Johny The Greek's Cornerback Corner: Week 8
Who are the best and worst CB streaming options for Week 8?
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 61 different start/sit calls and was able to navigate the minefield of bye weeks and injuries for another 80% plus accuracy week.
Of the 61 calls I made last week, 7 were declared inactive or injured during play. We don’t count acts of God here, so subtracting those players we’re left with 54 adjusted calls. Of those, 45 were correct (matched, beat, or were within a slim margin of their projection on Yahoo and MFL), and 9 were incorrect (didn’t match or beat projection and weren’t even close), giving us 83% accuracy for Week 7.
Of those 45 correct calls, 23 of them were “massive hits” (more than doubled or even tripled their projection), giving us a 51% massive hit rate on correct calls for Week 7. We sit at 81% 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
Cornerback Corner: Week 8
***All team stats will be one week behind due to me writing this early in the week so it publishes before waivers run***
Bucs at Bills
Outlook: To kick off Week 8 we’ve got an outdoor affair in Buffalo. Las Vegas has the early line for this game at 42.5 points but we’ve definitely got the potential for more with the star power on these two teams. The Bills have the 8th-best passing attack in the NFL while the Bucs have the 17th. Both of these teams are in the middle of the pack in regards to targeting their wide receivers (the Bucs are ranked dead last but had a bye week when many other teams haven’t yet, I’ve factored that in).
Unless we have a sudden early snowstorm we should have plenty of offense to eat from between these two veteran quarterbacks along with the many talented wide receivers on either side. We can start our normal options and they’ll make sense in most medium to deeper leagues. This is not a bad way to start Week 8!
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jamel Dean (CB): Dean played 98% of snaps last week and is a start this week as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues.
Carlton Davis (CB): Davis played 100% of snaps last week and is a start this week as a CB1/2 in leagues of all sizes.
Zyon McCollum (CB): McCollum is still not startable with only 14% of snaps played last week, continue to sit him.
Buffalo Bills
Dane Jackson (CB): Jackson played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in medium to deeper leagues.
Christian Benford (CB): Benford played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in medium to deeper leagues.
Taron Johnson (CB): Johnson finally saw 100% of the snaps last week and is a start this week as a CB3 plus in medium to deeper leagues.
Texans at Panthers
Outlook: This outdoor affair in Carolina has one of the lowest over/under of the week with 41 points being the early line. The Texans have the 7th best passing attack in the league, which could come as a surprise to many but not myself. CJ Stroud has been solid all season both in regards to his completed passes floor and yardage each week. The Texans target their wide receivers in the middle of the pack. His rookie counterpart however is a different story.
Bryce Young and the Panthers passing attack is 23rd in the league prior to Week 7 but target their wide receivers the 3rd most in the league! That tendency could be huge for our Texans cornerbacks this week and could help offset the poor overall team passing attack ranking. Regardless, we’ve got a nice setup for our Panthers cornerbacks and a decent setup for our Texans cornerbacks in deeper leagues at the minimum.
Houston Texans
Steven Nelson (CB): Nelson played 100% of snaps the last time we saw him and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Shaq Griffin/Derek Stingley (CB): Griffin played 98% of snaps the last time we saw him and is the direct replacement for Stingley, who is still on IR. If Stingley somehow returns from IR this week he’s the starter, otherwise, Griffin is the guy and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues. If Stingley can return I’d sit him his first week back, odds are good he wouldn’t be at his normal playing time immediately after a month-plus injury.
No significant third CB option
Carolina Panthers
CJ Henderson (CB): Henderson played 100% of snaps the last time we saw him and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Donte Jackson (CB): Jackson played 94% of snaps the last time we saw him and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Jeremy Chinn (CB/S): Chinn is out this week with a quad injury, he’s been a sit regardless with his poor playing time in recent weeks.
Rams at Cowboys
Outlook: This indoor affair in Dallas has a beautiful 46-point over/under and features plenty of star power on both sides. The Rams passing attack is the 6th best in the league and they target their wide receivers the 5th most in the entire league. This plus the indoors factor combine for a beautiful setup for our Dallas cornerbacks this week, they are a start in medium to deeper leagues at the minimum and Gilmore/Bland could be options in leagues of all sizes.
For the reverse, this Dallas passing attack is right in the middle of the pack both in overall team ranking and for targeting their wide receivers. Whoever is on CeeDee Lamb will have some value so we’ll try and identify who that may be, but beyond that, it will be deeper leagues only against this balanced Dallas offense that runs a bit more than they pass. We’ve got half of a great matchup here at least.
Los Angeles Rams
Derion Kendrick (CB): Kendrick only played 36% of snaps last week, this could be due to the game script (the Steelers can’t pass the ball), an injury that hasn’t been disclosed yet (he says healthy at the moment), or a demotion. Regardless, we can’t trust him now that his playing time has fallen off a cliff. He’s a sit for now, we’ll see what happens. He’s been playing a ton all season so this stinks of shenanigans, more to be revealed.
Cobie Durant (CB): Durant saw his playing time shoot up to 100% of snaps last week, he’s a start this week as a CB4 in deeper leagues.
Akhello Witherspoon (CB): Witherspoon played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Dallas Cowboys
Stephon Gilmore (CB): Gilmore played 100% of snaps the last time we saw him and is a start this week as a CB1/2, he’ll be defending either Kupp or Nakua, likely Kupp, and this gives him a ton of value. When we factor in that this one is indoors as well, it’s a beautiful setup for Gilmore and to a lesser extent, Bland.
Daron Bland (CB): Bland played 100% of snaps the last time we saw him and is a start as a CB2 in leagues of all sizes this week, he’ll be on Kupp or Nakua, whichever one Gilmore isn’t defending, and this absolutely gives him value.
Jourdan Lewis (CB): Lewis played 89% of snaps the last time we saw him and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Vikings at Packers
Outlook: This outdoor affair in Green Bay is sitting at a 44 for the early over/under. The Vikings passing attack is the 3rd best in the league (but was trending backward without Justin Jefferson until last Monday night, it’s looking good again now) and they target their wide receivers the most in the league (1st overall ranking). These factors alone give our Green Bay corners plenty of value in this matchup, they’re looking good.
For the reverse, the Packers passing attack is ranked in the last third of the league and they only target their wide receivers the 28th most in the league. These negative factors combined with the possibility of weather shenanigans put our Vikings cornerbacks in a bad spot for Week 8. I’d only start them if I had no other options, on paper the setup for them is far less than ideal.
Minnesota Vikings
Byron Murphy (CB): Murphy played 98% of snaps the last time we saw him and is a start as a CB3 plus in deeper leagues this week. He’s great, but the matchup isn’t.
Camryn Bynum (CB/S): Bynum played 100% of snaps the last time we saw him and if your league of merit has him (incorrectly) designated as a cornerback you should be starting him automatically every week as a cheat code. He’d be a CB1 as a cornerback this week and an obvious start.
Akayleb Evans (CB): Evans played 98% of snaps the last time we saw him and is a start as a CB4 plus in deeper leagues this week.
Andrew Booth (CB): Booth only played 25% of snaps the last time we saw him and is likely only playing due to Evans being eased back into the lineup after an injury. He’s a sit this week.
Green Bay Packers
Rasul Douglas (CB): Rasul played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB2 in leagues of all sizes this week.
Jaire Alexander/Carrington Valentine (CB): Valentine replaced the inactive and injured Alexander last week and played 100% of snaps, that’s anything but set in stone but if Jaire can’t play this week then Valentine would be one hell of a dart throw as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues. It’s risky, that backup job he seemingly has is anything but assured. Jaire Alexander would be a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues as well due to the reinjury risk and the likelihood of not seeing full snaps in his first game back.
Keisean Nixon (CB): Nixon played 73% of snaps last week and had 17 return yards, he’s only a start as a CB4 in normal leagues and as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues if your league of merit has return yards.
Saints at Colts
Outlook: This indoor affair in Indianapolis has the lowest over/under of the week so far with 40 points even. The Saints passing attack is in the middle of the pack and ranks similar to teams like the 49ers and Seahawks, all of which are “hit or miss” in terms of consistent passing offense. They target their wide receivers the 8th most in the league but that ranking could be bloated due to the timing of me writing this outlook (the Thursday game is updated, and the games playing today have not been yet, in regards to team statistics).
Our Colts cornerbacks will have some value but it’s far from perfect. For the reverse, the Colts passing attack is ranked 10th overall in the league and they target their wide receivers the 7th most in 2023. That’s a beautiful setup for Marshon Lattimore and company and it looks even better when we factor in the lack of weather shenanigans. We’ve got a nice setup for our Saints corners and a mediocre setup for our Colts corners.
New Orleans Saints
Paulson Adebo (CB): Abebo played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 plus in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Marshon Lattimore (CB): Lattimore played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week with tons of upside.
Alontae Taylor (CB): Taylor played 75% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Indianapolis Colts
Kenny Moore (CB): Kenny played 100% of snaps last week and is always an automatic start, this week as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues.
Juju Brents (CB): Brents only played 28% of snaps last week before exiting with a quad injury, if he can play this week he’d be a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues, the smart move may be to just sit him for this one. Between the reinjury risk and the possibility that he doesn’t play his full snap share immediately after this injury plus we have zero teams on bye this week equals stream somewhere else.
Darrel Baker Jr (CB): With Brents suffering that injury, Baker was back in for 60% of snaps as the replacement for Brents. If Juju Brents can’t play this week then I’d consider Baker but only in very deep leagues as a CB4 plus since this is anything but solid.
Jaylon Jones (CB): Jones played 87% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week, we’ve only seen significant playing time from this rookie a couple of times now so it’s risky.
Patriots at Dolphins
Outlook: We’ve got a 47-point under/over for this outdoor affair in Miami, this combined with the 13-point spread (Pats getting 13) implies a bloodbath Dolphins victory. We can absolutely fire up our Patriots cornerbacks against the best passing attack in the league. And while the Miami wide receiver targets ranking is just mediocre (middle of the pack), this may be offset if they spend 35 minutes on offense which is entirely possible in this matchup.
For the reverse, this New England passing attack is ranked 21st in the league and targets their wide receivers the 6th most in the league this season. We could get some production from the negative game script that the Patriots will almost certainly find themselves in at some point but, in general, this isn’t a great setup for Kader Kohou and company. Mac Jones has trouble completing passes with around 20 per game as his floor but multiple weeks of fewer than 15 completed passes means we should steer clear generally.
New England Patriots
JC Jackson (CB): Jackson played 90% of snaps last week and is a start this week as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues with a ton of upside. The only reason I don’t have him higher is he plays for the Patriots and nothing is ever the same week to week with their defense.
Myles Bryant (CB): Bryant played 76% of snaps last week and has remained the only constant in this cornerback corps. He’s a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Jonathan Jones/Jack Jones (CB): The Jones brothers split this third cornerback role last week in a way that neither has much value at the moment, this is the Patriots way for those of you who are uninitiated. Sit them both, for now, this will change without a doubt.
Miami Dolphins
Kader Kohou (CB): Kohou played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Eli Apple/Jalen Ramsey (CB): Ramsey is still on the IR list but can be activated at any point now, if he’s inactive this week then I’d consider Apple as a CB4 plus in much deeper leagues. If Ramsey can play I would skip it this week since the odds of him getting his full snap share immediately aren’t great at all. Plus the matchup is poop. Apple did play 100% of snaps last week with Howard inactive (that’s the likely cause of the bump in playing time).
Xavien Howard/Parry Nickerson (CB): Howard was inactive due to an injury last week, Nickerson appears to be his direct replacement. If Howard is healthy he’d be a start as a CB4 plus against this horrendous Patriots passing attack, if he’s inactive I would just skip Nickerson. We have plenty of options this week, no need to force something uncertain in a bad stream to begin with. Nickerson only played 62% of snaps last week on top of all that.
Jets at Giants
Outlook: Just when I thought we were scraping the bottom of the barrel for lower over/under this week we get a 36.5 for this probable stinker outdoors in New York. These two passing offenses are ranked 32nd and 31st respectively and target their wide receivers in the worst-third of the league. This is clearly the stinker of the week, and while we could get some production from splash plays, our completed passes floor we look to for ideal cornerback streaming looks to be nonexistent in this matchup.
I’d skip it completely unless you’re truly desperate, we’ll list the relevant cornerback options though as is tradition.
New York Jets
Sauce Gardner (CB): Sauce missed the last game due to injury, he should be OK for this week but unless you really need it I would just skip it. This matchup isn’t great at all for him and he still hasn’t cleared concussion protocol as of the time of writing this article.
DJ Reed (CB): Reed always plays 100% of snaps but has missed the last two games with a concussion, he should be cleared for this week but I’m recommending we sit him due to this bad matchup, possible reinjury risk, and possibility of them easing him back into the lineup without full snaps right away.
Bryce Hall (CB): Hall appears to be the direct DJ Reed replacement but I would just skip it this week, this matchup isn’t worth chasing down any injury replacements or monitoring the health status of Reed or Sauce.
Michael Carter (CB): Carter played 77% of snaps the last time we saw him and is a sit this week due to a lack of ideal playing time and a bad matchup.
New York Giants
Deonte Banks (CB): Banks played 91% of snaps last week and would only be a start as a CB4 in much deeper leagues this week.
Cor’Dale Flott/Adoree Jackson (CB): Adoree Jackson was inactive and injured last week, Flott was his direct replacement it appears. I would skip this entirely, the matchup isn’t worth the headache. Sit them both.
No significant third CB option
Jaguars at Steelers
Outlook: This outdoor matchup in Pittsburgh is sitting at a 41.5 point over/under and features one real offense and one theoretical offense. The Jaguars are the 14th best passing attack in the league and target their talented wide receiver corps the 9th most in the entire league. The only negative factor I can think of in regard to them is that Travis Etienne is so good that they don’t need to pass as often as they’ve had to in prior seasons. Regardless, we can fire up our Steelers cornerbacks this week and feel pretty good about it.
For the reverse, this Steelers passing attack is ranked 26th in the league and that’s before factoring in the stinker against the Rams last week. They target their wide receivers the 28th most in the league and their quarterback has baby hands. I would steer clear of Tyson Campbell and company in general this week but there could be some production from the mistakes that Kenny Pickett is assured to make in this game.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Tyson Campbell/Montriac Brown (CB): If Campbell is healthy enough to play he would be a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues due to this matchup, if he’s inactive then Brown would replace him and have a similar setup and recommendation.
Darious Williams (CB): William’s played 97% of snaps last week and his hot streak continued, it’s hard to sit him at this point but I’m only recommending him as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues due to the matchup.
Tre Herndon (CB): Herndon only played 68% of snaps last week and is a sit against this horrendous Steelers passing attack this week.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Patrick Peterson (CB): Peterson played 99% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week.
Joey Porter (CB): Porter not only completely displaced Chandon Sullivan last week but also shot out in front of Levi Wallace as well in terms of playing time with 78% of snaps played. He’s a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues and a sneaky option that could be targeted often due to being a rookie.
Levi Wallace (CB): Wallace played 72% of snaps last week and has apparently been demoted to the third cornerback role in Pittsburgh now that Porter is playing more than him. He’s still a start this week, but only as a CB4 plus in much deeper leagues.
Falcons at Titans
Outlook: We’ve got another very low over/under here for this outdoor affair with just 37 points as the early line. I can see it, neither offense is anything special and both defenses have been solid this season. The Falcons are a middle-of-the-pack passing attack both in terms of overall ranking and targeting their (singular, Drake London) wide receivers. We can stream our Titans corners against them but I’d only recommend it in deeper leagues.
For the reverse, this Tennessee passing attack is ranked 28th in the league, which is clearly horrendous, and may be led by a backup quarterback this week. They target their wide receivers the 27th most in the league and have issues sustaining drives week in and week out. I’d pass completely on the Falcons cornerback corps this week but we’ll list the relevant options and Terrel or Okudah would have value in the deepest and darkest of leagues simply due to who they are and how much they play each week.
Atlanta Falcons
AJ Terrell (CB): Terrell played 100% of snaps the last time we saw him and is a start only in much deeper leagues as a CB4 plus due to this matchup against one of the worst passing offenses in the league that will likely have a backup quarterback under center.
Jeff Okudah (CB): Okudah played 95% of snaps the last time we saw him and is a start only in much deeper leagues as a CB4 plus due to this matchup against one of the worst passing offenses in the league that will likely have a backup quarterback under center.
Dee Alford (CB): Alford played 75% of snaps the last time we saw him and is a sit this week against one of the worst passing attacks in the league. He also isn’t playing enough to overcome that kind of negative factor to begin with.
Tennessee Titans
Sean Murphy Bunting (CB): Bunting played 97% of snaps the last time we saw him and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Kristian Fulton (CB): Fulton played 77% of snaps the last time we saw him, I’m guessing for similar reasons as I state below for McCreary. He’s a start this week only in much deeper leagues as a CB4 plus.
Roger McCreary (CB): McCreary only played 65% of snaps the last time we saw him, likely due to his opponent being the Ravens who barely pass the ball most weeks. He’s in a similar position this week and may not see the kind of playing time we’d like. He’s still a start but only as a CB4 plus in deeper leagues.
Eagles at Commanders
Outlook: We’ve got a 46-point over/under for this outdoor divisional affair in Washington. The Eagles passing attack is ranked 9th in the league and is obviously capable of massive production, especially if their equally good running attack is stymied. They target their wide receivers the 11th most in the league and make for a really nice setup for Kendall Fuller and our Commander’s cornerbacks this week.
For the reverse, this Commanders passing attack is ranked 16th in the league and is fresh off of a stinker against the Giants so that ranking will plummet. They target their wide receivers the 10th most in the league which helps and traditionally they’ve played the Eagles very close. We can fire up our Eagles cornerbacks but I’d only do it in medium to deeper leagues.
Philadelphia Eagles
Darius Slay (CB): Slay played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues.
James Bradberry (CB): Bradberry played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues.
Josh Jobe/Josiah Scott/Bradley Roby/Eli Ricks (CB): Between injuries and having trouble finding a reliable replacement for Avonte Maddox, the Eagles haven’t been able to give us a steady third cornerback option yet. All of these guys are a sit until we get some solidity with this situation.
Washington Commanders
Danny Johnson (CB): Johnson only played 60% of snaps last week and has only had this third cornerback role for a couple of weeks, he’s a start but only as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
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): Juste played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB2 in leagues of all sizes this week, he’s quietly been red hot for the last five weeks plus.
Emmanuel Forbes (CB): Forbes did not log a defensive snap last week and only played special teams this past week, yet I personally played against opponents in several leagues that were starting him. If they haven’t gotten the memo yet that’s not my problem, but you all are getting it again right now for the second or third week in a row. Sit him until further notice unless you want to keep eating a zero.
Browns at Seahawks
Outlook: This outdoor affair in Seattle is sitting at 41.5 for the over/under as the early line. The Seahawks passing attack is ranked 11th in the league and they target their talented wide receivers the 30th most in the league but that ranking is smoke and mirrors, they had an early bye week that many other teams haven’t had yet. When we factor in those 20 to 30 wide receiver targets from that missing game then they’re sitting pretty and we’re looking good for Denzel Ward and the Brown’s corners this week.
For the reverse, whether we get PJ Walker again or Watson actually plays football this week will help determine what kind of leagues our Seahawks corners make sense in. Generally, the Browns passing attack is ranked 30th overall but they haven’t had their starter under center for a couple-few of those games. Are they better with Watson? Very likely. They target their wide receivers towards the back of the pack but that ranking would likely improve with Watson playing as well.
In general, deeper leagues all around for our Seahawks corners but we can sneak Witherspoon and Woolen into medium leagues as well if Watson plays.
Cleveland Browns
Greg Newsome (CB): Newsome played 99% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week with CB3 upside.
Denzel Ward (CB): Ward played 86% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week with CB3 upside.
Martin Emerson (CB): Emerson played 86% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
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.
Tre Brown/Michael Jackson (CB): Brown only played 30% of snaps last week and Jackson only logged a handful, this third cornerback slot in Seattle is unsettled at the moment so we’ll be sitting everyone not named Woolen or Witherspoon until it settles down.
Ravens at Cardinals
Outlook: We’ve got a mediocre 43.5 over/under for this indoor affair in Arizona. The Ravens are the 23rd-ranked passing attack in the league and target their wide receivers in the last third overall. Despite last week’s massive performance against the Lions in that statement game, we’ve seen this team play down to their competition for the majority of the season. I’m not buying that last week’s passing offense is the new normal now, deeper leagues only for our Cardinals cornerbacks.
For the reverse, the Cardinals passing attack and their wide receiver targets ranking are both in the worst third of the league. They’re still led by a backup quarterback who struggles to complete passes consistently and remains a “run first” offense. It will be deeper leagues only for any Ravens corners in this one as well.
Baltimore Ravens
Marlon Humphrey (CB): Humphrey played 89% of snaps last week, which is the maximum all the defensive starters played in that blowout against the Lions. He’s a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Brandon Stephens (CB/S): Stephens played 89% of snaps last week, which is the maximum all the defensive starters played in that blowout against the Lions. He’s a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Arthur Maulet (CB): Maulet has suddenly shot right past Ronald Darby and company to take over as the third cornerback here in Baltimore, he played 80% of snaps last week but this could be for any number of reasons including that the game was over by the second quarter. I trust it zero percent, sit for now and we’ll adjust later if needed.
Arizona Cardinals
Marco Wilson (CB): Wilson played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week, he hasn’t been under projection all season long.
Antonio Hamilton (CB): Hamilton was inactive last week due to an injury but plays enough to be a start in much deeper leagues as a CB4 plus if he’s healthy this week.
Kei’Trel Clark (CB): Clark has been displaced as a starting cornerback and is a sit until further notice.
Jalen Thompson (CB/S): If Thompson is healthy he typically plays 100% of snaps and would be a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues.
Starling Thomas (CB): With the demotion to Clark and the injuries to Thompson and Clark we are reaching “inception levels” of deep for this cornerback corps in regard to their depth chart. Thankfully, the matchup isn’t worth the hassle, so we can sit all these guys and figure it out next week.
Chiefs at Broncos
Outlook: We’ve got a nice 46.5 over/under for this outdoor and mile-high affair in Denver. The Chiefs passing attack is ranked second in the league as of Week 6 and after we factor in the massive game from Mahomes last week they may even be number one overall. They target their wide receivers the 4th most in the league and we saw that yet again last week, this appears to be legit. We can fire up Surtain and our Broncos corners this week and feel great about the setup.
For the reverse, this Broncos passing attack is ranked 20th overall in the league and really only targets Courtland Sutton. Their official wide receivers’ targeting ranking is 22nd overall but we’ve seen that it’s basically just Sutton and a scattering of other random targets. Regardless, we can fire up our Chiefs corners in deeper leagues since these matchups are traditionally close, back-and-forth affairs.
Kansas City Chiefs
Trent McDuffie (CB): McDuffie played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
L’Jarius Sneed (CB): Sneed played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week. Sneed and McDuffie could easily be fine this week but on paper, it’s not a great setup for them at all.
Jaylen Watson (CB): Watson played 65% of snaps last week and is a sit this week against a bad Bronco passing attack, his playing time isn’t ideal either.
Denver Broncos
Damari Mathis/Fabian Moreau (CB): Mathis played 5% of snaps last week and is listed as healthy, Moreau seemingly has displaced him as the second starting cornerback in Denver and played 100% of snaps last week. Confirmed, I just looked it up, he was benched. We can’t trust this, not yet anyway, we’ll probably end up with some back-and-forth shenanigans. Sit Mathis and Moreau for now, we’ll adjust when this settles down.
Patrick Surtain (CB): Surtain played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues with CB2 upside.
Ja’Quan McMillan (CB): McMillan played only 48% of snaps last week but in a more pass-happy matchup against the Chiefs he might be worth a start as a CB4 plus in much deeper leagues.
Bengals at 49ers
Outlook: We’ve got a nice 46.5 point over/under for this outdoor affair in San Francisco. The Bengals passing attack is starting to heat up but is currently ranked 28th so the ranking hasn’t caught up to what our eyeballs have seen the past couple of games they’ve played. They target their wide receivers the second most in the league overall and that tracks with Chase, Higgins, and Boyd out there. I feel good about any 49ers corners this week.
For the reverse, this 49er’s passing attack is ranked 14th overall but may be down Deebo Samuel and in general we’ve seen an efficient passing offense that gets it done without a ton of completions. They target their wide receivers the 31st most in the league but we need to factor the recent bye week into that. I think we’ve got enough here for deeper leagues in regard to our Bengals cornerback options.
Cincinnati Bengals
Cam Taylor Britt (CB): Britt played 100% of snaps the last time we saw him and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week with CB3 upside and he’s been red hot recently.
Mike Hilton (CB): Hilton played 86% of snaps the last time we saw him, he’s a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Chidobe Awuzie/DJ Turner (CB): Awuzie is the starter and typically plays around 80% of snaps or so, if he can’t play this week then Turner would be his replacement with similar playing time. Either option would be a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues.
San Francisco 49ers
Chavarious Ward (CB): Ward played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week with CB2 upside.
Deommodore Lenoir (CB): Lenoir played 99% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week with CB2 upside.
Isaiah Oliver (CB): Oliver played 60% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Bears at Chargers
Outlook: We’ve got a 45.5 point over/under for the early line in this indoor affair in Los Angeles. The Bears passing attack hasn’t been good all season beyond a spurt here or there and ranks 26th overall. They target their wide receiver(s), DJ Moore jokes there for you, the 26th most in the league. I would fade any Chargers cornerback options this week against either a backup quarterback or a running back playing quarterback, the rankings validate this approach as well.
For the reverse, we can absolutely fire up our Bears cornerback options against the 5th best passing attack in the league. Their wide receiver targets ranking has been concerning recently and sits at 21st overall currently but they should produce enough offense for our Bears options to get what they need.
Chicago Bears
Tyrique Stevenson (CB): Stevenson played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week with CB2 upside.
Jaylon Johnson (CB): Johnson played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week with CB2 upside.
Kyler Gordon (CB): Gordon only played 75% of snaps last week and he’s eased back into the lineup after coming off IR. He’s a start this week but only as a CB4 in deeper leagues due to reinjury risk and his lack of ideal playing time to this point.
Los Angeles Chargers
Michael Davis (CB): Davis played 100% of snaps last week and is only a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Asante Samuel Jr (CB): Samuel played 100% of snaps last week and is only a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Ja’Sir Taylor (CB): Taylor played 97% of snaps last week and is a sit this week against a backup quarterback in his second start ever. Taylor typically plays far fewer snaps than we saw last week as well.
Raiders at Lions
Outlook: We’ve got a 45.5 point over/under to wrap up the week indoors in Detroit. The Raiders are in the middle of the pack both in terms of their overall team passing offense ranking and their tendency to target their wide receivers. Those rankings have taken a bit of a beating without Jimmy G in there recently, if he can play this week we can bump up all these Detroit cornerback options.
For the reverse, this should be a “get right” game for these Lions after their embarrassing loss last week in Baltimore. Their passing attack is ranked 4th overall in the league and they target their wide receivers among the middle of the pack. This is an automatic start week for Nate Hobbs if he can play, otherwise, we have good value in general for our Raiders cornerbacks in this matchup against a pissed-off Lions team.
Las Vegas Raiders
Nate Hobbs (CB): Hobbs is always an automatic start if he’s healthy, and always as a CB1 in leagues of all sizes if the team across from him on the field has anything resembling a working passing offense (which the Lions do).
Marcus Peters (CB): Peters played 100% of snaps last week and is a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues with CB2 upside this week.
Amik Robertson (CB): Robertson only played 58% of snaps last week and is a sit this week due to his lack of ideal playing time recently.
David Long (CB): Long played 100% of snaps last week with both Hobbs and Jakorian Bennet injured and out. His playing time is dependent on other injuries so it’s a pain in the butt to track, I’d just sit him if it were me. There are zero teams on bye this week, find a safer option.
Detroit Lions
Cameron Sutton (CB): Sutton played 95% of snaps last week (rest due to the blowout) and is a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues this week.
Jerry Jacobs (CB): Jacobs was inactive last week but usually plays 100% of snaps, he’s a start as a CB3 in medium to deeper leagues this week if he can play.
Brian Branch/Will Harris (CB/S): When Branch is inactive then it’s Harris seeing a bump in playing time to help cover that loss. Harris has seen snaps regardless recently though, so this is a bit of a mess. Branch would be a start as a CB4 in deeper leagues as he typically plays around 80% of snaps a week. I’d just skip Harris for now, it’s doubtful your league of merit even has him designated as a corner, to begin with.
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!
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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