This article will go game by game for the Week 11 slate looking at the top wide receivers from an offense and, based on the inside/outside and left/right splits of those receivers, identify the WR vs. CB matchups likely to occur.
Receivers rarely see the same corner every play, be it due to formation quirks or zone coverage calls by the defense, so a receiver's fortunes depend on much more than just the quality of the corner they're likely to see the most in a given game. Even against a bad corner, a good receiver can be denied the opportunity if the pass rush or something else outside his control complicates things. But it's part of the puzzle, and it's worth keeping track of.
Receivers are left with an Upgrade, Downgrade, or Even verdict based on their projected wide receiver vs. cornerback matchup. This shouldn't be read as 'good' or 'bad' but rather a measured tweak from the receiver's baseline projection.
Miami Dolphins vs. Washington Commanders (Madrid)
DOLPHINS WIDE RECEIVERS
Jaylen Waddle definitely out-grades the players covering him in this one. Mike Sainristil in the slot might be the toughest corner for Washington at this point, but Sainristil hasn't done as well this year as his 2024 rookie year and the remaining likes of Jonathan Jones and Antonio Hamilton look vulnerable as well. This might even be a setting where the defense is so badly compromised that Malik Washington could get something going.
Upgrade: Jaylen Waddle
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Malik Washington
COMMANDERS WIDE RECEIVERS
Deebo Samuel scored a touchdown from the boundary in Week 10 but should remain the primary slot wideout for Washington. When he's in the slot Samuel might see a lot of Minkah Fitzpatrick, which at once isn't a red flag yet is clearly a tougher matchup than attacking the likes of Rasul Douglas and Jack Jone on the boundary.
The rotation for Washington is otherwise is unclear – Jaylin Lane is a candidate to lead the team in boundary snaps, but so are Robbie Chosen and Chris Moore, all three of whom seemed to lose ground to Trey Burks in recent weeks but Burks is out in this one.
The Dolphins corners are not good, in any case. Marcus Mariota probably lacks any notable ability as a downfield passer, which could make it difficult for downfield specialists like Anderson and Moore to produce. Lane might be little more than a gadget player at this point, but yards after the catch is probably the ticket to making the Washington passing game work in its current state.
Upgrade: Deebo Samuel
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jaylin Lane, Robbie Chosen, Chris Moore
Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers
FALCONS WIDE RECEIVERS
Drake London might see a lot of Jaycee Horn but if Christian Gonzalez and Sauce Gardner don't matter for London then Horn definitely doesn't, either. Horn is probably more good than great, but London is clearly great. The struggles of Darnell Mooney almost definitely have to do with his broken collarbone from training camp or/and limitations with Michael Penix, because clearly Mooney is better than 37.1-percent catch rate, 5.4-YPT wide receiver. Any other year would be a different story, but in the meantime Mooney still can't be given the benefit of the doubt against anyone in particular, not even the non-Horn Panthers corners.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Drake London, Darnell Mooney
PANTHERS WIDE RECEIVERS
Tetairoa McMillan will probably see a lot of A.J. Terrell, which at once isn't a deal-breaker but is also far from the ideal. You could really assume good things if McMillan were instead to face off against Mike Hughes, but for that reason too it makes it a no-brainer for the Falcons to shadow McMillan with Terrell, especially given the absence of complementary threats in the Carolina passing game.
There's still reason for hope with Jalen Coker despite his struggles so far, or at least probably more hope is warranted than in the case of Xavier Legette. Hughes and Billy Bowman in the slot may not be established starters, but they probably deserve the benefit of the doubt against Legette and Coker, respectively.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Tetairoa McMillan (arguable Downgrade if shadowed by Terrell), Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker
Buffalo Bills vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
BILLS WIDE RECEIVERS
Khalil Shakir is probably in a good spot if only because of Buffalo's lack of viable alternatives, though Joshua Palmer is finally back from injury after missing the last four weeks (three games) with ankle and knee issues. If fully healthy Palmer might give Buffalo an upgrade on the boundary over Keon Coleman, who has been rather dreadful since his big Week 1 game against Baltimore.
Whatever the specifics with the Buffalo wideouts, the Tampa Bay secondary looks fairly imposing. Though none of Jamel Dean (boundary), Zyon McCollum (boundary), Jacob Parrish (slot) or Benjamin Morrison (boundary) is an obviously dominant player, they each have a lot going for them in different ways and as a sum they can present serious challenges for receivers, especially ones who have struggled to the extent that Coleman has lately.
More specifically, Dean and McCollum can match Coleman's physicality despite both corners possessing far superior athleticism to Coleman. Palmer can probably run a little better than Coleman but Dean/McCollum again are much faster. Shakir in the slot has to be the easiest target here.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Joshua Palmer
BUCCANEERS WIDE RECEIVERS
Maxwell Hairston got taken to school by Jaylen Waddle last week and reminded that, despite Hairston's blazing speed and immense long-term upside, in the meantime he is probably more toolsy than skilled. Emeka Egbuka is probably in that group of receivers capable of beating Hairston. TreDavious White definitely is at a disadvantage to Egbuka and maybe even Tez Johnson. Even if the Bills bench White in light of the return of Christian Benford, Johnson and Egbuka can probably cause some problems for Benford, too.
Taron Johnson isn't as imposing in the slot from a coverage standpoint as he is against the run or in pursuit, so Sterling Shepard could be able to make a few timely plays as well.
Upgrade: Emeka Egbuka
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Tez Johnson, Sterling Shepard
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Los Angeles Chargers
JAGUARS WIDE RECEIVERS
Brian Thomas at full strength would be a great way for the Jaguars passing game to bypass the otherwise challenging and physical zones the Chargers implement in the underneath and intermediate, but with an ankle injury that was previously described as a high-ankle sprain it's difficult to tell what kind of state Thomas is in.
Parker Washington might see the most challenging matchup if he remains primarily in the slot, because Tarheeb Still is likely the top Chargers corner and he tends to line up in the slot when applicable. Perhaps Jakobi Meyers isn't fully up to speed yet, but his profile is the one that projects best of the group at beating zone coverages.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Parker Washington
Even: Jakobi Meyers, Brian Thomas
CHARGERS WIDE RECEIVERS
The pass rush is a major concern for the Chargers, who are trotting out a composite offensive line that probably grades somewhere between second and third-string. Greg Newsome is a real-deal corner on the boundary and Jarrian Jones has shown some good play in the slot, so if they have substantial pass rush support the two could make the Chargers really work for their catches.
The Jaguars run a good amount of zone coverages, not unlike the Chargers, Vikings, Packers, Rams, etc., so the raw cornerback talent variable often isn't as important as how well the corners execute their zone assignments. Montaric Brown is a corner who might fit reasonably well with the Jaguars' zone coverages, but in man coverage Brown lacks the wheels to reliably square off against someone like Quentin Johnston. To this point the Jaguars have only used Newsome on the right side, so if Johnston were lined up on the offense's right he would have a nice matchup each time. Tre' Harris doesn't get the same benefit of the doubt and certainly wouldn't project well against Newsome at this point.
Ladd McConkey against Jones in the slot is one where you give McConkey the advantage, but understanding it could still be somewhat challenging when combined with the Chargers' offensive line issues. I don't know what to make of Keenan Allen playing so little lately – perhaps he can decode the Jaguars' zones in a way that makes him more useful this week, but it sure seems like he's fading otherwise.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Tre' Harris
Even: Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston (the more Brown the better), Keenan Allen
Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears
VIKINGS WIDE RECEIVERS
The deal doesn't change: Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are usually open, and they'll be open in this game. Whether J.J. McCarthy can get his protection calls, reads, and throwing mechanics accounted for is a different question with a bleak answer.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Justin Jefferson (Upgrade if not for quarterback), Jordan Addison (see Jefferson)
BEARS WIDE RECEIVERS
In my opinion Rome Odunze can clearly dust even solid corners like Byron Murphy and Isaiah Rodgers, but between the Minnesota pass rush and Caleb Williams' ongoing struggles of decoding coverages it's definitely possible to complicate the formula, as we've already seen this year.
D.J. Moore should also be plenty capable to do his own part but is subject to the same rules of volatility as Odunze, but with probably a worse range of outcomes. The Bears seem all but compelled to give Luther Burden more snaps, but if Burden is to take more snaps he'll need to displace Olamide Zaccheaus in the slot. Odunze has played the slot much more often than Burden, so if Zaccheaus were subtracted it might move Odunze into the slot role full time with Moore and Burden on the outside. In the meantime, it's tough to trust either of Zaccheaus (limited talent) or Burden (limited playing time).
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Rome Odunze, DJ Moore, Olamide Zaccheaus, Luther Burden
New York Giants vs. Green Bay Packers
GIANTS WIDE RECEIVERS
Wan'Dale Robinson should be fine for fantasy purposes, even if his real-life returns are less than efficient. No one expects Jameis Winston to stabilize this offense, and few quarterbacks are as liable to misinterpret or disregard zone coverages as Winston, who is simply resolved to chuck it one way or another regardless of what he's looking at.
The Green Bay zone-heavy coverage is well-conducted by Jeff Hafley, and particularly without Darius Slayton the Giants don't have the kind of personnel necessary to do obvious damage. Players like Gunner Olszewski and Ray-Ray McCloud are not supposed to be on the field, but they're playing lead roles for the Giants.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Wan'Dale Robinson, Gunner Olszewski, Ray-Ray McCloud
PACKERS WIDE RECEIVERS
Romeo Doubs (chest) and Christian Watson seem to have the most clarified and stable roles in the Packers offense at this point, with Matthew Golden and Dontayvion Wicks fighting for most of the remainder snaps, largely in the slot specifically.
There is some challenge posed by boundary corners Paulson Adebo and Cor'Dale Flott, but I think Doubs and Watson can get the upper hand if Jordan Love is playing well enough. In the slot Dru Phillips is a rugged player but he probably doesn't want to chase Watson or Golden downfield.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
BENGALS WIDE RECEIVERS
This one is simple enough to describe: Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are too much for corners like Joey Porter and to a lesser extent Jalen Ramsey, but the Pittsburgh pass rush and Joe Flacco's shoulder injury complicate the projection. Basically, if Flacco's arm is working and he can set up in the pocket without getting hit excessively, Higgins and especially Chase are not to be doubted.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Ja'Marr Chase (Upgrade if not for pass rush + quarterback injury), Tee Higgins (see Chase)
STEELERS WIDE RECEIVERS
DK Metcalf has been frustrating overall and especially from week to week, but it would be really disappointing if he doesn't post useful numbers in this game. DJ Turner can outrun Metcalf but around 50 pounds lighter and much shorter there probably isn't much Turner can do if a play comes down to physicality. On the other side the Bengals have gone back to Cam Taylor-Britt after previously benching him for Josh Newton. Taylor-Britt is very toolsy and has played well in the past, so if he could recapture his prior form it would do a lot to improve the Cincinnati pass defense.
Roman Wilson has seemingly applied some heat to Calvin Austin for WR2 reps, but to this point Austin is the only one of the two to play slot snaps, so Wilson's snaps can't reliably scale up until he starts to steal some of those slot reps.
For what's worth the Bengals will be without Trey Hendrickson for this game, so Aaron Rodgers should have plenty of time to throw.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: DK Metcalf, Calvin Austin
Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans
TITANS WIDE RECEIVERS
Chimere Dike has the wheels to get behind Jalen Pitre in the slot and especially Kamari Lassiter on the boundary, but the underneath will probably be a no-go given the physicality of the Houston corners. When physicality comes to mind Calvin Ridley does not – between the Houston pass rush and the corner personnel it's not easy to see what Ridley has going for him here. Elic Ayomanor might be the one best suited to withstanding the difficult conditions that might be ahead.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Calvin Ridley
Even: Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike
TEXANS WIDE RECEIVERS
Even with Davis Mills at quarterback, Nico Collins should be well-situated against a corner group made mostly of backup types. Jalyn Armour-Davis and Darrell Baker doesn't cut it.
The Titans defense might be bad enough for Jayden Higgins to establish some maintained momentum on the boundary, where Xavier Hutchinson seems severely limited yet up until last week had played the second-most reps behind Collins. Christian Kirk has been dysfunctional to the point that he is no longer recognizable, but the slot coverage should be favorable here, too.
Upgrade: Nico Collins, Jayden Higgins
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Christian Kirk
Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers
CARDINALS WIDE RECEIVERS
Michael Wilson can beat the rookie third-round pick Upton Stout in the slot, but the boundary corner of Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green is likely significantly more challenging. It's a major problem for Wilson, then, that Arizona's negligent GM has mismanaged their wide receiver personnel such that, in light of the injuries to Marvin Harrison and Zay Jones, the Cardinals might need to move Wilson out of the slot – where he is their best option and the best option they have to attack the weakest part of the 49ers defense – so that Greg Dortch can take over the slot, due to Dortch's complete inability to line up on the boundary.
Dortch is also bad from the slot, though. Wilson would do damage against Stout, but Dortch is probably one of the few receivers Stout can hold up against. If the Cardinals make Wilson less effective by making him run against Lenoir and Green, there's a strong chance they render both Wilson and Dortch into severe liabilities. Xavier Weaver might somehow be less useful than even Dortch.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Michael Wilson (the more slot snaps the better), Greg Dortch, Xavier Weaver
49ERS WIDE RECEIVERS
If Ricky Pearsall (knee) can return it would provide the 49ers with badly needed downfield speed, because in the meantime both Jauan Jennings and Kendrick Bourne run in the 4.7 range, making them almost doubtlessly the slowest starting wideout tandem in some number of decades.
Jennings and Bourne both possess some amount of competence in the Kyle Shanahan offense, but with that level of speed deficiency there simply won't be downfield opportunities. It will be important, then, for Bourne and Jennings to win underneath and ideally add some yardage after the catch.
If Max Melton (concussion) and Will Johnson (back/hip) are both out then that would probably make it easier for Jennings and Bourne to acquire and convert the necessary number of targets for fantasy utility.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jauan Jennings (arguable Upgrade if Melton and Johnson are out), Ricky Pearsall (see Jennings), Kendrick Bourne (see Jennings)
Los Angeles Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks
RAMS WIDE RECEIVERS
Puka Nacua versus freak athlete rookie slot safety Nick Emmanwori is a major matchup to monitor here. Emmanwori is about as athletic as any defender in NFL history, and at 6-foot-3, 220-plus he will not be physically bullied by Nacua. Nacua's route running and the McVay scheme in general could present a number of details Emmanwori has never seen before, but if the rookie can hold strong here then it would be huge for Seattle.
On the boundary Nacua and Davante Adams should roughly split their time against Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen. Witherspoon is probably a tough matchup for both, but if you can avoid his physicality in the press it's definitely possible to hurt him downfield. Witherspoon is very skilled but is not especially toolsy. Woolen is outrageously toolsy, by contrast, but his skill set fits best only in certain situations, and by being so big Woolen's short-area movements can kind of take on an aircraft carrier sort of nature.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Puka Nacua, Davante Adams
SEAHAWKS WIDE RECEIVERS
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is well past any matchup-related concerns at this point, but it will be interesting to see how he interacts with a Rams pass defense that is driven much more by scheme than talent. The Rams bet on their ability to assign their corners specific instructions with limited man-coverage responsibilities, so their ability to contain Smith-Njigba might come down to their ability to predict his route combinations. Whatever the way it goes, players like Cobie Durant and Emmanuel Forbes can't cover Smith-Njigba, so if his production lags at all it would be due to other reasons.
Cooper Kupp should be able to hold his own against Quentin Lake, a safety playing in the slot. Rashid Shaheed is a skilled player but his usual speed advantage might not apply here – however limited Durant and Forbes might be in terms of skill, they are at least very fast.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, Rashid Shaheed
Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens
BROWNS WIDE RECEIVERS
Jerry Jeudy is probably capable of getting open some number of times against Nate Wiggins and especially Chidobe Awuzie, but it's always a randomized outcome with Dillon Gabriel at quarterback. Cedric Tillman should find the slot more spacious with Marlon Humphrey out, but if Jeudy can be grounded even when open then the same rule certainly applies to Tillman.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman
RAVENS WIDE RECEIVERS
Zay Flowers some substantial benefit of the doubt given his role in the Ravens offense and given the point total generally dictated by Lamar Jackson, but the cornerback interactions will probably prove challenging. Denzel Ward would normally be a candidate to shadow Flowers but to this point the Browns have only used Ward on the left and Tyson Campbell on the right. Campbell would probably be an easier target for Flowers, whose build and athleticism is problematically mirrored by Ward. DeAndre Hopkins might be able to beat Ward at the rim but certainly will not be getting open against him or Campbell.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Zay Flowers, DeAndre Hopkins
Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs
BRONCOS WIDE RECEIVERS
Courtland Sutton is a much, much better receiver than Troy Franklin but at the moment Bo Nix is a pretty much awful quarterback. Defenses scheme against Sutton to deter Nix from throwing to Sutton, in hopes that the target will reroute to someone like Franklin instead, and Nix has enthusiastically played along to the detriment of the Denver offense. Sutton is good enough to warrant a shadow assignment from Trent McDuffie, but with Nix at quarterback it barely matters who's covering Sutton. Jaylen Watson is a good second boundary corner, moreover, and matches Sutton's build better than McDuffie.
Franklin has fantasy utility due to Nix's unhealthy dependence on him, but Franklin has been dreadfully inefficient both of his two NFL seasons and there's not much reason to expect that latter detail to change anytime soon.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin
CHIEFS WIDE RECEIVERS
The pass rush is the only concern here for the Chiefs passing game, but it's a mammoth concern all the same. The Denver pass rush is often outrageous, and when they're really on the corners could be almost anyone and it wouldn't matter. With that said, Riley Moss and Kris Abrams-Drain need that pass rush to bail them out against Rashee Rice. With the kind of speed Xavier Worthy has the big play is always possible, but his rough game otherwise has made itself apparent this year and clearly he needs certain circumstances to align in order to provide viable fantasy utility.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Detroit Lions
EAGLES WIDE RECEIVERS
Perhaps A.J. Brown already put himself on waivers in his own leagues, but Browns' fantasy investors elsewhere should probably consider starting him in this game, even what has been a brutally challenging season. Jalen Hurts has limitations and the current Philadelphia offensive coordinator isn't good, but against lesser corners like these Brown could get wide open on accident. Amik Robertson is playing through a hamstring injury and Brown could probably just toss him aside anyway, meanwhile Rock Ya-Sin has been on five teams since 2019 for a reason. DeVonta Smith can also beat both of these guys easily, of course.
Upgrade: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A
LIONS WIDE RECEIVERS
Amon-Ra St. Brown will really have to earn his yardage here, as he'll see Cooper DeJean when in the slot and probably a hefty if not constant hassle from Quinyon Mitchell when on the boundary. St. Brown's fantasy investors don't care – he's one of the more matchup-proof wideouts in the NFL – but if St. Brown rolls here then it would be one of the most impressive games of his career to this point.
The Lions really should consider it a priority to keep Jameson Williams productive in this game. Williams' productive games have quite simply been the ones where the Lions threw him targets in the short and intermediate, which is the only area of the field Jared Goff can throw the ball with any competency. If St. Brown is drawing one of DeJean or Mitchell on a given play, the Lions should try to get Williams against Adoree' Jackson in single coverage. DeJean is tough to beat underneath, Mitchell is tough in general, but Jackson just isn't good and he can't cover Williams.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams (the more Jackson the better)
Las Vegas Raiders vs. Dallas Cowboys
RAIDERS WIDE RECEIVERS
Don't laugh, but Tyler Lockett might be the WR1 for the Raiders all of a sudden. Brock Bowers is the unquestioned lead pass catcher, of course, but at receiver specifically Tre Tucker is best understood as a big-play specialist while the rookie duo of Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton has shown nothing useful.
Lockett would ideally get out of the slot to get away from DaRon Bland and instead run against the likes of Kaiir Elam and Caelen Carson, so while Lockett might be the Raiders' chain-moving target at wide receiver it's Tucker who definitely has the easier matchup on the boundary.
Upgrade: Tre Tucker
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Tyler Lockett
COWBOYS WIDE RECEIVERS
None of the Raiders corners can cover either of CeeDee Lamb or George Pickens. It's interesting that Ryan Flournoy has seemingly established himself as the clear WR3 for Dallas – Flournoy has been rather good with limited opportunities so far, and whatever else might be true about him, Flournoy is an explosive athlete. It seems like Flournoy and Lamb will rotate between the slot and flanker reps most of the time. Even Flournoy might be able to get open here.
Upgrade: CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A
