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Fantasy Football: 5 WR/CB matchups to target and 5 to avoid in Week 16

Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) runs after a catch for a touchdown against Arizona Cardinals outside linebacker Devon Kennard (42) during the second quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Week 16 of the fantasy football wide receiver-cornerback matchups to target and avoid features Detroit Lions rookie receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who has a WR2 floor with WR1 potential in a pristine matchup this week.

Utilize PFF’s WR/CB matchup chart and in-depth coverage data to help set the best lineups for Week 16 and the rest of the season.

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5 WR/CB Matchups to Target

WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions vs. S/CB Richie Grant, Atlanta Falcons

The Lions aren’t the best football team, but it hasn’t slowed St. Brown one bit. The first-year pass-catcher has topped 15 fantasy points in each of the past three weeks, with two of those performances netting 23-plus points. He’s the WR3 in total scoring in that time frame, while his 33 targets rank fourth at the position.

It’s clear the rookie has developed into a go-to weapon, but he also happens to have a sweet matchup against Grant in this contest. Grant is a safety playing out of position and it shows, as he’s allowing the third-most receiving yards per coverage snap this season.

St. Brown has WR2 upside in this matchup with a legitimate shot to finish as a top-12 player at the position on this slate.

WR Antonio Brown, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. CB C.J. Henderson, Carolina Panthers

Brown will make his return, and it couldn’t come at a better time for a Bucs team that has already lost Chris Godwin and could potentially be without Mike Evans this week. Brown hasn’t played since Week 6, but he has three games with 20-plus fantasy points and four with double-digits in just five appearances. He’s a dominant player and even led the Bucs with a 20.9% target share in the weeks he played.

A matchup against the Panthers won’t be easy, but Brown is a must-play based on sheer volume and past production. He’s also getting a cornerback who’s conceded the fourth-most fantasy points per route and a whopping 82% completion percentage. Henderson hasn’t played many snaps this season but is giving up an absurd 154.9 passer rating on throws into his coverage.

PFF’s WR/CB Matchup Chart is a fantasy football tool you can use to help set the best lineups. You can toggle between showing the Matchup Advantage column against all projected coverage or the individual defenders.
WR D.J. Moore, Carolina Panthers vs. CB SEAN MURPHY-BUNTING, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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