NFL Week 17 WR/CB Matchups: DeAndre Hopkins vs. Jalen Ramsey, More Shadow Dates

We've been breaking down the top wide receiver/cornerback matchups every week throughout the 2018 NFL season and were finally at Week 17.

Below is a data-driven analysis of the week’s best passing-game matchup, eight potential shadow matchups and an additional nine potential non-shadow matchups. At the end, I’ll wrap up with a quick look at plus and minus matchups.

Visit the FantasyLabs NFL page for more weekly fantasy breakdowns. You can also view all of this week’s wide receiver/cornerback matchups using our Matchups tool.

Matchup of the Week

Chiefs Offense vs. Raiders Defense

Patrick Mahomes' arm strength and impressive ability to extend plays has enabled each of Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce to have career years. TyFreak has already posted career-high marks in receptions (82), yards (1,378) and receiving touchdowns (11), while the Chiefs' all-world tight end has also set career-highs across the board and is having one of the best seasons the position has ever seen.

Fantasy's PPR WR5 and TE1 are as matchup proof as any player in the league. Still, the Raiders have seemingly sold out to stop No. 1 receivers this season at the expense of containing the offense's No. 2 option. They identified Hill (1-13-0) as the top threat during the team's first matchup in Week 13, and Kelce (12-168-2) accordingly went off.

The Raiders' porous secondary could also be without starting cornerbacks Daryl Worley (shoulder, IR) and Gareon Conley (concussion). Sammy Watkins opened up the week with a DNP and should be considered very questionable for Sunday.

Be sure to monitor our Week 17 Injury Report for daily practice participation along with his estimated and official game statuses for every fantasy-relevant player.

Mahomes has largely honed in on Kelce and HIll during Watkins' extended absence. Overall,  Kelce (62 targets) and Tyreek Hill (60) have easily outpaced Chris Conley (28), Demarcus Robinson (20), Damien Williams (20) and Demetrius Harris (14) in six games since Watkins was injured.

Kelce carries a higher median projection and projected ceiling than Hill in our Pro Models with reduced ownership. His +3.1 Projected Plus/Minus mark is the highest among all tight ends. The Chiefs' tight end has lined up in the slot or out wide on 53% of his snaps this season and is a true No. 1 wide receiver in every which way except for his DFS salary.

The Week 17 Shadow Club

Not many cornerbacks are consistently asked to travel with the opposition’s No. 1 wide receiver, but we can expect the following eight teams to regularly line up across from their opponent’s top receiver in Week 17.

Saints WR Michael Thomas vs. Panthers CB James Bradberry

There's a pretty decent chance that Thomas joins Drew Brees and some of the Saints' more-important starters on the bench this Sunday considering they've already clinched the No. 1 seed. You can check out the motivation level for every Week 17 matchup here.

Brees' best wide receiver ever is as matchup-proof as any pass-game option in the league. Thomas has caught 120-of-140 targets in Weeks 1-16, good for the best catch percentage (85.7%) among all wide receivers (min. 50 targets) since Pro Football Reference began tracking targets in 1993.

This excellence has certainly extended into matchups against the Panthers' zone-heavy scheme, as Thomas has averaged 6.2 receptions and 80.5 yards in six career games against Carolina while scoring three total touchdowns.

Carolina's No. 2 cornerback, Donte Jackson, will likely spend most of his snaps across from Ted Ginn and Tre'Quan Smith. Ginn out-snapped Smith 27-to-26 during his first game back from the injured reserve list in Week 15, although Smith figures to see plenty of playing time Sunday if the starters ultimately rest.

Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins vs. Jaguars CB Jalen Ramsey

Hopkins is the league's premiere contested-catch artist and possesses enough chemistry with Deshaun Watson to win any matchup. With that said, Ramsey has at least made life difficult during their three-season rivalry.

The only unknown is whether Ramsey will travel with Hopkins like he has during the majority of their five career matchups. The Jaguars haven't asked him to lineup as the defense's right cornerback in three straight games, although the Titans, Redskins and Dolphins also don't exactly possess a No. 1 receiver that needs to be shadowed (sorry Corey Davis).

Jets WR Robby Anderson vs. Patriots CB Stephon Gilmore

Anderson has balled out ever since Darnold returned from injury in Week 14. He’s undoubtedly helped win a couple fantasy championships along the way.

Only Hopkins has scored more points than Anderson over the past three weeks, and injuries to Quincy Enunwa (ankle) and Jermaine Kearse (Achilles) ensure that Anderson's monstrous workload should remain intact. Overall, Anderson (31) easily leads teammates Chris Herndon (13), Eli McGuire (13) and Kearse (11) in targets since Sam Darnold returned in Week 14.

Still, the Patriots have proven to be Anderson's kryptonite over the years, as he's been held under 50 receiving yards in five of six career matchups and is yet to find the end zone against Bill Belichick and company. Gilmore held Anderson (2-22-0) in check back in Week 12, although that was with both Enunwa and Kearse active.

Packers WR Davante Adams vs. Lions CB Darius Slay

There are a number of reasons for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers to get Adams as involved as possible this Sunday.

Slay deserves plenty of respect as a former first-team All-pro corner, but Adams caught 9-of-12 targets for 140 yards and a touchdown in their first matchup back in Week 5. The Packers' No. 1 receiver managed to ball out even with Slay chasing Adams into the slot for portions of the game.

Adams has the highest projected ceiling — and the highest projected ownership rate — on DraftKings among all wide receivers in Sunday's main slate.

Broncos WR Courtland Sutton vs. Chargers CB Casey Hayward

The Broncos traded Demaryius Thomas with hopes of Sutton establishing himself as the team's No. 1 outside receiver, but that hasn't exactly worked out through seven games.

• Week 9 vs. Texans: 3 receptions-57 yards-0 TD (5 targets)
• Week 11 vs. Chargers: 3-78-0 (6)
• Week 12 vs. Steelers: 1-14-0 (4)
• Week 13 vs. Bengals: 4-85-1 (7)
• Week 14 vs. 49ers: 2-14-0 (6)
• Week 15 vs. Browns: 5-42-0 (6)
• Week 16 vs. Raiders: 6-65-1 (10)

Hayward shadowed Sutton back in Week 11 and mostly held the rookie in check. The Chargers won't be in chill mode, and the absence of Emmanuel Sanders (Achilles, IR) this time around will allow them to focus even more attention on Sutton.

Bears WR Allen Robinson vs. Vikings CB Xavier Rhodes

Sunday will mark the third time that A-Rob will face off with Rhodes (groin), assuming the Vikings' stud cornerback is able to suit up in this must-win game. Rhodes dominated their first matchup back in 2016, as Robinson caught just one of his three targets for 17-scoreless yards. Week 11 of this season told a similar story with Rhodes holding A-Rob to a pedestrian 3-39-0 line on seven targets.

The Vikings' No. 4 defense in overall and pass DVOA ranks third against No. 1 wide receivers specifically.  Robinson (6-foot-2 and 220-pounds) is one of just three receivers in the league averaging fewer than two yards of separation per target, and he won't hold his typical size-advantage against Rhodes (6-foot-1 and 210-pounds).

Eagles WR Alshon Jeffery vs. Redskins CB Josh Norman

The Redskins' zone-heavy defense and unwillingness to let Norman travel into the slot hasn't done him any favors when it comes to shutting down the opponent's No. 1 receiver.

Norman's physicality and size (6-foot-0 and 197-pounds) could be a problem for Jeffery (6-foot-3 and 216-pounds), who hasn't exactly made a habit of running away from cornerbacks throughout his career.

Still, Jeffery has posted solid 4-61-0, 5-85-2, 3-73-1, 8-160-0 and 3-82-0 lines in his last five games with Nick Foles under center dating back to the Wild Card round of the 2017 playoffs.

Zach Ertz is the Eagles' No. 1 receiving option regardless of who is under center, but Jeffery possesses some upside at just $5,700 on DraftKings against a Redskins defense that has allowed 74.8 yards per game to opposing No. 1 wide receivers this season.

Colts WR T.Y. Hilton vs. Titans CB Adoree' Jackson

Hilton has largely owned the Titans over the past three years… as long as Andrew Luck has been under center.

Jackson has shadowed Hilton during each of their previous two matchups and hasn't earned the benefit of the doubt by any means. The absence of No. 1 slot corner Logan Ryan (leg, IR) will only help matters considering backup nickel back LeShaun Sims has allowed 11-of-15 targets into his coverage to be caught for 103 yards and two touchdowns this season.

Hilton missed practice Wednesday with an ankle injury, but the Colts'  No. 1 receiver has already told the media he'll suit up Sunday. He could be needed more than ever if Eric Ebron (concussion) is ultimately unable to play.

Potential Non-Shadow Matchups

• Dolphins CB Xavien Howard: Head coach Adam Gase said Howard (knee) will only suit up if he feels exceptionally well. The Dolphins' team MVP wasn't being used to shadow prior to being injured anyway, as Minkah Fitzpatrick and Howard were instead utilized as the defense's right and left cornerbacks, respectively. The Bills also don't exactly have a de facto No. 1 wide receiver, although Zay Jones (45 targets) has worked ahead of Robert Foster (30) over the the team's past six games. Jones ($4,000) on DraftKings doesn't have the same big-play threat as Foster ($5,100), but he does have superior red-zone volume.
• Bills CB Tre'Davious White: The Bills haven't asked White to shadow anyone during his three career matchups against the Dolphins. It's best to stay away from this passing game in fantasy considering Ryan Tannehill has thrown for fewer than 150 yards in three of his five starts since returning from injury. Instead, focus on Kenyan Drake, who received the snap share (85%) of a featured back in Week 16 despite finishing with just 10 touches.
• Cowboys CB Byron Jones: It's unclear how many snaps Jones (rest) and Odell Beckham Jr. (quad) will play Sunday. Sterling Shepard (hip) should be safe inside either way, as long as normal slot receiver Russel Shepard (ankle) remains sidelined. Overall, Sterling posted mediocre 2-17-0 and 2-37-0 lines in his first two games without OBJ, and with Russell, before he exploded for a 6-113-0 line last week against the Colts. Still, this matchup doesn't appear particularly fantasy-friendly for either team, as the over/under has already dropped to 41.5 since opening at 43.5 (per our Live NFL Odds Page).
• Giants CB Janoris Jenkins: Jenkins traveled in Week 16 against T.Y. Hilton (7-138-0) for the first time since Week 4. It remains to be seen if he'll do so again in Week 17 against Amari Cooper, but PFF's No. 55 overall cornerback doesn't need to be feared regardless. The larger concern for Cooper is his heightened chance of limited snaps, as the Cowboys chose to give Dez Bryant just 18 total snaps in a similarly-meaningless Week 17 game back in 2016. Cooper carries a brutal -3.94 Projected Plus/Minus in our models despite his matchup against the Giants' 31st-ranked defense in DVOA vs. No. 1 wide receivers.
• Ravens CB Jimmy Smith: Smith has only shadowed Michael Thomas (7-69-1) and Julio Jones (2-18-0) this season. He's only played 6% of his snaps in the slot all season, so Jarvis Landry (62% slot rate) should be free to run the majority of his routes against Tavon Young — PFF's No. 62 overall cornerback. Still, Landry was mostly shut down (5-69-0 on 11 targets) vs. the Ravens in Week 5, and Baker Mayfield has his hands full against the Ravens' top-three defense in overall and pass DVOA.  Neither Antonio Callaway nor Rashard Higgins are in play against Ravens' stingy outside cornerbacks.
• 49ers CB Richard Sherman: The Rams still need to lock up the No. 2 seed this Sunday, so don't expect Sean McVay and company to take their foot off the gas just yet. Both Brandin Cooks (4-64-1) and Robert Woods (5-78-0) were able to find some success against the 49ers back in Week 7, while Josh Reynolds (1-19-0) was mostly sacrificed to Sherman. The biggest obstacle is the potential for bad game flow, as we saw last week when Jared Goff threw just 24 passes during the Rams' 31-9 victory over the Cardinals. The Rams are 10-point favorites, which isn't great news for the passing game's upside.
• Steelers CB Joe Haden: There's no reason for Haden to travel against the Bengals' injury-riddled offense. The expected absences of A.J. Green (foot, IR) and Tyler Boyd (knee) leave the Bengals thin on the outside, so expect Haden to mostly stay put at left cornerback. Ross hasn't gained more than 15 yards in a game since November and isn't a viable fantasy option. The same could be said for any pass catcher involved in the offense, as Jeff Driskel has thrown for fewer than 160 yards in four of his five games. Naturally, this has created a heightened emphasis on Joe Mixon and the ground game.
• Cardinals CB Patrick Peterson: Peterson didn't shadow vs. the Seahawks in Week 4. Doug Baldwin (knee) is a candidate for rest considering he's been limited in practice during recent weeks and for most of the season. This means exposure to the passing game in the Seahawks' run-first offense should be focused on Tyler Lockett. Russell Wilson hasn't overwhelmed Lockett with volume, but their 80.9% catch rate with an average target depth of 14.1 yards is simply absurd. The Seahawks' overqualified field-stretcher boasts a GPP-friendly 93% Leverage Rating on DraftKings.
• Packers CB Jaire Alexander: The Packers' first-round pick is dealing with a groin injury and should be considered questionable for Sunday. Kenny Golladay (chest) is also banged up, although he's tentatively expected to play. There's a low floor for anyone involved in the Lions' slow-paced and run-first offense, but Golladay has largely worked as a true No. 1 wide receiver since Marvin Jones was injured in Week 10.

Potential Plus Matchups

Buccaneers WRs Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Adam Humphries vs. Falcons

Godwin is tentatively expected to start on the outside with DeSean Jackson (ankle) still banged up. Mike Evans (82% of snaps) and Adam Humphries (79%) didn't see much of a difference in snap share last week against the Cowboys, so they should again be full go against the Falcons' 29th-ranked defense in both overall and pass DVOA.

This season hasn't exactly gone the way the Buccaneers had hoped, but Evans at least set career-high marks in yards (1,418), yards per target (10.9), yards per reception (17.7), yards per game (94.5), catch rate (61.5%) and games with 100-plus yards (7). Only Julio Jones (9), Adam Thielen (9) and Juju Smith-Schuster (8) have more games with 100-plus yards this season.

The Falcons-Buccaneers matchup joins Raiders-Chiefs as the only games in Week 17 with an over/under of at least 50 points. Both offenses have been volatile all season, although they've each demonstrated ceilings that could certainly lead to a shootout against their respective putrid defenses.

Falcons WRs Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley and Mohamed Sanu vs. Buccaneers

Jones (hip, ribs) didn't practice on Wednesday and is a candidate for reduced snaps this week considering he played just 24-of-48 (50%) snaps in Week 16. Of course, the league's perennial leader in yards per route run (PFF) doesn't need many opportunities to rack up fantasy production.

Neither Ridley (69%) nor Mohamed Sanu (67%) played a full complement of snaps either, as the likes of Marvin Hall (23%), Justin Hardy (23%) and Russell Gage (17%) were involved just enough to make any Falcons receiver a tough sell in fantasy. Tevin Coleman (groin) is expected to again split work with Brian Hill if he's ultimately able to suit up.

Sanu (5-81-1), Ridley (3-90-1) and Jones (4-28-1) each managed to find the end zone last week despite Matt Ryan tying a season-low mark with just 26 pass attempts. The Buccaneers' 30th-ranked scoring defense is certainly a liability, but big fantasy performances could be hard to come by from the Falcons receivers due to their heightened potential for limited snaps and targets.

Patriots WR Julian Edelman vs. Jets

Edelman caught 6-of-10 targets for 70 yards and a touchdown during the offense's first game without Josh Gordon (suspended). Neither Cordarrelle Patterson (two targets), Phillip Dorsett (zero) nor Chris Hogan (zero) were involved enough to warrant fantasy exposure.

Tom Brady might not need to look to the outside often against the Jets' porous defense vs. slot receivers.

Jets nickel back Buster Skrine is PFF's No. 102-ranked cornerback among 117 qualified players. Edelman boasts a GPP-friendly 90% Leverage Rating at $7,600 on DraftKings.

Chargers WRs Keenan Allen, Tyrell Williams and Mike Williams vs. Broncos

Allen posted a mediocre 5-58-0 line in Week 16 against the Ravens' stingy secondary, but the good news is he played a position-high 94% of the offense's snaps despite playing through a hip injury. Tyrell Williams (92%) was equally involved, while Mike Williams (63%) continued to lose reps to Travis Benjamin (33%).

A Chargers-Broncos' matchup usually means viewers are treated to arguably the league's best slot corner (Allen) facing off against the league's premiere nickel back (Chris Harris Jr.), but that won't be the case in Week 17 with Harris out for the season. The defense hasn't completely fallen apart in four games since his injury, although No. 1 receivers Tyler Boyd (6-97-0), Dante Pettis (3-49-1), Jarvis Landry (3-37-0) and Jordy Nelson (7-75-0) weren't exactly held in check either.

The primary concern in this matchup is the Broncos' status as 6.5-point favorites. Rivers has thrown fewer than 30 passes in eight starts this season and could rely on the ground game more than ever with each of Melvin Gordon, Austin Ekeler (concussion) and Justin Jackson finally healthy.

Each of the Chargers' wide receivers carry negative Projected Plus/Minus values in our Pro Models.

Steelers WRs Antonio Brown and Juju Smith-Schuster vs. Bengals

Brown has weathered the storm of his "down" year and emerged after 16 weeks as the overall PPR WR2. He's dominated recently with massive December performances against the Chargers (10-154-1) and Saints (14-185-2). Smith-Schuster hasn't gone anywhere and is fantasy's PPR WR8 entering Week 17.

Next up is the Bengals' league-worst scoring defense that ranks 29th in overall and pass DVOA. They haven't exactly slowed down AB over the years.

Our Pro Models indicate exposure to AB and Smith-Schuster should be focused on FanDuel, where they boast 97% and 98% Bargain Ratings, respectively.

Potential Minus Matchups

Vikings WRs Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen vs. Bears

The Bears aren't impervious to allowing big games to elite wide receivers, but their victory over the Vikings in Week 11 reinforced the notion that we should lower our expectations for pass offenses when they're facing the league's No. 1 defense in overall DVOA.

Overall, Diggs (13-126-1) and Thielen (7-66-0) both largely got the better of the Bears' talented secondary earlier this season, but it'd be surprising to see Kirk Cousins approach anything close to 46 pass attempts again.

Thielen has caught seven of his eight targets for 99-scoreless yards during these past two games, while Diggs has converted his 13 targets into a 6-59-2 line.

Still, both Thielen ($7,800 in Week 16, $7,400 in Week 17) and Diggs ($7,400 in Week 16, $7,000 in Week 17) have been gifted fairly large price drops on DraftKings for a home matchup against a Bears team that doesn't exactly have a ton to play for.

Titans WR Corey Davis vs. Colts

Davis (21 targets) just barely out-targeted Taywan Taylor (20) during the Titans' past four games with a fully healthy crop of wide receivers. Taylor (14-244-0) has out-produced Davis (11-141-1) during this stretch, but it's probably still Davis who defenses consider the Titans' "No. 1" receiver.

The Colts' zone-heavy defense has done a great job eliminating their opponent's No. 1 pass-game option for most of the season, as the likes of Amari Cooper (4-32-0), DeAndre Hopkins (4-36-1) and Davis (2-30-0) himself have all disappointed in perceived smash-spots against Indianapolis during the second half of the season.

The uncertainty surrounding the status of Marcus Mariota (stinger) is just more reason to stay away from the Titans' passing offense this week. Blaine Gabbert has thrown for fewer than 120 yards in all four of his extended appearances this season.

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