Wide Receiver Matchups to Target in Week 17

January 1, 2022

Mike Riggall's favorite WR vs. CB matchups to exploit for Week 17 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 16 yielded some fantastic results. Tee Higgins (WR1), Isaiah McKenzie (WR4), Jaylen Waddle (WR8), Cooper Kupp (WR12) and Ja'Marr Chase (WR13) were the highlights of the week, all finishing inside the top-15 with monster games. Michael Pittman Jr. (WR24) had a decent game with eight catches for 82 yards, while Rashod Bateman (WR36) only had four catches for 26 yards but he scored so he came through. CeeDee Lamb (WR43) looked great once again, but the Cowboys defense and special teams combined for two scores, and they simply didn't need to put the ball in the air much in the second half which limited his production. Christian Kirk (WR45) had nine targets and routinely got open, but he only gained 48 yards on seven catches. Now it's time to put Week 16 behind us and look forward to Week 17.

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, J.C. Jackson, 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, Josh Norman, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and pretty much any cornerback playing for the Baltimore Ravens.

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, Titans, Bengals, Seahawks, Eagles 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 17. 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.

Cooper Kupp, L.A. Rams

$10,200 FanDuel / $9,500 DraftKings - vs Tavon Young

The Ravens have given up a league-leading 68 explosive pass plays in the passing game and the fourth-most passing touchdowns in the league (28). Just last week the Ravens gave up top-15 performances to Tyler Boyd and Ja'Marr Chase while Tee Higgins went off for 194 yards and two scores against them to finish as the clear WR1. Since Week 9, Cooper Kupp has at least 10 targets, seven catches and 95 yards in each game he's played, while hauling in four touchdowns over that same span. The Ravens secondary is a mess right now and Cooper Kupp is on a record setting pace, so ride this wave while it lasts.

Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers

$9,000 FanDuel / $8,700 DraftKings - vs Desmond King

In Week 5, when Trey Lance started in place of an injured Jimmy Garoppolo, he targeted Deebo Samuel nine times. While we don't know just how much Lance has improved since his last game action in early October, we do know that the 49ers have been relying on Samuel a lot in the running game which will help his final stat line even if Lance struggles throwing the ball. On the season the Texans give up 4.7 yards-per-carry which is second worst in the NFL, and 25 rushing touchdowns which is also second worst in the NFL. When Deebo Samuel does run routes in Week 17, he should see coverage from Desmond King who gives up a 70% catch-rate and 1.43 yards-per-route covered. When Samuel isn't seeing coverage from King he will line up across from Tremon Smith who is just as bad.

Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs

$8,200 FanDuel / $8,300 DraftKings - vs Mike Hilton

The Bengals defense has been pretty good this year, but they've been rather susceptible to big plays in the passing game, surrendering 58 explosive pass plays which is third-most in the NFL. The Chiefs and Bengals should score a lot of points given their game features the highest over/under on the week which is set at 51 points. This game has massive playoff implications and Patrick Mahomes will rely on his best pass-catchers to make plays when it matters most.

Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

$7,700 FanDuel / $7,000 DraftKings - vs Isaiah Dunn

Mike Evans returned from the COVID list on Friday and is the Buccaneers made deep threat in the passing game. Evans should be able to showcase those abilities in Week 17 against a Jets defense that's given up the second-most explosive plays in the passing game (62). He should see coverage from Isaiah Dunn on most of his routes this week which is a great matchup as Dunn gives up 1.83 yards-per-route covered. Keep in mind that Evans did injure his hamstring in Week 15 against the Saints, so if he ends up inactive on Sunday, the pivot would be Breshad Perriman.

Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers

$7,600 FanDuel / $7,400 DraftKings - vs Greedy Williams

The Steelers have had trouble running the ball lately and they play against the Browns in Week 17 who won't make things much easier on them, as they give up just 4.1 yards-per-carry. Denzel Ward has been very good this year, but Diontae Johnson should avoid him in coverage for most of the game. Instead, Johnson should see coverage from Greedy Williams who gives up a healthy 1.35 yards-per-route covered and when he's in the slot, he will see coverage from Troy Hill who surrenders a 77% catch-rate. This is likely Ben Roethlisberger's final game in Pittsburgh so look for the Steelers to pull out all the stops trying to send him off with a win here.

Tyler Boyd, Cincinnati Bengals

$6,200 FanDuel / $5,400 DraftKings - vs L'Jarius Sneed

Tyler Boyd is coming off a big Week 16 performance and has a great matchup against L'Jarius Sneed who is the weak link in the Chiefs secondary. Over the last three weeks, the Chiefs have given up 51 yards and a score to Diontae Johnson, 78 yards and a score to Hunter Renfrow and 117 yards and a touchdown to Keenan Allen, all out of the slot. The Chiefs defense has been playing great lately, but they've been vulnerable against slot receivers so Boyd could be in for another big day.

Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos

$5,300 FanDuel / $4,500 DraftKings - vs Davontae Harris

The idea of trusting any Broncos wide receiver in Week 17 is kind of scary, but this one is simple. When Courtland Sutton runs routes on Sunday, he should see coverage from Davontae Harris who gives up 3.08 yards-per-route covered which is most in the league and a horrendous 89% catch-rate. Jerry Jeudy has been ruled out for Sunday which means Sutton will be the clear No. 1 receiver for the Broncos. If you have the courage to play a Broncos wide receiver, this could be potential smash-play. However, while Sutton is in a great spot this week, a report came out on Friday indicating that he may end up on the COVID list, so you need to be prepared with a pivot.

Pivot: Van Jefferson $6,000 FanDuel / $5,300 DraftKings - vs Jimmy Smith

The Rams should be able to handle the Ravens on Sunday, but the Ravens are very good against the run which means the Rams will likely lean on the passing game to get it done this week. As we saw in Week 16, the Ravens secondary is bad enough to allow big games from multiple wide receivers, so Van Jefferson could be in for a lot of work. Jefferson should see coverage from Jimmy Smith on most of his routes which is kind of a mismatch because Smith simply isn't the same player he once was.

Gabriel Davis, Buffalo Bills

$5,300 FanDuel / $5,000 DraftKings - vs Richie Grant

Gabriel Davis was activated off of the COVID list which means he should return to action in Week 17. Cole Beasley has also been activated and Emmanuel Sanders logged a DNP at practice on Thursday, which means Davis will likely start on the perimeter in place of Sanders. A.J. Terrell is the real deal and should cover Stefon Diggs for most of the game this week, which will leave Cole Beasley and Gabriel Davis with great matchups. The Bills simply don't run the ball much, relying on the pass as the foundation of their offense and Josh Allen should have a field day against a Falcons secondary that gives up the fourth-most fantasy points to wide receivers and the third-most passing touchdowns (28) on the season.

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