Week 8 WR Start’ Em or Sit’ Em: Start-Sit Advice for Every Fantasy-Relevant Wide Receiver in Every Game

Week 8 is here, and there are no bye weeks, so there will be plenty of questions about who to start and who to sit in your fantasy football lineups. Below, we’ve provided analysis for every fantasy-relevant wide receiver in every game this weekend.

If you’re looking for all positions, head to our Week 8 Fantasy Football Start-Sit Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.

A.J. Brown, WR | PHI (at CIN)

The Giants play the Eagles twice a year, yet they thought press coverage was the play against A.J. Brown on fourth down. As expected, Brown was dancing in the end zone 41 yards later, courtesy of a dime delivered by Hurts.

Brown has played three games this season, and he’s been a top-10 option in all of them (TD and a 40-yard catch in all of them). He put together six straight 125-yard performances during the first half of last season, proving that he is as capable as anyone of stringing together these massive performances.

Dallas Goedert was inactive last week, and DeVonta Smith was ineffective. The sheer number of weapons this offense has when at full strength, for me, keeps Brown off the board of receivers that have a shot to lead the position in scoring moving forward, but his weekly ceiling is as high as any receiver in the game.

Alec Pierce, WR | IND (at HOU)

In Week 1 against these Texans, Pierce turned three targets into 125 yards and a touchdown. He’s one of four receivers to have a 20-point game against the Texans this season (Brian Thomas Jr., DeMario Douglas, and Justin Jefferson being the others), though his general profile (13.3% on-field target share with just one end-zone target) doesn’t scream “sustainable.”

Anthony Richardson owns the lowest passer rating of qualified signal callers this season, and that makes a skill set like Pierce’s even more volatile. The Texans own the lowest opponent deep completion percentage (22.6%, barely half of the league average), and with them transitioning to a more run-heavy offense, there are various volume red flags.

Pierce is a more viable dart throw when Richardson is under center, but that doesn’t mean you swing for the fences with no teams on a bye. If you’re itching for upside, I’d rather take a chance on Gabe Davis in a better matchup with more projectable pass attempts.

Allen Lazard, WR | NYJ (at NE)

Lazard caught all four of his targets last week for 58 yards and might fill a decent role in this offense, but I don’t expect it to be fantasy-friendly. His value has largely been the result of his five touchdowns on the back of a 31.3% red-zone target rate, a role that I don’t think he has a prayer of sustaining with Davante Adams now in town.

If I’m going to roster a hit-or-miss receiver like this, I want more offensive upside than what the Jets have to offer. I’d take any Packers receiver moving forward over this former Packer or even a Noah Brown type that could work into a viable role when Jayden Daniels is active.

Amari Cooper, WR | BUF (at SEA)

Cooper put his first target as a Bill on the turf, but after that, he looked great in his Buffalo debut despite playing only one-third of the snaps.

Weeks 1-6:

• 30.1% under fantasy expectation
• 12.0 aDOT
• 22.8% on-field target share

Week 7:

• 97.6% over fantasy expectation
• 12.4 aDOT
• 41.7% on-field target share

Cooper appears to be the perfect fit and a top-12 fantasy receiver in the making as he develops an understanding of this playbook.

The Seahawks played a viable passing quarterback four times this season, and in all four of those games, a featured receiver cleared 18 PPR fantasy points (Drake London, Deebo Samuel Sr., Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Darius Slayton, when he was filling in for Malik Nabers).

Nothing I saw over the weekend has me thinking that Cooper can’t extend those struggles as his route participation increases and he remembers what it is like to play with a consistent quarterback.

Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR | DET (vs. TEN)

St. Brown was the recipient of a 35-yard dime from Jared Goff last week on his way to his fourth WR1 finish of the season. He’s now scored in four straight games and caught 25 of his 26 targets during that run, proving that this Lions team might be destined to do big things in 2024.

I could tell you that the Titans have allowed only four receivers to reach 13 fantasy points this season, but three of them came last week against the Bills (Amari Cooper, Keon Coleman, and Khalil Shakir all got there), meaning the form isn’t exactly there.

Given the efficiency of this offense, St. Brown is a real threat to lead the position in scoring this season. I’ll be interested to see how his role changes, if it does at all, with Jameson Williams off of the field for the next two weeks, though there is nothing actionable on that front. This offense is humming right now, and he’s at the center of it.

Andrei Iosivas, WR | CIN (vs. PHI)

Iosivas was a red-zone target vacuum early in the season with Tee Higgins sidelined, and he could fill that role again this weekend against the Eagles.

Cincinnati enters this game with an implied point total of 25, reflecting confidence in their ability to move the ball consistently. Philadelphia ranks above league average in opponent pass rate over expectation, an area where the Bengals, unsurprisingly, rank I. The top of the quarter when they have the ball.

Ja’Marr Chase will be heavily featured, but Iosivas’ combination of projectable volume and valuable looks makes him a reasonable Flex play should we get word that Higgins is officially sidelined.

Brandon Aiyuk, WR | SF (vs. DAL)

Aiyuk’s season came to an end last week with a torn ACL and MCL. With plenty of injuries happening over the past few weeks, I’m here to confirm that you don’t need to burn your IR slot on Aiyuk.

This injury impacts a number of parties (Aiyuk had a team-high 28% target share when these two teams met in Week 5 last season), and I’ll walk you through the values of Deebo Samuel Sr., Jauan Jennings, and George Kittle moving forward.

Brian Thomas Jr., WR | JAX (vs. GB)

Isn’t Thomas essentially doing what we hoped Marvin Harrison Jr. would do? He’s being used at all three levels and earning targets at an increasingly impressive rate. In Week 7, Thomas had a pair of six-point catches in the first half and has at least one such play in five of seven games.

The rookie now has three top-10 finishes over his past four games; based on that graphic, he can get even better. This Green Bay defense has been making big plays all season, though there is some risk/reward in their profile. On the flip side of the turnovers they’ve forced is the second-highest touchdown rate allowed on deep passes (13.2% of attempts).

Through seven weeks, seven times has a receiver scored over 15 PPR points against the Packers. Justin Jefferson and A.J. Brown are on that list, but so are Jordan Whittington and Alec Pierce, a range of players that tells me that it is more a result of how this defense functions than a result of talent mismatches.

Thomas has the upside of a top-10 receiver and the floor of a player ranked in the 30s — that equation is going to result in a WR2 ranking for me most weeks, and this matchup is no different.

Brian Thomas Jr. is the 1st player with 500+ rec yds on 30 or fewer receptions through 7 career games since Randy Moss in 1998pic.twitter.com/rFXfVQrnko

— Doug Clawson (@doug_clawson)

Calvin Ridley, WR | TEN (at DET)

It’s TRIVIA TIME. Sound the alarms. Tell the children. Alert the authorities. It’s time to get fractionally smarter.

Question (answer within the DeAndre Hopkins write-up): How many players, entering Week 8, are averaging more receiving yards per game than Ridley and Hopkins combined?

The fact that I thought to ask such a question tells you all you need to know about this offense. Ridley was banged up early last week and still has just one top-40 finish (Week 2) on his 2024 ledger.

Woof.

The Lions have given up plenty of receiver points this season. They’ve also faced some of the brightest stars in the game (Cooper Kupp, Justin Jefferson, and CeeDee Lamb to name a few).

Ridley isn’t the player we remember from his Jacksonville days, and with Detroit blitzing at the seventh-highest rate this season, you’re asking a lot for whoever is under center in Tennessee to support any receiver.

Target volume wasn’t the issue for Ridley, so Hopkins taking his talents to Kansas City doesn’t shift my position on the state of Tennessee’s offense. Ridley’s targets are empty calories, and that’s not going to change.

CeeDee Lamb, WR | DAL (at SF)

You’re starting Lamb. There is no question that needs to be asked on that front this week, next week, or potentially for any of the four seasons remaining on his contract.

That said, I wanted you to feel heard. Lamb only has one finish better than WR15 this season (Week 4 at NYG: 7-98-1) and is producing 5.2% below expectations. That’s not what you paid for this season (2023: career-best 22.5% over expectation), and some inconsistencies from Dak Prescott have proven prohibitive in terms of ceiling weeks.

Lamb’s aDOT continues to inch down (9.7 this season, we’ve seen a drop-off of over 3.5% annually for three straight seasons), but what’s more concerning is an on-field target share that is down from 29% last season to 25%.

You don’t have to feel bad about expecting more from your WR1, and while I think Lamb will be fine, this doesn’t look like a matchup for him to give you the dominating stat line that you yearn for.

Through seven weeks, it hasn’t been the WR1s who have given the 49ers the most problems. Allen Lazard (26.9 points) outscored Garrett Wilson (12.0) in Week 1, Michael Wilson (12.8) was better than Marvin Harrison Jr. (5.6) in Week 5, and in Week 6, Tyler Lockett (16.5) more than doubled the production of DK Metcalf.

Hold tight, and don’t do anything rash. Even if your team is struggling, I’d rather bet on Lamb bouncing back than sell him at a discount.

• Week 12 at Commanders
• Week 13 vs. Giants
• Week 14 vs. Bengals
• Week 15 at Panthers

If you can survive the next month and stay in contention, I think it’s likely that you will leave 2024 with positive feelings toward Lamb — even if the start of 2024 hasn’t gone as scripted.

Chris Godwin, WR | TB (vs. ATL)

• Through seven weeks, Godwin has five top-24 finishes — more than Ja’Marr Chase.
• Through seven weeks, Godwin has three top-10 finishes — more than Justin Jefferson.
• Through seven weeks, Godwin has produced 28.1% above expectation — higher than Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Simply put, Godwin was pacing for a career year in his eighth NFL season and carrying fantasy teams along for the ride. Those dreams are now a thing of the past, and managers will need to pivot until next year when we all hope that Godwin returns to this elite form and we can again enjoy watching him put defenders on skates.

Godwin led the Buccaneers in receiving yards in the Week 5 loss against these Falcons, thanks to his success out of the slot, a role that will be filled by a few players (Sterling Shepard being my favorite in terms of fantasy value).

The injury bug has been out in full force of late, but you can’t mourn what your team could have been. You have to adjust on the fly and do your best to cover up the gaping hole left on your roster.

Yes, a waiver wire move will help, but this isn’t about finding a 1-for-1 replacement; that isn’t going to happen. You have to reevaluate your team and adjust your lineup-setting mindset accordingly.

1. Is your team deep enough to absorb this injury?
2. Do you need to make a trade?
3. Do you need to take more weekly risks to keep up in matchups?

I can’t answer those questions for you, but this is the reason we have bench spots and why we encourage you to constantly look for ways to improve your roster. Godwin’s injury is an impactful one, but it doesn’t have to tank your season.

Chris Olave, WR | NO (at LAC)

After exiting Week 6 with a concussion, it wasn’t a surprise that Olave, who has now missed time in all three of his professional seasons, sat out Thursday night’s loss to Denver. New Orleans’ WR1 had a nice stretch of production (WR12 in Weeks 2-4) bookended by a pair of finishes outside of the top 75 at the position, making him a frustrating player for fantasy managers who drafted him with dreams of consistency this summer.

We learned last week that Rashid Shaheed’s (knee) season is over, and while that might initially increase the optimism moving forward for Olave managers, I’d be careful.

In two of Olave’s three viable games this season, Shaheed earned a target on 28.8% of his routes, catching 12 of 15 passes for 179 yards in the process. Shaheed had established himself as a legitimate WR2 in the NFL, and with the league respecting his development, Olave was in a position to thrive (in those two highlighted games, he averaged 3.43 yards per route and saw a 32.7% target share).

Shaheed’s growth was additive to Olave’s profile. now that we are without it, I fear that Olave’s path to returning value on his ADP is cloudy at best.

You’ll need to keep tabs on his progression through concussion protocol this week, but one week is reasonably standard in terms of time missed, making me comfortable slotting Olave into lineups and pivoting if need be.

This is a tough matchup in what profiles as a low-possession game, no matter who is under center for the Saints. I think the production floor is still reasonable, but the ceiling doesn’t project as friendly as it did a few weeks ago, and that’s enough to keep Olave out of my DFS player pool.

Christian Kirk, WR | JAX (vs. GB)

We entered this season with reasonable expectations for the Jaguars. Trevor Lawrence has been up-and-down throughout his NFL career up to this point, but at the very least, we thought we knew what to expect from their pass-catching corps: Brian Thomas Jr. and Gabe Davis were going to be the big-play threats who lacked consistency, while Kirk and Evan Engram offered weekly stability at the cost of a ceiling like what those two have access to.

As it turns out, we had it completely backward when it came to Thomas and Kirk. While the rookie has been a sensation, Kirk has been something of a random number generator.

He has a pair of WR2 finishes, commanding 22 targets across those games. But he also has four weeks where he hasn’t been a top-50 receiver, three of which saw him catch just a single pass (one catch on three targets for 24 yards against the Patriots last weekend in London).

As expected, he’s the full-time slot man in this offense (77.8%), and Lawrence has lacked consistency in calling upon that role. My hope is that better (or at least more consistent) days are ahead, but I’m not so sure it starts this week against a Packers defense that ranks eighth or better in yards per attempt, touchdown rate, and passer rating when opponents throw to the slot against them.

Jauan Jennings and Jalen McMillan are two receivers who saw their projected usage spike over the past seven days due to injuries ahead of them. If you need a reference point, I’d play both of them over Kirk this week.

Christian Watson, WR | GB (at JAX)

I was optimistic about the short-term outlook for Watson this time last week when we got word that a shoulder injury had Dontayvion Wicks labeled as “week-to-week,” but apparently time works differently in Green Bay.

Not only did Wicks suit up, he was second in targets and receiving yards during the win over Houston, earning three times as many looks as Watson. I don’t think that’s sticky, but that’s the problem in this offense — nothing is sticky.

That’s great for the long-term outlook of the Packers, but it’s prohibitive in our circles, as no one on this explosive offense is a sure thing (WR1 Jayden Reed finished fifth on the team in receiving yards last week). The sheer presence of Wicks makes Watson nothing more than a DFS punt play, and even then, I’m not going to have exposure this weekend.

Jacksonville has allowed 12 receivers to reach double-digit PPR points, but only two of them had an aDOT north of 12 yards. Watson has yet to prove capable of winning with volume, making you reliant on a big play that is less likely to come in this spot than others. I don’t want to say it, but is he any different than Gabe Davis?

Cooper Kupp, WR | LAR (vs. MIN)

The hope is that the return is coming soon, but Kupp was ultimately inactive (ankle) last week, a decision that came down to Sunday. The All-Pro should be penciled into fantasy starting lineups this week, as the Thursday night kickoff gives him the benefit of a mini-bye heading into Week 9 (at Seattle) to make sure his body reacts as expected.

It should go without saying that Kupp is a starter for you the second the Rams activate him. Even if there is a discussion of a snap count, his value for Los Angeles increases the closer they get to paydirt, making him a good bet to see snaps when fantasy points are imminent.

The Vikings have allowed opposing WR1s to catch a touchdown pass in three straight games (Jayden Reed, Garrett Wilson, and Amon-Ra St. Brown last week), and with Puka Nacua still a ways away from returning, Kupp is the unquestioned top threat in LA’s passing game and could threaten to be the weekly leader in targets.

Courtland Sutton, WR | DEN (vs. CAR)

Man do I feel bad for the super casual fantasy player. That person went to bed without too much concern about their fantasy team, saw that the Broncos scored 33 points on Thursday when they woke up on Friday and remembered that they have Sutton on their fantasy team.

As they were trying to open up their fantasy app, I’m sure thoughts like, “I hope I had him in,” or, “I hope my opponent didn’t have him,” ran through their mind. They were unable to name any other Broncos receiver and assumed that, in 2024, scoring 33 points means a strong day through the air.

I feel for those people.

Sutton was on the field for 86.9% of Denver’s offensive snaps in the blowout win, and let’s just say he’s lucky to be getting paid by the games played total and not the production.

The man didn’t see a target. Not one. With the Saints’ secondary losing players left and right, all 15 WR targets went to Marvin Mims Jr., Devaughn Vele, Troy Franklin, or Lil’Jordan Humphrey. In August, if I gave you that list of names and told you they were either the jazz quartet playing at happy hour on Wednesday nights or the Broncos target earners, would you have answered correctly?

Sutton entered the week having scored in two of three games, but none of the underlying numbers paint an optimistic picture when you take a step back. This offense doesn’t attack vertically (the one-time feared downfield threat doesn’t have a 30-yard catch this season), and his on-field target share, despite Jerry Jeudy’s offseason departure, hasn’t budged. He has four times as many finishes this season outside of the top 50 as he does inside the top 24, making him more risk than reward until proven otherwise (-25.5% fantasy points compared to expectations this season).

Without any teams on a bye, I’m not tempted to put Sutton into starting lineups this week. I don’t think I’d sell him low or anything like that right now with the Panthers this week and the pass-funnel Ravens next, but he’s nothing more than lineup depth at this point.

Curtis Samuel, BUF (at SEA)

The narrative this offseason was that Samuel could rediscover his previous form with Joe Brady, but that simply hasn’t come to fruition. The veteran receiver has played 40% of Buffalo’s offensive snaps just once this season, and even when he’s on the field, he’s been far from productive (33.6% below fantasy expectations based on where his targets come on the field).

With Amari Cooper’s usage likely to trend up, Keon Coleman beginning to pay off some of his pedigree, and Khalil Shakir continuing to be the most efficient on planet Earth, Samuel’s piece of the Buffalo pie is borderline non-existent.

You may be stuck at the receiver position due to the rash of injuries across the league – you can do better than Samuel. I’d rather roll the dice on the size/matchup profile for Cedric Tillman or get a piece of the completion machine that is Jared Goff by way of Tim Patrick or Kalif Raymond with Jameson Williams suspended.

Darius Slayton, WR | NYG (at PIT)

We’ve seen a handful of receiver handcuffs emerge throughout this season, and Slayton is firmly on that usage plan. Impactful backups don’t always occur at the WR position (i.e. the Texans post-Nico Collins landing on IR), but Slayton has proven himself as the logical plug-and-play option in the absence of Malik Nabers.

• Weeks 1-4 (with Nabers active): 10 catches on 15 targets
• Weeks 5-6 (with Nabers inactive): 14 catches on 22 targets

With the outstanding rookie back in the fold for Week 7 against the Eagles, Slayton garnered just three targets, netting one catch for 11 yards.

At the end of the day, every one of these situations is unique. Due to the struggles of this offense as a whole and no reason to label Nabers as vulnerable to another injury (head injuries are obviously to be taken seriously, but he’s not at risk of a flair-up the same way a player coming off of an ankle sprain would be), I’m fine with cutting ties with Slayton in a roster crunch.

I’d rather try to catch lightning in a bottle with the Patriots or Browns in terms of quarterback changes or go to Tampa Bay with their rash of WR injuries.

Darnell Mooney, WR | ATL (at TB)

Mooney put together a strong stat line in Week 5 against these Bucs (9-105-2), and it could have been far better if not for a bad drop that looked like it was going to cost Atlanta the game. Cousins was throwing the ball all over the yard that night, and 29.6% of his targets went in Mooney’s direction; the matchup data alone gives him Flex appeal in the rematch.

I haven’t loved what I’ve seen from Mooney over the past two weeks (his yards per route are down 27.9% from the first five weeks), but he’s been on the field for over 87% of Atlanta’s offensive snaps and remains consistently involved.

The Bucs blitz at the third-highest rate in the league, and we’ve seen enough creativity from this offense to think that they can exploit that aggression. Mooney is a fringe top-30 receiver for me with a nice ceiling to complement a reasonable floor in this spot.

Davante Adams, WR | NYJ (at NE)

Adams was targeted on his first route run as a Jet (incomplete), but his reunion with Aaron Rodgers was awfully underwhelming.

Adams’ production, Weeks 1-3:

• 1.66 yards/route
• 10.5 aDOT
• 21.4% on field target%
• 26% slot

Adams’ production, Week 7:

• 0.77 yards /route
• 7.6 aDOT
• 23.1% on-field target share
• 50.9% slot

Expecting this connection to pick up where it left off was never reasonable, and last week proved as much. Could a full week of practice make the difference?

It’s at least possible and enough hope for me to keep him in lineups across the board.

“The Patriots aim to take away your top option.” We’ve heard that narrative for as long as I can remember, but with Bill Belichick on TV sets across America, New England is struggling to do that.

When they played the Bengals in Week 1, Ja’Marr Chase was the most productive receiver. What about the Seahawks in Week 2? DK Metcalf. And these Jets in Week 3? Garrett Wilson. You get the idea. In six of seven games, the receiver you’d expect the opponent to be most interested in getting the ball to has led the WR room in PPR fantasy points.

Adams is my WR15 this week, ranking in the Tee Higgins, Stefon Diggs, and Amari Cooper range at the position.

DeAndre Hopkins, WR | KC (at LV)

We don’t know if Hopkins will be in the fold this week. Even if he is, we saw Amari Cooper operate in a very limited fashion last week following a deal, so sitting on your Hopkins stock is the percentage play for this week.

But moving forward? Buckle up!

Since joining the Titans, Hopkins ranks 43rd of 55 qualifiers in terms of fantasy efficiency on deep passes. You could write that off to a receiver being on the wrong side of 30 years old, but with Ridley ranking 46th on that list, it’s more likely that the struggles downfield are the result of Tennessee’s offensive environment more than anything.

For reference, Hopkins ranked 25th of 89 qualifiers during this three seasons with the Cardinals despite battling various injuries.

Mahomes is completing a career-high 53.6% of his deep passes, making this an advantageous spot for a receiver who might have more gas left in the tank than his current stat line suggests. There’s some concern with Mahomes averaging just 4.7 deep pass attempts per game (pacing for a career low with ease, career average: 7.3 such attempts).

This trade could represent an end to our efforts to try to start Xavier Worthy. The rookie burner has seen 31% of his targets (and 65.7% of his production as a pass catcher) this season come deep downfield. The Chiefs still have five games remaining against top-10 defenses in terms of passer rating allowed deep downfield, making the supporting of two splash-play threats a tall ask for a team that isn’t as open as it has been in year’s past.

Hopkins could get rolling over the next two months, but managers need to be aware that two of those tough matchups downfield come in Weeks 16-17 (the Texans and Steelers rank third and sixth, respectively, against long passes through seven weeks).

TRIVIA answer (from Ridley’s section): 25

Deebo Samuel Sr., WR | SF (vs. DAL)

News broke leading up to kickoff last week that Samuel was dealing with an illness, but that was all that was reported. After playing three snaps, it was clear that he wasn’t right, as he was seen struggling to breathe on the sidelines.

Following the game, he was in the hospital with pneumonia, and his status is very much in question. Due to the optics of last week, I find it likely that he won’t be rushed back into the fold, a net positive for his fantasy stock as another start-but-hardly-play instance is less likely to occur.

For the time being, I’m counting on not having Samuel at my disposal this week. His value for the rest of the season in a Brandon Aiyuk-less offense is an interesting case study when he is deemed healthy.

Aiyuk (46.9%) is easily the team leader in target rate on the perimeter. With him out for the season, this pass game figures to revolve around Samuel and George Kittle: it’ll be the receiver who assumes that usage. This season, Samuel has been targeted on 38.9% of his perimeter routes, while Kittle’s rate sits at a predictably low 2.5%.

Samuel projects favorably moving forward, though this is a serious medical condition that needs to be monitored. (Editor’s Note: Samuel was released from the hospital on Tuesday, October 22).

DeMario Douglas, WR | NE (vs. NYJ)

An illness wiped out nearly the entire second half for Douglas on Sunday, robbing us of the ability to learn about the target hierarchy of this Drake Maye-led offense. The possession receiver was featured in Maye’s debut (6-92-1), but I’m going to need more than a few productive quarters before penciling in a receiver with the skill set of Douglas under a rookie signal-caller.

For the moment, I’d rather roll the dice on high-upside receivers in offenses I trust (Dontayvion Wicks or Keon Coleman for example) over a player like Douglas. That could flip with time if Maye continues to show promise, just not yet.

Devaughn Vele, WR | DEN (CAR)

The 6’5” rookie out of Utah had an early 20-yard grab on Thursday night, and that was it for the entire game. There is a process that lands you on Vele, and that is why I’m mentioning him in this space: 83.1% of his routes over the past two weeks have come from the slot, and with his size profile, that creates matchup problems that could be exploited reasonably given the conservative nature of this offense (Week 7 vs. Chargers: 78 yards on six targets).

It looks like he is part of a receiver-by-committee situation that is going to have him on the field for about half of the snaps, and that’s not enough to hold my interest in redraft formats. That said, what about a cheap DFS punt play when this team projects to be playing from behind against a defense that is vulnerable to slot production? Then, you might be onto something. Consider this me planting the seed — Denver is going to be a big underdog in Weeks 9-10 in Baltimore and Kansas City, two secondaries that have had their fair share of issues with the slot.

There are a million ways to beat Carolina, making me less inclined to roll the dice on this ultra-specific play in Week 8 — but save these notes. There’s a daily case to be made as we work our way into November.

DeVonta Smith, WR| PHI (at CIN)

Smith sunk your roster last week (-2 yards), but this isn’t the first time we’ve seen the production lag from Philadelphia’s WR2. In the first half of last season, he had three straight sub-50-yard performances, and that season worked out just fine.

Patience is important, though context is, too. Smith isn’t just struggling to produce, he’s struggling to earn opportunities altogether.

Smith’s target shares, 2024:

• Week 2: 28.6%
• Week 3: 27.8%
• Week 4: 15.4%
• Week 5: 9.5%

Smith missed a game in the middle of that data set and has been unable to regain his traction as a weekly fantasy asset. Could this be a get-right spot?

I think so. I hope so. If he can’t get the job done against a defense that has allowed six receivers to clear 18 PPR points this season, he’s going to fall outside of my WR2 tier.

Diontae Johnson, WR | CAR (at DEN)

The initial energy that Andy Dalton inserted into this offense was fun, but the magic seems to have died, and Johnson’s fantasy stock is tanking as a result. He hasn’t been a top-55 receiver in two of three games this month, his stumbles appear unlikely to steady this week against a Broncos defense that allows the fourth-fewest yards per slot completion this season.

Patrick Surtain II (concussion) could return to the field this week, and while he wouldn’t project as a Johnson shadow, he would handle the perimeter snaps. That would knock out one path to viability.

The volume of Johnson is no longer something I trust, and with just 20.3% of Panthers drives crossing the opponents’ 20-yard line (third lowest), you really have to squint to see a profile that matters in anything but the deepest of leagues.

DJ Moore, WR | CHI (at WAS)

The arrow is pointing straight up for Moore, and while I don’t think he’s in a position to repeat his career year from 2023 (96-1,364-8), he’s deserving to be locked into lineups across the board for the remainder of the season as long as we don’t see significant regression from Caleb Williams.

After some tinkering early on, it seems that the Bears are trending in a very specific role direction for Moore:

Moore’s slot usage rates, 2024:

• Week 3 at Colts: 2.5% of routes
• Week 4 vs. Rams: 14.3% of routes
• Week 5 vs. Panthers: 18% of routes
• Week 6 vs. Jaguars: 31.4% of routes

He’s caught eight of 10 slot targets (with a touchdown) this season, and the veteran provides Williams with a security blanket that he clearly trusts. I think you can pencil in 5-7 catches consistently moving forward, with a 20+ point ceiling when matchups like this present themselves.

I’m 0% worried about the six-point effort you got from Moore in Week 6.

DK Metcalf, WR | SEA (vs. BUF)

Metcalf is considered “week-to-week” with a Grade 1 MCL sprain. While we’ve seen some “week-to-week” tabs mislead us this season, I’m currently placing Seattle’s WR1 on my bench and reacting if need be as opposed to the other way around.

The Seahawks rank fourth in red-zone pass rate this season, a style of offense that will keep Metcalf inside of my top 10 whenever he is active. That said, this is a brutal matchup, so maybe a week or two off (Seattle goes on bye in Week 10) isn’t the worst thing.

Allen Lazard and Garrett Wilson both scored over 23 fantasy points against the Bills in Week 6 — they are the only receivers to reach 16 points against Buffalo this season. If Metcalf were to play, my ranking of Jaxon Smith-Njigba would adjust down a handful of spots. But with that currently looking unlikely, the team’s slot option is the only pass catcher on this offense I have an interest in.

Dontayvion Wicks, WR | GB (at JAX)

This time last week, Wicks was labeled as “week-to-week” with a shoulder injury, but come Sunday, he was producing against the Texans (3-48-1). The 30-yard touchdown was the result of Jordan Love’s savvy, as he quick-snapped Houston as they were trying to decide if they were going to challenge the play prior. That is exactly why we preach getting exposure to these productive NFL offenses.

If we are to believe that he is fully healthy, Wicks’ sleeper profile could pay off in a major way during the second half of the season. Jayden Reed is the WR1 on this offense, but the WR2 role is up for grabs. Wicks might be the favorite given that he has been targeted on over 28% of his routes in four consecutive games.

He’s something of a one-trick pony (14.7 aDOT for the season with a weekly aDOT over 14.0 yards in five straight), something that will limit his projectable consistency. That said, he could well be the perfect pony for this matchup with the Jaguars allowing a league-high 17.4 yards per deep pass this season.

He’s a viable Flex play this weekend (I have him ranked in the same tier as Jauan Jennings, Jalen McMillan, and Tank Dell) and likely has the best moments of his 2024 season yet to come.

Drake London, WR | ATL (at TB)

London’s first target last week came with seven minutes remaining in the first half (12-yard reception), but he ended up getting there against the Seahawks (6-63-1). That’s as good an example of how different this offense is than it was a year ago.

Kirk Cousins has made a concentrated effort to keep his WR1 engaged, and it’s working to the tune of three straight top-15 finishes at the position (five top-20s in his past six games). London lit up these Buccaneers in the Week 5 win (12-154-1), and I have zero reservations in labeling him as a top-10 play for the rematch.

Gabe Davis, WR | JAX (vs. GB)

If you chased the Week 6 Davis stat line (5-45-2 against the Bears, fantasy’s WR7 for the week) into Week 7 against the Patriots, you got exactly what you deserved.

One catch. 13 yards.

For the uninitiated, welcome to the Davis experience. This is what he does and exactly why drafting him with expectations above that of an emergency option is foolish. He’s a talented receiver, but this team has three pass catchers and ranks 24th in time of possession, an offense that isn’t in a position to support a sporadic receiver like Davis.

Week 7 was the third time in four games in which he failed to clear five targets. He’s been held under 50 yards in each of his past five contests. Against an optimistic Packers defense, Davis could break a long play, but by no means does that make starting him a responsible decision. Give me the receivers in Detroit or Tampa Bay that offer less upside but are being introduced to increased roles this weekend.

Garrett Wilson, WR | NYJ (at NE)

Wilson took a little bit of a backseat in the debut of Davante Adams, but not to such a degree that he should be sat down on fantasy benches.

Weeks 1-6:

• 27.3% on-field target share
• 26.5% slot usage
• 94.1 air yards

Week 7:

• 22.5% on-field target share
• 28.3% slot usage
• 94.0 air yards

Speculation was swirling last week about a potential Wilson trade (my thoughts here: I don’t think it’s likely, but I don’t think it’s a dead thought). However, he earned nine targets against the Steelers and looked fine as the WR2 in this offense.

The ceiling he has in this role isn’t near what he had pre-Adams, but it wouldn’t shock me if Wilson’s efficiency moving forward covers the loss of volume. We need Aaron Rodgers to rediscover his form. If that happens, Wilson will be a weekly WR2 that you can feel good about. We clearly aren’t there yet, but a matchup against the fourth-worst defense in terms of pressure rate could help him turn a corner.

I’m cautiously optimistic about Wilson’s stock, more so today than I was when the Adams trade occurred.

George Pickens, WR | PIT (vs. NYG)

Did we just become best friends?!?

Pittsburgh made the move from Justin Fields to Russell Wilson last week (news that Pickens unintentionally broke on Friday), and while it wasn’t a flawless season debut, Wilson endeared himself to fantasy managers in a major way by simply putting Pickens in position to make plays. Fields was fine, but Pickens’ ceiling was never going to be explored the way it was in Wilson’s first start.

Pickens’ profile:

• Week 5 vs Cowboys: 50.3% under fantasy expectation, zero end-zone targets
• Week 6 at Raiders: 44.8% under fantasy expectation, one end-zone target
• Week 7 vs. Jets: 18.5% over fantasy expectation, three end-zone targets

Pickens’ touchdown last week was a perfect 11-yard fade at the end of the first half, a play that was something you’d expect from an experienced tandem, not one sharing a field for the first time.

The Giants’ pass defense isn’t a strength, but we have seen them shut down two WR1s in Terry McLaurin and DK Metcalf (15.7 PPR points in total, totaling just 77 yards on 15 targets) this season. They allowed big games to Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, and A.J. Brown last week — this isn’t a shutdown defense by any means, but blindly assuming greatness is risky.

That said, I saw enough last week to start Pickens in most situations. The Giants have allowed the highest deep completion percentage this season (60.7%), and that has me favoring Pittsburgh’s clear WR1 over other downfield options like Xavier Worthy or Darnell Mooney this weekend.

Jake Bobo, WR | SEA (vs. BUF)

No, this isn’t a made-up name, and yes, he has a chance to matter in deeper formats should DK Metcalf miss time with his MCL sprain. Why? This is a pass-happy offense, and Metcalf himself has praised Bobo in the past when it comes to his route running being “more detailed than I will ever be.”

Of course, most people on planet Earth need to be more detail-oriented than Metcalf because few have access to the athletic tools that he does. But the praise is encouraging all the same.

Bobo starred at UCLA in his final collegiate season before the Seahawks picked him up as an unrestricted free agent following the 2023 NFL Draft. His opportunities have been few and far between (27 catches in 24 career appearances), though he has produced in both preseasons he’s been a part of and could step into Metcalf’s perimeter role in the short term.

In theory, I like that role in the top passing offense in terms of yardage in the league, but this landing spot is nothing short of brutal. The Bills have allowed the sixth-fewest yards per deep pass attempt this season and own the lowest opponent passer rating when targeted on the perimeter.

Let me put that another way. When teams throw outside against Buffalo, they have a 51.8 passer rating, a figure that is 8.2 points lower than Anthony Richardson’s 2024 passer rating, the lowest of all qualifiers.

Smith’s completion percentage downfield is pacing for a career low this season, and with 7.3% of his deep passes being intercepted, a conservative game plan is to be expected if Metcalf is sidelined.

Get your exposure to Bobo in DFS formats if you’d like. I’m not going in that direction in season-long play, but he’s a name to have on your radar.

Jakobi Meyers, WR | LV (vs. KC)

Meyers missed just four games from 2021-23, but a nagging ankle injury has now cost him consecutive games. Given how the game is geared in 2024, you’d think that any player who profiles as the clear WR1 on his team would project as a reasonable Flex option, but are we sure that’s the case on this Raiders offense?

Davante Adams averaged 9.0 targets per game for the team while Meyers, for his career, averages 16.6 PPR PPG when seeing at least nine looks. The role isn’t the problem — his quarterback and the matchup are. I can’t imagine I have to statistic you to death on the limitations of Aidan O’Connell, and sharing the fact that this Chiefs defense has locked down far more established WR1s (Ja’Marr Chase and Chris Olave combined for 10.5 PPR points against them in their games, turning 78 routes into just nine targets) feels like overkill.

I like Meyers as a player, but asking him to make chicken salad out of … well, you get the idea. It’s asking a lot.

Jalen McMillan, WR | TB (vs. ATL)

Few things prevent Mike Evans from catching touchdown passes, but it would appear that the current state of his right hamstring is one of them. On Monday night, he dropped a 24-yard touchdown pass. While drops happen to everyone, he appeared to grab for his hamstring before the ball even hit the ground.

Whether or not he misses time will impact McMillan’s target profile, but with Chris Godwin on the shelf, the playing time appears to be locked in for the third-round rookie.

McMillan was drafted by the Bucs with the idea of him playing Robin to Evans’ Batman on the perimeter with Godwin soaking up the slot usage. That’s how he’s been used this season, albeit on very limited reps.

Percentage of targets coming on the perimeter:

• Evans: 64.4%
• McMillan: 60%
• Godwin: 30.6%
• Otton: 2.4%

This role has increased in value given the rash of injuries in Tampa Bay. He has a decent runway in Week 8 against a Falcons defense that ranks bottom five in the league in terms of defending the perimeter in passer rating, completion percentage, and touchdown rate.

The Bucs will look different this week than they have through the first seven, and that likely comes with it a new playbook. But McMillan is my favorite of the secondary options in this offense, and he’s a viable Flex play in most leagues, though it could be tough sledding after this week with the Chiefs and the 49ers up next before a Week 11 bye.

Jalen Tolbert, WR | DAL (at SF)

Maybe I’m crazy, but I’ve scooped up plenty of Tolbert shares over the first seven weeks of the season, and I’m happy to have him stashed. Dallas’ WR2 has played over 89% of the offensive snaps in consecutive games for a team that, under Dak Prescott, routinely ranks in the top 10 in pass rate over expectation. That role alone should be rostered.

Don’t believe me? While Brandin Cooks posted the lowest yards per route rate of his career in 2023, he was a top-24 receiver on six occasions. Tolbert has that role all to himself, and while the 25-year-old still has to refine his game, I don’t think there’s much of a counter to the claim that he could match a success rate at that level moving forward.

I don’t think he’ll be the most consistent of options, but that doesn’t mean you outright neglect him After highlighting how secondary receivers have been the ones producing against San Francisco, he makes for an interesting DFS piece this week. Tolbert has cleared 100 air yards in three of his past five games — this is a profile I want on my bench, understanding that he offers weekly potential whenever I need it with his bye week now behind him.

Ja’Lynn Polk, WR | NE (vs. NYJ)

A head injury resulted in a departure from Week 7’s loss to the Jaguars, but with just one catch on seven targets across Drake Maye’s two starts, you shouldn’t feel obligated to hang onto Polk at this point.

That’s not to say you completely write him off as an asset down the stretch of this season. After all, he’s still a second-round pick and part of this rebuilding team’s future. But we’ve entered the zone where you can pounce if you see glimpses, as opposed to burning a valuable roster spot.

Even if you’re a Polk truther, these next three weeks (Jets, Titans, and Bears) aren’t user-friendly matchups. You can cut ties now and likely get back in for free as we approach the middle of November at no real cost.

Ja’Marr Chase, WR | CIN (vs. PHI)

You can’t stop Chase, you can only hope to contain him.

Okay, so that might be a little strong, but things are trending in that direction.

Remove a weird game against the Panthers, and Chase has an 85.7% catch rate this season, adding stability to a profile that comes with big-play potential (two 60+ yard receptions over the past month) and scoring equity that is on par with any receiver in the game (six scores over his past five games).

If there is a profile to slow Chase, it could be the low-blitz, high-pressure stylings of the Eagles that allow the seventh-most yards per carry to opposing running backs. That said, if you’re lowering Chase in your ranks, it’s from WR2 to WR6 — not a meaningful move in season-long formats where you’re locking him in without a second thought.

The back-shoulder touchdown last week simply looked too easy. When Joe Burrow is healthy and in form, defenses are essentially helpless. And with the projected total for this game sitting at 47.5, there should be fireworks for Chase to be a part of.

Jameson Williams, WR | DET (vs. TEN)

News broke on Monday night that Williams is facing a two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s Performance-Enhancing Substances policy, a penalty he will accept and begin serving this weekend. With Williams coming off a negative-four-yard performance in Minnesota, fantasy managers are in a difficult spot. The down week doesn’t worry as much as the fact that the burner was able to earn only a single target in the Week 7 victory.

Jared Goff is on a borderline historic run of efficiency (three straight games with a passer rating of 140+). While that is a net positive for all members of this offense, it also results in low play volume, thus making weeks like this possible. I call it 49er-itis.

Williams earned 20 targets in the first two weeks this season and has just 10 on his ledger since. On the bright side, the Lions know where their bread is buttered. Their run game is feared, and they pull it out of their RBs’ stomachs to pass at the fourth-highest rate (18.2% of dropbacks), a style of play-calling that allows Williams to work downfield.

I was hopeful that we’d get something of a target-yearning breakout this season, but those hopes are fading. Williams owns plenty of upside any time he touches a field. With Goff playing at an MVP level, he has access to a WR1 week, but the usage concerns have him checking in as a Flex play for me more than a lineup lock.

He’s a firm hold. Having him burn you last week and not be active for the next two is obviously less than ideal, but his role isn’t at risk. With a healthy version of him coming back for the second half of the fantasy season, there is plenty of time for him to make an impact on your season.

Jauan Jennings, WR | SF (vs. DAL)

Jennings entered this season viewed as the rare receiver handcuff; with Brandon Aiyuk done for the season, he steps into a weekly Flex-worthy role that could be expanded even further should Deebo Samuel Sr. (pneumonia) be ruled out.

A back injury cost him last week, but Kyle Shanahan indicated following the loss to Kansas City that the hope is to have him active. That would certainly be a welcomed sight for an offense that saw pass catchers drop like flies in Week 7.

Jennings has eight career games with more than five targets, and he’s produced over expectation in seven of them, a sample size that is highlighted by his Week 3 explosion in Los Angeles against the Rams (11 catches on 12 targets for 175 yards and three touchdowns).

Of course, we aren’t expecting that level of production this week, but he’s flirting with a top-30 status for me against a Dallas defense that is at less than full strength. The 49ers operate at the third slowest pace in the league and the Cowboys are the fastest — that tells me that this could be a high-time-of-possession game for the home team, and that gives Jennings a good chance to turn a profit for savvy fantasy managers.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR | SEA (vs. BUF)

It’s rarely a good sign when the clear highlight of a receiver’s day was a pass he threw, not one he caught, but that was the case for Seattle’s second-year receiver in Week 7. On a trick play, Jaxon Smith-Njigba threw something of a prayer to DK Metcalf, and it was answered for a 35-yard gain.

Outside of that, we saw JSN get his hands on the ball just three times on six targets, totaling nine yards.

Gross.

Like everyone else, I was underwhelmed by what we saw from Smith-Njigba on Sunday in a 34-point effort from the Seahawks, but I’m not holding it against him. Do you want to know why? It was never a good spot. I penned this in our betting content ahead of the dud.

“Hoodwinked. Bamboozled. Led astray.”

Any old-timey words that I’m missing? That’s how I felt after getting excited about JSN giving us a 10.6 aDOT (169 air yards) in the Week 2 win in New England. It looked like the true start of a Year 2 breakout, and … it wasn’t.

For the next three weeks, Smith-Njigba totaled 131 air yards (6.0 aDOT), reverting to the role he filled as a rookie. In Week 6 against the 49ers, we got another glimpse of those downfield looks (10.6 aDOT, 95 air yards), but I’m not getting sucked in. Not again.

The Falcons are one of four defenses in the NFL to rank in the bottom quarter of the league in both overall pressure rate and pressure rate when blitzing. In short, they can’t get to the quarterback. That’s great news for Seattle’s offense as a whole, but not JSN.

When Geno Smith is pressured:

• DK Metcalf/Tyler Lockett: 72.1% catch rate
• Smith-Njigba: 61.3% catch rate

When Smith is not pressured:

• Metcalf/Lockett: 39.4% catch rate
• Smith-Njigba: 83.3% catch rate

Smith-Njigba targets are comfort food for Smith, a role that I don’t think will be needed in this specific spot. The Falcons also allow the ninth-fewest yards per catch after the reception this season, further limiting JSN’s impact and/or the team’s desire to feature him.

Add in the fact that Atlanta ranks 26th against the run by EPA, and this could be a heavy Kenneth Walker III game. Smith-Njigba has gone under both of these numbers three times this season and, in my opinion, has more outs to cash these tickets than make us regret them.

• Pick: Jaxon Smith-Njigba under 4.5 receptions (+110 at DraftKings)
• Pick: Jaxon Smith-Njigba under 49.5 receiving yards (-120)

The Bills are another low-pressure team, but they rank in the top third of the NFL in pressure rate when blitzing and the bottom third in terms of yards allowed after the completion. I’m not targeting Smith-Njigba overs for my betting card this week, but this is a much better spot than the one he walked into last week.

Jayden Reed, WR | GB (at JAX)

Reed is coming off his worst performance of the 2024 season (two catches for 10 yards on four targets against the Texans), but he gets as good of a bounce-back spot as fantasy managers could possibly ask for.

The Jaguars own the lowest interception rate (0.4%) in the NFL this season, and that has allowed opponents to feel comfortable in being aggressive against their secondary (8.0 yards per attempt, fourth most).

I’ve said it before and I’ll double down: the Packers are trending toward using Reed’s ability to create in space much like the 49ers have molded an offense around Deebo Samuel Sr. That role comes with some risk but more upside than downside when in advantageous spots like this. Reed has a carry in every game this season and a reception of 30+ yards in the majority of contests.

Don’t let last week impact your decision-making for this week — Reed should be treated as a lineup lock in all formats, this week and for the foreseeable future.

Jaylen Waddle, WR | MIA (vs. ARI)

Positive vibes only.

I could tell you that Waddle’s last 50-yard game came in Week 1 or that his air-yard count hasn’t exceeded 34 yards in four of his past five, but this is a game we all love, and it’s much more fun when you leave an article with some hope, right?

Waddle’s last 17 games with his QB1 making the start:

• 118 targets
• 83 catches
• 1,195 yards
• Four touchdowns

Assuming that Tagovailoa gets through the week and enters the weekend as the projected starter, Waddle will rank as a starter in all formats for me, ahead of Garrett Wilson and Jameson Williams.

Jerry Jeudy, WR | CLE (vs. BAL)

Jerry Jeudy is an interesting thought study for fantasy managers. On one hand, the man has done next to nothing. Amari Cooper just left town for Buffalo, yet he has more October catches with the Bills than Jeudy does with the Browns. His last 15-point effort came on Christmas 2022, and this Cleveland offense ranks dead last in yards per game (253.9).

On the other hand, we have a new quarterback taking over. Deshaun Watson’s season ended on Sunday, and while we don’t know their exact plan under center, there is little risk of things getting worse. The two WRs that join Jeudy atop this depth chart are Elijah Moore (1,760 career receiving yards across 3.5 seasons) and Cedric Tillman (15.0 receiving yards per game during his career) — not exactly proven target vacuums.

Are you embracing the change or dismissing the offense?

Reasonable minds can disagree, but I’m willing to give him one week to show me something, a benefit of the doubt that I wouldn’t have given him if not for the quarterback change. This is a strong matchup, so what’s the harm in taking a patient approach?

Maybe this offense is just as pathetic as it’s been, and if that’s the case, you can cut ties with Jeudy after this week. No harm, no foul. But maybe this is the change that unlocks Jeudy, something that you’d want access to down the stretch of the fantasy playoffs (they go to Cincinnati in Week 16 and, off of a mini bye, host the Dolphins in Week 17).

Jordan Addison, WR | MIN (at LAR)

Week 7 was the good and the bad of Addison within a 60-minute window. Unless you were watching the game closely, you could have been convinced that, through three quarters, the second-year playmaker was inactive. He had a pair of catches for 15 yards, but nothing that was noteworthy or all that impactful.

Boom.

In Minnesota’s first full fourth-quarter drive, down eight points with the lead of the NFC North at stake in a drive starting from their own nine-yard line, Sam Darnold hit him with a bomb. Detroit had single coverage without significant help over the top, and that was properly identified. Addison tracked the ball perfectly, making the catch on his way to the ground while the cornerback was in position but unaware of where the ball was.

It was a work of art. He proceeded to not earn a target for the remainder of the game. When all was said and done, Jalen Nailor finished Week 7 with more catches, targets, and yards than Addison, and that’s the issue. Consistency is a major concern, and with T.J. Hockenson expected to be back in the mix, the target count is more likely to trend down than up.

The Rams allow the fourth-most yards per deep pass attempt (15.3) this season, and that hope is enough for Addison to crack my top 40 receivers this week, but I can’t go much higher than that with all 32 teams in action. He’s a viable option if you lost Brandon Aiyuk, but he’s far from a must-play, and I expect that to be the case for the remainder of 2024.

Josh Downs, WR | IND (at HOU)

After three straight games with over 65 receiving yards, a run that included a pair of touchdowns, Downs was a victim of the limitations of this offense and turned three targets into a whopping three yards.

Downs is a talented receiver, but with a 6.7-yard career aDOT and nearly 80% of his routes coming in the slot, his role is not going to soak up consistent usage in an Anthony Richardson-led unit, especially with Michael Pittman Jr. active. The weekly floor is as low as it gets for Downs and with the best defense in terms of slot completion percentage (53.2%) on the other sideline, the odds of a floor performance spike.

JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR | KC (at LV)

Smith-Schuster looked like a real difference-maker in Week 5 against the Saints (seven catches on eight targets for 130 yards), the thought being that he could be a poor man’s version of Rashee Rice in this low-octane-but-efficient offense.

He, however, has fallen victim to the hamstring epidemic that is sweeping the NFL this season and was ruled out for this week on Monday, an indication that this is an injury that is going to take some time. Due to the Chiefs’ perfect record, they can operate with caution.

I’m not sure that Smith-Schuster will earn volume at a high level when healthy, but his direct path to a role in a Patrick Mahomes-led offense makes him a player to keep rostered if at all possible, even with it likely that this injury lingers beyond just this week.

Justin Jefferson, WR | MIN (at LAR)

Jefferson is as good as it gets, it really is that simple. He’s scored in five of six games this season and has a 40-yard catch or six receptions in nine of his past 10 games dating back to last season. There are a dozen receivers in the league today with a similar weekly best-case scenario that is competitive with that of Jefferson, but few offer the floor of Minnesota’s WR1.

The Rams have been better against opposing passing games of late, but we caught a glimpse of just how productive big-play receivers can be against this defense in September (Jameson Williams, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Jauan Jennings combined for 99.9 PPR points). If there is a player who can mirror that level of success, it’s Jefferson.

Kalif Raymond, WR | DET (vs. TEN)

This recent run from the Lions is emblematic of what the 49ers have done during the Brock Purdy era. What happened when that team increased the role of a reserve?

If you were on the Jauan Jennings bandwagon, I don’t need to remind you. That’s not to say that Raymond will produce anything like what Jennings has done this year, but it’s a nice reminder that an efficient offense has the power to elevate pass catchers well beyond even the most aggressive projection.

Through seven weeks, 37.1% of Raymond’s routes this season have come in the slot. Yes, that’s a place where Amon-Ra St. Brown typically lives, but maybe the team gets creative with their WR1 in an effort to make the undersized Raymond (5’8”) more comfortable.

Raymond and Tim Patrick will be vying for looks in this offense with Jameson Williams suspended. While I think Patrick is the more logical fit, I’m happy to add either as a way to get exposure to this machine.

Keenan Allen, WR | CHI (at WAS)

The last time we saw Chicago, Keenan Allen was dancing in the end zone twice, scoring 21.9 PPR points in the easy win over the Jaguars. That was great to see for a veteran who had just 18.1 points on his 2024 ledger going into the matchup.

Is this the start of something or a flash in the pan?

A little bit of both.

I think he’s proven himself as the second most reliable option in a passing game that should continue to get better, though there will be weeks where his opportunity count is low due to the number of options in this offense.

Allen had 127 air yards in Week 1, but his role has come back toward expectations with just 106 since. I love his usage in scoring situations this season (five of his 25 targets have come in the end zone), and while that rate isn’t going to be sustained, it’s encouraging to see him have the trust of his rookie signal-caller at the most important spot on the field for fantasy purposes.

Allen is a fine Flex play, with his health something we can count on right now, though his 8.1 yards per catch introduces a floor that you need to at least be aware of. That said, if you’re not Flexing him here, when are you?

Keon Coleman, WR | BUF (at SEA)

With three 40-plus-yard catches over the past three weeks, Coleman’s stock is quietly ticking up. I like his pedigree, though his volume ceiling is probably capped at the seven targets he saw last week with Amari Cooper poised to assume an alpha WR1 role and Khalil Shakir’s efficiency in the slot not going anywhere.

The Seahawks create pressure at the fourth-highest rate, and if Josh Allen is feeling the heat, Coleman’s floor very much comes into play. Coleman has caught only three of eight targets when his quarterback is pressured this season (13-of-19 otherwise), and it wouldn’t shock me if he is the fourth or fifth option in such situations moving forward.

Last week was Coleman’s first finish as a legitimate fantasy starter. While it was encouraging to see, I need more evidence before I consider him in anything less than a perfect matchup.

Khalil Shakir, WR | BUF (at SEA)

With defenses game planning to take away the chunk plays, you could argue that Shakir’s quick-twitch skills are as valuable in today’s NFL as any time in league history.

It was a little bit of a slow burn last week, but Shakir produced his third top-25 performance of the season. We all thought that his 86.7% catch rate from a season ago was unsustainable. As it turns out, that may have been a down season (27 catches on 28 targets this season). Shakir is the most efficient receiver in the NFL, a skill that is going to need to stick for him to return Flex value. The target count is far more likely to decline than grow with Amari Cooper getting acclimated.

Shakir is a low-end Flex play in this specific matchup because his strength matches up with the strength of a limited Seahawks defense. Through seven weeks, Seattle is allowing a league-low 5.4 yards per slot pass this season, something that knocks Shakir just outside of my top 30 this week.

Ladd McConkey, WR | LAC (vs. NO)

McConkey entered Week 7 battling a hip injury, but he suited up to face the Cardinals and did what he does. Rookies typically take time when it comes to developing the intricacies of the NFL game, instead relying on their physical gifts — that hasn’t been the case with Los Angeles’ impressive slot receiver.

McConkey has earned at least seven targets in three straight games, making him the most reliable option in this very grounded offense. The 4.7-yard aDOT he posted last week was a career low, and I’d argue that’s good for his fantasy stock. Of course, we’d love to see McConkey stretch the field, but in a conservative offense, the ability to win on shallow routes holds value.

He’s Wan’Dale Robinson, but on a team that I trust to keep more games close and with a more consistent quarterback. McConkey’s skill set isn’t as sexy as the other rookies in this class, but his odds of returning a viable PPR stat line are strong, which is more than we can say about many wide receivers.

Malik Nabers, WR | NYG (at PIT)

After two straight DNPs (concussion), Nabers had a 13-yard catch on New York’s first play from scrimmage in Week 7, and we were rolling.

Or not.

Nabers saw seven more targets for the rest of the game but picked up just 28 yards. If you need a silver lining, the rookie posted a 29.6% target share and led the team in receiving yards. I would have taken those notes to the bank if you gave them to me pre-game, but the Giants couldn’t keep the Eagles out of their backfield (eight sacks), giving New York’s passing game no chance to support a single asset.

In theory, better times are ahead. But counting on a bounce back when facing T.J. Watt and Company is a dangerous way to live. The floor is low for the Giants’ offense as a whole, but with Nabers as the clear-cut alpha, there are two matchup notes that have me running him out there as a fine WR2 this week.

Through seven games, the Steelers are allowing the third-highest percentage of yards gained against them to come through the air (72.8%). Playing into that statistic is the fact that a league-high 14.3% of deep passes against them results in touchdowns.

Nabers is typically a fantasy producer who comes with plus marks in both quality and quantity. I’m not confident he gets both in this tough spot, but I think he has a good chance at checking one of those boxes, which should be enough to reward you for your trust.

Marvin Harrison Jr., WR | ARI (at MIA)

Marvin Harrison Jr. suffered a concussion in Week 6 but was able to clear the protocol before Monday night, and the Cardinals showed no concerns about his health (83.6% snap rate, season snap rate: 73.5%).

That was good to see, but the production wasn’t there against a stingy Chargers defense. Harrison turned six targets into just 21 yards, continuing his struggles that now extend through Arizona’s past 15 quarters. Over that stretch, he has seen just 17 targets into 81 touchdown-less yards.

Harrison remains Arizona’s WR1, but he’s no longer in the conversation for such a title in our game. In fact, I now have two rookie receivers ranked ahead of him, and that looks like it’ll be the case moving forward.

Only once this season has a receiver reached 15 PPR points against the Dolphins, and nothing in Harrison’s recent profile suggests that he is a threat to double that number on Sunday.

Michael Pittman Jr., WR | IND (at HOU)

I don’t want to say that Pittman is bizzaro Jaylen Waddle, but …

Pittman with Anthony Richardson, 2024

• 17.4% under fantasy expectations
• 11.9 aDOT
• 57.1% catch rate

Pittman with Joe Flacco, 2024

• 7.8% over fantasy expectation
• 8.9 aDOT
• 63.2% catch rate

While Waddle is a bench player until his preseason QB1 is back under center, it’s looking more and more like Pittman is a bench player only when his preseason QB1 is under center. Last week, Pittman led the Colts in catches and targets while accounting for 48.8% of the team’s receiving yards. That’s a profile that usually prefaces a breakout stat line — but nope, not the case here.

It took all of that for Pittman to get you 9.3 PPR points. Under normal circumstances, I’d write off such inefficiency as an outlier, but this has proven to be the norm. Back in Week 1, against these Texans, Pittman earned a 42.1% target share and turned that impressive usage into 7.1 points.

This is a square-peg/round-hole situation, and while there will likely be moments of production, you are acting with too much hubris if you think you can pinpoint those spots. Pittman is a WR4 for me this week — why wouldn’t I play Jauan Jennings against a banged-up Dallas defense while fulfilling the Brandon Aiyuk role or Darnell Mooney (8.3 targets per game over his past six games) against a vulnerable Buccaneers defense on short rest over him?

Michael Wilson, WR | ARI (at MIA)

I like the skill set that Michael Wilson owns, but for whatever reason, things simply aren’t clicking right now. The second-year receiver remains on the field plenty (81% snap share), he just can’t shake free.

In Weeks 1-5, Wilson had an on-field target share of 18.3%. That’s not an elite mark, but for a young receiver, it’s an acceptable September number, with the thought being that he will trend up with time. That, however, hasn’t been the case.

Over the past two weeks, Wilson’s rate has plummeted to 12.7% — that’s the role of someone on the waiver wire.

I’ve gotten sucked into streaming Wilson in the past, and your process could land you making a similar move this week due to the rash of WR injuries across the NFL.

I mean, Arizona lacks a WR2, has the ability to score in bunches, and Wilson’s size profile (6’2”, 213 pounds) gives him increased touchdown equity. I understand how you land on him as a viable threat because I’ve been right there with you.

I’m off of Wilson until further notice. All of those things remain true, but we have no on-field evidence that a breakout is coming. The Dolphins are the third-best red-zone defense in terms of completion percentage (36.4%), and that’s as good an excuse as any to look elsewhere.

Mike Evans, WR | TB (vs. ATL)

Mike Evans caught his 100th career touchdown pass on Tampa Bay’s first drive last week and had a chance at No. 101. Yet, his bulky hamstring was grabbing at him as he went to make the catch, resulting in his night ending early.

I’m no injury expert, but NFL players are some of the toughest our species has to offer, so the fact that he was in agony and it prevented him from scoring, I’m not counting on having Evans in the short term at the very least (Week 11 bye).

We can circle back to this situation should he recover at hyper-speed, but Jalen McMillan profiles as the role replacement, though you’re asking a lot for the rookie to step in and mirror what the future Hall of Famer does.

Puka Nacua, WR | LAR (vs. MIN)

Updated on Thursday, October 24 at 7:00 PM ET
Puka Nacua is officially active for their Week 8 game.

Updated on Thursday, October 24 at 4:30 PM ET
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Rams activated WR Puka Nacua off injured reserve with the idea that they plan to play him tonight. They won’t decide until pregame warmups how much he can play, but the plan is to play him.

Nacua is set to potentially make a surprise return, though it comes in a difficult spot. Not only is Cooper Kupp seemingly closer to full strength, thus shifting Nacua down the target hierarchy in an offense that already ranks middle of the pack in pass rate over expectation, but this matchup is prohibitive.

Through seven weeks, the Vikings are a top-5 defense in passer rating, TD/INT ratio, and points allowed per drive. With Kyren Williams soaking up the usage in close and Kupp projected to vacuum in the short-to-intermediate targets as he normally does, Nacua carries as much risk as reward into this matchup.

The odds are good, given the state of the position, that you don’t have the luxury of playing another option, so you’re simply hoping for the best from a health standpoint. I have Nacua labeled as a low-end WR2 who is unlikely to see his typical target share should he return tonight.

Quentin Johnston, WR | LAC (vs. NO)

Quentin Johnston’s ankle injury cost him Week 7, and for managers holding onto Weeks 2-3, I admire your loyalty. You’re the type of person I want in my bunker of life, but unconditional support like that is going to limit your upside as a fantasy manager more often than not.

This is a run-centric offense with a fluid hierarchy of targets. If I was writing the profile for a stay-away situation, that would be it. Even if you need to target upside and even if Johnston (team-high 13.0-yard aDOT) is deemed to be fully healthy, he’s still not the dart to throw this week against a Saints defense that owns the lowest deep touchdown pass rate of the season.

If you’re swinging for the fences on an all-or-nothing receiver this week, I’d rather take my chances on Cedric Tillman (vs. Ravens) or Jake Bobo (vs. Bills). You can safely cut ties and free yourself of the hassle of trying to project the usage for this passing game.

Rashod Bateman, WR | BAL (at CLE)

Bateman has had his moments, but that doesn’t change that he is, at best, the third option in the most prolific rushing offense in the NFL. There will be spike games here and there, but the ability to project those weeks is next to impossible.

He doesn’t have much of a path to his role changing from that and that means more risk than reward for fantasy managers. He’s a stash and asset throw in desperate situations, given the rash of injuries at the position across the league, but with no teams on a bye this week, you likely have better options.

Rome Odunze, WR | CHI (at WAS)

I preached patience earlier within Caleb Williams’ profile, and it’s more of the same with his rookie receiver … in dynasty formats. I think Odunze still has a bright future, but I’m willing to cut ties if you find yourself in a roster crunch starting next week.

We all remember the big showing against the Colts (6-112-1, fantasy’s WR7) and the success of rookie receivers across the league makes us want to hold onto hope, but where is the growth going to occur?

Field time isn’t an issue for Odunze (85.5% snap share), and that takes away a development path. For the season, he’s producing 14.5% below expectations, and that aforementioned big game is his only top-45 effort of the season, accounting for 49% of his fantasy production this season.

I’m not pulling the plug on Odunze ahead of this advantageous matchup and still think he’s a viable WR handcuff, though my current expectations are low and I don’t have him ranked as a Flex-worthy option for Week 8.

Romeo Doubs, WR | GB (at JAX)

The wheel of Green Bay goodness landed on Romeo Doubs against the Texans last week, as he had his most catches, targets, and receiving yards in a regular-season game since last September. Doubs’ eight catches were more than any two pass catchers on Green Bay’s offense combined, and his 94 receiving yards were more than Dontayvion Wicks, Jayden Reed, and Tucker Kraft combined.

Be careful. You could elect to read this as Doubs establishing himself as a consistent piece of this offense, but are you really willing to buy in at that level and trust him as your Flex?

In every game this season, he’s had under five targets or over six, and part of what has impressed me about Jordan Love’s development is his willingness to spread the ball around.

Week 6 Packers target shares:

• Jayden Reed: 19.4%
• Tucker Kraft: 12.9%
• Christian Watson: 12.9%
• Romeo Doubs: 12.9%
• Dontayvion Wicks: 9.7%

Week 7 Packers target shares:

• Doubs: 30.3%
• Wicks: 18.2%
• Reed: 12.1%
• Kraft: 12.1%
• Watson: 6.1%

Doubs is a fine player to stash and roll the dice on in case of an emergency. However, with zero teams on a bye this week, hopefully, you don’t need to absorb this sort of risk — even if the matchup is favorable.

Stefon Diggs, WR | HOU (vs. IND)

We saw signs of decline down the field from Stefon Diggs in the second half of last season, so when Nico Collins went down, I was worried about the former’s stock.

Would Diggs be asked to play outside of his comfort zone and down the field? Would the lack of a feared perimeter option clog the short-yardage targets?

As it turns out, no.

Diggs has accounted for 36.7% of Houston’s receptions in the two games that Collins has missed, catching 78.6% of his targets in the process (teammates over that stretch: 50%). He may not have a 30-yard catch this season, and we are more than a full year removed from his last 40-yard reception, but there are a variety of ways to pay the fantasy bills.

Games with 65+ receiving yards, Weeks 3-7

• Justin Jefferson: 4
• Ja’Marr Chase: 4
• Diggs: 4

Is that a cherry-picked leaderboard? You’re damn right it is, but the point remains that Diggs has proven to be as stable a fantasy option as anyone at the position recently. That has him grading out as a high-end WR2 for me in a week where Houston carries an implied total of 26.5 points.

Sterling Shepard, WR | TB (vs. ATL)

The game script got away from Tampa Bay a bit on Monday night. That impacted a snap count for Shepard that, before Week 7, was on the up-and-up.

Shepard’s snap share:

• Week 4 vs. Philadelphia Eagles: 63.5%
• Week 5 at Atlanta Falcons: 66.7%
• Week 6 at New Orleans Saints: 75%

This season, Chris Godwin has been among the most effective slot options in the sport (34 catches on 41 targets for 450 yards and four scores, producing 43.2% over fantasy expectation), a role that Shepard will now be asked to fill.

Fortunately, the ramp-up period for the former Giant has been taking place over the past month, and he should be ready to replace Godwin’s snap share. But asking him to fill those production shoes is a bit much.

That said, the Falcons allow the highest slot completion percentage in the league, giving Shepard some projectable volume that could turn into PPR Flex value in a pinch. He deserves to be rostered across all formats given how this Buccaneers offense functions (third in pass rate over expectation).

Still, expectations need to be measured as we are talking about a 31-year-old receiver who has had his own troubles staying on the field (67 catches in 30 appearances since the start of 2021.

Tank Dell, WR | HOU (vs. IND)

I wasn’t high on Dell coming into the season, but even I had him ahead of my players-who-go-by-the-name-Tank rankings. That’s not the case anymore.

Dell was held without a catch in Lambeau last week (four targets) and has no more than 40 receiving yards in four games this season. We’ve seen him make splash plays in the past to rescue otherwise unappealing weeks, but does that happen against a Colts defense this week that gives up deep touchdowns at the fourth-lowest rate?

I don’t like what I’ve seen from this offense sans Nico Collins, and that has me looking for other Flex options if possible (I have Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Darnell Mooney, and Khalil Shakir all ranked ahead of him for PPR leagues this week).

Tee Higgins, WR | CIN (vs. PHI)

Ja’Marr Chase is the highlight-producing receiver and the player on this team who can change a game with a single play, but this is truly a 1A and 1B situation. Since Higgins debuted in Week 3:

Chase:

• 37 targets (two in the end zone)
• 29 catches (six on third downs)
• Two drops

Higgins:

• 45 targets (three in the end zone)
• 29 catches (nine on third downs)
• Zero drops

Higgins took a crossing pattern to the house for a 25-yard score last week and will rank as a strong start for me weekly. That said, I have one nit to pick, and it’s enough for me to look elsewhere in a DFS setting.

We saw the Eagles heat up the Giants last week with eight sacks. This is a different situation, but it should be noted that Higgins has only been targeted on 8% of his routes this season when Joe Burrow is pressured. Chase is likely to win the quality of target competition with Higgins, and if he also gets the edge in the quantity department, I’m a little concerned.

Terry McLaurin, WR | WAS (vs. CHI)

Dan Quinn has been blunt when it comes to the status of Jayden Daniels — they are going to operate with an abundance of caution. And they should, but fantasy managers riding McLaurin (four top-20 finishes over his past five games) can’t be thrilled with this development.

Should Daniels play through the rib injury, I’d have McLaurin pushing for a WR1 ranking. But with me assuming that the rookie is inactive, Washington’s WR1 is hanging onto fantasy WR2 status by a thread.

I thought Marcus Mariota looked fine last week, but he was in a favorable script against the worst defense in the league, so forgive me if I’m not overly excited about a QB who has been on four rosters over the past four seasons and has just 19 touchdown passes on his résumé since the start of 2020.

Only two receivers have had big days against the Bears this season (12.5+ PPR points): Nico Collins in Week 2 and Gabe Davis in Week 6. The Collins thing happens to almost everyone, and the Davis game is just random variance — he has three of those games a season and Chicago just happened to be on the wrong side of it. Outside of that, this defense has been as stingy as any, and with a full week to prep for Mariota, I’m more likely to roster the Bears DST in DFS than look the way of McLaurin.

Despite being his team’s top option, McLaurin lives in the world of WR2s for Week 8, ranking in the same tier as Garrett Wilson, DeVonta Smith, and Tank Dell.

Tim Patrick, WR | DET (vs. TEN)

I don’t blame you if you want some Lions exposure in your life with Jared Goff playing at the highest level of his career. A healthy Patrick is as good a bet as any to return some cheap value while Jameson Williams (two-game suspension) is out of the mix.

Patrick and Kalif Raymond figure to see the greatest uptick in short-term usage. If this team wants to replace Williams’ ability to stretch the field, Patrick will prove to be the better addition between these two (his aDOT is 42.9% higher than that of Raymond this season). This is his seventh NFL season, and the knock on him hasn’t had anything to do with his talent (14.2 yards per catch with a touchdown on 7.8% of his receptions), it’s all been health-related.

Isn’t that the same story we told about J.K. Dobbins earlier this season? I’m not suggesting, or ranking, Patrick as the breakout star of Week 7. But there is an opportunity there, and I’m stashing him in all spots that I can.

Tyler Lockett, WR | SEA (vs. BUF)

The veteran receiver appears to finally be in decline. After years of overachieving, Father Time seems to have tracked down Lockett, as he has just one top-35 finish after a strong 2024 debut.

Through seven weeks, Lockett’s target earning metrics have all regressed in a significant way, a regression that he could overcome if he continued to be efficient with his opportunities, but that’s not the case (producing 9.4% below target expectation).

Only 20.5% of Seahawk drives have reached the red zone this season, further lowering his floor as the scoring area is the one spot on the field where Lockett has flashed his ability to wiggle free. I’ve got Seattle’s WR3 ranked as a low-end WR4 that I would be actively looking to bench for any level of upside elsewhere (give me any Packer receiver and an unknown quantity in Jalen McMillan as he works into his new role).

Tyreek Hill, WR | MIA (vs. ARI)

I think I’ve used the “he hasn’t been a top-30 receiver since Week 1 stat” in three straight writeups. I’m nothing if not a man of consistency — so, yeah, safe to say that after Hill totaled 13 yards against the Colts, that streak remains alive.

Instead of drilling down on the bad (at this point, you’ve made your decision — benching him is plenty viable should anyone whose name doesn’t rhyme with Blua Bagovailoa start), let’s call back the good times. In Hill’s last 17 games with at least eight targets from QB1:

• 199 targets
• 132 catches
• 1,853 yards
• 13 touchdowns

It feels good to see numbers like that, doesn’t it? I aim to please — and we are getting close to your patience paying off.

Wan’Dale Robinson, WR | NYG (at PIT)

Robinson is boring, but he’s largely been effective in PPR formats with at least five catches in each of his past five games. With Malik Nabers back on the field against the Eagles last week, it was Robinson who led the team in targets.

Of course, his 1.9 aDOT capped his upside, but you’re not rostering Robinson in search of a seven-catch, 175-yard, three-touchdown performance. You’re looking for double-digit points and moving on.

He’s been good for that more often than not, and I think he can sustain that level of success over the next two months, — but not this week.

Steelers against the slot

• Completion percentage: seventh
• Passer rating: third
• Interception rate: second

The Steelers rank fifth in average time of possession this season, making this a potentially low-quantity, low-quality spot for New York’s slot machine.

Xavier Legette, WR | CAR (at DEN)

The rookie has had his moments this season, but they haven’t come recently or under Bryce Young, which introduces more risk than reward into his fantasy profile (34 receiving yards so far in three October games).

Young is averaging a hard-to-comprehend 4.6 yards per pass attempt this season with zero scores on 65 attempts and a QB+ grade since the beginning of last season, which nearly broke our model.

Diontae Johnson projects as the clear target leader on this team, and I’m not confident he provides value in a standard-sized league – a secondary option that could well see some Patrick Surtain coverage on the perimeter isn’t of any interest to me in anything besides Hail Mary DFS lineups.

Xavier Worthy, WR | KC (at LV)

This is a conservative offense, but as Worthy’s role increases, there is hope. Patrick Mahomes is completing a career-high 53.6% of his passes thrown 15+ yards down the field. The role has been the question, and while I think the team is trying to ease their rookie into things, they are quickly running out of options.

Entering last week, Worthy hadn’t posted an on-field target share of over 18.2%. In Week 7, Mahomes tried to get the ball in the hands of his explosive playmaker on 30.8% of his routes. I think we probably land somewhere in the middle of those two rates — that will be enough in more than a few spots.

But does it pay off this week? The Chiefs opened this week as a double-digit road favorite, something that only happened seven times a season ago. In those games, the favorite dominated at the level that was expected (4-2-1 against the spread). The game script may work away from this passing game, putting a premium on efficiency, something that may not be as easy as you’d assume with the Raiders allowing the seventh-fewest yards per deep pass attempt.

Worthy might have a few usable weeks remaining this season, but once Hopkins works his way into the regular mix, the former’s profile has more risk than reward.

Zay Flowers, WR | BAL (at CLE)

An ankle sprain cost Flowers some snaps last week, but nonetheless, it was another dud performance from Baltimore’s WR1. If he was struggling week in and week out, things would be easier. It would be disappointing, but at least we’d know what to do — bench him.

As it stands right now, we are helpless. The situation and role demand we start Flowers weekly, even if we are doing so with next to no certainty as to what we are going to get.

• Week 3 at Dallas Cowboys: three catches for 20 yards (fantasy’s WR71)
• Week 4 vs. Buffalo Bills: one catch for 10 yards (WR94)
• Week 5 at Cincinnati Bengals: seven catches for 111 yards (WR14)
• Week 6 vs. Washington Commanders: nine catches for a career-high 132 yards (WR6)
• Week 7 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: one catch for 11 yards (WR65)

The Browns are allowing a league-high 14.3 yards per catch to the slot this season. That has me trending toward this being a strong week for Flowers, but you need to be aware of the downside that comes with trusting him in a game that very well could be dominated by Derrick Henry.

At the very least, keep an eye on his bulky ankle. He returned to Week 7 after the injury and should be good to go, but given the up-and-down nature of his production, sharp managers will keep updated with the most recent news coming out of Baltimore.