What’s up, Karma Nation!? I have some great news for you! If you’re thinking about joining the Karma Nation, use Promo Code “TOUCHDOWN” to get 20% of ANY package for the lifetime of that subscription! Click here for our packages.
Matchups to Attack
Kenny Golladay vs DeAndre Baker
Kenny Golladay is coming off of a terrible game, but he still possesses 25 receptions for 385 yards and 4 touchdowns on 47 targets through 6 games this season. He currently ranks seventh in the NBA in air yards (660), while boasting a 14 aDOT. Golladay has been a boom or bust option over his last five games. Over that span, he has scored 20+ fantasy points 3 times, while also scoring fewer than 4 fantasy points twice. Prior to last week, he had seen eight or more targets in every game this season, and he could find similar targets this week. Golladay also leads the Detroit Lions with eight red zone targets this season.
He has only played 33% of his snaps as Detroit’s right outside receiver, but that’s the position he’s expected to play this week. Golladay is expected to get a matchup against DeAndre Baker, who is in the same position as him. Baker has played only 15% of his snaps as the New York Giants left outside cornerback, and he’s expected to play that role in this game. Baker has struggled throughout his rookie season, allowing a 74% catch rate, while being targeted on 16% of his routes covered. He has also allowed his opponents to post 0.37 fantasy points and 1.94 yards per route covered against him this season. Baker has graded out as the third worst cornerback in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). Golladay comes with tremendous upside, and he makes an elite option in one of the best matchups on the slate.
Robby Anderson vs Tre Herndon
Robby Anderson hasn’t been enjoying the season that most were expecting, as he has only recorded 17 receptions for 266 yards and 1 touchdown on 37 targets. He has only truly found success in one of his games this season, posting 5 receptions for 125 yards and 1 touchdown (26.5 fantasy points) against the Dallas Cowboys. Most importantly, Anderson has seen 23 targets in only 3 games with Sam Darnold, including the game against the Cowboys. Unsurprisingly, he has only seen one red zone target in 2019, but he continues to be a deep threat, boasting tremendous upside with a terrible floor.
Anderson has played the majority of his snaps (50%) as the New York Jets left outside receiver. He’ll face off against Tre Herndon, who has only played 37% of his snaps as the Jacksonville Jaguars right outside cornerback. With that being said, that’s the position he has taken over since the trade of Jalen Ramsey. He has been targeted on 24% of his routes covered, giving up a 51% catch rate. Herndon has also struggled in 2019, allowing his opponents to record 0.37 fantasy points and 1.81 yards per route covered this season. He has graded out PFF’s sixth worst cornerback in the NFL, as well. Anderson is at his best with Darnold under center, and he is a breakout candidate in this matchup this week.
D.J. Chark Jr. vs Trumaine Johnson
D.J. Chark has been one of the bigger surprises in the NFL this season. He has looked outstanding through 7 games, recording 33 receptions for 581 yards and 5 touchdowns on 48 targets. Chark ranks in the top-10 of the NFL in air yards (650), while also boasting a 13.5 aDOT. He has only seen 4 red zone targets, but he has turned those into 3 receptions for 27 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Chark has played 46% of his snaps as the Jacksonville Jaguars right outside receiver this season. He gets an interesting matchup against Trumaine Johnson, who has played 90% of his snaps as the New York Jets left outside cornerback. He has been targeted on 18% of his routes covered, allowing his opponents to post a 72% catch rate against him. Johnson has also given up 0.31 fantasy points and 1.44 yards per route covered in 2019. He has graded out as a bottom-13 cornerback in the NFL, per PFF. He has the name value to keep ownership off of Chark this weekend, but his inability to find success on the field makes Chark one of the higher upside options on this slate.
Matchups to Avoid
Cleveland Browns vs New England Patriots
The Cleveland Browns have featured arguably the most disappointing receiver group in the NFL this season. As an offense, they are averaging only 249.3 passing yards and 0.8 passing touchdowns per game. Odell Beckham Jr. is averaging only 14.3 fantasy points per game, while Jarvis Landry sits slightly below him at 12.2 fantasy points per game. While they have both flashed 25+ fantasy point upside, they have been far too inconsistent to provide the fantasy value many were expecting throughout the 2019 season.
The New England Patriots are a defense that shadows opposing receivers on a near weekly basis. Jonathan Jones has graded out as New England’s best cornerback, and he’s expected to shadow Landry in this game. Stephon Gilmore has shadowed opposing WR1s for quite some time, while flashing elite skill on a weekly basis. He will matchup against Odell Beckham Jr. Jason McCourty is the final option for the Patriots, and he will shadow the final Cleveland receiver on the field in three-receiver sets. Each of the three New England cornerbacks have graded out in the top-seven of the NFL, according to PFF. Cleveland is an offense that can be avoided as a whole, especially their receivers.
Dede Westbrook vs Brian Poole
Dede Westbrook has somewhat taken a backseat to D.J. Chark this season, posting 32 receptions for 383 yards and 1 touchdown on 54 targets through 7 games. He’s coming off of his best game of the year, recording 6 receptions for 103 yards on 9 targets against the Cincinnati Bengals. Westbrook has only seen a 6.1 aDOT to go along with 329 air yards in 2019. He leads Jacksonville in red zone targets, though, turning 5 targets into only 2 receptions for 13 yards and 1 touchdown.
Westbrook has been the Jacksonville slot receiver in 2019. He has played 84% of his snaps in that position this season. He’ll get a matchup against Brian Poole, who has played 99% of his snaps as the New York Jets slot corner. He has only been targeted on 14% of his routes covered, holding his opponents to a 57% catch rate. Poole has also only given up 0.21 fantasy points and 0.92 yards per route covered in 2019. Overall, he has graded out as PFF’s fourth best cornerback in the NFL. Westbrook could feature a bit more ownership, as he’s coming off of his best game of the season, but Chark is the Jacksonville receiver that should be used this week.
Curtis Samuel vs Richard Sherman
Curtis Samuel has flashed tremendous upside this season, and he boasts 23 receptions for 297 yards and 3 touchdowns on 43 targets through 6 games. He has seen 637 air yards in 2019, while possessing a 14.8 aDOT. Samuel also leads the Carolina Panthers in red zone targets, recording 3 receptions for 32 yards and 1 touchdown on 5 targets. He’s coming off of his best game of the season, as well, posting two touchdowns against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Samuel has played the majority of his snaps (49%) as the Carolina right outside receiver. He gets a tough matchup against Richard Sherman, who has played 98% of his snaps as the San Francisco 49ers left outside cornerback. He has held his opponents to a 50% catch rate this season, while being targeted on 19% of his routes covered. Sherman has also held his opponents to 0.23 fantasy points and 1.00 yard per route covered. He has graded out as a top-15 cornerback in the NFL this season, per PFF. Samuel has been somewhat touchdown dependent in 2019, and he could struggle to find success in this particular matchup.
Follow Justin Bales on Twitter (@BalesSJustin)
