2023 Fantasy Football WR/CB Match-Up Report Week 18: Ceedee Lamb Will See the Touchdowns
Welcome to the weekly wide receiver/cornerback breakdown for fantasy football Week 18! Here, we analyze each of the outside matchups one by one, as well as 10 of my favorite matchups in the slot. Although most season-long leagues are done, there are some with week 18 championships and plenty of people looking to make some money in DFS. Either way, 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 18
| Left WR vs Right CB | |||||
| Wide Receiver | Team | DK / FD $ | Cornerback | Opp | Matchup |
| Greg Dortch | ARI | $4600 / $5500 | Tariq Woolen | SEA | Moderate |
| With no Hollywood Brown, Dortch has seen a nice increase in usage and has at least an 83% route percentage over the past two games. He also led the receivers with 7 targets and put up 15 PPR points which is back-to-back weeks in double digits. The matchup is fairly neutral, but the volume he is seeing makes him a viable DFS play at a very reasonable salary. | |||||
| Drake London | ATL | $5000 / $6200 | Isaac Yiadom | NO | Moderate |
| With Taylor Heinicke under center, London saw 10 targets last week but only half of them were considered catchable balls. It was a tougher matchup last week, so I expect a better output this week as Atlanta fights with a division rival with an outside shot of still winning the division. They'll try to get London away from Adebo and match up with Yiadom, who allows 13.5 yards per reception. | |||||
| Rashod Bateman | BAL | $5100 / $5400 | Joey Porter Jr. | PIT | Risky |
| Baltimore hasn't decided if they were going to rest their starters or not, but whether it's Bateman or the likes of Nelson Agholor or Tylan Wallace, I would call them all risky this week against Porter. | |||||
| Stefon Diggs | BUF | $8200 / $7600 | Jalen Ramsey | MIA | Moderate |
| In the feature game of the week, The Bills and Dolphins will battle for the division and a struggling Diggs could potentially see shadow coverage from Ramsey with Howard out on the other side. The last time Howard was out they did use Ramsey to shadow Garrett Wilson and Ramsey held him to 3 catches for 29 yards. While Diggs did have a big game against Miami in their first meeting, this is a very different Miami defense and Ramsey did not play that game either. The targets will be there for Diggs so he can still be used, but his ceiling is capped and the floor is lowered in the tough matchup so I would look elsewhere in DFS. | |||||
| Adam Thielen | CAR | $6000 / $6400 | Jamel Dean | TB | Risky |
| With Jonathan Mingo on IR, Thielen will bump to the outside more to allow Imhir Smith-Marsette to play the slot. This will benefit Thielen this week where he will get the struggling Buccaneers corners. Dean has allowed a 67% reception percentage, 560 receiving yards, and 5 touchdowns in his coverage so as long as Bryce Young can get him the ball, the matchup is a favorable one for Thielen. | |||||
| DJ Moore | CHI | $7000 / $8000 | Jaire Alexander | GB | Moderate |
| This will likely be a shadow coverage situation with a well-rested Alexander off his 1 game suspension will match up with Moore. | |||||
| Ja'Marr Chase | CIN | $7300 / $7800 | Martin Emerson Jr. | CLE | Moderate |
| An injured Ja'Marr Chase did give it a go last week but wasn't able to get much going. He did have a 23% target share, especially needed since Tee Higgins injured his hamstring, but he only caught 3 passes for 41 yards. With the Bengals now eliminated from the playoffs, both Chase and Higgins should be sitting this one out - making guys like Andrei Iosivas and Trenton Irwin live plays in DFS this week against a Cleveland defense that also may be resting players with nothing to play for. | |||||
| David Bell | CLE | $3400 / $5000 | Chidobe Awuzie | CIN | Moderate |
| The Browns are locked into the 5 seed so they will almost certainly rest Amari Cooper and his heel which kept him out of last week's game. In his absence last week, Bell played a 73% route percentage but only saw 2 targets. With the starters likely to rest, and Jeff Driskel under center, Bell should see an increase in targets and can be a sneaky DFS dart throw at a super low salary. | |||||
| Michael Gallup | DAL | $3200 / $4900 | Emmanuel Forbes | WAS | Risky |
| Gallup is not seeing enough usage to be trusted, even in a plus matchup this week. He has only played more than 55% of the routes once in the past 5 weeks so he is too risky. | |||||
| Courtland Sutton | DEN | $6400 / $6800 | Amik Robertson | LV | Safe |
| The Broncos went with Jarrett Stidham at quarterback "to try to provide a spark" to the offense last week and it was rough. Part of that was not having Sutton out there who missed the game in concussion protocol. If he returns this week, he has a very favorable matchup against Robertson who is undersized and not very good. Stidham should look to Sutton often in a plus matchup which will allow Sutton to cap his excellent season with another solid performance. | |||||
| Jameson Williams | DET | $3900 / $5300 | Akayleb Evans | MIN | Moderate |
| The route percentage and target percentage were both down for Williams last week, but he is still involved in the offense and the usage is still up from his season average. The Lions have an outside shot at still getting up to the 2 seed with a win and Dan Campbell is not the type of guy that I see resting his starters, so Williams should be in his regular role this week. The matchup is a good one against Evans who has allowed a 68% reception percentage and 544 receiving yards in his coverage. Still, at a low price point, I like Williams a lot in GPPs this week in a plus matchup. | |||||
| Christian Watson | GB | $4700 / $6500 | Jaylon Johnson | CHI | RIsky |
| Even if Watson returns this week, I am staying away from a matchup against Johnson who is the #1 graded corner on PFF. Johnson has had a great season in coverage so whether it's Watson, Wicks, Melton, or whoever, it's a risky start this week in this matchup. | |||||
| Nico Collins | HOU | $7600 / $7800 | Jaylon Jones | IND | Safe |
| I called Nico a must-start last week and although he didn't score like I thought he would, he still racked up 15.7 PPR points with his 7 catches and 80 receiving yards. He gets another favorable matchup this week and I once again like him as the main target for C.J. Stroud who is looking to put an exclamation point on a solid rookie campaign. | |||||
| Michael Pittman | IND | $7500 / $7400 | Steven Nelson | HOU | Safe |
| This is a huge game in the AFC South. Right now, Indy, Houston, and Jacksonville are all tied at 9-7 so the winner of this game can punch their playoff ticket and potentially even win the division with a win. Pittman is the clear focal point of this passing game with a 28.7% target share on the season and he will match up with Nelson who doesnt allow many touchdowns but has allowed 572 receiving yards in his coverage. Pittman has a solid floor in a PPR setting. | |||||
| Calvin Ridley | JAC | $6500 / $6900 | Eric Garror | TEN | Safe |
| Tennessee is all banged up in the secondary and Ridley gets a matchup against Garror who is an undrafted rookie corner. Trevor Lawrence is day to day and trying to get back for this big game and if he does play I love Ridley in all formats this week. Even if Lawrence doesnt play, he is still a solid play in a plus matchup, just with a lower ceiling. | |||||
| Justin Watson | KC | $3400 / $5200 | Asante Samuel Jr. | LAC | Risky |
| With the #3 seed locked up, Patrick Mahomes will not play this week and that makes an already risky wide receiver even riskier. Without his Mahomes rapport to bank on, I'm not going to play Watson this week. | |||||
| Davante Adams | LV | $7900 / $7700 | Pat Surtain II | DEN | Moderate |
| In week 16 Adams saw shadow coverage from Sneed and had 1 catch for 4 yards. He followed that up with a monster game last week in a favorable matchup so people will be chasing the points and using him in DFS this week, but not me. He will get another shadow situation this week from a top corner in Surtain and I expect him to struggle a bit once again so I will look elsewhere for a pay-up DFS play. | |||||
| Keelan Doss | LAC | $3000 / $4800 | L'Jarius Sneed | KC | Risky |
| Joshua Palmer missed last week and with nothing to play for, he may sit this one out also. In his absence, Doss played a 75% snap share and had a 21.6% target share. This week he gets a tough matchup against Sneed so with a bad matchup and an unknown roll he is very risky. | |||||
| Demarcus Robinson | LAR | $4500 / $6500 | Samuel Womack III | SF | Moderate |
| With an average of 16 fantasy points per game over the past 5 games, Robinson has emerged not only as the clear #3 receiver but as a viable contributor to the offense as well. With the Rams having a playoff spot locked up, they could choose to rest some starters and Kupp and Nacua both have been nursing injuries that could earn them some more rest - leaving Robinson out there to possibly soak up even more targets. It is also a good matchup against a backup corner in Womack so Robinson is in the WR3/Flex range and is a live DFS play for me this week. | |||||
| Cedrick Wilson | MIA | $3900 / $5400 | Rasul Douglas | BUF | Moderate |
| Jaylen Waddle is still dealing with a high ankle sprain so he will likely miss this week as well. Without him last week, Wilson played 89% of the routes and scored a touchdown early in the game. Even without Waddle, Wilson only saw an 11% target share last week, and with a tough matchup against a solid cornerback duo this week, the Dolphins will once again focus their attack on Tyreek Hill and the running backs. Wilson is playable since he will be seeing the route participation, but the floor is low in a tough matchup and low on the target pecking order. | |||||
| Justin Jefferson | MIN | $8500 / $9000 | Cameron Sutton | DET | Safe |
| Normally when a receiver sees shadow coverage it's almost an automatic downgrade because they're usually being shadowed by a top tier corner. Well, Detroit doesnt have one of those, they have a mediocre corner and then bad ones on the other side, so they will likely shadow Jefferson with the mediocre one. Sutton has allowed 742 receiving yards in his coverage and Detroit has the 6th lowest team coverage grade on PFF. It is a very favorable matchup for Jefferson once again, so hopefully, his quarterback gets him the ball this week. | |||||
| Devante Parker | NE | $3500 / $5200 | DJ Reed | NYJ | Risky |
| The Jets secondary got lit up last week but they will want to bounce back and make a statement this week and have the perfect opponent to do so. I'm not touching a Patriots receiver against Reed and Sauce. | |||||
| A.T. Perry | NO | $3300 / $4600 | A.J. Terrell | ATL | Risky |
| AJ > AT. Perry is seeing a low target volume and faces a great cover corner. Pass. | |||||
| Jalin Hyatt | NYG | $3300 / $4900 | Kelee Ringo | PHI | Risky |
| After showing us a flash mid-season, Hyatt has done nothing the past few weeks. He gets a plus matchup against Philly, but Ringo has played well the past couple of weeks and Hyatt is too risky to trust with the lack of targets. | |||||
| Garrett Wilson | NYJ | $5900 / $6600 | Shaun Wade | NE | Moderate |
| Wilson has had at least 8 targets in every game since week 5. Regardless of the quarterback, he is getting it done and putting up PPR points. While Bill Belichick may focus on limiting him, he will find a way to get open and will continue to see the targets to give him a safe PPR floor. At a sub-6k price on DK, he is worth a look. | |||||
| A.J. Brown | PHI | $8700 / $8200 | Nick McCloud | NYG | Moderate |
| Philadelphia needs a win and a Cowboys loss to win the division and capture the 2 seed in the NFC. Even if they come out firing, they could be scoreboard-watching and could pull starters later in the game, making Brown more risky than he usually is and making it a situation I want to avoid in DFS. | |||||
| George Pickens | PIT | $14100 / $7200 | Brandon Stephens | BAL | Safe |
| Ever since Mason Rudolph took over, Pickens has thrived. He followed up his 36-point performance in week 16 with another 20.1 last week and Baltimore could be throttled down a bit with everything locked up for them already. Normally the matchup would downgrade him a bit, but Pickens is riding hot with Rudolph so I'll keep him in the green. | |||||
| Brandon Aiyuk | SF | $7100 / $7900 | Cobie Durant | LAR | Risky |
| With the #1 seed locked up, San Francisco could be resting their starters. If Aiyuk sits, you can give a DFS GPP flyer look at guys like Jauan Jennings, Ray-Ray McCloud, or Ronnie Bell and hope that the one you pick scores a touchdown since we have seen a glimpse that Darnold can run this offense. GPP dart throws only. | |||||
| DK Metcalf | SEA | $7200 / $7600 | Antonio Hamilton Sr. | ARI | Safe |
| Seattle needs a win and some help to get into the playoffs. If they win and Green Bay loses they will get a wild card, and both teams play in the late window, so Seattle will be playing hard and playing to win. I love DK this week in a matchup against the Arizona defense that has the 3rd lowest PFF team coverage grade and has allowed 30 touchdowns in their coverage on the season. | |||||
| Mike Evans | TB | $7400 / $8400 | Donte Jackson | CAR | Safe |
| The Buccaneers are playing for a division title in a season that everybody had at the bottom of the division. You better believe that Evans will want to cap off his monster season with a trip to the playoffs and even though Baker Mayfield is banged up, he is going to battle through the pain and get Evans the ball in a huge game. Carolina is a tough matchup, but they will line Evans up on Jacksons' side as much as possible to avoid Horn so it makes it more palatable to use Evans who is always a touchdown waiting to happen. | |||||
| DeAndre Hopkins | TEN | $6100 / $6800 | Tyson Campbell | JAC | Moderate |
| Hopkins is in line to earn another half million in bonuses if he gets 7 or more receptions and 40 or more yards. That alone is a double-digit fantasy point game and if his quarterback really wants to get him paid, Hopkins can earn another quarter mil with 2 touchdowns. With nothing to play for this week, Tennesee will likely just force-feed the ball to Hopkins to get him his payday and he can have a big game with the heavy volume and a matchup against Campbell who has allowed 7 touchdowns in his coverage. | |||||
| Terry McLaurin | WAS | $5500 / $6900 | DaRon Bland | DAL | Moderate |
| When I thought Brissett would be starting I told you "I like McLaurin to have a good game to be a high-end WR3 for your championship matchup.". Brissett ended up getting hurt during the week and Howell was back under center and McLaurin still got into the endzone. Dallas is playing for the division, but Washington won't just roll over and take it. Howell is playing for his future, Rivera is coaching his last game in Washington, and the players will want to try to play spoiler. It's not a great matchup, but Terry is still playable and a good mid-priced DFS option as he tries to get to 1,000 receiving yards which is certainly within reach. | |||||
| Right WR vs Left CB | |||||
| Wide Receiver | Team | DraftKings/FanDuel | Cornerback | Opp | Matchup |
| Michael Wilson | ARI | $4400 / $5600 | Michael Jackson | SEA | Risky |
| I called Wilson a good DFS play last week and he delivered with a touchdown and 15 fantasy points. He only caught 4 passes, but did see 6 targets which was the second most among receivers. Arizona has nothing to play for, but if Wilson is healthy and they let him go, he will want to end the season on a high note and keep building rapport with Kyler Murray so he is playable against a Seattle secondary that has struggled and given up plenty to opposing receivers. | |||||
| Van Jefferson | ATL | $3100 / $4700 | Paulson Adebo | NO | RIsky |
| Jefferson is the #2 receiver in Atlanta but we can't trust this offense and we certainly can't trust Jefferson in a tough matchup against Adebo. | |||||
| Odell Beckham. | BAL | $8700 / $5600 | Levi Wallace | PIT | Moderate |
| Even though the Ravens don't have anything to play for, Odell actually does. Harbaugh may let Lamar and the starters at least play the first half, and in that time Lamar could pepper Odell with targets to help him reach his bonus incentives. He may not get to the 185 yards he needs for another $750k, or the 2 touchdowns he needs to get another 500k, but with 5 catches he will collect another $250k, and that one should be a lock. He's playable with an 8-10 point floor this week. | |||||
| Gabe Davis | BUF | $5500 / $6400 | Eli Apple | MIA | Moderate |
| With a foot injury for Xavien Howard, Davis actually gets a favorable matchup against Eli Apple. The problem is that Davis hasn't played well against man coverage. In a game where Buffalo will need to score, against a Miami team limping into the contest, Davis is a low-end WR3 against a backup corner with a history of being bad. | |||||
| DJ Chark Jr. | CAR | $3700 / $5700 | Carlton Davis III | TB | Moderate |
| Chark has been seeing targets but the offense is gross, as we saw last week when he saw 6 targets but only caught 1 pass. This week he gets a good matchup against the Tampa Bay secondary and should see a few extra targets this week as well with Mingo on IR now. He is playable in a plus matchup at a low salary in DFS, you just have to hope Bryce Young actually connects with him. | |||||
| Tyler Scott | CHI | $3400 / $4800 | Carrington Valentine | GB | Moderate |
| I like Scott as a GPP dart throw this week. With Chicago not playing for anything but the future, we could see guys like Scott getting more reps this week for the coaching staff to see what they have for next year. If Alexander shadows Moore on the other side, it leaves Scott in a good matchup against Valentine who can certainly get beat. I'm calling this one, Tyler Scott gets his first career touchdown this week! | |||||
| Andrei Iosivas | CIN | $3000 / $4600 | Denzel Ward | CLE | Safe |
| With Higgins and Chase both banged up, they will likely sit for this meaningless game for Cincinnati. That means more opportunity for Iosivas who is a minimum salary on DK and is a solid play. People will be afraid of the Cleveland defense, so it could also be a contrarian play, but Cincinnati will have to throw to somebody so I believe Iosivas will have a high target share, giving him a good floor for DFS. | |||||
| Cedric Tillman | CLE | $3900 / $5300 | Cam Taylor-Britt | CIN | Risky |
| Tillman is playing a 95% snap share, but isn't doing much with it in the box score. There will be some opportunities this week, but with no track record and with Jeff Driskell under center, its a risky play. | |||||
| Brandin Cooks | DAL | $5200 / $6300 | Benjamin St-Juste | WAS | Safe |
| Cooks continues to operate as the clear #2 receiver behind CeeDee Lamb, playing the second-highest snap percentage and getting the second-highest target share while always being a threat to score a touchdown as he has in back-to-back games. The matchup is a good one against Washington who has allowed 35 receiving touchdowns in their coverage on the season. | |||||
| Jerry Jeudy | DEN | $5100 / $5800 | Jack Jones | LV | Risky |
| Arguably the biggest disappointment of the season, Jeudy continued to let people down last week when they thought he could step up in the absence of Courtland Sutton and he only caught 3 passes for 54 yards. I guess Steve Smith was right, he is a JAG. | |||||
| Josh Reynolds | DET | $3300 / $5400 | Mekhi Blackmon | MIN | Risky |
| Reynolds could be a DFS pay-down option at a favorable salary. He does play a 72.5% snap percentage and gets a plus matchup against Minnesota's beatable secondary, but he is a touchdown-dependent dart throw at best. | |||||
| Romeo Doubs | GB | $5800 / $6100 | Tyrique Stevenson | CHI | Moderate |
| Green Bay needs to win to get in the playoffs and the receiver room is all sorts of banged up. Doubs returned last week and had a 17.6% target share. Lining up on Stevensons' side most of the time will help get some extra looks to Doubs since that is the side to attach Chicago on while avoiding Johnson on the other side. | |||||
| John Metchie | HOU | $3000 / $5100 | JuJu Brents | IND | Moderate |
| Keep an eye on Noah Brown but as of Wednesday, he wasn't practicing. If he doesnt play, Metchie becomes a GPP dart throw option at a minimum price on DK. He played a 60% snap share last week with the wide receiver injuries so if he again gets increased opportunities, he can have a solid game in a big spot with C.J. Stroud playing for a division and playoff birth in his first-ever prime-time game. | |||||
| Alec Pierce | IND | $4300 / $5400 | Derek Stingley | HOU | Risky |
| We saw Pierce connect on a 58-yard touchdown last week but that was his only catch. His production is too sporadic to trust, and the matchup against a solid corner in Stingley just adds to the risk. | |||||
| Zay Jones | JAC | $3800 / $5600 | Sean Murphy-Bunting | TEN | RIsky |
| Injuries have kept Jones in and out of the lineup all season, but he should return this week in a huge game that the Jaguars need to win to lock up their division. Jones is at a very low price in DFS so keep an eye on the injury reports and if he is in there, I love him at this price in all DFS lineups against this porous and banged-up Tennessee secondary. | |||||
| Marquez Valdes-Scantling | KC | $3000 / $4900 | Michael Davis | LAC | Risky |
| We didn't trust MVS to catch a pass from Patrick Mahomes, we are certainly not trusting him with Blaine Gabbert. With the Chiefs locked in the #3 seed, they could choose to rest all the veterans which would also include MVS. If they do that, I would take a look at a guy like Justyn Ross as a GPP dart throw since it is a great matchup against the Chargers. | |||||
| Jakobi Meyers | LV | $5400 / $6700 | Fabian Moreau | DEN | Moderate |
| With Adams likely seeing a shadow from Surtain, there should be a good opportunity for Meyers on the other side. He saw 10 targets last week and should once again have an opportunity to get into double-digit fantasy points against Moreau who has allowed 13.2 yards per reception in his coverage this season. | |||||
| Quentin Johnston | LAC | $4000 / $5500 | Jaylen Watson | KC | Risky |
| He is playing a 90% snap share and seeing a 16% target share and doing diddly squat with it. Sure, you could put some blame on having Easton Stick at quarterback, but Johnston just can't be trusted right now. | |||||
| Puka Nacua | LAR | $7800 / $7700 | Charvarius Ward | SF | Moderate |
| The Rams are starting Carson Wentz at quarterback and don't have anything to play for as they are locked into either the 6th or 7th seed which partially depends on what the Packers do. They will likely also rest Cooper Kupp who has been nursing an injury and Nacua has battled a hip injury that he has been playing through. Nacua is only 28 yards from setting the rookie receiving yards record, so McVay could choose to let him start the game, get the record, and pull him out to rest up and get healthy for the playoffs. With the risk of being pulled, Ill downgrade him from safe to moderate since we don't know and Ill be avoiding him. | |||||
| Tyreek Hill | MIA | $9400 / $9500 | Christian Benford | BUF | Safe |
| We thought that Tyreek Hill would be threatening the single-season receiving yards record this week, but after missing some time with injury and then coming back not 100%, he stands 248 yards from setting the record. That will be hard to accomplish in a single game, but we have seen him go over 200 yards before. Benford is a solid corner and the Buffalo cornerback duo is a solid coverage duo, but they can be beaten deep with speed and that is a big part of Tyreek's game. It's not the best matchup, but Tyreek can still have a big game this week in a huge spot. | |||||
| Jordan Addison | MIN | $5300 / $6700 | Kindle Vildor | DET | Safe |
| The Vikings could still get into the playoffs with a win this week and some help from others. Jefferson will likely draw a shadow from Sutton on the other side, leaving Addison with Vildor on the other side who has only played 4 games and is being thrust into starting duties after others have been miserable. This side of the field is a big achilles heel for Detroit so Addison should see some more opportunities in a plus matchup, making him a good play at this price. | |||||
| Jalen Reagor | NE | $3300 / $4500 | Sauce Gardner | NYJ | Risky |
| I said it before and I'll say it again... The Jets secondary got lit up last week but they will want to bounce back and make a statement this week and have the perfect opponent to do so. I'm not touching a Patriots receiver against Reed and Sauce. | |||||
| Chris Olave | NO | $6700 / $7300 | Clark Phillips III | ATL | Safe |
| Olave is running more on the outside lately, bumping out to allow Shaheed to operate from the slot. That will put Olave on the side of the backup corner Phillips which is a good matchup for Olave. New Orleans can win the division with a win and a Buccaneers loss, so they would be smart to get the ball in the hands of Olave who is arguably their best player and has a plus matchup this week. | |||||
| Darius Slayton | NYG | $4000 / $5700 | James Bradberry | PHI | Safe |
| Slayton is still the guy seeing the most snaps in the Giants wide receiver rotation, and he had the lone touchdown catch in each of the last 2 weeks. The Eagles are in the bottom 10 of the lowest-graded team coverage grades on PFF and have been getting torched through the air. While the Giants passing attack isn't scary, in the past 2 weeks we have seen that Tyrod Taylor and Slayton have something going, so at this price and in a good matchup, I do like Slayton in DFS this week. | |||||
| Jason Brownlee | NYJ | $3200 / $4600 | Jonathan Jones | NE | Risky |
| Brownlee is getting the opportunity to play now and saw a 97% snap share last week but only saw 2 targets. Jones has been playing well and has only allowed one touchdown in his coverage this season so it is a bad matchup for a guy who doesn't get target volume. Pass. | |||||
| DeVonta Smith | PHI | $6900 / $7000 | Adoree' Jackson | NYG | Moderate |
| For the past 3 weeks, Smith has only seen 5 targets each game and while the snap share is there, the volume has not. Philadelphia has struggled as a whole and got a good matchup this week to try to find their groove and get back on track. He had a great matchup last week and didn't produce, and this week he gets another shot against Jackson who is graded as the 117th cornerback of the 125 graded on PFF. In a good matchup, I like Smith to bounce back this week to help Philly get on track. | |||||
| Diontae Johnson | PIT | $12300 / $6600 | Marlon Humphrey | BAL | Moderate |
| Dionte got into the double digits last week with his 11.6 PPR points, but he has been playing a clear second fiddle to George Pickens with Rudolph at quarterback. Baltimore, even with nothing to play for, will likely play most of their starters since they have a bye week and Harbaugh probably won't want them to have too much time off, so the matchup is still a tough one and it makes Dionte hard to trust in the showdown slate. | |||||
| Deebo Samuel | SF | $7600 / $8300 | Ahkello Witherspoon | LAR | Risky |
| As I said above, I believe San Francisco rests most of their starters so If Deebo sits, you can give a dart throw DFS GPP flyer look at guys like Jauan Jennings, Ray-Ray McCloud, or Ronnie Bell and hope that the one you pick scores a touchdown from Sam Darnold. | |||||
| Tyler Lockett | SEA | $5600 / $6800 | Starling Thomas V | ARI | Safe |
| Seattle needs a win and a Packers loss to lock up a playoff spot so they will be fired up against Arizona and their pitiful secondary. On top of that, Geno Smith will get a $2 million bonus if Seattle makes the playoffs so he will be looking to his favorite targets in Lockett and Metcalf often in this game where they clearly have a matchup advantage over the Arizona corners. | |||||
| Chris Godwin | TB | $6300 / $6900 | Jaycee Horn | CAR | Moderate |
| After seeing at least 11 targets in each of his last 3 games, Godwin came back to earth last week in a tough matchup against Adebo. he was blanked most of the game until he got involved late and scored a touchdown. It is another tough matchup this week against Horn who is an excellent corner. Godwin will still be involved, but the upside is capped in a bad matchup this week. | |||||
| Treylon Burks | TEN | $3400 / $5000 | Darious Willians | JAC | Risky |
| Burks isn't getting enough volume or producing enough to be trusted this week, especially with Hopkins likely to see a huge target volume to hit his bonus incentives. I can't trust Burks. | |||||
| Jahan Dotson | WAS | $3800 / $5400 | Stephon Gilmore | DAL | Risky |
| Another major disappointment this year, Dotson has been very underwhelming. He hasn't produced like everyone thought he would and he closes the season in a tough matchup against Gilmore and a focused Dallas team. We will close the book on Dotson and hope next year is a better year for him. | |||||
Top 10 Matchups in the Slot for Week 18
| Slot WR vs Slot CB | |||||
| Wide Receiver | Team | DraftKings/FanDuel | Cornerback | Opp | Matchup |
| CeeDee Lamb | DAL | $9300 / $10000 | Jartavius Martin | WAS | Safe |
| Not only is Washington's secondary bad, they're also banged up and we will be seeing Ceedee up against a rookie corner in Martin. Lamb has asserted himself as a guy who needs to be involved in the conversations around top-tier wide receivers and he is having a great season. He gets a great matchup in a game where they are playing for the division title. I would be shocked if Lamb didn't have another big game this week with at least 1 touchdown. | |||||
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | DET | $8600 / $8800 | Josh Metellus | MIN | Safe |
| Coming off a 22-point performance last week, St. Brown again gets a good matchup against Metellus who is not a great cover corner. He is a versatile defender but lacks real coverage skills which will be something that a technician like St. Brown will take advantage of. In a must-win game with a plus matchup, St. Brown should be targeted early and often. | |||||
| Rashid Shaheed | NO | $4700 / $6000 | Mike Hughes | ATL | Safe |
| Shaheed has been playing the slot role and in that spot, he gets a plus matchup this week against Hughes. AJ Terrell doesnt move into the slot so when Carr tries to avoid Terrell this week, that could mean a few more looks to Shaheed from the inside. He has shown his ability to make the big plays and is a well-priced option in a game where New Orleans is looking to win and try to sneak into the playoffs. | |||||
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba | SEA | $4800 / $5700 | Garrett Williams | ARI | Safe |
| We have already highlighted Seattles' motivation to win this game and the bonus incentives for Geno Smith. While we like the outside receivers, JSN also plays a role in this offense and draws a plus matchup against Williams who allows a 72% reception percentage in his coverage. With Geno likely to throw a lot, JSN is also playable in this good matchup against a bad Arizona defense. | |||||
| Curtis Samuel | WAS | $4300 / $5600 | Jourdan Lewis | DAL | Safe |
| Washington will look to play spoiler and while Dallas should be able to take this win fairly easily, Washington will at least try to keep up with them and they'll have to do it in the passing game. The Cowboys outside corners are very strong so that means that there should be more opportunity for Samuel to produce out of the slot with some increased targets this week. | |||||
| Jayden Reed | GB | $5700 / $7100 | Kyler Gordon | CHI | 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 6 of the last 7 games he played and had 2 touchdowns last week before exiting the game late. He has been dealing with a toe injury, but he was back at practice by mid-week so he should be right back out there in his regular high-volume role in a huge game that Green Bay needs to win to make the playoffs. | |||||
| Zay Flowers | BAL | $15300 / $7100 | Chandon Sullivan | PIT | Moderate |
| Flowers has been great, but this is one where you will need to keep an eye on what Baltimore is going to do with their starters. They have nothing to play for but may want to play spoiler to division Rival Pittsburgh and not rest players for multiple weeks since they have a bye. The other side of the coin though is that Flowers has been playing through injury so the multiple-week rest could actually benefit him. If he does go the matchup and volume make him a good play, but there is certainly a risk he doesnt play or leaves early so that's why I can't call him safe this week. | |||||
| Wan'Dale Robinson | NYG | $4200 / $5900 | Avonte Maddox | PHI | Moderate |
| The Giants are still playing hard even with nothing to play for. Tyrod Taylor has been chucking the rock and last week we saw Robinson lead the team in targets with a 23% target share. In a PPR setting, Robinson offers a solid PPR floor option in a Taylor-led high-volume passing offense up against a Philadelphia defense that is struggling and giving up points. | |||||
| Rashee Rice | KC | $6800 / $7800 | Essang Bassey | LAC | Moderate |
| Even without Patrick Mahomes at quarterback, if Rice is playing he is a playable option. The Chiefs will be resting their veterans, but we don't know if Rice has also earned that rest or if they will want to get more action for the rookie. Keep an eye on the reports, but if he is out there I will use him in a good matchup against a bad Chargers secondary and a backup slot cornerback in Bassey. | |||||
| Demario Douglas | NE | $4400 / $5900 | Michael Carter II | NYJ | Moderate |
| It was a quiet week last week for Douglas who only had 3 catches last week but led the receivers in snap percentage and target share. In what could be Bill Belicheck's last game as coach of the Patriots, he will be looking to find a way to go out with a win against his long-time rival, the Jets. With not many weapons in this Patriots offense, he will be looking to scheme to get the ball in the hands of the playmaker Douglas who matches up with Carter, who is a solid corner in his own right but is a step down from the dynamic duo on the outside. | |||||