We have now hit the quarter mark of the season as we reach week four.

Every week we get more and more information to help hone in on these matchups and pick the ones that stand out the most. I’m going to focus on five wide receivers, ranked in my top 24, that I feel have good matchups. I’m also going to look at my top 24 WR rankings and select five players that I feel don’t have very good matchups. Finally, I’m going to select five WRs outside of my top 24 rankings that I feel have some upside this week. You can use these picks in your season-long leagues (as a guide, not as a start/sit), or even when selecting your DFS lineups. Let’s dive right in.

The Good:



Julio Jones vs. Malcolm Butler:

Julio Jones is off to a great start this season, and has the touchdowns to boot! His season will only continue to improve this week against Malcolm Butler and the Titans. Butler has allowed 15 receptions for 198 yards and three touchdowns. The Falcons have an implied total of 25 points and I won’t be surprised if Julio accounts for 12 of those points.



Davante Adams vs. Ronald Darby:

I usually don’t like targeting Thursday Night Football games, but this matchup is too good to ignore. Adams has had a slowish start to the year, cracking the 100-yard receiving mark just once and has yet to score a touchdown. That could all change against the Eagles and their banged-up secondary. The Eagles rank 21st in the league in pass defense DVOA, and Ronald Darby will see quite a bit of Adams. Darby has given up 15 receptions for 211 yards and two touchdowns.



Tyler Lockett vs. Tramaine Brock:

Each week this season, Lockett’s targets continue to climb (2, 12, 14). A lot of this is due to the fact that Chris Carson can’t hold onto the ball (three fumbles), so Russell Wilson is throwing more (85 attempts over his last two starts). This sets up well for Lockett as he has shown WR1 upside this season, and should be a WR1 this week against the Cardinals. Tramaine Brock has been targeted 16 times, allowing 14 yards per target. Also, the 229 receiving yards and two touchdowns don’t bode well for Brock, either.



Amari Cooper vs. Marshon Lattimore:

Last season, Lattimore looked like one of the better corners in the league, giving up just two touchdowns all season. 2019 hasn’t been kind to Lattimore, as he has already given up two touchdowns and we’re only through the first three games of the season. This week he has the pleasure of covering Amari Cooper. If Lattimore doesn’t put the clamps on, Cooper could see another multi-touchdown week.



Terry McLaurin vs. Janoris Jenkins:

This is a start to the season that I didn’t see coming. McLaurin is currently the WR10 in PPR formats through the first three weeks of the season. Janoris Jenkins? Well, he’s currently ranked as the seventh worst-rated cornerback in the league, per PFF.com. Jenkins has allowed 17 receptions on 26 targets for 282 yards and three touchdowns. McLaurin has a touchdown in each of his first three games this season. This game could be a sneaky shootout, and both secondaries are pretty awful.



The Bad:

DeAndre Hopkins vs. James Bradberry:

Now, I’m not telling you to bench Nuk. What am I telling you is that you shouldn’t expect WR1 numbers from him this week. Bradberry has been great in coverage this season, allowing just five catches on 12 targets for 78 yards and zero touchdowns.



Julian Edelman vs. Siran Neal:

Edelman is a bit banged up, but should still be good to go this Sunday. His matchup against the Bills is anything but good, though. This Buffalo secondary is better than people give them credit for, as they’ve allowed just one receiving touchdown to wide receivers this year. Siran Neal has a very small sample size, as he’s allowed six catches on six targets, but those catches have only gone for 23 yards. While fine to start in season-long, I’m fading Edelman in DFS.



Marquise Brown vs. Denzel Ward:

Brown is fast, but so is Ward (4.3 speed). The Browns have been anything but impressive this season, especially after all of the off-season hype. Denzel Ward has been a bright spot for this secondary, as he has allowed just seven receptions and zero touchdowns. Between last season and this season, his allowed catch rate is just 54 percent. Look for Ward to limit Brown’s big plays.



Chris Godwin vs. Nickell Robey-Coleman:

Last week saw Mike Evans have his breakout game of the season, which left Godwin owner’s (myself included) very upset. Well, don’t hold your expectations too high for a bounce-back week against the Rams. Godwin will face off against Robey-Coleman, who has allowed just 4.6 yards per target for 56 yards and zero touchdowns.



Larry Fitzgerald vs. Jamar Taylor:

Fitzgerald has been really good this year, as he typically has been earlier in the season. He has six targets in the red zone and is averaging 10 targets overall per game. The Seahawks secondary has been solid so far, as they rank 13th in pass defense DVOA. Jamar Taylor hasn’t been targeted much this season (seven times), but when he has he allows just 3.7 receiving yards per target.





The Upside:



Mike Williams vs. Eric Rowe:

Williams hasn’t really impressed much this season, but this week he could really start to live up to his pre-season ADP. The Dolphins are a dumpster fire and cornerback Eric Rowe has been trash. He has allowed 11 receptions for 142 yards and two touchdowns.



KeeSean Johnson vs. Tre Flowers:

KeeSean was a training camp darling, and I love his matchup against Flowers this week. While the rest of Seattle’s secondary has been good, Flowers has really struggled in coverage. He has allowed 15 receptions for 215 yards and two touchdowns.



Paul Richardson Jr. vs. DeAndre Baker:

Richardson saw a line of eight catches for 83 yards and a touchdown against the Bears on Monday Night Football. Do not be surprised if he repeats those numbers against the Giants this week. DeAndre Baker has given up 17 yards per target, 296 receiving yards and two touchdowns this season.



Devin Smith vs. Eli Apple:

The Cowboys travel to the “Coors Field of the NFL” this week to face the Saints. Devin Smith was pretty quiet last week, but his matchup against Eli Apple should bring plenty of noise. Apple has given up 14 yards per target through the first three weeks of the season. The Cowboys are just three-point favorites, so look for the Saints to keep the game close.



Damion Ratley vs. Anthony Averett:

Ratley is certainly more of a DFS play, similar to Devin Smith and KeeSean Johnson, but this play comes with a good amount of value. The Ravens defense has been great this year, though Averett hasn’t been so great. He has allowed 16 catches for 269 yards and two touchdowns.



