Johny The Greek's Cornerback Corner: Week 12
Who are the best and worst CB streaming options for Week 12?
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 76 different calls for leagues of all shapes and sizes and climbed back over the 80% accuracy mark.
Of the 76 calls I made last week, 13 were declared inactive or injured during play. We don’t count acts of God here, so subtracting those players we’re left with 63 adjusted calls. Of those, 52 were correct (matched, beat, or were within a slim margin of their projection on Yahoo and MFL), and 11 were incorrect (didn’t match or beat projection and weren’t even close), giving us 82% accuracy for Week 11.
Of those 52 correct calls, 27 of them were “massive hits” (more than doubled or even tripled their projection), giving us a 52% massive hit rate on correct calls for Week 11. We sit at 80% accuracy overall for the season with 47% 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
Cornerback Corner: Week 12
NOTE: All team stats will be one week behind due to me writing this early in the week so it publishes before waivers run.
Packers at Lions (Indoors)
Outlook: With the Detroit defense looking somewhat vulnerable recently, this 46-point over/under appears legitimate for this opening game on Thanksgiving day and suggests that we’ll see plenty of offense. The Packers passing attack is in the middle of the pack but should give us some value for our Lions in deeper leagues. They target their wide receivers also among the middle of the pack so the setup for Jacobs, Sutton, and company isn’t anything special in Week 12 and makes sense in deeper leagues only.
For the reverse, however, this is a great week to fire up Valentine, Alexander (if healthy), and Keisean Nixon against this 4th overall-ranked Lions passing attack. They target their wide receivers among the middle of the pack but their 4th overall time of possession ranking may offset some of that lost value from the mediocre wide receiver targets ranking. The Packers corners should see plenty of time on the field this week with a powerful offense across from them which increases the likelihood of extra production from our Green Bay options. They’ve got a nice setup this week indeed.
Green Bay Packers
Jaire Alexander/Corey Ballentine (CB): Jaire was inactive last week, if he can play he would be a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues, if he’s inactive then Ballentine would play and have similar value as a start.
Carrington Valentine (CB): Valentine played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Keisean Nixon (CB): Nixon played 85% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week, add some upside if your league scores return yards.
Detroit Lions
Cameron Sutton (CB): Sutton 99% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues.
Jerry Jacobs (CB): Jacobs played 99% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues.
Brian Branch (CB/S): Branch played 99% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues with the most upside of these options.
Commanders at Cowboys (Indoors)
Outlook: This indoor affair is sitting at 46 points for the early over/under and features two pretty decent passing offenses overall. The Commanders passing attack is ranked 11th overall and they target their wide receivers the second most of any team in the league. We’ve got a nice setup for Gilmore, Bland, and company and the odds of Washington ending up in a negative game script and becoming one-dimensional are excellent as well (which always helps).
For the reverse, this Cowboys passing attack has improved significantly in the last few weeks and now sits at 6th overall but they still only target their wide receivers 11th overall so it’s not perfect. Both of those rankings have improved a ton and Dak has been red hot so we’ve got a nice setup for Kendall Fuller, St Juste, and our Commanders cornerback options across the board. We should have plenty of value in this matchup and the Cowboys 3rd overall time of possession ranking may lead to extra defensive snaps and therefore production from our Washington options.
Washington Commanders
Kendall Fuller (CB): Fuller played 100% 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 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB2 in leagues of all sizes this week, he hasn’t been under projection even once this entire season and is a model of consistency.
Emmanuel Forbes/Danny Johnson (CB): This third cornerback slot has flipped back and forth between these two players for weeks now, neither is safe and both should be sat until one of them can hold down this position for at least a few weeks in a row.
Dallas Cowboys
Stephon Gilmore (CB): Gilmore played 95% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
DaRon Bland (CB): Bland played 93% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week with CB2 upside. If there were ever a week for him to break the NFL pick-six record this looks like the one.
Jourdan Lewis (CB): Lewis played 90% of snaps last week but usually tops out around 75%, he’s a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
49ers at Seahawks (Check Weather)
Outlook: The late game for Thanksgiving has the lowest over/under at 43.5 points total and could end up being the defensive struggle of these three games. The 49ers passing attack is ranked 9th overall but only targets their wide receivers the 31st most in the league, unfortunately, a lot of that production goes to running backs or their talented tight end. There should still be enough value for Witherspoon and company but it may need to be in deeper leagues with this matchup.
For the reverse, this Seattle passing attack is ranked just outside the top third of the league and they target their excellent wide receivers the 15th most overall. Pete Carrol sure does love to run the ball but with a hobbled Kenneth Walker they may need to air it out a bit more this week. Regardless, it will be deeper leagues only for any 49ers cornerbacks in this matchup as well.
San Francisco 49ers
Deommodore Lenoir (CB): Lenoir played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Chavarious Ward (CB): Ward played 99% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues. If Geno Smith can’t play, promote him to CB3 in medium to deeper leagues if he can play.
Ambry Thomas/Isaiah Oliver (CB): Oliver has seemingly been displaced by Ambry Thomas as the third cornerback here in San Francisco, we’ve seen this for one entire game and parts of another so it’s anything but set in stone yet. I would sit them both this week and if Thomas gets another start then he’ll be much closer to a legitimate option starting next week and going forward.
Seattle Seahawks
Tariq Woolen (CB): Woolen played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Devon Witherspoon (CB): Witherspoon played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week with CB1/2 upside.
Tre Brown (CB): Brown played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Dolphins at Jets (Check Weather)
Outlook: This Friday game has a 42-point over/under with Miami projected to win by a touchdown. This one is pretty easy, we can fire up DJ Reed, Sauce, and company against the number one overall passing attack in the league that also targets their wide receivers within the top ten. It’s a great setup for our New York options.
For the reverse, we’ll be either sitting or demoting to “much deeper leagues only” any of our Miami cornerbacks against this 30th-ranked Jets passing attack that isn’t much better when it comes to their tendency to target wide receivers (26th overall in this category). Beyond that, the Jets are sitting Zach Wilson for a possibly worse quarterback option so this looks even worse than it did when I started writing this on Sunday evening.
In the end, it’s one-half of a good matchup so we’ll take advantage of the stream for our Jets corners and skip our Miami options this week.
Miami Dolphins
Jalen Ramsey (CB): Ramsey played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week and will likely need splash play production to even approach his projection, if it were any other corner he would be a sit.
Xavien Howard (CB): Howard played 100% of snaps last week and is a sit this week due to the matchup, he plays enough if you need it though.
Kader Kohou (CB): Kohou played 74% of snaps last week and is only a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week due to his long history of being a productive option. His playing time has taken a hit with both Howard and Ramsey healthy and this matchup is hot garbage though so proceed with caution, on paper it doesn’t look like it’s going to go well at all.
New York Jets
DJ Reed (CB): Reed played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB2 in leagues of all sizes this week.
Sauce Gardner (CB): Sauce played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week with CB2 upside.
Michael Carter/Brandin Echols (CB): Carter was inactive last week, he is the starter and typically plays around 75% of snaps per week. If he can’t play then Echols would replace him with similar playing time, whichever plays is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Saints at Falcons (Indoors)
Outlook: With a 40.5 early over/under, Las Vegas is predicting a defensive struggle for this divisional matchup. The Saints passing attack is ranked 12th overall and they target their excellent wide receiver corps the 4th most in the entire league. This is a nice setup for Jeff Okudah, AJ Terrell, and company for leagues of medium sizes or deeper.
For the reverse, we’ll be without Lattimore this week due to injury but that’s OK against this Falcons passing attack that ranks among the worst-third of the league and only targets their wide receivers on even-numbered weeks when the planets align correctly (they’re dead last in the league for wide receiver targets).
Our New Orleans corners may still have a nice week but it would be from splash plays and those are never a great bet so they’ll all be demoted to deeper leagues only due to this horrendous matchup with Atlanta.
New Orleans Saints
Paulson Adebo (CB): Adebo played 100% of snaps the last time we saw him and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues but with tons of upside, he’s been on an insane hot streak prior to last week’s bye.
Alontae Taylor (CB): Taylor played 77% of snaps the last time we saw him but is likely in for a playing time bump with Lattimore injured, he’s a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Marshon Lattimore/Isaac Yiadom (CB): Lattimore was injured the last time we saw him and isn’t likely to play this week. Yiadom has been the traditional replacement at cornerback for New Orleans from what we’ve seen this season but that’s anything but set in stone (they may favor the specific LCB or RCB backup option instead).
The smart move here is to sit them both and see what happens, this game will likely tell us who the Lattimore replacement is if he’s going to miss a chunk of time like what has been reported. Besides this matchup is garbage, Desmond Ritter is back under center this week and he couldn’t pass his way out of a paper bag with a map and a flashlight.
Atlanta Falcons
Jeff Okudah (CB): Okudah played 100% of snaps the last time we saw him, he’s a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
AJ Terrell (CB): Terrell played 100% of snaps the last time we saw him, he’s a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
No significant third CB option
Steelers at Bengals (Check Weather)
Outlook: The early line for this (very likely) defensive struggle is sitting at 36.5 points, which completely tracks, the Bengals are down to a backup quarterback and Kenny Pickett may as well be considered a backup quarterback. Neither passing attack is any good (the Bengals used to be but that ship sailed when Burrow went down) and neither team has a great ranking for targeting their wide receivers (once again, the Bengals used to but that’s out the window now). We can skip this one completely but I’ll list the relevant cornerback options, as is tradition, for those of you in insane leagues that need warm bodies.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Patrick Peterson (CB): Peterson played 99% of snaps last week and is a sit this week against a backup quarterback in his first-ever start against the freaking Steelers defense.
Joey Porter Jr (CB): Porter played 91% of snaps last week and is a sit this week due to the matchup.
Chandon Sullivan/Levi Wallace (CB): Sullivan only played 36% of snaps last week while Wallace was in for 13%, both are a sit this week, obviously.
Cincinnati Bengals
Cam Taylor Britt (CB): Britt was injured last week after only 58% of snaps played, this horrendous matchup works in our favor in regards to Cam. We can sit him this week while the matchup is bad and hopefully, he’s healthy enough to go in week 13.
Mike Hilton (CB): Hilton played 71% of snaps last week and does have some value due to his tendency to be sent on the occasional cornerback blitz, he’s a start but only as a CB4 in deeper leagues due to the matchup.
Chidobe Awuzie/DJ Turner (CB): Awuzie played 68% of snaps last week while Turner was in for 88% of snaps, neither is a start this week due to the matchup but Turner should play enough (based on what we’ve seen the past few weeks) if you need it.
Jaguars at Texans (Indoors)
Outlook: This indoor affair between two potent passing offenses sits at 45.5 for the early over/under, which indicates a good amount of likely offense. The Jaguars are ranked in the middle of the pack for passing offense but we know they’re capable of passing the ball if they need to. We’ve got good value for Stingley, Nelson, and company this week.
For the reverse, this Texans passing attack is ranked second overall in the entire league and they target their wide receivers the 13th most in the league. CJ Stroud has been phenomenal in every possible way and if I were a Panthers fan I’d consider asking my local psychiatric provider about some antidepressants. We can absolutely fire up our Jacksonville cornerback options this week and (overall) we’ve got the ingredients for an excellent back-and-forth affair.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Tyson Campbell/Montriac Brown (CB): Campbell was inactive last week but if he can play he would be a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week. If he’s inactive again then Brown would be the replacement and would be a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues since he may get picked on a bit. Campbell would likely be eased back into the lineup and that limited playing time would reduce his value despite the great matchup.
Darious Williams (CB): Williams played 92% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week with CB2 upside.
Tre Herndon (CB): Herndon played 52% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week, his playing time should improve against a much better passing offense than the Titans possessed last week.
Houston Texans
Derek Stingley (CB): Stingley played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Steven Nelson (CB): Nelson played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Tavierre Thomas (CB): Thomas played 87% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Bucs at Colts (Indoors)
Outlook: This indoor affair is sitting at 42.5 for the early over/under. The Bucs passing attack is ranked 15th overall but we’ve seen weeks where they’ve exploded for tons of production, and against a weaker defense (like the Colts) that’s a good possibility. We can fire up Kenny Moore and company and expect some good value in doing so.
For the reverse, this Colts passing attack is ranked 17th overall and they target their wide receivers the 7th most in the league, which is excellent for our Tampa Bay cornerback options. We can fire up Carlton Davis, Jamel Dean, and company in most medium to deeper leagues and feel pretty good about it this week.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Carlton Davis (CB): Davis was injured last week but typically plays 100% of snaps, if he can play this week he would be a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues with CB2/3 upside.
Jamel Dean (CB): Dean was injured last week but typically plays 100% of snaps, if he can play this week he would be a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues.
Zyon McCollum (CB): With both Dean and Davis banged up, the first replacement option is McCollum, if either is inactive this week then Zyon should play 100% of snaps, if both are active then he’ll disappear. If he does play he would be a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues.
Dee Delaney (CB): If BOTH Dean and Davis are inactive then Delaney would likely see a bump up to acceptable cornerback streaming playing time, the safer move is just to skip it though. They could just as easily start someone we’ve never heard of and we’d eat a zero.
Indianapolis Colts
Jaylon Jones/Juju Brents (CB): Brents continues to be inactive with his quad injury week after week but it’s been a month and the Colts didn’t opt to put him on the short-term IR list. That means he could return this week, if that’s the case he’s a sit as they would likely ease him back into the lineup. His replacement has been Jones and if Brents is inactive again then Jones would play and would be a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Kenny Moore (CB): Moore played 100% of snaps the last time we saw him and is an automatic start as a CB1 in leagues of all sizes every week no matter the matchup this season.
Darrell Baker Jr (CB): Baker played 77% of snaps the last time we saw him and is a start as a CB4 plus in deeper leagues this week.
Patriots at Giants (Check Weather)
Outlook: This outdoor affair is lining up to be an absolute stinker with an early 34.5 over/under, the lowest number I’ve seen all season long. Neither passing offense is good (22nd and 32nd respectively) and neither targets their wide receivers consistently (25th and 16th respectively). If you can skip this matchup completely then you should, it appears to be among the worst matchups we’ve seen (on paper) so far this season.
I’ll list the relevant cornerback options, as is tradition, but you really should find a different matchup to stream from this week.
New England Patriots
JC Jackson (CB): Jackson was banned from taking the team plane to Germany the last time the Patriots played a game, he may not even have a job anymore, he’s a sit this week.
Myles Bryant (CB): Bryant played 72% of snaps the last time we saw him and is a sit this week but plays enough in deeper leagues if you need it.
Jonathan Jones (CB): Jones played 95% of snaps the last time we saw him and is a sit this week but plays enough if you need it.
Shaun Wade (CB): With Jackson being declared inactive the last time the Patriots played a game, it was Wade who replaced him and played 88% of snaps. None of this is worth chasing this week, skip it all, and who knows if JC Jackson will even get his starting role back to begin with.
New York Giants
Deonte Banks (CB): Banks played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 plus in much deeper leagues this week.
Adoree Jackson (CB): Jackson was inactive last week but typically plays around 80% of snaps if he’s healthy. He’s a sit this week but plays enough in much deeper leagues if you need him.
Tre Hawkins (CB): If Jackson can’t play this week then Hawkins would be in for an expanded role and might play up to the 65% of snaps he played last week. He’s a sit for many reasons including his value is somewhat dependent on Jackson being inactive.
Panthers at Titans (Check Weather)
Outlook: This outdoor affair sits at 37.5 for the early over/under, which isn’t as bad as the Patriots/Giants matchup but is awfully close. The Panthers passing attack is ranked 27th overall and they target their wide receivers the 9th most in the league. We can fire up McCreary and company but it should only be in the deepest of deep leagues this week, while the wide receiver targets ranking is good, it’s the only positive that comes from this Panthers passing attack.
For the reverse, this Titans passing attack is ranked 26th overall and despite that one solid game from Will Levis this appears to be who they really are. They don’t target any wide receivers other than DeAndre Hopkins (28th overall ranking) and should provide little value to Donte Jackson and company this week. This is another pretty horrific matchup that should be avoided if possible but we’ll list the relevant options for those of you with fewer choices in much deeper leagues.
Carolina Panthers
Donte Jackson (CB): Jackson played 99% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Jaycee Horn/DiCaprio Bootle (CB): Horn is off of the IR list but didn’t play last week, with him inactive it was Bootle getting a bump in playing time. None of this is safe, beyond Donte Jackson literally nothing is set in stone here and the matchup is garbage. Sit Horn and Bootle this week and we’ll adjust accordingly going forward.
Troy Hill/CJ Henderson (CB): With so many corners inactive for Carolina last week they had to start Troy Hill at cornerback three, he’s a sit regardless this week due to the matchup. Henderson would be the first “replacement” corner option and he’s also a sit due to the matchup plus fluctuation here overall.
Tennessee Titans
Elijah Molden/Sean Murphy Bunting (CB): Molden was in for the inactive Bunting last week and played 80% of snaps before resting due to the blowout. If Bunting is healthy this is his job, if he’s inactive again then Molden becomes an option. Whichever gets the start would be a CB4 in deeper leagues.
Kristian Fulton (CB): Fulton played 63% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 plus in much deeper leagues this week.
Roger McCreary (CB): McCreary played 89% of snaps last week and then sat due to the blowout, he’s a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week with CB3 upside.
Rams at Cardinals (Indoors)
Outlook: We’ve got a 46.5 over/under for this indoor affair in Arizona which indicates a good likelihood of sustained offense on both sides, which tracks since neither defense is all that scary this season. The Rams are the 14th-ranked passing attack but may lose some value if Cooper Kupp is inactive for this one, they target their wide receivers the third most in the entire league so we’ve got plenty of value for Marco Wilson and company.
For the reverse, in the two games that Kyler Murray has been under center for Arizona (we’re not looking at rankings that were achieved by backup quarterbacks the majority of this season) he’s completed about 20 passes per game and targets his tight end a bit more than his wide receivers. These trends are based on limited data but they track according to the eyeball test. Any Rams cornerbacks should probably only be started in deeper leagues with these factors in mind.
Los Angeles Rams
Derion Kendrick/Cobie Durant (CB): With Durant inactive last week it was Kendrick seeing a boost up to 100% of snaps played, he’s typically more of a cornerback three in terms of playing time. If Durant is out again then Kendrick would be a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues, same for Durant if he can play but in that case, demote Kendrick to a sit.
Akhello Witherspoon (CB): Witherspoon played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
No other significant CB options
Arizona Cardinals
Marco Wilson (CB): Wilson played 75% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week with CB3 upside. He typically plays 100% of snaps.
Antonio Hamilton (CB): Hamilton played 76% of snaps last week and should play more in a better, more pass-happy, game script. He’s a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Garrett Williams (CB): Williams played 78% of snaps last week but there’s some fluctuation beyond Hamilton and Wilson at cornerback here in Arizona, I’d only start him as a CB4 plus in much deeper leagues due to this factor.
Browns at Broncos (Check Weather)
Outlook: This outdoor affair in Cleveland has another lower over/under at 36.5 and features two of the worst passing offenses in the league. The Browns are the 25th overall passing attack and Dorian Thompson-Robinson did nothing last week to change my mind in regard to that ranking. They target their wide receivers within the worst-third of the league and clearly have been leaning on their running offense without DeShaun Watson available, deeper leagues for any Denver options in Week 12.
For the reverse, Mr. Unlimited and this Denver passing attack are the 28th-ranked passing offense and target their wide receivers the 30th most in the entire league. None of that is great for Denzel Ward and company. If you can skip this matchup completely that would be the move, otherwise see below for the relevant cornerback options that should only be started in the deepest of deep leagues with this matchup.
Cleveland Browns
Martin Emerson (CB): Emerson played 97% of snaps last week and is a start but only as a CB4 plus in the deepest of leagues, I’d skip it personally.
Denzel Ward (CB): Ward played 97% of snaps last week and is a start but only as a CB4 plus in the deepest of leagues, I’d skip it personally.
Greg Newsome (CB): Newsome played 93% of snaps last week and is a start but only as a CB4 plus in the deepest of leagues, I’d skip it personally.
Denver Broncos
Patrick Surtain (CB): Surtain played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 plus in much deeper leagues this week. I would skip it if it were my team though.
Fabian Moreau (CB): Moreau played 96% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 plus in much deeper leagues this week. I would skip it if it were my team though.
Ja’Quan McMillian (CB): McMillian played 64% of snaps last week and has been pretty hot recently as the “least of all evils.” He’s a start but only as a CB4 plus in much deeper leagues due to his playing time restrictions and this matchup being pretty bad. He’s been excellent lately but I’m just not sure Dorian Thompson Robinson can complete enough passes to give us the production we need for a corner that doesn’t even play two-thirds of the snaps on a regular basis.
Chiefs at Raiders (Indoors)
Outlook: This indoor affair at the Death Star sits at 45 points for the early over/under but could easily give us much more than that. The Chiefs are the 5th best passing attack in the league and target their wide receivers among the top third of the league. We’ve got another excellent setup for Nate Hobbs and company in Week 12.
For the reverse, this Raiders passing attack has been the definition of mediocre with Aidan O’Connell at the helm. They’re ranked 23rd overall and target their wide receivers the 12th most overall. We’ll have some value for Trent McDuffie and company but it should only be in medium to deeper leagues in Week 12.
Kansas City Chiefs
Trent McDuffie (CB): McDuffie played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week with CB2 upside.
L’Jarius Sneed (CB): Sneed played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week. He’s not likely to meet his bloated projection this week, unfortunately.
Jaylen Watson (CB): Watson only played 43% of snaps last week and is a sit this week due to his lack of ideal playing time and this mediocre-at-best matchup.
Las Vegas Raiders
Marcus Peters (CB): Peters 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 99% of snaps last week and is an automatic start every week as a CB1 in leagues of all sizes, that’s especially true this week against a top-ten passing attack.
Tyler Hall/Jakorian Bennett/All others (CB): Beyond Hobbs and Peters it’s an absolute mess for cornerback three in Las Vegas, skip everything else as nothing is even remotely close to settled as it stands currently.
Bills at Eagles (Check Weather)
Outlook: This outdoor affair in Philly sits at a massive 47.5 points for the early over/under. Both of these teams have been comfortably in or just outside of the top ten for passing offense all season long and the same for wide receiver targets. This is a beautiful matchup and we can fire up all our normal options and feel really good about it.
The only negative here involves our Buffalo options since both Taron Johnson and Dane Jackson suffered concussions last week, this should provide an easy Christian Benford “spot start” situation for those of you in deeper leagues where that kind of thing makes sense. Check with Buffalo beat writers and reporters later in the week to see who the other cornerback option would be if both Taron and Dane aren’t able to clear concussion protocol in time to play in Week 12.
Buffalo Bills
Rasul Douglas (CB): Rasul played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB2 in leagues of all sizes this week.
Dane Jackson (CB): Jackson only played 23% of snaps last week before getting injured (concussion), he typically plays 100% of snaps and if he’s healthy he would be a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Taron Johnson (CB): Johnson only played 33% of snaps last week before getting injured (concussion), he typically plays 90% or more of snaps and if he’s healthy this week he would be a CB2 in leagues of all sizes.
Christian Benford (CB): If Jackson or Johnson are inactive this week then Benford would become an option and likely play close to 100% of snaps, if the three normal starting corners are healthy (above) then sit Benford as he wouldn’t play much at all.
Philadelphia Eagles
James Bradberry (CB): Bradberry played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Darius Slay (CB): Slay played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB2 in leagues of all sizes this week.
Bradley Roby/All others (CB): Cornerback three for the Eagles has been unsettled most of this season and that hasn’t changed recently, sit everyone not named “Slay” or “Bradberry.”
Ravens at Chargers (Indoors)
Outlook: This indoor game in Los Angeles sits at 45 points for the early over/under, which is pretty solid. The Ravens passing attack is ranked in the middle of the pack and they target their wide receivers within the worst third of the league, there isn’t a ton of value here for Asante Samuel and company. It will be deeper leagues only for those Charger cornerback options in Week 12.
For the reverse, this Chargers passing attack is ranked 8th overall and they target their wide receivers the 5th most in the entire league. If we can figure out who’s playing cornerback for the Ravens those options will have value but this team tends to use their safeties as corners more often than not and this limits our options due to site designations. We’ll give it a shot though.
Baltimore Ravens
Marlon Humphrey (CB): Humphrey was inactive last week but typically plays 100% of snaps, he would be a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Brandon Stephens (CB/S): Stephens played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Ronald Darby (CB): If Humphrey is inactive then Darby would be an option, although he only played 51% of snaps in that exact situation last week. He would only be a start as a CB4 plus in much deeper leagues due to this horrendous playing time.
Los Angeles Chargers
Michael Davis (CB): Davis got his job back last week after being benched the week before, this is anything but safe and he should be a “sit” again this week due to the bad matchup plus massive uncertainty as to whether or not he’ll actually continue to be the second cornerback starter in Los Angeles.
Asante Samuel Jr (CB): Samuel played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week with CB3 upside.
Ja’Sir Taylor (CB): Taylor only played 35% of snaps last week and is a sit this week due to his bad playing time (60-70% of snaps normally) and this bad matchup.
Bears at Vikings (Indoors)
Outlook: To round out Week 12 we’ve got a 44.5 point over/under for this indoor game in Minnesota. The Bears passing attack is ranked within the worst third of the league and they only target their wide receivers the 29th most overall. None of that is great for Byron Murphy and company, they’ll be “sit” if possible and at the minimum “deeper leagues only.”
For the reverse, this Vikings passing attack is ranked 3rd overall and Josh Dobbs has not only prevented that ranking from falling (as many, including myself, thought it would) but he’s even improved on some aspects of this passing offense (he seems to divide up the targets more evenly in general). We’ve got plenty of value for Tyrique Stevenson and company to round out Week 12 on this Monday night football affair.
Chicago Bears
Jaylon Johnson (CB): Johnson played 98% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week with CB3 upside.
Kyler Gordon (CB): Gordon played 85% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Tyrique Stevenson (CB): Stevenson played 79% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB2 in leagues of all sizes this week, he should see more playing time against the less run-oriented offense in Minnesota.
Minnesota Vikings
Camryn Bynum/Josh Metellus (CB/S): If Bynum or Metellus is designated as a cornerback (incorrectly) in your league of merit I would automatically start either or both every week in one of your cornerback slots, this is a cheat code.
Byron Murphy (CB): Murphy played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week with CB3 upside.
Akayleb Evans/Mekhi Blackmon (CB): With Evans inactive last week it was Blackmon getting the start as the other full-time cornerback here in Minnesota. If Evans can play then he’s a start as a CB4 plus in much deeper leagues and Blackmon would be a sit. If Evans is inactive again then Blackmon has value and would also be a CB4 in much deeper leagues this week due to the matchup.
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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My man, the amount of time, attention to every detail and thought you put in each week is truly amazing. Thank you for all of your efforts week in and week out!