By utilizing our play-by-play data, we're able to identify defense schemes and where each wide receiver and cornerback lines up on each play. By tracking these WR/CB matchups, including potential shadow situations, we can offer the best projections, rankings, sit/start decisions and fantasy advice each week. Fantasy football is a weekly game, so knowing the matchups can also help you make the best waiver-wire pickups.
Down below are the receivers with the best and worst Week 8 matchups, as well as the corresponding fantasy impact.
To view the primary defenders that the top three wide receivers for each team will see this weekend, be sure to check out
Note that unless otherwise noted, references to where teams rank in statistical categories adjusts to a per-game basis in order to avoid distortion due to bye weeks.
Advantageous matchups
Packers' Davante Adams vs. Vikings' Cameron Dantzler, Mike Hughes and Jeff Gladney
Adams has reached 40 fantasy points in two career games. One was last week against Houston and the other was back in Week 1 against the Vikings' defense he'll face again this weekend. In that game, Adams posted a 14-156-2 receiving line on 17 targets. He wasn't shadowed and did his damage against five different defenders, though most of it came against Holton Hill and Eric Kendricks.
This week, roughly three-quarters of Adams' routes will come against rookies Dantzler and slot man Gladney, with the other quarter against Hughes (if he's active). Adams didn't face Gladney in Week 1, but he caught all six of his targets for 37 yards on 20 routes against the other two. The Vikings allowed 65 fantasy points to Atlanta's wide receivers when last on the field in Week 6 and they've allowed the third-most fantasy points to the position (fourth most to the perimeter) this season.
Adams will be a terrific DFS play in Week 8, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling can also be upgraded.
Bengals' A.J. Green and Tee Higgins vs. Titans' Malcolm Butler and Johnathan Joseph
Bengals' Tyler Boyd vs. Titans' Chris Jackson
The Titans have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season, including the third most to the perimeter and fifth most to the slot. They rank no lower than sixth in terms of targets, receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns allowed to wide receivers, and each of the past five WR units they've faced have produced 45 or more fantasy points.
Enter a Cincinnati high-volume pass attack that has a pair of top-25 fantasy wide receivers, which doesn't even include its target leader over the past two weeks (Green). Green (76% perimeter) and Higgins (77%) will see a lot of Butler and Joseph/Tye Smith on the outside this week and can be upgraded. Boyd (85% slot) has an even better matchup against Jackson, who is back in the lineup to replace the injured Kristian Fulton. Boyd is obviously a must-start.
49ers' Brandon Aiyuk and Kendrick Bourne vs. Seahawks' Quinton Dunbar and Shaquill Griffin (or Tre Flowers)
The Seahawks' defense was smacked around again last week, allowing 61 fantasy points to Arizona's wide receivers. Seattle has now allowed at least 39 points to all six of the wide receiver units it has faced this season. The Seahawks have, in turn, allowed the most targets, receptions, receiving yards and fantasy points to the position, as well as the fourth-most touchdowns (10).
Seattle has allowed the most fantasy points to both left and right perimeter receivers, which is where Aiyuk (81% perimeter) and Bourne (replacing injured Deebo Samuel) will be aligned throughout most of this weekend's NFC West showdown. Griffin, who has allowed a league-high 106 fantasy points in coverage this season, is questionable with an injury and would be replaced by Flowers, who was replaced as a starter by Dunbar during the offseason.
Regardless of who is defending, Aiyuk and Bourne should be upgraded significantly.
Eagles' Travis Fulgham vs. Cowboys' Trevon Diggs (shadow)
Fulgham has emerged as the Eagles' No. 1 wide receiver, having handled target shares of 36%, 26% and 27% over the team's past three games. Diggs, meanwhile, has been tasked with shadowing opposing top receivers recently, traveling with DeAndre Hopkins and Terry McLaurin over the past two weeks. Diggs did a nice job against Hopkins (2-73-0 on eight targets), but McLaurin beat him for a touchdown Sunday and ended up with a 7-90-1 receiving line on 11 targets.
On the whole, Diggs has struggled during his rookie campaign, allowing 96 fantasy points (fifth most in the NFL) on 205 coverage snaps. Dallas has allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to wide receivers on the season, including the fifth most to the perimeter. Fulgham should be locked into lineups again this week.
Panthers' Robby Anderson, DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel vs. Falcons' A.J. Terrell, Kendall Sheffield and Isaiah Oliver
The good news is that the Falcons allowed their second-lowest fantasy point total to an opposing wide receiver unit in Week 7. The bad news is that it was still a big number (40 points), which included the second-most yardage they've allowed to the position in a single game (256). Atlanta has now allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to wide receivers, including the second most to the perimeter and slot. They've allowed 1,561 yards to wide receivers (second most), which is fueled by a league-worst 10.6 yards per target.
Sheffield is allowing 0.59 fantasy points per coverage snap, which is fourth worst among 144 players who have been in coverage on at least 100 plays this season. Oliver, meanwhile, has allowed 97 fantasy points this season, which is fourth most in the NFL. First-round rookie Terrell has flashed at times, but he's also allowed a lot of fantasy production (0.40 fantasy points per coverage snap).
These teams actually met back in Week 5, and Carolina's wide receivers predictably showed well. Anderson (8-112-0 receiving line on 12 targets) was shadowed by Sheffield in the first half, but Atlanta quickly discarded that plan when it wasn't working. Moore (4-93-1 on five targets) also had a big game, and Samuel (5-36-0 on five targets) was OK. Moore (77% perimeter) and Anderson (67%) move around the formation quite a bit and will see all three corners in coverage this week.
Samuel (77% slot) is in a great spot against Oliver inside. All three can be upgraded.
Other notable upgrades:
Browns' Jarvis Landry vs. Raiders' Lamarcus Joyner
Colts' T.Y. Hilton and Marcus Johnson vs. Lions' Amani Oruwariye and Desmond Trufant (or Jeff Okudah)
Chiefs' Demarcus Robinson and Mecole Hardman vs. Jets' Bless Austin and Pierre Desir
Raiders' Hunter Renfrow vs. Browns' Kevin Johnson
Tough matchups
Buccaneers' Mike Evans vs. Giants' James Bradberry (shadow)
During his four seasons in Carolina, Bradberry racked up 2,080 coverage snaps. A ridiculous 201 (or 9.7%) of those plays came while lined up against Evans. On those snaps, Evans caught 30 of 61 targets for 387 yards and one touchdown. Four of the targets were intercepted. Bradberry shadowed Evans in seven of the eight games (exception was the first meeting between the two during Bradberry's rookie season in 2016), and Evans averaged 12.2 fantasy points per game in the seven showdowns. His only touchdown came in 2016, and he averaged 64.7 yards per game despite a massive 9.9 targets per game.
Needless to say, Bradberry has had Evans' number. These two figure to face off again this week, considering their history and the fact that Bradberry has shadowed the likes of Allen Robinson II, Kendrick Bourne, DeSean Jackson, Amari Cooper and Dontrelle Inman/Terry McLaurin on their perimeter routes this season. Whereas Bradberry has been terrific this season, Evans has not (88 yards on 12 targets over his past three games), so this matchup isn't quite as intriguing as it was in years past.
Additionally, Evans has aligned in the slot more recently, and with Chris Godwin out, he may escape inside and dodge Bradberry more often than usual. Still, we'll need to downgrade Tampa Bay's top perimeter receiver and perhaps take a flier on Scotty Miller on the other side against Ryan Lewis in the last game before Antonio Brown's arrival.
Cowboys' Amari Cooper vs. Eagles' Darius Slay (shadow)
Slay has shadowed full time in three games this season. He followed McLaurin in Week 1 (7-61-0 receiving line on seven targets in the game), Green in Week 3 (5-36-0 on six targets) and Darius Slayton in Week 7 (2-23-0 on four targets). The veteran's presence has helped the Eagles to the 11th-fewest fantasy points allowed to perimeter receivers this season. He'll be a strong bet to shadow Cooper this week, as Dallas' top wideout aligns outside 80% of the time and has remained heavily targeted, even with the offense struggling badly in recent weeks.
These two have met twice in the past, and Slay shadowed on both occasions. Cooper posted 1-4-0 and 3-38-0 receiving lines on a total of 12 targets during those two games, the latter of which came last season. Cooper should be downgraded, whereas CeeDee Lamb can be upgraded against Cre'Von LeBlanc in the slot. The Eagles have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to players aligned inside.
Falcons' Julio Jones vs. Panthers' Rasul Douglas (shadow)
Falcons' Calvin Ridley vs. Panthers' Donte Jackson (shadow)
Last week, I wrote about Carolina's matchup with New Orleans, but Douglas and both Saints wide receivers whom I featured were inactive. Conveniently, Carolina's matchup with Atlanta is almost identical in terms of matchups, so excuse me while I avoid hustling and recycle some content:
Top corner Douglas stands 6-foot-2 and has shadowed 6-foot-3 Mike Williams (one catch for 17 yards in the game), 6-foot-1 Hopkins (seven catches for 41 yards) and 6-foot-3 Allen Robinson II (five catches for 53 yards) this season. Douglas has benefited from a Cover-3-heavy Carolina defense that has been in zone on what is easily a league-high 76% of its defensive snaps. Still, he's been assigned the opposing team's top receivers and hasn't allowed much in coverage. In turn, the Panthers have allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points to wideouts, including the 12th fewest to the perimeter and ninth fewest to the slot. They've allowed 11.0 yards per reception (lowest in the NFL) and 7.5 yards per target (second lowest).
Assuming he's off the reserve/COVID-19 list, Douglas can be considered a strong bet to shadow 6-foot-3 Jones, with 5-foot-11 Jackson (with some Troy Pride Jr. mixed in) covering 6-foot Ridley. Jones should be downgraded slightly, whereas Ridley can be upgraded slightly. Note that these teams faced off back in Week 5, but Jones was sidelined. Ridley put up a strong 8-136-0 receiving line on 10 targets, with most of his routes against Pride and Douglas.
Titans' A.J. Brown vs. Bengals' William Jackson (shadow)
Brown has been red-hot since returning from injury in Week 5, racking up four touchdowns and 23.8 fantasy points per game during his past three outings. He'll have his hands full this week against one of this season's top corners. Jackson's 0.19 fantasy points-per-coverage-snap rate is eighth best among 144 players who have been in coverage on at least 100 plays this season. Jackson has shadowed only twice this season (DeSean Jackson in Week 3 and Hilton in Week 6), so it's not a lock that he will against Brown, but it is certainly a strong possibility.
Brown is probably best avoided in DFS cash games but can otherwise be used. Corey Davis, by the way, would be in a great spot if Jackson travels with Brown. He'd face off with LeShaun Sims (0.56 points per coverage snap rate is sixth worst) and Darius Phillips (0.42 is 39th) on the other side of the field. He's a viable flex option this week.
Vikings' Adam Thielen vs. Packers' Jaire Alexander (shadow)
Who is the league's best cornerback this season? You can't come to a verdict without at least considering Alexander. Green Bay's top corner has allowed a receiving line of 13-174-1 on 28 targets across 186 coverage snaps. His rate of 0.20 fantasy points per coverage snap is ninth best among qualified defenders, and he's achieved that despite shadowing Thielen, Ridley, Evans and Will Fuller V. Thielen actually got the better of Alexander in that Week 1 meeting, posting a 6-110-2 receiving line on eight targets in the game (though only 4-66-1 came against Alexander). Since that point, Alexander has held Marvin Jones Jr. to six yards on 10 routes, Sanders to 18 yards on 15 routes, Ridley to zero catches on 21 routes, Evans to zero catches on 22 routes and Fuller to zero catches on 31 routes.
Thielen and Alexander have some history as well. Thielen was held to 75 yards and zero touchdowns on 66 routes against the Packers in 2019, including a 2-36-0 line on 18 routes against Alexander. He crushed Green Bay in 2018 to the tune of 20-256-2 on 88 routes, and almost exactly half came against Alexander. Week 1's output suggests we shouldn't downgrade Thielen much, but a dud is very much possible considering what we've seen from Alexander's competition over the past month.
Bears' Allen Robinson II vs. Saints' Marshon Lattimore (shadow)
One of the week's top showdowns will feature heavily targeted Robinson against one of the game's top corners in Lattimore. Lattimore shadowed Mike Evans in Week 1 but has already missed out on opportunities to travel with Adams, Kenny Golladay and Keenan Allen (whom he shadowed on a few plays before got hurt) due to injuries.
Robinson and Lattimore met in Week 7 last season, and Lattimore shadowed Robinson on 36 of his 38 perimeter routes but only two of 17 in the slot. That's notable, as Robinson was held to a 2-20-0 receiving line on five targets when covered by Lattimore, but he ended up with a 10-87-1 receiving line on 16 targets for the game.
New Orleans has allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to the perimeter this season, which is where Robinson has aligned 67% of the time, so this is a tough matchup for a variety of reasons. Especially after Robinson underwhelmed in a tough matchup against the Rams on Monday Night Football, we'll need to downgrade him again in Week 8.
Other notable downgrades:
Dolphins' DeVante Parker, Preston Williams and Isaiah Ford vs. Rams' Jalen Ramsey, Darious Williams and Troy Hill
Jets' Breshad Perriman, Jamison Crowder and Denzel Mims vs. Chiefs' Bashaud Breeland, Charvarius Ward and Rashad Fenton
Steelers' JuJu Smith-Schuster vs. Ravens' Marlon Humphrey
Bills' Stefon Diggs and John Brown (or Gabriel Davis) vs. Patriots' Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson
Broncos' Tim Patrick and KJ Hamler vs. Chargers' Casey Hayward and Michael Davis
Chargers' Keenan Allen vs. Broncos' Bryce Callahan
Patriots' Damiere Byrd and N'Keal Harry vs. Bills' Tre'Davious White and Josh Norman
Seahawks' DK Metcalf vs. 49ers' Jason Verrett and Emmanuel Moseley
Additional potential shadow matchups
Rams' Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp vs. Dolphins' Xavien Howard and Byron Jones
Miami has shown to be creative with its deployment of cornerbacks (no surprise considering Brian Flores is from the Bill Belichick coaching tree), and that may come into play this weekend.
Back in Week 2, Jones was tasked with shadowing Diggs, and Howard shadowed Brown. We also saw Howard traveling with Metcalf in Week 4, with Noah Igbinoghene on Tyler Lockett (Jones was out).
Those are the only two weeks Miami has shadowed, so this is far from a lock, but don't be surprised if Miami finds ways to keep Howard and Jones on Woods and Kupp, who have combined to handle 46% of the Rams' targets this season. With Howard and Jones playing well, Miami has allowed the ninth-fewest fantasy points to perimeter receivers.