NFL Week 15 WR/CB Matchup Report

Welcome to week 15, where those of you who are still alive in the fantasy football playoffs are most likely either in the semi-finals or the finals. I’m here to try and help you gain an edge over your competition this weekend. As I’ve done with every article this season, I’m going to focus on five wide receivers, ranked in my top 24, that I feel have good matchups. I’m also going to look at my top 24 WR rankings and select five players that I feel don’t have very good matchups. Finally, I’m going to select five WRs outside of my top 24 rankings that I feel have some upside this week. You can use these picks in your season-long leagues (as a guide, not as a start/sit), or even when selecting your DFS lineups.  

The Good:

Michael Thomas vs. Pierre Desir:

Thomas has been nothing short of spectacular this season, as he is on pace to set career bests in all receiving categories. This week he faces Pierre Desir of the Colts. This year, Desir is allowing 11 yards per target, two yards per route run against, and is giving up a quarterback rating of 122.2. 

Chris Godwin vs. Justin Coleman:

Mike Evans is done for the season with a hamstring injury. What does that mean? It means that Chris Godwin should see double-digit targets for the rest of the season. Godwin will see lots of Justin Coleman this week, who has allowed 61 receptions for 793 yards and seven touchdowns this year. As long as Winston’s thumb holds up, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a 20 plus point fantasy performance from Godwin on Sunday.

D.J. Moore vs. Tre Flowers:

I feel like I write about Moore a lot, and I won’t hide my love for the guy. He has been held to under 50 receiving yards just twice this year, averaging 82 receiving yards per game. This week he gets Tre Flowers of the Seahawks. Flowers has been stingy when it comes to giving up touchdowns, allowing just two on the year. With that said, he has also given up over 600 receiving yards, a catch rate of 64 percent and PFF has given him a grade of just 49.

Robert Woods vs. Chidobe Awuzie:

Over the last three weeks, Woods has out-targeted Cooper Kupp 37 to 20. Over that three-game span, Woods is averaging 24 PPR points per game. Chidobe Aquzie will do his best to cover Woods, but my money is on Woods. This season, Awuzie is allowing nine yards per target, over 600 receiving yards, and a quarterback rating of 95. 

Deebo Samuel vs. Isaiah Oliver:

Since week 10, Samuel has been averaging almost 17 PPR points per game to go along with seeing seven targets per game. He has also been on the field for 82 percent of the snaps, compared to just 60 percent the previous nine weeks. Isaiah Oliver will do his best to contain Samuel, but I’m giving the edge to Samuel here. This season, Oliver is allowing nine yards per target, 651 receiving yards, a catch rate of 68 percent, and a quarterback rating of 110.7.

The Bad:

Julian Edelman vs. Darqueze Dennard:

Edelman has been a limited participant in practice the last couple of days, after missing Wednesday’s practice with a nagging shoulder injury. The day off from practice could just have been for rest, as Edelman has been fighting through injuries all season and that hasn’t hindered his performance. With all of that said, I’m tempering my expectations for him this week. He will face Darqueze Dennard, who missed the first six weeks of the season and has been performing very well in the games he has played in. So far, Dennard is giving up just 4.6 yards per target for 102 total receiving yards and zero touchdowns.

Keenan Allen vs. Mackensie Alexander:

Keenan Allen was absolutely on fire the first three weeks of the season, as his per-game averages were: 9.6 catches, 14 targets, 134.6 yards, and one touchdown. Since week three, he has failed to top 83 receiving yards and has scored just twice. He will face off against Mackenzie Alexander, who is giving up just six yards per target, and 26 receiving yards per game. 

Julio Jones vs. Ahkello Witherspoon:

Calvin Ridley is done for the season, which should mean good news for Julio Jones’s fantasy owners. I would say yes if the Falcons weren’t facing the 49ers, who rank second in the league in pass defense DVOA and allow just 47 receiving yards per game to opposing WR1. The loss of Ridley means that the secondary will put even more focus on Jones and try to make others like Austin Hooper and Russell Gage beat them. Witherspoon will be the main defender on Jones, and he has given up just six yards per target, a 35 percent catch rate and a quarterback rating of only 66.7.

Stefon Diggs vs. Casey Hayward:

So, it looks like Adam Thielen will suit up this week against the Chargers. Now, when Thielen was healthy that was when the Vikings weren’t focusing on the pass as much. Since Thielend’s injury, Cousins has 30 plus passing attempts in each game. This will certainly cut into Diggs’s target share, and on top of that he will be facing off against Casey Hayward. This year, Hayward is allowing just six yards per target, a catch rate of 52 percent, and has a PFF grade of 85.

Michael Gallup vs. Troy Hill:

Gallup has made quite the jump in just his second season, showing that he is one of the best WR2 in the league (in real football along with fantasy). He’s seeing eight targets per game this year, which is good for fourth among the league’s WR2. This week, though, he is facing Troy Hill of the Rams. Hill is allowing just two catches per game and a catch rate of 46 percent on the season.

The Upside:

Terry McLaurin vs. Ronald Darby:

In the first matchup between the Redskins and Eagles, Darby’s main coverage was against Paul Richardson and gave up 64 yards on seven targets. McLaurin is certainly more talented than Richardson, in my opinion, and this is a matchup that he can win. This year, Darby has allowed 10 yards per target, six touchdowns, and has a PFF grade of just 46.

Mike Williams vs. Trae Waynes:

It finally happened, folks. Mike Williams scored his first touchdown of the season last week. Can he do it in back to back weeks? Trae Waynes will give him a good opportunity to do so, as Waynes has allowed five touchdowns this year. 

Darius Slayton vs. Nate Brooks:

Darius Slayton is having a fairly quiet, but great, rookie season. He has three multi-touchdown games to go along with a couple of 120 plus receiving yard performances since week ten. He ranks in the top five among rookie wide receivers in receptions and receiving yards, and is tied for the lead in touchdowns. He will face off against Nate Brooks, who Miami signed off of the Patriots practice squad just a few days ago, and has yet to play an NFL snap.

Larry Fitzgerald vs. T.J. Carrie:

Fitzgerald has certainly slowed down a bit since week six, only topping 56 receiving yards once, but I do like his matchup against T.J. Carrie this week. Fitzgerald is seeing just five targets a game over the last eight weeks, but Carrie is allowing nine yards per target this year to go along with a catch rate of 73 percent.

Kenny Stills vs. Tramaine Brock:

Will Fuller is questionable this week, and if he can’t go then I like Stills in this matchup against Brock and the Titans. This season, Brock has allowed nine yards per target, a catch rate of 70 percent, and a quarterback rating of 119.6.