The fantasy season is halfway through. We’re rapidly approaching the business end of the fantasy regular season. Some fantasy managers will be sitting comfortably at the top of their leagues. Others will be staring at a 2-5 record and wondering how they’ll turn things around. However, there is still time. With four teams on bye this week, plenty of fantasy managers are looking for replacements in their starting lineups. Finding favorable fantasy football WR/CB matchups could be the difference between winning and losing this week.
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Fantasy Football WR/CB Matchups: Week 8
We have some great matchups to exploit in Week 8, including a few receivers who aren’t automatic starts for fantasy managers. Some big names could also struggle against tough cornerback assignments.
Here are the top six fantasy football WR/CB matchups to know for Week 8. Plus 10 more to watch this week.
Advantageous Wide Receiver Matchups
Zay Flowers (WR – BAL) vs. Dee Alford (CB – BUF)
Zay Flowers has been outstanding this season for fantasy managers. According to the FantasyPoints Data Suite, Flowers is producing 0.67 fantasy points per route run and is targeted on 28.9% of his routes. He is also running routes on 85.8% of dropbacks. Last week, Flowers caught eight of his 11 targets for 137 yards and a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals.
This week, Flowers faces Dee Alford. According to the FantasyPoints Data Suite, Alford allows 0.32 fantasy points per route run and is targeted on 17.9% of routes run against him.
With Lamar Jackson expected to return this week, the Baltimore Ravens should be able to move the ball more effectively. With this game carrying one of Week 8’s highest projected totals, fantasy managers should feel confident starting Flowers. He is a must-start option this week with significant WR1 upside.
Jalen Coker (WR – CAR) vs. Keisean Nixon (CB – GB)
Fantasy managers will have mixed feelings about Jalen Coker this season. He has produced some useful fantasy performances but struggled last week against Tampa Bay, catching just one pass for nine yards.
However, the underlying numbers are encouraging. According to the FantasyPoints Data Suite, Coker runs routes on 74.2% of dropbacks, is targeted on 19.9% of those routes and produces 0.44 fantasy points per route run.
Coker faces Keisean Nixon of the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football. Nixon allows 0.34 fantasy points per route run and is targeted on 19.5% of routes run against him. That is a reasonable number of opportunities for the Packers cornerback to give up.
Coker has returned to full practice this week, which should give fantasy managers some confidence in his availability. I don’t expect him to become a WR1 in this matchup. However, given the bye weeks and injuries across the league, Coker is a reasonable WR2/FLEX option for managers looking for upside on Thursday night.
Ja’Kobi Lane (WR – BAL) vs. Davison Igbinosun (CB – BUF)
Ja’Kobi Lane is certainly a risky play for fantasy managers this week. However, there are some reasons to be optimistic. According to the FantasyPoints Data Suite, Lane is targeted on 21.3% of his routes and produces 0.34 fantasy points per route.
Lane’s overall route participation is only 56.5% this season, but that climbed to 70% in Week 7. If that continues, Lane could become a more useful fantasy option.
This week, Lane faces Davison Igbinosun. According to the FantasyPoints Data Suite, Igbinosun allows 0.43 fantasy points per route run and is targeted on 21.1% of routes run against him. Those are numbers fantasy managers should exploit those numbers.
Starting Lane still carries significant risk, especially with Zay Flowers commanding so much of the passing volume. However, Lamar Jackson‘s expected return and high projected game total make this matchup attractive. If you are struggling with bye weeks and need to take a chance on a FLEX player, Lane could be worth considering.
Other Notable Advantageous Matchups
- Christian Watson (WR – GB) vs. Will Lee (CB – CAR)
- Parker Washington (WR – JAX) vs. Justin Walley (CB – IND)
- Jakobi Meyers (WR – JAX) vs. Cam Taylor-Britt (CB – IND)
- Germie Bernard (WR – PIT) vs. Myles Harden (CB – CLE)
- Troy Franklin (WR – DEN) vs. Christian Roland-Wallace (CB – KC)
Monitor Justin Walley‘s availability before submitting lineups. He missed practice earlier in the week, which could change Parker Washington‘s direct matchup.
Challenging Wide Receiver Matchups
Jameson Williams (WR – DET) vs. Isaiah Rodgers (CB – MIN)
Jameson Williams is coming off one of his best performances of the season for the Detroit Lions. He caught five passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns against Green Bay. He has now scored four touchdowns over his last two games.
According to the FantasyPoints Data Suite, Williams runs routes on 88.3% of dropbacks and produces 0.38 fantasy points per route run. However, he sees targets on only 17.6% of those routes.
This week, Williams faces Isaiah Rodgers of the Minnesota Vikings. Rodgers has been outstanding this season, allowing just 0.14 fantasy points per route run. He is also being targeted on only 12% of the routes run against him. This is one of the toughest assignments any receiver will face this week.
Williams has shown that he can produce big fantasy performances without needing significant target volume. However, relying on touchdowns every week is difficult. Especially against a Vikings secondary that has been excellent this season.
Williams remains a FLEX option. However, fantasy managers should temper expectations after his recent performances.
Xavier Worthy (WR – KC) vs. Pat Surtain II (CB – DEN)
Xavier Worthy hasn’t been a fantasy asset this season. According to the FantasyPoints Data Suite, Worthy runs routes on 76.4% of dropbacks and is targeted on 17.9% of those routes.
However, he is producing just 0.26 fantasy points per route run. Last week, against Seattle, Worthy caught just three passes for 11 yards on six targets. And that was without Rashee Rice taking away targets.
And things don’t get much easier this week. Worthy faces Pat Surtain II of the Denver Broncos, who is allowing just 0.15 fantasy points per route run. Surtain is also targeted on only 13% of routes run against him. Those are elite coverage numbers, and opposing quarterbacks have generally been reluctant to attack Surtain.
The Chiefs have struggled to generate downfield production in recent weeks, adding another concern for fantasy managers. Worthy’s speed means he can always make one big play and turn a disappointing afternoon into a useful fantasy performance. However, fantasy managers should look elsewhere for a FLEX option this week if they have a better bench player.
Ladd McConkey (WR – LAC) vs. Josh Wallace (CB – LAR)
Ladd McConkey has had a difficult season so far, with injuries and inconsistent production making him hard for fantasy managers to trust.
According to the Fantasy Points Data Suite, McConkey runs routes on 67.9% of dropbacks and sees targets on 17% of those routes. He is producing 0.35 fantasy points per route run, which is reasonable but not at the level fantasy managers expected when drafting him.
However, McConkey faces Josh Wallace of the Los Angeles Rams this week. Wallace allows just 0.13 fantasy points per route run and is targeted on only 11.7% of routes. This will be a difficult matchup for McConkey.
McConkey returned to full practice this week after dealing with a concussion. Even if he is cleared to play, I wouldn’t be particularly excited about the matchup. McConkey could still produce enough volume to be a FLEX option. However, fantasy managers shouldn’t expect a top-24 finish against this Rams secondary.
Other Notable Challenging Matchups
- Rashee Rice (WR – KC) vs. Ja’Quan McMillian (CB – DEN)
- Luther Burden (WR – CHI) vs. Devon Witherspoon (CB – SEA)
- Brian Thomas Jr. (WR – JAX) vs. Charvarius Ward (CB – IND)
- Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR – DET) vs. Byron Murphy Jr. (CB – MIN)
- Wan’Dale Robinson (WR – TEN) vs. Daxton Hill (CB – CIN)
As we start on the back nine of the fantasy regular season, do check out all the amazing content on FantasyPros. If you have more questions, join me for a stream tomorrow at 3:30 pm ET. Best of luck in Week 8.
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