Fantasy football is a weekly game, so knowing the matchups can help you make the best lineup decisions. By using our play-by-play data, we're able to identify defensive schemes and where each wide receiver and cornerback lines up on each play. By tracking these wide receiver/cornerback matchups, including potential shadow situations, we can offer the best projections, rankings, sit/start advice and waiver wire suggestions each week.
Down below are the receivers with the best and worst matchups this week, as well as the corresponding fantasy impact.
To view the primary defenders the top three wide receivers for each team will see this weekend, be sure to check out our weekly WR vs. CB Cheatsheet.
Note that, unless otherwise noted, references to where teams rank in statistical categories adjusts to a per-game basis in order to avoid distortion due to bye weeks.
Projected shadow matchups
Cardinals' Marquise Brown vs. Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. (Shadow)
Porter has shadowed DeAndre Hopkins, Amari Cooper and Ja'Marr Chase over the past four weeks. The rookie shadowed the trio on a combined 83 of their 105 routes in the three games, including 76 of 82 perimeter routes and seven of 23 in the slot. Hopkins was held to a 4-60-0 receiving line on 11 targets in the game, whereas Cooper posted a 4-34-0 line on nine targets and Chase managed a 4-81-0 showing on four targets.
Porter showed fairly well, though it's worth noting that the quarterback play (Will Levis, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Jake Browning) certainly factored into the stat lines. Brown aligns on the perimeter 78% of the time and Arizona's top target can expect to see Porter on most (if not all) of those plays this week.
Takeaway: