RADIO
Week 1 of the NFL season is upon us, and it feels like things are starting to come into focus since final roster cutdowns were made. Entering 2022, cornerbacks like Jalen Ramsey, A.J. Terrell, Kendall Fuller, and Darius Slay are likely to be matchups we want to avoid when making lineup decisions with wide receivers.
For the first week or two of the season, we will need to utilize 2021 statistics to make lineup decisions while factoring in what we know about players that changed teams during the offseason until things shake out and we have a representative sample we can evaluate. Nothing is more important than matchup analysis when it comes to fantasy football. Playing your team's best players on a regular basis is essential, but picking apart the top matchups on a week-to-week basis can win you a championship or, even better, some cold hard cash in DFS.
Matchups for the wide receiver position aren't always as black and white as they can be for other positions. Receivers sometimes move around the formation or may face shadow coverage, meaning these matchups need to be broken down deeper based on that data. Now, here are the top WR vs CB matchups for Week 1. Use these to set season-long lineups, as well as gain a competitive edge in the DFS games. The matchup data used in this article is from PFF.
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Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers
$5200 DraftKings / $5600 FanDuel - vs. Jaylon Johnson / Kindle Vildor
Brandon Aiyuk went on a tear for the final nine games of last season, where he averaged 76 receiving yards per game. Last year, Aiyuk averaged 14.8 yards-per-reception, which could increase even more with Trey Lance under center. Lance and Aiyuk have reportedly built great chemistry during camp and could be in store for a big season together.
The Bears' defense gave up the 11th highest yards-per-reception last year (6.8) and will have their hands full with Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle in Week 1. Jaylon Johnson allowed 14.9 yards-per-reception last year but is still a solid defender and the best CB on the Bears.
Last year, Johnson was assigned to shadow a particular receiver on 50.3% of cover snaps, which makes it likely that he may be assigned to star wideout Deebo Samuel during Week 1, leaving Kindle Vildor to cover Aiyuk. Vildor gives up an average of 1.38 yards-per-route covered and gave up 105 yards to Deebo Samuel in Week 8 of last season. Aiyuk could be a great value at his current price tag for Week 1.
Robert Woods, Tennessee Titans
$5600 DraftKings / $5600 FanDuel - vs. Aaron Robinson
Robert Woods is going into 2022 as the clear WR1 for the Titans. In 2021, he primarily lined up on the right side or from the slot. The Giants' pass defense gave up the sixth-most receptions last year (402) and just lost star DB James Bradberry to the Eagles this offseason. In his final game before injury (Week 9), he finished with seven receptions for 98 yards.
The Giants had an underestimated defense last year and have improved their defensive line this off-season. The Titans may have a bit of trouble on the ground, even with Derrick Henry, and may look to air it out in their first game of the season. Last year, Woods had a 43.9% route win rate (18th-highest) and will look to make an immediate impact in Week 1.
Rondale Moore, Arizona Cardinals
$4000 DraftKings / $5500 FanDuel - vs. L'Jarius Sneed
Rondale Moore could be in for a huge Week 1. Zach Ertz is currently questionable, DeAndre Hopkins is suspended, and it should be a shootout with the Chiefs (presently projected for 54 total points scored). L'Jarius Sneed is coming off a very inefficient playoff run where he gave up 189 yards to opposing slot receivers Tyler Boyd and Cole Beasley combined (112 & 77, respectively).
The Chiefs' defense gave up 7.0 yards-per-reception last year (seventh-highest) and 4273 receiving yards to opposing offenses total for the year (sixth-most). Star safety Tyrann Mathieu departed this offseason from an already weak pass defense. Moore is a great roster filler, especially with a $4000 price tag on DK, and could be a smash pick at this current cost.
Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers
$3400 DraftKings / $5100 FanDuel - vs. Chandon Sullivan
Randall Cobb could be a sneaky play in DFS, especially with a low price tag on DraftKings. After playing with him for nine seasons, Cobb has an established rapport with Rodgers. With Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling departing in the offseason, Rodgers may want to lean more on receivers he's comfortable with, as he notoriously does not pepper rookies with targets.
Chandon Sullivan will be the slot cornerback and has the lowest PFF DEF grade of Minnesota starting CBs. Last year, Sullivan gave up a whopping 1.99 fantasy points per target and a 113.7 passer rating to opposing QBs when covering the targeted receiver. The Vikings gave up 6.9 yards per reception last year, and Cobb could be well worth his current price tag in DFS.
Jakobi Meyers, New England Patriots
$4300 DraftKings / $5500 FanDuel - vs. Nik Needham
Jakobi Meyers has been Mac Jones' favorite receiver by far. In 2021, Meyers had a 24% target share, with the next highest on the team being Hunter Henry, with 14.3%. The Dolphins made a huge splash in the offseason, obtaining Tyreek Hill and Chase Edmonds (among others). This game could be high-scoring, with the current projected point total at 46.5.
Nik Needham is the primary slot CB and will likely shadow Meyers for the game as he had the second-highest shadow rate (58.1) last year. Needham gives up an average of 0.21 fantasy points-per-route and 1.15 yards-per-route covered, and Meyers may be able to put together a nice game Sunday afternoon.
CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
$6700 DraftKings / $7600 FanDuel - vs. Sean Murphy-Bunting
CeeDee Lamb will finally be the undisputed WR1 on the Cowboys. Amari Cooper departed this offseason to the Browns, leaving Lamb as the team's top receiving option. The Cowboys had the sixth-most pass attempts last year (647), and this game could be a potential shootout between Dak Prescott and Tom Brady.
The Buccaneers' stout run defense (4.3 yards-per-attempt) caused many teams to rely heavily on the passing game, which will be great for Lamb. Last year, the Buccaneers' defense allowed the most receptions (445) among all teams in the NFL. Sean Murphy-Bunting has been targeted on 18% of the routes he's covered and gave up a 65.5% catch rate. Confidently fire up CeeDee Lamb in your lineups this week.
Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings
$5400 DraftKings / $6100 FanDuel - vs. Jaire Alexander / Eric Stokes
Adam Thielen has a nose for the red zone. In Thielen's last 28 games, he's scored 24 touchdowns which is an absurd 0.86 touchdowns per game. Jaire Alexander did not play against the Vikings last year due to injury. In 2020 however, in the first game of the season, his primary assignment was Adam Thielen, who had five receptions for 71 yards while being covered by Alexander.
Thielen finished that game with a whopping 110 receiving yards and two touchdowns. In the season's second matchup, Alexander was moved to guard Justin Jefferson instead. The Packers may deploy a similar method and have Alexander guard Jefferson, leaving Eric Stokes vs. Thielen.
Stokes was solid last year, allowing 1.23 fantasy points per target and 0.92 yards per route covered. The Vikings are projected to be a very pass-heavy offense this year under Head Coach Kevin O'Connell (former Rams OC) and will look to air it out against the Packers.
All data is from PFF, FantasyData and Player Profiler.
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