Corner Report: Week 10

This article will go game by game for the Sunday main slate looking at the top wide receivers from an offense and, based on the inside/outside and left/right splits in the alignment data of those receivers, identify the cornerbacks most likely to face them in man coverage.

Receivers very rarely see the same corner every play, be it due to formational quirks or zone coverage calls by the defense, so a receiver's fortunes depend on much more than just the quality of the corner they're likely to see the most in a given game. Even against a bad corner, a good receiver can be denied the opportunity if the pass rush or something else outside his control complicates things. But it's part of the puzzle, and it's worth keeping track of.

Receivers are left with an Upgrade, Downgrade, or Even verdict based on their projected matchup. This shouldn't be read as 'good' or 'bad' but rather a measured tweak from the receiver's baseline projection.

TEN vs NO

Who knows what's going on with Julio Jones (hamstring). If he plays, and if he doesn't reinjure himself, he should see some favorable looks against Paulson Adebo, assuming the Saints aren't ready to play Bradley Roby in a three-down role yet. That would be a more favorable matchup than the shadow coverage of Marshon Lattimore, which A.J. Brown might otherwise draw, but it's not cause to downgrade a player of Brown's abilities. The third receiver in the Tennessee offense changes every week.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: A.J. Brown, Julio Jones

New Orleans Wide Receivers

The Titans defense obviously played great against the Rams last week, but aside from elite safety Kevin Byard that was mostly overachievement on the part of the Titans. Kristian Fulton is a good corner, but without him Janoris Jenkins, Chris Jackson and Elijah Molden are an underwhelming top three at corner, especially against bigger targets. Luckily for Tennessee, homecomer Marquez Callaway is not a big wideout and the otherwise sizable Tre'Quan Smith hasn't proven a consistent threat, but even against lesser wideouts like these the Titans would be pressing their luck in man coverage.

Upgrade: Marquez Callaway, Tre'Quan Smith
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A

PIT vs DET

Pittsburgh Wide Receivers

Diontae Johnson should mostly run against Amani Oruwariye and Jerry Jacobs, which is a significant advantage for Johnson. Chase Claypool (toe) will see some of those two if he plays, but if Claypool sits then we might see his outside snaps go mostly to James Washington and a number of his slot snaps to Ray Ray McCloud. Washington can probably beat the previously named outside corners, and McCloud might be able to do something against slot corner A.J. Parker.

Upgrade: Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, James Washington
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Ray Ray McCloud

Detroit Wide Receivers

Joe Haden and Cameron Sutton aren't great or anything, and Pittsburgh's reluctance to blitz this year might speak to a limited confidence in the corner position, but for wideouts like Kalif Raymond and KhaDarel Hodge they aren't easy matchups, especially Hodge. Raymond can burn and can run away from Haden and Sutton, but the bigger issue is whether Jared Goff can get him the ball if he gets open deep. Amon-Ra St. Brown should mostly see Sutton in the slot.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Kalif Raymond, Amon-Ra St. Brown, KhaDarel Hodge

NE vs CLE

New England Wide Receivers

Nelson Agholor and Denzel Ward seem like a perfect pairing – especially from Cleveland's perspective – so that might be a shadow assignment we see here. It would probably constitute a downgrade for Agholor if so. It would leave Kendrick Bourne to mostly run against Greg Newsome, which is probably another downgrade for the Patriots. Troy Hill is probably the most vulnerable target, which could create a bit of a funnel toward Jakobi Meyers.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne
Even: Jakobi Meyers
 

Cleveland Wide Receivers

Not good. Donovan Peoples-Jones is on a hot streak but those tend to end once you line up against J.C. Jackson, who is making a strong case for All-Decade status at corner. Jackson's shutdown abilities are probably better used against DPJ than against the hobbled and slowish Jarvis Landry (knee), who should more so run against Myles Bryant. Landry might see additional help, too – Jackson can shut down his guy on his own, so there might be a surplus of defensive attention that could go straight at Landry. Anthony Schwartz is maybe the player New England should be most worried about – he's much too fast for Jalen Mills to run with – but it's hard to count on Schwartz for anything in fantasy at this point in his very young career.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Donovan Peoples-Jones
Even: Jarvis Landry, Anthony Schwartz

DAL vs ATL

A.J. Terrell is a tough corner but he only plays on the left side, so the Cowboys can just line up Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb in either the slot or on the left side of the offense to get an easy green light. Right corner Fabian Moreau can run but can't cover route-running technicians on the level of Cooper or Lamb. Slot corner Avery Williams might turn out to be decent, but at 5-foot-9 he's better built to cover slot receivers like Danny Amendola – not Cooper, Lamb or Cedrick Wilson. If Michael Gallup returns here then scratch Wilson from the picture and expect Cooper to see the most slot snaps.

Upgrade: Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Cedrick Wilson

Atlanta Wide Receivers

Russell Gage and Olamide Zaccheaus both turned in strong showings against a tough Saints defense, an encouraging sign from an offense that really needed them to step up. Zaccheaus doesn't play much, though, and when he does he plays out of position (outside) so that Gage can have a slot rep. It makes Zaccheaus non-viable in most formats as he cedes the most viable reps to Gage and Tajae Sharpe. Gage has perhaps the easiest matchup running against Jourdan Lewis in the slot, but that has more to do with a funnel away from Trevon Diggs and Anthony Brown outside than it does Gage possessing any advantage over Lewis. 

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Russell Gage, Tajae Sharpe

IND vs JAC

Indianapolis Wide Receivers

Shaquill Griffin is good, and there's a chance the Jaguars use him to shadow Michael Pittman. T.Y. Hilton might yet loom as the greater deep threat and maybe that will lead Jacksonville to use Griffin against him at times, but Pittman has had a ton of usage sent his way lately. Zach Pascal has an easy matchup, whoever he's against.

Upgrade: Zach Pascal, T.Y. Hilton (lower to 'even' if Griffin doesn't shadow Pittman)
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Michael Pittman (raise to 'upgrade' if not shadowed by Griffin)

Jacksonville Wide Receivers

Xavier Rhodes (calf) enjoyed a renaissance season in 2020 but now at nearly 32 it appears his luck is running out again. Good thing he's playing these guys – Rhodes might be able to lose to Marvin Jones occasionally but he'd struggle to get beat by Laviska Shenault. If Rhodes has to sit then Rock Ya-Sin and Isaiah Rodgers should be sufficient outside, too. Kenny Moore is a tough matchup for Jamal Agnew, though it's not like Agnew is getting by on efficiency these days.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Marvin Jones, Laviska Shenault, Jamal Agnew

WAS vs TB

Washington Wide Receivers

No one in this secondary can cover Terry McLaurin – especially Pierre Desir and Ross Cockrell. If Tampa stops McLaurin here it's because they came up with some kind of bracketed coverage that works, or because Taylor Heinicke got confused and/or overwhelmed by the pass rush. Adam Humphries should mostly run against Cockrell while DeAndre Carter faces Desir and Cockrell.

Upgrade: Terry McLaurin
Downgrade: N/A
Even: DeAndre Carter, Adam Humphries

Tampa Bay Wide Receivers

If Chris Godwin (foot) and Antonio Brown (ankle) are out then Tyler Johnson could play a three-down role, lining up all over. Guys like Jaelon Darden and Cameron Brate are candidates to pick up some of the remaining snaps and might even be intriguing if so, but Mike Evans also has a favorable matchup here and might be able to do the lifting himself.

Upgrade: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, Tyler Johnson
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A

NYJ vs BUF

Jets Wide Receivers

Corey Davis (hip) might or might not see the shadow coverage of Tre'Davious White, and even if he does it might not be that bad of a matchup for Davis, whose big build makes him a threat to catch the ball even if he's not classically 'open.' The Bills could instead choose to put White on Elijah Moore – a player more similar to White's build and athleticism – and then try a combo of Levi Wallace and alert safety help against Davis. It's a tough matchup for the Jets receivers, but there is a way for them to break through since Davis and Moore are cumulatively more talented as receivers than White and Wallace are as corners. Jamison Crowder should run mostly against Taron Johnson, a solid player but one Crowder has consistently gotten the better of in his time with the Jets.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Corey Davis, Elijah Moore, Jamison Crowder

Buffalo Wide Receivers

Maybe the whole season will go weirdly for Stefon Diggs and he'll run through every favorable matchup without cashing in on any of them, but that seems at least a little far fetched, possible as it might be. Like some other weeks that nonetheless didn't come to fruition, this is a good spot for a corrective game for Diggs, who has a major advantage over any Jets corner he might see. Outside corners Bryce Hall and Brandin Echols would also be hard-pressed to stop receivers like Emmanuel Sanders and Gabriel Davis. Cole Beasley has a fine matchup himself Duke Michael Carter.

Upgrade: Stefon Diggs, Emmanuel Sanders
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Cole Beasley, Gabriel Davis

LAC vs MIN

Chargers Wide Receivers

Nothing is going especially well for the Vikings corners. Indeed, with Eric Kendricks a potential limiting effect on Austin Ekeler as a pass catcher, some slack might land on the Chargers receivers and thus the Vikings secondary. Keenan Allen should mostly run against Mackensie Alexander – advantage Allen – while Mike Williams should run against Bashaud Breeland and Cameron Dantzler. Those corners are more easily beat with speed, but Williams should hold the advantage all the same. The Chargers seemed to start splitting snaps between Jalen Guyton and Josh Palmer last week otherwise.

Upgrade: Keenan Allen, Mike Williams
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A

Minnesota Wide Receivers

DeVonta Smith lit up the Chargers secondary last week, and perhaps offered the insight that the receivers best-suited to beat the Chargers' two-high, off-ball coverage is with a route-running demon like Smith, who can force the corner out of their otherwise comfortable pre-snap look. That might bode well for both Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen if so, because both are exceptional route runners. It's not an 'upgrade' matchup given the mostly strong results of the Chargers pass defense this year, but maybe it's less imposing for players like these. K.J. Osborn gets the toughest draw in the slot, where Chris Harris, the best Chargers corner, tends to reside.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: K.J. Osborn
Even: Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen

ARI vs CAR

Arizona Wide Receivers

If DeAndre Hopkins (hamstring) is out then Antoine Wesley replaces him at left receiver. If A.J. Green (COVID) can return then he'll play on the right, where Christian Kirk played last week. If Green returns Kirk would likely return to the slot. Rondale Moore would normally line up there as well, but it's not clear whether he'll play, either. Andy Isabella might need to make an appearance, though the offense doesn't really run any of the routes he's good at. Whoever is in the slot should mostly see A.J. Bouye, while when outside a receiver might see any of Donte Jackson, Stephon Gilmore or Keith Taylor. It's kind of a mess on both sides.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: DeAndre Hopkins, Christian Kirk, A.J. Green, Rondale Moore, Antoine Wesley, Andy Isabella

Carolina Wide Receivers

The Carolina offense is busted to the point that it would be borderline negligent to imply the matchups matter much. This kind of dysfunction reduces the players to something less than their original nature, so the theory of what they might do is negated in the process. But normally these Arizona corners can't cover D.J. Moore, and who knows, perhaps some sort of miracle occurs that allows him to prove it here.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson, Terrace Marshall

DEN vs PHI

Denver Wide Receivers

Darius Slay might follow around Courtland Sutton, but if not then Slay would mostly play on the left side, where he would more so see Tim Patrick while Sutton faced off against Steven Nelson. Patrick is a good player but he's not as dangerous as Sutton – the Eagles therefore have good reason to shadow Sutton with Slay. Jerry Jeudy should mostly run against Avonte Maddox, who isn't a bad player in the slot when he's running against shorter, lighter receivers like Jeudy. At 5-foot-9, Maddox would be more vulnerable against the 6-foot-4 Patrick.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick

Philadelphia Wide Receivers

If Patrick Surtain (knee) can't play then the Broncos would be down to their fifth or even sixth corner, depending on whether they would just promote slot corner Nate Hairston to the starting lineup. If they want to keep Hairston in a slot role then they might need to go to Mike Ford. Either way, the Denver secondary is reeling a bit and might be understaffed to deal with a route runner like DeVonta Smith.

Upgrade: DeVonta Smith
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jalen Reagor, Quez Watkins

GB vs SEA

Green Bay Wide Receivers

We'd much rather see Aaron Rodgers out there of course, but if Jordan Love must play then this still should be a really good spot for Davante Adams. The Seahawks corners are guys who wouldn't meet the backup standards of a lot of other teams, and all three of their top corners are notably quite small, all under 5-foot-10. Be it D.J. Reed, Ugo Amadi or Tre Brown, every Seahawks corner is at a disadvantage against every Green Bay wide receiver. Not just including, but maybe especially big guys like Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Allen Lazard. They won't need to get open to get open.

Upgrade: Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A
 

Seattle Wide Receivers

The Packers secondary is better than Seattle's, but without Jaire Alexander it's still weak at the corner position. DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett both have the advantage over the likes of Eric Stokes/Kevin King and Chandon Sullivan, respectively. Freddie Swain should hold his own, too, though he's mostly just an underneath specialist.

Upgrade: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Freddie Swain