Fantasy football is a weekly game, so knowing the matchups can help you make the best lineup decisions. By utilizing our play-by-play data, we’re able to identify defensive schemes and where each wide receiver and cornerback lines up on each play. By tracking these WR/CB matchups, including potential shadow situations, we can offer the best projections, rankings, sit/start advice and waiver wire suggestions each week.

Below are the receivers with the best and worst matchups this week, as well as the corresponding fantasy impact.

To view the primary defenders the top three wide receivers for each team will see this weekend, be sure to check out our weekly WR vs. CB Cheatsheet.

Note that, unless otherwise noted, references to where teams rank in statistical categories adjusts to a per-game basis to avoid distortion due to bye weeks.

Projected shadow matchups

Jets’ Garrett Wilson vs. Broncos’ Pat Surtain II (shadow)

Through three games, Surtain has shadowed DK Metcalf, George Pickens and Mike Evans, aligning against the trio on a combined 59 of 76 routes, including 53 of 53 perimeter routes. Metcalf posted a 3-29-0 receiving line on four targets, Pickens was held to a 2-29-0 line on four targets and Evans managed a 2-17-0 line on three targets.

Denver has been in man coverage more than any other defense (63%) and has allowed the fewest fantasy points to wide receivers.

Takeaway: Wilson (40% slot) will dodge Surtain here or there, but this is the toughest assignment a wide receiver can face right now. He has major Week 4 bust potential.

Vikings’ Justin Jefferson vs. Packers’ Jaire Alexander (shadow)

Alexander shadowed A.J. Brown in Week 1 and Calvin Ridley in Week 2. He aligned against those two receivers on 44 of 64 routes, including 44 of 46 perimeter routes. Brown had little trouble in the game (5-119-1 on 10 targets), but Ridley was shut down (1-9-0 on three targets).

One of Alexander or Jefferson were out for the two meetings between these squads in 2023, but Alexander shadowed Jefferson in Week 17 of 2022 (Jefferson posted a 1-15-0 line on five targets in the game), as well as Week 8 of 2020 (3-26-0 on four targets, though he only ran 14 routes in a low-volume game). Jefferson’s career results against Green Bay have been a mixed bag, as he has two 37-plus point games but has been held under 12 points in the other five outings.

Takeaway: Jefferson’s bust potential is higher than usual, but his heavy usage and massive upside make him too good to downgrade more than slightly.

49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk vs. Patriots’ Christian Gonzalez (shadow)

Gonzalez shadowed Ja’Marr Chase in Week 1, DK Metcalf in Week 2 and Garrett Wilson in Week 3, combining to cover the trio on 80 of 106 routes, including 62 of 65 on the perimeter and 18 of 40 in the slot. Chase posted a 6-62-0 line on six targets in the game, Metcalf exploded for a 10-129-1 showing on 14 targets and Wilson went for 5-33-1 on nine targets. Offenses clearly haven’t been afraid to test Gonzalez and the Patriots have, in turn, allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to wide receivers, sitting 12th in points allowed to the perimeter and third in points surrendered to the slot.

Despite Jauan Jennings‘ big Week 3, New England figures to treat Aiyuk as the team’s top receiver and put Gonzalez on him a majority of the time.

Takeaway: The success of Metcalf and Wilson suggest no need for major concern, but Gonzalez is a good player, so expectations can be lowered slightly.

Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb vs. Giants’ Deonte Banks (perimeter shadow)

Banks was called on to shadow Justin Jefferson, in Week 1, Terry McLaurin in Week 2 and Amari Cooper in Week 3. He aligned against the three receivers on 78 of 97 routes, including 72 of 76 on the perimeter and six of 21 in the slot. Jefferson posted a 4-59-1 receiving line on six targets, McLaurin was held to a 6-22-0 line on eight targets and Cooper exploded for a 7-86-2 line on 12 targets. Banks has struggled while being heavily targeted and the Giants have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to perimeter receivers.

Banks rarely moves to the slot, so Lamb can expect to see him the 44% of the time he’s out wide.

Takeaway: Lamb should have no trouble with Banks and, while Dru Phillips has impressed in the slot, the rookie shouldn’t be much of a detriment to Lamb. This is a good matchup for Dallas’ top receiver.

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Colts’ Michael Pittman Jr. vs. Steelers’ Joey Porter Jr. (shadow)

Porter shadowed Drake London in Week 1, Courtland Sutton in Week 2 and Quentin Johnston in Week 3. He covered the three on a combined 58 of 84 routes, including 57 of 66 on the perimeter. London posted a 2-15-0 line on four targets, Sutton managed 1-26-0 on five targets and Johnston put up 2-44-1 on a pair of targets. Porter has played well and has been rarely targeted. The Steelers have allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers, including the second fewest to the perimeter.

Pittman aligns in the slot 24% of the time, so expect these two to matchup roughly third quarters of the time this week.

Takeaway: Pittman is off to a slow start and this matchup won’t help his rebound chances.

Saints’ Chris Olave vs. Falcons’ A.J. Terrell (shadow)

Terrell shadowed George Pickens in Week 1 and DeVonta Smith in Week 2, covering them on 31 of their 50 routes, including 31 of 33 on the perimeter. Pickens posted a solid 6-85-0 receiving line on seven targets, whereas Smith went for 6-69-0 on nine targets. As expected, Terrell didn’t travel with any of the Chiefs’ receivers in Week 3 (Rashee Rice spends a lot of time in the slot), but there’s a good chance he travels with New Orleans’ No. 1 WR, Olave, when he’s on the perimeter (typically 77% of the time).

Terrell didn’t shadow Olave in 2023, but he did in Week 15 back in 2022. Olave posted a 3-53-0 line on four targets in the game, though he was limited to 18 routes in a very low-volume game. Atlanta has allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points to perimeter receivers this season, but No. 1 receivers have fared well against them (Rice went for 12-110-1 on 15 targets).

Takeaway: Terrell is a good player and these two figure to be matched up a ton, but the success of top receivers against the Falcons suggests we should downgrade Olave only slightly.

Tough matchups

Broncos’ Courtland Sutton, Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Josh Reynolds vs. Jets’ D.J. Reed, Michael Carter II and Sauce Gardner

New York is back on track after a slow start to the season. Despite Carter and Reed having missed time, the Jets have surrendered the 11th-fewest fantasy points to receivers, including the fewest to the perimeter.

Sutton (82% perimeter) and Reynolds (78%) will see plenty of Gardner and Reed, whereas Humphrey will battle with Carter. All three should be downgraded.

Ravens’ Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor and Zay Flowers vs. Bills’ Christian Benford, Taron Johnson and Rasul Douglas

Buffalo has allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points to receivers and the fifth fewest to the perimeter, despite having faced the seventh-most WR targets. The Bills have allowed 5.0 yards per target to the position, which is second lowest in the league.

Flowers (70% perimeter) and Bateman (90%) will run most of their routes against Benford and Douglas, whereas Agholor will see plenty of Johnson (or, if he remains out, Cam Lewis). Downgrade the Baltimore pass attack.

Advantageous matchups

Texans’ Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell vs. Jaguars’ Montaric Brown, Darnell Savage and Ronald Darby

The man-heavy Jaguars have surrendered the eighth-most fantasy points to wide receivers, including the ninth most to the slot and fifth most to the perimeter. They’re sixth in points allowed to both right and left boundary receivers.

That’s primarily good news for Collins (83% perimeter) and Dell (77%), who will be facing off with Darby and Brown, who is replacing injured Tyson Campbell, throughout most of this game. Diggs (67% slot) will be in a tougher spot if Jags slot man Savage returns from injury, but if not, he’ll be all systems go against rookie Jarrian Jones.

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Bears’ DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze vs. Rams’ Tre’Davious White, Quentin Lake and Cobie Durant

The Rams have played three games and have allowed a 24-plus fantasy point game to a wide receivers in all three: Marvin Harrison Jr. (4-130-2 on eight targets), Jameson Williams (5-121-1 on nine targets) and Jauan Jennings (11-175-3 on 12 targets). They’ve surrendered the second-most touchdowns (six) to receivers, as well as the third-most fantasy points overall to the position and the most points to the perimeter.

Moore (85% perimeter) and Odunze (64%) get the biggest boosts here against White and Durant, but Allen (65% slot) will also be in a good spot if he returns from injury.

Steelers’ George Pickens and Van Jefferson vs. Colts’ Dallis Flowers and Jaylon Jones

The Colts have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to wide receivers, including the sixth most to the perimeter.

Jones, Flowers and Samuel Womack III (the latter two are filling in for injured JuJu Brents) can be had on the boundary, which is where Pickens (68%) and Jefferson (74%) align most often. Both can be upgraded, whereas Calvin Austin III (61% slot) is in a tougher spot inside against standout Kenny Moore II.

Cardinals’ Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch and Marvin Harrison Jr. vs. Commanders’ Benjamin St-Juste, Mike Sainristil and Noah Igbinoghene

Washington’s secondary struggles have continued, as the Commanders have surrendered the most fantasy points to wide receivers, including the second most to the perimeter and the slot. There’s a chance St-Juste shadows Harrison in this one, but it seems unlikely after he didn’t travel with Malik Nabers in Week 2 or Ja’Marr Chase in Week 3. Perhaps he’s done shadowing after allowing a 5-61-2 receiving line on five targets to Mike Evans in the opener.

Washington has allowed a league-high nine TDs to wide receivers, and Chase, Evans, Nabers and Chris Godwin have all put 22-plus fantasy points on the board against them. This is a great spot for the Arizona receivers across the board.

Buccaneers’ Chris Godwin vs. Eagles’ Avonte Maddox (slot)

Philadelphia has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season, but the main area of struggle has been in the slot. With Maddox handling the interior, the Eagles have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to the slot, compared to the 10th fewest surrendered to the perimeter.

Godwin (61% slot) will see plenty of Maddox and can be upgraded.

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