Anybody who knows me, knows I love a Cornerback. If I buy a jersey, its envairiably a CB jersey. The Cornerback is always playing against the glitzy Receiver and yet is hardly spoken about. The fantasy world generally knows who Receivers are but not the guy covering them in nearly as much detail. Knowing who your receivers are going up against is really helpful when deciding on start sits. It also helps to when predictable possible points scored for your players. The old adage of start your studs is true, however occasionally they may not perform as well when playing against great cover.
Lock Down
Minnesota, the north. The frozen tundra where the Vikings play unreal defence. In 2018 they didnt allow one Quarterback over 15 fantasy points when playing at home. The D as a whole is lights out but is lead by lock down corner Xavier Rhodes. Cornerbacks of Rhodes’s quality tend to play shadow coverage of the oppositions leading receiver. Cover corners or lock down corners, generally tend to be able to single cover a star receiver. This will allow the defence to exploit the offence in other ways. Rhodes is my favourite CB’s because the whole defensive mantra and the ambience the Vikings give off at home. Let’s look into week 4 matchups where maybe you’ll need to temper expectations of your Receivers.
Chark appears to have stepped into the role as the main man for the Jaguars. Whilst Chark had started hotly throughout the first three weeks things could shudder to a half in week four. The Denver Broncos have possibly the best Slot Corner in the game. Chris Harris Jr. Harris has been lights out over the last 2 weeks in covering Davante Adams and Allen Robinson. In week Two against the bears Harris held Robinson to four catches for 41 yards with a longest of 21 yards. Adam’s was also held to four receptions for 56 yards in week Three.
D.j Chark will be shadowed by Harris as theres no point wasting his talents on Conley or Westbrook when Chark is the man. Minshew will still look for Chark but Harris averages 2.5 interceptions a year and this game could be the one for Harris to start this years tally. Denver, despite being 0-3 are currently only giving up 6th fewest yards per completion to Receivers, 9.1 yards. Coupled with the 4th best fantasy points per game to Receivers at just 27.4 yards to opposing Receivers means Chark will struggle to get enough yards to be useful as a WR2/Flex this week. Chark is currently averaging 18.5 yards per reception. This is double what the Broncos are giving up so expect regression in this category this week. Lower expectations on Chark in a game where the Broncos look to get back on track defensively.
The Bill’s Mafia finally have a defence that is NO joke. Over the first three weeks they have given up 171 yards per game but only one touchdown during this period. They are fast, hard hitting and tenacious whilst being led by TreDavious White at Cornerback. The third year player has jumped into the top tier of lockdown corners. He is allowing only 52.6% of completions when being targeted giving up only 10.8 yards per target. A league 10th best. As a defensive unit the Bills are elite against Qb’s and Wr’s. They are top six against both, ranked 3rdth against wideouts and 6th against Qb’s. This all spells trouble for Brady and Co this week. The Patriots are for sure prepping for the Bills and Belichick will be at his best in a divisional matchup. The Patriots have started fast but haven’t played a team like Buffalo yet.
Whether Julian Edelman plays is yet to be determined but it is looking like he will. It doesn’t matter to the White/Gordon matchup. White will shadow Gordon wherever he goes as he is the big play threat. With the way White can eviscerate Receivers, rendering them useless for fantasy purposes. If the Bills get up early and can rattle Brady look for white to bare his teeth and take away Gordon this weekend. If Edelman doesn’t suit up thats even better for White and worse for Gordon. With Gordon averaging only 3.7 targets per game he will need to turn one of those into a huge play to have a good day Vs White. I currently have Gordon ranked as my 27th receiver this week. if you can avoid him and play someone with a higher floor I suggest doing so.
After a career week in which mike Evans went for 19 yards and 3 touchdowns off 8 targets against the NY Giants expect regression. It just has to come against a 3-0 Rams team yet to give up a receiving touchdown to a Receiver. The Rams have given up the third fewest yards in the League through three weeks just 397. Thats 132.3 yards per game. With Chris Godwin not practicing as of this being written it limits Evans’s upside even more as he can attract even greater coverage from the defensive backs.
The Rams are 2nd best in the league against Receivers in a points per game stance. They so far have given up just 12.6 points per game through three weeks. They haven’t matched up with second string receivers either. Week One they took on the Panthers with D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel. Week Two saw them take on the Saints and Michael Thomas, followed last week by the Browns and OBJ. Another scary fact that goes against Evans here is that the Rams only give up 10.7 yards per play.
Again like Gordon if Evans can’t rip off a big play then he could be handcuffed fantasy points wise. With Aqib Talib allowing just 121 yards over 3 games. Marcus Peters allowing just 69 yards thorough the same games, things look tough for last weeks fantasy super star. Oh, and Aaron Donald is going to be blasting through that sieve like Tampa O-Line getting to Winston more times than I’ve had hot diners. Evans owners beware that week four will not be like week three.
With D Jax out for week four Carson Wentz has a limited ceiling. its just fact when D Jax plays he makes his Qb better. Having a field stretcher to take the top off a defence helps receivers like Jeffrey. Alshon has had an injury plagued career and has already missed one game this season. Through his two games he only has five receptions. These receptions went for 49 yards and one touchdown. Jeffrey is reportedly ready to go tonight against Green Bay. This is where the good news stops. Whilst Wentz plays every snap at full throttle the Eagles go abasing the leagues best defence against receivers.
The Packers are giving up just 15 fantasy points per game to opposing receiving corps. Whole units, not single receivers, all receivers on the team. The Green Bay Packers have added Safety Adrian Amos, Line Backer Preston Smith and Line Backer Za’Darius Smith. All key pieces in this new Packers machine. Cornerback pairing Jaire Alexander and Kevin King along with 1st round draft pick Safety Darnell Savage are causing Havoc for opposing receivers. The Packers are giving up 10.4 yards per completion a league 9th best. The stat that concerns me mostly for not just Jeffrey owners but all Eagles receivers is that the packers have allowed just 24 receptions through 3 games. This has been against Denver, The Vikings and the Bears.
I expect The Packers to do what The Redskins did week One, get up early and by 15-20 points. They then control the clock forcing The Eagles to throw more. You’d think that this would benefit Jeffrey but I think they play right into the Packers plans and turn the ball over to this new Packers defence. Play your Eagles receivers at your peril.
Check back next week for even more matchups. Good luck week 4.
Until next week, Keep Rushing.
-Stocks @5yardrush
