Wide Receiver Matchups to Target in the Divisional Round: Richie James Jr., Deebo Samuel, CeeDee Lamb, Christian Kirk

January 21, 2023

Ryan's favorite WR vs. CB matchups to exploit for the Divisional Round of 2023 - DFS wide receivers to target on DraftKings & FanDuel. These WR/CB matchups are GPP and cash game sleepers.

The playoffs have begun and have been amazing thus far. Wild Card Weekend was a blast, with a few huge moments, including the Giants' road victory against the 13-win Vikings or the Dolphins taking the lead against the Bills and only losing 31-34 (after being 14-point underdogs at one point). The most exciting was the Jaguars' fantastic comeback victory over the Los Angeles Chargers after a 27 - 7 halftime deficit.

The NFL has been full of surprises all season, between the Brock Purdy breakout and the Russell Wilson trade having the opposite effect that was expected, seeing Seattle make the playoffs and the Broncos collapse. Hopefully, this DFS article will help you win some money while we watch our favorite teams and players this weekend.

Matchups for the wide receiver position aren't always as black and white as they can be for other positions. Receivers sometimes move around the formation or may face shadow coverage, meaning these matchups need to be broken down deeper based on that data. Now, here are the top WR vs. CB matchups for the Divisional Round. Use these to set season-long lineups, as well as gain a competitive edge in the DFS games. The matchup data used in this article is from PFF.

Richie James Jr., New York Giants

DraftKings $3900 / FanDuel $5900 - vs. C.J. Gardner-Johnson

Richie James Jr. has been one of the cinderella stories for the New York Giants. With Sterling Shepard and Wan’Dale Robinson tearing their ACLs this year, James Jr. has been one of the receivers that have stepped up. From Weeks 11-17, he averaged 5.3 receptions for 54 yards and 0.6 touchdowns per game. James Jr. wasn’t used a lot last week in the victory against the Vikings, with Isaiah Hodgins having stepped up for eight receptions, 105 yards, and a touchdown.

This week will be challenging for the Giants’ receiving corps, as the Eagles have allowed the fourth-fewest receiving yards to wide receivers this year. James Jr. is in a good spot as he primarily plays from the slot, where the Eagles’ stout defense has been a little weak. Avonte Maddox is the starting slot defensive back for the Eagles but has already been ruled out for this contest.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson will likely be the next man up in a spot that was already weak for Philadelphia. James Jr. finished with seven receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown against the Eagles in Week 14. The Eagles will be applying a ton of pressure on Daniel Jones, and he will likely have to get the ball out as fast as possible today.

The Eagles tied Kansas City in having the best record in the NFL, and there is a good chance they get up in this contest very early. The Giants may find themselves stuck behind and have to air it out to keep it competitive. James Jr. could be a considerable value, especially with a low price ($3900) on DraftKings.

Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers

DraftKings $5900 / FanDuel $7100 - vs. DaRon Bland

Deebo Samuel had a rough year, having missed four games with ankle and knee injuries. When he was on the field, he didn’t see the high-quality usage he’s had in years past, having averaged just 48.6 receiving yards per game this year. However, Samuel was a huge part of the game plan last week against the Seahawks on Wild Card Weekend.

He garnered a team-high nine targets and finished the game with six receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown while also adding 32 rushing yards from three carries. It was an awesome get-right game for Samuel and came at the perfect time to help San Francisco advance to the Divisional Round.

Tomorrow, the 49ers take on the Dallas Cowboys, who are fresh off of eliminating Tom Brady last week. DaRon Bland will likely be the primary defender, who primarily defended Chris Godwin last week. Godwin went on to finish with ten receptions for 85 yards. Samuel could be in for a treat this week, especially if Trevon Diggs is giving Brandon Aiyuk a tough time.

CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys

DraftKings $7300 / FanDuel $7800 - vs. Jimmie Ward

CeeDee Lamb was featured in this column last week and had a solid outing in the victory against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers during Wild Card Weekend. He finished with four receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown. Lamb was on a roll this season, finishing with career-highs in yards (1359) and touchdowns (9). In his last five games, especially, he has taken it up a notch.

From Week 15 through Wild Card Weekend, Lamb has averaged 93.2 yards and 0.8 touchdowns per game. He has gone five straight games with over 100 yards or a touchdown. Tomorrow, the Cowboys take on the surging 49ers in one of the most anticipated matchups of the weekend. San Francisco has been a bit weak to wide receivers this year, allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to the position.

The Cowboys may be in a more pass-heavy approach than last week, as there’s a slim chance that they will have a 24-point lead as they did against Tampa Bay last week. There’s a chance Lamb is the highest-scoring receiver this weekend but is being priced cheaper than the other elite talents.

Christian Kirk, Jacksonville Jaguars

DraftKings $6000 / FanDuel $7600 - vs. Trent McDuffie

Christian Kirk has been having a career year this season, setting career-highs in targets (133), receptions (84), yards (1108), and touchdowns (8). Safe to say Christian Kirk was worth the money, even after completely changing the WR free agent landscape. He will be taking on Trent McDuffie and the Kansas City Chiefs today, whom the Jaguars have played once already this season.

In their first matchup, Kirk had his best game of the season, finishing with 105 yards and two touchdowns. He’s coming off a great game against the Chargers on Wild Card Weekend, finishing with 78 yards and a touchdown off of eight receptions. Kansas City has had a vulnerable defense this year, allowing the seventh-most fantasy points to slot receivers, leaving Kirk with a great matchup in the Divisional Round.

All data is from PFF, FantasyData, and RotoViz. Thanks for reading, and good luck with your DFS contests!

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