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Fantasy football Week 9 shadow report: Key WR/CB matchups

By using our play-by-play data, we're able to identify defensive schemes and where each wide receiver and cornerback lines up on each play. By tracking these WR/CB matchups, including potential shadow situations, we can offer the best projections, rankings, sit/start decisions and fantasy advice each week. Fantasy football is a weekly game, so knowing the matchups can also help you make the best waiver wire pickups.

Down below are the receivers with the best and worst matchups this week, as well as the corresponding fantasy impact.

To view the primary defenders the top three wide receivers for each team will see this weekend, be sure to check out our weekly WR vs. CB cheat sheet.

Note that, unless otherwise noted, references to where teams rank in statistical categories adjusts to a per-game basis in order to avoid distortion due to bye weeks.


Advantageous matchups

Rams' Van Jefferson, Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods vs. Titans' Janoris Jenkins, Greg Mabin, Elijah Molden, Chris Jackson and Breon Borders

The Titans may get Kristian Fulton back from IR soon, but in the meantime, it's been a major struggle and/or rotation at cornerback behind Jenkins. Third-round rookie Molden seems to have found himself a home in the slot, but he's allowed a ton of production and Tennessee has, in turn, allowed the most fantasy points to the slot both this season and over the past month. Mabin was playing on the perimeter opposite Jenkins, but was benched late against the Colts last week. Tennessee has allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to right perimeter receivers (Jenkins side), but the most to left perimeter receivers (Mabin and friends' side). Woods aligns on Jenkins side more than any other Rams' receiver, but he'll still see the other Titans' corners roughly 60% of the time. Woods, Jefferson (76% perimeter) and Kupp (66% slot) can all be upgraded against the defense allowing the most targets, receptions, receiving yards, end zone targets and fantasy points to wide receivers this season.