The Shadow Knows Week 7 2018

By Gary Davenport
Gary Davenport They say familiarity breeds contempt.

If that's true, then there's no love lost between DeAndre Hopkins of the Houston Texans and the cornerbacks of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

While speaking to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone gave due credit to Hopkins, who ranks third in the NFL entering Week 7 with 657 receiving yards.

"When people mention the top receivers in the league," Marrone said, "if they’re not mentioning him, they haven’t played against him. When you look at what he does – tight coverage, he catches it, he runs the routes, run after the catch. Everybody in the stadium knows the ball’s going to him at certain times and he’s still making those plays. The guy is just relentless, maniacal in how he plays. Again, I think that’s why he’s such a great player. For us, obviously, he’s a matchup problem."

There's little question that the Jaguars have the league's best secondary. Even with the disappointing showings of the last two weeks against the Chiefs and Cowboys taken into account, the Jags still rank No. 1 in the NFL in pass defense. No team in the NFL has allowed fewer PPR fantasy points to wide receivers in 2018.

However, before you start hyperventilating as you think about a dinged-up Hopkins getting shut down by a Jacksonville defense seething after back-to-back beatdowns, take a deep breath and consider this.

In two meetings with the Jaguars last year, Hopkins failed to top the 100-yard mark—but he did score in both games. If he comes in at about his 2017 average, Hopkins will be good for five or six grabs, 70-something yards and a touchdown.

Not a great stat line—but it beats the heck out of a blank.

Here's a look around Week 7 at the other matchups of note between the league's best cornerbacks and wide receivers.

Buffalo Bills at Indianapolis Colts (Tre'Davious White vs. T.Y. Hilton)

Per Clint Brooks of Bills Wire, White was proud of how he handled himself in Week 6 against Hopkins and the Texans—and then some. “He had two pass catches, 30-something yards, and he cried the whole game.” White said. “I was out there with him the whole game. You know what he had. Anytime the offense starts to hide a guy in the backfield to get him away from me, you already know how that’s going, so that’s all I got to say about that, man. Obviously, he is a good receiver, but I feel like I’m better.”

Wow. Tell us how you really feel.

All in all, Hopkins had five catches for 63 yards and a score last week, but just two of those receptions (and the touchdown) came when he was being covered by White. Indications are pointing to Hilton making his return in Week 7 after missing two games, but between the layoff and the likelihood that he'll draw White most of the afternoon, expectations need to be tempered for Hilton's first game back.

Panic Level: 3 (Hilton's more fantasy WR2 than WR1 this week)

Cleveland Browns at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Denzel Ward vs. Mike Evans)

As Patrick Maks reported for the team's website, Browns head coach Hue Jackson knows that the Cleveland secondary will be busy Sunday against the Buccaneers. “You have one guy [Evans] that is big and fast. Another guy that is smaller and fast [DeSean Jackson]. The other guy [Chris Godwin] is in between and can do all of those things, too,” he continued. "We understand what the challenge is. That’s how they score. I said it yesterday, they have 16 touchdown passes and one rushing touchdown. They’re going to throw the football.”

Ward has been a revelation for the Browns as a rookie—he's barely allowing half of the passes thrown in his direction to be completed and has a passer rating against of less than 65. But with Jameis Winston back under center for the Buccaneers, you know he's going to throw it to his guy early and often in every game. And his guy is Mike Evans.

Panic Level: 1 (No knock on Ward—but Evans could be primed for a big day here)

Minnesota Vikings at New York Jets (Stefon Diggs vs. Morris Claiborne)

Andrew Gould of Fantasy Pros thinks Diggs could be primed for a big day in Week 7. "Diggs' down days this season have come against Tre'Davious White and Patrick Peterson," he said, "so he's still a top-shelf option despite falling comfortably behind teammate Adam Thielen. He should have a better outing against a banged-up Jets secondary that has ceded four 100-yard receivers this season. Only the Eagles have allowed more receptions to wideouts (96) than Gang Green (95), so this is a week where Thielen and Diggs can both deliver WR1 value."

The Jets have indeed been a generous matchup for wide receivers this year—sixth in PPR fantasy points surrendered to the position. But it's worth pointing out that Claiborne has actually been solid in coverage—he has a top-25 grade in that regard at Pro Football Focus and a completion percentage and passer rating against of less than 50. In other words, there's a possibility that this could be a slow day for Diggs—and the umpteenth straight huge game for Thielen.

Panic Level: 3 (I'll be starting Diggs as usual—but I have a reservation or two)

Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers (Robert Woods vs. Richard Sherman)


As Jennifer Lee Chan reported for NBC Sports Bay Area, per Pro Football Focus Sherman has only been targeted 10 times all season long. But he said he doesn't mind the lack of attention. "It’s not really disappointing, you just have to do your job,” Sherman said. “Sure I’d like the opportunity to get my hands on the ball and compete but it’s part of playing a team sport. Everybody has to do their job and everybody has to be on it. That’s all I can do. Do my job, do my part and make sure that I’m locked in and I’m where I’m supposed to be.”

Were Cooper Kupp not sitting this game out with a knee injury suffered last week in Denver, I'd be genuinely freaked out for Woods in Week 7—worried that Jared Goff will do the same thing most of the teams who have faced the 49ers this year have and avoid Sherman. It's still a valid concern—especially with Brandin Cooks wreaking havoc from the slot—but with luck the Rams will scheme Woods open enough to salvage a decent stat line for fantasy owners with no choice but to start him.

Panic Level: 4 (This reeks of a big game for Cooks and a quiet(ish) one for Woods. Dangit.)

Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs (A.J. Green vs. Kendall Fuller)

As Dave Clark reported for the Cincinnati Enquirer, the cast of "Good Morning Football" recently debated the merits of Green vs. Tyreek Hill, with Kay Adams throwing her vote behind the veteran after two cast-mates went with Hill. "I'm surprised that two NFL veterans are telling me that this young kid coming in is all of a sudden better than a receiver who has played in this National Football League with not the best quarterback play or the best offensive line or the best whatever for seven years," she said. "And out of six out of those seven years has hit 1,000 yards and the one year he didn't, he was injured. ... I am into size. I am into red-zone ability. Which Tyreek Hill has but so does A.J. Green and he's done it for seven seasons in and out and more than anything I'm into consistency. ... A complete receiver is what I build around."

A Kansas City defense that's allowing over 340 passing yards a game and the 11th-most PPR fantasy points to receivers is about to find out just how good Green is. Fuller is easily KC's best corner, and his ability to play the slot could come in handy should the Bengals kick Green inside—something they've done more frequently in 2018. But just because Fuller is Kansas City's best cornerback doesn't mean he's playing especially well. Quite a few wideouts are going to feast in this one.

Panic Level: 0 (I don't know if there's a WR on either team I wouldn't start in this shootout.)

New York Giants at Atlanta Falcons (Janoris Jenkins vs. Julio Jones)

According to Tom Rock of Newsday, Giants safety Landon Collins made it clear that New York intends to make every effort to extend Julio Jones' streak of games without a touchdown by one more week. “We are not letting this guy beat us,” Collins said. “That’s how it’s gonna be. That’s how people attack Odell, how people attack Julio. You try to take them out of the game so you have a better chance of winning.”

Here's the thing though—and everything I'm about to say can be flipped and said about the Odell Beckham vs. Desmond Trufant matchup, except that Julio's quarterback isn't playing like stinky poo. "Jackrabbit" Jenkins may be a big name and carry a big paycheck, but he hasn't played like anything resembling a shutdown corner in 2018. Jenkins has allowed over 70 percent of his targets to be caught and possesses a passer rating against north of 120.

Eli Manning isn't the only stinky poo in New York.

Panic Level: -4 (Jones gets a score Monday night—book it)