This article is part of our On Target series.
As the season goes on, we are going to focus more on each week's WR/CB matchups. However, with the sample sizes being so small (for example, Ronald Darby is the most targeted corner in the league, but he faced Julio Jones and Mike Evans in back-to-back weeks), I'm trying not to draw any massive conclusions. Instead, let's take a look at three cornerbacks who have been surprisingly not good through two games and then at some high-volume Air Yard accruing WRs.
Surprising CBs
Dre Kirkpatrick, Cincinnati Bengals
Kirkpatrick is regarded as one of the better cover corners in the NFL. He is asked to do a lot of work against opposing No. 1's in a division with Antonio Brown, and he's only given up more than three touchdowns in a season one time (and that was last year with five). This year, though, Kirkpatrick has already given up two touchdowns in coverage and has been targeted 19 times through two games after only being targeted 82 times in all of 2017. This is a situation to follow closely, as a drop in his game would be bad for the whole Bengals defense.
Denzel Ward, Cleveland Browns
I actually already wrote about Ward in a preseason edition of this column; I expected that he would have an immediate positive impact on the Browns secondary, and while I do not think he has been bad by any means, he has allowed 17 targets to turn into 13 receptions against
As the season goes on, we are going to focus more on each week's WR/CB matchups. However, with the sample sizes being so small (for example, Ronald Darby is the most targeted corner in the league, but he faced Julio Jones and Mike Evans in back-to-back weeks), I'm trying not to draw any massive conclusions. Instead, let's take a look at three cornerbacks who have been surprisingly not good through two games and then at some high-volume Air Yard accruing WRs.
Surprising CBs
Dre Kirkpatrick, Cincinnati Bengals
Kirkpatrick is regarded as one of the better cover corners in the NFL. He is asked to do a lot of work against opposing No. 1's in a division with Antonio Brown, and he's only given up more than three touchdowns in a season one time (and that was last year with five). This year, though, Kirkpatrick has already given up two touchdowns in coverage and has been targeted 19 times through two games after only being targeted 82 times in all of 2017. This is a situation to follow closely, as a drop in his game would be bad for the whole Bengals defense.
Denzel Ward, Cleveland Browns
I actually already wrote about Ward in a preseason edition of this column; I expected that he would have an immediate positive impact on the Browns secondary, and while I do not think he has been bad by any means, he has allowed 17 targets to turn into 13 receptions against him. The wide receivers he has had to cover through two games, though, were Michael Thomas and Brown. That's not exactly an easy introduction to the NFL, and my assumption is that Ward will end up being fine, but this is a trend to monitor.
Malcolm Butler, Tennessee Titans
The often-discussed former Patriot has just been a flat out nightmare this year for the Titans. No corner has given up more yards in coverage; in fact, no one else is even close. Butler is responsible for 257 yards allowed, while the second-worst corner has 208 yards. Butler has also given up three touchdowns and allowed significant yards after catch. Like almost always, it appears Belichick knew when to give up on a player before everyone else.
Air Yard Accruers
For those unfamiliar with the concept of AIr Yards, it's very simple: Air Yards is the total distance that the ball travels in the air to a target on complete and incomplete passes. This has proven to be a very predictive metric and helps us make better and more informed decisions.
Kelvin Benjamin, Buffalo Bills
Benjamin has only 11 targets and three receptions on the season, but he is still within the top 20 wide receivers in Air Yards. Josh Allen is not a good quarterback yet, but he is making aggressive throws and trying to force the ball down the field, a logical choice when his team is routinely down 30 points. I am probably not likely to trade for Benjamin or start him in any 12-team league, but this is a noteworthy number. If he is able to continually get 100 Air-Yard games and his team is constantly trailing, a legit 60-catch/900-yard/8-TD season fueled by garbage-time production is in play for Benjamin.
Donte Moncrief, Jacksonville Jaguars
I have written extensively about Keelan Cole and Dede Westbrook all offseason. I just went and did a quick check of all my seasonal leagues, and I have one of Cole or Westbrook on 100 percent of my weekly-management rosters. Yes, 100 percent! So imagine my surprise when I checked the Jaguars' Air Yards and no one on the team has more than the former Colt, Moncrief. I have chased Moncrief's athletic upside for years and it's possible he has finally found the right QB in Blake Bortles. I am not adding him in many formats, but he has definitely taken a chunk out of the role I expected for Westbrook.
Corey Davis, Tennessee Titans
It has been a pretty brutal two-game stretch for the Titans offense, but I am putting out buy-low offers on Davis in most of my leagues. He has a 44 percent share of the Titans Air Yards through two games and 21 targets overall. These buy-low offers are predicated on Marcus Mariota returning healthy relatively soon, and the offense looking better than it did in Week 1 even with Mariota at the helm. The sort of target share that Davis projects for, with Delanie Walker out and Rishard Matthews an afterthought, is definitely worth a low-ball offer.
