Week 6 Shadow Report: A.J. Brown among top WRs to downgrade in Week 6 (2024)

Fantasy football is a weekly game, so knowing the matchups can help you make the best lineup decisions. By utilizing our play-by-play data, we're able to identify defensive schemes and where each wide receiver and cornerback lines up on each play. By tracking these WR/CB matchups, including potential shadow situations, we can offer the best projections, rankings, sit/start advice and waiver wire suggestions each week.

Down below are the receivers with the best and worst matchups this week, as well as the corresponding fantasy impact.

To view the primary defenders the top three wide receivers for each team will see this weekend, be sure to check out our weekly WR vs. CB cheat sheet.

Unless otherwise noted, references to where teams rank in statistical categories adjusts to a per-game basis in order to avoid distortion due to bye weeks.

Projected Shadow Matchups

Bills' Stefon Diggs vs. Giants' Adoree' Jackson (Shadow)

The Adoree' Jackson slot corner experiment seems to be over in New York, with Jackson pivoting back to the perimeter in recent weeks. When Deonte Banks left Week 3 injured, Jackson shadowed Deebo Samuel. He then shadowed Tyler Lockett in Week 4 (Banks was on DK Metcalf) and Tyreek Hill in Week 5 (Banks was on Jaylen Waddle). Quarterbacks haven't been shy about targeting Banks and especially Jackson this season, and New York has allowed the 12th-most fantasy points to WRs (fifth most over expected).

Takeaway: It's possible Banks is the one who shadows Diggs, though he seems to match up better with the bigger Gabe Davis, but it might not matter much. Diggs doesn't need to be downgraded.

Commanders' Terry McLaurin vs. Falcons' A.J. Terrell (Shadow)

When these teams met in Week 12 last season, Terrell shadowed McLaurin on 12 of his 19 routes, including all 12 perimeter routes. Granted it was obviously a low-volume passing day for Washington, but McLaurin was limited to a 4-48-0 receiving line on six targets in the game. Terrell has shadowed only once this season, but that has primarily been a product of the opposition (e.g., Carolina, Green Bay and Detroit didn't have a clear, established No. 1 perimeter receiver). Terrell's lone shadow came against Calvin Ridley in Week 4. Terrell was on Ridley for 23 of his 26 routes and limited Jacksonville's top receiver to a 2-38-1 receiving line on two targets in the game.

Takeaway: The larger concern for McLaurin is a lack of volume and production, so with the tough matchup in mind, the speedy receiver is no more than a flex option in Week 6.

Broncos' Courtland Sutton vs. Chiefs' L'Jarius Sneed (Shadow)

Sneed has emerged as the Chiefs' No. 1 corner and has been asked to shadow the opposing team's top receiver's perimeter routes each of the past four weeks. That included Calvin Ridley in Week 2, DJ Moore in Week 3, Garrett Wilson in Week 4 and Justin Jefferson last week. Ridley was limited to a 2-32-0 receiving line on seven targets, Moore posted a 3-41-1 line on six targets (Moore went without a catch on three targets against Sneed, and his TD came in garbage time), and Wilson managed a 9-60-0 on 14 targets (2-20-0 on seven targets against Sneed). Jefferson missed some time because of an injury, but was held to a 3-28-0 line in the game. Sneed has clearly been effective and the Chiefs have, in turn, allowed the fewest fantasy points over expected to wide receivers this season. This week, expect Sneed to align against Sutton most of the time, because he spends way more time on the perimeter (73%) than Jerry Jeudy (32%).

Takeaway: Downgrade Sutton in the tough matchup and, because they could see an extra target or two, Jeudy and Marvin Mims Jr. do not need to be downgraded against Trent McDuffie, Josh Williams and Jaylen Watson.

Tough Matchups

49ers' Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings and Deebo Samuel vs. Browns' Martin Emerson Jr., Greg Newsome II and Denzel Ward

The Browns exit their bye week having allowed the fewest fantasy points to wide receivers both overall and to the perimeter on a per-game basis this season. They've allowed the fewest receptions and receiving yards and one TD to the position, and only one WR (George Pickens) has reached 10 fantasy points against them. This could prove problematic for both Aiyuk (75% perimeter) and Samuel (70%).

Both should be downgraded a bit, though Samuel could be bailed out a bit by his usage in the run game. Newsome has the slot locked down as well (Cleveland has allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to the slot), so Jennings is not likely to benefit from the tough perimeter coverage.