Fantasy Football Player Notes

There will be plenty of matchups to be bullish regarding Flowers' outlook, but this isn't one of them. Last year, the Chiefs utilized two-high at the highest rate in the NFL (67.8%). Flowers scorched single-high last season, but his numbers against two-high were pedestrian. Against this coverage type, he only garnered a 19.6% target share and a 20.2% air-yard share while producing 1.12 yards per route run with Mark Andrews in the lineup. Look for Andrews to lead the way this week as he dominates two-high matchups for Baltimore. Flowers will run about 69% of his routes against Trent McDuffie (63.3% catch rate and 95.5 passer rating) and Joshua Williams (41.1% catch rate and 74.4 passer rating). It's also possible Flowers draws shadow coverage from McDuffie.

Johnson should be the Panthers' clear WR1 this season. Last year, once he returned from injury in Week 7, he continued to gobble up targets like usual, ranking 14th in target share (23.7%), sixth in air-yard share (41.6%), and 20th in FD/RR (0.109). In that span, he was the WR33 in fantasy points per game. Last year, New Orleans utilized single-high on 53.9% of their defensive snaps. Among 85 qualifying receivers last season, Johnson ranked 19th in TPRR and 21st in YPRR against single-high. Johnson should line up across from Marshon Lattimore (58.7% catch rate and 77.9 passer rating) and Paulson Adebo (56.8% catch rate and 69.9 passer rating) for most of the game. Johnson is a volume-based WR3.

Bateman is the sneaky flex play in this game. Last year, his overall numbers weren't great, but he was extremely effective against two-high coverage. Last year, the Chiefs utilized two-high at the highest rate in the NFL (67.8%). Against two-high, Bateman had an 18% target per route run rate, which was only a small tick behind Flowers (19%), but Bateman produced 1.82 yards per route run while also ranking second on the team against two-high with 0.34 fantasy points per route run. With a strong total and a close (ish) spread, there will be scoring in this game, and if Baltimore can keep up their end of that bargain, Bateman should be part of the scoring onslaught. He will run most of his routes on the boundary against Trent McDuffie (63.3% catch rate and 95.5 passer rating) and Joshua Williams (41.1% catch rate and 74.4 passer rating).