Wide Receiver Matchups to Target in Week 9 - Terry McLaurin, Chris Olave, Ladd McConkey, Jakobi Meyers

Welcome to WR Matchups to Target for Week 9. Last week’s picks yielded one “in the money” pick (3x multiplier on DraftKings salary) in Keon Coleman, giving us 11 such picks over the first eight weeks of the season.

Each week, we will use matchup data from PFF to determine which wide receivers to target based on who they will be primarily lining up against that week. These players are more likely to return a 3x multiplier on their DraftKings salary, a benchmark for consistently winning DFS cash games. 

Below are five top WR vs. CB matchups for this week’s DFS main slate. Use these to set season-long lineups, make player-prop picks, and gain an edge in DFS. Let's get to it.

Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders

$7,100 on DraftKings, $7,400 on FanDuel; vs. Greg Stroman

The Commanders have continued to impress with Jayden Daniels under center, ranking third in offensive yards per game through eight weeks. 

McLaurin has been the difference-maker for Washington, coming into Week 9 as the NFL’s leader in air yards while ranking fourth in receiving yardage and sixth in average depth of target. McLaurin has finished WR27 or better in his last six games, including WR20 or better in five of those matchups.

McLaurin and the Commanders have another great matchup this week, the eighth best of the week for receivers, according to PFF’s strength of schedule tool. Scary Terry has PFF’s third-best overall matchup advantage of Week 8. He is a safe bet in cash games.

Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints

$6,100 on DraftKings, $7,100 on FanDuel; vs. Jaycee Horn

Olave has been the epitome of boom or bust this year, with four games inside the top 26 receivers and three games outside the top 75 in full PPR. He is looking to stay hot after a second top-12 performance at the position last week against the Chargers.

The Saints travel to Carolina on Sunday to take on the Panthers and their 31st-ranked passing defense by DVOA. Carolina’s defense has also given up the 20th-most fantasy points to opposing receivers. 

The Panthers have played zone coverage 72.5% of the time this season (eighth most), yet they rank 29th in yards per catch allowed and 30th in yards per coverage snap from zone.

While Olave has lined up most in the X-position (40%), he has received 28% of his snaps from the slot, meaning he will get a fair amount of snaps against slot corner Chau Smith-Wade. Smith-Wade has a 34.9 PFF defensive grade, the lowest among all starting defensive backs this week. That matchup has a perfect 100 advantage rating in Olave’s favor, per PFF.

With Derek Carr expected back this week, Olave is a great option for both cash and GPP.

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Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers

$5,600 on DraftKings, $6,400 on FanDuel; vs. Greg Newsome II

McConkey has impressed so far in his first season, entering Week 9 as the WR25 in fantasy points per game on the back of a 29.1 fantasy point performance against the Saints last week. The rookie has three top-20 finishes in his first seven games for the Chargers.

McConkey has found success in the red zone thus far, fielding five of his six red-zone targets (28th among receivers). He also ranks 27th in the NFL in overall receptions despite already having his bye week.

The 2024 second-round draft pick faces off against the Browns this week and their man-heavy defense. Cleveland deploys man coverage at a top-4 rate. McConkey has been a stud against man coverage, commanding a 31% target rate while ranking third in yards per route run and fourth in fantasy points per route run when facing man coverage.

Ladd McConkey's Week 8 film is sweet. You really see all of the skills (route running, stemming off routes to make an easy target, ball-tracking, YAC) that made him a great prospect translate to the NFL.

And I think you really see Herbert's immense trust in him on display on… pic.twitter.com/d4QHWQmM9G

— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) October 28, 2024

Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas Raiders

$5,300 on DraftKings, $6,300 on FanDuel; vs. DJ Turner II

Meyers has flown largely under the radar in recent weeks despite firmly taking over WR1 duties for the Raiders over the last month. Since the departure of Davante Adams, the 27-year-old has garnered a 27.5% target share, a 36.2% air-yard share, 1.84 YPRR, and a 32.8% first-read share in the Raiders offense.

He has a great opportunity to make headlines this week against a Bengals defense that has allowed the seventh-most fantasy points per game and the 12th-most receiving yards per game to perimeter wide receivers this season. Cincinnati plays a league-average blend of man and zone coverage. Meyers leads all Raiders wide receivers in fantasy output against both man and zone.

Meyers will line up primarily against CBs DJ Turner II and Cam Taylor-Britt, who have 57 and 45 PFF defensive grades, respectively. The only threat to targets for Meyers is rookie TE Brock Bowers, whom the Bengals match up better against between LB Logan Wilson and defensive back Mike Hilton. Look for Meyers to outperform his salary this week.

Jalen Coker, Carolina Panthers

$3,600 on DraftKings, $5,200 on FanDuel; vs. Alontae Taylor

Undrafted rookie Jalen Coker rose to fantasy relevance last week after a four-catch, 78-yard performance that ended in 17.8 full PPR points. The trade of receiver Diontae Johnson to the Ravens this week means Coker will continue to get opportunities to produce for the lowly Panthers. 

This week, Coker and the Panthers face off against the Saints, the 10th-best matchup for fantasy receivers, according to PFF. New Orleans ranks 26th in fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers. 

Coker’s primary matchup in the slot against Alontae Taylor is a lucrative one as PFF projects a 99.5 matchup advantage for the rookie. Of the 39 corners with at least 80 coverage snaps in the slot this season, Taylor ranks 38th in PFF coverage grade. The Panthers are seven-point underdogs in this one, meaning another passing game script for Coker to build on his 103 air yards and six targets from last week. 

Coker is an excellent dart through in DFS tournaments this week.

All-22 of Jalen Coker's 6 targets against the Denver Broncos

⚡️17.1% Target Share
⚡️80.50% Route Participation Rate
⚡️ 80% Slot Rate
⚡️17.2 ADOT
⚡️103 Air Yards

Coker has some sticky hands. It doesn't matter where the ball is at if the hands are touching they are catching.

He… pic.twitter.com/lNkPNoc4Yy

— Bruce Matson (@MetricScout) October 31, 2024

Thanks for reading, and good luck with your DFS contests!

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