NFL DFS WR/CB Matchups: Week 7
Wide receiver cornerback matchups are hardly the gospel for daily fantasy sports on DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo!. Every situation is different and they haven’t always been used optimally over the years. That said, there are still situations on the extremes where we may want to target (or avoid) a player based on their direct opposition on defense. Each week we create a WR vs. CB Matchup Chart to help us bring extreme matchups to the surface. We will now dive deep into the matchups for daily fantasy football and see who we will need to consider adjusting our projections and projected ownership for in this upcoming slate.
- Build DFS Lineups Like a Pro!
- Access to Content and LineupHQ
- NFL, NBA, MLB and PGA
NFL DFS WR vs. CB Matchups for Week 7
Kenny Golladay
Likely CB: Kendall Sheffield
WR Rating: 69.53
CB Rating: 50.74
CB Yards Per Route Allowed: 2.48
CB QB Rating Allowed: 114.14
When looking at our Matchup Chart for this week, Golladay has the 11th highest WR Rating on the slate and Sheffield has the seventh lowest CB Rating. When looking at all of the numbers on the chart, two things immediately jump out to me.
The first is that Sheffield gives up the second most ‘yards per route run’ on the entire slate. Assuming that level of awfulness holds true this week against Detroit, Golladay should be able to rack up loads and loads up yards against Sheffield.
The second thing I noticed was the height advantage that Golladay possesses. Golladay is 6’4” and Sheffield is just 5’11”. That five-inch difference is surpassed by only a few other matchups on the slate. So whether it be a jump ball on a deep throw or an end zone fade, that height difference could easily work in Golladay’s favor.
Remember, every little edge counts, whether it be on the actual football field or the fake football field that we all play on.
D.K. Metcalf
Likely CB: Dre Kirkpatrick
WR Rating: 69.01
CB Rating: 50.23
CB Yards Per Route Allowed: 0.94
CB QB Rating Allowed: 98.18
Golladay narrowly edges out Metcalf for the highest Matchup Rating on the slate, but the scores are 18.79 against 18.78. So we are essentially looking at 1A and 1B here.
And while Golladay had a height advantage, this is all about speed for Metcalf. His 133.3 ‘WR Speed’ score tops the entire slate, and the 88.9 for Kirkpatrick is far closer to the slowest cornerbacks on the slate than it is the fastest.
I feel like it isn’t a question of if Metcalf is able to get behind this defense; that seems like a borderline certainty on at least a few occasions, even if Arizona is leaving plenty of safety help over the top. The real question is just whether or not Russ and Metcalf are able to connect on the deep balls they attempt, which we know is a lower probability throw to begin with.
I’ll say this though: I feel about as confident in these two being able to connect on those throws as any duo in the league. We have already seen time and time again how easy they make it look.
Stefon Diggs
Likely CB: Pierre Desir
WR Rating: 68.56
CB Rating: 50.76
CB Yards Per Route Allowed: 1.96
CB QB Rating Allowed: 135.78
While Diggs falls a bit behind Golladay and Metcalf in overall Matchup Rating (Diggs is at 17.80), this trio of guys is a clear tier or two ahead of the rest of the pack of wide receivers on this slate.
Of the three guys listed here, I feel the least confident about putting a lot of stock into this specific matchup. We talked about the height difference with Golladay, but Diggs (6’0”) is actually one inch shorter than Desir (6’1”). We talked about the speed difference with Metcalf, but the WR Speed score for Diggs (97.2) isn’t all that much better than Dasir’s (91.7).
The discrepancy in the two’s overall ratings appears to lie in the fact that, quite bluntly, Desir just isn’t a good cornerback. Is 50.76 CB Rating is the eighth worst on the slate, and it appears to be driven by the fact that opposing quarterbacks put up a huge QB rating against him (135.78, as noted above).
Will Josh Allen be able to make Desir pay in a similar way? It certainly wouldn’t surprise me, as the Allen/Diggs connection has been there from the get-go this season. But I’m not giving Diggs as big of a boost as I am to guys like Golladay and Metcalf.
- Build DFS Lineups Like a Pro!
- Access to Content and LineupHQ
- NFL, NBA, MLB and PGA
Image Credit: Imagn