matchup for Metcalf since Seattle has been playing more 3-wide sets with JSN getting more involved. That means Metcalf will see a lot of Avery since McCreary bumps to the slot when opponents go 3-wide. Avery allows a 78% reception percentage and has given up 4 touchdowns in his coverage. Whoever is playing quarterback for Seattle this week should be looking to DK to exploit this plus matchup. | |||||
| Mike Evans | TB | $7600 / $8700 | Darious Williams | JAC | Safe |
| For the second week in a row last week, Chris Godwin was the volume receiver for the Bucs, not Evans. Evans still got over 15 fantasy points as he scored his 11th touchdown of the season even though he only caught 4 passes. This shows us that even without volume, Evans has a solid floor and is a favorite of Baker Mayfield. I believe that Godwin once again gets the better matchup of the 2 this week, but Evans is still going to be in your lineup and is always a touchdown threat. | |||||
| DeAndre Hopkins | TEN | $6100 / $7100 | Michael Jackson | SEA | Moderate |
| Will Levis is battling an ankle injury and it looks like it might be Ryan Tannehill back at quarterback in Tennessee this week. When Tannehill started the first 6 weeks, he certainly struggled, but Hopkins did have a 22 fantasy point outing in there. Seattle has given up the 6th most touchdown to wide receivers so it is a decent matchup, as long as Hopkins can get the ball. Tannehill definitely is a bit of a downgrade, but I still like Hopkins enough to consider a high-end WR3 with target volume and a solid matchup. | |||||
| Terry McLaurin | WAS | $5700 / $7200 | DJ Reed | NYJ | Moderate |
| I told you in last week's article that it would be a nice bounce-back week for McLaurin and he had a great game with over 26 fantasy points in a PPR. The issue this week is he has a struggling quarterback who got benched last week and is facing one of the best defenses in the league. With those things weighing against him, I would be looking elsewhere this week in DFS and would only consider McLaurin as a flex option in your season-long playoff matchup if you don't have better options. | |||||
| Right WR vs Left CB | |||||
| Wide Receiver | Team | DraftKings/FanDuel | Cornerback | Opp | Matchup |
| Michael Wilson | ARI | $3700 / $5100 | Tyrique Stevenson | CHI | Moderate |
| This is a play that I love as a DFS pay-down. Stevenson has allowed 8 touchdowns in his coverage and is the way to attack Chicago opposite Jaylon Johnson. Wilson played 88% of the snaps in his first game back last week so he appears healthy and is a big target for Kyler. He is a nice sneaky play in DFS this week with a good upside. | |||||
| KhaDarel Hodge | ATL | $3000 / $4700 | JuJu Brents | IND | RIsky |
| We don't even trust the best Falcons players like Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and Kyle Pitts so there's no way you can feel safe about Hodge or anyone else. | |||||
| Rashod Bateman | BAL | $3300 / $5100 | Charvarius Ward | SF | Risky |
| Despite only playing a 44% snap share, Bateman led the Ravens in targets and air yards last week. Despite that, he still only snagged 3 catches and now faces one of the best cover corners in the league in Ward. The low snap share and tough matchup make this a pass for me. | |||||
| Gabe Davis | BUF | $5300 / $6300 | Michael Davis | LAC | Moderate |
| Ok let's try this again... this week IS a Gabe Davis week. Davis struggled last week, failing to catch his lone target, but we have seen him struggle constantly against man coverage. The Chargers play more zone than man and that is where Davis has had big games. They are among the league's worst in yards per coverage snap and yards per reception while in zone and a lot of that comes on Davis' side of the field where he has been charged with giving up 9 touchdowns in his coverage on the season. I'm playing Davis as a flex in deeper leagues and I am going to use him in GPPs which should be contrarian since not many others will. | |||||
| Jonathan Mingo | CAR | $3600 / $5400 | Carrington Vallentine | GB | Moderate |
| Since the changes took place in the coaching staff, Carolina has been targeting Mingo frequently. He is seeing a 90% snap share and over 20% target share which we like for a solid floor. The scary part is that this offense can't get anything going, but coming off a rare win and with a plus matchup against a depleted Green Bay secondary, there is some optimism that Mingo can return value at his low price in DFS. | |||||
| Darnell Mooney | CHI | $3300 / $5100 | Starling Thomas V | ARI | Risky |
| Last week we saw Mooney tie DJ Moore for the team lead in targets. He wasn't able to do much with the 8 targets but he gets a very favorable matchup against Thomas who has allowed an 81.5% reception percentage in his coverage. As long as Fields keeps looking his way, he can have a decent floor this week in PPR formats in this matchup. I wouldn't play him unless you are desperate in your season-long playoffs, but he is worth a look on DK for sure. | |||||
| Tee Higgins | CIN | $6400 / $7800 | Joey Porter Jr. | PIT | Moderate |
| With Chase out, many will think Higgins will get a bump because he will get more targets. I look at it as a downgrade since he will now likely see a Joey Porter Jr. shadow. Pittman was doing well against Porter last week before being knocked out of the game, but we have seen Porter shut down the likes of DeAndre Hopkins, Amari Cooper, and even Chase himself. While the volume should be there and Higgins is a big target, his upsides are capped this week with him drawing Porter. | |||||
| Cedric Tillman | CLE | $3300 / $5000 | Derek Stingley | HOU | Risky |
| Since being given the increased opportunities, Tillman has played a 72-80% snap share, and last week we finally saw him get a solid target share. The arrow is pointing up for Tillman, but I think the Cleveland passing game struggles this week against Houston, and Stingly will pose a tough challenge to Tillman. I will look elsewhere this week but keep an eye on him. | |||||
| Brandin Cooks | DAL | $4900 / $6100 | Xavien Howard | MIA | Moderate |
| It has been back-to-back down weeks for Cooks, but before that, he had scored touchdowns in 5 of the previous 7 games. Even in a down game last week he was still second among receivers in sanp and target percentage. While it is once again a tough matchup, this game should be a shootout so Cooks is a solid flex play. | |||||
| Lil'Jordan Humphrey | DEN | $3100 / $4300 | Jonathan Jones | NE | Risky |
| Humphrey did score the touchdown last week but is still splitting this role with Marvin Mims Even against Jones, the lack of usage makes him a risky play and I am already firing up Sutton on the other side. | |||||
| Josh Reynolds | DET | $3300 / $5500 | Byron Murphy Jr. | MIN | Risky |
| This game does have sneaky shootout potential since both teams struggle against the pass. That said, I do prefer the consistency of ARSB and the upside of Jameson more than I like Reynolds. With those 2 and Sam LaPorta ahead of Reynolds in the pecking order, he is tough to trust even if it is a plus matchup. | |||||
| Dontayvion Wicks | GB | $4300 / $5400 | Donte Jackson | CAR | Moderate |
| Christian Watson missed last week with a hamstring injury and Wicks stepped up and had the big game in the good matchup against the Buccaneers. It is a tougher matchup this week, but if Watson misses again, and with Jayden Reed also now banged up, there could be some additional targets forced to Wicks. Carolina is a good defense, but Jackson has allowed 4 touchdowns so with a depleted wide receiver group, Wicks is playable if you're desperate and need a guy who will see targets. | |||||
| Noah Brown | HOU | $5200 / $6900 | Denzel Ward | CLE | Moderate |
| Even without C.J. Stroud last week, Brown was able to step up and was the favorite target of Case Keenum. He saw 11 targets and caught 8 passes for 82 yards and a touchdown. The matchup is much tougher this week and I expect this game to be a defensive battle so the upside is capped for Brown this week especially matching up against Ward. | |||||
| Alec Pierce | IND | $4000 / $5300 | Clark Phillips III | ATL | Moderate |
| Even with Michael Pittman leaving last week's game, Pierce only caught 1 pass on his 5 targets. Without Pittman this week he should see an increase in his usual target share but he hasn't been consistent enough for us to trust that he will do anything with the targets. | |||||
| Jamal Agnew | JAC | $3400 / $4500 | Zyon McCollum | TB | Moderate |
| We know Christian Kirk is on IR and now it is looking like Zay Jones is trending towards not playing this week. If he doesn't play, I like Agnew as a sneaky GPP play in DFS this week. The Buccaneers have gotten eaten up in the secondary and Carlton Davis may still be out so if we get Agnew against McCollum I like the idea of throwing a dart at Agnew. Keep an eye on these practice reports for a possible diamond in the rough here. | |||||
| Justin Watson | KC | $3400 / $5100 | Jack Jones | LV | Risky |
| Watson is the guy who is seeing the 2nd most snaps in the Kansas City wide receiver rotation but the target share is still sub-10%. Outside of Kelce and Rice, there is not enough consistency to trust any other receivers in Kansas City. | |||||
| Jakobi Meyers | LV | $5400 / $6400 | Jaylen Watson | KC | Moderate |
| We got a solid fantasy performance out of Meyers last week, but part of that was because we got his points from his touchdown pass. He did also catch a touchdown, but that was one of the two passes he caught on the night. He does have a matchup plus going for him this week since Sneed will likely shadow Adams and it will leave Meyers matched up with Watson who has allowed 5 touchdowns in his coverage. I look at Meyers as a WR3/flex play in season-long playoff lineups this week. | |||||
| Quentin Johnston | LAC | $4000 / $5600 | Christian Benford | BUF | Risky |
| Johnston has now scored double-digit fantasy points in 3 straight games, but just barely with games of 10.2, 12.1, and 10.3. He only caught 2 passes last week but one happened to be a touchdown to save him. This week he has a tough matchup against Benford and is still playing in an Easton Stick-led offense so I'm looking elsewhere this week. | |||||
| Puka Nacua | LAR | $7200 / $7500 | Paulson Adebo | NO | Moderate |
| I downgrade Puka a bit this week in a matchup against the Saints' best corner in Adebo. I think this is a full Cooper Kupp game, but Puka will still be involved as always to allow him to be a decent enough floor play to keep in your lineups. I'll start him in season-long, but look for a higher ceiling at this price range in DFS. | |||||
| Tyreek Hill | MIA | $9600 / $10000 | Stephon Gilmore | DAL | Safe |
| Hill almost tried to give it a go last week but ended up sitting it out after being a game-time decision. He should be back out there this week and while Gilmore is a solid corner who has been playing well, Tyreek is a must-start every time he is on the field. He will move around the field and even into the slot so they will get him in some good matchups in man coverage which is where he excels. | |||||
| Jordan Addison | MIN | $6000 / $7300 | Khalil Dorsey | DET | Safe |
| Coming off of a huge game, Addison now gets a backup corner in Dorsey who has replaced the struggling Jerry Jacobs. It is once again a plus matchup for Addison, but I expect it to be a heavy Justin Jefferson game which does limit Addison's upside a bit. In the plus matchup, I still see Addison as a fringe WR2 that you can use in your fantasy playoffs. | |||||
| Demario Douglas | NE | $4100 / $5900 | Pat Surtain II | DEN | Risky |
| I doubt we will see a shadow here, but Douglas will see plenty of Surtain. Between the tough matchup and the struggling Patriots offense, I will pass on Douglas this week in a big week where you can't afford a dud due to poor quarterback play. | |||||
| Rashid Shaheed | NO | $4500 / $5800 | Derion Kendrick | LAR | Moderate |
| The beat-up Saints wide receiver room was happy to get Shaheed back, but he didn't do much while easing back in with a 56% snap share. That should increase this week and the matchup is a good one against a Rams secondary that is second to last in PFF team coverage grade. If you're dealing with injuries and need a guy to plug in the flex spot, Shaheed can be in consideration for you in a plus matchup. | |||||
| Darius Slayton | NYG | $3300 / $5400 | James Bradberry | PHI | Moderate |
| Slayton is still the guy seeing the most snaps in the Giants wide receiver rotation, and he had a 23.5% target share last week. We just saw Bradberry get beat a few times last week, but the Giants offense is unpredictable and tough to trust. The price is low enough in DFS to throw a dart at Slayton if you want since he is out there running routes, but it is still fairly risky. | |||||
| Allen Lazard | NYJ | $3200 / $5200 | Benjamin St-Juste | WAS | Risky |
| Lazard has been terrible all year and now gets another backup quarterback throwing to him. Even against a weak Washington secondary, I'm not touching this. | |||||
| DeVonta Smith | PHI | $7100 / $7000 | Adoree' Jackson | NYG | Moderate |
| Since the bye week, Smith saw at least 8 targets in every game until last week when he only saw 5. The Eagles are going to look to get their offense back on track and this is a good matchup for Smith to make some noise against Jackson who is graded as the 113th of the 119 corners on PFF. Jackson is allowing a 71% reception percentage in his coverage and nearly 500 receiving yards. With the plus matchup, Smith will be involved enough to play as a flex in season-long league playoffs. | |||||
| Diontae Johnson | PIT | $5200 / $7000 | DJ Turner II | CIN | Moderate |
| I was in on Johnson last week and he paid off for me with a touchdown and 16.2 fantasy points, but this week his quarterback is Mason Rudolph. His PPR floor is always there so I'll still use him as a WR3/flex in season long, but his upside is capped with Rudolph so I wouldn't use him in DFS. | |||||
| Deebo Samuel | SF | $7700 / $8300 | Marlon Humphrey | BAL | Safe |
| Deebo scored 2 touchdowns last week on 4 receptions and he has shown that he has the ability to score any time the ball is in his hands. It will be tougher to get it in his hands this week against Humphrey who has only allowed a 51.5% reception percentage in his coverage this season. You can't bench Deebo in your league playoffs, but I would consider other options at this DFS price this week since the matchup will be much tougher than usual for Deebo. | |||||
| Tyler Lockett | SEA | $5600 / $6700 | Sean Murphy-Bunting | TEN | Safe |
| We are starting to see Jaxon Smith-Njigba emerge as a playmaker for Seattle and DK Metcalf is the clear top receiver, but don't count out Lockett yet. We saw him lead the team in targets last week with 9 and he gets a good matchup against a Tennessee pass defense that has really struggled. In a plus matchup and at a solid midrange price in DFS, Lockett is a guy I will be looking at this week and could be a contrarian play as well. | |||||
| Chris Godwin | TB | $6200 / $6900 | Montaric Brown | JAC | Safe |
| Godwin has seen at least 11 targets in both of his last 2 games and had a monster performance last week with 10 catches for 155 yards. He once again gets a favorable matchup against Brown who has given up nearly 500 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns in the 8 games he has played this season. I will continue to ride the hot hand of Godwin here this week who should continue to see significant volume in a plus matchup. | |||||
| Treylon Burks | TEN | $3100 / $5200 | Tre Brown | SEA | Risky |
| Burks worked himself back to a 76% snap share last week and with Nick Westbrook-Ikhine-Ikhine landing on IR, there will be a few more targets coming his way this week. It is a tough matchup against Brown though who has played well and has only allowed 2 touchdowns in his coverage. With Tannehill playing his first game in weeks and a tough matchup, I can't trust Burks enough this week to play. | |||||
| Jahan Dotson | WAS | $4400 / $5600 | Sauce Gardner | NYJ | Risky |
| The Washington offense is struggling and so is Sam Howell. Between that and a matchup against the Jets secondary, I will stay away from Dotson this week. | |||||
Top 10 Matchups in the Slot for Week 16
| Slot WR vs Slot CB | |||||
| Wide Receiver | Team | DraftKings/FanDuel | Cornerback | Opp | Matchup |
| CeeDee Lamb | DAL | $9200 / $9400 | Kader Kohou | MIA | Safe |
| Last week fantasy managers held their breath as the Cowboys struggled mightily and Prescott, Lamb, and the offense couldn't get anything going. Lamb saved his day with a late rushing touchdown and finished with 18.6 fantasy points, but it was scary. What I like this week is that he should avoid the strong Miami outside corners and see plenty of Kohou running out of the slot. Kohou allows an 85% reception percentage so as long as Dallas keeps Lamb inside for most of the game he should see plenty of targets to capitalize on. | |||||
| Cooper Kupp | LAR | $8000 / $8400 | Alontae Taylor | NO | Safe |
| COVERBOY ALERT! The cover player of this article has had a good history of scoring a touchdown and that should continue this week for Kupp. Matching up against Taylor is a dream since he is graded as the 106th of 119 corners on PFF and he has allowed a 67% reception percentage and 623 receiving yards in his coverage. Kupp went 8 for 8 for 111 yards and a touchdown last week and I expect this week to be even better. I wouldn't be surprised at all if he had 30 fantasy points in a PPR league to help lead you to a championship. | |||||
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | DET | $8200 / $8600 | Josh Metellus | MIN | Safe |
| St, Brown had a similar stat line to Kupp last week as he had 7 catches for 112 yards and a touchdown. He will match up frequently with Metellus who is really a safety who plays all over the field. He is not a particularly strong cover corner so this should be a game where ARSB takes advantage of a favorable matchup to rack up the catches and yards. | |||||
| Zay Flowers | BAL | $5500 / $6000 | Deommodore Lenoir | SF | Safe |
| I don't love Flowers as much, as usual, this week against San Francisco, but Baltimore is going to have to score to keep up with San Francisco, and they're going to need their playmakers like Flowers to be able to do that. Coming off a down week, Lamar Jackson is going to be looking to get the ball in his hands to make some plays in a possible Super Bowl preview on Monday night. | |||||
| Rashee Rice | KC | $6600 / $7400 | Nate Hobbs | LV | Safe |
| We have been begging for weeks to get consistent playing time for Rice and it is finally happening! His role has continued to increase and last week we saw him play a whopping 92.3 snap percentage! This is exactly what we have been asking for and he capitalized on this opportunity by going 9 for 9 for 91 yards and a touchdown. He gets a good matchup this week to go with the usage and his price is still fairly low in DFS. I'm firing him up everywhere I can this week. | |||||
| Chris Olave | NO | $6600 / $7300 | Quentin Lake | LAR | Safe |
| Lake, a second-year safety, seems to have taken the slot corner role from Cobie Durant who has struggled. Lake is a better run-stopper than a coverage guy so it is a matchup that a technician like Olave can take advantage of if he returns healthy this week like he should. He is also fairly priced in DFS so you can look to use Olave in DFS and season-long lineups with the favorable matchup. | |||||
| Jayden Reed | GB | $5400 / $6700 | Troy Hill | CAR | Safe |
| Reed has really stepped up as a key to the Green Bay offense, especially with Christian Watson missing games. He has scored at least 15 fantasy points in 5 of his last 6 games and has been seeing about a 23% target share. He left last week's game late with a toe injury, so watch the practice reports, but if he is out there he is absolutely in play with the volume he is seeing and running out of the slot where he will avoid the solid outside corners for Carolina. | |||||
| Tyler Boyd | CIN | $4600 / $5900 | Chandon Sullivan | PIT | Moderate |
| With JaMarr Chase out and Tee Higgins drawing tough shadow coverage from Porter, there should be more targets funneled to Boyd. He was second on the team in targets last week while only playing 57% of the snaps. That number should increase this week and so should the production with his matchup being the one to target. | |||||
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba | SEA | $4500 / $5900 | Roger McCreary | TEN | Moderate |
| I can't quite bump JSN up to the safe range yet since he is still running behind Metcalf and Lockett. Even with the big game-winning touchdown catch last week, JSN only played 69% of the snaps and had a 12.5 target percentage. He is one of the best 3rd receivers in the game right now, but his floor is lowered with the others in front of him eating up targets. I do like the upside, the matchup, and the price so he is in consideration this week in DFS and as a low-end WR3. | |||||
| Josh Downs | IND | $5500 / $6000 | Mike Hughes | ATL | Moderate |
| With Pittman likely to miss this game, hopefully, we see Downs get back on track. He had some flashes earlier in the season but has been fairly quiet lately. Atlanta has good outside corners to the best matchup against them is in the slot where Downs lives. Minshew could be forced to look to Downs this week without Pittman and Downs should be able to take advantage of the increased target share in a positive matchup. | |||||
*Information gathered from research done at Pro Football Focus and from Kevin Tompkins' Target Report.