Week 1 made some things come to light as we got some clarity on some murky situations. Unfortunately, many of our WR targets for DFS last week were victims of this. Robert Woods finished the game with one reception for 13 yards, as the Titans used the rookie receivers much more than him. Brandon Aiyuk finished the game with two receptions for 40 yards, but that game was during a crazy rainstorm in Chicago, which hindered both offenses.
Randall Cobb and the Green Bay Packers had a terrible night – which saw running back A.J. Dillon have the most catches on the team. Justin Jefferson had one of the best games of his career, and Kirk Cousins only looked his way, only giving Adam Thielen 4 targets (which turned into three receptions for 36 yards). Now that we have some information on offenses and, more importantly, what defenses look like, we can look ahead to Week 2.
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 2. Use these to set season-long lineups, as well as gain a competitive edge in the DFS games.
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Greg Dortch, Arizona Cardinals
DraftKings $3500 / FanDuel $5500 vs. Nate Hobbs
Greg Dortch could be in line for a massive day in Week 2. Dortch stepped up last week when Rondale Moore was sidelined, finishing with seven receptions (9 targets) and 63 yards against the Chiefs. Rondale Moore is once again sidelined with injury, leaving Dortch to start in his place again. Last week, the Raiders gave up 279 receiving yards and three touchdowns to the Chargers' offense, including 66 yards to Keenan Allen (the primary slot receiver).
Nate Hobbs is a solid defender with a modest 86.0 coverage score as per PFF but only played 44.4% from the slot last week (as per PlayerProfiler). The Raiders moved their CBs around quite a bit, but with such a good opportunity with Moore out and with such a low cost on DraftKings, Dortch could be a great pick for DFS this week.
Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders
DraftKings $6600 / FanDuel $7300 - vs. Amani Oruwariye
Terry McLaurin could be in for an absolute smash spot against the Detroit Lions. McLaurin is coming off a game where he finished with two receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown. McLaurin was slowly establishing rapport with his new quarterback Carson Wentz and is still the leader of the receiving corps in Washington.
Last week, the Lions' defense allowed 243 receiving yards to the Philadelphia Eagles, who are predominantly a run-first team (39 rush attempts in Week 1). Amani Oruwariye will be McLaurin's primary defender and have his hands full. Last week, Oruwariye allowed six receptions and 96 yards when covering A.J. Brown.
Brown finished the game with ten receptions for 155 yards. Oruwariye allowed a 90.1 passer rating when targeted and an average of 13.8 yards-per-reception. Confidently fire up "Scary Terry" this week in your DFS lineups.
Christian Kirk, Jacksonville Jaguars
DraftKings $5700 - FanDuel $6500 - vs. Kenny Moore II
Christian Kirk torched the Commanders last week, where he turned 12 targets into six receptions for 117 yards. Kirk finished with the fourth most intended air yards last week and is the favorite target of quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Kenny Moore II will be the primary defender on Kirk, who allowed five receptions for 64 yards to Chris Moore last week.
The Jaguars will likely find themselves playing from behind in this matchup, and the game script should force some more targets Kirk’s way. Kirk had the eighth-most receiving yards in Week 1 among wide receivers and may likely see another double-digit target game on Sunday.
Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers
DraftKings $5100 / FanDuel $5700 - vs. Justin Coleman
Now, Brandon Aiyuk was also in our DFS article last week and only finished with two receptions for 40 yards. In his defense, that game was in the middle of a huge rainstorm that slowed down both offenses. Quarterback Trey Lance will look to bounce back this game which will benefit Aiyuk in Sunday's game against Seattle. Justin Coleman will be the primary CB on Aiyuk (starting slot CB), who gave up five receptions and 52 yards when covering Jerry Jeudy last week.
The Seahawks' defense allowed 340 receiving yards last week, including 102 yards to Jeudy and 72 yards to Courtland Sutton. In addition, earlier this week, it was reported that star safety Jamal Adams would be out for the remainder of the year, which is a massive blow to the already weak Seattle pass defense. This could be the week to take advantage of Aiyuk's modest price tag and be in for a big week.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
DraftKings $6500 / FanDuel $6900 - vs. Benjamin St. Juste
Amon-Ra St. Brown has continued his elite usage that he saw late last year into Week 1 in 2022. Last week, he garnered 12 targets, finishing with eight receptions, 64 yards, and a touchdown against the Eagles. St. Brown has shown to be the top target on the Lions and will be going up against a Washington defense that Christian Kirk ran over for 117 yards last week. Benjamin St. Juste gave up 9.3 yards-per-catch last week, while St. Brown averaged 8.0.
The Lions may have to rely on the pass much more this game as star running back D’Andre Swift is reportedly dealing with an ankle injury. Whether Swift plays or not, they may look to limit his workload and let Goff air it out, giving even more opportunity to Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Lions scored 35 points last week and could be in for another high-scoring affair against the Commanders.
Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
DraftKings $7100 / FanDuel $8000 - vs. Brandon Stephens
Tyreek Hill has a hefty price tag, but for a good reason. He is in a total smash spot against the Ravens this week. Last week against the Patriots, Hill finished with eight receptions for 94 yards. Hill may exploit the Ravens' pass defense, primarily being defended by Brandon Stephens. Brandon Stephens has a mediocre 57.1 PFF Coverage grade after Week 1 and garnered eight targets (T-6th highest).
The Ravens scored 24 points last week and should put up a lot more of a fight than the Patriots did last week, which could improve the game script in favor of Hill. Reports have come out about some injuries on the Dolphins' offensive line, which could also lead them to be more of a pass-heavy offense on Sunday.
Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos
DraftKings $5600 / FanDuel $6300 - vs. Desmond King II
Jerry Jeudy had a very impressive Week 1 where he finished with four receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown. The Broncos were very pass-heavy in Week 1, passing for the third most yards in the league (330). The Texans gave up the second most passing yards last week, but those numbers are inflated as they were one of four teams that went into overtime. However, they did allow the 8th highest yards-per-catch with 6.8.
Jeudy will primarily be defended by Desmond King II, who gave up three receptions (5 targets) and 43 yards allowed to Paris Campbell last week when defending him. Cortland Sutton will have his hands full with Texans top CB Derek Stingley Jr., giving Jeudy more attention from quarterback Russell Wilson. The Broncos lost their season opener to the Seahawks and will look to go all out against the Texans to get back on track.
All data is from PFF, FantasyData and Player Profiler. Thanks for reading and good luck in your DFS contests!