Welcome to the weekly wide receiver/cornerback breakdown! We will review each of the outside matchups, as well as my 10 favorite matchups in the slot. Then, below the charts in this article, I break down my five absolute favorite matchups. It doesn’t matter if you are 0-7 or 7-0 I am sure that you are making tough wide receiver decisions in Week 8. This article is also critical for daily players, as this will help you gain a competitive advantage when setting your lineups. Follow me on Twitter (@fightingchance) as well!
| Left WR | Right CB | Analysis |
| Julio Jones ATL | Donte Jackson CAR | Seemingly healthy for the first time in a while, Jones was three yards shy of posting his second straight 100-yard game. He now has had eight or more catches and 97 or more yards in each of the three games he has started. The Panthers have had a solid secondary but the loss of Rasul Douglas to the Covid list hurts for sure. Jackson is still a top-20 corner according to Pro Football Focus, but he isn't an elite guy you stay away from. Jones is matchup proof for season long leagues, but his teammate might be the better DFS play this week. |
| Marquise Brown BAL | Steven Nelson PIT | He is coming off of his bye and had three straight games of over 55 yards receiving before that. He has had at least six targets in every game so far this season, but he has had as many games with less than five receptions (three) as games with five or more catches (three). He only has one touchdown so far this season. The Ravens are not a high-volume passing offense so he needs to take advantage when the opportunities come. Brown laid two duds against the Steelers last season with five catches for 37 yards and a score in two games combined. This one should have some offense in it, but it feels like it will go in other directions besides Brown. |
| Stefon Diggs BUF | Stephon Gilmore NE | The Bills offense has been off the past couple of weeks and right along side of it has been Diggs who was under 50 yards for the second straight weeks against the Jets. The Bills offense couldn't keep up the pace it was on, but it is still better than what we have seen the last two weeks. Diggs still has eight or more targets in five of seven games and with volume will come production. He does get a tough game against Stephon Gilmore but there are now rumors of him possibly being traded and the Patriots defense has been compromised lately by an offense that can't move the ball. I would avoid Diggs in most DFS lineups, but he still could return WR1 value in season long leagues. |
| D.J. Moore CAR | Kendall Sheffield ATL | He has been trying to reclaim his spot as the top wide receiver on the team and Moore has responded with three straight games with exactly 93 receiving yards. The issue I have with buying into this too much is in two of the three games he had just four targets and five receptions. He keeps making big plays each week as his long reception in the last three were 57, 38, and 74 yards. If you have watched football for a long time at all you know you can't keep relying on 75% of your production coming on one play. I like Moore, I am definitely starting Moore this week against the Falcons. Hell, that is who is first 93 yard game was against. I just caution you against a lack of volume and a reliance on making big, splashy plays on a consistent basis. |
| Allen Robinson CHI | Marshon Lattimore NO | This guy deserves a medal or a parade or some sort of celebration in his honor for the fact that he keeps producing despite some of the worst quarterback play in the NFL. Somehow in that sorry display of offense on Monday night Robinson had four catches for 70 yards. He did it despite dealing with Jalen Ramsey the entire night. On name recognition he would have another tough matchup with Marshon Lattimore this year but the Saints stud corner has been playing like a dud. He is ranked 90th among corners by Pro Football Focus and is allowing a ridiculous 78% catch rate and .35 fantasy points per route covered. If you are unfamiliar with that I will just tell you that he is in the same range with the Falcons corners in that metric. He is dealing with a concussion this week so obviously pay attention to news heading into the weekend. |
| A.J. Green CIN | Malcolm Butler TEN | Cue the Undertaker's music! After seeming to be uninterested in playing for most of the first month, Green has been revived with 24 targets in the last two weeks alone. He has turned that into 15 catches for 178 yards. He hasn't found the end zone yet, but this revival is much needed. He has to be helped out by the fact that the team has to throw 40+ times a game and with the emergence of Tee Higgins and the maturation of Tyler Boyd, the defense can't focus on him. Butler ranks 82nd in Pro Football Focus cornerback rankings and Green enjoys a five inch height advantage on him. Green looks to be a solid start again this coming week. |
| Rashard Higgins CLE | Kendall Fuller WAS | After Beckham went down it was Higgins who stepped in and caught all six of his targets for 110 yards in the game. The loss of Beckham means that there are a lot of targets to go around and Higgins will be a very popular waiver wire add. But, allow me to interject a couple of points. First, the Browns are going to throw to the tight end more. Look at what they did this past week with Harrison Bryant and David Njoku both catching touchdowns. And don't forget Austin Hooper will be back soon. Higgins has also been on this team for five years and although he hasn't had a ton of opportunity, he has never taken advantage when given it before. The team also drafted Donovan Peoples-Jones in the sixth round and while that isn't high draft capital, they felt they had some need at the position and Peoples-Jones caught the game winning touchdown. I'm not saying Higgins won't have success, I'm just saying the path might not be as clear as it looks right now. |
| Amari Cooper DAL | Darius Slay PHI | Sigh. I'd like to say a few words as we mourn the loss of the Cowboys offense. It has gone from great to bad to worst in the span of a few weeks as it appears Ben DiNucci will make the start for the Cowboys. The rookie third stringer likely isn't ready for a starting job, even against the Eagles secondary. Cooper did have one catch when DiNucci took over, but let's not act like the guy is even going to throw for 200 yards. Cooper could still get you 9-10 fantasy points in this one, but he will also be dealing with Darius Slay. All signs point to another nightmarish day for the Cowboys offense and if you can somehow swing it, you might want to give Cooper a rest this week. |
| Tim Patrick DEN | Casey Hayward LAC | He was unable to play the entire game due to a hamstring injury and was limited to three catches for 44 yards against the Chiefs. His status for this coming week is unknown, but the whole situation surrounding the Broncos pass game is not good right now. Drew Lock is either still hurt or regressing, and the running game isn't helping much. The Chargers have several good corners and Hayward is one of the best. He is allowing just a 49 percent catch rate and couple that in with Lock's inaccuracy and the injury and Patrick doesn't feel like a very good start for Week 8. |
| Kenny Golladay DET | Xavier Rhodes IND | This is going to be a fascinating matchup as Golladay is one of the better young, exciting receivers and Rhodes is a great veteran corner. The Colts are one of only two teams allowing fewer than 200 yards per game through the air and Rhodes is the sixth-ranked corner according to PFF for 2020. Golladay has back-to-back 100-yard contests, has a three inch height advantage on Rhodes and is one of the better contested ball receivers in football. He is much more of a season long option than DFS play in Week 8, but I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he had another 12-14 fantasy points in this one. |
| Davante Adams GB | Cameron Dantzler MIN | I feel like just leaving the same comment here from last week when I wrote that nothing can stop Adams. The Texans aren't a great defense, but Bradley Roby isn't a bad corner. Adams destroyed everyone in his path to nearly 200 yards and two scores. The Vikings are a terrible secondary and Dantzler doesn't belong on the same field. He allows a 73 percent catch rante, .52 fantasy points per route covered (under .20 is good) and 1.98 yards per route covered (under 1.0 is good). Oh, and he opened the season with 14 catches for 156 yards and two touchdowns against Minnesota. This feels like it is going to be a mutilation and Adams might be the best play on the board. |
| T.Y. Hilton IND | Jeffrey Okudah DET | The deep throws are going to Marcus Johnson right now and the week after Hilton showed some lief in Week 5 against the Browns he had just one catch on five targets in Week 6 against the lowly Bengals. If he can't do it against that team, there are very few teams that you can feel comfortable with Hilton. The Lions aren't a great defense, but I wouldn't want Hilton in my starting lineup and at this point maybe not even on my roster. |
| Demarcus Robinson KC | Pierre Desir NYJ | Sure, there was snow and the Chiefs were mauling the Broncos but none of that excuses one catch on one target for four yards from Robinson a week after five catches for 69 yards. I don't understand how the Chiefs are probably the most potent offense in the league and have one fantasy worthy wide receiver. Someone might sneak in a score against the Jets, but Robinson isn't remotely consistent enough to warrant fantasy consideration in this one. |
| Robert Woods LAR | Byron Jones MIA | It might be time to say that it isn't going to happen this year for Woods. After topping 70 yards in two of the first three games, he has topped 40 yards just once in the last four. He is scoring some touchdowns and being targeted a decent amount but he has 51 yards in the last two weeks combined. This is a guy some drafted as their top receiver. The Rams are running a super conservative offense and even though they are throwing the receivers some, it just isn't far down the field. Byron Jones is allowing just a 50 percent catch rate and Woods has actually turned into nothing more than a flex play at this point and not even one you have a lot of confidence in. |
| Mike Williams LAC | Michael Ojemudia DEN | Don't you hate when you don't care for a player in fantasy, but then they start to do really well and you start to second guess your opinion. And the second you start to think "hey maybe they aren't that bad…." bam they lay an egg! That is exactly what happened with Mike Williams and I as he had just one catch for four yards against the freaking Jaguars! Jalen Guyton keeps having these long catches that should be going to Williams. The offense has changed with Justin Herbert under center, but the usage for Williams continues to be inconsistent. I still feel like the Chargers are going to throw for nearly 300 yards, but Williams is either going to be a monster performer or a bust. I would stay away from him again this week. |
| Henry Ruggs LV | Denzel Ward CLE | He was highly regarded out of college but he just went to the wrong team as the Raiders are just refusing to use Ruggs. He has just three targets in his last three games and hasn't had more than three catches all season long. He is a big play or nothing, and he only has eight catches in four games. The Raiders are just not taking shots at all which is neutralizing Ruggs. He will likely deal with Denzel Ward for much of the game and that coupled with his low usage makes Ruggs a guy you can only keep on your bench right now. |
| DeVante Parker MIA | Jalen Ramsey LAR | He is coming off his bye, now has a rookie quarterback, and is facing one of the best corners in football in Jalen Ramsey. None of this is leading to any confidence that Parker is going to have a good game. Tua Tagovailoa could certainly come in and have success and Parker could be his favorite target and Parker could dust Ramsey several times in this game. I am just not ready to bet a roster spot on it. If you have injuries and bye week issues I could put Parker in your flex but this is not a week where you should have high expectations for the Dolphins top receiver. |
| Adam Thielen MIN | Jaire Alexander GB | The good news is that Thielen is coming off his bye, has had a touchdown in four straight games, and has had at least five targets in every game this season and eight or more targets in four of six games. The emergence of Justin Jefferson actually takes some of the defensive pressure off of him. The bad news is that he will be blanketed by Jaire Alexander who Pro Football Focus ranks as the number one corner in football this season and rates him 90.6 out of 100 in coverage.Alexander's metrics are elite across the board. However, the Vikings are going to have to throw to keep up with the Packers good amount and Thielen is a guy who gets a lot of volume. He still belongs in your season long lineups. |
| Damiere Byrd NE | Cameron Lewis BUF | He has had a couple of good games, but the Patriots offense is just a tire fire at the moment as they haven't scored many points in the last two weeks. Byrd has just four catches for 54 yards in those games. There isn't even a certainty that Cam Newton won't be benched if he is off his game again. As bad as Newton has been, Stidham would be even worse. Right now there is no one on the Patriots that should be in your lineups. |
| Marquez Callaway NO | Kyle Fuller CHI | With Michael Thomas uncertain again with a hamstring strain and Emmanuel Sanders on the Covid list, that will once again put Callaway in the crosshairs to be the top targeted receiver on the team. He now has 12 catches in the last two weeks. He did get banged up with an ankle injury towards the end of last week, so be sure that he is good to go for Week 8 against the Bears. Chicago gave up some yards and touchdowns to the Rams last week but they are still a pretty strong defense. Callaway should give you 10-12 fantasy points in this one with so few options for the Saints in this one. |
| Darius Slayton NYG | Jamel Dean TB | The Giants offense has been a colossal disappointment this season, and it has gotten worse the past two weeks for Slayton. He has just two catches in each of the last two games and only has one touchdown since Week 1. He has only topped 55 yards once since Week 1. Things got worse for Slayton's fantasy value when Sterling Shepard returned and played well. Jamel Dean is PFF's second ranked cornerback for 2020 and he is rated 89.9 in coverage and is allowing a 50 percent catch rate. Slayton is a very risky flex play at best for this one but definitely belongs on your benches. |
| Breshad Perriman NYJ | Bashaud Breeland KC | He is in concussion protocol and hasn't been cleared yet, but does it really matter? Perriman hasn't had more than four catches all season and in three of four games he has had three catches or less and under 30 receiving yards. The Jets are going to have to throw plenty against the Chiefs, but the offense is just awful. Whether it is Perriman or Jeff Smith if Perriman can't play neither will be near fantasy relevant for Week 8. |
| Travis Fulgham PHI | Trevon Diggs DAL | He now has three straight games with double digit targets and Fulgham right now is the entire focus of the pass game. Greg Ward did get the late touchdown, but his usage wasn't near Fulgham's. A sixth-round pick last season, Fulgham has had at least five catches and 70 yards in each of the last three games. I am not even going to go into analytics about how bad the Cowboys secondary is. If you don't know how bad it is by now, I don't know what to say. They are giving up more than two passing touchdowns a game and Fulgham should be a great lower salary option in DFS games and a must-start in season long leagues. |
| Diontae Johnson PIT | Jimmy Smith BAL | He showed what he is capable of when he is able to play with nine catches on 15 targets for 80 yards and two touchdowns. The problem, again, is that he was unable to finish the game with a lower leg injury. He did leave the field under his own power, so hopefully he will be able to play this week. Johnson has been a stud when he has played. The Ravens secondary is very strong, but the Steelers pass game has been very solid this season. Jimmy Smith is a top-12 corner according to PFF and is allowing just a 50 percent catch rate and just 7.1 yards per reception against him. That said, if Johnson is able to practice most of the week he should still be a WR3 in Week 8. |
| Brandon Aiyuk SF | Quinton Dunbar SEA | The 49ers offense was the perfect landing spot for Aiyuk. They continue to design plays for him to get the ball in space and use his abilities to make big plays. He had six catches for 115 yards last week against the Patriots and he gets a million times easier matchup against a Seahawks secondary that hasn't been able to stop anyone. Deebo Samuel is going to miss a couple of games with injury, and that just makes Aiyuk even more important to the offense. The 49ers are going to have to throw and score points to try to keep up with Seattle on Sunday and I can almost guarantee Aiyuk will hve ten targets. He will be a under the radar DFS play and a must-start in season long leagues. |
| D.K. Metcalf SEA | Jason Verrett SF | For the first time this season Metcalf was a total dud in 2020 with just two catches for 23 yards. Of course, how could anyone do anything with Tyler Lockett and his 200 yards and three touchdowns against the Cardinals. He has a tough matchup again this week with the 49ers and Jason Verrett. He is the fourth ranked cornerback by Pro Football Focus which is pretty shocking since he was only starting because of injury. But Verrett is allowing just a 46 percent rate, .07 fantasy points per route covered which is elite, and .30 yards per route covered which is also fantastic. Despite last week's bad game Metcalf is matchup proof and should be started in all fantasy formats in a game that has an over/under of 54 points. Metcalf is in play in DFS and season long. |
| Mike Evans TB | James Bradberry NYG | With Chris Godwin with the fractured finger and Antonio Brown not ready yet, Evans is back on the fantasy forefront in a matchup against the Giants. He had just two targets in each of the last two games with Godwin back, but typically saw eight to ten targets with Godwin out. Unfortunately he draws James Bradberry this week who is one of the top seven corners in football according to Pro Football Focus for 2020. He is allowing just a 59 percent catch rate and just 11.1 yards per reception against him. However, with Mike Evans the most talented and veteran receiver on the team you would think he would still be able to get you 10-12 fantasy points for Week 8. |
| A.J. Brown TEN | Darius Phillips CIN | Is there anyone out there still doubting this guy? In his three games since returning from injury he has at least five catches in a touchdown in each one. His big blowup came last week with six catches for 153 yards and a score against the Steelers. Now he gets the Bengals. I mean did you see that Baker Mayfield threw five touchdowns against them? He hasn't been the only one that has torched them. The Bengals have allowed 15 passing touchdowns in seven games. Ryan Tannehill and the Titans pass game has been playing great in 2020 and Brown is nearly guaranteed for a 100-yard game with a touchdown. |
| Right WR | Left CB | Analysis |
| Calvin Ridley ATL | Troy Pride CAR | He has scored in each of the last two weeks which is great since they are his two games that he didn't have 100 yards. He has had at least seven targets in every game but one and he is dynamic receiver. He gets a great break as the Panthers will be without Rasul Douglas which will put Troy Pride on Ridley. He is one of the lower rated corners by Pro Football Foucs and is allowing an alarming 83 percent catch rate and over 13 yards per reception. This game should be relatively close so the Falcons should be throwing a lot and look for Ridley to have a huge game. |
| Devin Duvernay BAL | Joe Haden PIT | He is slowly taking over the second outside receiver role from Miles Boykin, but the Ravens still don't throw enough for anyone besides Marquise Brown and Mark Andrews to be fantasy relevant and even they aren't consistent on a weekly basis. Duvernay still only had ten targets in the last four weeks and while his arrow appears to be pointing up it is still not enough to even be on fantasy rosters right now. |
| Gabriel Davis BUF | J.C. Jackson NE | John Brown seems like a long shot to miss this game after he wasn't close to playing last week which would put Davis back in a starting outside role. He had a couple of decent games a few weeks ago but Davis has just four targets and two catches in the last two weeks. The Patriots are not the defense they once were, but they are still a quality group. The Bills offense is a little off lately and they aren't likely to get back humming against New England. Davis is far too volatile and unpredictable to trust in any starting lineup for Week 8. |
| Robby Anderson CAR | Isaiah Oliver ATL | D.J. Moore has been getting the big plays and touchdowns lately, and Anderson's production has come back to Earth a little bit. However, we had to know this was coming to an extent since he wasn't going to have 1,500 yards receiving in a season. The concern is that he hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 1. He still has more than five catches in five of seven games, so in PPR leagues he still hasn't had fewer than ten fantasy points in a game. He gets the mother of all cupcake matchups against the Falcons this week, a team that he burned for eight catches for 112 yards just three weeks ago. He is a dynamite start for Thursday night in season long leagues as well as Showdown slates as well. |
| Darnell Mooney CHI | Janoris Jenkins NO | He feels like if he was on a better team that Mooney would be more productive than he is for the Bears. The guy has had five or more targets in five straight games but has had more than three catches and over 50 yards just once this season. He is definitely being hurt by the atrocious quarterbacking play in Chicago because he has clearly beaten out Anthony Miller for the number two receiver in Chicago. Allen Robinson is dealing with a concussion so he might be forced to miss the game or be more of a decoy. Mooney could be a sneaky good play in Week 8. |
| Tee Higgins CIN | Jonathan Joseph TEN | He had the fewest targets of the big three receivers last week, but Higgins was ultra efficient and caught all five targets for 71 yards and a touchdown. He is hamstrung a little with A.J. Green coming back to life, but that has been counteracted by the fact that the Bengals throw so much that there are enough targets for all three guys. Higgins has a great rapport with Joe Burrow and has shown the ability to make the tough catch. Higgins has been over 60 receving yards in each of the last four games, and should continue to be successful. Joseph is a top-25 cornerback according to PFF but Higgins has a six-inch height advantage on him and should be at worst a WR3 for Week 8. |
| Donovan Peoples-Jones CLE | Nevin Lawson LV | The injury to Beckham has this passing game in flux at the moment considering that Jarvis Landry is also dealing with a broken rib. And while Rashad Higgins will be the darling pickup this week, don’t overlook DPJ. He wasn’t taken with a high pick but the team did talk about him a good deal during training camp. He had just three targets to Higgins six, but he also did catch the game winning touchdown. It might take a couple more weeks for him to make more of an impact but keep your eyes on this kid. |
| Michael Gallup DAL | Nickell Robey-Coleman PHI | He wasn't doing much of anything with Dak Prescott or Andy Dalton in at quarterback so it seems unreasonable to expect much with Ben DiNucci under center. I hate to dismiss a guy with his talent so easily especially against the Eagles, but there is no reason to consider using Gallup this week. |
| DaeSean Hamilton DEN | Michael Davis LAC | This offense is terrible, the Chargers have a good secondary, and Hamilton has just five catches on the season. The Broncos aren't likely to score too many points in this one and you can just ignore him this week and every other week as well. |
| Marvin Jones DET | Rock Ya-Sin IND | He finally had the game we hoped for, but it took the Falcons secondary to get it out of him. He had a season high five catches for 80 yards against maybe the worst secondary in football. He now switches to one of the stingiest secondaries in football in Indianapolis. Jones had just 14 catches in the previous five games so I have a hard time putting trust in him because he was good against a terrible secondary. If you still own Jones I would hope that it was the game that finally got his season started, but I wouldn't trust him enough to use him in my lineup in Week 8. |
| Marquez Valdes-Scantling GB | Harrison Hand MIN | I was willing to throw away that terrible game against the Bucs, but I can't ignore that the guy had no catches on four targets against a pretty soft Texans secondary. He hasn't had more than four catches in a game this season and he has only topped 50 yards twice this year. Coincidentally though, one of those games was the opener against the Vikings when he had four catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. I am nowhere near a MVS fan, but in this cupcake matchup I could see playing him if your team is beat up and you need help. |
| Marcus Johnson IND | Amani Oruwariye DET | He has made some big plays in the last few weeks, but I don't know that I am ready to trust him even after a five catch, 108-yard game. The Colts offense threw the ball 44 times in Week 6, which is way more than they want to when everything is going right. They don't want to throw that much for sure. Johnson is a low volume receiver on a run-first team so I am not ready to declare him someone you should consider in 12 or even 14 team leagues. If he has another solid game against the Lions then I will start to take him seriously. |
| Mecole Hardman KC | Bless Austin NYJ | He got off to a fast start with all of his production in the first quarter and then the speedster went quiet for the rest of the game. Hardman has talent, but he also has ten targets in the last four weeks combined. Nothing counteracts talent like a lack of opportunity. Even an injury to Sammy Watkins hasn't made him fantasy relevant. I guess Tyreek Hill would have to go down for Hardman to have any sort of fantasy relevancy. |
| Josh Reynolds LAR | Xavien Howard MIA | He had eight targets on Monday night and was the star receiver on the team, but I am still not buying into Reynolds even with two straight weeks with a touchdown. While Robert Woods is not doing what we hoped and the team is running an offense where they throw to a lot of short routes. Howard is a multi-time Pro Bowler and Reynolds is probably the fourth or fifth passing option on a less than stellar offense. Even with back to back touchdowns you can't consider him right now |
| Jalen Guyton LAC | Bryce Callahan DEN | He hasn't had more than three targets in a game, but Guyton has the knack for the big play. He has a 45+ yard catch in three straight weeks and touchdowns in two of the last three games. You can't depend on this kind of low volume work though, and even with strong armed quarterback Justin Herbert against a less than stellar Broncos secondary Guyton shouldn't even be on rosters. |
| Nelson Agholor LV | Terrance Mitchell CLE | It has gotten to the point that you can no longer ignore Agholor's production. He has a touchdown in three straight weeks, and he finally broke through with a 100-yard game last week against the tough Bucs secondary. As enticing as he has been, let's remember he had 11 targets in the first five games of the season, he was just catching almost every ball that was thrown to him. The Raiders are still not a high volume pass offense, and Darren Waller is going to continue to be the focal point of the passes thrown. Agholor can be picked up for some short term value, especially this week against the Browns, but I don't expect him to hold starting fantasy value all season long. |
| Preston Williams MIA | Troy Hill LAR | He scored a touchdown for the third time in four weeks the last time the Dolphins played back in Week 6. Everythign changes this week though as the Dolphins usher in the Tua Tagovailoa Era. How will the kid do? What will the offense look like? Will they run a lot? Williams has a chance to be successful if Tua can give a representative effort with Jalen Ramsey taking care of DeVante Parker. The Rams secondary is pretty decent and the front line makes them better without giving the quarterback much time. Williams could fit in your flex spot but carries some risk with a completely unknown quarterback in his first game. |
| Justin Jefferson MIN | Josh Jackson GB | The kid is coming off the bye with 100-yard efforts in three of the last four weeks and two of those were over 165 receiving yards. He has big play ability and he also can catch the shorter and intermediary routes. And with Adam Thielen taking the top corner on the opposing defenses that is allowing Jefferson to take advantage of cornerbacks that aren't capable of covering him. He didn't do much the first week of the season against the Packers, but it was a rookie's first game without a preseason. Jefferson has a chance at another big game with Kevin King perhaps out of this one. Green Bay gave up a big game to Deshaun Watson last week and Kirk Cousins should light up the scoreboard as well. Look for Jefferson to come real close to another 100-yard game and likely a touchdown. |
| N'Keal Harry NE | Tre'Davious White BUF | Harry has just one catch on four targets in the last two weeks combined as the Patriots offense has just imploded into something ugly to watch. Cam Newton can't throw the ball very accurately and his receivers can't get open. It is a terrible combination. Until we see this change you can't consider him for fantasy and right now he honestly doesn't even belong on rosters. Playing the Bills only exacerbates the problem and makes him less attractive to put in your lineups. |
| Deonte Harris NO | Jaylon Johnson CHI | He tied his highest target total of the season and had season highs in catches (four) and yards (46) and his first touchdown of the season last week against the Panthers with Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders both out. It appears that the combo will miss this week's game again, and the defensive opponent hasn't gotten any easier with the Bears. Harris would be the fifth receiver on this team if everyone is healthy and both Marquez Callaway and Tre'Quan Smith should both see more action than him. He could be an emergency flex play, but even that he would be not advised to be put there against a strong pass defense. |
| Sterling Shepard NYG | Carlton Davis TB | He certainly didn't look like a guy who had just missed a month with injury as Shepard came right in with six catches for 59 yards and a score last week agains the Eagles. He showed some burst, and some actual interest in being on the field which is more than we can say for the rest of the Giants offense most of the time. He is done no favors this week against Carlton Davis who is ranked 14th by Pro Football Focus and is allowing just a 50 percent catch rated and 9.7 yards per completion against him. Shepard might be the one guy on this roster I would feel comfortable in my starting lineup and it would only be a flex spot. |
| Denzel Mims NYJ | Charvarius Ward KC | He was certainly helped by Jamison Crowder missing last week's game, but for a debut game it wasn't that bad for Mims as he had four catches for 42 yards against the Bills. That isn't an impressive stat line but for anyone to do anything for the Jets is a bright spot. He gets a tough matchup with the Chiefs, but he should get solid volume considering the Jets could lose this game by 35 points. Ward allows a 70 percent catch rate and nearly 13 yards per completion. The Chiefs defense has shown that they don't let up even with big leads but Mims feels like a flex play especially if Crowder misses another one. |
| John Hightower PHI | Anthony Brown DAL | He has had a big play in each of the last two games, but that has been all he has. Just a single catch in each of the last two games. That isn't something you can count on even when they are both over 50 yards each. Jalen Reagor has been activated, although likely still won't play this week. Even if he is out, Hightower shouldn't even be on fantasy rosters. |
| Chase Claypool PIT | Marcus Peters BAL | I am going to be very interested to see how targets are distributed this week against the Ravens. Since his 11 target game in Week 5, Claypool has watched his usage go down to four targets and then just one last week. The return of Diontae Johnson certainly had a lot to do with that, but Juju Smith-Schuster also had a revival week. Will we get some stability in Pittsburgh or will it be a total guessing game each week who will get the targets? Considering they have a tough matchup against the Ravens and Claypool has watched his targets drop for two straight weeks, he should probably be on your bench. |
| David Moore SEA | Jamar Taylor SF | He just doesn't have the usage that you would need for fantasy relevance. Moore does have three catches in four games, but has only topped 50 receiving yards twice. He does make some big plays from time to time but He has only had one week of ten fantasy points in a PPR league. The Seahawks should score a decent number of points this week but Moore is still not on the radar for Week 8. |
| Kendrick Bourne SF | Shaquill Griffin SEA | He had a couple of solid weeks when Deebo Samuel was injured against lesser defenses and Samuel will miss this week as well opening up some possible extra targets for Bourne. In Weeks 1-4 he had five or six targets and just eight in the last three weeks. He has only topped 45 receiving yards twice, but this could be a week that Bourne could surprise. The Seahawks secondary has allowed nearly 370 pass yards per game and while I don't expect San Francisco to get there, they should put up some good numbers. Bourne will be a dart throw in DFS GPP contests where you are looking to get a cheap option to get some studs on the roster. He is also a possible flex play in 14 team leagues. |
| Scotty Miller TB | Ryan Lewis NYG | With Chris Godwin out and Antonio Brown not ready to take the field yet, Miller is back in our fantasy good graces again. He is dealing with a hip injury, but he also had six catches for 109 yards and a score last week. They should put up big numbers again this week versus the Giants. And with stud corner James Bradberry taking care of Mike Evans that leaves Lewis on Miller. Lewis is allowing a ridiculous 20.2 yards per catch and with the volume that Miller is sure to get he should be a great play for Week 8. |
| Corey Davis TEN | LeShaun Sims CIN | Davis has had five or more catches in three of four games, but has been under 40 receiving yards in two of four games. The Titans offense certainly runs through A.J. Brown and Jonnu Smith so Davis is definitely third on the target hierarchy. This would be a good game to get him in your season long lineups as he goes against LeShaun Sims who is ranked 86th best corner by PFF and he is allowing a 72 percent catch rate and 2.04 yards per route covered which is double of what you would want from a quality defender. I wouldn't use him in DFS contests but he is a WR3 or flex this week. |
Now, here are my 10 favorite matchups in the slot in Week 8.
| Slot WR | Slot CB | Analysis |
| Keenan Allen LAC | Bryce Callahan DEN | Bryce Callahan is a top-ten cornerback allowing just .15 fantasy points per route covered which is a great number and is rated 80 out of 100 in coverage on Pro Football Focus. However, Allen is unstoppable right now. He has ten or more targets in the last four games that he finished and has scored in two of the last four weeks. Justin Herbert has breathed life into this pass game and Allen is the star of the team. The Broncos gave up six catches and a touchdown to Tyreek Hill out of the slot last week and he isn't an elite DFS option but is likely the WR1 on your season long roster right now. |
| Tyreek Hill KC | Brian Poole NYJ | He hasn't been having those monster games he has had throughout his career and hasn't had a 100-yard game yet this season. He also has had more than five catches just once. These are surprising numbers for the top receiver on the best offense in football. Althought the Chiefs pass game hasn't been firing on all cylinders lately. However, he does have five touchdowns in seven games and there is little doubt he will get one against the Jets. Brian Poole is highly rated on Pro Football Focus and allowing under 10 yards per reception against him, but it is just a matter of time before Hill finds the end zone. He should be good for 14-16 fantasy points in this one. |
| Tyler Lockett SEA | Jamar Taylor SF | Lockett has been so up and down over the last month. He has two games with 24 catches, 300 yards and six touchdowns, and then two games with just six catches and 83 yards with no touchdowns. He had one good game and one dud last year against the 49ers, but the San Francisco secondary is still a little compromised with injury. You can expect the Seahawks to throw the ball at least 35 times with the question marks around their running backs.Taylor would be nothing more than cornerback depth if the Niners were healthy and Lockett should take advantage. Keep Lockett in your season long lineups but his inconsistency makes him a no go for me in DFS. |
| Tyler Boyd CIN | Kristian Fulton TEN | The Bengals will just continue to throw as their defense continues to give up yards and points. This is a great thing for us fantasy players as it allows all three receivers to be relevant. And Boyd is the best of those with eight or more targets in five of the last six weeks. He has just two touchdowns but has had at least ten fantasy points in PPR leagues in five of seven games. Fulton is allowing a ridiculous 87 percent catch rate and with the volume that Boyd gets he should absolutely be in your seasonal lineups and can be put in some DFS cash lineups. |
| Jarvis Landry CLE | Lamarcus Joyner LV | I am not in love with this choice, but it is a tough week in the slot between bye weeks and injuries. Landry had one of his best games of the season with six targets with Odell Beckham out for the year. Landry has said he is dealing with a broken rib, but he continues to play through it. He is a very efficient receiver and catches most balls thrown his way. He should see his targets go up a little more with Beckham out. The Raiders have been tortured out of the slot this season and Joyner is outside of PFFs top-100 cornerbacks. While Landry hasn't thrilled me this season, he certainly has everything in his favor to have a great Week 8. |
| Greg Ward PHI | Jourdan Lewis DAL | This is 100 percent to do with the matchup and less to do with the receiver. Ward had a good game against the Bengals (like, who hasn't) but other than that hasn't topped 42 yards in a game and that was against the Giants. He does have three touchdowns in the last five weeks and the Eagles receiving corps is still in tatters. The Cowboys are just a disaster in the secondary though and have allowed 16 passing touchdowns this season. The only thing stopping Ward from having his best game of the season is if the Eagles sit their starters because they are beating the Cowboys so badly. |
| Cooper Kupp LAR | Nik Needham MIA | While the Rams offense is not playing well lately, Kupp is still faring quite well most weeks. Outside of Week 6 against the 49ers when they did absolutely nothing, Kupp has had ten fantasy points or more since Week 1. Kupp had six catches against the Bears, and things will get much easier this week against Needham. I pick on him a lot, however he earns it with a 79 percent catch rate and over 12.5 yards per completion against him. Kupp had the second most targets on the team last week and continues to be a popular target for Jared Goff. |
| Juju Smith-Schuster PIT | Marlon Humphrey BAL | It was nice to see him back a part of the offense as Smith-Schuster's 14 targets last week were as many as he had the previous three weeks combined. He still hasn't scored since Week 3, and his 85 yards last week was a season-high. It is certainly a risk to have him in your lineups, but he knows what to expect from the Ravens. Hopefully, Big Ben and Juju have reclaimed their connection and he can continue to produce this week. |
| Curtis Samuel CAR | A.J. Terrell ATL | I have never been a really big fan of Samuel but I am suggesting him this week because he has been playing better of late, they are playing the Falcons, and the slot doesn't have a lot of great options this week. The Panthers also give Samuel rushing attempts and he has had four carries in three of six games. He has caught 14 passes in 15 targets in the past three weeks even though he isn't racking up big yardage. He had five catches for 36 yards and four catches for 28 yards three weeks ago against Atlanta. That is still ten fantasy points in the slot and in Week 8 that isn't bad. Samuel isn't a terrible flex add if you have an injury or bye week issue. |
| Russell Gage ATL | Jeremy Chinn CAR | He is dealing with a little injury issue but it isn't expected to stop him from playing Thursday. He has 16 targets in the last three weeks, and Gage's six catches last week were his most since Week 2. The Panthers are down their best corner which leaves Chinn in the slot. He is ranked under 50 out of 100 by Pro Football Focus and is allowing a 67 percent catch rate and has given up three touchdowns this season so far. Gage is certainly third in terms of targets in the target hierarchy but there should be plenty to go around as I expect Matt Ryan to throw the ball 40 times on Thursday. Gage should be good for another five catches for 70 yards and perhaps Chinn's fourth touchdown allowed this year. |
Elite
Davante Adams vs Cameron Dantzler. As we wait for Allen Lazard to return, we are again reminded how Adams is basically a one man show in the passing game for the Packers. He has ten or more targets in three of four games he has played this season, and in two of them he has 16 and 17. That 17 target game came in Week 1 against these same Vikings and he caught 14 of them for 156 yards and two touchdowns. Robert Tonyan has faded, Marquez Valdes-Scantling didn’t have a catch last week, and you can only throw so many passes to the running back. Adams is going to get a tremendous amount of targets again this week and it is almost a no brainer that he has double digit catches, 100 yards and a touchdown.
AJ Brown vs Darius Phillips. Brown is a stud. I feel like that should be enough. But since it probably isn’t, let’s look into the numbers. He has averaged eight targets a game in the four that he has played this season and has topped 80 receiving yards in two of the last three. He has four touchdowns in the previous three weeks and outside of Jonnu Smith doesn’t have a ton of competition for targets. Phillips is the 68th rated cornerback by Pro Football Focus and he allows a whopping 16.3 yards per completion against him. That is a recipe disaster for the Bengals, and it has people who roster Brown in DFS games thinking green!
Affordable
Justin Jefferson vs Josh Jackson . Jefferson has shown dynamic ability and can make any catch. Since breaking out in Week 3, Jefferson has been studly in every game but one. Jackson is a less than ideal corner who is ranked 73rd by PFF and the average depth of target against him is nearly 11 yards. Jackson and the Packers secondary gave up seven catches for 60 yards to Brandin Cooks last week, but I think this game will be more high scoring. Vegas agrees as the over/under is set at 52.5 and you don’t reach that many points without the ball in the air a lot. His salary has gone up in recent weeks and with good reason. Jefferson should be a stud in week 8.
Keenan Allen vs Bryce Callahan . On paper this one isn’t as obvious as some of the others as I stated in the tables that Callahan is actually a fairly highly rated corner. However, like I said for Davante Adams you can’t argue with volume. Justin Herbert has been a great change to the offense and Allen has had ten or more targets in four of his last five games and the fifth game he left early with an injury. Again, outside of that game with an injury he has at least seven catches in four of the last five weeks. Denver’s secondary hasn’t been bad even with injuries but Herbert and Allen are going to trash them and Allen should still give you 17-20 fantasy points this week at a salary lower than it should be.
Bargain Bin
Darnell Mooney vs. Janoris Jenkins . We all know how bad the Bears quarterbacks have been, and yet Mooney has still had 26 targets in the last four games. The Saints secondary has been pretty bad, and Mooney definitely looks to get a bump in value this week with Allen Robinson in concussion protocol. He was smashed face first into the ground last week and even if he plays he might not play as many snaps as usual. Mooney has overtaken Anthony Miller as the second receiver on this team and he is close to a free spot on both sites this week. Mooney isn’t likely for a 17-20 point game but at his low salary if he can get you a dozen fantasy points he will be well worth the investment you made.
*Information gathered from research done at Pro Football Focus.