X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

WR/CB Matchups to Target and Downgrade - Week 4

DK Metcalf - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Welcome to the fourth WR/CB Matchups article of the 2021 NFL season. My goal last year was to create the first fully free WR/CB matchups article to share with the fantasy football community. I appreciate all the support and feedback I received. If you enjoy my work, please follow me on Twitter @draft32teams. My process includes a close study of college draft prospects, so I've scouted the majority of NFL CBs even before they step foot on an NFL field. I love fantasy football, but my real passion is scouting players for the NFL Draft.

Compiling this data and writing this article each week has made it clear that while matchups do matter, a receiver's talent and target share are more important than his opposition in many cases. This point is extremely important to understand.  The PPGA (points per game allowed) numbers align much more closely with the skill level of the WR each CB faced rather than the skill level of the CB himself. For example, in Week 1, Tyreek Hill had a boom game and played mostly RWR. Denzel Ward is still one of the better cover corners in the league, but he was assigned those points. On the flip side, bad corners may have low PPGA because they faced a WR group or offense that simply isn't that good or doesn't target that position much. It's a reminder that we're dealing with small samples and an inexact science.

I've decided to change the name of the article from "Matchups to Target and Avoid" to "Matchups to Target and Downgrade." Too many times a WR has a tough matchup and produces anyway.  A difficult matchup is not a guarantee that a WR will underwhelm. On the flip side, an easy matchup doesn't always mean a huge game. There are a myriad of reasons a player might fail in an easy matchup and excel in a tough one. The chart is best used to understand the context of matchups overall, not predict outcomes.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

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 being 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 the right 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. 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. WRs highlighted in bright green have an easy matchup. WRs highlighted in light red have a tough matchup. The chart is a useful tool, but should not be used as a start/sit cheatsheet.

 

Cornerback Ratings and Matchups - Week 4

Click image for full-screen view

 

WR/CB Matchups to Target

We start with Thursday Night Football when the banged-up Bengals secondary takes on Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars. Trae Waynes will likely be back for Cincy, but Chidobe Awuzie is banged up and Eli Apple has been awful.  Both outside WRs for the Jags get an upgrade. I project Marvin Jones Jr. to see more of Apple based on past alignment tendencies.  Let's pray for fewer injuries than last week.

On the other side of that game, the C.J. Henderson-less Jags secondary represents an easy matchup for Joe Burrow's weapons. Shaquil Griffin is now playing RCB and has been a better player in the past than he's shown so far this year. The Jags have also been burned more by RWRs and slots than the LWR position, so I am not upgrading Ja'Marr Chase by that much. If Tee Higgins plays, he sees a bump. Tyler Boyd is also in a good spot. As a reminder, the vast majority of NFL teams move their WRs around the formation, so it's very possible Chase plays some RWR this week.

UPDATE: Higgins has officially been ruled out.

DeVonta Smith has been underwhelming the past two weeks, but Kansas City has been awful against opposing LWRs so far this year. Smith moves around the formation, but he has a great opportunity this week to feast against guys like Mike Hughes.

Tre Flowers is one of the worst starting CBs in the NFL and fresh off giving up a dominant day to Justin Jefferson. Brandon Aiyuk seems to be out of Kyle Shanahan's doghouse, so a big week is a possibility.

On the other side of that game, the 49ers outside CBs are banged up, which represents a smash spot for D.K. Metcalf. Tyler Lockett has been playing more outside, so him popping off as well is not out of the question.

Mac Jones and the Patriots haven't had the best matchups for passing production thus far, but this week get a Bucs pass D that has been suspect at best in 2021. The only thing holding back the Pats' pass catchers against a pass funnel defense is volume and their rookie QB. I expect at least one of Nelson Agholor or Jakobi Meyers to have a big game in Brady's return to Foxborough.

The Washington defense has been horrible to start the year, so look for Calvin Ridley to have his best game of the season in Week 4.

As far as good slot matchups for super deep options, Amon-Ra St. Brown gets the burnable Duke Shelley, while Braxton Berrios (or Jamison Crowder) gets the slow-footed Elijah Molden. Meanwhile, Zach Pascal will take on a Miami nickel duo that was just roasted by Hunter Renfrow, and the Panthers trio of starting receivers gets to take on Jourdan Lewis, who has been an easy matchup his entire career. The Panthers move their WRs around a lot, so D.J. Moore or even Milk Carton Robby Anderson could be benefactors this week. However, Terrace Marshall Jr. plays the most slot, which is why he's listed there.

 

WR/CB Matchups to Downgrade

The Browns defense is coming off a dominant performance against the Bears and has been terrific at limiting LWRs all year. You aren't sitting Justin Jefferson, but he gets a downgrade this week. I'm watching Greg Newsome closely as a rookie standout.

Speaking of young breakout players, Trevon Diggs yet again played fantastic this past week. D.J. Moore is awesome and very well could make a bunch of plays against Diggs. It's just not an easy spot.

Marquise Brown is coming off an incredibly disappointing showing against the Lions, and things will be much tougher against the Broncos formidable defense this week. Patrick Surtain II is right next to Greg Newsome in the DROY race through three weeks.

Xavier Rhodes is back for the Colts, and I believe their secondary will improve as the season goes on. DeVante Parker isn't in a great spot this week.

Bryan Edwards has flashed at times for the 3-0 Raiders, but all three Las Vegas WRs have tough matchups against the Chargers' terrific secondary.  Edwards, Henry Ruggs III, and Hunter Renfrow all get downgrades, but it's highly unlikely that all three disappoint in a game with a 52.5-point total.

Brandin Cooks has been awesome so far, but this week will be his toughest matchup against a Buffalo pass D that has been excellent at limiting opposing WR production.

CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper didn't do much against a tough Eagles' secondary, and things don't get much easier against the Panthers. Both always have the potential to pop off, but the matchup is a difficult one.

Speaking of the Eagles' secondary, this week they take on Tyreek Hill and the Chiefs. You obviously aren't sitting Hill, but if he pops off I expect it to be from the slot as Steven Nelson and Darius Slay have both been above average so far.

The Steelers offense has been a mess with a decrepit Ben Roethlisberger at the helm, and one outside WR will have to deal with Jaire Alexander on every snap. Depending on the status of their starters, it could be Chase Claypool, who will have to overcome this matchup with his size.

A.J. Green is coming off a 100-yard game, but this week takes on a Rams' secondary that has been stingy against RWRs since Darious Williams took over at LCB last season.

Parris Campbell probably isn't being started in any leagues and has to deal with Xavien Howard, while the Bucs WR2 spot (Antonio Brown, Scotty Miller, or Tyler Johnson) gets a downgrade facing J.C. Jackson.

The Texans don't have much going for them as a franchise, but Desmond King has always been a tough slot corner. The Bills should be able to do whatever they want against Houston, but the better matchups are on the outside, which means Cole Beasley gets a downgrade.

Thanks for reading and good luck this week.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Philadelphia Eagles2 hours ago

Patrick Johnson Rejoins Philadelphia
Dante Exum3 hours ago

Diagnosed With A Fractured Left Hand
Los Angeles Rams3 hours ago

Larrell Murchison Back With The Rams
Amed Rosario3 hours ago

Returning On Saturday
Cam Thomas3 hours ago

Expected To Miss Rest Of The Season
Jose Trevino3 hours ago

Going For CT Scan
Kirk Cousins3 hours ago

Set To Receive Roster Bonus
Bryce Eldridge3 hours ago

Will Not Play On Saturday
Aaron Rodgers3 hours ago

Wants To Play In Minnesota
Blake Perkins3 hours ago

Cleared For Light Baseball Activities
Doug Nikhazy3 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Jung Hoo Lee4 hours ago

Scratched On Saturday With Back Tightness
Cody Bradford4 hours ago

Won't Throw For At Least Four Weeks
Colorado Rockies4 hours ago

Charlie Condon Out At Least Six Weeks With Broken Wrist
Bryce Miller4 hours ago

Ironing Out The Kinks In Spring Training
Logan Gilbert4 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Mookie Betts4 hours ago

Missing Tokyo Exhibition Games Due To Illness
Jesús Sánchez4 hours ago

Jesus Sanchez To Miss Four Weeks With Oblique Strain
Jon Gray4 hours ago

Has A Fractured Right Wrist
Bobby Witt Jr.5 hours ago

Back In Cactus League Lineup On Saturday
Washington Commanders5 hours ago

Clelin Ferrell Returning To Washington
New York Jets5 hours ago

Kris Boyd Signs With The Jets
Garrett Crochet5 hours ago

Starting On Opening Day
Nick Castellanos5 hours ago

Returning On Saturday
Trevor Story5 hours ago

Starting On Saturday
Los Angeles Chargers5 hours ago

Mekhi Becton Inks Deal With Chargers
Ke'Bryan Hayes5 hours ago

Returning On Saturday
Tyler Johnson5 hours ago

Links Up With Jets
Jordan Walker5 hours ago

Returns To Lineup On Saturday
Paul Skenes5 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Gunnar Henderson6 hours ago

Hopes To Be Ready For Opening Day
Kyle Juszczyk6 hours ago

Returns To 49ers
Eeli Tolvanen10 hours ago

Scores Twice In Victory
WPG10 hours ago

Kyle Connor Strikes Twice On Friday
Jack Roslovic10 hours ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Friday's Victory
Leon Draisaitl10 hours ago

Leads Edmonton To Victory
Liam O'Brien10 hours ago

Exits With Undisclosed Injury
Josh Manson11 hours ago

Exits On Friday
Kevin Porter Jr.19 hours ago

Expected To Be Available Saturday
Atlanta Falcons19 hours ago

Falcons Agree To Terms With Morgan Fox
Damian Lillard19 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Saturday's Game
Giannis Antetokounmpo19 hours ago

Probable For Saturday
Lonzo Ball19 hours ago

Remains Out For Saturday
Indianapolis Colts19 hours ago

Colts Sign Corey Ballentine To One-Year Deal On Friday
Trendon Watford19 hours ago

Will Miss Saturday's Game
Chet Holmgren19 hours ago

Resting Versus Detroit
Nicolas Claxton19 hours ago

Resting On Saturday
Pittsburgh Steelers19 hours ago

Brandin Echols Signs Two-Year Deal With Steelers
Josh Giddey19 hours ago

Not Likely To Play Saturday
Noah Clowney20 hours ago

To Remain Out Against Celtics
Kenny Yeboah20 hours ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Lions
Avery Williams20 hours ago

Signs With Eagles
Cam Thomas20 hours ago

Sits Out First Leg Of Back-To-Back Saturday
Jalen Williams20 hours ago

Still Out On Saturday
Coby White20 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Saturday
Kene Nwangwu20 hours ago

Jets Re-Sign Kene Nwangwu To One-Year Deal
Cody Martin20 hours ago

Cleared To Return Friday
Trey Lyles20 hours ago

Misses Friday's Game Due To Back Soreness
Grayson Allen20 hours ago

Not Playing Friday
Trey Jemison III20 hours ago

Unavailable Against Nuggets
Gabe Vincent20 hours ago

Sits Out Friday's Game
Nick Richards20 hours ago

Sitting Out On Friday
Dorian Finney-Smith20 hours ago

Sidelined On Friday
Simi Fehoko22 hours ago

Signing With Cardinals
Kylen Granson22 hours ago

Headed To Philadelphia
Sterling Shepard22 hours ago

Remaining With Buccaneers
Cincinnati Bengals22 hours ago

Bengals Not Ruling Out Trey Hendrickson Extension
Cooper Kupp23 hours ago

Signing With Seahawks
Karel Vejmelka24 hours ago

Makes Ninth Consecutive Start Friday
Dustin Wolf24 hours ago

Set To Face Avalanche Friday
Mikael Backlund24 hours ago

Out Week-To-Week
Sam Colangelo24 hours ago

Deemed Day-To-Day With An Upper-Body Injury
Michael Bunting1 day ago

A Game-Time Call Friday
Dallas Cowboys1 day ago

Dante Fowler Jr. Heading Back To Cowboys
Andrei Svechnikov1 day ago

Expected To Return Next Week
Nikolaj Ehlers1 day ago

Good To Go Against Stars
Mackenzie Blackwood1 day ago

Battling Illness, Not Starting On Friday
Rasmus Ristolainen1 day ago

Day-To-Day With Upper-Body Injury
Lian Bichsel1 day ago

Not Playing On Friday
Josh Norris1 day ago

Undergoing Evaluation
JJ Peterka1 day ago

Not Playing On Saturday
Neal Pionk1 day ago

Viewed As Week-To-Week
Roman Dolidze1 day ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori1 day ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani1 day ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos1 day ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh1 day ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez1 day ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson1 day ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear1 day ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Quinton Byfield1 day ago

Scores In Fifth Straight Game
Jesper Bratt1 day ago

Posts Second Straight Three-Point Performance
Brendson Ribeiro1 day ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Diyar Nurgozhay1 day ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
MMA1 day ago

Seung Woo Choi In Dire Need Of Victory
Kevin Vallejos1 day ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 104
Jacob Bridgeman3 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard3 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips3 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith3 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala3 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick3 days ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler3 days ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter3 days ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim3 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy3 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa4 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre4 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth4 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young4 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim4 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas4 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele4 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy4 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA4 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman4 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee4 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

Power-Steering Failure Foils Tyler Reddick's Bid For Potential Victory
William Byron5 days ago

Recovers From Being Trapped A Lap Down To Finish Sixth
Josh Berry5 days ago

Gives Wood Brothers Team Best Run Since 2021
Alex Pereira5 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 313
Magomed Ankalaev5 days ago

Becomes The New UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion
Justin Gaethje5 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Rafael Fiziev5 days ago

Loses Third Fight In A Row
Ignacio Bahamondes5 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC 313
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Scores His Third Consecutive Victory Of The Season At Phoenix
Kyle Larson5 days ago

Strong Phoenix Performance Falls Short Of Victory
Chris Buescher5 days ago

Quietly Earns A Top-Five Finish At Phoenix
Alex Bowman5 days ago

Leaves Phoenix With His Best Finish At The Site Since 2016
Zane Smith5 days ago

Quietly Nabs His First Phoenix Top-10 Finish
Jalin Turner5 days ago

Retires After UFC 313 Loss
Iasmin Lucindo5 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 313
Amanda Lemos5 days ago

Dominates At UFC 313
King Green5 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC 313
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 

Tyron Smith Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

New York Jets and former long-time Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith was one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL for an extended period of time. He's made five All-Pro teams, two with the first team and two with the second team, been selected to eight Pro Bowls, and earned a spot on […]


Bills Defense - Von Miller IDP Rankings, D/ST Streamers, Fantasy Football Team Defense

Von Miller Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller, one of the greatest pass-rushers in NFL history, was released by his team on March 9, 2025. He had signed a six-year, $120 million deal with the team in 2022, but the soon-to-be 36-year-old wasn't able to make it to the end of that contract, so he's now looking for […]


Aaron Jones - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Staying Put - Impact Players Re-signed: Aaron Jones, Zach Ertz, Jaylen Warren, more

NFL free agency is a frenzy. As football fans, we love to see the movement around the league. It allows us to dream about the possibility of our team signing a fresh player who could make a serious impact. However, one cannot overlook the impact of re-signing significant contributors. While it is not as exciting […]


Tucker Kraft - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets: Wide Receivers and Tight Ends To Buy in 2025

My friend Josh used to make me listen to the Bring Me The Horizon song "Diamonds Aren't Forever," which begins with the line "We will never sleep, cause sleep is for the weak." That sentiment rings true in fantasy football dynasty leagues as well. You can't get complacent. You can't stop thinking about how to […]


Zay Flowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football WR Buy or Sell: Zay Flowers, Rashee Rice, and Jordan Addison (2025)

The 2024 NFL Draft class had seven first-round wide receivers. Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze were selected in the top 10. Meanwhile, Brian Thomas Jr., Xavier Worthy, Ricky Pearsall, and Xavier Legette were Day 1 selections. More importantly, Nabers and Thomas finished their rookie seasons as top-7 wide receivers in half-point PPR […]


Courtland Sutton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Sleepers, Draft Targets: Early 2025 Analysis

One of the biggest factors in winning fantasy football teams is finding middle-to-late-round sleepers. With wide receivers typically carrying the most drafted players of any position, it makes sense that taking multiple stabs at the position in search of hitting multiple-round values is the way to set yourself apart in drafts. For 2025, the draft […]


Caleb Williams - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

2025 NFL Free Agency Frenzy: Biggest Winners and Disappointments at Every Fantasy Football Position

NFL franchises will have an opportunity to reshape their rosters before the draft. Fantasy managers will have a chance to read the tea leaves and make measured strikes against their fantasy football opposition ahead of rookie drafts. Savvy managers will use this period to try to get the best return on some previous investments, as […]


DK Metcalf - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Free Agency Fantasy Football Analysis: Fallers On New Teams (2025)

With the first wave of NFL free agency coming to an end, several fantasy-relevant players have signed on to new teams. The quarterback carousel still has several dominoes to fall, but Sam Darnold, Geno Smith, and Kenny Pickett have found new homes within the first few days of the new league year. The running back […]


James Conner - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Fallers - Players Trending Down In 2025

Fantasy football players trending "down" can mean a few different things. It can mean aging veterans, a new situation for players, regression in production after a stellar season, a change in coordinators, or all of the above. It doesn't necessarily mean these players won't produce; it's just a warning sign to proceed cautiously. Ultimately, marking […]


Michael Florio's Football Show - Podcast RotoBaller Network

Florio's Football Show: Free Agency Fantasy Fallout!

Michael F. Florio is back going over the any signings and trades that free agency week brought us! He discusses his winners and losers of players that changed teams - then does the same for players who were not moved but still had their value impacted! Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM […]


Davante Adams - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

NFL Free Agency Tracker - Updates On Every Free Agent Signing (2025)

The NFL offseason is starting to heat up, and the league's legal tampering period is set to begin on March 10 at noon Eastern. Free agents cannot officially sign until the new league year begins on March 12 at 4 p.m. Eastern, but deals will be agreed to, and news will be coming in quickly […]


Drake Maye - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Players To Target In Deep Leagues

Fantasy football sleepers are what make the game fun. There is nothing like landing an absolute stud in the double-digit rounds of your fantasy draft. The more teams in your league, the more important sleepers become. As the player pool shrinks, it is an absolute must to hit on at least one or two sleepers. […]


DK Metcalf - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Avoids, Busts: 2025 NFL Free Agent Signings

The 2025 NFL free-agency period is well underway, and many wide receivers, tight ends, quarterbacks, and running backs have already found their new homes. While some of them are in better landing spots, or at least should continue having solid production relative to their ADP (anticipated draft position) in fantasy football, some of them should […]