WR/CB Matchups to Target and Downgrade - Week 11 (2023)

Welcome to Week 11 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 11

Click the image for a full-screen view

WR/CB Matchups to Target

Garrett Wilson has to deal with the inexplicable truth that Zach Wilson is somehow still his quarterback, but he's still a WR1 in a good matchup. Courtland Sutton put up a solid stat line against the Bills last week.

Nico Collins missed last week, but if he returns this week, he'll get an easy matchup against the Cardinals. If he sits, Noah Brown is in a great spot again.

DeAndre Hopkins was a massive bust in a great spot last week. This week, he has another easy matchup but tread lightly with Will Levis' No. 1 target.

Similarly, Calvin Ridley has been disappointing as the Jaguars' primary outside threat. He still gets an upgraded matchup against the Titans this week. Christian Kirk, however, has the best matchup of any Jacksonville WR.

Mike Evans and Brandon Aiyuk face off and both the 49ers and Bucs' pass defenses have been susceptible to big games this season. Both WR1s have a good matchup.

Rashee Rice could get a role increase after the bye week, and this week takes on the Eagles' burnable secondary in a Super Bowl rematch on Monday Night Football. It's a good spot for Chiefs WRs.

Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs have been solid for the Packers. Both get upgraded matchups this week against the Chargers.

Russell Wilson is playing better under Sean Payton, and both Jerry Jeudy and Marvin Mims Jr. have easy matchups against the Vikings this week.

WR/CB Matchups to Downgrade

D.J. Moore gets his QB1 back this week, but his matchup against the Lions is a tough one. Detroit has been solid against outside WRs all year.

George Pickens and Diontae Johnson both get tough matchups this week. The Browns have been terrific at limiting opposing WRs all year.

Jordan Addison is an impressive young rookie and deserves consideration in most leagues and formats. However, Patrick Surtain II is fresh off shutting down Stefon Diggs and has been stellar as a key piece in the Broncos' improved pass defense. It's not a great spot for the rookie.

Speaking of Diggs, the Bills get the Jets this week. Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed make up arguably the best CB duo in the NFL and have stifled opposing WR groups all year. Diggs and Gabe Davis get matchup downgrades.

A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are obviously must-start players each week. They do, however, get a matchup downgrade against the Chiefs' stout pass defense.

Adam Thielen is the Panthers' top target, but this week gets a tough matchup against the Cowboys. Dallas' D can be suffocating and Bryce Young has not looked good this year.

Thanks for reading all season and good luck this week.

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