Welcome back for another week of digging deep within the matchups, and the matchups within the matchups, to find those wide receivers who are either hidden or overlooked. Let’s find them together. This is “Part the Cloud”.
🎥 The Film Room
Last week wasn’t our best showing. But as always, there are lessons to learn in defeat. Let’s break it down.
Quentin Johnston
DK: 1.9x FD: 1.4x
Johnston was the fourth option in what’s now a “Big 4” pass-catching group. A touchdown salvaged part of his day, but 2 catches for 30 yards won’t cut it. We’ll need to keep a close eye on his usage in this crowded offense.
Luke McCaffrey
DK: 0x FD: 0x
Two targets. Zero catches. My flag plant went down in flames. Sometimes, that’s just how it goes.
Marvin Mims
DK: 4.1x FD: 2.3x
Mims, much like the rest of the Broncos’ offense, woke up late — finishing with 6 catches for 85 yards. Not quite breakout territory, but at least somewhat useful.
⚙️ 11 Personnel
Three wide receiver sets are the most common in football — so it’s only right that we follow suit.
Rome Odunze
DK: $6,300 (Projected Ownership: 5.45%)
FD: $7,300 (Projected Ownership: 4.35%)
Odunze could either vault you into the stratosphere or crater your lineup.
I’m leaning toward the upside. I expect the Bears to win, and neither team is likely to play much defense. Odunze has been a top-5 receiver vs. man coverage this year, and the Ravens, over the past month, have played more man than anyone else — a perfect setup for Caleb Williams.
That said, Odunze’s production hasn’t shown up lately. Both he and the QB share the blame, but this could easily be a “get-right” spot. Baltimore has ranked among the bottom 3 defenses against man coverage, in terms of fantasy points per route run (Thanks Fantasy Points Data), over the past three weeks.
First order of business: fix the drops. If he does, the explosion is coming.
Alec Pierce
DK: $4,600 (Projected Ownership: 4.29%)
FD: $5,800 (Projected Ownership: 5.02%)
Pierce looked like an ok possibility early in the week — and then L’Jarius Sneed hit IR. The Titans just lost their best cover corner, and his replacement has allowed a QB Rating of 152.1 when targeted (per PFF).
That opens the door for Pierce as a leverage play on the team with the highest projected total this week.
Tennessee runs a lot of Cover 3, meaning no safety help over the top if Pierce gets free. They also struggle badly in man coverage — which just so happens to be Pierce’s strength.
The other outside corner isn’t much better, so both guys out wide have a great opportunity in front of them. Pierce is cheaper, however, and runs deeper routes. Perfect for tournaments.
Chimere Dike
DK: $3,400 (Projected Ownership: 3.2%)
FD: $4,900 (Projected Ownership: 2.93%)
The Titans should be playing from behind, but even if they aren’t, they should keep throwing. The ground matchup isn’t great, and letting Indy hang around could be costly.
The Colts primarily run Cover 1/Cover 3, but they falter most in man coverage — and that’s where Dike shines.
Over the last 3 weeks, his workload has ramped up, and he’s been their most dangerous weapon, posting a 2.92 yards per route run vs. man (shoutout to Fantasy Points Data).
His elusiveness and open-field burst make him lethal on crossing routes. We saw it last week — and it was beautiful.
🧠 In Summary
These three sneaky receivers span the full salary spectrum, offering high upside and diverse lineup construction paths.
If you have any questions about the process or other players, I’m TreyJ989 in the channels — feel free to tag me.
Thanks for reading, and as always…
Let’s make some bold moves this week.