Can the Giants’ big three win their tough Week 4 matchup against the Vikings’ defense?

In this weekly column, I touch on the wide receiver vs. cornerback matchups for each game. Keep in mind that some receivers move all over the formation and there are only a few cornerbacks that shadow opposing wide outs. When talking about a particular player, I rely on PFF (Pro Football Focus) player grades.

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COLTS @ JAGUARS

Since Blake Bortles has been the quarterback of the Jaguars, the team has had success running the ball against the Colts, eclipsing the 100-yard threshold in 3-of-4 meetings. With that said, the run game has been atrocious through three weeks of 2016. The Jaguars have been held under 50 yards twice and failed to eclipse 70 yards. Chris Ivory re-injured himself in Week 3, so the run game should continue to be a non-factor. Vegas has the O/U at 50 for this game, so plenty of passing and touchdowns should be in the works. Rashaan Melvin grades out at 69.4, but he will probably be matched up against Allen Robinson. Uh oh. Vontae Davis returned from injury, but had difficulty and received a 37.6 grade. Allen Hurns could have a nice day. In the slot, Patrick Robinson (48.8) will probably match up with Marquise Lee (53.3).

The Jaguars have allowed 199, 207, and 199 passing yards in each of the first three games. Prince Amukamara grades out decently at 72.8 and Jalen Ramsey is the highest-rated cornerback of the group at 80.5. Ramsey plays in the slot, so he could match up often against T.Y. Hilton. The weak link is Davon House (40.9) on the outside, which is where Phillip Dorsett usually lines up.

BROWNS @ REDSKINS

Kirk Cousins should have a field day against this Browns’ secondary. They allowed Carson Wentz to pass for 270 yards in his pro debut and Joe Flacco and Ryan Tannehill to eclipse the 300-yard mark. Joe Haden has been playing well, as he grades out at 85.3 and has five passes defensed and two interceptions. Unfortunately, Jamar Taylor and Tramon Williams are not playing well. I’m thinking DeSean Jackson catches a long one and Jamison Crowder continues to eat.

Josh Norman vs. Terrelle Pryor I. After Pryor went video game silly last week, I’m thinking the Redskins have Norman shadow him around. And he should shut him down. As physically gifted as Pryor is, he’s still very raw at the position. Norman should eat him up. Plus, Cody Kessler is making his second start of his career. Bashaud Breeland grades out at 42.5, but he’s a very good cornerback. He just happened to be matched up against Antonio Brown and Dez Bryant the first two weeks. Unfortunately, he is questionable for this week’s game due to a high-ankle sprain. In his place would be Quinton Dunbar, who graded out at 82.1 after replacing Breeland last week.

TITANS @ TEXANS

Vegas has this game with the lowest O/U of the day at 40.5. Expect plenty of “exotic smashmouth” from both sides. When the Texans do pass, they are going to want to target Perrish Cox, as he grades out at 35.2 and has been picked on by everyone to start the season. Will Fuller will probably be matched up against him, so he should be in-line for a good game. Jason McCourty has been playing well and PFF grades him out at 79, but he will probably be lined up against DeAndre Hopkins. Hopefully, for Nuk owners, the Texans find ways to match him up against Cox.

The Titans passing attack is in trouble this week. The Texans have yet to allow 190 passing yards in any game. If the Titans’ are smart, they will see how the Patriots had success against them last week with a running quarterback. Who am I kidding? That just makes too much sense for it to happen. Kevin Johnson is the highest-rated cornerback at 81.1. Johnathan Joseph grades out poorly at 48.1, but he is the Texans’ top cornerback and can still play.

RAIDERS @ RAVENS

David Amerson is PFF’s highest rated cornerback at 92.5. He will probably be matched up against Steve Smith. Sean Smith grades out at 72.7, but he’s had his moments of ineptitude. The matchup with Mike Wallace will be an interesting one because Smith struggles with straight-line speed. Wallace is not as quick as Brandin Cooks, who abused Smith Week 1, but if Smith can’t press Wallace at the line of scrimmage then he could haul in some big ones this week. D.J. Hayden is the weak link in the slot for the Raiders, but do the Ravens have anyone to exploit that matchup? I have my doubts that Kamar Aiken could. Regardless, I think this game sets up as a Dennis Pitta game, as the Raiders continue to be horrible defending the tight end position.

The Ravens held Tyrod Taylor to 95 passing yards in Week 1 and 168 passing yards to Blake Bortles in Week 3. In Week 2, however, Josh McCown threw for 242 yards and beat the Ravens’ deep for two touchdowns to Corey Coleman. This could be an Amari Cooper day, as Shareece Wright should be matched up against him with a 46.4 grade. While Michael Crabtree has an 82.3 grade and Jimmy Smith grades out at 67.9, Smith is a big, physical cornerback who could have some success against Crabtree. Tavon Young has been playing more and been productive, so I wouldn’t expect much from Seth Roberts. The Ravens are tied for seventh with nine sacks. The Raiders are tied for first with two sacks allowed. The team that wins that matchup will determine the wide receiver/cornerback matchups.

PANTHERS @ FALCONS

The Panthers held the Broncos and Vikings to under 160 yards passing. It was Blaine Gabbert who has the highest total with 237 yards, but 75 of that total came on one busted play to Vance McDonald. The rookie cornerbacks have played well so far. James Bradberry grades out at 77 and Bene Benwikere has an 80.9 PFF grade. In the slot, Robert McClain has a 69.2 grade. After being held to one catch on seven targets for 16 yards on Monday Night, you’d expect Julio Jones to bounce back at home against the Panthers. He did catch nine passes for 178 yards and a touchdown during last year’s meeting at home. With that said, the offensive philosophy has changed for the Falcons this year. No longer is Matt Ryan force feeding Julio. He has yet to receive over eight targets in a game this year, putting him on a pace for 106 targets. In 2015, Jones only had two games with under 10 targets and ended up with 204 for the year.

All three Falcons’ cornerbacks grade out decently. Desmond Trufant (69.9), Robert Alford (68.6), and Brian Poole in the slot at 73.8. Unfortunately, the Falcons have difficulty generating pressure (tied for 28th in sacks with three). They’ve allowed 281, 299, and 359 passing yards to start 2016. Ted Ginn caught two touchdowns in the first meeting last year, but then was neutralized in the rematch a few weeks later. I think the Falcons know what to do with Ginn. Kelvin Benjamin should bounce back this game after notching a bagel last week. No. 1 receivers have had success against the Falcons this year, and the Panthers like to move Benjamin around. With that said, this is a Greg Olsen game as the Falcons have been terrible against opposing tight ends.

LIONS @ BEARS

Darrius Slay is the Lions’ best cornerback with an 80.8 grade. Does he matchup with Alshon Jeffery or Kevin White? Jordy Nelson did catch six passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns on him last week. White received a team-leading 14 targets in Week 3, while Jeffery got seven targets. If Jeffery is matched up against Nevin Lawson, who grades out at 44.5, those target numbers could flip-flop this week. Quandre Diggs in the slot grades out poorly as well with a 51.7 grade, so Eddie Royal could find some success. As with the Falcons, the Lions are terrible at defending the tight end position, and Zach Miller hauled in eight of nine targets for 78 yards and two touchdowns Week 3.

The Bears’ cornerbacks all grade out decently. Jacoby Glenn (77.4), Tracy Porter (69.1), and Bryce Callahan (77.2). The unit has allowed only one receiver to top 100 yards in a game. That was Will Fuller, who caught five of 11 targets for 107 yards and a touchdown. DeAndre Hopkins went 5/8 for 54 yards TD, Jordan Matthews 6/9 for 71 yards, and Dez Bryant 3/6 for 40 yards TD. Temper expectations for Lions’ receivers this week. They do a great job of limiting the big play and their run defense is so bad that teams elect to just pound the rock against them.

SEAHAWKS @ JETS

The Seahawks have allowed 150, 219, and 119 passing yards to open the season. Richard Sherman grades out at 79.8, Deshawn Shead at 74.8, and Jeremy Lane at 82.5. Ryan Fitzpatrick is coming off a historically-bad game in which he threw six interceptions. This is not the matchup to bounce back. In two prior starts against Seattle, Fitzpatrick was 38/67 for 388 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions. With that said, the Jets will be playing at home, the Seahawks defense is not as potent on the road. There’s no way Fitzpatrick has consecutive historically-bad performances. Right?

Buster Skrine is the highest-rated cornerback for the Jets with an 82.8 grade. He should be matched up against Doug Baldwin in the slot. While Skrine is playing well, he is susceptible to allowing the big play, so I wouldn’t be frightened of this matchup if you are a Baldwin owner. Darrelle Revis is one of the lowest-rated cornerbacks at 39.2. Tyler Lockett should eat. Marcus Williams also grades poorly at 53.3, but Jermaine Kearse is more of a run-blocking wide receiver. Everything comes down to the health of Russell Wilson, though.

BILLS @ PATRIOTS

The Bills’ cornerbacks all grade out well according to PFF. Corey White at 65.8, Stephon Gilmore at 76.5, and Michell Robey-Coleman at 77.7. The Patriots are usually a tough matchup, but we have no idea who will be starting for New England. Tom Brady has one more game left on his suspension, while Jacoby Brissett and Jimmy Garoppolo are both injured.

Logan Ryan (71.9) and Malcolm Butler (71.3) have been playing well at the cornerback position for the Patriots. Patrick Chung has been playing in the slot and has a poor 42.7 grade. This is going to be a tough matchup for the Bills’ passing game, especially if Sammy Watkins doesn’t play or is hobbled. Even if he does, he will be taken out of the game by Belichick because that’s what he does. There is no secondary option for the Bills, as Greg Salas and Robert Woods are bad and Marquise Goodwin is a one-trick pony. My weekly, why did the Bills let Chris Hogan go again?

BRONCOS @ BUCCANEERS

Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. are fantastic cornerbacks. The weak link for the Broncos is Bradley Roby, who grades out at 38.5. Harris should neutralize Adam Humphries in the slot, while Talib should take care of Vincent Jackson. Mike Evans has a plush matchup with Roby, but will Jameis Winston have time to get him the ball? While Kelvin Benjamin caught six passes on 12 targets for 91 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 against the Broncos, I wouldn’t expect the same production from Evans. I could see Talib shadowing Evans with Roby moving over to Jackson. At this stage of his career, I’m not sure Jackson could exploit any matchup. The Broncos have yet to allow 190 yards passing in a game this season.

The weak link for the Buccaneers is Vernon Hargreaves III in the slot, who is rated 50. The Broncos use Jordan Norwood in the slot, but he’s rated 49.5, so it’s a wash there. Brent Grimes and Alterraun Verner both grade out as 74. With that said, Matt Ryan dropped 322 passing yards on them in Week 1 and Carson Palmer 311 yards in Week 2. The Broncos should be able to run on the Buccaneers, who allowed 100 yards in back-to-back games, and the defense should control the Bucs’ offense.

COWBOYS @ 49ERS

All three Cowboys’ cornerbacks rate decently. Brandon Carr (68.8), Morris Claiborne (67.7), and Orlando Scandrick (69). The only fantasy relevant pass option for the 49ers is Jeremy Kerley out of the slot. The Cowboys are vulnerable in the middle of the field, as Jamison Crowder, Sterling Shepard, and Zach Miller all caught touchdowns in that part of the field.

Jimmie Ward grades out very well with an 82.6 mark. He should negate Terrance Williams. Tramaine Brock has been bad, though, as PFF grades him at 53.1. Unfortunately, there are questions as to whether Dez Bryant will be healthy enough to play, so he may not be able to take advantage of the matchup. Rashard Robinson grades out well in the slot with a 72.8 mark, but Cole Beasley should be able to have success against him. There should be plenty of seams in the 49ers secondary due to the success that the Dallas run game should have.

SAINTS @ CHARGERS

Holy moly. The Saints defense is bad. Don’t get tricked by the Week 2 performance against the Giants. The showing on Monday Night against the Falcons is more indicative of their worth…which is not much. Sterling Moore is the highest-rated cornerback with a 54.8 score. Ken Crawley and Devante Harris both grade out below 50. Travis Benjamin and Tyrell Williams should both eat this game. The only thing that could limit their production is if the Chargers decide to pound the Saints into submission with the ground game, which is a very good possibility.

Casey Hayward is the highest-graded cornerback for the Chargers with an 88.6 mark. He’s primarily in the slot, so if Willie Snead is able to play, he could find the sledding tough. Brandon Flowers grades out at 74.8 and should be matched up against Brandin Cooks. Jason Verrett has a low grade of 52.4, but he’s still a good cornerback. I’d temper expectations for rookie Michael Thomas.

RAMS @ CARDINALS

The Rams just allowed Jameis Winston to put up 389 passing yards against them. In two matchups last season, Carson Palmer went for 352 and 356 yards. Trumaine Johnson is rated at 49.9 and should line up across from Michael Floyd. Last year against the Rams, Floyd went 12/163. Coty Sensabaugh grades out at 43 and should matchup with John Brown. Last season, Brown went 13/188. Lamarcus Joyner mans the slot and grades out at 74.7. He should see Larry Fitzgerald, who went 15/154 last season. Interestingly, none of the wide receivers caught a touchdown against the Rams last year.

The Cardinals possess three cornerbacks who all grade out above 80: Patrick Peterson (86.7), Marcus Cooper (81.8), and Tyvon Branch (82.5). I think it’s safe to say the Brandon Williams experiment is over. Tavon Austin went 6/96 with two touchdowns in the first meeting with the Cardinals last year. That was cute. In the second game, he caught one pass for 24 yards. No Rams receiver can be trusted in this one.

CHIEFS @ STEELERS

The Chiefs secondary will find things much more difficult this week against Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers, after their encounter with Fitzcraptrick last week. Marcus Peters grades out well at 85 and should have success against Sammie Coates. Phillip Gaines is the weak link of this unit with a 44.3 grade. I have a sneaky feeling that Antonio Brown will eat and twerk this week.

William Gay grades out well with an 80.1 mark. He should be matched up against Jeremy Maclin. Ross Cockerell also grades out well with a 79.4 score, so he should have success against Chris Conley. Sean Davis in the slot is the weak link with a 37.8 mark. I’m not sure if Albert Wilson can take advantage of the matchup, though. The Steelers have allowed 300 passing yards in each of the first three games, but much of the damage has been done by running backs (Gio Bernard and Darren Sproles). Spencer Ware should have a good day.

GIANTS @ VIKINGS

Janoris Jenkins is the Giants’ highest-rated cornerback with a 78.1 mark. He should neutralize Charles Johnson. In the slot, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has been bad with a 50.5 score. Adam Thielen could do some damage out of the slot this week. Rookie Eli Apple grades out at 69.4. Stefon Diggs is a great receiver and the Vikings move him all over the formation. Regardless of where he lines up, Diggs should get his. The Giants also struggle against the tight end so Kyle Rudolph should have a big game.

The Vikings defense, in general, has been amazing to start the season. They lead the league in sacks with 15 and are tied for second in interceptions with five. It’s that symbiotic relationship between defensive line and cornerbacks. Pressure from the line makes the job of the cornerbacks easier. On the flip side, tight coverage allows the line more time to get pressure. Terence Newman and Captain Munnerlyn both grade out in the mid-70’s, while Trae Waynes continues to struggle and has a 46.6 grade. The Vikings and Giants met in December of last year. Eli Manning went 15/29 for 234 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions. To be fair, Odell Beckham did not play in that game, but domination is domination. The Giants have arguably one of the best trio of wide receivers, so it’s going to be a challenge for the Minnesota secondary. With that said, they just held Kelvin Benjamin to zero catches. Tread lightly as this defense is for real.

Good luck to everyone this week.

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Stan Son is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Stan, check out his archive and follow him @Stan_Son.