Fantasy Football: 5 WR/CB matchups to target and 5 to avoid in Week 5

• Smith should thrive in Week 5: Expect a bounce-back week for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith vs. Arizona Cardinals cornerback Marco Wilson. PFF’s WR/CB matchup chart gives Smith a 91.3 matchup advantage rating.
• Gallup's sports an advantage: Michael Gallup should have a fine outing against Derion Kendrick and his 2.48 yards allowed per coverage snap.
• Fade Moore this week: Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Rondale Moore gets a 7.4 matchup advantage rating against Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay, the 10th worst rating on the Week 5 slate.

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

Welcome to Week 4 of the 2022 NFL season. The sections below highlight five targets and avoids with data gleaned from PFF’s WR/CB matchup chart.

5 WR/CB MATCHUPS TO TARGET

WR DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Marco Wilson, Arizona Cardinals

• Smith has played far better than his raw, season-long stat line indicates, as Week 1 was aberrant fallout from a newly formed passing attack learning the ropes. Weeks 2 and 3 were superb while Week 4 featured a poor game script, a torrential downpour and 50 rushing attempts from Philadelphia. 
• Against the Minnesota Vikings and Washington Commanders inviting coverages in Weeks 2 and 3, Smith earned an NFL-best 90.5 PFF receiving grade among NFL wide receivers with at least 15 targets.
• The rankings in the table below reference the aforementioned sample among the 31 NFL wide receivers with at least 15 targets.

• Per PFF’s WR/CB matchup chart, Smith will go to work against Wilson on 28 snaps (91.3 matchup advantage rating, excellent), Trayvon Mullen on 26 snaps (81.4 matchup advantage rating, good) and slot cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. on nine snaps (86.3 matchup advantage rating, excellent).
• Murphy’s subpar 61.4 PFF coverage grade is the best of the bunch, as Wilson (45.0) and Mullen (39.0) might as well be cardboard cutouts. 
• The over/under currently sits at 49.0 points on BetMGM. Expect Smith to make profound contributions in an effort to hit the over.

Editor's note: New users who bet $10 or more at BetMGM will receive a FREE YEAR’S SUBSCRIPTION TO PFF+ — a $79.99 value.

WR Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys vs. CB Derion Kendrick, Los Angeles Rams

•  Gallup was eased into action last week, making his 2022 debut after recovering from a 2021 ACL tear. 
• Though Gallup ran 24 routes — second highest on the team — he earned just two targets and earned a 0.0% deep target rate. However, Gallup did secure both passes for 24 yards and one touchdown.
• Week 5 brings an opportunity for Gallup to further grease his wheels, as he should square up with Kendrick on 23 snaps (59.9 matchup advantage rating, average), per PFF’s WR/CB matchup chart. 
• Primary slot receiver/de facto No. 1 CeeDee Lamb (74.6 PFF receiving grade) figures to command the attention of inside/outside cornerback Jalen Ramsey (80.8 PFF coverage grade) on a plurality of plays, at minimum. 
• Among NFL cornerbacks with at least 80 coverage snaps in 2022, Kendrick has 2.48 yards allowed per coverage snap — second highest in the league. His 14 receptions allowed are four more than the next closest Rams cornerback, and his 203 yards allowed pace the team by 53.

DOMINATE FANTASY FOOTBALL & BETTING WITH AI-POWERED DATA & TOOLS TRUSTED BY ALL 32

Unlimited Fantasy League Sync

Fantasy Start/Sit Line-Up Optimizer & Waiver Wire

WR-CB & OL-DL Matchups, PFF Player Grades, & Premium Stats 2.0 Tools

Nathan Jahnkes Rankings - #1 Most Accurate Last 70 Weeks

PFF Best Bets, Player Props, & Power Ranking Tools

NFL Mock Draft Sim with Trades & Draft Grades

Subscribe now

Already have a subscription? Log In