This article attempts to highlight some of the best and worst matchups for wide receivers and tight ends each week. Using player tracking data from various sources (NFL.com, Pro Football Focus, ESPN, etc.) as well as reviews of recent trends, I look for situations to exploit or avoid when setting your weekly lineups. Given that this article is intended to help across all sites (both DFS and season-long), variations in pricing and scoring systems are not taken into account so obviously, the values could shift depending on where you are playing. The main intent of this article is simply to call out some players who could be significantly helped or hurt by their situations each week.
Favorable Matchup:
WR Robert Woods (LAR vs DAL):
Move over Cooper Kupp, it is Woods that has been on fire for this Rams team in recent weeks. He has had at least 15 points or more in his last 4 matchups and will be taking on a Cowboys defense that has allowed 7 touchdowns and the 3rd most fantasy points per touch to opposing wide receivers. Woods has a whopping 47 targets in his past 4 games and finally found the end zone for the first time this season last week against Seattle. He is the hot hand right now in this offense and look for the Rams to ride him as they fight for a playoff spot.
WR Kenny Golladay (DET vs TB):
Even with David Blough at quarterback, Golladay has 10 catches for 216 yards and 2 touchdowns on 13 targets over the past 2 weeks. He has done this against the Bears and Vikings defenses that rank much higher than the Buccaneers. Marvin Jones is out with an ankle injury and that should also bring an uptick in targets for Golladay. Tampa Bay has allowed the most points to opposing receivers this season and 6 different receivers have scored a touchdown in the last 4 weeks. We would certainly rank him higher if Matthew Stafford had come back this week, but Golladay has too good of a matchup to pass up no matter who is throwing him the ball.
WR A.J. Brown (TEN vs HOU):
Everything seems to be going right for the Titans right now. Ryan Tannehill is playing the best football of his career and Brown is emerging as one of the better deep threats in the game. He seems to have the ability to break a long play on any touch. Since Tannehill took over, Brown has at least 12 fantasy points in 4 out of his last 6 games and at least 7 in the other 2. Houston has allowed 15 touchdowns to opposing receivers and ranks in the bottom 10 in that category. If the Titans feed the ball to Brown, it could be another very productive game for him.
WR Darius Slayton (NYG vs MIA)
The situation in New York is very murky right now and no one seems to know who is going to start at quarterback. Slayton stepped up with Eli Manning under center last week against Philadelphia and exploded in the first half, finishing with 154 yards and 2 touchdowns. Golden Tate has been battling a foot injury and was not effective last week and Evan Engram may not come back this season. Look for Slayton to step up again against the leagues worst pass defense in Miami that has allowed 23 touchdowns to opposing receivers this season.
WR Terry McLaurin (WAS vs PHI):
As we all saw on Monday Night, Ronald Darby cannot cover anyone with speed that runs straight down the field. He was burned time and time again by Darius Slayton and Slayton is not as fast as McLaurin. The only hinderance here is Dwayne Haskins throwing the ball. The Ohio State duo finally seemed to be on the same page last week connecting on 4 of 7 passes for 57 yards and a touchdown. McLaurin burned the Eagles in week 1 with 5 catches, 125 yards, and a touchdown. If Haskins has time to get the ball out, we could see a very productive week out of McLaurin and a big wrench thrown into the Eagles push for a playoff spot.
WR Michael Gallup (DAL vs LAR):
The over under in this game is quickly approaching 50 points and it has all the makings of a shootout. Gallup is coming off a big game against the Bears and should draw the easier coverage this week with Jalen Ramsey most likely shadowing Amari Cooper. Look for Gallup to finish with the best overall line for the Cowboys this week in one of the highest scoring games of the weekend.
TE Tyler Higbee (LAR vs DAL):
We are targeting this Rams Cowboys game again as it projects to be one of the highest scoring of the week. Higbee has flourished in the offense since Gerald Everett went down with injury. In the last 2 weeks he had scored a combined 42.3 fantasy points and racked up 223 yards from the tight end position. The Cowboys give up an average of more than 5 catches and 13 fantasy points to the tight end position this year. Fire up Higbee with confidence again this week.
Unfavorable Matchup:
WR John Brown (BUF vs PIT):
Brown has fallen on hard times in recent weeks and struggled in week 14 against Baltimore with just 3 catches for 26 yards. This week proves to be another tough test against Pittsburgh who limited Cooper Kupp to 0 points, Odell Beckham to 15 combined points in 2 games, and Larry Fitzgerald to 5 points. They have locked down outside receivers with Minkah Fitzpatrick and that is where Brown runs the majority of his routes. Cole Beasley may find some success running inside, but it looks like it is going to be another long week for Brown.
WR Tyler Boyd (CIN vs NE):
This has everything to do with the matchup and nothing to do with how well Boyd has played in recent weeks. He has had at least 12 points in 3 games straight and 5 of his past 6, but the Patriots have allowed the fewest points to opposing receivers and just 3 touchdowns all season. Stephon Gilmore has been a shut down corner and the Patriots did just get caught recording the Bengals playing calling on the sidelines. This has the makings of a very long week for Boyd.
WR Robby Anderson (NYJ vs BAL):
Anderson has been on an absolute tear in the past 4 weeks with at least 100 yards receiving or a touchdown over that span. Unfortunately, he walks into a matchup on the road against a Baltimore team that has only allowed 2 touchdowns through the air in their past 5 games. Anderson has struggled on the road this season with no more than 8 points in any of his 6 road starts. He is playing really well right now, but the matchup this week should leave Anderson on your bench.
WR Tyler Lockett (SEA vs CAR):
This is a hard pill to swallow, but Lockett just has not been good in recent weeks. Over his past 3 games he has just 5 catches for 81 yards on 11 targets. Russell Wilson has spread the ball all over the offense and Seattle has embraced the run more than the pass. Despite Pete Caroll saying Lockett is ready to go, we still wonder if his leg injury from week 10 is lingering. Lockett is not trust worthy until he can show his explosive play making ability and at that point it may be too late.
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (PIT vs BUF):
Smith-Schuster is a player I have kept on my bench anxiously awaiting his healthy return. Unfortunately, the matchup against Buffalo is a tough one. TreDavious White leads that secondary and the Bills defense gave everything they had against Baltimore last week. Smith-Schuster has only scored 7 or more fantasy points once in his past 5 outings before getting hurt and he is now coming back to a totally different quarterback in Devlin Hodges. Pittsburgh has attempted just 40 passes in their past 2 games and could lean on James Conner this week who is also expected to make his return.
WR Amari Cooper (DAL vs LAR):
This pick all comes down to which Jalen Ramsey shows up for the Rams. HE had a hard time against Baltimore a few weeks ago and let his emotions get the best of him, but the Rams are fighting for a playoff spot now and Ramsey seems to have settled in. Cooper has been banged-up all season and has had a very up and down season. The last time he faced the Rams in 2018 he had just 1 catch on 3 targets for 9 yards. Beware of Cooper this week with Ramsey in coverage.
TE Kyle Rudolph (MIN vs LAC):
It has been a resurgence of late for Rudolph and the Vikings, but there are several things working against him this week. First is the potential return of Adam Thielen to the Vikings lineup. Rudolph saw a big uptick in targets, especially in the red zone, while Thielen was on the sideline. The Chargers have allowed the 7th fewest fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends and an average of just 3.7 catches per game. It has been a tough year for tight ends but look for an option outside of Rudolph if you can.
