How ’bout that Malik Nabers, everyone? He sure looks every bit matchup-proof, and after his theatrics in the overtime shootout against the Cowboys last week, he’ll have a test against Kansas City’s Trent McDuffie on Sunday Night Football. Indeed, as sample sizes started to round into form last week, so did a bit more of the macro picture of what we might expect from these 32 NFL teams going forward. Teams saw too many quarterbacks injured and sacrificed—Jayden Daniels, Joe Burrow, Justin Fields, and Brock Purdy headline the list of marquee names that are shelved. Rookie tight end phenom Tyler Warren is banged up, as is second-year blast-off Tucker Kraft. Bhayshul Tuten might officially be a thing already. R.J. Harvey and Kaleb Johnson? Not so much. Is this the week the cream begins to separate from the crop? As ever, we remain on the agricultural beat in that regard, separating out stashes, dart throws, breakouts, and, probably most importantly, running back sleepers.
The refrain remains the same—All I want is for you to be better than your friends. You’re going to be surrounded by them on Sunday, probably. How sweet would it be if you could be sure you’ve checked every box possible that might guarantee you a resounding victory this week? Some kick-your-feet-up insights? I’ve got some. And I know my audience. The smoke-break audience. The quick-scan-of-the-phone-on-the-way-to-the-fridge audience. The I-ain’t-reading-all-that-but-good-luck folk. I’m a man of the people.
And so: the Five Lists of Five series. Think of these as byte-sized, two-minutes-to-yourself lists to scan during your weekend as you foam at the mouth for any competitive fantasy edge. As much relevant analysis as I can fit into, like, ~250 words per player.
Below: Top five WR/CB matchups to target for Week 3. Must-start WR consideration based on matchup specifically between receiver and cornerback.
Here are the other offerings from my 2025 Fantasy Football Five Lists of Five: Week 3 edition:
- Top five must-start players for Week 3 of 2025 fantasy football
- Top five breakout running backs for Week 3 of 2025 fantasy football
- Top five breakout wide receivers for 2025 fantasy football Week 3
- Top five players to stash for Week 3 of 2025 fantasy football
Follow my handle @dansby_edits for all of my fantasy football content—as well as plenty of NFL and College Football betting goodies—all season long.
Top five WR/CB matchups to target in 2025 fantasy football Week 3
Terry McLaurin vs. Raiders secondary
This is a get-right setting for Washington’s alpha. McLaurin’s early-season stat line is modest — 14 targets (25th), 7 receptions (39th), 75 yards (52nd) — but the underlying usage is healthier than the raw box. His average depth of target (14.4, 20th) remains firmly in WR1 territory, and he still accounts for 30% of Washington’s air yards across two games. With Jayden Daniels sidelined, Marcus Mariota takes over. That shift doesn’t tank the projection; in fact, Mariota’s historical splits with WR1s lean on quick perimeter reads. He has targeted McLaurin on 29.5% of throws in their snaps together, producing a 12-152-1 combined line in limited action.
The matchup is clean. Las Vegas corners rank near the bottom of PFF’s grading: Darnay Holmes (95th/101), Eric Stokes (70th/101), Jakorian Bennett (73rd/101). The Raiders as a unit are bleeding WR efficiency, ranking bottom five in fantasy points allowed to receivers and permitting a 64.2% opponent pass rate. They sit in zone 84.5% of the time (2nd-most), and McLaurin’s route profile (deep curls, digs, overs) is built to carve up static landmarks. Washington will motion him into stacks, flipping leverage so he isn’t pressed and can attack the soft middle between linebackers and safeties.
Raiders/Commanders carries a 44 total, with Washington catching +3.5 points. That script tilts pass volume up if the Commanders chase. In that flow, McLaurin’s target projection pushes 8–11 looks, landing 6–8 receptions, 80–105 yards, and something like a a 40%+ TD probability. The Giants’ secondary says green light.
Matthew Golden vs. Browns secondary
Golden is walking into a bigger role with Jayden Reed sidelined 6–8 weeks (collarbone/foot), and there’s more oxygen in the middle if Tucker Kraft (knee) can’t go or is limited Sunday. Reed handled 60%+ slot routes and a chunk of the motion/screen menu; Kraft’s potential absence would further siphon first-read looks between the hashes into 11-personnel receiver usage. Golden already shows deployment versatility: 48.8% perimeter, 34.1% slot, 17.1% backfield, and he’s been put in motion on 53.7% of snaps (Reception Perception). Those usage levers are rookie-friendly and should expand without Reed and with Kraft uncertain.
Efficiency is the hurdle—so the scheme must meet him halfway. Versus man (19 routes), Golden has just 1/11 with a 10.5% target rate and 0.11 fantasy points/route; versus zone (17 routes), he’s at 1/5 with an 11.8% target rate. That’s why Cleveland’s identity matters: the Browns play man at the highest rate in the league (51.4%), press often, and dare you to win quickly. The silver lining is Golden’s underlying separation profile: Average Separation Score 0.400 (1st of 96 WRs) and Win Rate 23.3% (7th). Those numbers say the routes are getting open; now the ball needs to follow.
The CB board is targetable if Green Bay can steer matchups. Denzel Ward is the ace, but Greg Newsome II, Myles Harden, and Cameron Mitchell have been leveraged in rotation and nickel. Expect bunches, stacks, and reduced splits to manufacture free releases against Harden/Mitchell in the slot, with Jordan Love’s hot reads pointing there when Jim Schwartz sends heat. If Kraft sits, Green Bay can also push more slot fades and glance/RPO throws to Golden in the red area where TE targets would normally live.
Projection: 6–9 targets, 4–6 receptions, 55–75 yards, plus spike-play potential if he breaks a tackle on a drag/crosser. Reed’s absence accelerates the breakout clock; a limited/absent Kraft could stamp it.
DJ Moore vs. Cowboys secondary
Rome Odunze is the must-start for this week’s Five Lists of Five, but Moore is primed to eat alongside him. The Cowboys have been exposed in zone coverage, grading bottom five at 47.4 coverage grade (PFF) and hemorrhaging efficiency: 75% open-target rate allowed, 10.7 yards per target, 8.32 yards per coverage snap against zone. Dallas calls zone at the highest rate of any defense, giving Moore exactly what he thrives on. Against zone in 2025, he has 62 routes, 8 receptions for 116 yards, 17.7% target rate, and 0.32 fantasy points per route. Against man (15 routes), he has yet to record a catch — but that’s irrelevant against a defense living in spot-drop.
Individual matchups tilt his way. Trevon Diggs is battling through lingering lower-body issues and has already allowed two explosive plays; DaRon Bland has been flagged in your notes as a corner opposing WRs can exploit in intermediate windows. Dallas has been rotating depth CBs in nickel, which further increases Moore’s slot/out routes against zone landmarks. With Chicago expected to pass at a neutral script rate above 60%, the runway is there for double-digit looks.
Bears/Cowboys carries a 50.5 total, one of the slate’s higher-scoring games, and Dallas is favored by -4.5. That script means Chicago may lean even heavier into RPO quick game and dagger concepts — exactly where Moore gets schemed first reads. Expect 7–10 targets, 5–7 catches, 70–95 yards, and live touchdown equity on a red-zone glance route. With Dallas bleeding WR efficiency, Moore and Odunze can both cash startable lines.
Kennan Allen vs. Broncos secondary
Denver’s defense is potentially better than its sterling reputation, but Allen’s usage (just two weeks back in LA!) feels matchup-proof, doesn’t it? Through two weeks, he’s logged 17 targets (17th), 12 receptions (14th), 129 yards (20th), and two TDs (T-fifth). He also owns an elite 131.7 passer rating when targeted (ninth). His usage is turbocharged by pressure: versus the blitz, Allen’s target rate sits at 36.36% (eighth among WRs), and the Broncos blitz at the highest rate in football. That means Justin Herbert’s hot reads will constantly land on Allen in option-space. The rapport between these two is crisp like the autumn air.
Denver’s coverage tendencies lean zone (79.4%, 7th-highest), and Allen’s interior usage punishes zone rules with pivots and choice routes. He’s projected to rotate against Patrick Surtain II (72nd/101 in PFF CB grades), Ja’Quan McMillian (24th/101), and Riley Moss (47th/101). While Surtain is the name brand, his early-season efficiency has slipped — and Allen’s ability to toggle slot/outside lets the Chargers funnel him into McMillian matchups on 60%+ of routes. From those alignments, Allen’s per-route production spikes; his slot YPRR has been above 2.0 in both games this season.
Projection even despite the nutbar-good defense: 9–12 targets, 7–9 receptions, 85–110 yards, and a 50%+ chance of a touchdown on a pivot or slot fade. This is why Allen is immune to matchup downgrades: his role guarantees schemed looks where defenses are weakest. Denver’s corners won’t erase him, and the blitz frequency only heightens the floor.
Xavier Worthy* (*if active!) vs. Giants secondary
Availability is the swing factor, but the arrow is up. Worthy practiced in full mid-week, will wear a shoulder harness, and hopes to play against New York — the clearest “go” signals he’s offered since the Week 1 shoulder issue. If he’s up, Kansas City can manufacture exactly the kinds of looks that stress this secondary.
The Giants play above-average man with single-high, then mix in spot-drop zone on early downs. Their CB card shows a clear leverage map: Deonte Banks has opened with a 41.1 coverage grade, Andru Phillips sits mid-pack around 59.5, and Cor’Dale Flott is the stabilizer at 82.8. Behind them is a depth tier (rookies Art Green, Rico Payton) that has not been stress-tested. That’s tailor-made for Worthy’s usage: pre-snap motion, stacks/bunch to force off-coverage, and switch releases to choose the matchup — i.e., isolate him on Banks/Phillips rather than Flott. Kansas City already leans into those split-field beaters with Worthy: jet/orbit, speed outs from reduced splits, and deep crossers off dagger.
The macro profile is equally friendly. New York has allowed the fourth-most explosive pass plays and a top-five success rate against through two weeks, a structural weakness that aligns with Worthy’s speed-to-space skill set, if PFF’s fantasy-friendly defense report is right. Kansas City’s man-beater menu (stacked fades, wheel/switch, post-over) forces safeties to declare; once Mahomes gets that rotation, he’ll hit Worthy on a crosser or slot fade with room to run. And when the Giants crank pressure, shallow drags and quick swings become YAC opportunities — exactly the “short or long” touches Mahomes has said Worthy can house.
If active, call the shot: 5–8 targets, 3–5 receptions, 60–100 total yards (including schemed YAC), and live splash-play TD odds on one switch-release vertical or jet-action misdirection. If he’s ruled out, pivot to Hollywood Brown if you’re desperate. But I could see this even being a Juju game without Worthy. If X suits up, this CB mix gives him week–winning upside.
