Photo: USA Today Sports
Reader's Guide
As you read, you may run into some colors in the text. Blue text is a good matchup for that team's offensive players. Red text is a bad matchup. Some other key items are below:
- All red/blue highlighting in tables is relative to the entire NFL, even when showing only a limited number of teams.
- All reference to fantasy points assumes DraftKings scoring rules unless otherwise specified.
- All stats reference the full 2018 season unless otherwise specified.
- All fantasy points rankings in the matchup graphics are on a per-game basis to account for bye weeks.
This week, we'll discuss the following topics:
- Follow the Targets
- Playcalling Preferences
- The Weakest Links
- How Will They Score?
- Paper Champions
- Dealer's Choice
Follow the Targets
In this section, we'll examine how the worst passing defenses in the NFL allow their production. This week, we sorted by the percentage of passing yards allowed, with the highest ratio of pass yards allowed at the top.
| RBs | WRs | TEs | ||||||||||
| Team | Tgt% | YdsRk | TDs | Tgt% | YdsRk | TDs | Tgt% | YdsRk | TDs | |||
| New Orleans Saints | 19.9% | 12 | 1 | 62.7% | 32 | 10 | 17.4% | 3 | 1 | |||
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 20.1% | 27 | 3 | 57.6% | 26 | 11 | 22.3% | 32 | 4 | |||
| Philadelphia Eagles | 21.9% | 23 | 0 | 64.2% | 29 | 8 | 14.0% | 1 | 2 | |||
| Chicago Bears | 22.7% | 21 | 3 | 60.9% | 27 | 7 | 16.4% | 6 | 4 | |||
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 14.0% | 2 | 2 | 59.9% | 31 | 10 | 26.0% | 30 | 3 | |||
| Minnesota Vikings | 17.9% | 26 | 2 | 57.2% | 8 | 6 | 24.9% | 28 | 3 | |||
| Carolina Panthers | 14.8% | 4 | 2 | 60.8% | 20 | 6 | 24.4% | 27 | 3 | |||
| Washington Redskins | 24.9% | 9 | 0 | 51.2% | 17 | 8 | 23.9% | 14 | 2 | |||
Commentary
- New Orleans allows 72.8% of its total passing yardage to wide receivers, the second-highest ratio in the NFL.
- Minnesota gains 77.0% of its passing yardage via wide receivers, the sixth-highest ratio in the NFL.
- Tampa Bay allows 26.2% of its total passing yardage to tight ends, the third-highest ratio in the NFL.
- Tampa Bay allows 56.5% of its total passing yardage to wide receivers, the fifth-lowest ratio in the NFL.
- Tampa Bay allows 193.5 yards per game to wide receivers, seventh-most in the NFL.
- Cincinnati targets wide receivers on 61.5% of its pass attempts, the ninth-highest ratio in the NFL.
Action Items
Photos provided by USA TODAY Sports