Johny The Greek's Cornerback Corner: Week 18
What are the best CB options for IDP fantasy football leagues in Week 18?
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 84 calls for leagues of all shapes and sizes. Of those 84 calls, 5 were declared inactive or were injured during play, which caused them to miss their projection (early in the game). Subtracting those players, we’re left with 79 “adjusted” calls.
Of those, 55 were correct (matched, beat, or were within a slim margin of their projection on Yahoo and MFL), and 24 were incorrect (didn’t match or beat projection and weren’t even close), giving us 70% accuracy for Week 17.
Of those 55 correct calls, 19 were “massive hits” (doubled, tripled, or more, their projection), giving us a 34% massive hit rate on correct calls for Week 17.
We are 72% accurate overall for the season, with 37% of all correct calls ending up as “massive hits.”
Week 1: 72% accuracy, 41% massive hit rate
Week 2: 73% accuracy, 46% massive hit rate
Week 3: 65% accuracy, 45% massive hit rate
Week 4: 73% accuracy, 36% massive hit rate
Week 5: 75% accuracy, 32% massive hit rate
Week 6: 67% accuracy, 34% massive hit rate
Week 7: 75% accuracy, 38% massive hit rate
Week 8: 75% accuracy, 30% massive hit rate
Week 9: 76% accuracy, 32% massive hit rate
Week 10: 72% accuracy, 36% massive hit rate
Week 11: 75% accuracy, 43% massive hit rate
Week 12: 66% accuracy, 43% massive hit rate
Week 13: 74% accuracy, 35% massive hit rate
Week 14: 76% accuracy, 40% massive hit rate
Week 15: 73% accuracy, 44% massive hit rate
Week 16: 72% accuracy, 40% massive hit rate
Week 17: 70% accuracy, 34% massive hit rate
Please see THIS if you need a primer in cornerback streaming or what’s being discussed in this article (for new readers).
Alignment & utilization metrics are sourced from PFF.com, an outstanding resource for all things fantasy football-related.
To this point in the season, these teams use 11 personnel (3 WR sets) the least week-to-week (go from the bottom up on this list). Your opposing slot corners (Taron, Phillips, Alford, etc) will likely see a significant reduction in playing time against these teams. Thank you to sumersports.com for the information.
See THIS LINK for a quick breakdown of the current playoff picture. Use this as your road map if you’re (unfortunately) playing in a Week 18 title game. Prioritize starting corners/players from teams that still have something to play for. That should minimize the number of “rug pulls” you run into, but it’s not a guarantee. The only guarantee that you’ll actually get to use the same players you’ve been using all season is not to have a Week 18 title game. Good luck, my friends! Thanks for reading all season and have a great offseason!
Saints at Falcons
Outlook: The early total for this NFC South showdown sits at 43.5 with Atlanta favored by a field goal at home. Both teams are in the middle of the pack for passing yards per game. New Orleans is a top ten team for wide receiver targets, while Atlanta is in the bottom third of the league for this ranking.
New Orleans Saints
Alontae Taylor (CB): IDEAL. He played 100% of snaps last week and has had fantastic utilization all season long.
Koolaid McKinstry (CB): SOLID. He played 99% of snaps last week as an outside corner.
Quincy Riley (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 73% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Atlanta Falcons
Dee Alford (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 58% of snaps last week and has been a slot corner for most of this season.
AJ Terrell (CB): SOLID. He played 100% of snaps last week as an outside corner.
Mike Hughes/Cobee Bryant/CJ Henderson (CB): Hughes would be SOLID if healthy as a full-time outside corner. Bryant was his direct replacement, but Atlanta went with Henderson instead last week, so we can’t trust it at all if it’s not Hughes (SIT everyone not named Hughes).
Jets at Bills
Outlook: The early total for this one is 39.5 points with Buffalo favored by 9.5 points at home. Buffalo is in the middle of the pack for passing yards per game, while New York is the worst team in the league for this ranking. Both teams are in the bottom third of the league for wide receiver targets.
New York Jets
Brandon Stephens (CB): SOLID. He played 95% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Qwan’Tez Stiggers (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 76% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Buffalo Bills
Christian Benford (CB): SOLID. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Taron Johnson (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 74% of snaps as the slot corner last week.
Tre’Davious White/Maxwell Hairston (CB): SIT them both. They basically split this last cornerback role down the middle in terms of playing time. The matchup stinks, as well.
Lions at Bears
Outlook: The early total for this one is a massive 49.5 points with Chicago favored by a field goal at home. Both teams are in the top ten (or very close to it) for passing yards per game. Both teams are just outside the top ten for wide receiver targets each week.
Detroit Lions
Rock Ya Sin (CB): SOLID. He played 98% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
DJ Reed (CB): SOLID. He played 98% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Amik Robertson (CB): SIT. He only played 33% of snaps last week.
Avonte Maddox (CB): SOLID if healthy. He was inactive last week, but has been playing as a starting safety despite being designated a corner everywhere for a few weeks now.
Chicago Bears
Nahshon Wright (CB): SOLID. He played 96% of snaps last week as an outside corner.
Chauncey Gardner Johnson (S/CB): SOLID. He played 79% of snaps last week and has had excellent utilization since joining Chicago.
Jaylon Johnson (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only, risky. He played 76% of snaps last week.
Tyrique Stevenson (CB): SIT. He only played 25% of snaps last week.
Browns at Bengals
Outlook: The early total for this one sits at 44.5 points with Cincy favored by a touchdown at home. Cincy is a top ten passing attack (YPG), while Cleveland is in the bottom third of the league for this ranking. Cincy targets its wide receivers a ton, while Cleveland does not.
Cleveland Browns
Denzel Ward (CB): SOLID. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Tyson Campbell (CB): IDEAL. He played 85% of snaps last week and has been very productive this season. The matchup is perfect for him.
No other corner cleared 44% of snaps or was a name we’ve seen play before (not trustworthy).
Cincinnati Bengals
Dax Hill (S/CB): IDEAL. He played 72% of snaps last week and has had excellent utilization all season long.
DJ Turner (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 72% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
No other corner played enough or was a name we’ve seen before this season, sufficient to trust or discuss.
Chargers at Broncos
Outlook: The early total for this one sits at 39.5 points with Denver favored by a touchdown at home. Denver has a top ten passing attack, while Los Angeles is in the middle of the pack. Both teams are in the top ten for wide receiver targets each week.
Los Angeles Chargers
Tarheeb Still (CB): IDEAL. He played 98% of snaps last week and has had excellent utilization for most of this season.
Cam Hart (CB): SOLID. He played 83% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Elijah Molden (S/CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 71% of snaps as a safety and is designated as a cornerback in Yahoo.
Donte Jackson (CB): SIT. He played just 48% of snaps last week.
Denver Broncos
Riley Moss (CB): IDEAL. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week and is picked on in coverage constantly because he ISN’T Patrick Surtain.
Patrick Surtain (CB): SOLID. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
JaQuan McMillian (CB): SIT. He split this last CB role (slot) with Jahdae Barron right down the middle last week, 51% of snaps and 49%.
Colts at Texans
Outlook: The early total for this one is 40.5 points with Houston favored by 10.5 points at home. Both teams are in the middle of the pack for passing yards per game. Houston is a top ten team for wide receiver targets each week, while Indy is in the middle of the pack.
Indianapolis Colts
Kenny Moore (CB): SOLID. He played 91% of snaps last week and typically has a ton of slot snaps.
Mekhi Blackmon (CB): SOLID. He played 87% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Sauce Gardner (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only, if healthy. He reinjured himself after 51% of snaps last week.
Houston Texans
Jalen Pitre (S/CB): IDEAL. He played 100% of snaps last week and has had excellent utilization all season long.
Kamari Lassiter (CB): IDEAL. He played 89% of snaps last week as an outside corner and has only been under projection a handful of times this entire season.
Derek Stingley (CB): SOLID. He played 97% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Titans at Jaguars
Outlook: The early total for this one sits at 46.5 points with Jacksonville favored by 10.5 points at home. Jacksonville is in the top third of the league for passing yards per game, while Tennessee is in the bottom third of the league for this ranking. Jacksonville is also a top ten team for wide receiver targets, while Tennessee is in the middle of the pack.
Tennessee Titans
Darrell Baker Jr (CB): SOLID. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Kair Elam/Jalyn Armor Davis/Kemon Hall/All others (CB): SIT. We had Marcus Harris go to IR last week. With that in mind, we got a random mix of the names above. I have zero idea who will get enough snaps beyond Baker Jr this week.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Greg Newsome (CB): SOLID. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Jarrian Jones (CB): SOLID, much deeper leagues only. He played 51% of snaps last week as the slot corner.
Jourdan Lewis (CB): SIT. He was sent to IR last week.
Montaric Brown (CB): SOLID. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Cardinals at Rams
Outlook: The early total for this one sits at 47.5 points with Los Angeles favored by 9.5 points at home. Both teams are in the top ten for passing yards per game. Los Angeles is a top ten team for wide receiver targets, while Arizona is in the middle of the pack.
Arizona Cardinals
Denzel Burke (CB): IDEAL. He played 97% of snaps last week as an outside corner.
Will Johnson (CB): IDEAL. He played 97% of snaps last week as an outside corner.
All others (CB): SIT. We had some randoms that we haven’t seen at all this season for the rest of the cornerback corps in Arizona. Nothing trustworthy.
Los Angeles Rams
Cobie Durant (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 64% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Emmanuel Forbes (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 72% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Chiefs at Raiders
Outlook: The early total for this one sits at just 35.5 points with Kansas City favored by almost a touchdown on the road. Neither team can pass the ball all that well as things stand, currently. And neither team targets their wide receivers enough for us to be interested, as things stand currently.
Kansas City Chiefs
Kristian Fulton (CB): SOLID. He played 99% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Nohl Williams (CB): SOLID. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Chamarri Conner (S/CB): IDEAL. He played 100% of snaps last week and has had excellent utilization all season long.
Las Vegas Raiders
Darien Porter (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 98% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Eric Stokes (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 98% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Packers at Vikings
Outlook: The early total for this one is 37.5 points with Minnesota favored by a touchdown at home. Green Bay is just outside the top ten for passing yards per game, while Minnesota is the second-worst team in the league for this ranking. Both teams are in the middle of the pack for wide receiver targets.
Green Bay Packers
Keisean Nixon (CB): SOLID. He played 97% of snaps as an outside corner last week and has been able to produce even in bad matchups for most of this season.
Carrington Valentine (CB): SIT. He barely produces in an ideal matchup, and this most definitely is not that.
Nate Hobbs/Javon Bullard (CB): SIT. They played 13% and 50% of snaps, respectively, last week. That won’t cut it against this Minnesota “passing offense”.
Minnesota Vikings
Byron Murphy (CB): SOLID. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Isaiah Rogers (CB): SOLID. He played 95% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Dolphins at Patriots
Outlook: The early total for this one is 45.5 points, with New England favored by 10 points at home. New England is a top ten passing attack, while Miami is in the bottom third of the league for this ranking. New England is in the middle of the pack for wide receiver targets, while Miami is in the bottom third of the league.
Miami Dolphins
Jack Jones (CB): SOLID. He played 100% of snaps last week as an outside corner.
Rasul Douglas (CB): IDEAL. He played 100% of snaps last week and has been very productive this entire season.
Jason Marshall (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only, risky. He played 85% of snaps last week, but we’ve barely seen him play at all this entire season. I wouldn’t do it.
New England Patriots
Carlton Davis (CB): SOLID. He played 53% of snaps as an outside corner and then sat due to the blowout.
Christian Gonzalez (CB): SOLID. He played 53% of snaps as an outside corner and then sat due to the blowout.
Marcus Jones (CB): SOLID, much deeper leagues only. He played just 39% of snaps last week. See the link at the top of the article (Sumer Sports) to help determine via matchup if he’ll play more or less this week.
Cowboys at Giants
Outlook: The early total for this one is 52.5 points with Dallas favored by 5.5 points on the road. Dallas averages the most passing yards per game, while New York is in the middle of the pack. Dallas also has the most wide receiver targets each week, while New York is in the middle of the pack.
Dallas Cowboys
Trevon Diggs (CB): SOLID. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week. UPDATE: SIT. He was released by Dallas.
Shavon Revel (CB): SOLID. He played 95% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Reddy Steward (CB): SIT. He did play 80% of snaps last week, but has also been displaced and benched at other points this season.
New York Giants
Paulson Adebo (CB): IDEAL. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week. He does well most weeks regardless of matchup, and this week, he has the perfect matchup.
Cor’Dale Flott/Deonte Banks (CB): Flott was inactive last week; Banks replaced him, as is tradition. Flott would be SOLID as a full-time outside corner if he can play; Banks would be SOLID as his backup for the same role. SIT Banks if Flott is active.
Andru Phillips (CB): SOLID. He played 66% of snaps as the slot corner last week and should have solid playing time in this week’s matchup.
Commanders at Eagles
Outlook: The early total here is 42.5 points with Philly favored by 8.5 points at home. Both teams are in the bottom third of the league for passing yards per game. And both teams are also in the bottom third of the league for wide receiver targets.
Washington Commanders
Quan Martin (S/CB): SIT. He was down to 30% of snaps last week.
Will Harris (S/CB): SOLID. He played 100% of snaps as a safety last week, but is designated as a corner in Yahoo.
Mike Sainristil (CB): SOLID. He played 98% of snaps last week as an outside corner.
Jonathan Jones (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 88% of snaps last week.
Noah Igbinoghene (CB): SOLID, deepest leagues possible. He played 51% of snaps last week.
Philadelphia Eagles
Cooper DeJean (CB): IDEAL. He played 100% of snaps last week and has had excellent utilization this entire season.
Quinyon Mitchell (CB): SOLID. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Adoree Jackson (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 78% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Ravens at Steelers
Outlook: The early total for this one sits at 40.5 points with Baltimore favored by a field goal at home. Both teams are in the bottom third of the league for passing offense, and both teams barely target their wide receivers at all.
Baltimore Ravens
Marlon Humphrey (CB): SOLID. He played 81% of snaps last week and smashed his projection for the 8th game in a row after telling the world that he’s a Glizzy Gobbler. I only prayed to the Fantasy Gods for his streak to continue through Week 17, so there are no guarantees that this production will continue, particularly in this horrendous matchup. This is an outside corner slot with occasional box and slot snaps.
Nate Wiggins (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 87% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Joey Porter Jr (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Jalen Ramsey (S/CB): IDEAL. He played 96% of snaps last week as a starting safety (mostly a deep safety). He is designated as a cornerback in Yahoo.
James Pierre/Asante Samuel Jr (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only, for Pierre. He was inactive last week but is typically a full-time outside corner. Samuel replaced him and would only have value again this week if Pierre is inactive again.
Brandin Echols (CB): SIT. He was inactive last week, is banged up, doesn’t play enough, and would be in a bad matchup if he could even play this week.
Seahawks at 49ers
Outlook: The early total for this one sits at 49.5 points with San Francisco favored by 1.5 points at home. Both teams are in the top ten for passing yards per game. And both teams are in the middle of the pack for wide receiver targets.
Seattle Seahawks
Devon Witherspoon (CB): IDEAL. He played 92% of snaps last week and has had excellent utilization this entire season.
Nick Emmanwori (S/CB): IDEAL. He played 91% of snaps last week and has had excellent utilization this entire season.
Tariq Woolen (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 70% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Josh Jobe (CB): SOLID, much deeper leagues only. He played just 49% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Coby Bryant (S/CB): SIT. He was inactive last week with a knee injury and isn’t even close to a return to practice from what I’ve read.
San Francisco 49ers
Deommodore Lenoir (CB): SOLID. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Renardo Green/Darrell Luter Jr (CB): Green was inactive last week but is typically a full-time outside corner. Luter replaced him and played 97% of snaps as an outside corner. Green is SOLID if he can play, Luter is SOLID as his backup if he’s inactive again.
Upton Stout (CB): SIT. He played just 26% of snaps last week, then left with a concussion. We don’t need to chase the backup in this matchup.
Panthers at Bucs
Outlook: The early total for this one is 43.5 points with Tampa Bay favored by a field goal at home. Tampa Bay is in the middle of the pack for passing yards per game, while Carolina is now in the bottom third of the league for this ranking. Tampa Bay is in the top ten for wide receiver targets, while Carolina is in the middle of the pack.
Carolina Panthers
Jaycee Horn (CB): IDEAL. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Mike Jackson (CB): IDEAL. He played 100% of snaps as an outside corner last week.
Chau Smith Wade (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 53% of snaps as the slot corner last week.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Benjamin Morrison (CB): SOLID. He played 100% of snaps last week.
Jamel Dean (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 60% of snaps last week. He might have gotten banged up a bit. Keep an eye on his practice reports this week if you plan on starting him.
Jacob Parrish (CB): SOLID, deeper leagues only. He played 75% of snaps last week.’
Tykee Smith (S/CB): SIT. He played just 47% of snaps last week.
Byes this week: None
My Favorite Matchups, Week 18:
These are all dependent on outside factors; stay on top of the news this week to get a feel for what teams are sitting starters.
Cleveland corners vs Cincy
Chargers at Broncos, either side
Tennessee corners vs Jacksonville
Arizona corners vs LAR
New York Giants’ corners vs Dallas
Carolina corners vs Tampa Bay
Week 18 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) and 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):
Alontae Taylor
Tyson Campbell, Dax Hill
Tarheeb Still, Riley Moss
Jalen Pitre, Kamari Lassiter
Denzel Burke, Will Johnson
Chamarri Conner
Rasul Douglas
Paulson Adebo
Cooper DeJean
Jalen Ramsey
Devon Witherspoon, Nick Emmanwori
Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson
SOLID (matchup or playing time isn’t perfect, best in medium to deeper leagues):
Koolaid McKinstry, Quincy Riley, Dee Alford, AJ Terrell, Mike Hughes
Brandon Stephens, Qwan’Tez Stiggers, Christian Benford, Taron Johnson
Rock Ya Sin, DJ Reed, Avonte Maddox, Nahshon Wright, Chauncey Gardner Johnson, Jaylon Johnson
Denzel Ward, DJ Turner
Cam Hart, Elijah Molden, Patrick Surtain
Kenny Moore, Mekhi Blackmon, Sauce Gardner, Derek Stingley
Darrell Baker Jr, Greg Newsome, Jarrian Jones, Montaric Brown
Cobie Durant, Emmanuel Forbes
Kristian Fulton, Nohl Williams, Darien Porter, Eric Stokes
Keisean Nixon, Byron Murphy, Isaiah Rogers
Jack Jones, Jason Marshall, Carlton Davis, Christian Gonzalez, Marcus Jones
Shavon Revel, Cor’Dale Flott/Deonte Banks, Andru Phillips
Will Harris, Mike Sainristil, Jonathan Jones, Noah Igbinoghene, Quinyon Mitchell, Adoree Jackson
Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins, Joey Porter Jr, James Pierre/Asante Samuel Jr
Tariq Woolen, Josh Jobe, Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green/Darrell Luter Jr
Chau Smith Wade, Benjamin Morrison, Jamel Dean, Jacob Parrish
TRAPS (sit these players):
Tre’Davious White, Maxwell Hairston
Amik Robertson, Tyrique Stevenson
Donte Jackson, JaQuan McMillian, Jahdae Barron
Kair Elam, Jaylyn Armor Davis, Kemon Hall, Jourdan Lewis
Carrington Valentine, Javon Bullard, Nate Hobbs
Reddy Steward
Quan Martin
Upton Stout
Trevon Diggs
Reminder: these are only suggestions. Your lineup is your responsibility and yours alone. However, these are the same moves I’m making myself, 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!