Fantasy football is a weekly game, so knowing the matchups can help you make the best lineup decisions. By utilizing our play-by-play data, we're able to identify defensive 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 matchups this week, 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 our weekly WR vs. CB cheat sheet.
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
Bills' Stefon Diggs, Isaiah McKenzie and Gabriel Davis vs. Steelers' Levi Wallace, Cameron Sutton and Ahkello Witherspoon
The Steelers' cornerback situation hasn't been good for quite a while, and it's showing up in the box score this season. Pittsburgh has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to wide receivers, including the sixth most to perimeter wide receivers and eighth most to slot wide receivers. Sutton, who plays inside and out depending on who is healthy, has been solid, but he doesn't have much help. Wallace and Witherspoon are the team's perimeter corners in nickel, but both have struggled. Witherspoon missed Week 4 with an injury, leaving Arthur Maulet to handle the slot. Diggs (64% perimeter) and Davis (91%) get a boost in this matchup, and the same will go for McKenzie (76% slot) if he's cleared to play.
Patriots' DeVante Parker, Jakobi Meyers and Nelson Agholor vs. Lions' Jeff Okudah, Mike Hughes and Amani Oruwariye
We talked about Okudah's Year 3 jump in last week's column, but the Lions proceeded to allow a combined 240 yards to Seattle's DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett last week. Okudah didn't shadow in the game, but he was on Metcalf on 15 of his 26 routes and allowed 112 yards on five targets on those plays. He also allowed 23 yards on four coverage snaps against Lockett. Ouch. The Lions have now allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to wide receivers (third most over expected) and are in the bottom half against both the perimeter and slot wide receivers. Enter Parker (91% perimeter) and Agholor (62%), who will primarily see Okudah and Oruwariye on the boundary this week. Both get an upgrade. Meyers (64% slot) has missed the past two games, but he'll be a viable WR3/flex if he plays against Hughes.
Eagles' A.J. Brown, Quez Watkins and DeVonta Smith vs. Cardinals' Marco Wilson, Byron Murphy and Trayvon Mullen
Arizona made a change at cornerback in Week 4, leaving slot man Jace Whittaker on the practice squad and promoting offseason addition Trayvon Mullen to nickel duties. Murphy, who has been solid, and Wilson, who continues to struggle, are the boundary corners in base, with Murphy now kicking to the slot in nickel and Mullen replacing him outside. Moving Murphy inside will help Arizona's slot defense, but that was already a strength (fourth fewest fantasy points allowed) and it weakens a perimeter defense that has struggled (seventh most points allowed). Enter Brown (76% perimeter) and Smith (75%), who will face off with Wilson and Mullen often this weekend. They can be upgraded
Titans' Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Kyle Philips and Robert Woods vs. Commanders' Kendall Fuller, Benjamin St-Juste and William Jackson III
Washington entered last season with what seemed like one of the league's best cornerback duos in Jackson and Fuller, but it simply hasn't worked out. After a rough 2021, Washington has allowed the third-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season, including the third most to the perimeter, where Jackson and Fuller align over 95% of the time. Washington will dodge an injured Treylon Burks this week, but the Commanders' struggles are good news for Woods, who is a viable WR3. Westbrook-Ikhine and fifth-round rookie Philips are risky plays, but both will see more work with Burks out and can be considered deep sleepers and DFS punt plays.
Commanders' Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel and Dyami Brown vs. Titans' Kristian Fulton, Roger McCreary and Terrance Mitchell
The Titans' CB situation remains a work in progress, with Fulton and second-round rookie McCreary currently manning the perimeter in base, with McCreary kicking to the slot in nickel and a combination of Mitchell and Caleb Farley filling in outside. Things haven't gone too well so far, with the Titans currently allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to wide receivers (second most over expected), as well as the second most to the perimeter. McLaurin (80% perimeter) is off to a slow start, but perhaps he'll get back on track this week. Rookie Jahan Dotson (74% perimeter) is out, which positions Brown as a deep sleeper/DFS punt. Tennessee has allowed the second-fewest points to the slot, so Samuel (73% slot) isn't quite as intriguing as the boundary receivers.
Other notable upgrades:
Cowboys' Michael Gallup, CeeDee Lamb and Noah Brown vs. Rams' David Long, Decobie Durant and Jalen Ramsey
The Rams have been short-handed at corner behind Ramsey, and as a result have allowed the most fantasy points to WRs as well as the fifth most to the perimeter and most to the slot.
Bengals' Tyler Boyd vs. Ravens' Brandon Stephens (slot)
Vikings' K.J. Osborn vs. Bears' Kyler Gordon (slot)
The Bears' run-heavy, low-volume approach has allowed its opponents a league-low 13.75 WR targets per game and, in turn, the second-fewest fantasy points to receivers, as well as the fewest to the perimeter. However, the rookie Gordon has struggled in the slot, which makes Osborn (58% slot) a Week 5 deep sleeper.
Seahawks' Tariq Woolen, Justin Coleman and Michael Jackson
Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown vs. Patriots' Myles Bryant (slot)
Tough matchups
Colts' Michael Pittman Jr. vs. Broncos' Pat Surtain II (shadow)
Denver has allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers (fewest over expected), as well as the fourth fewest to the perimeter. A big part of the success has been the play of Surtain. The 2021 first-round pick shadowed DK Metcalf and Davante Adams on their perimeter routes (combined 47 of 49) and also covered Brandon Aiyuk on most of his perimeter routes (15 of 21) in Week 3. In total, Surtain has allowed 103 yards and zero TDs on 25 targets (98 coverage snaps) this season. That includes 54 yards on 20 snaps covering Adams, 28 yards on 19 snaps against Metcalf and zero yards on 15 snaps against Aiyuk. Considering how well things have gone, it seems like a sure bet that Surtain will shadow Pittman this week. Pittman aligns out wide 78% of the time, so he can expect to be covered by the star corner 75-80% of the time. This is an obvious downgrade spot for Matt Ryan's top target.
Seahawks' DK Metcalf vs. Saints' Marshon Lattimore (shadow)
When these teams met in Week 7 last season, Lattimore shadowed Metcalf on 19 of his 23 routes, including all 18 perimeter routes. Metcalf opened the game with an 84-yard touchdown but was otherwise held to one 12-yard catch on four targets. Lattimore was also in coverage on Metcalf on 24 of his 43 routes in a 2019 meeting and Metcalf was held to a 2-67-0 receiving line on six targets in the game. Lattimore has shown fairly well in the prior meetings and we've already seen him shadow Mike Evans (7 yards on 14 coverage snaps) and Justin Jefferson (93 yards on 23 coverage snaps) this season. Metcalf has put together back-to-back top-20 fantasy weeks and belongs in lineups, but this will be a tougher matchup than usual.
Buccaneers' Mike Evans vs. Falcons' A.J. Terrell (shadow)
After shadowing only three times during his first two NFL seasons, Terrell has shadowed either full- or part-time in all four games this season. That includes part-time against Michael Thomas and Cooper Kupp in Weeks 1-2 and on 100% of perimeter routes against DK Metcalf and Amari Cooper the past two weeks. Terrell struggled during Weeks 1-3 (141 yards and four TDs on 19 targets), but got back to his dominant 2021 self last week, holding Cooper to one 9-yard catch on four targets. Terrell has never shadowed Evans, but his 2022 usage suggests he will this weekend. That could make for a tough matchup for Evans, but he's had some success against Terrell in the past. He was in coverage on Evans 30 times over the past four matchups between the teams in 2020 and '21. Evans totaled a 6-140-0 receiving line on 10 targets on those plays. In total, Evans is averaging 16.5 fantasy points per game during the span. Evans' success -- and touchdown upside -- suggests we shouldn't panic here, but it is a tougher matchup than usual.
Ravens' Rashod Bateman vs. Bengals' Chidobe Awuzie (shadow)
The Bengals are off to a good start against receivers, allowing the 12th-fewest fantasy points (second fewest over expected) and seventh fewest to the perimeter. They've had to deal with 90 WR targets (fifth most), but have allowed 7.0 yards per target (sixth lowest) and one TD. Awuzie has been a big part of the success, shadowing top receivers Diontae Johnson, CeeDee Lamb and Elijah Moore on at least a part-time basis. This week, that likely means he'll be traveling with Bateman, Baltimore's top receiver. The 2021 first-round pick aligns on the perimeter 84% of the time, so these two are likely to see each other a ton in this matchup. Bateman has yet to clear seven targets in a game and has been below 60 yards in three of four games. He's obviously a candidate for a down game this week.
Cardinals' Marquise Brown vs. Eagles' Darius Slay (shadow)
Slay left Philadelphia's Week 4 game after only two pass plays due to injury, so his status for this week is obviously a bit uncertain. If he plays, though, he's a good bet to travel with top Arizona receiver Brown. Slay shadowed Justin Jefferson in Week 2 and Terry McLaurin in Week 3. Jefferson was limited to a 6-48-0 receiving line on 12 targets in the game and McLaurin managed a 6-102-0 line on nine targets. Slay has been elite, allowing a 9-141-1 line on 25 targets (115 coverage snaps). If he plays, Brown should be downgraded, though note that he will escape to the slot 20-25% of the time. Even if Slay is out, Brown is likely to see James Bradberry on roughly two-thirds of his routes, which is still a tough matchup. They've had to deal with 94 WR targets (second most), but the Eagles have allowed the third-fewest fantasy points over expected, as well as the lowest YPT (5.9) and catch rate (51%) to the position.
Other notable downgrades
Chargers' Keenan Allen vs. Browns' Greg Newsome II (slot) -- If back from injury this week, Allen will face off with Newsome in the slot. Cleveland has allowed the fewest fantasy points to the slot this season.
Sawdust
Packers' Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and Romeo Doubs vs. Giants' Aaron Robinson, Darnay Holmes and Adoree' Jackson -- New York is allowing the fewest fantasy points to WRs, but color me skeptical. The Giants have faced the Titans, Panthers, Cowboys and Bears, whose WRs have combined to average 23.3 fantasy points per game this season. That's the lowest opposing average any team has faced. Green Bay's WR room obviously isn't too intimidating, but I also don't think we need to downgrade emerging WR3/flex options Lazard and Doubs.