Love
ARI WR Marvin Harrison Jr vs. TEN CB L’Jarius Sneed
Harrison Jr. shrugged off another rough start and made plays down the stretch last Thursday. He has a great matchup to keep his momentum going against an inferior opponent. He has seen at least five targets in each game this season, including a season-high 10 targets against Seattle last week. QB Kyler Murray will continue to throw his way all season to keep Harrison Jr’s confidence and trust.
The Titans defense has given up at least 20 points in all four of their games this season. It is hard to imagine that things will be drastically different when they go on the road to Arizona. Sneed was considered a top corner when he was in Kansas City, but his performance has dropped off significantly since being traded to Tennessee. Harrison Jr. should be able to rack up some stats this week.
LAC WR Ladd McConkey vs. WAS CB Marshon Lattimore
McConkey has not been worth the ADP he was drafted at in fantasy drafts so far this season, but this could be the game where patience pays off. McConkey was held to just one catch in Week 4, and he has failed to find the end zone so far this season. Panic is starting to set in, but do not give up yet. The Commanders secondary is giving up nearly 250 pass yards a game this season. Washington primarily plays zone, which plays into McConkey’s style of finding gaps and getting some yards after catch.
DET WR Jameson Williams vs. CIN CB DJ Turner II
Williams is another guy that fantasy managers are trying to be patient with. We know Williams is explosive and can pop off a big play at any time, but he has only caught two passes in each of the last three games and has only scored once this season. Meanwhile, the Bengals looked like they gave up on the season during Monday Night Football against the Broncos.
Broncos WR Marvin Mims Jr. has a similar style and skillset to Williams. Mims Jr. caught six balls for 69 yards and took a jet sweep to the house. I would imagine the Lions would like to scheme in some potential explosive plays for Williams this week.
Hate
BAL WR Zay Flowers vs. HOU CB Derek Stingley Jr.
With Lamar Jackson set to miss a short period of time, QB Cooper Rush will stand in for him. With Rush under center, this offense changes dramatically. The change could not come at a worse time, with the Texans coming to Baltimore off their first win of the season. Flowers has caught at least seven passes in three of four games this season, and Flowers meshes well with Lamar’s ad-lib plays. With Rush, there will be less ad-libbing and more pocket passing.
The Texans defense has held up its end of the bargain by only giving up 20 points to a team just once this season. The front seven of Houston is dangerous and can get to the quarterback quickly. Behind that defensive line is a tough zone coverage scheme that has given teams fits. Houston is allowing just 178 passing yards a game through four games so far. I would look elsewhere for another WR option.
NE WR Stefon Diggs vs. BUF CB Christian Benford
Diggs had his best game with the Patriots last week against Carolina, hauling in six balls for 101 yards. Diggs was paid handsomely to play in New England, but his performances have been less than stellar, playing next to Drake Maye, who is still progressing in his development. You may be tempted to think Diggs is turning the corner and could be worth a play in your league, but this Bills defense has been humming.
Since giving up 40 points in Week 1 to the Ravens, the Bills have not allowed more than 21 points in the last three weeks. On top of that, Buffalo has held teams to just around 126 passing yards a game through the four weeks, which is good for first in the NFL. This veteran defense knows the schemes and game plans each week and have been executing. Resist the temptation of starting Diggs.
WAS WR Deebo Samuel vs. LAC CB Donte Jackson
Samuel was bumped up to WR1 last week against Atlanta as Terry McLaurin is dealing with a quad injury. McLaurin is trending towards missing another week, and Samuel will fill in as the top pass catcher once again. He has a tough matchup against the Chargers, who are allowing just about 160 passing yards a game this season.
Jackson is a solid veteran corner that was added this offseason to pair with second-year corner Cam Hart and S Derwin James. The Chargers let one slip away to the lowly Giants last week so they will be hungry to right the wrong from last week.
