And just like that we're on to Week 3. I'll be breaking down the WR/CB matchups all season long with a focus on figuring out who could be facing shadow coverage as well as the best and worst overall situations. We'll also briefly touch on each team's TE group.
Titans at Jaguars
Titans Offense
| Position | WR | Height | Weight | Speed | CB | Height | Weight | Speed |
| Left | A.J. Brown | 72 | 226 | 4.49 | A.J. Bouye | 72 | 186 | 4.6 |
| Slot | Adam Humphries | 71 | 195 | 4.58 | D.J. Hayden | 71 | 191 | 4.45 |
| Right | Corey Davis | 75 | 209 | 4.53 | Jalen Ramsey | 73 | 209 | 4.41 |
Projected shadow matchups: Corey Davis vs. Jalen Ramsey
WR/CB breakdown: No Titans WR has even 10 targets through two weeks. That's simply a reality of life inside of the league's ninth-most run-heavy offense.
It's impossible to trust any of these WRs in season-long formats of all shapes and sizes, particularly Davis in his brutal shadow matchup.
To say Ramsey is special is an understatement. He reportedly won't trade be traded until Friday at the earliest.
A.J. Brown flashed in a big way in Week 1 ... but posted a mediocre 3-25-0 line on five targets in Week 2. High-priced free agent addition Adam Humphries has caught 3-of-4 targets this season for a whopping four yards.
Avoid these WRs until we get some sort of clarity in target share or at least get an easier matchup.
TE breakdown: 35-year-old Delanie Walker continues to work as Mariota's featured target. He also carries a low floor in this run-first offense, but he's at least looked plenty healthy on his way to posting 5-55-2 and 4-39-0 lines to start the season. Still, this is far from an easy matchup. While Travis Kelce managed to hang a 3-88-0 line on the Jaguars in Week 1, they allowed the seventh-fewest yards to the TE position in 2018. Try to find a better option than anyone involved in the Titans passing game this week.
Jaguars Offense
| Position | WR | Height | Weight | Speed | CB | Height | Weight | Speed |
| Left | Chris Conley | 74 | 213 | 4.35 | Malcolm Butler | 70 | 187 | 4.67 |
| Slot | Dede Westbrook | 72 | 178 | 4.44 | Logan Ryan | 71 | 191 | 4.56 |
| Right | D.J. Chark | 75 | 199 | 4.34 | Adoree' Jackson | 70 | 186 | 4.42 |
Projected shadow matchups: None
WR/CB breakdown: Gardner Minshew's target distribution through roughly seven quarters is as follows:
- D.J. Chark: 11
- Dede Westbrook: 11
- Leonard Fournette: 11
- Chris Conley: 10
- James O'Shaughnessy: 8
- Geoff Swaim: 7
- Keelan Cole: 1
- Ryquell Armstead: 1
Minshew, like other air-raid QBs we've seen in the league, tends to spread the ball out and not zero in on any one particular receiver. This is a great strategy in real life, but doesn't help us a whole lot in fantasy football.
Still, Chark has emerged as the group's alpha through two weeks. Overall, his average of 3.1 yards per route run trails only Sammy Watkins (3.2), A.J. Brown (3.6), Antonio Brown (4), Michael Gallup (4.4), DeSean Jackson (4.4) and Hollywood Brown (5.2) among all WRs with at least five targets this season (per PFF).
The Titans haven't asked Adoree' Jackson to travel this season, most likely due to Malcolm Butler playing at a much higher level than we saw in 2018. Chark is the play here out of anyone, but this entire game isn't exactly a fantasy-friendly environment in what's shaping up to be one of the slowest-paced matchups of Week 3.
TE breakdown: Neither James O'Shaughnessy nor Geoff Swaim should be considered as viable fantasy options as long as they're splitting targets and snaps nearly equally in this below-average offense.
Bengals at Bills
Bengals Offense
| Position | WR | Height | Weight | Speed | CB | Height | Weight | Speed |
| Left | Damion Willis | 75 | 204 | 4.56 | Levi Wallace | 72 | 179 | 4.63 |
| Slot | Tyler Boyd | 73 | 197 | 4.58 | Kevin Johnson | 72 | 188 | 4.52 |
| Right | John Ross | 71 | 188 | 4.22 | Tre'Davious White | 71 | 192 | 4.47 |
Projected shadow matchups: None
WR/CB breakdown: The Bills didn't ask stud CB Tre'Davious White to shadow against Robby Anderson in Week 1, and there wasn't exactly a viable candidate for his services against the Giants in Week 2.
White should see plenty of John Ross throughout the afternoon, but I don't expect the Bills to go out of their way to make sure they're consistently matched up.
Tyler Boyd probably has the best matchup of the group in the slot against Kevin Johnson or Taron Johnson (hamstring). Still, this Bills secondary has been a unit to avoid for the better part of the last 18 regular season contests, as they've allowed a league-low 181 passing yards per game since Week 1 of 2018. The Vikings are the next-closest defense at 200.
The Bengals' injury-riddled offensive line has had trouble both opening up holes in the run game as well as protecting Andy Dalton (nine sacks through two weeks). They're presently implied to score a putrid 19 points in this brutal road matchup (per FantasyLabs).
I expect to side with the non-Bengals' option in most start/sit questions involving either Boyd or Ross.
TE breakdown: Tyler Eifert (39 routes) and C.J. Uzomah (46) continue to largely split reps as receivers despite the latter TE playing far more snaps. Both are best avoided against a Bills secondary that joins the Chiefs as the only defenses to rank among the top-10 units in fewest PPR allowed to the TE position in at least four of the past five seasons.
Bills Offense
| Position | WR | Height | Weight | Speed | CB | Height | Weight | Speed |
| Left | John Brown | 70 | 179 | 4.34 | William Jackson | 72 | 189 | 4.37 |
| Slot | Cole Beasley | 68 | 177 | 4.54 | B.W. Webb | 70 | 184 | 4.51 |
| Right | Zay Jones | 74 | 201 | 4.45 | Dre Kirkpatrick | 74 | 186 | 4.57 |
Projected shadow matchups: None
WR/CB breakdown: Smokey Brown (18 targets) continues to work ahead of Cole Beasley (13) as Josh Allen's No. 1 target, while Zay Jones (7) has largely been an afterthought.
Allen narrowly missed a wide-open Brown on what would've been a 50-plus yard touchdown in Week 2. This is part of life with the No. 7 overall pick of the 2018 draft: Allen misses some easy throws throughout the game before inevitably making a play or two that only a handful of humans on this planet are capable of pulling off.
The Bengals looked lost on defense more than a few times against Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers in Week 2. That's particularly bad news against a speedster like Brown, who is plenty capable of getting behind any CB in the league.
TE breakdown: Lead-receiving TE Dawson Knox has caught 2-of-6 targets for 19 scoreless yards this season. Don't play him.
Lions at Eagles
Lions Offense
| Position | WR | Height | Weight | Speed | CB | Height | Weight | Speed |
| Left | Kenny Golladay | 76 | 218 | 4.5 | Rasul Douglas | 74 | 209 | 4.59 |
| Slot | Danny Amendola | 70 | 186 | 4.68 | Avonte Maddox | 69 | 184 | 4.39 |
| Right | Marvin Jones | 74 | 200 | 4.46 | Ronald Darby | 71 | 193 | 4.38 |
Projected shadow matchups: None
WR/CB breakdown: The list of No. 1 WRs to absolutely roast the Eagles since Week 1 of last season grows longer by the week. In fact, it's alarming.
- Amari Cooper: 10-217-3
- Michael Thomas: 12-171-1, 4-92-1
- Julio Jones: 10-169-0, 5-106-2
- Corey Davis: 9-161-1
- Allen Robinson: 10-143-1
- Adam Thielen: 7-116-1
- Stefon Diggs: 10-91-0
- DeAndre Hopkins: 9-104-0
- Mike Evans: 10-83-1
- Terry McLaurin: 5-125-1
Unsurprisingly, they ranked dead last in receiving yards allowed per game to opposing No. 1 WRs in 2018 (Football Outsiders).
This is most-relevant news for Kenny Golladay, who has caught 12 of his team-high 19 targets for 159 yards and a pair of touchdowns through two weeks. Fire him up in fantasy football formats of all shapes and sizes.
I wouldn't expect Marvin Jones or Danny Amendola to offer much week-to-week consistency in this run-first offense.
TE breakdown: T.J. Hockenson fell back to earth in Week 2, posting a pedestrian 1-7-0 line on just three targets one week removed from racking up 131 yards and a touchdown. Hockenson is a stud and will have better days, but we shouldn't necessarily expect a ton of consistency from a TE that could be Matthew Stafford's No. 4 target in any given week. This matchup vs. Malcolm Jenkins and an Eagles Defense that allowed the fourth-fewest DraftKings PPG to the TE position in 2018 isn't one to target.
Eagles Offense
| Position | WR | Height | Weight | Speed | CB | Height | Weight | Speed |
| Left | JJ Arcega-Whiteside | 74 | 225 | 4.54 | Darius Slay | 72 | 192 | 4.36 |
| Slot | Nelson Agholor | 72 | 198 | 4.42 | Justin Coleman | 71 | 185 | 4.53 |
| Right | Mack Hollins | 76 | 221 | 4.53 | Rashaan Melvin | 74 | 192 | 4.47 |
Projected shadow matchups: None
WR/CB breakdown: Both Alshon Jeffery (calf) and DeSean Jackson (abdominal) are tentatively not expected to suit up Sunday. Their availability for next Thursday night in Week 4 is also up in the air.
Stud CB Darius Slay has spent 23% of his snaps in the slot this season and could certainly cover Nelson Agholor in high-leverage situations. Still, it seems unlikely the Lions ask Slay to consistently track the Eagles' normal No. 4 pass-game option.
Carson Wentz was banged up and accordingly erratic in Week 2 against the Falcons. Now he'll face an improved Lions Defense that has largely managed to bend-not-break against both the Cardinals and Chargers through two weeks. Each of Agholor (96% snap rate in Week 2), JJAW (93% snap rate) and Mack Hollins (85%) are discount DFS and waiver-wire options thanks to their new-found opportunity, but this isn't a cake-walk matchup by any stretch.
I'm most inclined to take a chance on the Eagles' second-round rookie WR. Arcega-Whiteside truly seems to be #good at the game and demonstrated a penchant for coming down with contested catches during his collegiate career at Stanford.
TE breakdown: Dallas Goedert (calf) is tentatively expected to join D-Jax and Jeffery on the sideline Sunday afternoon. Zach Ertz racked up 16 targets in Week 2 with the majority of the offense's starting receivers sidelined. Only Larry Fitzgerald (24 targets), DJ Moore (24), Sammy Watkins (24), Keenan Allen (25) and Michael Thomas (26) have more targets than Ertz (23) this season. Continue to fire him up as a top-three TE with confidence.
Jets at Patriots
Jets Offense
| Position | WR | Height | Weight | Speed | CB | Height | Weight | Speed |
| Left | Robby Anderson | 75 | 190 | 4.41 | Stephon Gilmore | 72 | 190 | 4.4 |
| Slot | Jamison Crowder | 68 | 185 | 4.56 | Jonathan Jones | 69 | 186 | 4.33 |
| Right | Josh Bellamy | 72 | 206 | 4.52 | Jason McCourty | 70 | 193 | 4.35 |
Projected shadow matchups: Robby Anderson vs. Stephon Gilmore
WR/CB breakdown: The Jets will move forward with Luke Falk under center, as Sam Darnold (mono) and Trevor Siemian (ankle, IR) are both sidelined.
The early returns from Falk were positive for both Anderson and Le'Veon Bell.
- Le'Veon Bell: 8 targets with Falk at QB
- Robby Anderson: 6
- Jamison Crowder: 5
- Ty Montgomery: 3
- Josh Bellamy: 2
- Ryan Griffin: 1
Falk and Anderson even managed to connect on the season's most-improbable completion to this point (per Next-Gen Stats).
Alas, the Jets' passing game is running into a buzz saw this week vs. a Patriots Defense that hasn't allowed a touchdown since January 20, 2019. Bill Belichick and company have been Anderson's kryptonite to this point, holding the stud field-stretcher to 2-34-0, 0-0-0, 4-76-0, 1-2-0, 2-22-0 and 3-24-0 lines in six career matchups.
I strongly advise playing anyone other than Bell in a Jets Offense presently implied to score a laughably-low 10.5 points.
TE breakdown: Ryan Griffin played 94% and 90% of the Jets' offensive snaps in Weeks 1 and 2, respectively. And yet, he's caught 3-of-5 targets for a whopping 10 scoreless yards. Don't play him, but strongly consider picking up stud second-year TE Chris Herndon if available on your waiver wire before he returns from suspension in Week 6.
Patriots Offense
| Position | WR | Height | Weight | Speed | CB | Height | Weight | Speed |
| Left | Josh Gordon | 75 | 225 | 4.57 | Darryl Roberts | 71 | 187 | 4.43 |
| Slot | Julian Edelman | 70 | 198 | 4.57 | Brian Poole | 70 | 209 | 4.55 |
| Right | Antonio Brown | 70 | 186 | 4.56 | Nate Hairston | 72 | 196 | 4.52 |
Projected shadow matchups: None
WR/CB breakdown: Antonio Brown was force fed the ball in his Patriots' debut. Overall, he received eight targets along with a rush attempt off a fly sweep on just 24 snaps.
The nature of AB's targets paint the picture of a high-end fantasy WR with multi-touchdown upside. They were as follows:
- 18 yard completion up the seam
- 10 yard completion on an out
- 8 yard completion on a curl
- 20-yard TD on slot fade
- Incomplete on an in
- Incomplete slot fade in end zone
- Incomplete slant in end zone
- Incomplete fade in end zone
Brown predictably stole most of Phillip Dorsett's snaps, while Josh Gordon (79% snap rate) and Julian Edelman (92%) continued to work in near full-time roles.
The entire Patriots' passing game is set up brilliantly as the week's second-highest implied offense against an already mediocre Jets secondary that benched presumed No. 1 CB Trumaine Johnson in Week 2 and is dealing with social-media angst from star SS Jamal Adams. Don't be afraid to start multiple Patriots WRs in the same fantasy lineup if you're lucky enough to have them.
TE breakdown: Matt LaCosse has posted a pedestrian 2-33-0 line this season, as the Patriots have trended towards utilizing more zero-TE sets thanks to their abundance of talented WRs and pass-catching RBs. It's fine to ignore the Patriots' TE until Rob Gronkowski inevitably comes out of retirement.
Raiders at Vikings
Raiders Offense
| Position | WR | Height | Weight | Speed | CB | Height | Weight | Speed |
| Left | Tyrell Williams | 75 | 204 | 4.48 | Xavier Rhodes | 73 | 210 | 4.43 |
| Slot | Hunter Renfrow | 70 | 184 | 4.59 | Jayron Kearse | 76 | 215 | 4.62 |
| Right | Ryan Grant | 73 | 191 | 4.64 | Trae Waynes | 72 | 186 | 4.31 |
Projected shadow matchups: Tyrell Williams vs. Xavier Rhodes
WR/CB breakdown: Williams is dealing with a hip pointer, but he has already stated that he expects to suit up Sunday.
Derek Carr's No. 1 WR has posted sturdy 6-105-1 and 5-46-1 lines in Weeks 1 and 2, respectively, on seven targets in each matchup. Still, a road trip to U.S. Bank Stadium is far from ideal, particularly when it includes a likely shadow date with Rhodes. The Vikings join the Broncos and Chargers as the only defenses that have ranked as top-10 units in fewest PPR allowed to the WR position in at least four of the past five seasons.
Hunter Renfrow racked up a team-high eight targets last week and has the group's coziest matchup in the slot against plus-sized nickelback Jayron Kearse. The likelihood that Carr faces a good amount of pressure and will thus be forced to get rid of the ball quickly also bodes well for his rookie slot receiver's chances at again having a big role this week.
Ultimately, I wouldn't expect too much from anyone involved in a Raiders Offense presently implied to score a mediocre 17.5 points.
TE breakdown: Darren Waller has caught 13-of-15 targets this season for 133 scoreless yards. The Raiders' uber-athletic TE has a very real chance to lead the offense in targets. The matchup against Harrison Smith and company isn't ideal, but Austin Hooper (9-77-0 in Week 1) proved that it's still possible for the TE position to post some solid production with enough short-to-intermediate targets vs. the Vikings' elite secondary.
Vikings Offense
| Position | WR | Height | Weight | Speed | CB | Height | Weight | Speed |
| Left | Stefon Diggs | 72 | 195 | 4.46 | Gareon Conley | 72 | 195 | 4.44 |
| Slot | Chad Beebe | 70 | 178 | 4.73 | Lamarcus Joyner | 68 | 184 | 4.55 |
| Right | Adam Thielen | 75 | 200 | 4.54 | Daryl Worley | 73 | 204 | 4.64 |
Projected shadow matchups: None
WR/CB breakdown: The Raiders have been absolutely brutal against pretty much every non-slot WR they've faced this season.
- Demarcus Robinson: 6-172-2
- Mecole Hardman: 4-61-1 (72-yard TD called back as well)
- Sammy Watkins: 6-49-0
- Emmanuel Sanders: 5-86-1
- Courtland Sutton: 7-120-0
- DaeSean Hamilton: 2-5-0
Both Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen are plenty capable of balling out this week ... if they get the opportunity. The Vikings boast a league-high 60% run-play rate through two weeks. This is somewhat skewed by their blowout victory over the Falcons in Week 1, but it's clear this offense revolves around Dalvin Cook and the run game.
I'd probably take the under on Kirk Cousins attempting 24.5 passes this week. Fire up Diggs and Thielen in season-long formats in this cake matchup, but they'll need to continue to make the most of their limited opportunities in this ridiculously run-heavy offense.
TE breakdown: Kyle Rudolph has caught 3-of-6 targets this season for ... nine scoreless yards. Second-round TE Irv Smith Jr. figures to get more involved as the year goes on. Avoid these dudes until further notice.
Ravens at Chiefs
Ravens Offense
| Position | WR | Height | Weight | Speed | CB | Height | Weight | Speed |
| Left | Miles Boykin | 76 | 220 | 4.42 | Charvarius Ward | 73 | 198 | 4.49 |
| Slot | Willie Snead | 71 | 195 | 4.62 | Kendall Fuller | 71 | 187 | |
| Right | Marquise Brown | 69 | 166 | Bashaud Breeland | 71 | 197 | 4.62 |
Projected shadow matchups: Marquise Brown vs. Bashaud Breeland
WR/CB breakdown: Hollywood Brown was injured in the pre-draft process and never ran a 40-yard dash. Still, he reportedly ran a 4.3-flat 40-yard dash at Oklahoma in 2018, and his game tape reveals a player that regularly moves at a different speed than everyone else.
I'm confident in dubbing Hollywood as this week's prime boom candidate in our weekly #SpeedKills matchup analysis.
Brown's Week 1 snap concerns were erased last week against the Cardinals, as he played on 51-of-79 (65%) offensive plays. He's racked up a team-high 18 targets through two games and displayed a fantasy-friendly floor in Week 2 thanks to the Ravens feeding him high-percentage looks on screens and crossers.
Target share is too scarce to fire up either Miles Boykin or Willie Snead, but play Hollywood as a WR2 with confidence in the Ravens' top-flight offense.
TE breakdown: Mark Andrews has caught 16-of-17 targets for 220 yards and a pair of touchdowns this season. Snap concerns have been mitigated by the reality that this passing offense is designed to flow through him and Brown. Andrews might be the best TE in the league outside of San Francisco with the ball in his hands, while Jackson has regularly looked for him on deep fantasy-friendly targets down the seam. He should be approached as an every-week mid-tier TE1.
Chiefs Offense
| Position | WR | Height | Weight | Speed | CB | Height | Weight | Speed |
| Left | Demarcus Robinson | 73 | 203 | 4.59 | Anthony Averett | 71 | 178 | 4.36 |
| Slot | Sammy Watkins | 73 | 211 | 4.43 | Brandon Carr | 72 | 207 | 4.44 |
| Right | Mecole Hardman | 70 | 187 | 4.33 | Marlon Humphrey | 72 | 197 | 4.41 |
Projected shadow matchups: None
WR/CB breakdown: Each of Sammy Watkins (92% snaps in Week 2), Demarcus Robinson (91%) and Mecole Hardman (74%) are locked into 3-WR sets ahead of De'Anthony Thomas (5%) and Byron Pringle (5%) while Tyreek Hill (collarbone, out) remains sidelined.
D-Rob's 6-172-2 line last week demonstrated the type of insane ceiling that even the No. 3 or No. 4 receiver can have with Patrick Mahomes under center. Note that Hardman (4-61-1) would've joined Robinson in the Week 2 multi-touchdown club had his 72-yard score not been negated by a holding penalty.
Watkins is locked in as the offense's No. 1 WR after racking up a team-high 13 targets last week. His slot rate ballooned from 52% in Week 1 to 65% in Week 2, which means he should spend the most time of the group across from 33-year-old Brandon Carr.
Matchups don't quite matter when the QB is capable of making almost literally every throw on the field. Fire up any and all members of the Chiefs passing game with confidence.
TE breakdown: Kelce caught 7-of-9 targets for 107 yards and a touchdown in his first game without Hill since 2015. There's more than enough speed on the outside for him to continue to make defenses pay in the intermediate zones. Attempting to guard Mahomes' trusty TE one-on-one with a SS or LB remains a death sentence. Kelce continues to be locked in as fantasy's overall TE1.