Best, worst matchups at all fantasy football positions for Week 8

Matchups play a huge part in fantasy managers' weekly lineup decisions. When choosing between two (or more) similarly talented players, the decision often boils down to: Which one has the best matchup?

We use that word -- matchups -- a lot. But what, exactly, constitutes a favorable or unfavorable matchup?

This is where the "Matchups Map" comes in. Each week, I'll provide a schedule-independent method to determine strength of positional matchups, using the most recent, relevant data. Check back for updated numbers each week, including matchups highlights at each position -- both favorable and unfavorable -- based upon those statistics. For these purposes, we will use PPR (point per reception) scoring.

The maps include two measures: The first, "Rk," is my personal ranking of how favorable/unfavorable I consider that positional matchup; the second, "Adj. FPA," reflects how far above or below a player's average that defense held opponents at that position. All data is from the past five weeks of NFL action.

Finally, a caveat: Matchups are only one ingredient in my rankings formula. Not every favorable matchup should be exploited; not every unfavorable matchup should be avoided. To get the most complete recipe for whom to start and sit, consult my weekly rankings.

Quarterbacks

Favorable matchup: Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams (versus Cincinnati Bengals)

He enjoyed quite the turnaround in Week 7, going from posting the worst fantasy point total of his season in Week 6 (1.1) to his best (25.0). While his accuracy wasn't substantially improved -- he completed only 59% of his passes -- Goff's success against a bad pass defense at least put him back among the better streaming/matchups candidates at the QB position. This week brings another extremely favorable matchup, against a defense that has boosted opposing QB fantasy totals by 3.4 points for the season. They've allowed 21.6 QB fantasy points per game and 0.51 points per pass attempt, the latter being the sixth most in the league. Yes, the Bengals are a weaker defense against the run than the pass, but they're pretty generous in either regard. Considering the Rams' combination of maintenance/injury issues at running back between Todd Gurley II and Malcolm Brown, it's a good bet that Goff will attempt at least the 29.4 pass attempts the Bengals have seen per game so far in 2019.

Unfavorable matchup: Jacoby Brissett, Indianapolis Colts (versus Denver Broncos)

His has been one of the more promising breakthrough stories at quarterback this season, as he has completed multiple TD passes in five of his six games and is currently QB15 (with the caveat that 13 of the 14 quarterbacks ranked ahead of him have played an additional game). This week, however, Brissett is a firm "no," outside of desperation consideration in 2-QB leagues. He's going up against a Broncos defense that hasn't allowed more than 16.7 QB fantasy points in any of its seven games. The Broncos limited Aaron Rodgers to 13.3 points (Week 3) and Philip Rivers to 4.1 (Week 5). Cornerback Chris Harris Jr. is likely to cover Brissett's top receiver, T.Y. Hilton, for much of the day. Harris has made it difficult for opposing wideouts to get open this year, drawing targets on only 12% of his coverage snaps while allowing only 266 yards and one touchdown.

Running backs

Favorable matchup: LeSean McCoy, Kansas City Chiefs (versus Green Bay Packers)

The Chiefs' backfield might be a maddening committee, but recent returns hint that McCoy has the edge, having played on 48 of 105 (46%) offensive snaps and totaling 20 carries and four targets, with all of those numbers being tops on the team (though the targets see him tied with Damien Williams). McCoy has also been the far superior performer with the carries he has received, averaging 0.70 fantasy points per rushing attempt, compared to Williams' 0.31. With Patrick Mahomes sidelined, there's a good chance that the Chiefs will lean at least slightly more on their running game to compensate. That's fortunate timing, considering the matchup against the Packers. Green Bay is a defense that has allowed at least 14.1 PPR fantasy points to each of the past six lead running backs it has faced. Only the Baltimore Ravens (0.80) have allowed more fantasy points per rushing attempt than the Packers (0.76).

Unfavorable matchup: Phillip Lindsay, Denver Broncos (at Indianapolis Colts)

Since being shredded by Austin Ekeler (39.4 PPR fantasy points) and Derrick Henry (17.4) in the season's first two weeks, the Colts' run defense has been quietly great. Over the past four games, the team has allowed a combined 54.6 PPR fantasy points on 90 total touches to opposing running backs, with the group averaging just 4.0 YPC (with no touchdowns) during that time. Having a healthy Darius Leonard back only helps the Colts' cause. Lindsay, meanwhile, has been operating in a near-even split of the Broncos' backfield chores, though his 43% (53-of-123) of offensive snaps played -- compared to Royce Freeman's 62% -- during the past two weeks combined is a bit of a concern. Freeman has been getting more work on passing downs of late, so he's the preferred option of these two in all but non-PPR leagues.

Wide receivers

Favorable matchup: Corey Davis, Tennessee Titans (versus Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

The QB switch from Marcus Mariota to Ryan Tannehill seemed to be a huge boost to Davis' fantasy potential (not to mention A.J. Brown's). Davis enjoyed season highs in Week 7 with seven targets and six catches while also seeing his first red zone target of 2019, which he promptly converted into a touchdown. It was a promising development, right in time for one of the most favorable matchups any wide receiver could ask to get -- a Buccaneers defense that has allowed the second-most PPR fantasy points per game to the position (44.1). One could choose a streaming candidate from any of the Titans' wide receivers this week, but the reason that Davis stands out is his tendency to shift across the formation, spreading out his individual CB matchups. He should be difficult for this defense to contain, especially with a more aggressive quarterback throwing him the ball.

Unfavorable matchup: Odell Beckham Jr., Cleveland Browns (at New England Patriots)

Perhaps the bye week's rest will have cured what ails the Browns' passing game, but considering QB Baker Mayfield has yet to post a multiple-TD passing game -- or one worth as many as 20 fantasy points, for that matter -- I'd prefer to see some evidence before trusting it against a matchup like this. Beckham continues to see lofty target totals, enjoying at least a 27% target share in five of his six games. Unfortunately, he hasn't done a whole lot with it, averaging only 13.2 PPR fantasy points per contest. Now he draws the Patriots, who have been the sixth-best schedule-adjusted defense against opposing WR1s. A lot of the credit goes to cornerback Stephon Gilmore, whose 34.6 passer rating allowed is seventh best of the 67 players who have at least 200 coverage snaps. Bear in mind that he has been heavily targeted, seeing 49 thus far. I'm not saying you must sit Beckham this week, as anyone with his talent plus a decent chance at 8-10 targets is almost certainly going to remain active in any fantasy league. Still, the matchup needs be considered in daily formats or if you have an abundance of talented alternatives at the position.

Tight ends