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Andrew's key fantasy football WR/CB matchups for Week 18 (2023). Wide receiver vs. cornerback sleepers and start em, sit em picks via his free CB ratings chart.
Welcome to Week 18 of the WR/CB Matchups article. Most season-long fantasy leagues are over, but there are still plenty of opportunities to play other types of contests in Week 18. The most important factor in Week 18 is which teams are playing their starters less than normal. Make sure to stay on top of the news as it comes in throughout the week.
During the past three seasons, I have tweaked my process to make the chart more user-friendly and predictive, but NFL teams are moving receivers around more than ever in today's game. It is difficult to pinpoint which CB each WR will be matched up against. The chart is designed to give a 1-vs-1 matchup for each player, but the reality is that most NFL WRs will see a mix of all the DBs they face each week.
As a reminder, the process for assigning points to a specific matchup has to do with how the entire defense defends the player who lines up at one of the three spots (LWR, RWR, slot) the most. For example, in Week 1 last year, Jahan Dotson scored a TD from the LWR spot and the right slot, but all of his points were assigned to Shaquill Griffin because Griffin played primarily LCB and Dotson was the Washington receiver with the most snaps at RWR.
The chart is best used to understand how teams are defending outside versus inside receivers if teams are shadowing, and how much emphasis they put on slowing down the opposing WR1.
WR vs. CB Chart Details
The CB Matchup Chart below is a snapshot of each team's cornerback group as it relates to allowing fantasy points. There are inherent flaws within the data compilation of cornerback play. The first is the fact that quantifying a 1-on-1 matchup in an NFL game is unfair because of zone coverages, mental errors, certain passing concepts, and a million other things. Assigning fantasy points against a cornerback isn't a perfect science.
The purpose of this chart is to give more of a general sense of how defenses are handling opposing WR groups rather than identifying exactly where, when, and how every single encounter happened. Another factor to consider is that players are listed based on where they line up the majority of the time. Most receivers do not line up on one side on every single snap, so they won't be matched up with the same CB on every snap.
The "Rtng" column is the rating of each cornerback based on film study and analytics. The lower a player is graded, the easier the matchup for the WR, so low ratings are green, and high ratings are red. The "PPGA" is the number of fantasy points per game that the player has given up on average this year. Keep in mind that team scheme is a huge factor in points assigned to specific players. A name in blue means the corner could possibly shadow the WR1. A name in red means that the player is dealing with an injury.
Cornerback Ratings and Matchups Chart - Week 18
Click the image for a full-screen view
WR/CB Matchups to Target
The Commanders have been the easiest matchup in the league for opposing WRs this year, and CeeDee Lamb is fresh off a monster game against Detroit. While Lamb is listed in the slot column, the Cowboys use him all around the formation. It's another great spot for Dallas' best offensive weapon.
Brandin Cooks has been solid as the Cowboys' No. 2 receiver. Cooks also has an incredible matchup on paper.
Nico Collins didn't have a huge game against Tennessee, but this week takes on a Colts defense that was just shredded by Davante Adams. Collins has a plus matchup in a win-or-go-home situation against Indy.
D.J. Chark failed to deliver a repeat performance last week against the Jaguars. This week, however, he'll have a chance to bounce back at home against one of the worst pass defenses in the league in Tampa Bay.
Calvin Ridley has been inconsistent this year, and Trevor Lawrence's status is still yet to be determined. If Lawrence does play, Ridley has a smash matchup against the Titans in a must-win game.
The Giants take on the reeling Eagles and their burnable corners this week. Darius Slayton and Wan'Dale Robinson are coming off big games and each have another easy matchup this week as well. Jalin Hyatt is also in a good spot.
Jayden Reed just roasted the Vikings' secondary on Sunday night. Amon-Ra St. Brown scored a late TD against Dallas and could be in line for an efficient performance this week. Keep in mind that the Lions have nothing to play for, so it's within the range of outcomes that ARSB doesn't play the whole game.
The Dolphins were just toasted by Zay Flowers and Isaiah Likely in a statement game from Lamar Jackson. In the marquee matchup of the week, Khalil Shakir actually has a plus matchup against Miami. Keep in mind that Stefon Diggs also plays a handful of snaps in the slot each week.
WR/CB Matchups to Downgrade
Rashid Shaheed and Chris Olave were victims of game script last week, as the Saints jumped out to an early lead and had no reason to target WRs for most of the game against the Bucs. This week, Shaheed and Olave will have to deal with the Falcons CB group, which has been tough all year.
The Bengals have a tough on-paper matchup against the Browns, and both Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase are dealing with injuries. However, it's worth noting that the Browns have nothing to play for and could rest defensive starters.
Similarly, George Pickens and Diontae Johnson have tough matchups based on the data, but the Ravens may not play their defensive starters. Pickens in particular has come on of late, so he's not a bad option this week.
Davante Adams won fantasy managers championships last week, but this week will have to take on Patrick Surtain II and the Broncos pass defense. It's a tough spot for Adams.
On the other side of that game, Courtland Sutton is dealing with an injury and has a tough matchup. The Raiders have been stingy against opposing LWRs, especially during the second half of this season.
The Bucs can win the NFC South with a victory in Carolina this week, but Chris Godwin has a tough matchup. The Panthers have been stingy against opposing slot receivers all year.
Thanks for reading and good luck this week. This series will continue next week for the Wild Card Round and all the way up through the Super Bowl.
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