Welcome back to the Cornerback Corner! As is tradition, we’ll start with transparency and then get right into this week’s calls.
Last week, I made 89 calls for leagues of all shapes and sizes. Of those 89 calls, 14 were declared inactive or injured during play, causing them to miss their projection. Subtracting those players (I’m not responsible for “acts of God”), we’re left with 75 “adjusted” calls.
Of those, 58 were correct (matched, beat, or were within a slim margin of their projections on Yahoo and MFL), and 17 were incorrect (didn’t match or beat their projections and weren’t even close), giving us 77% accuracy for Week 4.
Of those 58 correct calls, 30 were “massive hits” (doubled, tripled, or more than their projections), giving us a 51% massive-hit rate on correct calls for Week 4.
We are 74% accurate overall for the season, with 41% of all correct calls resulting in “massive hits.”
Week 1: 74% accuracy, 36% massive hit rate
Week 2: 75% accuracy, 32% massive hit rate
Week 3: 73% accuracy, 47% massive hit rate
Week 4: 77% accuracy, 51% massive hit rate
Please see THIS if you need a primer on cornerback streaming or what’s being discussed in this article (for new readers, a 20-minute audio podcast primer).
Please see the Week 1 edition of this article if you’re looking for more of my overall thought process. I intentionally included a ton of that information in the Week 1 edition for new readers.
A huge shout-out to the couple of readers who have commented here and on Twitter with info/updates/articles I may have missed during the week that will affect our calls in this article. Tracking 96-plus corners each week is always a challenge, and things will inevitably slip through the cracks. I will always welcome any updates or info you (the reader) may have spotted during the week if you don’t see that corresponding update in this article (if it looks like I missed it). We’re all in this together as degenerates that stream corner, and I’m definitely not perfect.
This season, these teams used 11-personnel (3 WR sets) the least week to week (go from the bottom up on this list). Your opposing slot corners (Marcus Jones, Ja’Quan McMillian, Andru Phillips, etc.) will likely see a significant reduction in playing time against these teams. Thank you to sumersports.com for the information.
Bucs at Cowboys
Outlook: The early total for the Thursday night game kicking off Week 5 sits at 47.5 points, with Dallas favored by 9.5 points at home against a backup quarterback on a winless team. We can fire up our Tampa Bay corners in an ideal matchup against the number one team in the league for wide receiver targets in Dallas. They are also in the top third of the league for passing yards per game.
For the reverse, it will be deeper leagues only for our Dallas corners against a Tampa Bay offense that is in the middle of the pack for wide receiver targets and will be rolling out a backup quarterback under center again this week. There are better streams elsewhere this week for our Dallas options.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Zyon McCollum (CB): SOLID, leagues of all sizes. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week with a nice chunk of bonus box snaps.
Jacob Parrish (CB): SOLID, leagues of all sizes. He played 98% of snaps as an outside corner last week with a nice chunk of bonus box snaps.
Keionte Scott (CB): SOLID, leagues of all sizes. He played just 46% of snaps as the slot corner last week, but should play considerably more this week against a Dallas team that ranks 5th overall in 11 personnel usage.
Dallas Cowboys
DaRon Bland (CB): SOLID. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Shavon Revel (CB): SIT. With Porter Jr. now in the lineup, he was down to just 12% of snaps last week.
Joey Porter Jr. (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 45% of snaps as an outside corner in his first week in Dallas, but should play a good deal more this week as he adjusts to the new defense.
Cobie Durant (CB): SIT. He is doubtful to play this week, and he’d get a backup quarterback for Tampa Bay, not the reincarnation of the 1982 San Diego Chargers.
Eagles at Jaguars
Outlook: The early total for this battle down in Jacksonville sits at 44.5 points with Jacksonville favored by a field goal at home. We can fire up DeJean and company in medium-to-deeper leagues against a Jacksonville passing attack that is in the middle of the pack for both passing yards per game and wide receiver targets.
For the reverse, it will be “deeper leagues only” for our Jacksonville corners against a Philly team that is in the middle of the pack for wide receiver targets and in the bottom third of the league for passing yards per game. With DeVonta Smith injured and AJ Brown on to (somewhat) greener pastures, odds are good we’ll get more run-game and tight-end/running-back targets than we’d like in this setup.
Philadelphia Eagles
Quinyon Mitchell/Jonathan Jones (CB): Quinyon was injured last week and is iffy to play this week. If he can go, he would be a risky (reinjury) SOLID as a full-time outside corner. If he’s inactive, Jonathan Jones becomes a SOLID option in the same role and with the same expected playing time.
Cooper DeJean (CB): IDEAL. He played 96% of snaps primarily from the slot last week, but also had a good chunk of box snaps as bonus value.
Tariq Woolen (CB): SOLID. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Michael Carter (S/CB): SOLID only if Marcus Epps is inactive again, SIT otherwise. With Epps inactive last week, Carter got the start at free safety and played 90% of snaps. He is incorrectly designated as a corner on Yahoo (very short-term, dependent on other factors, cheat code).
Jacksonville Jaguars
Montaric Brown (CB): SIT. He was injured and declared inactive last week, and we absolutely don’t need to chase it or his backup against one of the crappiest passing attacks in the league.
Travis Hunter (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week and had zero offensive snaps.
Jarrian Jones (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Jourdan Lewis (CB): SOLID. He played 92% of snaps as the slot corner last week and saw a massive bump in playing time with the absence of Montaric Brown.
Bengals at Dolphins
Outlook: The early total for this battle in Miami sits at 46.5 points, with Cincy favored by 8.5 points on the road. We can fire up our Miami corners in leagues of all sizes against a Cincy passing attack that ranks third overall in wide receiver targets and is in the top half of the league in passing yards per game. Demote our Miami corners a bit if both Higgins and Chase can’t play this week.
For the reverse, it will be “deeper leagues only” for our Cincy corners against a Miami passing attack that is in the bottom third of the league for both passing yards per game and weekly wide receiver targets.
Cincinnati Bengals
Tacario Davis (CB): SIT. Tacario saw his playing time plummet to just 19% of snaps as an outside corner. Dax Hill got the slot snaps, and this secondary saw a bit of a shakeup last week. We’ll keep an eye on it, but he’s not safe as things stand currently.
Dax Hill (CB): IDEAL. He played 100% of snaps last week, with most of them coming from the slot. He also had a nice chunk of box snaps. The matchup may stink, but his playing time, utilization, and historical production are all perfect.
DJ Turner (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Miami Dolphins
Chris Johnson (CB): IDEAL. He played 100% of snaps as the slot corner last week, with an acceptable number of outside corner snaps. If Ja’Marr Chase or Tee Higgins can play this week, even better.
Jason Marshall (CB): SOLID. He played 76% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Juju Brents (CB): SOLID. He played 88% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Raiders at Patriots
Outlook: The early total for this showdown in Foxborough is 44.5 points, with New England favored by a field goal at home. We can fire up our Las Vegas corners in deeper leagues only against the New England passing attack, which ranks in the bottom third of the league for passing yards per game and is in the middle of the pack for wide receiver targets.
For the reverse, it will be the same (deeper leagues only): our New England corners against a Raiders passing attack that is in the middle of the pack for passing yards per game but is the third-worst team in the league for weekly wide receiver targets. If it’s not a tight end, they’re not getting a target on this version of the Raiders.
Las Vegas Raiders
Treydan Stukes (S/CB): SOLID. He played 98% of snaps last week as a starting safety, with his snaps split between the box and deep safety. He is mistakenly designated as a corner in Yahoo.
Eric Stokes (CB): SOLID. He played 98% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Hezekiah Masses (CB): IDEAL. He played 95% of snaps as an outside corner last week and has annihilated his projection every single game since displacing Darien Porter and becoming a starter. It makes zero sense; he’s just an outside corner, but we can’t argue with the hot streak he’s on. He is a rookie and faced the most targets of all their corners last week, so he could be getting picked on a bit. For now though, we’ll just hope the hot streak continues.
Taron Johnson (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 77% of snaps as the slot corner last week, but could play substantially less this week against a New England team that is 22nd overall for 11 personnel usage this season.
New England Patriots
Christian Gonzalez/Charles Woods (CB): SOLID if healthy for Gonzo. He was inactive last week, but is a full-time outside corner when healthy. We don’t need to chase his backup, as Woods only played 59% of snaps at outside corner, but he is a warm body if needed (bye weeks starting) if Gonzalez is inactive again this week.
Carlton Davis (CB): SOLID. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Marcus Jones (CB): SOLID if Gonzalez is inactive; SOLID in deeper leagues only; risky if Gonzalez is active. Without Gonzo last week, Jones shot up to 100% of snaps at slot corner and also played a huge chunk at outside corner. With Gonzo in the lineup, Carlton and Gonzo play outside corners, and Jones plays only slot. In that scenario, Las Vegas is dead last in the league in 11 personnel usage, and Jones would likely see a significant reduction in playing time.
Vikings at Saints
Outlook: The early total for this showdown in the Big Easy is 44.5 points, with Minnesota favored by a field goal on the road. We can fire up Byron Murphy and company in an ideal matchup against a New Orleans passing attack that ranks third-best in passing yards per game and is in the middle of the pack in wide receiver targets per week.
On the flip side, this Minnesota passing attack continues to look anemic and is dead last in passing yards per game. They are the second-worst team in the league for weekly wide receiver targets, and the return of Kyler Murray hasn’t moved the needle much, unfortunately.
Minnesota Vikings
Josh Metellus (S/CB): IDEAL. He played 100% of snaps last week, with most of those snaps coming from the box or slot. He is mistakenly designated as a corner on Yahoo (a cheat code in a fantastic matchup).
Isaiah Rogers (CB): SOLID. He played 87% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Byron Murphy (CB): SOLID. He played 84% of snaps as an outside corner last week, while the slot snaps were spread among a mishmash of random members of the Minnesota secondary, none of whom were useful to our purposes. This would be IDEAL if he hadn’t delivered two stinkers in a row the last two weeks. On paper though, this looks good.
New Orleans Saints
Kool-Aid McKinstry (CB): SOLID. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Quincy Riley (CB): SOLID. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Browns at Jets
Outlook: The early total for this likely defensive struggle sits at just 39.5 points, with New York favored by a field goal at home. Both teams are in the middle of the pack for passing yards per game. And both teams are in the bottom half of the league for wide receiver targets per game. The defenses are the headliners for this one; I’m only firing up corner options in “much deeper leagues only” and am likely just skipping it myself.
Cleveland Browns
Denzel Ward (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Myles Harden (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 52% of snaps as the slot corner last week and should see similar playing time this week against a Jets team that is in the middle of the pack in 11-personnel usage.
Tyson Campbell (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 98% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
New York Jets
Azareyeh Thomas (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Brandon Stephens (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 97% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Jarvis Brownlee/D’Angelo Ponds (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only, if healthy for Brownlee. He was injured last week but would be the slot corner against the 8th-overall team in 11-personnel usage in this matchup. If he’s inactive, then Ponds would start in his place and also be SOLID, deeper leagues only.
Colts at Steelers
Outlook: The early total for this AFC battle is 44.5 points, with Pittsburgh favored by 1.5 points at home. We can fire up our Pittsburgh corners in medium-to-deeper leagues against an Indy passing attack that ranks in the bottom third of the league for passing yards per game but 8th overall for weekly wide receiver targets (at the time of writing).
For the reverse, it will be the same (medium-to-deeper leagues) for our Indy corners against this Pittsburgh passing attack, which is in the middle of the pack for yards per game and 5th overall for wide receiver targets. Unfortunately for us, and any DK Metcalf managers already know this, targets to wide receivers and completions to wide receivers are two very different things when it comes to the Pittsburgh passing attack.
Indianapolis Colts
Charvarious Ward (CB): SOLID, medium-to-deeper leagues. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Sauce Gardner (CB): SOLID, medium to deeper leagues. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Justin Walley (CB): SOLID. He played 76% of snaps as the slot corner last week and would play as much, and likely more, against the 10th-overall team in 11-personnel usage this week.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Jalen Ramsey (S/CB): IDEAL. He played 98% of snaps from the slot, deep, and free safety last week. He is mistakenly designated as a corner in Yahoo. He seemed limited by his injury (wrist) last week, but hopefully will return to his productive ways this week.
Jamel Dean/Daylen Everett (CB): Dean was injured last week, but if he can play, he would be a SOLID as a full-time outside corner. If he’s inactive, Everett becomes a risky option (we’ve only seen him once) as a warm-body outside corner who should have a full-time role.
Asante Samuel Jr (CB): SOLID. He played 90% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Texans at Titans
Outlook: The early total for this AFC South showdown is 39.5 points, with Houston favored by a touchdown on the road. We can fire up our Tennessee corners in leagues of all sizes against a Houston passing attack that ranks 6th overall in wide receiver targets and has abandoned any pretense of establishing the run each week. Houston is also just outside the top ten for passing yards per game, and Nico Collins is active once more.
For our Houston corners, it will be “deeper leagues only” against this Tennessee passing attack, which is the third-worst in the league for passing yards per game. Tennessee is in the top third of the league in wide receiver targets, but when it’s all said and done, many of those remain targets rather than completions. At least we saw some signs of life from Carnell Tate last week, but signs of life and “a passing offense we want to stream corner against” are two different solar systems.
Houston Texans
Kamari Lassiter (CB): SOLID, leagues of all sizes. This would be IDEAL if the matchup weren’t steaming cat poop. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week and saw a truly ridiculous 11 targets in coverage, as he also benefits from the “lesser of all evils” effect with Stingley as his running mate.
Jalen Pitre (S/CB): SOLID. He played 97% of snaps as the slot corner last week.
Derek Stingley (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Tennessee Titans
Marcus Harris (CB): IDEAL. He played 53% of snaps at slot corner last week and should see much more this week against a Houston team that ranks 6th overall in 11-personnel usage. Harris has destroyed his projection in every game he’s played so far this season; his only knock is his lack of ideal playing time, and that should be resolved in this matchup.
Cor’Dale Flott (CB): SOLID, medium to deeper leagues (production). He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Alontae Taylor (CB): SOLID. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Giants at Commanders
Outlook: The early total for this NFC East battle is 43.5 points, with Washington favored by a field goal at home. We can fire up our New York corners in medium- to deep-league formats if Daniels or Mariota can play, as this Washington team ranks 4th overall for wide receiver targets (at the time of writing). Demote our New York corners to “deeper leagues only” if it’s Kaliakmanis under center.
For our Washington corners, the suggested league size is “deeper leagues only” to utilize them, as New York is in the bottom third of the league for both passing yards per game and weekly wide receiver targets.
New York Giants
Deonte Banks (CB): SOLID, see above for suggested league size. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner.
Greg Newsome (CB): SOLID, see above for league size. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Andru Phillips (CB): SOLID. He played 65% of snaps as the slot corner last week and should see a bit more playing time this week against the 11th-overall team in 11-personnel usage. Washington should also be getting Daniels back under center.
Washington Commanders
Quan Martin (S/CB): IDEAL if Nick Cross is inactive again; demote to SOLID if Cross can play. Martin saw another bump in playing time, up to 89% of snaps as a deep safety last week with Cross inactive. When Cross is active, his playing time takes a drastic dive, and he becomes the furthest thing from ideal. He is mistakenly designated as a corner in Yahoo.
Update: Nick Cross is practicing and should play this week, demote Quan Martin accordingly.
Amik Robertson (CB): IDEAL. He played 98% of snaps as an outside corner, with a decent chunk of snaps in the slot and in the box. He faced 6 targets, the most of any corner in the Washington secondary, and has been destroying his projection all season long. There’s nothing special about him; his utilization is “meh,” and he plays just as much as many other corners. For whatever reason, he’s been red-hot. We’ll keep trusting the hot hand until it cools off.
Rasul Douglas (CB): SOLID, medium to deeper leagues. He played 84% of snaps as an outside corner and has been gaining playing time over the last couple of weeks. Add him now if you need corner help through the impending bye weeks; he’s been a great producer for us in previous seasons.
All others (CB): SIT everyone else. Sainristil is in the doghouse, and we’re not touching Fabian Moreau with a ten-foot pole.
Bears at Packers
Outlook: The early total for this NFC North battle is 45.5 points, with Green Bay favored by a field goal at home. We can fire up our Chicago corners in an ideal matchup against the league's number-one team for weekly wide receiver targets. Green Bay is also 4th overall in passing yards per game (as of this writing). This tracks, as Green Bay couldn’t run their way out of a paper bag with a map and a flashlight. They have no choice but to throw the ball early and often each week.
For the reverse, we can start Keisean Nixon and company in medium-to-deeper leagues against this Chicago offense, which hasn’t slowed down much even with Caleb Williams inactive. They are currently in the middle of the pack for passing yards per game, and just outside the top ten for wide receiver targets per game.
Chicago Bears
Cam Lewis (S/CB): SOLID if healthy, risky. He was inactive last week but played significant snaps at safety the week prior and is mistakenly listed as a corner on Yahoo. This is absolutely risky; this secondary is in flux and will remain so with Kyler Gordon’s impending return.
Jaylon Johnson (CB): SOLID. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Tyrique Stevenson (CB): SOLID, risky. He played just 8% of snaps two weeks ago, but shot up to 100% of snaps as an outside corner this week. His role and playing time are clearly in flux; I’m not touching it, but it’s technically there if you want to. SIT him if Kyler Gordon somehow plays this week. There are all kinds of articles talking about how crappy Stevenson is and that Chicago just needs Gordon back first before they can blast Stevenson out the nearest airlock.
Malik Muhammed (CB): SOLID, leagues of all sizes. He played 87% of snaps as the slot corner last week and should see acceptable playing time this week against a Green Bay team that is 16th overall for 11 personnel usage.
Kyler Gordon (CB): SIT. He is designated to return from the PUP soon, though. When that happens, Stevenson will see the inside of an airlock, and Muhammed should move over to outside corner while Gordon reclaims his slot role. Add him now, sit him, and await the impending free real estate.
Green Bay Packers
Brandon Cisse/Carrington Valentine (CB): Cisse was injured last week, but if he can play, he would be a SOLID option as a full-time outside corner. Valentine replaced him last week and played the same role; he would only be an option if Cisse is inactive this week, SIT otherwise.
Keisean Nixon (CB): IDEAL. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner and once again smashed his projection. He’s only been under his “as bloated as my guts after Taco Bell” projection in one game this season, and that was only by a tackle assist. He’s as consistent, reliable, and productive as they come, and the matchup isn’t bad against this stellar Chicago offense either.
Broncos at Chargers
Outlook: The early total for this AFC West showdown is 43.5 points, with Denver favored by 1.5 points on the road. It will be “deeper leagues only” for our Los Angeles corners against a Denver passing offense that is in the bottom third of the league for both passing yards per game and weekly wide receiver targets.
It doesn’t get much better for our Denver corners, as Los Angeles is also in the same setup (bottom third of the league for both metrics we look at here). That’s not to say that Moss or Surtain or a random corner won’t still have a great day of production, but on paper, it doesn’t look great at first glance.
Denver Broncos
Patrick Surtain/Jahdae Barron (CB): SOLID if healthy for Surtain, and he won’t be healthy. It’s a multi-week injury. Barron and Abrams Draine both saw snaps as backup corners last week after we lost both Surtain and Moss. I’m not sure who Denver prefers if Moss or Surtain can play this week, so if it’s not a healthy Surtain or Moss, my advice is to skip it. We’ll know more next week.
Riley Moss/Kris Abrams-Draine (CB): Moss was also injured last week, but if he can play, he would be a full-time outside corner and SOLID for this week. Barron would likely be the “first up” backup corner if Moss is inactive this week, and Abrams-Draine would also see snaps if Surtain is inactive. That’s based solely on the Denver depth chart, draft capital, and common sense (Abrams-Draine was never drafted to be a starter; Barron was). With that being said, if it’s not a healthy Moss or Surtain, I’m skipping it myself. It’s not worth the risk if we guess wrong or Denver goes with a different plan at backup corner. Besides, it’s the ghost of Justin Herbert, not the 1984 Dolphins.
JaQuan McMillian (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played just 31% of snaps at slot corner last week, and could see similarly (bad) playing time this week against a Chargers team that is 27th overall for 11 personnel usage.
Los Angeles Chargers
Elijah Molden (S/CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 51% of snaps at deep safety last week and is mistakenly designated as a corner in Yahoo.
Cam Hart (CB): SOLID. He played 98% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Tarheeb Still (CB): SOLID, leagues of all sizes. He played 98% of snaps last week, evenly split among outside corner, slot, and box snaps.
Lions at Cardinals
Outlook: The early total for this battle between two of the league's best offenses sits at a massive 52.5 points, with Detroit favored by 5.5 points on the road. We can fire up everyone on both sides in medium-to-deeper leagues, as both teams are in the middle of the pack for passing yards per game and weekly wide receiver targets. And if Vegas is correct, this could end up a whole lot better than “medium to deeper leagues”.
We should end up with plenty to “eat” here for our corners, but with great tight ends on both sides (LaPorta, McBride) and talented, young running backs (Gibbs, Love) eating up offensive plays, our ceiling is somewhat limited.
Detroit Lions
Christian Izien (S/CB): IDEAL. Demote to SIT if Brian Branch or Kerby Joseph somehow plays; that doesn’t seem likely until after their bye week, though. Without either starting safety, Izien played 97% of snaps last week, with his snaps evenly divided between the box, slot, and deep safety. He is mistakenly designated as a corner on Yahoo and will remain a cheat-code option until either Branch or Joseph returns and displaces him.
DJ Reed (CB): SOLID. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Roger McCreary (CB): SOLID, leagues of all sizes. He played 100% of snaps last week, most of them from outside corner, with a large chunk from the slot or box as well. Arizona is in the top third of the league in 11-personnel usage, and Vegas has this one as an epic shootout; that all looks good!
Arizona Cardinals
Max Melton (CB): SOLID. He played 88% of snaps last week as an outside corner.
Denzel Burke (CB): SOLID. He played 85% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Garrett Williams (CB): SOLID. He played 49% of snaps as the slot corner last week, but should play considerably more this week against a Lions team that ranks 7th overall in 11-personnel usage.
49ers at Seahawks
Outlook: The early total for this battle of NFC West powerhouses sits at 47.5 points with Seattle favored by a field goal at home. It will be “deeper leagues only” for our Seattle options as San Francisco is dead last across the entire league for weekly wide receiver targets. Enough said there.
For the reverse, it will be medium-to-deep leagues for our San Francisco corners against a Seattle passing offense that is in the middle of the pack in wide receiver targets. Seattle is a top-ten team for passing yards per game.
San Francisco 49ers
Marques Sigle (S/CB): SIT. He’s already been declared inactive for the week due to injury. I’d hang onto him if you can; when he returns to the lineup, we can get a read on whether he’s still a starting safety who’s been incorrectly designated as a corner on Yahoo, or if Malik Mustapha has displaced him for real. We couldn’t make that determination last week as Sigle was injured at around the same snap count as we saw Mustapha displace/replace him the week prior. We need more information to know what’s going on there for real.
Deommodore Lenoir (CB): SOLID, leagues of all sizes. He played 100% of snaps last week and had a nice chunk of slot and box snaps, but the majority of his playing time came at outside corner.
Renardo Green (CB): SOLID. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Upton Stout (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 55% of snaps as the slot corner last week but could play even fewer this week against a Seahawks team that ranks 30th overall in 11 personnel usage.
Seattle Seahawks
Devon Witherspoon (CB): IDEAL. He played 100% of snaps last week with just under half of his total snaps coming from the box or slot. He smashed his projection once more and remains one of our finest options, no matter the matchup.
Josh Jobe (CB): SOLID, medium to deeper leagues. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Ravens at Falcons
Outlook: The early total for this battle in Atlanta is 49.5 points, with Baltimore favored by a touchdown on the road. It will be “deeper leagues only” for our Baltimore corners against an Atlanta team that ranks 5th-worst in the league in weekly wide receiver targets. Whoever is responsible for London should be busy, but it will be a boring day at the office for everyone else.
We can fire up our Atlanta corners also in deeper leagues, as Baltimore is in the bottom third of the league for wide receiver targets and doesn’t target any wide receivers not named “Zay Flowers”. Baltimore is in the middle of the pack for passing yards per game. Demote our Atlanta corners to “deeper leagues only” if Lamar can’t play this week.
Baltimore Ravens
Marlon Glizzy Gobbler Humphrey/Chidobe Awuzie (CB): IDEAL if healthy. The Gobbler was injured after just 12% of snaps last week. No practice reports or updates were available at the time of writing. If he’s inactive, Awuzie will replace him as a full-time outside corner who occasionally gets a nice chunk of box snaps. Awuzie would be a risky SOLID option in medium-to-deeper leagues if the Gobbler is inactive.
Nate Wiggins (CB): SOLID for medium-to-deeper leagues. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Chandler Rivers (CB): SIT. He played 44% of snaps as the slot corner last week, but we can’t know for sure whether that was more due to the Gobbler getting hurt or a new wrinkle in the secondary. We need more information to make a true determination.
Atlanta Falcons
Billy Bowman (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 71% of snaps as the slot corner last week and faced 6 targets. The setup was ideal, but his production left much to be desired. He won’t be in a good spot for production this week, as Baltimore ranks 26th overall in 11 personnel usage and could have a backup under center (Bowman won’t play as much, and his production will be limited by opposing quarterbacks' play).
CJ Henderson (CB): SOLID. He played 86% of snaps as an outside corner last week and faced a ridiculous 13 targets as he continues to get picked on. This would be IDEAL against a better passing attack, but he should still produce no matter who is under center this week; we’ll just limit expectations if it’s not Lamar.
Mike Hughes (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 64% of snaps as an outside corner last week, then sat out the blowout.
Bills at Rams
Outlook: The early total for the Monday night game to wrap up Week 5 sits at a massive 53.5 points, with Los Angeles favored by a field goal at home. It’s an ideal matchup for our Buffalo corners against a Los Angeles team that has Puka back and is in the top ten for weekly wide receiver targets. The Rams are also second overall in passing yards per game.
For our Los Angeles corners, we can fire them up in medium-to-deeper leagues against a Buffalo offense that is top-ten in passing yards per game but only in the middle of the pack in weekly wide receiver targets. Beyond that, DJ Moore appears to be made of glass, so we can’t count on his 5-10 wide receiver targets any given week as he’s lined up in the blue medical tent more often than the line of scrimmage these days.
Buffalo Bills
Christian Benford/Davison Igbinosun (CB): Benford was inactive last week, and Igbinosun replaced him as a full-time outside corner. Benford would be a SOLID option if he can play this week; Igbinosun would be his direct replacement if he’s inactive again.
Maxwell Hairston (CB): SOLID. He played 97% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Dee Alford (CB): SOLID, leagues of all sizes. He played just 31% of snaps last week as the slot corner, but New England was in the bottom third of the league in 11-personnel usage, so that tracks. This week he gets the Rams, who are 9th overall for this ranking, so he should see a good deal more playing time.
Los Angeles Rams
Jaylen Watson/Josh Wallace (CB): Watson would be a risky (reinjury) SOLID if he can play this week as a full-time outside corner. Wallace continues to see nice playing time while Watson is inactive; he played 100% of snaps last week. Most of those snaps came from outside corner, but a nice chunk came from the slot as well.
Trent McDuffie (CB): IDEAL. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week and has only been under projection once this season. He remains an excellent option and is facing one of the finest offenses on this planet. In a week where the byes have started, that’s not bad at all.
Byes this week: Carolina, Kansas City
My Favorite Matchups: Week 5
Bucs corners versus Dallas
Dolphins corners versus Cincy, demote slightly if both Higgins and Chase can’t play
Vikings corners versus New Orleans
Titans corners versus a Houston team that can’t run the ball
Bears corners versus a Green Bay team that can’t run the ball
Lions versus Cardinals, either side, let’s hope Vegas is correct and it’s a shootout of epic proportions
Bills corners versus Los Angeles Rams
Week 5 Corners at a Glance:
These are not in any particular order or ranking; they are just divided into the sections you see below. I typically identify the best matchups (see above), then the best options within those matchups, to find my favorite streaming options each week.
*If you see player/player, that means starter/direct replacement*
IDEAL (our best options)
Cooper DeJean
Dax Hill, Chris Johnson
Hezekiah Masses
Josh Metellus
Jalen Ramsey
Marcus Harris
Amik Robertson
Keisean Nixon
Christian Izien
Devon Witherspoon
Marlon Glizzy Gobbler Humphrey (if healthy)
Trent McDuffie
SOLID (matchup or playing time isn’t perfect, best used in medium to deeper leagues; these are “safe” options)
Zyon McCollum, Jacob Parrish, Keionte Scott, DaRon Bland, Joey Porter Jr.
Quinyon Mitchell/Jonathan Jones, Tariq Woolen, Travis Hunter, Jarrian Jones, Jourdan Lewis
DJ Turner, Jason Marshall, Juju Brents
Treydan Stukes, Eric Stokes, Taron Johnson, Carlton Davis, Marcus Jones, Christian Gonzalez
Isaiah Rogers, Byron Murphy, Koolaid McKinstry, Quincy Riley
Denzel Ward, Myles Harden, Tyson Campbell, Azareyeh Thomas, Brandon Stephens, Jarvis Brownlee/D’Angelo Ponds
Chavarious Ward, Sauce Gardner, Justin Walley, Asante Samuel Jr., Jamel Dean/Daylen Everett
Kamari Lassiter, Derek Stingley, Jalen Pitre, Cor’Dale Flott, Alontae Taylor
Deonte Banks, Greg Newsome, Andru Phillips, Rasul Douglas, Quan Martin
Cam Lewis, Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, Malik Muhammed, Brandon Cisse/Carrington Valentine
Patrick Surtain, Riley Moss, JaQuan McMillian, Elijah Molden, Cam Hart, Tarheeb Still
DJ Reed, Roger McCreary, Max Melton, Denzel Burke, Garrett Williams
Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, Upton Stout, Josh Jobe
Chidobe Awuzie (if the Gobbler is inactive), Nate Wiggins, Billy Bowman, CJ Henderson, Mike Hughes
Christian Benford/Davison Igbinosun, Maxwell Hairston, Dee Alford, Jaylen Watson/Josh Wallace
TRAPS (sit these players)
Shavon Revel, Cobie Durant
Montaric Brown
Tacario Davis
Jahdae Barron, Kris Abrams-Draine (read blurb above)
Marques Sigle
Chandler Rivers
Reminder: These are only suggestions. Your lineup is your responsibility and yours alone. However, I’m making the same moves, so we sink or swim together. Remember to check for inactive players before kickoff to prevent any surprise zeroes.
For any questions/comments, to discuss specific cornerback streams, or to talk IDP in general, hit up my Twitter or email me at Johnysmack3141@yahoo.com.
Thank you for reading, and good luck this week! Go get those titles!
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