Mr. Reliable, James Bradberry.
Welcome to Johny The Greek’s Cornerbacks Corner week eight. Week seven was another solid week with a ton of excellent corner streams and many massive hits yet again. We took advantage of some solid matchups last week and were at 71% accurate for the week. As the season continues I’m becoming more and more comfortable with the rookies and injury replacement corners I haven’t had a ton of experience streaming with before and the overall accuracy has drastically increased since the first couple weeks of the season. As we know what each teams offensive and defensive strengths look like and continue to learn more every week we should get better and better as the season continues. Let’s get the usual stuff out of the way and get into our week eight options for streaming corner.
If you’re new to this article series the idea behind it is that in the IDP world cornerbacks are the red headed step child, often neglected or scoffed at. Not here. I freaking love streaming corners and have for some time now. We’re going to be looking at things like expected game script, opposing offensive tendencies, snap counts, role and historical production to inform our weekly decisions on what corners are an “ideal” streaming option. By giving this entire thing more than two seconds thought we will have a distinct advantage over our opponents who are not doing this over the course of the season. We are going to put ourselves in the best position possible every week to score the most IDP points humanly possible from our cornerback slots.
Just a little background, I’ve been playing IDP for seventeen years now and streaming corners for well over a decade of that time. I have won many titles in both redraft and dynasty and also in best ball and DFS as well as college fantasy football. I am a true degenerate. Personally I like to stream not only whatever the current week is but if my bench is big enough I’ll load up two more ideal streamers for the following week and by doing so I’ve already taken my pick of the litter a week before anyone else is even thinking about their corners. Corner is a naturally spotty position but by looking at all the factors I listed above we will have better outcomes than the majority of IDP owners who simply put in a “known” corner with a big name (Richard Sherman for example) into their corner slots and ride out the production whether or not that matchup makes sense each week. That won’t be us, we’re going to waterboard our opponents with ideal matchups all season until they drown from our flood of IDP points.
It looks like we’ll have some pretty solid matchups this week and we’ll continue to target those for our ideal matchups but in today’s NFL where passing is the name of the game I’m sure we’ll find solid streaming options in just about every matchup so even those of us in the deepest of leagues have some options. Alright let’s have a look at how we did last week with some transparency and have a look at this week’s matchups. I always give last weeks results as well as an overall season long accuracy because it’s important to be honest and up front with stuff like this, if I’m in a slump and making bad decisions you’ll know it and can decide if you want to follow these streaming suggestions or not.
Last week I made 47 recommendations, of those 8 were declared inactive or injured, 28 were correct (met or exceeded projection) and 11 were incorrect (below projection). We don’t count acts of God here and I specifically ask people to check for inactives before each game so discounting those I was 71% correct last week, 72% accurate for the season overall. Of those 28 correct calls last week 8 of them were “massive hits” (doubled or tripled projection) for a 28% massive hit rate this week, down a bit from last week but still not bad at all.
Disclaimer Time! I’m not going to get all of these correct. Cornerback especially is a wildly inconsistent position for production in IDP fantasy football. That’s why most people hate it with a passion. My whole thing is to put yourself in the best position to succeed by looking at all the variables and making the absolute best streaming call possible. After that you pray. Your team is your responsibility and yours alone, you set the lineup not me. Take ownership if things go south, these are only suggestions. I will do my absolute best to make sure that these recommendations are the best possible and will base these on factual information and statistics from places like NFLGsis.com, PFF and other fantasy and NFL data and statistics sites. I will also use the force, sometimes a gut feeling is all I have to go on in an unknown situation but if it comes down to that just know this isn’t my first rodeo.
I don’t work for the NFL, I don’t get to sit in on defensive team meetings for all thirty-two teams, I don’t get inside information. If a player has looked solid all season and has been playing a ton of snaps and they get yanked right before a game obviously I had nothing to do with it and since I don’t work for said team no one told me. (See Vernon Hargreaves 2019). If someone goes down with an ACL it’s not because I made a voodoo doll of them and stuck it with pins. These decisions are the same ones I’m making for my teams so if things go bad for you they go bad for me as well. I’m just here to help, don’t kill the messenger.
Article Key:
Outlook: This will be a brief overview of the two offenses and how that will effect the outlook for each teams cornerbacks corps. We’ll look at offensive ranks, expected game scripts and how the game should go. This will help us identify if this is a matchup we want to target for streaming corners or not.
Ideal Matchup: This is the best possible matchup for this teams cornerbacks, streaming any corners from this team, especially guys that are talented and play all the snaps gives you the best chances at excellent production from those corners.
Solid Matchup: This isn’t a perfect matchup to stream corner but it’s still pretty good, if you’re in a deeper league and have fewer options to stream from this matchup is still a better option than most.
Avoid: This matchup will likely be terrible to stream corner from, due to anything from a god awful opposing quarterback who can’t complete passes to a banged up wide receiver corps or even a run first offense like the 2019 Ravens were (they didn’t pass all that often because frankly they didn’t need to, their run game was ridiculous) there’s something that makes this a bad matchup to stream corners from, avoid if possible. However there may be specific corners who get a “solid” in an otherwise “avoid” matchup simply due to their talent and ability to make plays in all aspects of the defense (see Logan Ryan (CB)).
Patriots @ Bills
Outlook: The 27th and 6th ranked passing offenses respectively, middle of the pack for both passing defenses. Cam Newton (QB) has looked god awful recently and Julian Edelman (WR) is doubtful at the time of writing. I would be alright with the Patriots corners but for Buffalo I don’t think there will be enough completed passes for solid production on their end.
New England Patriots
Stephon Gilmore (CB) Solid
JC Jackson (CB) Avoid
Jason McCourty (CB) Solid
Jonathan Jones (CB) Avoid
Buffalo Bills
Tra’Davious White (CB) Avoid
Taron Johnson (CB) Avoid
Josh Norman (CB) Avoid
Anyone else (CB) Avoid
Titans @ Bengals
Outlook: Two middle of the pack passing offenses that are both trending up, both passing defenses are horrible. This could be a shootout and makes for a very nice place to stream corner from.
Tennessee Titans
Malcolm Butler (CB) Solid
Jonathan Joseph (CB) Solid
Kristian Fulton (CB) Avoid
Cincinnati Bengals
LeShaun Sims (CB) Solid (If William Jackson out)
William Jackson (CB) Solid (If healthy)
Darious Phillips (CB) Solid
Mackensie Alexander (CB) Avoid
Raiders @ Browns
Outlook: Raiders are the 7th best passing offense in the NFL and the Browns are towards the end of the pack. Both passing defenses are close to last in the league, this could also be a bit of a shootout and produce a ton of points and a back and forth affair. Also a great matchup to stream from this week.
Las Vegas Raiders
Nevin Lawson (CB) Solid
Trayvon Mullen (CB) Solid
Lamarcus Joyner (CB) Avoid
Cleveland Browns
Denzel Ward (CB) Ideal
Terrence Mitchell (CB) Solid
Kevin Johnson (CB) Solid
Colts @ Lions
Outlook: The Colts surprisingly have the 10th best passing attack while the Lions is middle of the pack, The Colts defense used to be the best in the league and is still respectable and currently second overall in passing defense while the Lions defense is steaming hot garbage. Lions corners should get some work, Colts we can probably trust the guys that play a lot but in general I would look elsewhere besides the Colts corners for streamers this week.
Indianapolis Colts
Kenny Moore (CB) Solid
Xavier Rhodes (CB) Solid
Rock Ya Sin (CB) Solid
Detroit Lions
Amani Oruwariye (CB) Solid
Jeff Okudah (CB) Solid
Darryl Roberts (CB) Avoid
Vikings @ Packers
Outlook: Two mediocre passing attacks, Packers defense is middle of the pack while Vikings is almost dead last for passing defense. Vikings corners should see some work and Green Bay could get out in front and make Minnesota abandon the run and try to pass their way back into it so I’m alright starting Alexander and King if he’s healthy but that’s probably it. That’s not an indictment of the Packers matchup it’s decent I just see a ton of uncertainty beyond Alexander and King if he plays. Just a heads up a ton of Vikings corners are beat the hell up, I’m not even sure who’s going to play for them this week, maybe just avoid them as well.
Minnesota Vikings
Holton Hill (CB) Solid (If healthy)
Cameron Dantzler (CB) Solid (The only currently healthy Vikings corner btw)
Jeff Gladney (CB) Avoid (health)
Mike Hughes (CB) Avoid (health)
Green Bay Packers
Jaire Alexander (CB) Solid
Kevin King (CB) Solid (If healthy)
Josh Jackson (CB) Avoid
Chandon Sullivan (CB) Avoid
Jets @ Chiefs
Outlook: This one is really simple. Start the Jets corners pretty confidently and sit the Chiefs corners. Jets passing attack is dead last in the league, the Chiefs is most certainly not.
New York Jets
Pierre Desir (CB) Solid
Bless Austin (CB) Solid
Brian Poole (CB) Solid
Kansas City Chiefs
Bashaud Breeland (CB) Avoid
Chavarious Ward (CB) Avoid
Rashad Fenton (CB) Avoid
Rams @ Dolphins
Outlook: Both passing offenses are middle of the pack, however we get the rookie for the Dolphins this week so we don’t know what that’s going to look like, in general I’m alright starting Dolphins corners that we’re sure of, for the Rams I would look elsewhere besides Troy Hill (CB) who is almost matchup proof. This could be a solid DST streamer for the week in DFS, Tua has never seen anything like Aaron Donald (DT) before. Pray for him.
Los Angeles Rams
Jalen Ramsey (CB) Avoid
Troy Hill (CB) Solid
Darious Williams (CB) Avoid
Miami Dolphins
Byron Jones (CB) Solid
Nik Needham (CB) Avoid (Fluctuating playing time)
Xavien Howard (CB) Solid
Steelers @ Ravens
Outlook: Neither passing attack is great, the Ravens is really not great, 31st in the league. Steelers pass defense is top ten, Ravens just outside the top ten. This feels like a low scoring affair. I would be alright with Peters and Humphrey because they can blow up against anyone and the Steelers should pass enough to keep them involved. The Steelers corners feel more risky this week, they’ve all mostly been productive every week this season however so I won’t argue if you want to go that route. Also this is division and two teams that hate each other so we can probably just throw all that out the window. Short version is I have no idea how this is going to go. Start the guys who have been good and play a lot, avoid this matchup if you can.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Steven Nelson (CB) Solid
Joe Haden (CB) Solid
Mike Hilton (CB) Solid (If healthy)
Cameron Sutton (CB) Avoid (Playing time, also only an option if Mike Hilton is out)
Baltimore Ravens
Marlon Humphrey (CB) Solid
Marcus Peters (CB) Solid
Jimmy Smith (CB) Avoid
Chargers @ Broncos
Outlook: The Chargers now have a top ten passing offense, the Broncos do not. They really do not, 26th in the league. Both pass defenses are middle of the pack and it’s division so you never know. I’d be far more comfortable starting Broncos corners than Chargers corners this week if you do choose to stream from this matchup, the recommendations will reflect that.
Los Angeles Chargers
Micheal Davis (CB) Avoid
Casey Hayward (CB) Avoid
Desmond King (CB) Avoid
Denver Broncos
Bryce Callahan (CB) Solid
Kareem Jackson (CB) Solid
AJ Bouye (CB) Solid
Saints @ Bears
Outlook: Saints passing offense is just outside the top ten, the Bears is really bad. The Bears pass defense is top ten, Saints middle of the pack. This doesn’t feel like an air show at all. I would be fine with Kyle Fuller (CB) because he’s always good but beyond that I’m skeptical. There are better places to stream from this week.
New Orleans Saints
Janoris Jenkins (CB) Avoid
Marhson Lattimore (CB) Avoid
No third corner recently for Saints
Chicago Bears
Kyle Fuller (CB) Solid
Jaylon Johnson (CB) Solid
Buster Skrine (CB) Avoid
49ers @ Seahawks
Outlook: The Seahawks cook, the Niners run. Start your 49er corners and we’ll use the hidden safety corners on Seattle but that’s about it on their end. Also there’s some uncertainty on the Seattle side of things with injuries so if you do want to start Shaq Griffin (CB) or Tre Flowers (CB) you’ll need to monitor the health of the former to see if the latter is viable this week. It is division though so there could be some fireworks and the Seattle pass defense is really bad so maybe the Niners will throw as well, I’m not sure on this one so we’ll go with the guys who are normally solid and in general I would lean more towards the Niners corners and less towards the Seahawks corners.
San Francisco 49ers
Emmanuel Moseley (CB) Ideal
Jason Verrett (CB) Solid
Jamar Taylor (CB) Solid
Seattle Seahawks
Quinton Dunbar (CB) Solid
Ryan Neal (CB/S) or Quandre Diggs (CB/S) Solid (If they are listed as a corner in your league, they’re actually safeties, for Neal this only works if Jamal Adams (S) is injured and out again, Diggs should play every snap regardless)
Shaq Griffin (CB) Solid (If healthy)
Tre Flowers (CB) Solid (Only if Griffin is injured and out)
Cowboys @ Eagles
Outlook: The Eagles will be able to do whatever they want on offense against this Cowboys “defense”, start the Dallas corners with confidence. On the other side of things Dallas will either have Andy Dalton (QB) fresh off a concussion or a third string quarterback, so not exactly ideal for Philly corners, avoid them this week.
Dallas Cowboys
Anthony Brown (CB) Solid
Trevon Diggs (CB) Solid
Jourdan Lewis (CB) Avoid
Philadelphia Eagles
Darius Slay (CB) Avoid
Nikel Robey Coleman (CB) Avoid
Corey Le’Blanc (CB) Avoid
Buccaneers @ Giants
Outlook: This is a solid game for Giants corners, not as much so for Tampa Bay corners. The Giants offense hasn’t been great but Carlton Davis (CB) should still be able to give you something on their end.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sean Murphy Bunting (CB) Avoid
Carlton Davis (CB) Solid
Jamel Dean (CB) Avoid
New York Giants
James Bradberry (CB) Solid
Logan Ryan (CB) Solid
Ryan Lewis (CB) Avoid
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