Fantasy Football Player Notes

Prior to the start of the season, I said that there's a chance we see Metcalf truly breakout as a top-10 receiver. Through two weeks, he's flashed some of the reason we loved him and currently sits as the WR7. Not only is he averaging seven targets, but they're coming from Russell Wilson, and he has one-play upside. Despite being matched up with Stephon Gilmore last week, he managed to walk away with four catches for 92 yards and a touchdown. He's matchup-proof until further notice. The Cowboys have not been a matchup to avoid, either. Through two games, they're allowing the eighth-most fantasy points per target to wide receivers. The Cowboys cornerbacks play sides, and they flip-flopped from Week 1 to Week 2, and it seemed to screw something up with Chidobe Awuzie, because he allowed two touchdowns in his coverage. He allowed just three touchdowns all of last season... on 90 targets. He also suffered an apparent hamstring injury in that game and may not play this week. The other cornerback is rookie Trevon Diggs, who has allowed 7-of-11 passing for 123 yards through two games. In a game they're projected for 30 points, there's little reason to fade Metcalf, who should be considered a low-end WR1/WR2 at the very least.

While Metcalf may be the higher-scoring receiver, Lockett has been mightily impressive catching 15-of-16 targets himself while totaling 159 yards and a touchdown. We know he's the primary slot receiver for Wilson, which is a completely different role, but one that he excels in. The Cowboys have 2017 third-round draft pick Jourdan Lewis covering the slot, someone who's been trending down since coming into the league. Since the start of last year, he's allowed 44-of-62 passing for 568 yards and four touchdowns in his coverage. That 9.16 yards per target is mighty high for a slot cornerback, which is likely why they had Anthony Brown starting in Week 1, only to move him to IR prior to Week 2. When you are playing against a backup cornerback with Russell Wilson as your quarterback, you should expect results. Start Lockett as you normally would, which is a rock-solid WR2 with top-10 upside in any given game.