RADIO
The Week 7 wide receiver matchup article was either feast or famine. Diontae Johnson absolutely crushed it, scoring twice on his way to finish as the No. 3 receiver on the week. Kenny Golladay went over 100 yards and Terry McLaurin scored, finishing as a WR1. On the other side of things, CeeDee Lamb, Gabriel Davis and Dontrelle Inman were almost non-existent in Week 7, either because of quarterback play or game-flow. Deebo Samuel was on his way to a decent day, hauling in five catches for 65 yards before he had to leave the game because of a hamstring injury.
Nothing is more important than evaluating matchups when making lineup decisions. Through the first seven weeks of the season, the Buccaneers, Steelers, Colts, Saints, Browns and Giants Defenses are all giving up under 4.0 yards-per-carry on the ground, which has caused teams to throw on them more. The Steelers, Vikings, Cowboys, Raiders, Bengals, Seahawks and Lions Defenses have all given up at least 11 receiving touchdowns on the season and 11.5 yards-per-reception, which makes them units you want to exploit.
Heading into this weekend, there's several middle to low-end wide receivers that have great matchups. Now, here are the top WR vs CB matchups for Week 8. Use these to set season-long lineups, as well as gain a competitive edge in the DFS games.
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Marquise Brown, Baltimore Ravens
$5,900 FanDuel / $6,100 DraftKings – vs Joe Haden
The Steelers Defense surrenders just 3.4 yards-per-carry on the ground which makes them the second-toughest rush defense in the NFL behind only the Buccaneers. The Ravens will likely struggle to run the ball in Week 8 which means Lamar Jackson will need to beat the Steelers through the air. Joe Haden has been a little up and down so far this season, and he won't be able to consistently stay with Marquise Brown, likely needing help over the top. This game may turn into a shootout, and if it does Brown should see decent volume, increasing his chances to hit on a big play.
Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers
$5,900 FanDuel / $5,800 DraftKings – vs Quinton Dunbar
The Seahawks Defense has only given up 663 yards on the ground so far this season which is ninth-best in the NFL. That same defense has given up 2,212 passing yards which is second-worst only to the Falcons who have played two more games than the Seahawks as of right now. Deebo Samuel is out of the lineup this week which makes Brandon Aiyuk the next man up to be the 49ers No. 1 wide receiver. As a unit, the Seahawks have given up 7.8 yards-per-attempt through the air and 25 explosive pass plays, which is fourth-most in the NFL which bodes well for Aiyuk.
Corey Davis, Tennessee Titans
$5,400 FanDuel / $5,100 DraftKings – vs LeShaun Sims
The Titans have been in some shootouts lately and Week 8 against the Bengals will likely be another. Corey Davis will see LeShaun Sims in coverage this week who gives up a 72% catch-rate and 2.04 yards-per-route covered which is fourth-worst in the NFL. Davis is also a decent bet to haul in a long one this week, as the Bengals give up the second-most explosive pass plays in the league (30).
Tyler Boyd, Cincinnati Bengals
$6,400 FanDuel / $6,600 DraftKings – vs Kristian Fulton
Tyler Boyd has been Joe Burrow's No. 1 target in the passing game and has come through almost every week. Kristian Fulton surrenders a 76% catch-rate and 1.43 yards-per-route covered which means Boyd shouldn't have much trouble catching the ball out of the slot. This game has an over/under set at 54.5 points and the Titans are favored, so the Bengals are likely to be throwing a lot in this one.
Pivot: A.J. Green, Bengals - $5,800 FanDuel / $4,500 DraftKings - vs Malcolm Butler
All of the Bengals wide receivers are in play this week against the Titans Defense, but trying to figure out which one will have the best game is a process. Tyler Boyd is the consistent, safe play, and is likely to come through because of his heavy target-share. Tee Higgins doesn't necessarily have a prohibitive matchup against Jonathan Joseph, but he is statistically the Titans' best cornerback, giving up just 1.11 yards-per-route covered and a 61% catch-rate. A.J. Green will see Malcolm Butler in coverage who gives up 1.56 yards-per-route covered. Burrow typically looks for Green on deeper passes, and because his deeper throws aren't always catchable, it makes Green rather boom-or-bust. The Tians are fairly decent defending against explosive plays, giving up just 17 of them on the season, but they have given up 15 passing touchdowns, which ties them for sixth-most in the league. I would lean towards Green over Higgins in Week 8 because over the last two weeks, Green has seen 24 targets compared to just 13 targets for Higgins, and he should see Butler in coverage.
Jarvis Landry, Cleveland Browns
$5,800 FanDuel / $5,600 DraftKings - vs Lamarcus Joyner
The Raiders defense has given up 7.8 yards-per-attempt through the air which is tied for the sixth-worst mark in the league. The Raiders are also susceptible to explosive pass plays, giving up 22 of them so far this season. The Raiders offense is really clicking and should score points on the Browns which should keep the Browns offense pressing throughout. With an over/under set at 53.5 points and the Browns down on pass targets, Landry should see heavy volume.
Cooper Kupp, L.A. Rams
$7,300 FanDuel / $6,500 DraftKings – vs Nik Needham
Ever since Byron Jones came back from injury the Dolphins Defense has been much better against the pass. Nik Needham is the Dolphins slot cornerback and he's the guy to exploit in that secondary, giving up a 79% catch-rate and 1.56 yards-per-route covered. The Dolphins don't give up many explosive pass plays (20) and have only surrendered seven passing touchdowns. If the Rams have success in the passing game this week, it will more likely be through short to intermediate plays, rather than the deep shots, which sets up well for Cooper Kupp.
Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
$6,600 FanDuel / $6,500 DraftKings – vs Josh Jackson
This one is simple, Jaire Alexander will likely shadow Adam Thielen in Week 8 which means Justin Jefferson will see Josh Jackson in coverage. Alexander has been one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL this season, and you want to avoid him. The Vikings are 6.5-point underdogs against the Packers in a game which may shootout, with an over/under set at 54.5 points.
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