Wide Receivers vs. Cornerbacks Week 17 Matchups

This article will go game by game for the Week 17 slate looking at the top wide receivers from an offense and, based on the inside/outside and left/right splits of those receivers, identify the cornerbacks most likely to face them in man coverage. This post will have to be a little shorter and lean more on speculation/generalities than the entries to come, because teams haven't yet conclusively revealed their personnel tendencies.

Receivers rarely see the same corner every play, be it due to formation quirks or zone coverage calls by the defense, so a receiver's fortunes depend on much more than just the quality of the corner they're likely to see the most in a given game. Even against a bad corner, a good receiver can be denied the opportunity if the pass rush or something else outside his control complicates things. But it's part of the puzzle, and it's worth keeping track of.

Receivers are left with an Upgrade, Downgrade, or Even verdict based on their projected matchup. This shouldn't be read as 'good' or 'bad' but rather a measured tweak from the receiver's baseline projection.
 

Dallas Cowboys vs. Detroit Lions

DALLAS WIDE RECEIVERS

CeeDee Lamb can roast any of these corners, so the Lions will need to do whatever they can to roll help toward Lamb. Dallas moves Lamb around often enough that the task becomes complicated at best, especially since Detroit might not have the pass rush ammo to capitalize on Dallas' vulnerable left side with Tyron Smith out. The Lions get back Jerry Jacobs but might be without Cam Sutton due to a toe issue. Brian Branch in the slot might be the best Detroit corner but he's part safety and, same as the other two, are better underneath than they are downfield. Brandin Cooks can definitely beat these corners downfield, though he sometimes gets stuck with the task of clearing out room for Lamb and Jake Ferguson. Michael Gallup is less likely yet to draw usage, losing much of the precious little he had to Jalen Tolbert, though both players can probably make a play or two against this defense if given the chance. Dallas tends to feed Lamb when they have the option and in this game they might have both the option and the need to keep control of the scoreboard.

Upgrade: CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup, Jalen Tolbert
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A

DETROIT WIDE RECEIVERS

While the Dallas pass defense is intimidating overall and while Jared Goff is particularly liable to mess up when playing on the road, the effectiveness of the pass defense is driven by the pass rush rather than the coverage personnel. Amon-Ra St. Brown will probably see a lot of safety attention (Dallas often plays with three safeties) but his primary cornerback matchup of Jourdan Lewis is the easiest among the Dallas corners. Stephon Gilmore and DaRon Bland are both effective boundary corners in this scheme, but they can only turn and run so far so fast. If the pass rush is late then both corners quickly become vulnerable to downfield speed, which Jameson Williams and Kalif Raymond both pose. Most offenses don't have the blocking to take the corners that far downfield, but Detroit might be an exception. Goff's inability to throw downfield remains a substantial obstacle even if the blocking condition is met, but Williams and Raymond can both get open downfield.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Josh Reynolds, Kalif Raymond

Baltimore Ravens vs. Miami Dolphins

BALTIMORE WIDE RECEIVERS

Zay Flowers (calf) might not be 100 percent healthy, but he seems likely to play here. The Dolphins tend to keep the play in front of Jalen Ramsey and Xavien Howard rather than having the two turn and run from the line of scrimmage, and the bigger the cushion the more likely Flowers gets underneath targets. The most the Dolphins try to play press at the line, the better that suits Odell Beckham, who's more of an air-yardage threat than Flowers, who's at his best underneath and in the intermediate. Rashod Bateman is probably in the same boat as Beckham, though Bateman isn't as explosive as Beckham. It's a matchup too complicated to reduce to just the one-on-one matchups, unfortunately.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Zay Flowers, Odell Beckham, Rashod Bateman

MIAMI WIDE RECEIVERS

Tyreek Hill will have the bull's eye on him more than ever with Jaylen Waddle (ankle) out, but the Ravens are hurting, too. Kyle Hamilton (knee) might not be there for his usual slot work, and corner Brandon Stephens would be a big loss at corner if he can't play through his ankle injury. Marlon Humphrey would still be a tough corner at one spot each play, but Arthur Maulet in the slot or/and Ronald Darby on the boundary need help. Cedrick Wilson seems like a good candidate to play as the WR2 for Miami, in part of a committee that also features Braxton Berrios. Whoever is in the slot against Maulet might have the easiest task.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Tyreek Hill, Cedrick Wilson, Braxton Berrios

Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers

MINNESOTA WIDE RECEIVERS

Justin Jefferson will likely have a high target share with T.J. Hockenson unavailable, even if Jordan Addison (ankle) manages to play. K.J. Osborn seemed on track to play the most slot snaps last week even before Addison got hurt, which would have been a change in policy from prior weeks, when Addison took most of the slot snaps. The slot coverage of Keisean Nixon has been middling at best so whoever gets the slot reps should have a favorable setup. It's just that the boundary Packers corners are less than intimidating, and about as liable to get beat on any given play as Nixon. Jefferson can definitely get the better of Eric Stokes, who's more of a CB2 type and working his way back from injury, and the rookie Carrington Valentine is probably more vulnerable yet.

Upgrade: Justin Jefferson, K.J. Osborn
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jordan Addison (Upgrade if not for injury)

GREEN BAY WIDE RECEIVERS

Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed should be the two lead Green Bay wideouts with this one while Christian Watson (hamstring) and Dontayvion Wicks (chest/ankle) deal with injuries. Malik Heath would appear to be the fifth wideout up, though he has proven less effective than practice squad callup Bo Melton. If Luke Musgrave can return then he and Tucker Kraft might combine for upwards of 80 snaps, with more two-wideout sets than usual. Matchup-wise it looks good for both Doubs and Reed. If Jordan Love can keep cool against the blitz then Doubs should be able to hold his own against corners like Mekhi Blackmon and Akayleb Evans. The same probably can't be said for Heath. If the Packers can get Reed lined up against Josh Metellus in the slot then it's a look where Reed can make a big play – Metellus is capable underneath but is a former safety, and not one noted for his downfield coverage.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Malik Heath

Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots

BUFFALO WIDE RECEIVERS

Stefon Diggs has been struggling for some time now and the primary reason for that – persistent double teams – is something that might continue here. Jonathan Jones might specifically get Diggs as an assignment, then with additional safety help. Diggs won't stay down forever, but he has floundered in easier matchups than that in recent weeks. If the Patriots try to call it this way then they would likely leave Shaun Wade on Gabe Davis, which could go either way. I personally think Davis can beat Wade pretty easily, but if the Bills continue to send Davis farthest downfield – a capacity which doesn't suit his strengths – then it makes it easy to contain Davis with basic downfield discipline. Khalil Shakir can beat Myles Bryant in the slot.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, Khalil Shakir

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Rasul Douglas and Christian Benford should both be comfortable in this game, because their weakness (downfield speed) isn't something you can consistently utilize with a dink-and-dunk quarterback like Bailey Zappe. Taron Johnson is the same deal in the slot, only he's better across the board than Douglas or Benford. Demario Douglas might see a lot of Johnson in particular, which could be challenging for the rookie if so. DeVante Parker has been a favorite target of Zappe's on sideline jumpballs, but Douglas and Benford are built specifically to play that game.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: DeVante Parker, Demario Douglas
Even: N/A

Chicago Bears vs. Atlanta Falcons

CHICAGO WIDE RECEIVERS

DJ Moore is a good bet to see a shadow assignment from A.J. Terrell, though that might be a matchup Moore can manage. Particularly if Cole Kmet and Darnell Mooney are unavailable, the Bears at a certain point have no choice but to force the ball Moore's way. Terrell is very good, but Moore can beat tough corners in large part because he's so dangerous both when the ball is in the air and after the catch. He can make catches while covered and run away from situations where he seems cornered. Tyler Scott has talent but doesn't have an angle on Clark Phillips at this point in their respective developments.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Tyler Scott
Even: DJ Moore

ATLANTA WIDE RECEIVERS

Drake London versus Jaylon Johnson is an interesting Strength On Strength matchup, and one where either side could win. London is nearly three years younger than Johnson, though, and while London will only gain ground with time he's still very early in his development. Playing in Chicago will likely only add to Johnson's advantage. Kyler Gordon is a player London already beat plenty in college, so the Bears would probably prefer to keep Gordon away from London.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Drake London

Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans

HOUSTON WIDE RECEIVERS

Nico Collins is playing through his calf injury, though who knows how close to full health he might be. It would make things more of a grind if Collins lacks the sub-4.5 speed he normally has when healthy, but he has shown a diverse enough application in this offense to make a fantasy impact even if he's closer to 85 percent. Collins would probably rather see Roger McCreary or Tre Avery than Sean Murphy-Bunting – Murphy-Bunting being the only one who is both big and fast – but so long as C.J. Stroud returns for this game there's reason to think Collins can hold serve whichever way his machups go. Noah Brown has lined up mostly outside lately, so he would mostly see Avery or Murphy-Bunting rather than the slot defender McCreary, who would more so see Robert Woods. Brown has no obvious angle in his matchups but Woods has been a complete zero all year, no matter where he lines up.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Nico Collins, Noah Brown, Robert Woods

TENNESSEE WIDE RECEIVERS

DeAndre Hopkins can more easily beat Ka'dar Hollman than Derek Stingley, so it will be interesting to see if Houston tries to shadow Hopkins with Stingley in a game where Steven Nelson might sit due to injury. Treylon Burks can beat Griffin if Stingley does follow Hopkins, though Hopkins can probably beat Stingley if given the chance. Whether he gets that chance has fluctuated from week to week, on no obvious basis. Chris Moore doesn't have an obvious angle on Desmond King in the slot.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: DeAndre Hopkins (arguable Downgrade if shadowed by Stingley), Treylon Burks, Chris Moore

Indianapolis Colts vs. Las Vegas Raiders

INDIANAPOLIS WIDE RECEIVERS

Assuming he gains clearance, Michael Pittman should be in a good spot here. He should mostly avoid Nate Hobbs, who's easily the best Raiders corner, instead facing the likes of Amik Robertson and Jack Jones, both of whom are at a major build disadvantage. Josh Downs unfortunately gets another tough matchup, and unlike Pittman it would be a difficult matchup for Downs on any snaps where he might see Robertson. Alec Pierce is struggling and doesn't seem to draw many helpful targets, but he's a downfield threat to smallish corners like Jones and Robertson.

Upgrade: Michael Pittman
Downgrade: Josh Downs
Even: Alec Pierce

LAS VEGAS WIDE RECEIVERS

Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers should both hold a pretty substantial advantage over rookie corners Julius Brents and Jaylon Jones on the boundary. Slot corner Kenny Moore is the toughest of that bunch but can be beaten by wideouts like these, too.

Upgrade: Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Carolina Panthers

JACKSONVILLE WIDE RECEIVERS

Whether he's facing Jaycee Horn on one side or Donte Jackson on the other, Calvin Ridley will likely see a tough matchup after you factor in the double-team. Horn might miss the game with a toe injury, and Shaq Griffin is much more vulnerable than Horn, but the double-team will persist. Parker Washington is a promising enough player but faces a challenging matchup against Troy Hill.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Calvin Ridley, Parker Washington, Zay Jones

CAROLINA WIDE RECEIVERS

DJ Chark can more easily beat Darious Williams than Tyson Campbell, but both corners present a challenge. Jonathan Mingo probably can't separate from either corner but might be able to catch a jumpball at Williams' expense. More likely than either of Chark or Mingo stepping up is Adam Thielen producing from the slot, where the Jaguars are weaker than they are on the boundary.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Adam Thielen, DJ Chark, Jonathan Mingo

New York Giants vs. Los Angeles Rams

GIANTS WIDE RECEIVERS

Darius Slayton appears to be the most reliable Giants wideout, and in this game he can reliably beat his primary matchups downfield. Derion Kendrick can't run downfield and Ahkello Witherspoon, though faster than Kendrick, struggles to mirror downfield through most routes. The Rams make them look good by protecting them downfield, but speed like Slayton's can make that more difficult. Wan'Dale Robinson doesn't have an obvious angle on Cobie Durant from the slot.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Darius Slayton, Wan'Dale Robinson

RAMS WIDE RECEIVERS

Cooper Kupp might not create a ton of separation against Cor'Dale Flott but should be able to bully him if necessary. Puka Nacua has a similar deal on the boundary, though in the case of Deonte Banks it would be less about bullying and more about losing positioning. Nacua is unlikely to separate from Adoree' Jackson on the other side but likely can bully Jackson if necessary. With the way Matthew Stafford is playing right now matchups might not matter a great deal, so both Rams wideouts should be close to their usual standards.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Arizona Cardinals

PHILADELPHIA WIDE RECEIVERS

A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are both much too much for these corners. The amount of damage done by these wideouts might just be a matter of how much Philadelphia wants to run up the score.

Upgrade: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A

ARIZONA WIDE RECEIVERS

Avonte Maddox might be back for Philadelphia, which would make their slot coverage tougher. Then again, Rondale Moore has done nothing even in easy matchups this year, so the difference might not matter here. Michael Wilson might be able to beat Kelee Ringo laterally but not vertically, and maybe not James Bradberry at any depth. Greg Dortch isn't a true threat but might be able to draw lots of underneath targets against Bradberry and Ringo, both of whom have much heavier feet than Dortch.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Greg Dortch, Michael Wilson, Rondale Moore

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints

TAMPA BAY WIDE RECEIVERS

Mike Evans should be in a good enough spot here since Marshon Lattimore is still inactive. Paulson Adebo is much tougher on one side than Isaac Yiadom is on the other, but so far the Saints haven't used Adebo as a shadow corner. Alontae Taylor in the slot can also be beaten, though maybe not by Trey Palmer. The ideal matchup for Tampa here would be Evans on Yiadom and Chris Godwin against Taylor, but it's not clear how they'll choose to match up specifically.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Mike Evans (the less Adebo the better), Chris Godwin (see Evans), Trey Palmer

NEW ORLEANS WIDE RECEIVERS

Chris Olave (ankle) might not be 100 percent but he should be able to get the better of corners like Jamel Dean and Zyon McCollum all day. Both corners are big and athletic, but the start/stop threat posed by Olave can get corners like them teetering as they try to mirror Olave through the multiple stops in the route. Olave and Rashid Shaheed tend to split the slot snaps, so they should easy see a roughly equal amount of Dean, McCollum and Christian Izien. The Saints mostly keep A.T. Perry on the boundary, where he might struggle given the height and speed of Dean and McCollum.

Upgrade: Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed
Downgrade: N/A
Even: A.T. Perry 

Washington Commanders vs. San Francisco 49ers

WASHINGTON WIDE RECEIVERS

The Commanders might struggle to manage the 49ers pass rush, especially if left tackle Charles Leno is out another week. The hotter the pass rush and the more Sam Howell plays, the worse for Terry McLaurin, who appears doomed to spend his career as the wide receiver version of Corey Dillon. McLaurin is a strong candidate to see a shadow assignment from Charvarius Ward, moreover. Ambry Thomas (boundary) and Deommodore Lenoir (slot) are more beatable, but they might respectively match up more with Jahan Dotson and Curtis Samuel. Like many recent weeks, it might be easiest to get the ball to Samuel.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Terry McLaurin (arguable Downgrade if shadowed by Ward), Curtis Samuel, Jahan Dotson

SAN FRANCISCO WIDE RECEIVERS

The Washington defense hasn't felt like tackling all year, so it's not obvious why they would suddenly get some pep in their step now that they have the privilege of trying to tackle Deebo Samuel. The otherwise talented Emmanuel Forbes doesn't even weigh 170 pounds, so Samuel could be a nightmare matchup for this personnel. Brandon Aiyuk is also a likely nightmare for them, though perhaps a less painful one.

Upgrade: Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A

Seattle Seahawks vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

SEATTLE WIDE RECEIVERS

The Steelers have apparently settled on a cornerback loadout of Joey Porter and Levi Wallace on the boundary with Chandon Sullivan in the slot (Patrick Peterson moved to safety). That means the Steelers will need to leave Wallace – a speed-challenged corner – on either D.K. Metcalf or Tyler Lockett on any given play. The Steelers are no doubt prepared to give safety help to Wallace, but Sullivan might need help against Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Porter likely needs help to manage Metcalf, too. These corners, in other words, need more structural support than the Steelers are likely to provide. The hull should rupture somewhere, but guessing where kind of depends on the strategic choices the Steelers make in their game plan. It's possible that there doesn't exist a solution to their problems, though.

Upgrade: D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jaxon Smith-Njigba

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

George Pickens can probably beat Tre Brown vertically but not Tariq Woolen. Pickens and especially Diontae Johnson should be able to beat Woolen on more laterally-oriented routes, so there might be chain-moving opportunities even if the big-play opportunities dry up. Devon Witherspoon can be beaten vertically from the slot but probably not by Allen Robinson. Calvin Austin would be more threatening from the slot here.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Allen Robinson
Even: George Pickens, Diontae Johnson

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Cincinnati Bengals

KANSAS CITY WIDE RECEIVERS

Justin Watson and Marquez Valdes-Scantling will be your primary boundary wideouts for the foreseeable future, with Rashee Rice the slot target in most three-wide formations. Rice has been getting more snaps in two-wide sets than at the beginning of the year, which at this point means he'll probably see slot corner Mike Hilton about half of the time while the other half of the time Rice sees either Chidobe Awuzie or Cam Taylor-Britt. None of them is a friendly matchup, but Hilton in the slot might be the easiest one, if only because he's the smallest and slowest of the trio.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Rashee Rice, Justin Watson, Marquez Valdes-Scantling

CINCINNATI WIDE RECEIVERS

If Ja'Marr Chase (shoulder) can't go then apparently Andre Iosivas is ahead of Charlie Jones for the WR3 role behind Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. 

Top corner L'Jarius Sneed (calf) is highly questionable for the game, but if active he would be a candidate to follow Chase specifically, if Chase also plays. It's not a downgrade for Chase if so, but it generally is easier to target the boundary corners Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams than it is to target Sneed or Trent McDuffie.

Higgins has the build to bully McDuffie, and you'd give Higgins an advantage over Watson or Williams, too. The problem for Higgins is he's at his best downfield and on the boundary, which are the two places where Jake Browning is worst at throwing the ball. It's easier for Chase to overcome Browning's limitations than it is for Higgins, in other words.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd

Denver Broncos vs. Los Angeles Chargers

DENVER WIDE RECEIVERS

If Courtland Sutton (concussion) is out then most of that slack falls to Jerry Jeudy, who should be able to get the better of these corners. Asante Samuel and especially Michael Davis have been beaten by lesser receivers, though Derwin James as the team's new primary slot corner raises some potential concerns. Brandon Johnson is in that Demarcus Robinson category of receiver where he can make a catch if the defense forgets to cover him.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Brandon Johnson

CHARGERS WIDE RECEIVERS

With no Keenan Allen or Joshua Palmer the Chargers are truly down to almost nothing at receiver. Quentin Johnston continues to disappoint, and while he has a little time to still get it together, he gets no benefit of the doubt in the meantime. Aside from Johnston is appears the main boundary receiver will be Alex Erickson, so. With receivers like these, the disadvantage will always be on the offense.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Quentin Johnston, Alex Erickson