X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

WR/CB Matchups to Target and Downgrade - Conference Championship

Ja'Marr Chase - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS and Betting Picks

Welcome to the Conference Championship edition of WR/CB Matchup chart. Most season-long fantasy leagues are over, but there are still plenty of opportunities to play other types of contests in the playoffs. Conference Championship games are extremely important in most fantasy playoff formats and drafts. This article can help you identify advantageous matchups and make decisions accordingly.

As a reminder, the process for assigning points to a specific matchup has to do with how the entire defense defends the player who lines up at one of the three spots (LWR, RWR, slot) the most. For example, in Week 1, Jahan Dotson scored a TD from the LWR spot and the right slot, but all of his points were assigned to Shaquill Griffin because Griffin played primarily LCB and Dotson was the Washington receiver with the most snaps at RWR.

Keep in mind that NFL teams are moving receivers around more than ever in today's game. It is difficult to pinpoint which CB each WR will be matched up against. The chart is designed to give a 1-vs-1 matchup for each player, but the reality is that most NFL WRs will see a mix of all the DBs they face each week. For example, in Week 1, A.J. Brown played 27 snaps in the slot and 21 snaps at LWR. However, Quez Watkins played more snaps in the slot and no Eagles WR played more snaps at LWR than Brown, which explains the chart.

The chart is best used to understand how teams are defending outside versus inside receivers if teams are shadowing, and how much emphasis they put on slowing down the opposing WR1.

 

WR vs. CB Chart Details

The CB Matchup Chart below is a snapshot of each team's cornerback group as it relates to allowing fantasy points. There are inherent flaws within the data compilation of cornerback play. The first is the fact that quantifying a 1-on-1 matchup in an NFL game is unfair because of zone coverages, mental errors, certain passing concepts, and a million other things. Assigning fantasy points against a cornerback isn't a perfect science.

The purpose of this chart is to give more of a general sense of how defenses are handling opposing WR groups rather than identifying exactly where, when, and how every single encounter happened. Another factor to consider is that players are listed based on where they line up the majority of the time. Most receivers do not line up on one side on every single snap, so they won't be matched up with the same CB on every snap.

The "Rtng" column is the rating of each cornerback based on film study and analytics. The lower a player is graded, the easier the matchup for the WR, so low ratings are green and high ratings are red. The "PPGA" is the number of fantasy points per game that the player has given up on average this year. Keep in mind that team scheme is a huge factor in points assigned to specific players. A name in blue means the corner could possibly shadow the WR1. A name in red means that the player is dealing with an injury.

 

Cornerback Ratings and Matchups Chart - Conference Championship Games

Click the image for a full-screen view

 

WR/CB Matchups to Target

Late-season trends are just as important as full-season data, and while the 49ers' defense has been great overall, they have recently struggled to stop WR1s. CeeDee Lamb popped off for a big game last week, and although he's listed as a primary slot, a lot of his production came on the outside. It's a great spot for A.J. Brown.

The 49ers have also been victimized by slot receivers all year. Quez Watkins is listed as the primary slot on the chart, but he doesn't play that many more snaps inside than Brown, DeVonta Smith, or Dallas Goedert. The Eagles' top three weapons are viable and will likely be necessary for Philly to win the game. However, it wouldn't shock me to see Watkins make a big play or two.

Mecole Hardman's injury is something worth monitoring throughout the week. He returned to a limited practice Wednesday, but his status for the game is still up in the air. The Chiefs move their WRs all around the formation and their WR1 in terms of target share is actually a tight end. The Bengals have done an excellent job limiting WR1s all year, so I expect their game plan to revolve around stopping Travis Kelce. JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marques Valdez-Scantling get upgrades, while Justin Watson and Skyy Moore are viable large-field tournament dart throws. If Hardman plays, he's a big-play possibility as well. This is a good matchup for Chiefs receivers.

On the other side of that game, the chart shows the Chiefs as an easy matchup for opposing WR1s. Early in the season, they were torched by WR1s, but since Trent McDuffie came back and Joshua Williams was benched, they've been much stouter on the outside. Ja'Marr Chase is obviously a fine play regardless of matchup, but the chart is heavily skewed by early-season results.

 

WR/CB Matchups to Downgrade

The Eagles have arguably the best outside CB duo in the NFL, and it's fair to wonder how rookie Brock Purdy will perform in his first road playoff game in a tough environment. Both Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel have low floors.

The Chiefs have been tough against primary RWRs all year. Tee Higgins gets a downgrade but is obviously a fine play due to talent and target share.

Overall, there aren't any glaring downgrades for WRs this week. These four teams have outstanding receiver rooms and will make plenty of plays on Sunday.

I'll close out with my general thoughts on this two-game slate, and the stands I'll be taking in tournaments. A.J. Brown and Quez Watkins will be my favorite plays in the NFC Championship, and I'll cycle through KC receivers depending on Mecole Hardman's health. If he's out, I'll play longshot Skyy Moore in large-field contests. On the Cincinnati side, I'll be underweight to Tee Higgins and play a decent amount of Ja'Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd.

Thanks for reading and good luck this week.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!




Win More With RotoBaller

Be sure to also check out all of our other daily fantasy football articles and analysis to help you set those winning lineups, including this new RotoBaller YouTube video:

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Zac Gallen3 hours ago

Gets Opening Day Nod
Nolan Schanuel3 hours ago

Injury Isn't Serious
Isaiah Stewart4 hours ago

Injured Against Boston
Duncan Robinson5 hours ago

Doesn't Return On Monday
Jackson Chourio5 hours ago

Makes Opening Day Roster
Anthony Davis5 hours ago

Cleared To Meet Atlanta
Blake Snell5 hours ago

Heading To The Giants
Onyeka Okongwu5 hours ago

To Return On Monday
Bryce McGowens6 hours ago

Unavailable For Tuesday
Tyus Jones6 hours ago

Won't Play On Tuesday
Deni Avdija6 hours ago

Unavailable For Tuesday
Nick Martinez6 hours ago

To Open The Year In The Rotation
OG Anunoby7 hours ago

Set For Multi-Game Absence
Kyle Kuzma7 hours ago

Uncertain For Tuesday
Luka Doncic7 hours ago

Considered Probable For Tuesday
Matt McLain7 hours ago

Scratched With Shoulder Soreness
Bilal Coulibaly7 hours ago

Ruled Out For Rest Of Season
Kenley Jansen7 hours ago

Scheduled To Make Four More Spring Appearances
Jackson Chourio7 hours ago

"In The Mix" For Roster Spot
Rudy Gobert7 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday
Scoot Henderson7 hours ago

Returns To Starting Unit Without Restrictions
Matisse Thybulle7 hours ago

Available Again On Monday
Jerami Grant7 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Monday
Lauri Markkanen7 hours ago

Returns To Action On Monday
Alex Caruso7 hours ago

Ready To Roll Monday
Coby White8 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday
Kristaps Porzingis8 hours ago

Returns To Celtics Lineup
Jaylen Brown8 hours ago

Ready To Go On Monday
Jayson Tatum8 hours ago

Won't Play Against Detroit
Teuvo Teravainen8 hours ago

Misses Second Straight Game
Joshua Dobbs8 hours ago

49ers Reach Agreement With Joshua Dobbs
TOR8 hours ago

Mitch Marner To Miss At Least Two More Games
Jacob Markstrom8 hours ago

Could Return This Weekend
Rico Dowdle8 hours ago

Staying With Cowboys
Mikhail Sergachev8 hours ago

Skates On Monday
Dustin Wolf9 hours ago

Between The Pipes Monday
New Orleans Saints9 hours ago

Saints Expected To Sign Chase Young
Alexander Mattison9 hours ago

Signing With Raiders
DJ LeMahieu10 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Opening Day
Buffalo Bills10 hours ago

Taron Johnson Re-Signs With Bills On Three-Year Deal
José Urquidy10 hours ago

Jose Urquidy Has Forearm Strain, Will Begin On Injured List
Justin Verlander10 hours ago

Expected To Face Hitters "In The Next Day Or Two"
Corey Seager10 hours ago

Takes Batting Practice Monday
Aaron Judge10 hours ago

Likely To Play In Four Of Final Six Spring Games
Garrett Crochet11 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Nolan Schanuel11 hours ago

Scratched With Back Tightness
Dallas Cowboys11 hours ago

Leighton Vander Esch Calling It A Career
DJ LeMahieu12 hours ago

Still Pretty Sore
Aaron Judge12 hours ago

To Return On Wednesday
Jhoan Duran12 hours ago

To Begin Season On Injured List
Bryan Battle13 hours ago

Bout Ends in Controversy
Ange Loosa13 hours ago

Fight Ruled A No-Contest After Accidental Eye Poke
Ovince Saint Preux13 hours ago

Wins Split Decision In A Back-And-Forth Fight
Kennedy Nzechukwu13 hours ago

Suffers Split-Decision Loss To Ovince Saint Preux
Gerald Meerschaert13 hours ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Shohei Ohtani13 hours ago

Cleared To Begin Throwing Program
Bryan Barberena13 hours ago

Submitted In The Second Round
Kyle Manzardo13 hours ago

Sent To Minor-League Camp
Jackson Merrill13 hours ago

Wins Center Field Job
Denny Hamlin14 hours ago

Emerges Victorious For Second Bristol Win In A Row
Alexander Mattison15 hours ago

Visiting With Raiders
Dak Prescott15 hours ago

Cowboys Restructure Dak Prescott's Contract
Dmitry Orlov16 hours ago

Collects Four Points In Big Win
Tyler Toffoli16 hours ago

Dominates Against Columbus With Three Points
Lucas Raymond16 hours ago

Pots Pair Of Goals Versus Penguins
Kaz Grala16 hours ago

Finishes 19th At Bristol Motor Speedway
Bo Horvat16 hours ago

Scores Twice In Losing Effort
Brad Keselowski16 hours ago

Exceeds Value In DFS At Bristol Motor Speedway
Pavel Buchnevich16 hours ago

Delivers Three Assists In Sunday's Win
Ryan Lindgren16 hours ago

Suffers Leg Injury Versus Islanders
Kyle Larson17 hours ago

After 5th at Bristol: "I Hope I Never Have To Run A Race Like That Again"
Chase Elliott17 hours ago

Earns First Top 10 Finish Of 2024
Justin Haley17 hours ago

Earns Best NextGen Short Track Finish for Rick Ware Racing
Ty Gibbs17 hours ago

Has Dominant Day at Bristol but Fades Late
John Hunter Nemechek22 hours ago

Found Speed At Bristol
Chris Buescher22 hours ago

Secures Top 10 At Bristol
Alex Bowman1 day ago

Late Charge to Fourth Masks Early Race Struggles
Christopher Bell1 day ago

Ran Well, But His Teammates Were All Better
Martin Truex Jr1 day ago

. Matches Career-Best Finish At Bristol
Ryan Blaney1 day ago

Fades to 16th at Bristol After Handling Struggles
Russell Wilson2 days ago

Still Considered The Starter
William Byron2 days ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Bristol
Ty Gibbs2 days ago

Starts 19th At Bristol After Damage In Practice
Justin Haley2 days ago

Scores A Starting Position Of 32nd For Bristol
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Should Compete For The Win At Bristol
Brad Keselowski2 days ago

History Indicates Brad Keselowski Being A Favorable Bristol Play
Joey Logano2 days ago

Should Be Rostered With Caution At Bristol
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Is Tyler Reddick Worth Rostering At Bristol This Week?
Martin Truex Jr2 days ago

. Could Work As A Tournament Play At Bristol
Alexander Nylander2 days ago

Totals Three Points In Saturday's Win
Sebastian Aho2 days ago

Leads Hurricanes To Victory In Toronto
Owen Tippett2 days ago

Delivers Three Assists In High-Scoring Loss
Steven Stamkos2 days ago

Extends Scoring Streak With Four-Point Performance
Nick Schmaltz2 days ago

Records Three Assists In Win Over New Jersey
Artemi Panarin2 days ago

Racks Up Five Points In Saturday's Win
Brady Tkachuk2 days ago

Sinks Islanders With Third Hat Trick
Pannie Kianzad2 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Macy Chiasson2 days ago

Gets First-Round Submission Win
Isaac Dulgarian2 days ago

Suffers First Career Loss
Christian Rodriguez2 days ago

Overcomes Early Adversity At UFC Vegas 88
Tai Tuivasa2 days ago

Suffers Fourth Straight Loss
Marcin Tybura2 days ago

Gets First-Round Submission
Justin Fields2 days ago

Traded To The Steelers
NHL2 days ago

Lukas Reichel Will Be In The Lineup Sunday
Cale Makar2 days ago

A Game-Time Decision Saturday
Zach Parise2 days ago

Likely To Return Saturday
Michael Gallup3 days ago

Panthers Bringing In Michael Gallup For A Visit
Mike Williams3 days ago

Panthers To Host Mike Williams On A Visit
New York Jets3 days ago

Jets Expected To Sign Tyron Smith
AJ Dillon3 days ago

Officially Re-Signs With Packers
Van Jefferson3 days ago

Steelers Signing Van Jefferson
Jakobi Meyers3 days ago

Raiders Restructure Jakobi Meyers' Contract
Jimmy Garoppolo3 days ago

Rams Agree With Jimmy Garoppolo On One-Year Deal
Gerald Meerschaert3 days ago

To Fight In Main Event Of UFC Vegas 88
Bryan Barberena3 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Kennedy Nzechukwu3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Ovince Saint Preux3 days ago

Set For 27th UFC Appearance
Bryan Battle3 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Ange Loosa3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 88
San Francisco 49ers3 days ago

De'Vondre Campbell Heading To San Francisco
Dallas Cowboys3 days ago

Leighton Vander Esch Being Cut By Cowboys
Michael Gallup3 days ago

Cowboys Releasing Michael Gallup
Kenny Pickett3 days ago

Steelers Sending Kenny Pickett To Eagles
Pannie Kianzad5 days ago

Looking For Redemption At UFC Vegas 88
Macy Chiasson5 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC Vegas 88
Isaac Dulgarian5 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 88
Christiaan Bezuidenhout5 days ago

Looking To Put It All Together At TPC Sawgrass
Eric Cole5 days ago

Rebounding Well In The Sunshine State
Brian Harman5 days ago

Playing The Dark-Horse Role Again At The Players
Matt Fitzpatrick6 days ago

Searching For Answers Thus Far In 2024
Sahith Theegala6 days ago

One Of The Tour's Fastest Risers To Start The New Year
Sam Burns6 days ago

Brings A Stellar Run Of Form Into TPC Sawgrass
PGA6 days ago

Sungjae Im Trending Up After Arnold Palmer Success
Jason Day6 days ago

Facing Iron Hiccup Heading To The Players
Tom Hoge6 days ago

Brings Strong Form And History To Sawgrass
Min Woo Lee6 days ago

Ready For Second Trip To Sawgrass
Will Zalatoris6 days ago

Working Toward A Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Russell Wilson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Free Agency Tracker - Updates On Every Free Agent Signing (2024)

The legal tampering period for NFL free agency begins on March 11 at noon EST, so news of signings will be flying in all week. Veterans like Russell Wilson and Jonnu Smith were released before their contracts expired, meaning they got a head start on free agency and have already reached agreements with new organizations.... Read More


Rome Odunze - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Coach Knows Ball: Rome Odunze NFL Draft Film Breakdown of Washington WR

Welcome to Coach Knows Ball, an NFL Draft series analyzing the top prospects in the 2024 class. I'm a college football coach with nine years of NCAA experience and have been scouting NFL Draft prospects for over 15 years. This series will give a deep dive into the film of some of the top players... Read More


Kirk Cousins - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Winners and Losers of 2024 NFL Free Agency (Teams)

Well, strap in, folks, because the first week of 2024 NFL Free Agency was a rollercoaster ride. Some teams made power moves while others seemingly snoozed at the switch. The Houston Texans, for instance, came out swinging, pulling off some of the savviest deals that could very well tilt the scales in their favor this... Read More


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Next Gen Stats Review: 2023 Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

A while back, we covered the Next Gen Stats for running backs, including rushing yards over expected and the percentage of plays with eight or more defenders in the box. Check out the running back review of the Next Gen Stats, as it adds a layer to player analysis. We love the advanced stats for... Read More


Keenan Allen - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Keenan Allen Traded To Bears: Fantasy Football Impact

Star wide receiver Keenan Allen has been one of the more underrated players in the NFL over the past few years. He spent the first 11 years of his career with the Los Angeles Chargers, playing for the franchise since their days in San Diego. However, the team reportedly asked Allen to take a pay... Read More


Marquise Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Marquise Brown Signs With Chiefs: Fantasy Football Impact

Veteran wide receiver Marquise Brown signed a one-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday. Brown hopes to follow JuJu Smith-Schuster’s footprints by playing on a one-year deal with the Chiefs and earning a multi-year big-money contract the following offseason. The former Oklahoma star spent the first three years of his career with the... Read More


Justin Jefferson - Fantasy Football Rankings, DFS Lineup Picks, NFL Injury News

Will The Vikings Trade Justin Jefferson? 2024 NFL Outlook

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is one of the top players in the NFL. The superstar was part of an impressive 2020 NFL Draft class. Yet, he was the fifth wide receiver off the board. Jefferson has been a superstar since his rookie year, making three consecutive Pro Bowl teams and All-Pro rosters to... Read More


Marquise Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Top Free Agency Fits For Marquise Brown – 2024 Free Agent Outlook

Free agent wide receiver Marquise Brown is one of the more explosive players in the NFL. The veteran wide receiver ran a 4.27 40-yard dash at his Pro Day coming out of Oklahoma. He was a first-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2019 NFL Draft. Brown has spent most of his career as... Read More


Nico Collins - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings For 2024 Best Ball Leagues (Tiers 4-9)

We have now entered the process of free agency, which is providing pathways for some wide receivers to seize significant roles in their new landing spots. The player movement that has ensued will also decrease the stock of other receivers whose roles will decrease within their reshaped depth charts. Participation in the best ball draft... Read More


Cade Otton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Early 2024 Best Ball Tight End Sleepers

Top tight ends such as Sam LaPorta and Travis Kelce are bound to put up quality fantasy football numbers weekly, but most tight ends are unpredictable. The top tier of tight ends are reliable for fantasy football purposes, but most tight ends are boom-or-bust type of players. Even though it is hard to hit on... Read More


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Lineup Picks

D'Andre Swift Signs With Bears: Fantasy Football Impact

Newly signed Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift has been one of the most promising, but also underperforming running backs across the NFL and the fantasy landscape in recent years. After three injury-riddled seasons in Detroit where he showed flashes of greatness but didn't quite live up to the hype, Swift was traded to the... Read More


J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Top 50 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings After the 2024 NFL Combine

With the NFL Combine in our rearview mirror, now is a logical time to put out an up-to-date rankings for this year’s NFL Draft. Below, you will find my top-50 players who have declared for this NFL Draft. Below those ranks, you will also find several fantasy-relevant notes I have on this class, and on... Read More


Calvin Ridley - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Calvin Ridley Signs With Titans: Fantasy Football Impact

The Tennessee Titans made a huge move once NFL free agency officially opened. They signed wide receiver Calvin Ridley to a four-year, $92 million contract with $50 million fully guaranteed. Ridley was the top receiver on the open market. The Titans swooped in out of left field and signed him to give second-year quarterback Will... Read More