The NFL trade deadline has passed, and the second half of the season begins tonight on Thursday Night Football as the 2-5-1 Washington Commanders head to MetLife Stadium to face the 5-2-1 New York Giants in an NFC East rematch after tying in Week 5. As always, let’s look at some key WR/CB matchups this week.
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WR Jakobi Meyers | CB Cor’Dale Flott
Jakobi Meyers enters this matchup as the WR41 for the Jacksonville Jaguars through nine weeks and has 19 targets over the last three games, racking up 11 receptions for 172 yards but no touchdowns. So long as his targets keep trending up, he’s a dangerous flex option when the matchup favors him. Does the matchup favor him this week?
Absolutely, and I’ll tell you why. The Tennessee Titans, who I keep picking on in these articles, are 32nd, allowing the most fantasy points to WRs this season (40.7). What did they do recently? The Titans traded away S Amani Hooker to the Buffalo Bills and DT Jeffrey Simmons to the Chicago Bears, significantly weakening an already terrible Titans defense. Cor’Dale Flott has been average thus far, ranking 57th out of 103 qualified CBs. Flott has allowed 313 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Start Jakobi Meyers
Note: Jakobi Meyers is listed as questionable as of 11/11. If Meyers misses this week, start Brian Thomas Jr., but only if Meyers is out.
WR Khalil Shakir | CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr.
Buffalo Bills WR Khalil Shakir played well while DJ Moore was injured, but in strict fantasy football terms, Shakir has been riding the fine line of just getting enough points to get you by. He comes into this matchup as the WR39.
Jarvis Brownlee Jr. may not be a name you know if you’re not a New York Jets fan. Brownlee Jr. is ranked 75th on PFF but has allowed only 21 receptions for 191 yards and no touchdowns. While PFF hasn’t given him a great grade, Brownlee Jr. has been a bright spot on this Jets defense, which is surprisingly 8th in fantasy points allowed (28.7)
Bench Khalil Shakir
WR KC Concepcion Jr. | S Jalen Pitre
Rookie WR KC Concepcion Jr. has been tearing it up the last few weeks, with two games over 19 fantasy points; he is emerging as the WR1 of the future. In these last three games, Concepcion has 20 targets, 15 receptions, 277 total yards, and a TD. This week, he and the Cleveland Browns take on a Houston Texans defense that’s desperately trying to become what we expected it to be back in Week 1.
Jalen Pitre is having a phenomenal season, ranking 10th out of 100 qualified safeties according to PFF, and has allowed only 125 receiving yards and one touchdown this season. He has missed a couple of games, which is helping keep his yards allowed low; nonetheless, it’s still remarkable to be that low midseason. He’s where it gets interesting: while Pitre is having a great season, the Texans are not. Houston is 31st in fantasy points allowed (38.5)
This is another tough one, but last time I said it was a tough decision on whether or not to start someone was Michael Wilson in Week 8. I tend to lean toward what the team as a whole is allowing, since no matchup persists all game long, and I’ve been a firm believer that Carnell Tate and KC Concepcion Jr. were gonna lead the rookie WRs this season.
Start KC Concepcion Jr.
WR DeMario Douglas | CB Roger McCreary
A.J. Brown is listed as questionable, but honestly, does it matter? If he plays, he’s just a lifeless body running routes in a Patriots uniform. Pop Douglas, on the other hand, has been quietly putting up his best numbers of the season. Seriously, Douglas is WR23 this season, and in the last five games, he’s scored over 17 points in four, gone for 65+ receiving yards in those four, and has four receiving touchdowns in that span. For some perspective, he’s got more fantasy points than Justin Jefferson and Nico Collins. The New England Patriots need to keep feeding Douglas the ball with or without Brown.
The Detroit Lions enter this matchup ranked 25th in fantasy points allowed to opposing WRs (34.7), and with a healthy A.J. Brown accounting for only those points, 30 are up for grabs! Will Roger McCreary be able to lock up Pop Douglas? McCreary has allowed 411 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns while ranking 66th on PFF. So no, he will not be able to stop Douglas.
Start DeMario Douglas
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