RADIO
Welcome to Week 14 of the WR/CB Matchups article. For those who are not familiar, this is a weekly series looking at fantasy football matchups for wide receivers versus the cornerbacks who are projected to cover them.
During the past three seasons, I have tweaked my process to make the chart more user-friendly and predictive, but 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.
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 last year, 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.
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 - Week 14
Click the image for a full-screen view
WR/CB Matchups to Target
The Eagles have been shredded by opposing WR groups all year. It's a great spot for CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks.
Ja'Marr Chase exploded in an easy matchup last week at Jacksonville. This week, he gets a very burnable Colts secondary. It's a good spot for Chase and Tee Higgins.
Amari Cooper is banged up and dealing with a backup QB, but his matchup this week against the Jaguars is a good one. If Cooper is unable to play, Elijah Moore gets a bump.
The Falcons don't throw enough to make any Atlanta WR an exciting weekly option. However, the matchup against Tampa is a great one for Drake London. He's worth a start depending on your other options.
Jaylen Waddle didn't smash against the Commanders, as Tyreek Hill made all the big plays. Waddle has another good spot this week against the Titans.
Chris Godwin may get the squeaky wheel treatment this week, and also gets an easy matchup. The Falcons are stout against outside receivers, but have struggled with slots all year.
Jerry Jeudy has been disappointing all year, but this could be his week. The Chargers have struggled to slow down opposing slot WRs this season.
Wan'Dale Robinson is a boring, low aDOT possession receiver this season. However, he gets an easy matchup against the Packers, who give up a lot of production to opposing slots.
WR/CB Matchups to Downgrade
The Jaguars' top pass-catchers may be without Trevor Lawrence this week. They'll also have to deal with the Browns' stout pass defense. It's a tough matchup for Calvin Ridley and Zay Jones.
Nico Collins went nuclear in a tough matchup last week, but it will be difficult to have a repeat performance without Tank Dell. I expect the Jets' stingy pass defense to focus on shutting down Collins this week.
The Panthers passing game has been putrid this season. Jonathan Mingo and D.J. Chark will also have to deal with the Saints' outside CBs, who have been solid all year.
Keenan Allen didn't do much against the Patriots in rough weather last week. He's obviously a must-start regardless, but he does get another tough matchup this week against the Broncos. Denver has shut down opposing slots all year. They could also choose to shadow Allen with Patrick Surtain II, who is one of the best corners in the NFL.
Jalin Hyatt has emerged as a viable threat in the Giants' passing attack. Unfortunately, he and Darius Slayton will have to deal with Jaire Alexander and the tough outside Packers corners this week.
Thanks for reading and good luck this week.
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