Johny The Greek's Cornerback Corner: Week 5
Who are the best and worst CB streaming options for Week 5?
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 plus starting cornerbacks across the entire NFL every week this season.
Last week I made 75 different start/sit calls and did very well once again. I’ve yet to average under my four-year total of 72% accuracy this season. We’ve been north of that number every week so far.
Of the 75 calls I made last week, 11 were declared inactive or injured during play. We don’t count acts of God here, so subtracting those players we’re left with 64 adjusted calls. Of those, 50 were correct (matched, beat, or were within a slim margin of their projection on Yahoo and MFL), and 14 were incorrect (didn’t match or beat projection and weren’t even close), giving us a 78% accuracy for Week 4.
Of those 50 correct calls, 26 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 4. We sit at 81% accuracy overall for the season with 45% 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
Cornerback Corner: Week 5
Bears at Commanders (Check Weather)
Outlook: We’ve got an early 42.5 over/under for this week’s Thursday night game, which appears to be another stinker. Justin Fields looked much better last week against Denver and hit his high mark for completions so far this season with 28. However, I tend to think that had more to do with the opponent than any real change in what we can expect from this Chicago passing attack, deeper leagues only for any Commander’s cornerbacks.
For the reverse, Sam Howell and company have been mediocre so far this season and it looks like we can count on around 23 completions per game from this Washington passing attack. That should give us enough of a floor for our normal cornerback options in Chicago this week but they’ll be starting in deeper leagues only as well. Both teams ranked among the worst in the league for targeting their wide receivers. We’ve got a stinker to kick off Week 5.
Chicago Bears
Tyrique Stevenson (CB): The rookie played all 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Greg Stroman (CB): Stroman only saw 35% of snaps last week and appears to be locked in as the third cornerback seeing the fewest snaps at the moment, he’s a sit until further notice.
Jaylon Johnson/Terrell Smith (CB): Jaylon Johnson wasn’t practicing early this week so he’s still iffy to play, he’s the starter, and Smith is his backup. Whichever one starts should play 100% of snaps and is a good CB4 in deeper leagues as a start this week.
Washington Commanders
Benjamin St Juste (CB): St Juste played all 100% of snaps last week but is only a start as a CB4 this week in the deepest of leagues due to the matchup.
Kendall Fuller (CB): Fuller played 100% of snaps last week but is only a start as a CB4 in very deep, degenerate leagues this week due to the matchup.
Emmanuel Forbes (CB): Forbes saw a bump up to 92% of snaps last week but this matchup is anything but promising, I’d only start him in much deeper leagues as a CB4 plus but I won’t be starting him at all myself.
Jaguars at Bills (Check Weather)
Outlook: With an early line of 47.5 from Las Vegas the early indications are that a shootout could be in the works in Buffalo this week. Despite that line from Vegas, Trevor Lawrence is still only completing around 24 passes per game and even in the route of Atlanta last week only completed 23. It’s likely they’ll have to throw more than they typically would to try and keep up with this excellent Bills offense. I think we’re OK to start any of our normal Bill’s cornerbacks in most places this week.
For the reverse, we are all systems go for our Jaguar’s cornerbacks against this excellent Buffalo passing attack. Josh Allen is completing over 25 passes per game and is clearly capable of more if the situation calls for it. Both of these teams were in the top 11 of the league in regards to targeting their wide receivers as of the end of Week 3. This appears to be a pretty nice stream all around, it’s absolutely a great Tyson Campbell week.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Tyson Campbell (CB): Campbell played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB1 in leagues of all sizes this week.
Darious Williams (CB): Williams played 91% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week, despite the massive game last week that’s not the norm for him.
Tre Herndon (CB): Herndon played 62% of snaps last week and is normally a sit, against this excellent passing attack he should have value as a CB4 in deeper leagues though for this particular week.
Buffalo Bills
Taron Johnson (CB): Taron may see a bump with White out for the season, regardless he’s been far more productive and playing more since week one. He’s a start as a CB2 in leagues of all sizes this week. He’s averaged around 85% of snaps since Week 2.
Dane Jackson (CB): Early indications are Dane Jackson will be the Tre’Davious White replacement so he should see significant snaps, we can’t know for sure if it will be him or Kaiir Elam though so I’d wait on this one for a week and we’ll adjust after we see a full game without White in it. Sit for this week.
Christian Benford (CB): Benford got to rest due to the blowout last week with only 52% of snaps played but should be fine this week (assuming the Jags can keep up). He’s played 100% of snaps most weeks this season and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Tre’Davious White (CB): White is injured and done for the season, we pour some out for him and Trevon Diggs.
Texans at Falcons (Indoors)
Outlook: We’ve got a 41.5 for the early line which indicates that Las Vegas thinks we won’t get much scoring in this one. We can immediately discount and demote all of our Texan’s cornerback options against this absolutely horrific Falcon’s passing attack. Desmond Ritter is completing fewer than 19 passes per game and the Falcon’s passing attack is ranked 27th in the league after 3 weeks. The Atlanta passing attack just won’t be able to give us the floor we need to feel good about any Texan’s cornerback streams this week.
For the reverse, CJ Stroud threw for over 300 yards again last week and has been averaging about 24 completions per game while showing us he can complete upwards of 30 plus if the game script demands it. I would feel pretty good about any Falcon’s corners this week but maybe only in medium to deeper leagues. And while the Falcons rank among the worst in the league for targeting their wide receivers, the Texans are currently ranked 7th in that category after 3 weeks, yet another positive factor for any Atlanta cornerbacks this week.
Houston Texans
Shaq Griffin/Derek Stingley (CB): Stingley is the starter and should play every snap if he’s healthy, Griffin is the direct backup if he’s inactive and played 95% of snaps before resting after destroying the Steelers last week. Whichever one plays is only a CB4 in deeper leagues this week due to the bad matchup.
Steven Nelson (CB): Nelson played 88% of snaps before resting because a rookie quarterback annihilated the most feared defense in the NFL last week. He should play 100% of snaps this week because the Falcons are more likely to give the Texans a more competitive game overall. He’s only a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues though due to the matchup.
No significant third CB option
Atlanta Falcons
AJ Terrell (CB): Terrell played 100% of snaps last week just like every week and is a start as a CB2 in leagues of all sizes this week.
Dee Alford (CB): With Okudah back in the mix now, Alford saw a reduction in snaps (it was a blowout last week too, that could also factor into that) to just 61% of snaps played last week. He’s only a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues with that being said, the matchup does look pretty good though.
Jeff Okudah (CB): Okudah played 74% of snaps last week as he returns to normal playing time, he’s a start as a sneaky CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week with a good matchup and hopefully another bump in playing time on the horizon.
Mike Hughes/Tre Flowers (CB) With Okudah returning to full health and normal playing time it appears the Falcons are fading both Hughes (41% of snaps last week) and Flowers (special teams snaps only last week). Both can be sat until further notice.
Panthers at Lions (Indoors)
Outlook: The early line for this one is 43.5 and without even looking at the wide receiver targets rankings or other factors I think this one is pretty straightforward. The Lions absolutely will pass the ball but they also will likely pull out in front at some point and salt away the game using their running attack just like we’ve seen at other points this season. This could limit the ceiling for any Carolina corners this week.
For the reverse, this Carolina passing attack under Bryce Young has been mediocre at best. He’s averaging under 23 completed passes per game and the difference between him and Andy Dalton at the helm for opposing cornerback streaming was quite apparent last week. I would only start our Detroit options in deeper leagues, splash plays could and should occur but we have no idea which corners will benefit from those, and the floor we need will be limited with the rookie quarterback leading these Panthers.
The Panthers have been targeting their wide receivers among the most in the league but with so few games played so far this season and one of those games including this stat line; Andy Dalton, 34 completions on 58 attempts, we have to assume this ranking is bloated and dangerous due to that outlier game. The Lions are middle of the pack in regards to targeting their wide receivers.
Carolina Panthers
CJ Henderson (CB): With Jaycee Horn injured and gone and Donte Jackson getting hurt early last week it was CJ Henderson who played 100% of snaps at cornerback for the Panthers. He’s a start this week as a CB4 in deeper leagues due to the fluctuation happening all over this cornerback corps, he’ll have a role I’m just not sure what kind of a role or how much he’ll play.
Donte Jackson/D’Shawn Jamison (CB): Donte Jackson was injured after 27% of snaps last week with D’Shawn Jamison appearing to be his direct replacement and playing 71% of snaps. If Jackson is out again this week this could be an option but the safer move is to skip it, if we see it again for a second week in a row then we know it’s safe.
Jeremy Chinn (CB/S): Even with all the injuries to this secondary, Chinn only played 65% of snaps last week which makes no sense. He’s only a start in deeper leagues as a CB4 with this ongoing limited playing time.
Detroit Lions
Cameron Sutton (CB): Sutton played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week due to a less-than-ideal matchup.
Emmanuel Moseley/Jerry Jacobs (CB): Jacobs has been red hot recently and is playing 100% of snaps each week, what many forget is he’s the backup and that’s Emmanuel Moseley’s job. If Moseley is healthy then Jacobs disappears completely, keep that in mind. Whichever one starts is a CB4 in deeper leagues this week due to the matchup, a few hot weeks don’t mean a corner can now overpower all the factors we discuss every week, Jacobs won’t be the CB1 at the end of this season I’d bet a colonic on it.
Brian Branch (CB/S): Branch was dinged up and injured again last week which is why he finished with just 70% of snaps played, assuming he’s healthy this week I’d start him as a CB4 in deeper leagues due to the matchup.
Titans at Colts (Indoors)
Outlook: We’ve got a 42.5 over/under for this one and despite this being a divisional game (where anything can happen), it appears that Las Vegas at least believes we won’t see much offense here. Ryan Tannehill was better last week but is still completing fewer than 17 passes per game so any production from our Colt’s corners may have to be from splash plays which is never good.
For the reverse, Anthony Richardson is completing fewer than 18 passes per game but his sample size is iffy at best due to injury issues. He does appear more of a running quarterback than an actual quarterback so I’d be cautious with any Tennessee cornerback options in this one as well. Despite this being indoors and featuring some excellent cornerback options on both teams (Kenny Moore, Roger McCreary, etc.), I probably won’t be targeting this game personally for any of my streams this week.
Tennessee Titans
Kristian Fulton (CB): Fulton played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues due to the matchup.
Roger McCreary (CB): McCreary played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week due to the matchup.
Sean Murphy Bunting (CB): Bunting played 98% of snaps last week and is also a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Indianapolis Colts
Kenny Moore (CB): Moore played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Dallis Flowers (CB): Flowers played 96% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week due to the matchup.
Juju Brents (CB): Brents continues to play more each week and played 96% of snaps last week, he’s still a sit due to playing time fluctuation and instability in general but you can absolutely pick him up if you believe in the rookie cornerback rule. Take advantage of him in better streams to come if that’s the thought.
Giants at Dolphins (Check Weather)
Outlook: We’ve got a 49 over/under with the Giants getting 10 points for the early line. That backs up what we’re all thinking already, “blood bath Miami win in a get-right game after losing a tough one to Buffalo last week.” The Giant’s corners are in a great situation to absorb the saturation attack of passes that will be coming from Tua and company and are the best-looking option I’ve seen so far this week. I’ll have a ton of Adoree Jackson going this week, that’s for sure.
For the reverse, we already know what I’m about to say here as well, deeper leagues only for any Miami corners against this pretty pedestrian Giant’s passing attack. Daniel Jones is averaging around 21 completions per game (prior to the Monday night affair with Seattle) so our floor is limited to begin with, when we further factor in the strong likelihood that Miami dominates time of possession here as well it could be a slow day for our Miami corners.
They could have value due to the strong likelihood that New York ends up in a negative game script and has to stop running and only pass, which could lead to an interception or some easy pass defense stats, but it’s not what we like to see for ideal cornerback streaming setup.
New York Giants
Deonte Banks (CB): Banks played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Adoree Jackson (CB): Jackson played 100% of snaps and is a start as a CB2 in leagues of all sizes this week.
No significant third CB option, no I won’t be talking about Cor’Dale Flott and his 55% of snaps in a game that was over by halftime.
Miami Dolphins
Kader Kohou (CB): Kohou played 100% of snaps last week and is a start but only as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week due to the matchup.
Xavien Howard (CB): Howard played 100% of snaps last week and is only a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week due to the matchup.
Eli Apple/Justin Bethel (CB): Bethel played 67% of snaps last week in place of the injured and inactive Apple, if Apple is healthy he’ll be playing as the cornerback three here, if not then it will be Bethel again. Regardless, they are both a sit this week due to the horrific matchup against the Giant’s passing offense.
Saints at Patriots (Check Weather)
Outlook: We’ve got the lowest over/under of the week so far at 40.5 plus a host of other negative factors coming into play. Derek Carr is clearly still a bit beat up, Mac Jones got his toosh expanded several inches by the Cowboys last week and talk of Bailey Zappe in New England has already begun.
Carr could provide us some value if he’s feeling better physically since the Saints are just outside the top ten in regards to targeting their talented wide receivers so our Patriots cornerbacks (if we can even identify them after all the injuries) should have some value. However, for our Saints, I would only play them in deeper leagues this week against a Patriot’s passing attack that is clearly in flux and out-of-sorts.
Even if we do end up with a healthy Derek Carr this week he’s only completing about 20 passes per game so going “deeper leagues only” across the board may not be a bad idea for this matchup.
New Orleans Saints
Marson Lattimore (CB): Lattimore played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Alontae Taylor (CB): Taylor played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week, he’s been super hot then super cold, and this Patriots passing attack may not give him what he needs to be super hot again.
Paulson Adebo/Isaac Yiadom (CB): Adebo is the third cornerback here, if he’s inactive then Yiadom will replace him once again. Regardless, they are both a sit this week due to the bad matchup.
New England Patriots
Christian Gonzalez (CB): Gonzalez was seriously injured last week and will miss some time, sit for now.
Jonathan Jones (CB): Jones is really needed back in this cornerback corps so I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes his season debut this week. If he does he’ll likely play a ton of snaps and would be a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues.
Myles Bryant (CB): Bryant played 100% of snaps last week and is the de-facto cornerback one here at the moment with all the injury issues. He’s a start this week as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues.
Shaun Wade (CB): If Jones can’t play and we already know that Gonzalez can’t play then it appears Shaun Wade is the next man up, we’ve literally only seen this once and for part of one game. Sit him for now and we’ll see how this all shakes out. The Patriots are notoriously fickle when it comes to being predictable for their IDP options week to week.
Ravens at Steelers (Check Weather)
Outlook: We’ve got another low over/under here at 41 points even and an implied defensive struggle. Lamar Jackson is completing fewer than 20 passes per game and when he does complete passes they’re to his tight end of running backs out of the backfield, the Ravens rank 28th in the league in regards to targeting their wide receivers. Deeper leagues only for any Steelers cornerbacks this week.
For the reverse, Kenny Pickett was injured last week, his backup is just as bad, and even if Pickett can play he’s also completing fewer than 20 passes per game. Both of these offenses tend to rely on their run game and I don’t think we should be expecting many fireworks in the passing game for this particular matchup. Deeper leagues for any cornerback options across the board here and another stinker in general.
Baltimore Ravens
Marlon Humphrey (CB): If Humphrey and play this week it’s likely he’d play a good amount and he’s good enough to overcome even the worst matchup, he’d be a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues.
Brandon Stephens (CB/S): Stephens played 100% of snaps last week and is only a start in the deepest of leagues as a CB4 plus due to this horrendous matchup.
Ronald Darby/Everyone Else (CB): Beyond Stephens and Humphrey whenever he’s healthy and back in the lineup, no cornerback saw North of 65% of snaps for this defense. Beyond that, this matchup stinks. If they’re not the two guys up top then sit them.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Levi Wallace (CB): Wallace played 100% of snaps last week and is only a start as a CB4 in much deeper leagues due to the matchup this week.
Patrick Peterson (CB): Peterson played 100% of snaps last week and is only a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues due to the bad matchup this week.
Chandon Sullivan/Joey Porter (CB): Sullivan and Porter are splitting the third cornerback role like a pair of booty cheeks, neither has value at the moment, sit them both.
Bengals at Cardinals (Indoors)
Outlook: The over/under for this one is 42.5 and what would have been a slam dunk for Marco Wilson, Kei’Trel Clark, and company a few weeks ago is now a murky situation. The Bengals with Burrow are completing just under 22 passes per game and it’s clear to everyone that Burrow is hurt and they should have put him on the short-term IR to start the season. I still think our Cardinal’s corners will hit their projections but this used to be a CB1 type week for them, no longer.
For the reverse, Joshua Dobbs is typically completing around 22 passes per game but it’s apparent for all to see that this Arizona offense focuses on running the ball and only passes when they need to. This will probably be a close game so the need for Arizona to shut down their running attack and start passing due to a negative game script may not arise at all. This limits our Cincy cornerback options as well, deeper leagues only for them as well this week.
Cincinnati Bengals
Cam Taylor Britt/DJ Turner (CB): Britt was injured last week, if he can’t go then it appears to be Turner as his direct replacement, whichever plays I’d only start them as a CB4 in deeper leagues due to the matchup.
Chidobe Awuzie (CB): Awuzie played 85% of snaps before blowout rest last week, he’s only a start in deeper leagues as a CB4 plus this week due to the matchup.
Mike Hilton (CB): Hilton played 70% of snaps last week and typically plays the least of the Cincy corners, he’s a sit this week due to the matchup and lack of ideal playing time.
Arizona Cardinals
Marco Wilson (CB): Wilson played 98% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Kei’Trel Clark (CB): Clark played 98% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Jalen Thompson (CB/S): Thompson always plays 100% of snaps and has the cornerback designation in some places, if that applies to you then I’d start him as a CB2 in leagues of all sizes as a cheat code corner.
No other significant CB options
Eagles at Rams (Check Weather)
Outlook: With an early line of 46.5, Las Vegas is expecting some scoring in this one and I agree completely. Matt Stafford has been solid with his 26 completions per game average and is clearly starting to really connect with his young wide receiver corps. We can fire up our normal Eagles cornerback options and feel pretty good about it.
For the reverse, Jalen Hurts is only completing around 22 passes per game but we know he’s capable of far more than that. This is mostly due to the Eagles not needing to abandon their excellent run game to favor their passing attack since they’ve only been in a negative game script for mere minutes this entire season. I’m not sure that will happen this week either, the Rams could jump out in front but I doubt it.
Regardless our Rams corners are a nice option for medium to deeper leagues this week since AJ Brown and Devonta Smith always get their target share. This game has the potential for some good streams.
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 99% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB2 in leagues of all sizes this week.
Josh Jobe (CB): Jobe played 87% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Los Angeles Rams
Akhello Witherspoon (CB): Witherspoon played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Derion Kendrick (CB): Kendrick played 98% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Cobie Durant (CB): Durant played 70% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Jets at Broncos (Check Weather)
Outlook: With an over/under of 40 points (even) we’ve got another stinker here. Like a huge poopy log floating in the punch bowl, we’ve got a quarterback who is incapable of completing passes (Zach Wilson) and a quarterback who comes apart at the slightest bit of pressure (Russell Wilson). The Jets defense will surely apply that pressure this week. Russell has been good enough for us to fire up Sauce and Reed but it may have to be in medium to deeper leagues since he’s completing fewer than 23 passes per game.
And obviously, we aren’t touching any Denver corners this week against Zach Wilson who (prior to Week 4) is completing fewer than 15 passes per game. That is nowhere near the floor we need for anything resembling an ideal setup for cornerback streaming. Beyond that, the Jets are dead last in the league for targeting their wide receivers (prior to Week 4) by a huge amount. Skip the Denver corners, they’ve got plenty of better streams to come in the future.
New York Jets
DJ Reed (CB): Reed played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues 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.
Michael Carter (CB): Carter played 71% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 plus in deeper leagues this week.
Denver Broncos
Patrick Surtain (CB): Surtain played 100% of snaps last week and is only a start as a CB4 plus in the deepest of leagues this week due to the matchup.
Damari Mathis (CB): Mathis played 99% of snaps last week and is a sit in most places this week due to the matchup, he will play enough if you need him though.
No significant third CB option
Chiefs at Vikings (Indoors)
Outlook: With a 52.5 over/under we have easily one of the best setups for ideal cornerback streaming this week. The Vikings and their number one overall ranking for targeting their excellent wide receivers meet L’Jarius Sneed, Trent McDuffie, and company who should be in perfect position for a huge week. Beyond that, Cousins is completing North of 30 passes per game (prior to Week 4) and will obviously need to pass the ball early and often if he has any hope of keeping up with this Chief’s offense.
For the reverse, Mahomes is completing around 27 passes per game (prior to Week 4) and will give our Vikings corners enough value to start in medium to deeper leagues this week. This one has shootout written all over it and I’ll be targeting this matchup myself in many places this week. Both teams are in the top ten in regards to targeting their wide receivers as well.
Kansas City Chiefs
L’Jarius Sneed (CB): Sneed played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB1 in leagues of all sizes this week.
Trent McDuffie (CB): McDuffie played 98% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB2 in leagues of all sizes this week.
No significant third CB option, Mike Edwards and a host of random corners are filling that role apparently, if Jaylon Watson is healthy enough to play that’s normally his role but he doesn’t play a ton. I’d just skip it.
Minnesota Vikings
Akayleb Evans (CB): Evans played 99% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Byron Murphy (CB): Murphy played 94% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Camryn Bynum (CB/S): Bynum is a cheat code corner who’s actually a safety, if this applies to your league you can start him as a CB2 in leagues of all sizes.
No other significant CB options
Cowboys at 49ers (Check Weather)
Outlook: With an over/under of 45.5 we can expect some points in this one. The Cowboys will be passing the ball enough for our 49ers corners to have value in most leagues this week, Prescott is completing around 25 passes per game and is always a good bet to start throwing to the wrong team.
For the reverse, this 49er’s passing attack is efficient, Purdy doesn’t average many attempts per game never mind completions. They run the ball extremely well and use play action and other gadgets/packages to ensure that when Purdy throws to someone that pass will be a completion. He’s just over 20 completions per game and I highly doubt the Cowboys will be forcing the 49ers into a massive negative game script.
With that in mind, I’d go deeper leagues only for any Cowboys corners this week. It will be a huge game for the interior defensive line and linebackers as they attempt to deal with CMC but Stephon Gilmore and company may be in for a slow day at the office.
Dallas Cowboys
Stephon Gilmore (CB): Gilmore played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Daron Bland (CB): Bland played 78% of snaps last week due to blowout rest but should play closer to 100% this week, he’s a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues.
Jourdan Lewis (CB): Lewis played 56% of snaps last week and hasn’t reached his full snap share yet this season, he came into the year injured and has been getting back into game shape much like Donovan Wilson. He’s a sit for now.
San Francisco 49ers
Deommodore Lenoir (CB): Lenoir played 85% of snaps then got rest due to the blowout last week, he’s a start as a CB2 in leagues of all sizes this week.
Chavarious Ward (CB): Ward played 85% of snaps then got rest due to the blowout last week, he’s a start as a CB2 in leagues of all sizes this week.
Isaiah Oliver (CB): Oliver played 62% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Packers at Raiders (Indoors)
Outlook: We round out the week with a 43.5 over/under in Las Vegas. Assuming we get Jimmy Beautiful back we’re in for a nice week for Rasul Douglas, Jaire Alexander, and company. However, under Aidan O’Connell, we still got some production with 24 completions but nowhere near what Jimmy G is capable of. Demote our Packers options if Jimmy G is out again this week accordingly.
For the reverse, Jordan Love is completing fewer than 19 passes per game and the Packers are in the bottom half of the league for targeting their wide receivers. Nate Hobbs, if he’s healthy, and company should be only started in deeper leagues this week against a suspect Packers passing attack.
Green Bay Packers
Rasul Douglas (CB): Rasul played 100% of snaps last week and is a CB2 in leagues of all sizes this week (assuming Jimmy G is back at the helm, otherwise demote him to CB3 in medium to deeper leagues)
Jaire Alexander/Corey Ballentine (CB): Jaire would be a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues, his injury replacement (Ballentine) would be a sit this week if Alexander is inactive based on the fluctuation we saw in Week 3 when Jaire was out. The Packers haven’t really settled on his replacement it appears so we’ll steer clear.
Keisean Nixon (CB): Nixon played 64% of snaps last week but had over 150 return yards, if your league scores return yards he’s a start (you determine where, it’s your scoring format, not mine) otherwise he’s still a start but only in the deepest leagues as a CB4 plus.
Las Vegas Raiders
Nate Hobbs/Amik Robertson (CB): It appears that Robertson was the replacement for Hobbs, who was inactive last week, if Hobbs can go then he’s an automatic CB1 as is tradition. If it’s Robertson I’d stay away from it, we’ve got some fluctuation going on here in Las Vegas due to injury and poor play.
Marcus Peters (CB): Peters played 97% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Jakorian Bennet/David Long Jr (CB): Bennett appeared to lose snaps last week to David Long Jr, both are a sit while this plays out.
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. For weekly in-season waivers and playing time reports/podcast, please see my work with @TheIDPTipster on the SGPN network. Gary (IDP Tipster) also does an article series there utilizing his start/sit charts, which are a great resource for your non-cornerback start/sit decisions.
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!
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