Even casual football fans know the biggest names at the cornerback position.
Richard Sherman of the Seattle Seahawks and Patrick Peterson of the Arizona Cardinals are well known for their public claims of being the best player at their shared position, while Darrelle Revis of the New York Jets is commonly referred to as his own body of land...
These (and other) top-tier corner backs around the league often cause daily fantasy owners to shy away from high-priced wide receivers when facing the two sides are set to meet. The common belief that the receiver has little chance of returning value can lead to greatly reduced ownership on elite talent, something that can be exploited in GPP formats.
The key here is that offensive coordinators are generally good enough at their jobs to find a way to get their No. 1 receivers away from these top-tier corners.
For example, the New York Giants put WR Odell Beckham Jr. in the slot and on the left side of the field in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons. Beckham Jr. was then covered by ProFootballFocus' No. 41 corner back Robert Alford, instead of No. 21 - and 2014 Pro Bowler - Desmond Trufant (rankings were from Week 1).
Here's how No. 1 wide receivers on their respective teams have fared when facing an opponent with (at least) one of PFF's top-10 graded corner backs.
Rankings are of corner backs who played over 50% of snaps through Week 2.
| Player | Team | PFF Grade | Opp. No. 1 WR | Fantasy Points Allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aqib Talib | DEN | 5.1 | Steve Smith Sr. | 3.3 |
| Jeremy Maclin | 9.5 | |||
| Brent Grimes | MIA | 4.9 | Pierre Garcon | 13.4 |
| Allen Robinson | 33.5 | |||
| Adam Jones | CIN | 4.8 | Amari Cooper | 9.7 |
| Keenan Allen | 3.6 | |||
| Trumaine Johnson | STL | 4.4 | Doug Baldwin | 10.5 |
| Pierre Garcon | 14.3 | |||
| Josh Norman | CAR | 3.9 | Allen Robinson | 3.7 |
| DeAndre Hopkins | 10.3 | |||
| Tramon Williams | CLE | 3.8 | Brandon Marshall | 18.2 |
| Kendall Wright | 3.7 | |||
| Tyrann Mathieu | ARZ | 3.1 | Brandin Cooks | 9.3 |
| Eddie Royal | 11.1 | |||
| Cary Williams | SEA | 2.7 | Kenny Britt | 5.7 |
| Randall Cobb | 19.6 | |||
| Chris Harris Jr. | DEN | 2.5 | Steve Smith Sr. | 3.3 |
| Jeremy Maclin | 9.5 | |||
| Marcus Peters | KC | 2.3 | DeAndre Hopkins | 30.8 |
| Demaryius Thomas | 19.6 |
It's important to note that the top CB on the defending team almost rarely covered the No. 1 receiving threat. Players like Allen Robinson in Week 2 and DeAndre Hopkins in Week 1 may have been avoided due to the seemingly difficult matchups, but they were able to turn in two of the top wide receiver performances so far this season.
What to Look For
- Does the cornerback move around the field?
Until this year, Sherman was famous for not changing sides of the field in order to defend opponent's top weapons. He would stay on the right side of the field, something that could be exploited by opposing OCs by moving their top receiver to the opposite side.
- Does the receiver play in the slot?
Slot receivers are gifts to savvy owners in GPP tournaments as they are largely immune to coverage from top-tier corner backs. They generally receive coverage either from slower linebackers or from smaller, less skilled corners.
In Week 3 look for Philadelphia Eagles WR Jordan Matthews to benefit from this point, as his ability to play in the slot should keep him away from Revis Island. As bad as the Eagles' offense has been as a whole this season, Matthews is still averaging 20 fantasy points per game in full-point per reception formats.
