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.
Below are the receivers with the best and worst Week 7 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
Unless otherwise noted, references to where teams rank in statistical categories are on a per-game basis in order to avoid distortion due to bye weeks.
Advantageous matchups
Steelers' Chase Claypool, Diontae Johnson, James Washington and JuJu Smith-Schuster vs. Titans' Malcolm Butler, Johnathan Joseph and Kristian Fulton
We haven't picked on the Titans much this season, but they've struggled to slow wide receivers with Adoree' Jackson (IR) yet to make his season debut. The Titans have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to the position, including the fifth most to the perimeter and slot. They've allowed the second-most receptions, fourth-most yards and fifth-most touchdowns to wideouts.
Claypool (74% perimeter), Washington (88%) and Johnson (85%) -- who is expected back from injury -- primarily align outside and will run most of their routes against heavily targeted Butler and 36-year-old Joseph. Smith-Schuster has underwhelmed this season, though he has a shot to get back on track this week in what figures to be Pittsburgh's most competitive game (which will mean more passing) and with the rookie Fulton defending the slot for Tennessee. Upgrade this group across the board.
Cardinals' DeAndre Hopkins, Christian Kirk and Larry Fitzgerald vs. Seahawks' Quinton Dunbar, Shaquill Griffin and Ugo Amadi
No defense has matched Seattle's incompetence against wide receivers this season, as the Seahawks have allowed the most fantasy points to the position, including the most to the perimeter and fourth most to the slot. Incredibly, Seattle has allowed the most fantasy points to both left and right perimeter receivers. The Seahawks have allowed 1,472 yards to wide receivers, and Griffin has allowed eight more fantasy points than any other player in coverage this season -- which is shocking, considering they've already served their bye.
This week, heavily targeted Hopkins (92% perimeter) and Kirk (85%) will work against Griffin and Dunbar, with Fitzgerald (86% slot) inside against Amadi. Hopkins is obviously a great play every week, and Kirk is worth flex consideration in this matchup.
Football Team's Terry McLaurin vs. Cowboys' Trevon Diggs (shadow)
Dallas has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to wide receivers, which is bad enough, but the Cowboys have also allowed the most over expected and the third-most to the perimeter. Not great, Bob.
We saw Dallas apply shadow coverage for the first time this season on Monday night, turning to the rookie Diggs to travel with Hopkins. Diggs showed pretty well and could follow McLaurin this week. It may not matter, though, as Diggs has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points in coverage among corners this season.
Oft-targeted McLaurin has aligned on the perimeter for 72% of his routes this season, so he'll see either Diggs on most of his routes (if he's shadowed) or some combination of Diggs and Anthony Brown, who replaced Daryl Worley during Monday's blowout loss. McLaurin will also run a few routes against slot CB Jourdan Lewis. "F1" has the look of a strong DFS option.
Lions' Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones Jr. and Danny Amendola vs. Falcons' A.J. Terrell, Kendall Sheffield and Isaiah Oliver
Following another rough outing (this time against Minnesota), the Falcons have now allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season, including the second most to the perimeter and slot. They've allowed 1,305 yards to wide receivers (second most), which is fueled by a league-worst 10.2 yards per target.
This week, it will be Matthew Stafford's turn to tee off on this group. Perimeter receivers Golladay (who has aligned outside 77% of the time) and Jones (65%) will work against Sheffield (who has allowed an atrocious 0.62 fantasy points per coverage snap) and first-round rookie Terrell (who has been solid since his return from injury). Slot man Amendola's targets have trended downward, but he'll be a sleeper this week against recently demoted Oliver.
Other notable upgrades:
Buccaneers' Chris Godwin vs. Raiders' Lamarcus Joyner
Bengals' Tyler Boyd vs. Browns' Kevin Johnson
Chargers' Keenan Allen vs. Jaguars' Tre Herndon
Bills' Stefon Diggs and John Brown vs. Jets' Blessuan Austin and Pierre Desir
Tough matchups
Packers' Davante Adams vs. Texans' Bradley Roby (shadow)
Roby is the only corner who has shadowed during all six weeks of the 2020 season, having traveled with Tyreek Hill, Marquise Brown, Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen, DJ Chark Jr. and A.J. Brown. Roby has shown pretty well overall this season, though he had a little trouble against A.J. Brown on Sunday. Brown posted a 4-46-2 receiving line on 30 routes against Roby and added a 10-yard catch against Lonnie Johnson Jr. in the game. Hill, Thielen and A.J. Brown ended up with decent fantasy days against Houston, Johnson left early with an injury, and Marquise Brown and Chark put up duds, so it's obviously been mixed results.
You're playing Adams regardless against the Roby shadow, though perhaps consider spending elsewhere in your DFS cash lineup. Roby has played pretty well this season, but his teammates have not, and Houston has, in turn, allowed the eighth-most fantasy points (seventh most to the perimeter) and a league-worst 73% catch rate to wide receivers. That opens the door for Marquez Valdes-Scantling or, if you wake up feeling dangerous on Sunday, Malik Taylor to sneak in a few big plays.
Giants' Darius Slayton vs. Eagles' Darius Slay (shadow)
Who's ready for a ton of Slay-on-Slay action? Sorry. Slay enters Week 7 having already shadowed McLaurin and A.J. Green this season. He's shown well, holding McLaurin to a 3-31-0 receiving line on 27 routes and Green to a 4-31-0 line on 36 routes. Slay has surrendered a 28-305-0 receiving line on 202 defended routes on the season, which works out to a healthy 0.29 fantasy points per coverage snap.
It's not a lock, but Slay figures to travel with Slayton this week, especially if Sterling Shepard remains out. Slayton has aligned outside 86% of the time and has been targeted on a generous 21% of his routes. Slayton should, of course, be downgraded.
Seahawks' DK Metcalf vs. Cardinals' Patrick Peterson (shadow)
No defense has utilized more man-to-man coverage than Arizona this season, and while that has led to a lot of pressure on (and poor PFF grades for) Peterson and Dre Kirkpatrick, it's also allowed very little fantasy production for opposing wide receivers. The Cardinals have allowed the 11th-fewest fantasy points to the position (second fewest once adjusted for opportunity), including the third fewest to the perimeter. Opposing wideouts have managed only four touchdowns against them, which included an Amari Cooper score in garbage time on Monday Night Football.
Peterson has shadowed just once this season (McLaurin in Week 2) but did travel with Metcalf when these teams last met in Week 16 last season. Metcalf went without a catch on one target in that game, which brought his season total to five targets, one catch and six yards on 58 routes against Arizona. The Cardinals obviously had the rookie's number, but Metcalf has taken his game to another level in 2020.
You may want to lower exposure to Metcalf in DFS cash games, but he's obviously a lineup lock moving forward. Tyler Lockett, by the way, is all systems go in the slot against struggling Byron Murphy Jr.
Jets' Breshad Perriman vs. Bills' Tre'Davious White (shadow)
White did not shadow Perriman when these teams met back in Week 1, but he's since traveled with Preston Williams, Travis Kelce and Zay Jones on their perimeter routes, and we also saw Josh Norman shadow A.J. Brown when White was sidelined in Week 5. Based on the way White has been used, I suspect he may travel with Perriman (74% perimeter) on his outside routes this week. Even if he doesn't, he'll still see plenty of Perriman in the game, while also spending some time against Jeff Smith.
Perriman was limited to a 3-17-0 receiving line on five targets in the Week 1 matchup, with 12 of his 36 routes coming against White. Perriman will be a weak flex this weekend, but Jamison Crowder (75% slot) can be upgraded inside against Taron Johnson (Buffalo has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to the slot).
Bears' Allen Robinson II, Darnell Mooney and Anthony Miller vs. Rams' Jalen Ramsey, Darious Williams and Troy Hill
The Rams continue to shut down wide receivers this season, allowing the second-fewest fantasy points to the position overall and to the perimeter. They've allowed 795 yards (second fewest) and only three touchdowns to wide receivers.
Many are wondering if Ramsey will shadow Robinson this week, and while the answer is "very likely not," since Ramsey primarily lines up in the box and covers slot receivers, it's nonetheless a tough matchup for Chicago's top receiver. Expectations should obviously be lowered. Mooney will see similar coverage and doesn't belong near lineups right now. Miller will run a large chunk of his routes against Ramsey and shouldn't be on rosters, let alone near your lineup.
Other notable downgrades:
Panthers' Robby Anderson and DJ Moore vs. Saints' Marshon Lattimore and Janoris Jenkins
Broncos' Tim Patrick, KJ Hamler and Jerry Jeudy vs. Chiefs' Bashaud Breeland, Charvarius Ward and Rashad Fenton
Cowboys Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup vs. Washington's Kendall Fuller and Ronald Darby
Editor's note: The Saints' Michael Thomas (vs. Panthers' Rasul Douglas, expected to shadow) and Emmanuel Sanders (vs. Donte Jackson and Troy Pride Jr) were in this column originally, but both Thomas and Sanders are out for Sunday's game. Therefore, while Tre'Quan Smith, Marquez Callaway and Deonte Harris may get more opportunities than usual, you should keep expectations in check or find better options in looking to replace Thomas or Sanders.
Additional potential shadow matchups
Eagles' Travis Fulgham vs. Giants' James Bradberry
Bradberry has shadowed Robinson, Kendrick Bourne and Cooper on their perimeter routes this season, and last week he spent one half shadowing Dontrelle Inman and the other on McLaurin. Robinson (2-16-0 receiving line in the game), Bourne (4-63-0) and Cooper (2-23-0) all struggled, and McLaurin/Inman combined for a 12-119-0 line on 16 targets in those games.
Fulgham has been red-hot and heavily targeted in recent weeks, and that's unlikely to change this week. He may draw the Bradberry shadow, especially if Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson remain out, but it's not a lock after how Bradberry was used in Week 6. Fulgham should be in lineups.
Browns' Odell Beckham Jr. vs. Bengals' William Jackson III
Jackson did not shadow Beckham when these teams faced off in Week 1, but he did travel with DeSean Jackson in Week 2 and T.Y. Hilton last week. He also shadowed Beckham when these teams met in Week 14 last season.
Jackson has been one of the league's most effective corners this season. Only nine cornerbacks have had more routes run against them and yet Jackson has allowed only 38 fantasy points in coverage. His 0.19 fantasy points-per-coverage-snap rate is eighth best among 120 corners who have been in coverage on at least 100 plays this season.
Meanwhile, LeShaun Sims (0.61 is dead last) and Darius Phillips (0.32) have struggled while sharing duties at the other perimeter corner spot. We obviously can't know with any level of certainty if Jackson will shadow Beckham, but especially considering how little Rashard Higgins is targeted opposite Beckham, it seems like a logical game plan by Cincinnati.
Beckham delivered a strong 4-74-1 receiving line on six targets in the first 2020 meeting, but he was held by Jackson to a 2-39-0 line on five targets in the aforementioned 2019 game. This is a tough one, but I'll be fading Beckham in DFS cash games this week.