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.
Down below are the receivers with the best and worst Week 3 matchups, as well as the corresponding fantasy impact.
To view the primary defenders the top three wide receivers for each team will see this weekend, be sure to check out my weekly WR vs. CB cheatsheet.
Advantageous matchups
Cowboys' Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb vs. Seahawks' Shaquill Griffin, Quinton Dunbar and Ugo Amadi
The Seahawks' perimeter corners look good on paper with Griffin and Dunbar, but the results haven't been good out of the gate this season. Seattle has allowed the most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers, including the third most to the perimeter and most to the slot. Lamb, who is actually out-targeting Gallup, benefits most from the latter, as he'll see a lot of Amadi this week. Amadi has been targeted on a third of his coverage snaps since replacing the injured Marquise Blair. Gallup and Cooper figure to see an onslaught of targets against Griffin (who has allowed the third-most fantasy points among cornerbacks in coverage this season) and Dunbar (seventh most), and should be upgraded in what has the look of a shootout in Seattle.
Bears' Allen Robinson II, Darnell Mooney and Anthony Miller vs. Falcons' Isaiah Oliver, A.J. Terrell and Darqueze Dennard
Much like Seattle, Atlanta has been trounced by wide receivers so far this season. The Falcons have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to the position, including the second most to the perimeter and fifth most to the slot. Oliver (sixth-most fantasy points allowed in coverage among cornerbacks), Terrell (16th) and slot man Dennard (17th) are all guilty parties. Robinson and Mooney, who replaced Ted Ginn Jr. as a starter last week, will see Terrell and Oliver on the perimeter, with Miller facing off with Dennard. All three can be upgraded, though Robinson is the only safe start in 12-team leagues.
Seahawks DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett vs. Cowboys' Trevon Diggs, Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis
The Dallas defense has been decimated by injuries and disappointing play so far this season, and that especially applies to its attempt to cover opposing wide receivers. Dallas has allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to the position, including the fourth most to the perimeter. Red-hot Metcalf has aligned outside on 76% of his routes, which means he'll see Awuzie (96% perimeter) and the rookie Diggs (92%) throughout Sunday's game. Dallas hasn't been as bad against the slot thus far, though Anthony Brown's injury replacement, Lewis, has allowed 0.94 fantasy points per coverage snap this season, which is worst among "starting" corners. That's good news for Lockett, who aligns inside 63% of the time.
Buccaneers' Mike Evans and Scotty Miller vs. Broncos' Bryce Callahan and Michael Ojemudia
Denver was expected to have one of the league's better defenses this season, but injuries to the likes of Von Miller and A.J. Bouye have led to an atrocious start against wide receivers. Denver has allowed the third-most fantasy points to the position, including the most to the perimeter. Callahan has played fine but has been targeted on a hefty 21% of his coverage snaps. The rookie Ojemudia has allowed 39.2 fantasy points in coverage, which is most among all corners. Evans (62% perimeter) and Miller (73%) will see those two corners on a majority of their routes this weekend. Chris Godwin (80% slot) is expected back from injury and will face undrafted rookie Essang Bassey, who has played well out of the gate.
Other notable upgrades:
Cardinals' DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk vs. Lions' Desmond Trufant, Jeff Okudah and Amani Oruwariye
Titans' A.J. Brown, Corey Davis and Adam Humphries vs. Vikings' Cameron Dantzler, Holton Hill, Jeff Gladney and Mike Hughes
Colts' T.Y. Hilton and Michael Pittman Jr. vs. Jets' Bless Austin and Quincy Wilson
Jaguars' Keelan Cole Sr. vs. Dolphins' Nik Needham
Dolphins' Isaiah Ford vs. Jaguars' D.J. Hayden
Tough matchups
Packers' Davante Adams vs. Saints' Marshon Lattimore (shadow)
Lattimore is one of the game's top cover corners and is essentially a lock to shadow against clear No. 1 perimeter receivers. That, of course, is the case with Adams, who has aligned outside on 75% of his routes this season. These two last faced off back in 2017 and Lattimore did, in fact, shadow Adams in that game. Lattimore won the battle, holding Adams to an 8-yard catch on three targets while covering him on 18 plays. Lattimore tends to show up in a big way against the toughest competition -- he's famously done an excellent job neutralizing Mike Evans, including back in Week 1 -- so this is obviously going to be a tough test for Adams. He's a player to avoid in DFS.
Bills' Stefon Diggs and John Brown vs. Rams' Jalen Ramsey and Darious Williams
First, a little background: Diggs is coming off a huge Week 2 performance, but he may have a key injury to thank for it. Miami opened the game shadowing Buffalo's top receiver with shutdown corner Byron Jones, but the team's pricey offseason investment went out with an injury after only two pass plays. Miami subbed in rookie Noah Igbinoghene (who entered the week having already been demoted) as Diggs' shadow -- and Diggs, of course, put up an 8-153-1 receiving line.
This week, life doesn't figure to be as easy, with a Rams defense that has been better than expected on the docket. Ramsey has yet to shadow this season but was glued to either Amari Cooper or Michael Gallup in Week 1 and didn't really need to against the WR1-less Eagles in Week 2. It's possible that changes this week after Diggs' hot start, but it also may not matter with Williams playing well on the other side of the field. Williams has actually been targeted less than Ramsey, and the duo have helped the Rams to the fifth-fewest fantasy points allowed to wide receivers. Diggs (68% perimeter) and Brown (91%) will see a lot of Ramsey and Williams and should be downgraded.
Panthers' DJ Moore vs. Chargers' Casey Hayward (shadow); Robby Anderson vs. Michael Davis (shadow); Curtis Samuel vs. Chris Harris Jr.
Moore (30%) and Anderson (24%) have combined for a ridiculous 54% target share this season, but that number figures to be much lower in Week 3. Hayward hasn't shadowed much this season, but he has historically when the matchup calls for it. That figures to be the case this week, as 5-foot-11 Hayward is a decent bet to follow 6-foot Moore, leaving 6-foot-2 Davis to handle 6-foot-3 Anderson. Harris hasn't been targeted much this season in the slot, which sets up a tough matchup for Samuel, though expect him to get more carries with Christian McCaffrey sidelined. We saw the Chargers slow the Chiefs' high-powered offense last week, and they've allowed the 11th-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers early this season. Downgrade Carolina's pass offense.
Bengals' A.J. Green vs. Eagles' Darius Slay (shadow)
The 0-2 Eagles may not be off to a great start, but that hasn't stopped their new No. 1 corner from showing well out of the gate. Slay has allowed a grand total of 52 yards on 54 coverage snaps through two games. And that includes a shadow date with Terry McLaurin in Week 1. This week, expect Slay to travel with Green, who has been targeted on a massive 32% of his routes but has struggled to only 80 receiving yards. Slay rarely aligns in the slot, but the same goes for Green (80% perimeter), so these two will see a lot of each other on Sunday. They last faced off in 2017. Green was covered by Slay on 35 of his 43 routes and managed 81 yards on 10 targets in the game. Green should be downgraded, whereas rookie Tee Higgins makes for a deep sleeper against struggling Avonte Maddox on the other side of the field.
Chiefs' Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, Demarcus Robinson and Mecole Hardman vs. Ravens' Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters and Jimmy Smith
Kansas City's offense was held in check (we can't say that often) in Week 2, and life will be only tougher against Baltimore's elite defense on Monday Night Football. Baltimore has allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers so far this season, including the second fewest to the perimeter. Slot CB Tavon Young was lost for the season on Sunday, but Baltimore's incredible depth allowed the unit to move Humphrey to the slot (where he played in 2019) and Smith back to right corner (he had been working at safety) opposite Peters. All three corners have been sharp in coverage already this season, so this is obviously one of the Chiefs' toughest matchups of the season. Note that these teams did face off in Week 3 last season, but Hill, Peters and Smith were not active for the game.
Lions' Kenny Golladay vs. Patrick Peterson (shadow)
Golladay is expected back this week, but life won't be easy out of the gate with Peterson's shadow coverage looming. Believe it or not, Arizona has allowed the fewest fantasy points to wide receivers this season, including the fewest to the perimeter. Sure, Arizona faced weak San Francisco and Washington wide receiver rooms, but the pass defense got the job done nonetheless. This week, we should expect Peterson to travel with Golladay, as he did with Terry McLaurin in Week 2 and against Golladay when these teams last met back in 2018. Golladay was held to 5 yards on four targets in the game and went without a catch on 12 routes against Peterson. Peterson may be past his prime, but he's still a good corner, so we'll need to temper expectations for Golladay in his return to action.
Rams' Robert Woods vs. Bills' Tre'Davious White (shadow)
White is picking up where he left off last season with a strong start to his 2020 campaign. Buffalo's top corner has been targeted on only nine of his 70 coverage snaps, and those plays have resulted in five catches for 50 yards. That includes a Week 2 showing in which he spent time shadowing both Preston Williams (one 26-yard catch on 29 routes) and DeVante Parker (zero catches on 14 routes). With Cooper Kupp in the slot half the time and the Rams' No. 3 job unsettled, Woods (62% perimeter) has emerged as the team's top outside receiver. This week, that figures to mean a lot of routes run against White. Though we do need to dock Woods a bit, we know White doesn't travel to the slot, so Woods will escape his cover on roughly one-third of his routes. That's enough to keep him in your Week 3 lineups, though consider avoiding him in DFS. Kupp, by the way, doesn't need to be downgraded against Taron Johnson (Buffalo has allowed the third-most fantasy points to the slot).
Other notable downgrades:
Jets' Jamison Crowder vs. Colts' Kenny Moore II
Broncos' Jerry Jeudy vs. Buccaneers' Sean Murphy-Bunting
Raiders' Henry Ruggs III, Bryan Edwards and Hunter Renfrow vs. Stephon Gilmore, Jonathan Jones and J.C. Jackson
Other potential shadow matchup
Saints' Michael Thomas vs. Packers' Jaire Alexander
Alexander is a good young corner, but he's been heavily targeted this season and has allowed six catches for 80 yards and one touchdown on 47 coverage snaps. Alexander shadowed Adam Thielen in Week 1 and generally chased No. 1 perimeter receivers last season, so he's a good bet to follow Thomas in the first-ever meeting between the two. Of course, Thomas is questionable to play after missing Week 2 with an injury, and even if he plays and is shadowed by Alexander, he's too good and too heavily targeted to be worried about. Thomas can be fired up with confidence.