Happy Thanksgiving. There are just two weeks to go in the fantasy regular season and fantasy managers will be mostly sweating on securing either playoff births or first-round byes.
We have all 32 teams playing this week, including six teams playing on a beautiful Thanksgiving slate.
Therefore, with no time to waste, let’s dive into six fantasy football WR/CB matchups fantasy managers need to know for Week 13.
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WR/CB Matchups: Week 13
Advantageous Wide Receiver Matchups
DeAndre Hopkins (WR – KC) vs. Decamerion Richardson (CB – LV)
DeAndre Hopkins rewarded fantasy managers last week with a WR16 finish. In this week’s matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders and Decamerion Richardson, another top-24 finish at the position appears to be on the cards.
According to Fantasy Points Data, Hopkins manages 0.47 fantasy points per route run, which ranks 21st among all wide receivers starting this weekend. It’s been extremely consistent over the season.
On the other side of this matchup, we have Decamerion Richardson, who is allowing 0.44 fantasy points per route run against him. This feels like a logical start spot for Hopkins, who should maintain his averages this week and provide a safe floor. However, there could be some nice upside for him as well. Fantasy managers should feel confident about Hopkins in their fantasy start sit decisions this week.
Ladd McConkey (WR – LAC) vs Dee Alford (CB – ATL)
Ladd McConkey is becoming a staple in fantasy lineups. He has WR1 upside this week. McConkey comes into this week as the fantasy WR15, just seven points outside a WR1 ranking. Expect him to close the gap this week with a strong outing against the Atlanta Falcons and Dee Alford.
McConkey is averaging 0.48 fantasy points per route run and a 23% target rate per route run. Both these numbers are great and highlight the consistency in his performance and ability to earn targets from Justin Herbert. It is also likely Herbert will throw more passes this week in the absence of stable running back J.K. Dobbins, who has an MCL sprain.
McConkey is up against Dee Alford, who is allowing 0.33 fantasy points per route run. He is also being targeted on 19.2% of routes run against him. Both these marks are high, showing quarterbacks and offensive coordinators are comfortable targeting players against him in coverage.
Expect McConkey to continue his good run as he looks to finish the season as a WR1.
Courtland Sutton (WR – DEN) vs. Martin Emerson (CB – CLE)
Courtland Sutton features again in this column after justifying his selection last week, putting up a WR2 overall finish in Week 12. Sutton has the hardest matchup assignment of the Denver Broncos receiving corps this week as he goes face-to-face with Cleveland’s Martin Emerson. However, that should not turn fantasy managers off.
While Emerson concedes the fewest fantasy points per route run (0.31 fantasy points per route run against him compared to 0.36 and 0.37 for the other starting corners in Cleveland), he still is being targeted on 17.5% of all routes run against him.
Sutton is a target monster seeing a fairly high 26.1% target per route run. He is also scoring 0.43 fantasy points per route run, according to Fantasy Points Data.
Sutton, who currently is the fantasy WR8, is a mid-WR2 in fantasy football rankings this week, has WR1 upside. Fantasy managers should feel comfortable starting him.
Other Notable Advantageous Matchups
- Devaughn Vele (WR – DEN) vs. Greg Newsome (CB – CLE)
- Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (WR – TEN) vs. Benjamin St-Juste (CB – WAS)
- Tank Dell (WR – HOU) vs. Ronald Darby (CB – JAX)
- Calvin Ridley (WR – TEN) vs. Mike Sainristil (CB – WAS)
- Puka Nacua (WR – LAR) vs. Alontae Taylor (CB – NO)
Challenging Wide Receiver Matchups
Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR – SEA) vs. Michael Carter (CB – NYJ)
Over the past four weeks, Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been the fantasy WR5. He also had a bye week during that span. This matchup against the Jets and Michael Carter comes at the worst possible time.
There is no doubting Smith-Njigba’s credentials during this breakout season. However, with DK Metcalf fully fit and this matchup against Carter, it feels like a trap play.
Carter has been incredible all year. According to Fantasy Points Data, he is allowing only 0.16 fantasy points per route run against him. This is tied for the sixth-lowest amount allowed by a cornerback this season. In addition, many wide receivers with higher fantasy points per route run averages and target per route run averages than Smith-Njigba have struggled against Carter this season.
Fantasy managers should tread with caution this week and potentially explore other options while there is a full slate of games.
Jerry Jeudy (CB – CLE) vs. Pat Surtain (CB – DEN)
Yes, I know. Regular readers of this column might see Pat Surtain’s name here and roll their eyes. He did manage to give away his first WR1 performance of the season last week when Jakobi Meyers managed 10 catches off 15 targets for 121 yards. Those volume numbers are just absurd and unlikely to be repeated this week.
Jerry Jeudy does appear to be Jameis Winston‘s top target based on what we have seen since the bye week. However, with a deep and talented receiver corps, I expect there to not be an overreliance on Jeudy.
Surtain is allowing just 0.14 fantasy points per route run against him. And, after last week’s display, his targets per route run on him have climbed to 10%. That is still just the fourth-lowest allowed in either of those categories of any cornerback starting in Week 13.
Jeudy should be a PPR Flex play, at best, and ride the bench in other formats.
Christian Watson (WR – GB) vs. Jalen Ramsey (CB – MIA)
This matchup is a hard one to call. On the one hand, Christian Watson sees an elevation in the depth chart this week as Romeo Doubs is out. However, that elevated status means he will now get the shadow treatment from one of the top corners in the NFL in Jalen Ramsey.
Watson’s averages are hard to trust. He is a deep ball threat and requires big plays to be fantasy-relevant, rather than volume.
Ramsey has only seen targets on 9.8% of the routes run against him. He is only allowing 0.16 fantasy points per route run against him, according to Fantasy Points Data.
Watson represents the ultimate boom or bust play for fantasy managers this week. If he can get behind Ramsey on just one or two plays, he will record a more than reasonable Flex play or better total.
If you are trailing in matchups significantly, Watson is as good of a gamble disruptor play as there is in lineups this week. However, he is far from being a sure thing and fantasy managers in tight matchups might be cautious and choose to stay away this week.
Other Notable Challenging Matchups
- Wan’Dale Robinson (WR – NYG) vs. Jourdan Lewis (CB – DAL)
- Khalil Shakir (WR – BUF) vs. Deommodore Lenoir (CB – SF)
- Zay Flowers (WR – BAL) vs. Darius Slay (CB – PHI)
- Deebo Samuel (WR – SF) vs. Christian Benford (CB – BUF)
- Garrett Wilson (WR – NYJ) 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.