All grading, route position %, etc is per ProFootballFocus.com and Football Outsiders.
Josh Gordon (CLV) vs. Kevin King (GB)
- Flash Gordon OFFICIALLY BYKE. Didn't take long for the former all-world WR to get back to speed, playing in 76% of the teams snaps on Sunday. In his first game back since idk like 2006, Gordon led the team with 11 targets, catching four of them for 85 yards. The day was far from perfect, but it was against one of the toughest pass defenses in the league, LAC. Only Odell Beckham has eclipsed that number of receiving yards in a game this year versus the Chargers. Gordon play
- Gordon will have a much easier will have a much easier time on Sunday at home versus the Packers. At least according to PFF. They have Gordon's matchup against Kevin King as the most advantageous among any WR in Week 14.
- Kevin King is currently grading out as a bottom-5 CB in the NFL allowing the fifth most receiving yards per route covered (1.87) and the 8th most fantasy points per route covered (0.36). I know it's only one game lol, but Gordon ranks 2nd in the NFL in yards per route run (2.93), trailing only Julio Jones.
- What it comes down to is that Josh Gordon is pretty much a must start in Week 14. He's clearly the same player a few years ago, and with a game under his belt in our current dictatorship, Gordon should be ready to explode on Sunday in Cleveland.
Devin Funchess (CAR) vs. Xavier Rhodes (MIN)
- You ain't gotta be a diabolical mathematical asymmetrical genius to figure out this shit gonna be tough for my guy Funchess on Sunday.
- Funchess injured his shoulder late in Week 13's game, but supposedly fully practicing this week so I guess you ain't gotta worry about him being limited. You just have to worry about him being shadowed by Rhodes. It's almost a certainty considering the Panthers have virtually no other weapons on the outside.
- Surprisingly Rhodes was picked apart by Marvin Jones in Week 12, but aside from that he's completely shut down players who are built similar to Funchess like Mike Evans, Julio Jones 2x, Marvin Jones in Week 4, Josh Doctson and Davante Adams.
- Y'all get the point. It's going to be hard.
Marquise Goodwin (SF) vs. Kevin Johnson (HOU)
- I'm not gonna get into how much I like Goodwin and what's he been up to the last few weeks since Pierre Garcon's szn-ending injury, you can go read about it in my Waiver Wire sheet.
- With Goodwin playing the way he has, Garoppolo under center and them facing off with Houston in Week 14, Goodwin is ready for his coming out party.
- Goodwin will lineup across from Kevin Johnson for most of the day. Kevin Johnson is currently the lowest graded CB in the NFL per PFF. Among qualified CBs, he's allowing the most fantasy points to WRs per route covered (0.43).
- Only two teams on the year (DEN, NYJ) have allowed more passing touchdowns than Houston (23) and they've given up the most pass plays of 40+ yards on the szn (12), almost one a game. Combine that stat with Goodwin's 4.27 speed, and you've got yourself a home run.
WRs expecting Shadow Coverage
- Josh Doctson vs. Casey Hayward (LAC) [1st graded CB]
- Jarvis Landry vs. Jonathon Jones (NE) [30th graded CB]
- Devin Funchess vs. Xavier Rhodes (MIN) [32nd graded CB]
- Mike Evans vs. Darius Slay (DET) [14th graded CB]
- Rishard Matthews vs. Patrick Peterson (ARZ) [26th graded CB]
- Julio Jones vs. Marshon Lattimore (NO) [3rd graded CB]
- Alshon Jeffery vs. Trumaine Johnson (LAR) [68th graded CB]
- Davante Adams vs. Jason McCourty (CLV) [12th graded CB]
- Devante Parker vs. Stephon Gilmore (NE) [10th graded CB]
Other Notes
- The top five (5) rated PFF WRs that are playing in Week 14, in order, are Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, A.J. Green, Keenan Allen, and DeAndre Hopkins... they may be onto something here with their grading system.
- The top five (5) rated PFF CBs that are playing in Week 14, in order, are Casey Hayward, Jalen Ramsey, Marshon Lattimore, Patrick Robinson, and Tre'Davious White (A.J. Bouye if he doesn't play).
- Rashard Higgins, Russell Shepard and Dede Westbrook are the lowest graded WRs in Week 14.
- Kevin Johnson, Jeremy Lane and Xavien Howard are the lowest graded coverage defenders for Week 14.