Johny The Greek's Cornerback Corner: Week 17
Who are the best and worst CB streaming options for Week 17?
Welcome to Johny the Greek’s Cornerback Corner, the only place (that I know of) across the entirety of the planet where we track every single IDP cornerback option every week, all season long. If they’ve got a pulse and log snaps, we’ll have a start/sit call on them and what league size/format they make the most sense in—for all 96+ starting cornerbacks across the entire NFL every week this season.
Last week I made 73 different start calls for leagues of all different shapes and sizes. I was 75% accurate, which is 3% more accurate than my lifetime accuracy for this article.
Of the 73 calls I made last week, 5 were declared inactive or injured during play. We don’t count acts of God here and I warn everyone to check inactives, so subtracting those players we’re left with 68 adjusted calls. Of those, 51 were correct (matched, beat, or were within a slim margin of their projection on Yahoo and MFL), and 17 were incorrect (didn’t match or beat projection and weren’t even close), giving us 75% accuracy for Week 16.
Of those 51 correct calls, 26 of them were “massive hits” (more than doubled or even tripled their projection), giving us a 50% massive hit rate on correct calls for Week 16. We sit at 80% accuracy overall for the season with 48% of all correct calls ending up as “massive hits.”
Week 1: 77% accuracy, 40% massive hit rate
Week 2: 86% accuracy, 50% massive hit rate
Week 3: 84% accuracy, 40% massive hit rate
Week 4: 78% accuracy, 52% massive hit rate
Week 5: 82% accuracy, 48% massive hit rate
Week 6: 75% accuracy, 53% massive hit rate
Week 7: 83% accuracy, 51% massive hit rate
Week 8: 81% accuracy, 48% massive hit rate
Week 9: 80% accuracy, 38% massive hit rate
Week 10: 74% accuracy, 42% massive hit rate
Week 11: 82% accuracy, 52% massive hit rate
Week 12: 84% accuracy, 43% massive hit rate
Week 13: 81% accuracy, 50% massive hit rate
Week 14: 80% accuracy, 53% massive hit rate
Week 15: 75% accuracy, 51% massive hit rate
Week 16: 75% accuracy, 50% massive hit rate
Cornerback Corner: Week 17
NOTE: All team stats will be one week behind due to me writing this early in the week so it publishes before waivers run. Those statistics won’t be perfect but they’ll still give us a good idea about how good each team’s passing offense is and how often they target their wide receivers.
Jets at Browns
Outlook: This outdoor affair in Cleveland has an early over/under of 34.5 points which indicates a defensive struggle, that tracks as we have two of the best overall defenses facing off in this one. The Jets passing attack is awful both for overall ranking and for wide receiver targets, 30th and 25th respectively, and this Browns defense won’t make life any easier on them. We probably won’t see a good “passes completed floor” from this New York offense so any Cleveland options will be splash-play-dependent and therefore only an option in deeper leagues.
For the reverse, Joe Flacco has elevated this Cleveland passing attack and has helped their rankings improve to the middle of the pack for overall passing offense and 8th for wide receiver targets. He’s averaging around 25 completed passes per game on top of that. We’ll have some solid value for DJ Reed, Sauce Gardner, and company in this matchup to kick off Week 17.
New York Jets
Sauce Gardner (CB): Sauce played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues with some upside.
DJ Reed (CB): Reed played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week with some solid upside.
Michael Carter (CB): Carter played 75% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Cleveland Browns
Denzel Ward (CB): Ward played 57% of snaps then got to rest due to the blowout, he’s a sit this week due to the matchup but usually plays every snap in a closer game if you need it.
Martin Emerson/Cameron Mitchell (CB): Emerson played 41% of snaps then suffered an ankle injury, Mitchell appears to be his direct replacement. We can sit them both in this particular matchup but if Emerson is healthy he should play enough if you need it. If Emerson is inactive I would skip Mitchell, we’ve only seen it once recently so it’s not set in stone that he would be the replacement.
Greg Newsome (CB): Newsome played 73% of snaps last week and is a sit this week due to the matchup, he typically plays close to 100% of snaps in a closer matchup if you need him though (he got blowout rest last week).
Lions at Cowboys
Outlook: This indoor affair in Jerry-world has an early over/under of 51.5 points which is massive. This matchup features the 4th and 6th overall passing offenses respectively, which is excellent. They target their wide receivers among the middle of the pack for Detroit and 5th overall for Dallas but the Lions will likely need to throw early and often to stay with or ahead of this excellent Cowboys passing attack and overall offense. This looks like the best matchup of Week 17 easily, I will be streaming from this matchup in many of my championship games this week.
Detroit Lions
Cameron Sutton (CB): Sutton played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week with some nice upside due to the matchup.
Jerry Jacobs (CB): Jacobs was inactive last week due to a hamstring injury but we need to remember he was demoted to special teams snaps only the week prior, he remains a sit going forward.
Ifeati Melifonwu (CB/S): Melif-waifu was in for 98% of snaps last week and if he’s designated a cornerback in your league of merit I would start him in one of your CB slots, no questions asked. He would be a cheat code in that case since he’s actually playing safety, and from the blitzes, sacks, and tackle numbers it looks like box safety specifically.
Brian Branch (CB/S): Branch was in for 73% of snaps last week and was much more productive than he has been the last two games, he’s a start this week as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues with good upside.
Dallas Cowboys
Stephon Gilmore (CB): Gilmore played 98% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
DaRon Bland (CB): Bland played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB2 in leagues of all sizes this week.
Jourdan Lewis (CB): Lewis played 97% of snaps last week against the pass-happy Dolphins but usually plays around 75% each week, he’s a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Dolphins at Ravens
Outlook: This outdoor affair in Baltimore has an early over/under of 47.5 points which is really good for us. The Dolphins are the best overall passing offense in the league and they target their wide receivers the 8th most in the league, this is a great setup for Brandon Stephens, Marlon Humphrey, and our Baltimore options.
For the reverse, this Baltimore passing attack is ranked within the worst third of the league and they target their wide receivers the 23rd most in the league so we’ve only got “half of a good matchup”. We can fire up our Ravens but any Miami cornerback options may have their ceiling limited due to these negative factors the Baltimore passing attack has.
Miami Dolphins
Jalen Ramsey (CB): Ramsey played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Kader Kohou (CB): Kohou played 76% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Xavien Howard (CB): Howard played 97% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 plus in much deeper leagues this week.
Baltimore Ravens
Brandon Stephens (CB): Stephens played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues with solid upside this week.
Marlon Humphrey (CB): Humphrey played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues with some excellent upside this week.
All other options (CB): Ronald Darby was the only other corner who played any meaningful snaps last week and it was only 37% so we can sit him this week.
Patriots at Bills
Outlook: This outdoor affair in Buffalo has an early over/under of 39.5 points and Buffalo is favored by 13.5 points, this indicates a lower-scoring affair and an easy win for the Bills after a shaky performance last week. That all tracks. We can fire up our New England options against this 9th overall Buffalo passing offense that targets their wide receivers among the middle of the pack and we’ll have some good value. We should probably demote Taron Johnson, Rasul Douglas, and company to “deeper leagues only” against this 26th overall New England passing offense that only targets their wide receivers the 22nd most in the league.
New England Patriots
Jonathan Jones (CB): Jones only played 52% of snaps last week and we got two new cornerback options into the mix to further complicate this unit. Jones appears to be on the outside looking in with his playing time so he’s a sit from me this week.
Myles Bryant (CB): Bryant played 78% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week. He’s been the one constant this entire season.
Shaun Wade/Alex Austin (CB): With JC Jackson now on IR it was Wade with 86% of snaps played last week while newcomer Austin clocked in for 65% of snaps. We’ve seen Wade as a preferred cornerback option for a one-game replacement earlier this season so I feel OK about him if you need it this week but starting any Patriots cornerback at this current moment in time feels massively risky. I’d just skip them all.
Buffalo Bills
Taron Johnson (CB): Taron played 94% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week with some nice upside.
Rasul Douglas (CB): Rasul played 99% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week with some nice upside.
Christian Benford (CB): Benford played 93% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 plus in much deeper leagues this week.
Falcons at Bears
Outlook: This outdoor affair in Chicago has an early over/under of 37.5 points which indicates a defensive struggle. That makes sense as we have the 23rd and 28th overall passing offenses in this matchup, they only target their wide receivers 32nd and 29th most in the league respectively. Those negative factors plus this game being outdoors in the Windy City in late December is a recipe for a “run and play defense” type of game and that’s not what we’re looking for here. I’m skipping it myself but we’ll list the relevant cornerback options as is tradition.
Atlanta Falcons
Jeff Okudah (CB): Okudah played 6% of snaps last week and local beat writers are now saying he’s in a fight for his job entering these last games, he’s a sit going forward with this in mind.
AJ Terrell (CB): Terrell played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Clark Phillips (CB): Phillips played 94% of snaps, likely as a replacement for Okudah who exited early, if Terrell or Okudah are inactive then Phillips is an option, otherwise sit him. He would only be a CB4 plus in much deeper leagues even if he were an option, I’d just skip it.
Mike Hughes (CB): Hughes played 89% of snaps last week and is a player we haven’t looked at much this season, this feels like the Falcons taking shots in the dark to try and fix their defense. It’s not a great matchup to begin with and we’ve mentioned Hughes maybe twice this entire season, sit him.
Chicago Bears
Jaylon Johnson (CB): Johnson played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week due to the matchup, which is bad.
Kyler Gordon (CB): Gordon played 89% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week due to the matchup, which is bad.
Tyrique Stevenson/Terrell Smith (CB): Stevenson and Smith split the last cornerback slot right down the middle like butt cheeks, 51% and 49% of snaps respectively, neither is an option to start this week. Sit them both.
Titans at Texans
Outlook: This indoor affair in Houston has an early over/under of 43 points which is pretty good. The Titans passing offense is ranked among the worst third of the league and their wide receiver targets ranking isn’t much better at 27th overall. Any Houston cornerback options will likely need to be rolled out in deeper leagues only with all this in mind.
For the reverse, if we can get CJ Stroud back this week then we’ll have tons of value for Roger McCreary and company as this Houston passing attack was ranked 2nd overall at one point while Stroud was healthy. They target their wide receivers the 7th most overall and are still the 5th overall passing offense even with two weeks of mediocre production with Case Keenum at the helm. It’s a great setup with Stroud and “deeper leagues only” if he can’t play again this week.
Tennessee Titans
Sean Murphy Bunting/Elijah Molden (CB): Bunting was inactive last week so we got Molden as the replacement, he played 100% of snaps. If Bunting is inactive then Molden is an option, if Bunting is healthy then Molden should still play but will have a drastic reduction in snaps. Whichever gets the start will be a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues against Stroud and a CB4 in deeper leagues against any other Houston quarterback.
Tre Avery (CB): Avery, the ongoing replacement for Fulton, played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues if Stroud plays, demote him to a CB4 plus in much deeper leagues if another backup quarterback gets the start.
Roger McCreary (CB): McCreary played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB2 in leagues of all sizes if Stroud plays, demote him to a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues if another backup is in this week.
Kristian Fulton (CB): Fulton is on IR, he’s a sit until next season.
Houston Texans
Derek Stingley (CB): Stingley played 98% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Steven Nelson (CB): Nelson played 84% of snaps then got to rest due to the blowout last week, he’s a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Desmond King (CB): King played 91% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues with some nice upside due to his role.
Raiders at Colts
Outlook: This indoor affair in Indianapolis has an early over/under of 44 points which is good to see. The Raiders passing offense is middle of the pack for both overall passing offense and wide receiver targets but we’ve seen they’re capable of completing passes with O’Connell under center, we’ll have some value for Kenny Moore and company.
For the reverse, this Indianapolis passing attack is ranked within the middle of the pack and they target their wide receivers within the top third of the league. That should give us enough value to fire up Nate Hobbs with confidence and give guys like Amik Robertson some value in your medium to deeper leagues.
Las Vegas Raiders
Amik Robertson (CB): Amik played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Nate Hobbs (CB): Hobbs played 100% of snaps last week and tripled his projection, he delivered when we needed it most and there’s no other cornerback on this planet I would trust more in a championship game than Hobbs. He remains an automatic start as a CB1/2 in leagues of all sizes.
Jack Jones (CB): Jones played 99% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week with some nice upside, his tendency to return interceptions to the house recently has been a thing of beauty.
Indianapolis Colts
Kenny Moore (CB): Moore played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB2 in leagues of all sizes this week.
Juju Brents (CB): Brents played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Jaylon Jones (CB): Jones played 75% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 plus in much deeper leagues this week.
Panthers at Jaguars
Outlook: This outdoor affair in Jacksonville has an early over/under of 38.5 points while the Jags are favored by 9 points, this indicates a game where Jacksonville runs away with it and the Panthers offense doesn’t get much done. I can see it. We should have plenty of value for Jaycee Horn and company against this 8th overall Jacksonville passing attack, they target their wide receivers just outside the top third of the league. We won’t have much value other than perhaps a lucky splash play for Darious Williams and our Jacksonville cornerbacks against this 31st-ranked Carolina passing attack that’s middle of the pack for wide receiver targets ranking, in the end, it’s one-half of a good matchup so we’ll take advantage of that half and leave the rest.
Carolina Panthers
Jaycee Horn (CB): Horn played 97% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Donte Jackson (CB): Donte played 82% of snaps last week then left early due to an ankle injury it appears, regardless if he’s healthy then he’s a starter and usually plays every snap or close to it. He would be a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week if he’s healthy.
Troy Hill (CB): Hill played 70% of snaps last week but this Carolina cornerback corps has been in flux all season, the third cornerback slot specifically. I would skip it, the last thing you need is to start a guy who doesn’t end up playing (or playing much) and eating a zero in the title game.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Darious Williams (CB): Williams played 93% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Tyson Campbell (CB): Campbell only played 54% of snaps his first week back from yet another injury last week, they eased him back into the lineup. He’s a sit this week, the matchup isn’t great to begin with and he likely won’t play his normal 100% of snaps.
Montaric Brown/Tre Herndon (CB): Brown and Herndon both played a bit last week but neither had enough snaps to be of use to us this week, just 46% and 23% of snaps respectively. We can sit them both.
Rams at Giants
Outlook: This outdoor affair in New York has an early over/under of 41.5 points which is decent. The Rams passing attack is ranked 10th overall and they target their wide receivers a ton, 1st overall for the entire league. This is a great setup for Adoree Jackson, Deonte Banks, and company.
For the reverse, as much as I love the Tommy Cutlets he won’t be giving our Los Angeles cornerback options much value as this Giants passing attack is ranked 32nd or better known as “dead last in the league”. Their wide receiver targets ranking isn’t much better at 28th overall. We can skip our Rams and start our Giants cornerbacks and we’ll be looking good for this one. Forget about it! Where’s the Gabagool?!
Los Angeles Rams
Akhello Witherspoon (CB): Witherspoon played 100% of snaps last week and is now the only safe option for the Rams. He’s a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week due to the matchup.
Derion Kendrick (CB): Kendrick, after being a full-time starter this entire season, saw his playing time plummet to just 17% of snaps last week. The matchup isn’t great to begin with so we can skip it, it’s a problem for next season.
Cobie Durant (CB): Durant, after only playing a handful of snaps two weeks ago, shot up to 83% of snaps last week as Kendrick went down to just 17% of snaps played. This is not great timing for the shenanigans, lucky for us this matchup is garbage so we can sit Durant and not lose any sleep over it.
New York Giants
Adoree Jackson (CB): Jackson played 89% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues with some solid upside this week.
Deonte Banks (CB): Banks played 57% of snaps then suffered a shoulder injury, he should play enough if you need it this week if he’s healthy but it’s risky. The chance of a reinjury isn’t something we should even be talking about when it comes to starting our cornerback options in this week’s title games. I wouldn’t do it if it were my team. I’m calling it a sit.
Nick McCloud/Cor’Dale Flott (CB): McCloud got some playing time due to Banks leaving early with an injury but not enough to be an option for us this week, and if Banks is inactive it’s not set in stone that he would be the replacement so we can skip it. Flott was in for 40% of snaps so he’s a sit this week as well.
Cardinals at Eagles
Outlook: This outdoor affair in Philadelphia has an early over/under of 48 points while Philly is favored by 10 points, this should be another “get right” game and a blood bath where our Arizona options (if we can figure out who they are this week) have some nice value against this middle of the pack Eagles passing attack that has a similar ranking for wide receiver targets. We don’t want to rely upon Darius Slay, James Bradberry, and company against this 29th overall Arizona passing attack that’s only 26th in the league for wide receiver targets. They will only be an option for deeper leagues in this particular matchup.
Arizona Cardinals
Antonio Hamilton (CB): Hamilton played 100% of snaps last week and is the only Arizona cornerback that I even feel remotely sure about this week. He’s a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues. Every other cornerback slot is in flux with no end in sight. Hamilton could end up being benched too, he’s just the least likely corner for this to happen to and he’s played a few games in a row now as a starter with full snaps.
No other safe options (CB). Hamilton is the only corner that has started consecutive games in about a month now for Arizona. I won’t even bother telling you the other names, that’s how much I want you to stay away from this obvious rug-pull situation. Find another place to stream from, it’s for your own good!
Philadelphia Eagles
James Bradberry (CB): Bradberry played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Darius Slay (CB): Slay was inactive again last week but was close to being able to play and is a sure thing for the actual playoffs, if he can go this week he would be nothing more than a risky CB4 in deeper leagues due to the matchup and a possible risk of re-injury.
All other options (CB): Kelee Ringo, Bradley Roby, and others, saw some snaps last week as the Eagles attempted to cover up the second straight absence of Slay from the lineup. None of these corners played enough or have been the “preferred option” as a replacement enough this season for us to trust it, especially this week. If it’s not Slay or Bradberry then I would skip it.
Saints at Bucs
Outlook: This outdoor affair in Tampa Bay has an early over/under of 41.5 points which is decent. The Saints passing attack is within the top third of the league and they target their wide receivers among the middle of the pack but that’s improving as guys like Olave and Shaheed have gotten healthy. We’ll have some value for Jamel Dean and company for sure this week.
For the reverse, this Tampa Bay passing attack is ranked among the middle of the pack but they target their wide receivers the 6th most in the league. That plus the high likelihood that this is a close and hotly contested divisional showdown means we should have plenty of action for Paulson Adebo and our New Orleans options as well.
New Orleans Saints
Isaac Yiadom/Marshon Lattimore (CB): According to beat reports, Lattimore should come off of IR this week and return to his normal starting cornerback slot and playing time, typically 100% of snaps per game. If he’s inactive again then Yiadom would be an option, he played 100% of snaps last week and would be a CB4 in deeper leagues with some nice upside. If Lattimore can return he would be a risky CB4 that could either be a kill shot from out of the blue OR see reduced snaps in his first week back from a multi-week injury. It’s risky either way, personally, I’m just skipping this entire mess.
Paulson Adebo (CB): Adebo played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week with solid upside.
Alontae Taylor (CB): Taylor was in for 73% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Carlton Davis/Zyon McCollum (CB): Davis played 15% of snaps then reinjured himself last week, McCollum came in as his direct replacement just like we’ve seen all season. If Davis, the starter, can’t go this week then McCollum would be an option as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues. If Davis can play then he’s got a similar setup, CB3 in medium to deeper leagues. I’m sitting him in my leagues though, as much as I love him as a streaming cornerback option he does get hurt all the time. I can’t risk that in a title game, and you shouldn’t either.
Jamel Dean (CB): Dean played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Dee Delaney (CB): Delaney played 91% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
49ers at Commanders
Outlook: This outdoor affair in Washington has an early over/under of 48.5 points with the Niners favored by 13.5 points, it should be an easy win and a blowout for San Francisco according to Las Vegas. Our Washington options may need to rely upon splash plays for production against this good on paper but bad where it counts 49ers passing attack (2nd overall passing attack but 31st or second worst for wide receiver targets). They’ll be an option only in deeper leagues with those factors in mind.
For the reverse, it’s a great setup for Chavarious Ward, Deommodore Lenoir, and company against this Washington passing attack that is just outside the top third of the league and targets their wide receivers early and often (3rd overall in the league for wide receiver targets). They should have a nice floor plus the opportunity for some splash plays with these factors at play.
San Francisco 49ers
Charvarius Ward (CB): Ward played 97% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB2 in leagues of all sizes.
Deommodore Lenoir (CB): Lenoir played 97% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week with some solid upside.
Ambry Thomas (CB): Thomas played 65% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 plus in much deeper leagues this week.
Washington Commanders
Kendall Fuller (CB): Fuller played 99% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Benjamin St Juste (CB): St Juste played 67% of snaps last week then suffered a concussion. If he can clear protocol and start then he’s a CB4 in deeper leagues with some upside, the safer move is to just sit him since this week is for all the marbles. And if he can’t clear protocol we skip the backup option, if the CB3 slot in Washington has taught us anything this season it’s that Fuller and St Juste are the only safe options here.
All other options (CB): Forbes, Martin, Danny Johnson, and others are names we’ve seen in this third cornerback slot all season long. It never did settle down so if they’re not named “St Juste” or “Fuller” then we sit them, especially this week in title games.
Steelers at Seahawks
Outlook: This outdoor affair in Seattle has an early over/under of 40.5 points which indicates a bit of a defensive struggle. The Steelers passing attack is ranked within the worst third of the league and they only target their wide receivers within that same range, the worst third of the league. These factors plus the ongoing fluctuations within the Seattle cornerback corps make me want to skip this one completely, but we’ll list the relevant options for those of you that need them.
For the reverse, this Seattle passing attack is ranked just outside the top third of the league and they target their wide receivers the 10th most in the league. That should give Joey Porter Jr and company some value for this matchup.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Joey Porter Jr (CB): Porter played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues.
Patrick Peterson (CB): Peterson played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues.
Levi Wallace (CB): With Minkah Fitzpatrick out this week and Kazee suspended for headhunting the Steelers started an additional cornerback, likely in one of their safety positions. We can’t count on this going forward for many reasons, if it’s not Peterson or Porter, who we’ve seen as starters most of this season, then it’s not safe. I would skip it. Wallace did play 100% of snaps last week though.
Chandon Sullivan (CB): Sullivan saw a bump up to 70% of snaps last week, likely due to the circumstances I laid out above. We’ve only seen this once so we’re not trusting it for the title game, he’s a sit this week.
Seattle Seahawks
Devon Witherspoon (CB): Witherspoon was inactive last week, if he can return and play this week he would be an automatic start as a CB1/2 in leagues of all sizes.
Tariq Woolen (CB): Woolen was back up to 100% of snaps last week after being benched the week prior. If Witherspoon is inactive then their back is against the wall and Woolen would be a safer option, he should play every snap in that case and be an option for those of you who need it. I’m sitting him myself though, one week removed from being benched during a game is about as far from safe as we are from Alpha Centauri.
Artie Burns/Michael Jackson (CB): With Witherspoon inactive it was Burns playing 74% of snaps while Jackson was in for 65% of snaps. The vast majority of this season it’s been Witherspoon and Woolen as the full-time starters and the third cornerback slot has been in flux. This matchup isn’t great to begin with so we don’t need to chase this down, sit them both.
Chargers at Broncos
Outlook: This outdoor affair in Denver has an early over/under of 37.5 points which indicates a defensive struggle. The Chargers passing attack under Easton Stick has been a shell of what it’s capable of and I don’t think they’ll be firing Keenan Allen back up again this season now that their season is swirling the toilet. Any Denver options would have to be rolled out in deeper leagues only this week.
For the reverse, it’s more of the same. This Denver passing attack is ranked within the worst third of the league and they only target their wide receivers the 30th most overall, another way of saying that would be “third worst in the league for wide receiver targets”. None of the factors we look for that indicate a good matchup to stream from exist for this particular game, I’m skipping it personally but we’ll list the relevant options.
Los Angeles Chargers
Asante Samuel Jr (CB): Samuel played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week due to the matchup.
Michael Davis (CB): Davis played 100% of snaps last week but has been benched without warning several times this season. That fact plus this matchup closely resembling warm cat poop means we should sit him this week to be on the safe side. We don’t need to eat a zero in the title game.
No significant third CB option last week.
Denver Broncos
Patrick Surtain (CB): Surtain played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Fabian Moreau (CB): Moreau played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Jaquan McMillian (CB): McMillian played 71% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues with some solid upside, he was on a serious hot streak before last week’s game.
Bengals at Chiefs
Outlook: This outdoor affair in Kansas City has an early over/under of 50.5 points which indicates a likely shootout. The Bengals passing attack is looking to bounce back after a rough week against Pittsburgh and they’ve maintained an excellent yards per game and wide receiver target ranking since making the transition to Jake Browning. We’ll have some solid value for Sneed and McDuffie in this one.
For the reverse, this Kansas City passing attack is ranked 3rd overall in the league but their Achilles heel all season has been their wide receiver targets ranking, which currently sits at 21st overall. There should be enough offense here to fire up Mike Hilton and company but it’s anything but a “sure thing” with the current state of the Kansas City wide receiver corps.
Cincinnati Bengals
UPDATE: Cam-Taylor Britt has returned to the active roster from IR. This could spell bad news for DJ Turner/Chidobe Awuzie snaps, and Taylor-Britt could be eased back into the lineup (first game action since Week 11) and not play full snaps himself. If it's not Mike Hilton, it may not be safe this week. Just a heads up.
Chidobe Awuzie (CB): Awuzie played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
DJ Turner (CB): Turner played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues.
Mike Hilton (CB): Hilton played 80% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week with excellent upside.
Kansas City Chiefs
L’Jarius Sneed (CB): Sneed played 98% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB2 in leagues of all sizes this week.
Trent McDuffie (CB): McDuffie played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB2 in leagues of all sizes this week.
Jaylen Watson (CB): Watson was only in for 44% of snaps last week and is a sit this week due to this bad playing time that we’ve seen all season.
Packers at Vikings
Outlook: This indoor affair in Minnesota has an early over/under of 43.5 points which is solid. The Packers are among the middle of the pack for overall passing offense and target their wide receivers the 9th most in the league, that recipe should give Byron Murphy and company some value to round out Week 17 and most of our championship matchups.
For the reverse, this Vikings passing attack has been much better under Mullens so we can fire up Keisean Nixon and company with some confidence. It’s not Kirk Cousins but he’s been completing passes and that’s all we need for this particular corner of IDP-land.
Green Bay Packers
Jaire Alexander/Carrington Valentine (CB): Jaire has finally returned to the starting lineup after missing weeks with an injury, he played 100% of snaps and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week with solid upside.
Eric Stokes (CB): Stokes played 95% of snaps last week and has now been the second cornerback slot starter twice in a row after displacing Corey Ballentine. It appears fairly safe if you need it, I’m sitting him myself. And that’s my recommendation here as well, it’s still “too new” for us to trust in the title game.
Keisean Nixon (CB): Nixon was in for 86% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues, promote him as needed if your league scores return yards.
Minnesota Vikings
Byron Murphy (CB): Murphy was inactive last week and there was no direct replacement, it appears Blackmon and Andrew Booth split his role instead. If he’s healthy this week then he’s a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues with some nice upside.
Akayleb Evans (CB): Evans played 82% of snaps last week and was benched late after giving up five completions in a row, he’s a sit this week with this in mind.
Mekhi Blackmon (CB): With Murphy inactive last week we did not get the usual Blackmon bump, he only played 49% of snaps. He’s a sit this week, even if Murphy is inactive again.
Josh Metellus/Camryn Bynum (CB/S): Both of these gentlemen played 100% of snaps last week. If your league of merit has either or both of these players (incorrectly) designated as a cornerback I would start them in one of your slots as a cheat code. They play a much more productive and consistent safety role week to week.
Playoff Message!
Thank you all for reading this article and listening to the audio edition all season long! We’ve arrived at the moment of truth. The decisions we make now decide if we win or lose our leagues. If you’ve been here all season you should feel really good about your situation, you know far more about who are the best options and why than anyone else in your leagues. Make good choices. Balance risk with a safe floor. Use your matchup to guide your decisions.
You’re supposed to blow away your opponent by 50? In that case, you want corners with a safer floor. Do you need a prayer to get you into a matchup you have no business winning? We have those too, and you know them when you see them if you’ve been reading this article all season. Set alarms for your inactives, don’t forget to do your waivers and tinker to find the best options all week until kickoff. Be prepared and smart and the rest is in the hands of the fantasy Gods.
I’ll say this though, if there’s one thing I know to be true after 20-plus years of IDP it’s that the fantasy Gods favor those who are prepared and make good decisions. Best of luck to you all, let’s go get those titles!
Have no idea what any of that was?
I’d recommend that you read the Week 1 edition of The Cornerback Corner. I intentionally made that one as detailed as humanly possible and explained nearly every aspect of cornerback streaming, what factors we look for, and why. There’s also a language key in that edition and every call (start or sit) is explained in detail using the factors we look to each week. Consider this the “primer” for the rest of the season if any of this reads like hieroglyphics.
Want a faster version?
Check out the audio version of this article in The IDP After Show feed for a quick rundown of every week’s best and worst games to stream from plus my favorite streams of each week. I’ll be highlighting all the most important information from this article in a quick and easily digestible audio podcast that should run around 20-30 minutes.
Additional Resources & Contact Information
Reminder! These are only suggestions, your responsibility for your lineup is yours and yours alone. However, with that being said, these are the same moves I’m making myself in my double-digit amount of redraft leagues and another 20 or so dynasty leagues so we sink or swim together. Remember to check inactives before kickoff to prevent any surprise zeroes.
We make the best decisions we can with the information we have available at the time and after that, it’s in the hands of the fantasy gods. I’ve averaged approximately 72% accuracy matching or beating projections since I started writing this article series four seasons ago. I want to win just as badly as you do so I promise you I’ll do everything in my power to make sure these suggestions are solid.
There will be a weekly transparency thread before each week’s cornerback streaming calls where I review the previous week’s results. If I’m in a slump you’ll know it. This is year 20 of IDP for me and a normal season should put me well past 40 titles and 60 plus 2nd/3rd place finishes across redraft and dynasty plus a ton more in best ball, DFS, eliminators, salary cap, etc. You’re in good hands here at the Cornerback Corner, as this is not my first rodeo.
For additional IDP resources, please see idpguys.org and footballguys.com. @TheIDPTipster on Twitter has great weekly start/sit charts and weekly IDP waivers as well.
For any questions/comments, to discuss specific cornerback streams, or to talk IDP in general, hit up my Twitter, @OrangeMan3142, or email Johnysmack3141@yahoo.com. Good luck this week and let’s go get those titles!
In the Hollywood area and looking for a great place to meet other fantasy football degenerates, watch some games, and have some drinks? Hit up the “Touchdown Hoedown” event every Sunday from 1 pm to 8 pm PST at the Desert 5 Spot in Hollywood, CA, on 6516 Selma Avenue. Contact @Lam0nt562 on Twitter for more information!
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