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Fantasy football Shadow Report: Key WR/CB matchups for NFL Week 7

A.J. Brown prepares to take on the New York Giants this Sunday. Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire

Fantasy football is a weekly game, so knowing the matchups can help you make the best lineup decisions. By utilizing 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 WR/CB 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

Eagles' A.J. Brown vs. Giants' Deonte Banks (Shadow)

Banks has shadowed Justin Jefferson, Terry McLaurin, Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, DK Metcalf and Tee Higgins this season. He aligned against the receivers on 151 of 198 routes, including 142 of 153 on the perimeter. Their receiving lines were as follows: Jefferson (6 targets-4 receptions-59 yards-1 touchdown), McLaurin (8-6-22-0), Cooper (12-7-86-2), Lamb (8-7-98-1), Metcalf (7-4-55-0) and Higgins (7-7-77-0). That works out to an average of 16.5 fantasy points per game.

Banks has clearly had his ups and downs and top receivers haven't had much trouble against New York. In fact, the Giants have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to perimeter receivers, which is where Brown aligns 75% of the time.

Takeaway: