We have finally hit the bye week portion of the fantasy season. With the fantasy regular season almost 30% complete at the time of writing, unless you are sitting at 4-0 or 3-1, you have plenty of work to do if you plan to make the playoffs in your league.
But never fear, because that all-important edge of knowing the wide receiver matchups to take advantage of and the ones to potentially avoid can make those fantasy start sit decisions a little bit easier.
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Without further ado, here are six fantasy football WR/CB matchups to know for Week 5.
WR/CB Matchups: Week 5
Advantageous Wide Receiver Matchups
Romeo Doubs (WR – GB) vs. Tre’Davious White (CB – LAR)
Romeo Doubs is a huge favorite in this matchup. Jordan Love is back at quarterback and is prepared to get vertical. However, Doubs is exceptionally good against zone defense. According to Fantasy Points data, among the 103 receivers that have run 50 routes or more against zone coverage this season, Doubs ranks seventh with a separation score of 0.200. He is sandwiched between Amon-Ra St. Brown (sixth with 0.204) and Mike Evans (eighth with 0.200 but on fewer routes). His win rate in zone coverage is ninth out of 103 qualifying receivers. He has played half the season with Malik Willis at quarterback.
The Green Bay Packers will be licking their lips at this matchup. The Los Angeles Rams play the fifth-most zone defense in the league, according to Fantasy Points. They cover in zone 77.7% of the time. However, there is no defense in the NFL currently that allows more fantasy points per dropback in zone coverage than the Rams (0.54). That ties the Carolina Panthers for the worst mark in the NFL.
And then we move on to Tre’Davious White. No cornerback in the NFL allows more fantasy points per route run against him than White (0.55). The next cornerback on the list is allowing 0.14 fantasy points per route fewer less than White. White is also the sixth-most penalized defensive back in the league. He got called for pass interference in the end zone in the Rams’ loss to the Chicago Bears last week.
Doubs should be a start for all fantasy managers this week.
Diontae Johnson (WR – CAR) vs. Tyrique Stevenson (CB – CHI)
Diontae Johnson was not getting fantasy-relevant production with Bryce Young under center the first two weeks of the season. However, once Andy Dalton took over, his outlook changed. And this week, fantasy managers who had faith in him being a target monster in Carolina might finally be rewarded with this matchup.
Johnson is scoring 0.51 fantasy points per route run, which is 12th among all starting wide receivers in the NFL. He is up against Tyrique Stevenson this week, who is the most targeted cornerback in the NFL. Stevenson is being targeted on 24% of the routes run against him. He is also allowing 0.40 fantasy points per route run. Expect Johnson to see targets often this week and be a starting fantasy option for managers in Week 5.
Tutu Atwell (WR – LAR) vs. Eric Stokes (CB – GB)
Tutu Atwell isn’t the current focal point of the Rams’ aerial attack. However, when they are looking for a big play, he is currently the man receiving those higher-value targets. This week, he could see an uptick in volume as he goes up against Eric Stokes.
Atwell is only running routes on 34.1% of snaps so far this season. However, in Week 4, that number was 78.1%. He also had a 17.2% target share. Expect both those numbers to increase in Week 5 against the Packers.
Stokes is currently allowing 0.40 fantasy points per route run. Only White and Stevenson are allowing more so far this season. The Rams should exploit Atwell’s speed and go for a big play over the top against Stokes in coverage. If fantasy managers are looking for a high-upside Flex play, Atwell could be it.
Other Notable Advantageous Matchups
- Brandon Aiyuk (WR – SF) vs. Starling Thomas V (CB – ARI)
- Amari Cooper (WR – CLE) vs. Benjamin St-Juste (CB – WAS)
- Jayden Reed (WR – GB) vs. Quentin Lake (CB – LAR)
- Nico Collins (WR – HOU) vs. Rasul Douglas (CB – BUF)
- Deebo Samuel (WR – SF) vs. Sean Murphy-Bunting (CB – ARI)
Challenging Wide Receiver Matchups
Xavier Legette (WR – CAR) vs. Jaylon Johnson (CB – CHI)
Xavier Legette is the unfortunate soul that has to go against Jaylon Johnson this week. Johnson has been a staple of this column all season. That is because he has continued to shut down all receivers he has faced.
Johnson is seeing targets on a league-low 8% of routes run against him. He is also only conceding 0.08 fantasy points per route run against him. With Johnson being such a heavy favorite in his matchup, and with better matchups across the field, it would make sense to sit Legette this week if possible.
While fantasy managers will point to Legette’s production, especially last week, it is not worth risking a must-win game on. The upside is not there this week for Legette.
Jordan Addison (WR – MIN) vs. Sauce Gardner (CB – NYJ)
As someone who is writing this column just 70 miles from where this game will be played, it is always nice to talk about a game on this side of the pond. However, fantasy managers should be wary of playing Jordan Addison this week.
While Addison did very well in his return last week against the Packers, scoring two touchdowns, this week will be an entirely different ball game.
Sauce Gardner is currently only seeing targets on 8.9% of routes run against him and he is currently only allowing 0.13 fantasy points per route run against him. Both of these marks put him in the top three of cornerbacks so far this season.
When you then factor in the travel being an equalizer that these players, especially Addison, are not used to, you have a perfect storm that makes Addison less attractive as a fantasy asset this week.
While fantasy managers might be struggling with bye week coverage and might have to slot in Addison, they should explore better options on their bench.
Tank Dell (WR – HOU) vs. Christian Benford (CB – BUF)
Tank Dell missed the game last week and is currently questionable to play coming into Week 5 at the time of writing. If Dell is available, fantasy managers should be cautious this week.
Only Johnson and Gardner have allowed fewer fantasy points per route run against them than Christian Benford this season. Benford is also only seeing targets on just 11.7% of routes run against him. Both Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs have better matchups this week, plus Dell might not quite be 100%. Starting Dell appears to be a risk for fantasy managers in Week 5. Exercise caution and only consider him if you have to when making fantasy start sit decisions this week.
Other Notable Challenging Matchups
- Jauan Jennings (WR – SF) vs. Garrett Williams (CB – ARI)
- Darnell Mooney (WR – ATL) vs. Zyon McCollum (CB – TB)
- Courtland Sutton (WR – DEN) vs. Jakorian Bennett (CB – LV)
- Drake London (WR – ATL) vs. Jamel Dean (CB – TB)
- Malik Nabers (WR – NYG) vs. Riq Woolen (CB – SEA)
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Adam Murfet is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Murf, check out his archive and follow him @5yardrush.