Wide Receiver Matchups to Target in Week 14

December 11, 2021

Mike Riggall's favorite WR vs. CB matchups to exploit for Week 14 of 2021 DFS contests on DraftKings and FanDuel. These wide receivers should be tournament and cash game targets based on matchups.

The wide receiver matchup article from Week 13 was not the greatest as  Chris Godwin (WR5) was the only recommended receiver landing inside the top-10 on the heels of 17 targets. Marquise Brown (WR36) and Brandon Aiyuk (WR41) had underwhelming performances, as both registered just 55 yards. Michael Pittman Jr. (WR16) rebounded with 77 yards against the Texans and Van Jefferson (WR20) found the endzone against a struggling Jaguars secondary. On the low end Quez Watkins (WR38) didn't blow up but he didn't exactly crush you either and neither did Josh Reynolds (WR31) who finished with four catches for 69 yards. A.J. Green ended up being a dud, playing in a bad weather game where Kyler Murray only threw for 123 yards. Now it's time to put Week 13 behind us and look forward to Week 14.

Nothing is more important than matchup analysis when it comes to fantasy football. Playing your team's best players on a regular basis is important, but picking apart the top matchups on a week-to-week basis can win you a championship, or even better, some cold hard cash in DFS. So far the league's top cornerbacks, like Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay, Casey Hayward, Jaire Alexander, and Trevon Diggs, have held receivers in check for the most part. While there are lockdown corners, there are also guys who can be exploited, such as Desmond King, Bashaud Breeland, Brandon Facyson, and Marco Wilson. Due to injuries, some older players such as Josh Norman and Jimmy Smith will likely have starting roles this week which should be exploited.

Up to this point in the season, the Titans, Bears, Colts, Saints, Dolphins, Vikings, and Washington defenses have glaring weaknesses in their secondaries that we can exploit with wide receiver matchups. Analyzing another angle, the Saints, Ravens, Browns, Buccaneers, Jaguars, Seahawks, Bills and Rams defenses have given up 4.0 yards-per-carry or less which means teams may look to pass on them given their ability to stop the run.

Here are the top WR vs CB matchups for Week 14. 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.

CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys

$7,800 FanDuel / $7,200 DraftKings - vs Kendall Fuller

Washington has given up 26 passing touchdowns on the season which is a league-worst and 7.6 yards-per-pass. Washington has given up the third-most fantasy points to wide receivers on the season and with Chase Young out for the year the decline in their pass rush won't exactly help that cause. Just last week Washington surrendered 102 yards to Hunter Renfrow out of the slot and last time I checked CeeDee Lamb is a little bit more explosive than he is. Washington's run defense has improved lately and is only giving up 4.1 yards-per-carry on the season which means Dallas will likely be airing it out to CeeDee Lamb a lot this week given their recent struggles in the run game.

DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks

$7,300 FanDuel / $6,500 DraftKings - vs Desmond King

This has to be DK Metcalf's week, and if he doesn't come through I don't know when you can count on him for the rest of 2021. In Week 14 he will see coverage from Desmond King who is the most-targeted cornerback in the Texans secondary. King has given up a 77% catch-rate and 1.6 yards-per-route covered, both of which are poor marks. As a unit the Texans defense has given up 7.7 yards-per-pass, nine plays of 40-or-more pass yards and 36 explosive pass plays. The Texans defense as a whole is bad, the Seahawks are struggling in the running game and DK Metcalf's individual matchup is great. This needs to happen.

Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals

$7,200 FanDuel / $6,900 DraftKings - vs Josh Norman

Ja'Marr Chase has been better against man coverage than zone coverage this year which is bad news because the 49ers primarily play zone. However, the 49ers secondary has been absolutely decimated by injuries and it's likely that Josh Norman will be lining up across from Chase in Week 14. If that happens, watch out, because Norman gives up .32 fantasy points-per-route he covers, 1.31 yards-per-route covered and a 68% catch-rate. The Bengals are actually slight underdogs against the 49ers which means they may be throwing a lot if they find themselves trailing. Trey Hopkins and Riley Reiff are set to return to the Bengals lineup which bodes well for the Bengals passing game because Joe Burrow should have more time to throw.

Terry McLaurin, Washington Football Team

$7,100 FanDuel / $7,000 DraftKings - vs Trevon Diggs

Terry McLaurin hasn't exactly been getting it done lately but he has a decent matchup against Trevon Diggs and the Cowboys defense this week. While Trevon Diggs may set an NFL record for the most interceptions in a single season, he's actually been quite beatable, giving up a 59% catch-rate and 1.81 yards-per-route covered which is one of the highest marks in the league. The Cowboys have given up 50 explosive passes which puts them in the bottom-five of the league. The Cowboys are favored by 4.5-points so Washington should be throwing plenty in this contest which is good news for Terry McLaurin.

Elijah Moore, N.Y. Jets

$6,300 FanDuel / $5,900 DraftKings - vs Marshon Lattimore

Marshon Lattimore hasn't been great this season, giving up .38 fantasy points-per-route covered and 1.79 yards-per-route covered. Elijah Moore has been very explosive in his rookie campaign and he's exactly the type of receiver that has been giving Lattimore problems this year. While the matchup is solid, Moore is dealing with an injury to his quad this week so you need to be prepared with a pivot if he misses the game. The Saints have given up the fourth-most fantasy points to receivers on the season and are solid against the run, so all signs point to a lot of passing by Zach Wilson this week.

Pivot: Denzel Mims, N.Y. Jets - $4,700 FanDuel / $3,000 DraftKings - vs Paulson Adebo

Corey Davis is out for the remainder of the season which means Denzel Mims will step into his role. Mims figures to line up against Paulson Adebo in Week 14 who has been targeted on 14% of the routes he's covered, giving up a 69% catch-rate and 1.42 yards-per-route covered. If Moore misses the game with his quad injury you may want to pivot over to Mims. This is more of a low-end DFS tournament play, and you should only rely on Mims in season-long leagues if you're desperate.

Cole Beasley, Buffalo Bills

$5,900 FanDuel / $5,000 DraftKings - vs Sean Murphy-Bunting

Sean Murphy-Bunting has struggled a little bit since returning from injury and Cole Beasley may be able to exploit that. The Buccaneers defense has 32 sacks on the season which means Josh Allen may be looking to get the ball out of his hands quickly this week, and if he does Beasley is usually his guy. This game has an over/under set at 54 points which is the highest total on the week and the Bills are underdogs which means they should be throwing a lot against a Buccaneers defense that's almost impossible to run on.

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Tennessee Titans

$5,700 FanDuel / $4,500 DraftKings - vs Tyson Campbell

The Jaguars rush defense has been very good lately, but their pass defense has been struggling. Just last week the Jaguars gave up a touchdown to Cooper Kupp, Odell Beckham Jr. and Van Jefferson in the same game. In Week 12 the Jaguars gave up over 15 fantasy points to Russell Gage and in Week 11 Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk both exceeded 15 fantasy points. On the season the Jaguars give up the eighth-most fantasy points to wide receivers and Tyson Campbell appears to be the weak link in that secondary, giving up 1.63 yards-per-route covered and a 69% catch-rate. Even if Julio Jones returns to the Titans lineup, they are still without A.J. Brown which means Nick Westbrook-Ikhine should be involved.

Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cleveland Browns

$5,200 FanDuel / $3,900 DraftKings - vs Jimmy Smith

The Ravens defense has surrendered a league-high 54 explosive pass plays on the season. While watching Ravens games this year there's been countless examples of what appears to be miscommunication in the secondary leading to big plays. Marlon Humphrey is missing the remainder of the year due to injury which won't help the Ravens woes. Donovan Peoples-Jones is the Browns deep threat, and the Ravens are solid against the run, so it makes sense that the Browns will take some shots to Peoples-Jones this week. For what it's worth, David Njoku and Harrison Bryant will likely miss Week 14, so this may be a week to play Austin Hooper as well.

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