Honorable mention Start: Malik Nabers (NYG), Ladd McConkey (LAC), Marvin Harrison Jr. (ARI)
Honorable mention Sit: Jerry Jeudy (CLE), Mike Evans (TB), Jakobi Meyers (LVR)
Start: A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
I really like A.J. Brown to go off this week. He’s got a fantastic matchup with the Rams, who have given up over 30 points a game to opposing wideouts over the last four, including six touchdowns to the position during that span (the Seahawks WRs obliterated this group for nearly 60 points back in Week 9). Brown matches up well with all Rams defenders, projecting the second-highest matchup grade over at Pro Football Focus (93.6). The O/U is juicy, as Vegas expects big scoring in this one. DeVonta Smith’s disappearance in this offense (see below) is mind-boggling to me, though it just solidifies my expectations for this week. Jalen Hurts’ rating when targeting Brown is 123.6 on the season, which is absurd, and with 96% route participation, that is going to translate to one of those monster A.J. Brown games for us in Week 12.
Start: Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams
At first glance, this matchup appears daunting, to say the least. The Eagles rank 6th against WRs in 2024 and have fared even better over the last four weeks (1st). That’s nasty, right? Well, maybe. A look behind the curtain reveals this may be smoke and mirrors. Aside from Mr. Burrow back in Week 8, the Eagles haven’t faced a quality QB/WR since Baker & Co. in Week 4. Those ranks are further bolstered by the past two weeks, where they’ve contended with Cooper Rush (yawn) and Jayden Daniels, who’s either still reeling from the rib injury or the league has figured him out (I’m going with the latter). In any event, the Eagles don’t scare me, and I have two words to prove it – Cooper Kupp. Along with Puka Nacua, they form the best 1-2 WR punch in the league, and you’ll see it again this week.
Sit: DeAndre Hopkins, Kansas City Chiefs
I’ve always loved DeAndre Hopkins, seriously. I’ve also loved Andre Johnson (the nastiest slant move you’ll ever see), and when the Texans drafted “Nook”, I remember thinking, “damn, this tandem is special.” A target, reception, and yardage MONSTER his whole career, he’s now teamed with arguably one of the best QBs ever – certainly the best he’s ever played with. Fireworks, right? Well, not exactly. One solid game in four since he arrived in KC against one of the worst defenses against the position (Tampa Bay). Outside that game, he’s seen five targets a game or less, and he hasn’t scored any touchdowns. Xavier Worthy seems to be getting more involved, and if he could get his head out of the clouds (0:28 second mark of the video), he’d be even more prominently featured – which means fewer looks for DeAndre. Carolina’s secondary isn’t as bad as one would think, and I’m expecting them to give Hopkins fits on Sunday.
Sit: DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles
Smith has struggled these past few weeks, to put it delicately. After a nice (and customary) start to the season, Smith took a massive shot in Week 3 (concussion) and was forced to miss a game. It’s been a different story for Smith since he’s returned, and his results have been inconsistent and hard to trust. After garnering nearly 10 targets a game from Weeks 1-3, he’s seen more than six only once since then. In games, he scores a touchdown; he’s been quite serviceable (averaging 17.0). When he doesn’t, it’s a miserable line for us – 7.6 points in those three games combined. If you’ve read my column all year, you know I hate inconsistency, even in tasty matchups like this one. This is Saquon’s offense now, which means less opportunity for everyone else. With Goedert back, Smith seems to have slipped even further down the pecking order. Keep him on your bench until he proves otherwise worthy.