Fantasy Football: 5 Receiver-Cornerback Matchups to Exploit in Week 6

Matchups are everything in the NFL, especially at the receiver position.

For fantasy purposes, being able to identify which receivers have advantageous (or disadvantageous) matchups is a sharp way to get a leg up on your opponent.

Each Friday I'll be listing out the best wide receiver-cornerback matchups for the upcoming week. It doesn't take a genius to tell you to start Tyreek Hill, but there will be weeks when some WR1s have better matchups and other weeks when typical WR2 or WR3s have matchups that bump them up in our weekly rankings.

But how do we know what to look for?

First, the numberFire (nF) Player Matchups chart helps to identify advantageous matchups for specific positions.

Then, we dive deeper into the specific cornerbacks. Pro Football Focus (PFF) Player Grades and their WR/CB Matchup chart are great starting points for identifying which specific matchups we want to target.

For receivers, the three key statistics we'll be citing are Target Share, average depth of target (aDOT), and Net Expected Points (NEP). For cornerbacks, we're mainly looking at the percentage of targets caught (REC%), Forced Incompletions per Target (FI%), and the opposing quarterbacks' NFL Passer Rating against them.

Projections and rankings via numberFire. All statistics via PFF or NFL Next Gen Stats unless otherwise noted.

Week 6 Receiver-Cornerback Matchups

Cooper Kupp (LAR)-Arizona Cardinals

numberFire Projection: 20.1 fantasy points (WR3)

• 80.5 yards
• 7.2 receptions (10.2 targets)

FanDuel Props:

• O/U 88.5 yards
• O/U 7.5 receptions

Man, is it good to have Cooper Kupp back or what?

Kupp didn't miss a beat in his season debut, playing 94.5% of snaps and garnering a team-high 35.3% target share. While 5 of his 8 catches (and 58 of his 118 yards) came on the Los Angeles Rams' first possession, it was great to see him back on the field and playing as much as he did.

At the end of the day, Kupp finished with 15.8 half-PPR points in his debut -- good for 12th-most among wide receivers in Week 5.

With a soft matchup against the Arizona Cardinals on deck, don't be shocked to see a vintage Cooper Kupp masterclass in Week 6.

Arizona has been frisky, but they've also been the single most fantasy-friendly defense to opposing wide receivers. They've given up the most adjusted fantasy points per target (1.68) and rank in the bottom 10 in both catch rate over expectation (9.6%) and yards per route run (1.89) to the position.

The Rams moved Kupp all around the formation in his debut, splitting his time between the slot (24 snaps) and out wide (29 snaps) nearly identically.

That'll match him up with a number of different Arizona defenders this week, but expect him to see a lot of Marco Wilson (42.4 PFF coverage grade) out wide and Jalen Thompson (63.8) in the slot.

Neither of those is a particularly daunting matchup. Thompson has allowed 10 of 14 targets to be caught for 117 yards in the slot, giving up a 96.4 passer rating when targeted. While those aren't great marks by any means, they aren't nearly as bad as Marco Wilson's. He patrols the left wideout (where Kupp saw 17 snaps last week) and has given up the most receptions (31) and yards (423) in the entire league. On top of that, Wilson has let up 3 touchdowns already and his 145 yards after the catch (YAC) allowed is the most among any defensive back.

Nobody can guard Cooper Kupp, but the Cardinals especially cannot guard Cooper Kupp. He's an easy WR1, and I wouldn't be shocked to see him lead the league in scoring this week.

Jakobi Meyers (LV)-J.C. Jackson (NE)

numberFire Projection: 13.3 fantasy points (WR23)

• 63.6 yards
• 5.1 receptions (7.9 targets)

FanDuel Props:

• O/U 56.5 yards
• O/U 5.5 receptions

Put some respect on this man Jakobi Meyers' name!

Meyers has been absolutely electric in his first few games with the Las Vegas Raiders.

He missed Week 2 with a concussion and didn't have Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 4, so his season-long numbers aren't eye-popping. However, a healthy Meyers with Jimmy G under center has finished as the WR3 (24.6 points), WR31 (12.0 points), and WR10 (17.0 points). He's commanded a 32.3% target share, a 41.3% air yard share, and a 37.5% red zone target share in those three games.

Prett-ay, prett-ay, prett-ay good.

The good times should keep on rolling in Week 6 when Jakobi takes on his former team, the New England Patriots. For as bad as New England has been this season, their secondary has actually been decent. They've given up the 10th-fewest fantasy points per target (1.33) to wideouts, and rank 14th in EPA per dropback (-0.07).

However, a lack of depth resulted in them trading for J.C. Jackson -- one of the least effective corners in the NFL and the man projected to see a lot of Jakobi Meyers on Sunday. Jackson's 28.1 coverage grade was the lowest mark PFF handed out last season (minimum 150 passing downs) regardless of position. For the most part, it's been more of the same in 2023.

Jackson has allowed 8 of 17 targets to be caught this season, giving up 133 yards and a touchdown in the process. Though he's allowed just a 69.0 passer rating when targeted, his 43.1 coverage grade is more indicative of how he's performed.

Frankly, even an average matchup would make Meyers a strong play this week given how much action he's seeing. But, with last year's single-worst coverage defender checking him, Meyers is a must-start and has top-12 upside in Week 6.

Chris Godwin (TB)-Will Harris (DET)

numberFire Projection: 12.5 fantasy points (WR29)

• 56.0 yards
• 5.1 receptions (7.7 targets)

FanDuel Props:

• O/U 57.5 yards
• O/U 5.5 receptions

There are people out there who may be fading Chris Godwin now that Mike Evans is officially active for Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions.

I get it!

Godwin has only had one week this season where he finished inside the top-40 receivers...the one game where Evans left early with an injury.

With Evans returning, Godwin doesn't have much upside, right?

Wrong.

While Evans' return may cut into the season-high 11 targets that Godwin saw in Week 4, it's not like he wasn't seeing targets with Evans active. If you omit that game, Godwin is still seeing a 21.3% target share and 25.4% air yard share on the year -- both second on the team and more than enough for fantasy production.

Without looking at the matchup, I'd declare Godwin a buy in fantasy. He still hasn't scored despite seeing 36.8% of the team's red zone targets, and his aDOT (9.2) is up dramatically from last season (5.5).

But then, you look at his matchup. On paper, the Lions are pretty strong defensively. They rank 11th in EPA per dropback (-0.12) and have only given up 1.45 fantasy points per target to receivers (a league-average mark).

However, Detroit has a glaring weakness in the slot where Godwin lined up 35% of the time in the three games Evans was healthy. The Lions have allowed the third-most fantasy points per game (16.1) to slot receivers, per Razzball. To make matters worse, standout rookie Brian Branch -- who was Detroit's primary slot defender -- will miss his second consecutive game this week with an injury.

In his place, Godwin projects to match up with corner Will Harris. Harris has given up 6 receptions on 7 targets for 104 yards while filling in for Branch the past two weeks. In general, opposing quarterbacks have thrived when targeting Harris this season, putting up a 117.6 passer rating. He has the worst PFF coverage grade (55.7) of any Detroit defensive back -- a number that could drop even further once Godwin is done with him.

He hasn't produced like one very often this season, but Godwin is right on that WR2/WR3 line in Week 6.

Josh Downs (IND)-Tre Herndon (JAX)

numberFire Projection: 9.5 fantasy points (WR44)

• 45.6 yards
• 3.7 receptions (6.1 targets)

FanDuel Props:

• O/U 45.5 yards
• O/U 3.5 receptions

If you're like me and bought into Josh Downs last week, you're probably eager to get back in on him.

It's hard not to be pleased with last week's output. Downs cruised past his 35.5-yard prop on FanDuel, finishing with 97 yards from 6 receptions.

As a result, he turned in the best fantasy performance of his career with a solid WR18 finish (12.7 half-PPR points).

With any luck, that will end up being his second-best fantasy output once Week 6 is wrapped up. Downs' Indianapolis Colts take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, lending the third-round rookie to again have an advantageous slot matchup.

Jags slot corner Tre Herndon has been the worst slot defender in the NFL this season, and it's not even really close. Herndon has let up 16 of 19 passes thrown his way be caught, giving up a league-worst 208 yards in the process. Opposing quarterbacks have a 147.4 passer rating when targeting Herndon -- the highest mark among defenders with at least 40 slot coverage snaps.

Downs has enjoyed heavy usage all season, but he's really seen an uptick in the last three weeks. With a 28.6% share in Week 3 and then a 25% share in Week 5, Downs now ranks second on the team with a 20.6% target share for the season. He's also averaged a healthy 5.0 yards after the catch (YAC) per route -- a number that could climb considering Herndon has allowed the second-most slot YAC (108) in the NFL.

Coincidentally, Gardner Minshew -- Indy's starting quarterback for the foreseeable future -- was the starter in Week 3 and played the entire second half of Week 5. Minshew has long done well by his slot receivers. In 2019, Dede Westbrook and Keelan Cole combined for 90 receptions and over 1,000 yards splitting time in the slot for Minshew's Jags. Then, in 2020, Minshew had Cole performing as the WR21 through the first four weeks before he got hurt.

Minshew under center should only help Downs continue to grow as a receiver, and he has the matchup to thrive again in Week 6. He's best thought of as a WR3, but don't be surprised to see him finish as a top-24 wide receiver.

Curtis Samuel (WSH)-Dee Alford (ATL)

numberFire Projection: 7.4 fantasy points (WR59)

• 28.5 yards
• 2.7 receptions (4.0 targets)

FanDuel Props:

• O/U 34.5 yards
• O/U 3.5 receptions

Washington Commanders slot man Curtis Samuel has finished as a top-15 wide receiver each of the last two weeks and has the matchup to do so again in Week 6.

Samuel and the Commanders take on the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Atlanta's been pretty mediocre against the pass this season, ranking 19th in EPA per drop back (-0.02) and allowing the 12th-fewest adjusted fantasy points per target (1.37) to wide receivers. They notably feature one of the better outside corners in the league, A.J. Terrell, so I'm not expecting much from Terry McLaurin or Jahan Dotson.

On the inside? Not so much.

Slot corner Dee Alford has graded well (83.1 PFF coverage grade) but has been fantasy-friendly to opposing wideouts.

For the season, Aflord has given up the third-most receptions (20 on 28 targets), the fifth-most yards (174), and a generous 99.4 passer rating when targeted in the slot.

However, it's not all on him. The Falcons as a whole have struggled to defend slot receivers; just take a look at how opposing slot receivers have held up against them the last four weeks:

• Jayden Reed: 4 receptions (4 targets), 37 yards, 2 touchdowns, 17.7 fantasy points (WR16)
• Amon-Ra St. Brown: 9 receptions (12 targets), 102 yards, 15.1 fantasy points (WR15)
• Christian Kirk: 8 receptions (12 targets), 84 yards, 12.1 fantasy points (WR21)
• Robert Woods: 3 receptions (9 targets), 30 yards, 5.6 fantasy points (WR56)

That bodes well for our guy Curtis Samuel.

The seven-year vet has scored in consecutive weeks to propel him to 14.7 and 15.5-point outings, but he's quietly been productive all year. He only has one game with fewer than 50 receiving yards and ranks second on the team in target share (16.4%) the last three weeks.

The Commanders lead the league in pass rate over expectation (8.0%), and that likely won't change in Week 6. Washington enters Atlanta as a 2.5-point underdog, which sets the stage for another negative game script.

Sam Howell has clearly established a strong rapport with Samuel, and I'm expecting him to feast in such an advantageous matchup this week.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.