Fantasy Football: Week 8 Wide Receiver Matchup Report

Breaking down defensive data to better predict how your players will perform this week.

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Check out a new tool exclusively from FullTime Fantasy.

This new featured tool displays how each defense performs against their opponent’s receiving yardage gained by position.

So for example, if you see a team is ranked 1st vs. WR #1, that defense is currently the best at limiting their opponent’s WR #1 yardage compared to other teams. Or if you see a team is ranked 32nd against WR #2, that defense is the worst against WR #2’s or more accurately, the defense is allowing the most yards to WR #2’s compared to the other teams in the league. This a great tool to find and exploit useful matchups. Don’t forget to check out the all the positions as well (WR #1, WR #2, Other WRs, TE & RB).

This week's article is for our subscribers only, so the chart below is a sneak preview of just the data for WR1s. For more analysis of the other positions like WR2s, TE and RBs, plus Week 8’s interesting matchups to watch, check out the full article at FullTime Fantasy.

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Key Injuries and News in the Secondary

• ATL DBs Desmond Trufant (toe) and DB Ricardo Allen (Achilles) – Both players are currently considered week-to-week with their respective injuries in a Falcon secondary depleted with injuries (Johnathan Cyprien (out indefinitely) and Keanu Neal (out for the season). Russell Wilson will connect with Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf to burn the Falcons.
• CAR DB Donte Jackson (quad) – Jackson is currently questionable but is expected to return to the Panthers’ secondary following this past week’s bye. The Panthers have a very strong pass defense, and Jackson’s return will only make it better. The 49ers are a run-heavy offense, but if they fall behind, Jimmy G could struggle to find newly acquired Emmanuel Sanders, along with Dante Pettis and Deebo Samuel.
• NO DB PJ Williams (suspended) – Williams will serve the second of his two-game suspension this week against the Cardinals. Williams is primarily a slot cornerback, and last week, Anthony Miller finally showed signs of life from the slot after doing next to nothing every other week of the season. Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk (if he plays) are both set up to have big games.
• CIN DB Dre Kitzpatrick (knee) – The Begnals will get William Jackson back but Kitzpatrick remains on the shelf in Week 8. The Bengals are one of worst teams in the league and have an abysmal defense. Jared Goff and the Rams should blow this game open.
• CLE DBs Denzel Ward (hamstring) and Greedy Williams (hamstring) – Neither of the Browns top two cornerbacks have seen the field since Week 2. That will change in Week 8 when the Browns take on their toughest test yet: the New England Patricks. The return of Ward and Williams may limit Julian Edelman and Phillip Dorsett a bit, but Tom Brady usually finds a way to get the job done.
• KC DB Kendall Fuller (thumb) – Kansas City’s starting slot corner back recently had surgery and will miss about a month of action. In Week 7, Rashad Fenton stepped in and allowed four-of-six receptions in his direction. Green Bay’s offense will entirely depend on Davante Adams, but he has yet to practice, so we have to assume he will miss Week 8. Gerronimo Allison will line up in the slot. He could have a very big game, though predicting Green Bay’s WR snap counts is very difficult. Assuming Allison gets a full load of snaps, he could have a breakout performance.
• HOU DB Phillip Gaines (ankle), DB Jonathan Joseph (shoulder) and DB Tashaun Gipson (back) – Gaines suffered a season-ending injury in Week 7 and had to be carted off the field. The Texans are already very thin in the secondary with Bradley Robey out indefinitely and Jonathan Joseph playing through a shoulder injury. Joseph was forced to leave the game too after just 14 snaps but says he is on track to play in Week 8. Gipson also left the game due to a back injury. He has been dealing with several injuries all season and is questionable to suit up in Week 8. The good news is that the Texans traded for former-Raiders CB Gareon Conley to help address the position.
• DET DB Darius Slay (hamstring) – Slay is questionable to suit up for the Lions this week. If he is not able to go, bump Golden Tate in your rankings.