<
        >

          Best, worst wide receiver matchups for Week 12

          • Mike ClayNov 23, 2016, 04:00 PM ET
            Close
              Mike Clay is a senior writer for fantasy football and the NFL at ESPN. Mike is a member of the FSWA Hall of Fame. His projections power the ESPN Fantasy Football game, and he also appears on "Fantasy Football Now" and the Fantasy Focus Football podcast.
            Follow on X

          By utilizing our play-by-play data, we're now able to identify where each wide receiver and cornerback lines up on each play. By tracking matchups between the two positions, including potential shadow situations, we can offer the best projections, rankings and fantasy advice each week.

          What follows are the receivers with the best and worst Week 12 matchups, as well as some additional notes.

          To view the primary defenders the top three wide receivers for each team will see this weekend, be sure to check out our weekly WR vs. CB cheat sheet:

          Downloadable cheat sheet PDF

          Tough matchups

          Falcons WR Julio Jones vs. Cardinals CB Patrick Peterson

          Week 12 is loaded with outstanding wide receiver/cornerback showdowns, which is why we're kicking off this piece with the tough matchups for the first time this season. Where else to start but with arguably the league's best wide receiver and top cover corner? Jones lines up on the perimeter on just under three-quarters of his routes, so he will certainly see Peterson a majority of the time. Peterson has shadowed Mike Evans, Marquise Goodwin, Tavon Austin, Brandon Marshall, Kelvin Benjamin and Stefon Diggs already this season.

          Although Peterson does occasionally travel to the slot, Arizona is expected to have Tyrann Mathieu back this week, so Jones will see him a bit as well. Many are quick to point out that Jones lit up Peterson for 10 catches and 189 yards when the two players last met in 2014, but keep in mind that Peterson was dealing with low blood sugar prior to determining that he was borderline diabetic. Since addressing the issue prior to the 2015 season, Peterson has allowed only two touchdowns and is on a short list of NFL shutdown corners. This is sure to be a terrific showdown, but Jones needs to be faded in DFS.

          Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald vs. Falcons CB Desmond Trufant

          Fitzgerald lines up in the slot on 65 percent of his pass routes, so he often dodges coverage from top corners. That is unlikely to be the case this week, as Atlanta hasn't hesitated to use Trufant inside, matching him up with the likes of Brandin Cooks, Doug Baldwin and Travis Benjamin in the slot. At least for now, Fitzgerald needs to be downgraded, but keep in mind that Trufant is questionable for this game with a shoulder injury. If he sits out, it will be all systems go for Fitzgerald. This is a situation to monitor throughout the week.

          Cowboys WR Dez Bryant vs. Redskins CB Josh Norman

          Norman did not shadow during his first game-and-a-half with the Redskins, but things have gone much differently since. After sticking to his side early on during the Week 2 meeting with Dallas, Norman shadowed Bryant down the stretch. The two faced off 14 times and Bryant was limited to zero receptions on two targets. Norman also shadowed Bryant in Week 12 last season and limited him to one catch on six targets over 30 pass routes. Granted it's a small sample, but at least so far, Norman has had Bryant's number. It's not a lock that Norman will follow Bryant, but considering the Week 2 adjustment and the fact that Norman has shadowed Odell Beckham Jr., Terrelle Pryor, Marvin Jones and A.J. Green in recent weeks, it should be considered very likely. Downgrade Bryant and avoid in DFS cash games.

          Buccaneers WR Mike Evans vs. Seahawks CB Richard Sherman

          Sherman has a reputation as a premiere cover corner who rarely shadows opposing top receivers. While true, there are exceptions. Sherman shadowed Brandon Marshall and Jones earlier this season and moved around more than usual in recent games against New England and Philadelphia. Sherman also shadowed Green, Torrey Smith, Bryant, Antonio Brown and Michael Floyd last season. That being the case -- and especially with DeShawn Shead questionable -- Sherman can be considered a near lock to shadow Evans in Week 12. Both players are producing at an extremely high level this season, so expectations for Evans need to be held in check. Keep him in your season-long lineup, but avoid in DFS.

          Jets WR Brandon Marshall vs. Patriots CB Malcolm Butler

          Butler has been strong in coverage ever since his Super Bowl heroics two years ago, but he's taken his game to an even higher level here in 2016. Butler has shadowed often this season, including matchups with Will Fuller, Marquise Goodwin, Brandon LaFell, Antonio Brown, Robert Woods and Doug Baldwin. Especially with Logan Ryan struggling a bit, Butler is a good bet to shadow Marshall in Week 12. Considering New York's recent offensive woes, Marshall is obviously a name to avoid where possible. Meanwhile, expect Quincy Enunwa to see a lot of Ryan in this game.

          Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins vs. Chargers CB Casey Hayward

          Hayward has played well all season, but he wasn't asked to shadow until Jason Verrett went down for the season in Week 5. Since that point, Hayward has shadowed Demaryius Thomas (twice) and Jones. This week, expect him to follow Hopkins and keep in mind that Hayward has tons of experience in the slot. Houston's offense is obviously struggling badly, but Hopkins has still been targeted on just under one-quarter of his pass routes. He will still be busy in this game, but look for Fuller and Braxton Miller to pick up a few extra targets against inferior corners Brandon Flowers and Craig Mager. Hopkins is not an absolute fade, but he should be downgraded.

          Advantageous matchups

          Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas vs. Chiefs CB Phillip Gaines

          Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders move around the Broncos offensive formation quite a bit, so both will see struggling Gaines, surging Marcus Peters and pedestrian slot corner Steven Nelson in this game. Thomas gets the headline, however, because he lines up wide to Trevor Siemian's left on 45 percent of his pass routes. It's there that Gaines has lined up 93 percent of the time this season. Sanders has run 44 percent of his routes wide to the right, which is where Peters calls home. Both receivers are in the WR2 mix, but Thomas is obviously the preferred play.

          Vikings WR Stefon Diggs vs. Lions CB Quandre Diggs

          If you're like me, you're really digging this Diggs on Diggs action (come for the analysis, stay for the dad jokes). Diggs leads the NFL with 49 targets and 40 receptions over the past four weeks and will be a strong DFS target this week for a variety of reasons. The first is that he's coming off a down week, which was a product of a brutal matchup against Peterson. The second is that those not paying close attention might be scared off by the presence of Darius Slay. Slay shadows often and is one of the game's top cover corners, but unlike Peterson, he does not travel to the slot very often. In fact, he's lined up inside only five percent of the time this season. Diggs, meanwhile, has lined up in the slot on two-thirds of his routes since Week 7. The "other" Diggs is Detroit's primary slot corner and although he hasn't been targeted often this season, he's struggled badly in coverage. This is a Thanksgiving matchup you should be looking to exploit. Bear in mind, however, that Stefon Diggs is listed as questionable, and ESPN's Adam Schefter has reported that Diggs is unlikely to play Thursday.

          Saints WR Michael Thomas vs. Rams CB E.J. Gaines

          The Rams let Janoris Jenkins leave via free agency in part because of the return of Gaines from injury. It hasn't worked out very well. While Jenkins has been dominating his opposition in New York, Gaines has repeatedly been lit up in the City of Angels. In fact, he's been targeted at least eight times in four straight games, he's allowed five or more receptions in six of his seven games, and he's allowed at least 56 receiving yards or a touchdown in each of his outings. The Saints move their receivers around quite a bit and the Rams rarely shadow, so Gaines will see a little bit of action against each of New Orleans' receivers. Of course, Thomas lines up wide to Drew Brees' left on 54 percent of his routes, so he will benefit most from Gaines' struggles. Especially with Willie Snead having to deal with Lamarcus Joyner in the slot, Thomas is the Saints wide receiver with the best matchup this week.

          Other projected shadow situations

          • Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. vs. Browns CB Joe Haden. Haden is a talented corner, but his effectiveness has dipped against a tough slate in recent weeks. He's been asked to shadow DeSean Jackson, Brandon Marshall, Dez Bryant, Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown this season, so expect him to follow Beckham this week. It won't be a walk in the park for Beckham, but he does not need to be downgraded.

          • Browns WR Terrelle Pryor vs. Giants CB Janoris Jenkins New York likes to be creative with their corners, but especially with Eli Apple slumping a bit as of late, Jenkins is a candidate to shadow Pryor in Week 12. The former Ram has already shadowed Bryant, Diggs and Green this season. This one isn't as clear-cut as others, so Pryor should only be downgraded slightly.

          • Patriots WR Julian Edelman vs. Jets CB Darrelle Revis In the Week 7 meeting between these teams last season, Revis shadowed on 38 of Edelman's 57 pass routes. The results were one reception for 5 yards on three targets. Although that's scary as Edelman's prospects go, Revis' play has dropped off drastically this season. He's been targeted on 22 percent of the routes he's faced and is allowing a porous 0.25 fantasy points per route. Revis figures to shadow Edelman, but Tom Brady's top target does not need to be downgraded.

          Sneaky-good matchups