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 WR/CB matchups, including potential shadow situations, we can offer the best projections, rankings, sit/start advice and waiver wire suggestions each week.
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.
Unless otherwise noted, references to where teams rank in statistical categories adjust to a per-game basis to avoid distortion due to bye weeks.
Projected shadow matchups
Bengals' Tee Higgins vs. Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. (shadow)
Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase vs. Steelers' Donte Jackson (shadow)
Porter has shadowed for a substantive chunk of the game eight times this season, which has included showdowns with Drake London, Courtland Sutton, Quentin Johnston, CeeDee Lamb, Terry McLaurin, Rashod Bateman, Higgins and A.J. Brown. He covered the group on a combined 163 of 252 routes, including 158 of 208 on the perimeter. Their receiving lines were as follows: London (4 targets-2 receptions-15 yards-0 touchdowns), Sutton (5-1-26-0), Johnston (2-2-44-1), Lamb (9-5-62-0), McLaurin (6-5-113-0), Bateman (3-2-30-0), Higgins (10-5-69-1) and Brown (11-8-110-1). The group combined to average 11.9 fantasy points, though McLaurin, Higgins and Brown have cleared 16 points in recent matchups.
The Higgins stat line is most notable this week, of course. In that game, Porter aligned against him on 30 of 37 perimeter routes, whereas Jackson shadowed Chase on 23 of his 26 perimeter routes. Chase also came up big, posting a 6-86-1 line on nine targets. The Steelers have allowed the fourth-most points to the boundary this season, including the second most over their past eight games.
Takeaway: