Favorable Wide Receiver Matchups for Week 3 (2021)
After back-to-back weeks of giving you 3 out of 4 starting caliber options, we’re hoping to go one better this week and bat 1000 in Week 3. I have four options for you here who I believe YOU can start with confidence in your FF matchups this week.
Marquise “Hollywood” Brown – Baltimore Ravens
A Lamar Jackson jump-pass finds a WIDE-OPEN Marquise Brown for the touchdown 🔥pic.twitter.com/iv3j3t53mg
— TWSN (@TWSN___) September 20, 2021
The undersized pass-catcher has had a productive start to the season as the Ravens have looked to open up their defense a little bit after injuries to J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards. Hollywood Brown has back-to-back games with six receptions and a TD and now faces a Lions defense that grades out dead last in defensive coverage against receivers. Detroit has given up back-to-back 100+ yard receiving games to WR’s and with Brown coming off of a 113-yard outing against Kansas City, I like his chance of a repeat here.
AJ Green – Arizona Cardinals
The veteran wideout caught his first TD as an Arizona Cardinal in their colas win over the Minnesota Vikings last week and will be looking to build on that in this contest against a Jags defense who grade inside the bottom 5 in defensive coverage against receivers. AJ Green leads the Cardinals in Redzone targets through two weeks, which gives us a good opportunity for touchdown upside, and with DeAndre Hopkins questionable for Sunday’s contest we could see an increased target share for Green in Week 3.
Sterling Shepard – New York Giants
Sterling Shepard makes the catch and runs it in to put the Giants on the board
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 12, 2021
(via @Giants)pic.twitter.com/gjFK9dtD0d
Daniel Jones has clearly decided that Sterling Shepard is his go-to guy in the passing game even after the offseason acquisition of Kenny Golladay. Shepard has been a complete target hog through, he has 16 receptions which is tied 1st in the NFL with Cooper Krupp & Amari Cooper through two weeks, 9 more than the closest receiver on his own team. Shepard gets to go up against a Falcons secondary who grade just outside the bottom 5 in defensive coverage against receivers and, Shepard has previous against Atlanta too, hauling in 5 receptions for 167 yards in his only previous career game against the Dirty Birds.
Emmanuel Sanders – Buffalo Bills
Another veteran WR on our list this week as the offseason acquisition looks to improve upon two mediocre performances for his new team. Josh Allen has had some difficulties linking up with his new weapon, but it’s only a matter of time before the talented passer and savvy vet click, and against a Washington Football Team who grade bottom 3 in defensive coverage against receivers, they have the perfect opportunity. WFT has already given up big days through the air to Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and the aforementioned Sterling Shepard, so against a pass-first offense like the Bills it’s easy to see at least one and possibly two pass-catchers having big days.