WR/CB Matchups to Upgrade and Downgrade - Fantasy Football Week 6 (2025)

Corbin analyzes fantasy football WR/CB matchups to find sleepers, targets, avoids for Week 6 of 2025. His WRs to upgrade based on cornerback matchups data.

Welcome back to our WR/CB Matchups for Week 6 of the 2025 fantasy football season. We have a decent sample of five weeks in the offensive and defensive advanced metrics. Injuries have taken a toll on the wide receiver and cornerback positions. For those unfamiliar, this weekly series looks at fantasy football matchups for wide receivers versus the cornerbacks who are projected to cover them. We're using a similar data-driven process to quantify the offensive and defensive matchups based on underlying metrics.

The data we access for offensive and defensive players continues to skyrocket. Though we mainly focus on offensive players, the defensive matchups and coverages sometimes take a backseat. However, the goal of this weekly column is to cover the potential wide receiver upgrades and downgrades based on the weekly WR/CB matchups for fantasy football.

Most teams mix in defensive backs all over the field, with very few cornerbacks shadowing an opposing top receiver. The main takeaway involves not overreacting to a weaker matchup if the receiver is a high-end to near-elite target earner and producer in their respective offense. Based on the weekly matchups, we'll use various tools to find several matchup upgrades and downgrades for the opposing receivers.

WR vs. CB Chart Details

The WR/CB Matchup Chart is back again for 2025! You can find it below! We'll have the most favorable and unfavorable matchups based on several metrics. We used weighted averages to create an adjusted offensive and defensive score. Some inputs include yards per route run, fantasy points per route run, and targets per route run.

We'll have a weekly matchup score with those adjusted scores by subtracting the defensive number from the offensive one. The caveat would be the limited data due to injured offensive and defensive players, possibly skewing the matchups to be more or less favorable. Since this is a newer process, there might be some slight tweaks along the way. With more data from the 2025 season, we'll learn what matchups to target and ones to temper expectations.

We're at a point in the season where we can understand a player's role and usage based on the underlying metrics, which should inform how to project players moving forward. Players can underperform and outperform in a given matchup based on luck and skill factors. There are multiple layers to consider in these matchups, especially since team defenses tend to shift their coverages based on the opposing offenses.

How to Use The WR/CB Chart

WR/CB Matchups Chart: Alphabetical

Below, we'll see the WR/CB matchups for Week 6 sorted alphabetically. The Texans and Vikings have a bye week during Week 6. We also have players marked differently to indicate a new (bold) or injured player (orange text) to monitor. I also noted the magenta colored players as ones that the teams list as safeties, but they tend to cover receivers in the slot.

The red numbers indicate a more challenging matchup for the receiver, and the green numbers mean favorable matchups (or the defender allows a high rate of the given metric). The visual below shows offenses from the Arizona Cardinals to the Cleveland Browns.

The visual below shows offenses from the Dallas Cowboys to the Los Angeles Rams.

The visual below shows offenses from the Los Angeles Chargers to the Philadelphia Eagles.

The visual below shows the offenses for the Pittsburgh Steelers through the Washington Commanders.

Best Projected Week 6 WR/CB Matchups

Worst Projected Week 6 WR/CB Matchups

Week 6 WR/CB Matchup Upgrades

Xavier Worthy vs. Rock Ya-Sin

The Lions' secondary has been hurt, with D.J. Reed on injured reserve. Meanwhile, Terrion Arnold and Khalil Dorsey are dealing with injuries. The Chiefs deploy Worthy all over the field, including out wide, in the slot, and sometimes with a rushing attempt on an end-around. The Lions use man coverage at the fifth-highest rate while allowing the 18th-most fantasy points per dropback.

Worthy leads the Chiefs in yards per route run (2.88) while nearly matching Noah Gray (30 percent) and Marquise Brown (28 percent) in target per route rate against man coverage. Specifically, the Lions use Cover 1 at the fifth-highest rate, which can be susceptible to deep routes downfield. Can you guess how Worthy fares against Cover 1?

Worthy boasts a 29 percent target per route rate while producing 4.06 yards per route run, both team highs, not including Noah Gray's 32 percent target rate. With Arnold injured, Rock Ya-Sin should garner more snaps like in Week 5 (29) compared to 47 total in 2025. In the early 2025 sample, Ya-Sin allows the second-most fantasy points per route run.

If we know this, the Chiefs should too by attacking Ya-Sin in coverage, especially with Worthy. Don't be surprised if Worthy makes a couple of explosive plays in the highest projected game total at 52 to 52.5 points in Week 6.

Stefon Diggs vs. Alontae Taylor

Diggs was motivated by a revenge game against the Bills while posting his second consecutive 100-yard receiving game. He leads the team in target rate (30 percent) and yards per route run (3.21) while having similar first-read target shares (24.3 percent) to Hunter Henry (20.6 percent).

Diggs has seen his routes (56.2 percent) and targets (21 percent) in Weeks 1-3 increase in Weeks 4-5. That's evident in Diggs earning a target on 49 percent of his routes in Weeks 4-5 while running a route on 67.2 percent of the team's dropbacks. It's no coincidence that the Patriots rank first in EPA per dropback and first in explosive pass percentage in Weeks 4-5.

For context, the Patriots ranked 10th in EPA per dropback and 22nd in explosive pass percentage in Weeks 1-3. The Saints deploy zone coverage at the 12th-highest percentage, yet opposing offenses have been destroying them by allowing the most fantasy points per dropback, tying them with the Bears. Diggs leads the team in targets and yards per route run against zone coverage.

The Saints specifically prefer to use Cover 3 at the fifth-highest rate. Diggs leads the team with a 27 percent target rate and 3.49 yards per route run in 2025 against Cover 3, making him an ideal candidate to be a target-earning weapon against the Saints.

The Patriots move Diggs inside the slot and out wide, so there's a chance that Diggs will cook the outside cornerbacks for the Saints. Diggs projects to face Alontae Taylor, allowing the 14th-most fantasy points per route run and the 27th-worst passer rating allowed.

Without a high-end target earner on the Patriots beyond Diggs, the veteran should feast against zone and Cover 3 in Week 6.

Deebo Samuel Sr. vs. Nick McCloud

Samuel boasts a team-high 30.3 percent first-read target share while earning a target on 28 percent of his routes run. The Commanders have been deploying Samuel out of the slot often, and that's where Nick McCloud primarily covers opposing pass catchers. There's a chance that Terry McLaurin returns in Week 6, which will impact Samuel's opportunities.

Among qualified cornerbacks in the slot, McCloud allows the ninth-most yards per route run and the worst passer rating allowed. The Bears allow the fourth-most fantasy points per dropback overall while struggling to defend receivers in man and zone coverage.

The Bears' defense deploys man coverage at the eighth-highest rate while allowing the 17th-most fantasy points per dropback. Meanwhile, the Bears' pass defense allows the most fantasy points per dropback, yet hardly plays zone coverage (No. 25).

Samuel typically cooks against zone, garnering a 29 percent target rate and 2.40 yards per route run. However, Samuel wasn't as productive versus man coverage (1.76 yards per route) while earning a target on 27 percent of his routes run. Samuel and Zach Ertz remain the top target options against Cover 2, which the Bears utilize at the fifth-highest rate.

Samuel garners a 30 percent target rate compared to Ertz at 27 percent against Cover 2. Both have been productive, with Samuel's 2.15 yards per route run and Ertz at 2.55 in 2025 versus Cover 2. Like the Lions, the Bears' secondary has taken multiple hits with Jaylon Johnson and Terell Smith on injured reserve.

Based on Samuel's usage, he ranks 17th in expected fantasy points per game. It should be a high-scoring affair as the third or fourth highest over/under before Week 6. Samuel should smash again in a friendly matchup.

Week 6 WR/CB Matchup Downgrades

Jerry Jeudy vs. Darius Slay

In Dillon Gabriel's first start in Week 5, he targeted David Njoku and Harold Fannin Jr. 39.4 percent of the time, while Jeudy had a 15.2 percent target share against the Vikings. That might suggest Gabriel favors the tight ends with those short-area targets instead of the receivers downfield, or it's a one-game small sample.

Jeudy's underlying metrics suggest better results, especially since he boasts a 39.8 percent air yards share, 24.4 percent first-read target share, and 11.9 expected fantasy points per game. For context, Jeudy has been underperforming his expected fantasy points, as the fourth-worst receiver with at least 10 routes run.

Only Chris Olave, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin average more negative fantasy points over expected per game, suggesting they might be buy-low options. Unfortunately, Jeudy might have the worst quarterback situation among those underperforming pass catchers.

The Steelers use man coverage at the sixth-highest percentage. Furthermore, they allow the seventh-fewest fantasy points per dropback against zone coverage while allowing the eighth-fewest fantasy points per dropback. Specifically, they love to use single-high looks (No. 2) while using Cover 1 (No. 7) and Cover 3 (No. 7).

Jeudy hasn't been productive against man coverage while earning a team-high in targets per route. The Steelers are utilizing tons of single-high coverage. Jeudy struggles against single-high looks in 2025, averaging an 18 percent target rate and yards per route run under one (0.86).

The veteran Darius Slay allows the 40th-lowest fantasy points per route run and the 28th-fewest in yards per route. It might be best to sit Jeudy, especially with the quarterback change and a tougher projected matchup in Week 6, as a WR/CB matchup downgrade.

Chris Godwin vs. Deommodore Lenoir

Godwin's usage to begin the 2025 season has been in the high-end range, suggesting fantasy managers should buy low. Evans and Emeka Egbuka have been leading the team in first-read target share, yards per route run, and expected fantasy points.

The Buccaneers have been deploying Godwin on a high percentage of routes as he returns from an injury, suggesting they trust and need him on the field. They face the 49ers, who deploy zone coverage at the 11th-highest percentage while allowing the seventh-fewest fantasy points per dropback.

San Francisco specifically prefers to use Cover 3 (No. 10) and Cover 4 (No. 3) in 2025. Godwin garners a 13 percent target rate and 0.23 yards per route run against Cover 3 and 4. Among the healthy options, Egbuka leads the team with a 26 percent target per route rate with a whopping 2.98 yards per route run versus Cover 3 and 4.

For context, Godwin garnered a 28 percent target rate while averaging 2.82 yards per route run against Cover 3 and 4 in 2024. That tells us that he can be productive in this matchup, though he projects to face one of the 49ers' best cornerbacks, Deommodore Lenoir.

Lenoir allowed the fifth-lowest fantasy points per route run and the fifth-fewest yards per route run in 2025. The Buccaneers rank 13th in neutral game script pass rate, suggesting there could be volume in Godwin's favor. Temper expectations for Godwin in Week 6, or we have one more week to buy low.

Update: Godwin was ruled out with a lower leg injury. Tez Johnson projects to run more routes, and this might be a tougher matchup for the Buccaneers' pass catchers besides Egbuka.

DJ Moore vs. Trey Amos 

Moore trails his teammate in nearly all the underlying metrics in 2025. Rome Odunze has been producing and receiving usage as a high-end receiver or borderline WR1-type option. However, Moore continues to be a receiver to sit and downgrade in Week 6 WR/CB matchups.

The Commanders' defense uses man coverage at the 10th-highest rate while allowing the 21st-most fantasy points per dropback. Meanwhile, the Commanders' defense allows the third-most fantasy points per dropback against zone coverage. Specifically, the Commanders use Cover 1 at the seventh-highest percentage.

It's a small sample, but Moore has a six percent target rate while averaging an awful 0.06 yards per route run against Cover 1. Meanwhile, Odunze and Cole Kmet have been the best two options against Cover 1 in 2025. Odunze leads the Bears, with a ridiculous 50 percent target per route rate and averaging over five yards per route run (5.28) against Cover 1.

The Commanders' pass defense theoretically should limit the Bears' passing game, especially with Trey Amos. Amos allowed the 12th-fewest fantasy points per route run and the 13th-lowest yards per route run in 2025. The Commanders' run defense allows the fifth-lowest adjusted yards before contact per attempt (YBC/Att), making them somewhat of a pass-funnel defense.

However, the Commanders allow the 21st-most in fantasy points per dropback allowed, meaning they limit opposing pass offenses. Be cautious with Moore in Week 6.

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