This article dives deep into some interesting statistics that may not always be mentioned when discussing a player, but they’re interesting to know. We will talk about wide receivers who play their division six times throughout the season. A statistic in this category can be crucial since they impact a third of their games.
These 10 veteran wide receivers have played in their division for 3+ seasons. We will discuss some trends we can feel confident in with these wide receivers.
This is part two of my series, go check out the first 10 receivers here!
Justin Jefferson – MIN
| Per Game | G | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | Ctch% | FPs (3 Years) |
| Chicago Bears | 6 | 9.3 | 6.8 | 97.5 | 14.3 | 0.3 | 73.2% | 17.9 |
| Detroit Lions | 8 | 10.4 | 7.8 | 134.1 | 17.3 | 0.4 | 74.7% | 20.0 |
| Green Bay Packers | 7 | 7.7 | 4.9 | 76.7 | 15.8 | 0.6 | 63.0% | 17.5 |
Justin Jefferson has been a beast since coming into the league, but he has been a legend against this division. The Bears have been a team against which Jefferson has put up strong numbers. The almost 100 yards per game with a high catch rate is impressive. He averages 17.9 fantasy points per game as well. Jefferson has over 19 fantasy points in three of his last five games. The only game Jefferson played poorly in the previous three years was in Week 18 of 2022. He only had 5.8 fantasy points in that game. He would have been over 20 fantasy points on average without that one.
Jefferson has been an elite receiver against the Lions in his career. He has averages over 130 receiving yards and 20 fantasy points. In three of his last five games against Detroit, he has 23 plus fantasy points. He has only one bad game in the previous three years against the Lions. It will be interesting to see if the change at quarterback will affect Jefferson’s fantasy production since he has been so dominant against this division foe.
Jefferson has also scored heavily on the Packers. He still manages 17.5 fantasy points per game but with fewer yardage. Jefferson has been under ten fantasy points in three of his last five games against the Packers. His two other games have been over 30 fantasy points. If Jefferson can continue to see a high reception total with a less talented quarterback, he may still be able to do well against Green Bay.
Darius Slayton – NYG
| Per Game | G | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | Ctch% | FPs (3 Years) |
| Dallas Cowboys | 8 | 4.6 | 2.8 | 34.9 | 12.7 | 0.0 | 59.5% | 4.4 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 10 | 4.9 | 3.0 | 56.1 | 18.7 | 0.4 | 61.2% | 8.4 |
| Washington Commanders | 10 | 4.0 | 2.6 | 36.0 | 13.9 | 0.4 | 65.0% | 9.3 |
Darius Slayton may not need to be on this list of receivers, but he is a veteran who has been with the Giants for five seasons. He also had great yardage for such a poor passing offense over his time with the Giants. When Slayton plays the Cowboys, his production does not look good. He only averages under 40 yards per game and hasn’t scored touchdowns against the Cowboys. His fantasy points are horrible, as he has been under eight points in the last three seasons. Perhaps this improved passing offense can help Slayton, but he likely isn’t worth flexing versus Dallas.
Slayton does slightly better against the Eagles, averaging 56 yards on three receptions. His 8.4 fantasy points per game shows that he has been under ten fantasy points in three of his last five games. The positive trend is that he scored 16 and 14 points in 2023. Slayton would continue to be one of those low-end Fflex options as a touchdown or bust player for fantasy.
This one is strange for Slayton; as you can see, his per-game average is low against the Commanders. His stats are worse than his per-game average against the Eagles. His fantasy points are better, with 9.3, compared to the 8.4 with the Eagles. It seems like Slayton has done better in recent years at producing against the Commanders than his overall career. He plays better at Washington with games of 16.2,12.9, and 4.8 over the last three years. There isn’t much faith that Slayton will continue to be the lead receiver and may fade out of fantasy.
DeVonta Smith – PHI
| Per Game | G | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | Ctch% | FPs (3 Years) |
| Dallas Cowboys | 6 | 6.7 | 4.5 | 58.3 | 13.0 | 0.7 | 67.5% | 12.1 |
| New York Giants | 5 | 6.4 | 4.6 | 62.4 | 13.6 | 0.6 | 71.9% | 12.1 |
| Washington Commanders | 6 | 7.8 | 5.7 | 79.8 | 14.1 | 0.5 | 72.3% | 13.8 |
We stay in the NFC East with DeVonta Smith of the Eagles. He has played solid against the NFC East in his three seasons in the league. The Cowboys are the team Smith is tied for the lowest fantasy points per game. He does have his fewest receiving yards but has had a higher chance of scoring a touchdown with that 0.7 average. In Smith’s rookie season, he could not produce against the Cowboys. Over the last two years, he has stepped up and seen no lower than 9.8 fantasy points in his previous four games.
We move to the Giants, against whom Smith has had similar success. He averages 12.1 fantasy points, but his yardage is higher than the Cowboys. He has been over ten fantasy points in four of his five career games. Smith could put up flex appeal or better fantasy numbers if he saw over five targets per game. Smith should continue to produce in 2024 against a struggling Giants secondary.
The Commanders are the team that Smith produces the best against. His average against the Commanders is the highest among the division, with 79.8 receiving yards and 13.8 fantasy points. Smith has been over ten fantasy points in his last four games against the Commanders. He produces better on the road in Washington. Smith has averaged 17.9 fantasy points on the road compared to his 9.9 fantasy points at home.
Tyler Lockett – SEA
| Per Game | G | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | Ctch% | FPs (3 Years) |
| Arizona Cardinals | 18 | 5.2 | 3.8 | 55.0 | 14.4 | 0.5 | 74.2% | 12.6 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 17 | 5.8 | 4.6 | 51.4 | 11.1 | 0.5 | 80.6% | 10.4 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 17 | 6.1 | 4.2 | 58.8 | 13.9 | 0.4 | 69.2% | 10.9 |
Tyler Lockett has had an excellent, long career with Seattle and has put together solid fantasy numbers in the last three years. Arizona has been a team that Lockett had done the best against. He turns into more of a big play player with his 14.2 YPR. Lockett has done well with over double-digit fantasy points in four of the last six games. He is a player that does well on the division’s turf for fantasy. Lockett has averaged 17.9 points in road games against the Cardinals over the last three years. It is not his strong suit at home, as he averaged only 7.5 points. Lockett’s on-the-road average may be inflated because two of the three games were in Week 18. Sometimes, it’s tough to trust the production in those weeks.
The 49ers are the team that Lockett has his lowest stats against. He averages his fewest fantasy points with 10.4. He has a high catch rate but averages the fewest yards in the division. Despite his age, Lockett has fared well against the 49ers’ elite defense, with ten or more fantasy points in four of the last six games. Lockett has proven that, with opportunity, he can produce for fantasy. That’s why he can get to double-digit fantasy points against the 49ers in the last three seasons when he has six or more targets.
The last team is the Rams, who Lockett has proven well against in his career. He averages the most yardage with 58.8 but has the lowest catch percentage. In fantasy, Lockett, in recent years, has not done so well. He has under ten fantasy points in three of his last five games. We’ve seen his target drop in the previous three years against the Rams. In 2022, he had 19 targets, and that dropped to 11 in 2023. The Ram’s secondary isn’t what it once was, but Lockett’s role moving forward could change. If that happens, the consistency that we like in Lockett disappears.
D.K. Metcalf – SEA
| Per Game | G | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | Ctch% | FPs (3 Years) |
| Arizona Cardinals | 9 | 5.9 | 2.6 | 27.2 | 10.7 | 0.2 | 43.4% | 6.3 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 10 | 9.1 | 5.2 | 63.2 | 12.2 | 0.5 | 57.1% | 9.1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 10 | 6.8 | 4.6 | 66.7 | 14.5 | 0.6 | 67.6% | 15.1 |
D.K. Metcalf has not had the best production against the NFC West over the years. Starting with the Cardinals, you’d think Metcalf would dominate a bad team, but that’s not the case. Metcalf only averaged 30 yards in games and had a terrible 43% catch rate. Metcalf has been under ten fantasy points in four of his last five games against the Cardinals. It used to be because of Patrick Peterson that Metcalf couldn’t do anything, but the Cardinals have his name. He was only able to produce a solid outing because he scored a touchdown.
The 49ers are also a team that Metcalf struggles to get much production, as he has a 9.1 average on fantasy points per game. While he seems to have a significant target share in games, his yardage doesn’t impress many, with just 63 yards. Metcalf averages three more fantasy points per game on the road in SF than at home in Seattle. It’s another matchup that makes it challenging to trust Metcalf to produce, as he has crossed ten fantasy points just twice in the last three years. It looks like Metcalf is a sit in for most NFC West situations in 2024.
While Metcalf struggles against the Cardinals and 49ers, he thrives against the Rams. He averages his best yardage, catch rate, and touchdown rate versus the Rams. For a tough Rams team, it’s interesting to see Metcalf do so well against. He has over 12 fantasy points in four of his last six games. Even one of his worst games was in week 18 of 2022, where he finished with 5.5 points. Last year, Metcalf proved great even with a regression from the Seattle offense, as he had 12 and 17 points versus the Rams.
Brandon Aiyuk – SF
| Per Game | G | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | Ctch% | FPs (3 Years) |
| Arizona Cardinals | 7 | 4.9 | 3.4 | 57.1 | 16.7 | 0.4 | 70.6% | 11.3 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 7 | 6.3 | 3.9 | 59.9 | 15.5 | 0.3 | 61.4% | 8.1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 7 | 4.9 | 3.9 | 47.3 | 12.3 | 0.3 | 79.4% | 8.4 |
Brandon Aiyuk has played average against this division over his career. The Cardinals have been the team Aiyuk has done the best against. He averages his most fantasy points per game with 11.3. Aiyuk has three games over ten fantasy points. He played the Cardinals better at home with his 13.7 fantasy points compared to eight fantasy points on the road in Arizona. We hope he can continue improving as he fights for a contract.
Seattle is the division foe that Aiyuk had the most yards against but the fewest fantasy points, with 8.1. In 2023, he finally showed up against the Seahawks with games of 15.6 and 12. Before that, Aiyuk would not have over ten fantasy points in 2022 and 2021. Outside of one game in Week 14 last year, most of Aiyuk’s games versus Seattle are questionable with low opportunities. Aiyuk may not be a great start if he can’t get a high target share in games.
We move to the Rams, where Aiyuk has his fewest yards per game. He had not been all that great for fantasy, with just two games over ten fantasy points in his last six contests versus the Rams. The only times he could get over ten fantasy points was when he caught at least six balls in those games. Last year, Aiyuk combined for 68 yards on six receptions. Aiyuk may not be the one you want to trust fully against the Seahawks and Rams.
Deebo Samuel – SF
| Per Game | G | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | Ctch% | FPs (3 Years) |
| Arizona Cardinals | 8 | 6.8 | 4.1 | 52.5 | 12.7 | 0.3 | 61.1% | 11.0 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 6 | 8.8 | 6.7 | 107.0 | 16.1 | 0.5 | 75.5% | 23.3 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 9 | 6.6 | 5.2 | 71.0 | 13.6 | 0.3 | 79.7% | 18.8 |
We continue with the 49ers as we look at Deebo Samuel and his production against this division. The Cardinals have been a team that Samuel has produced the fewest against. He averages low receiving yards and just 11 fantasy points per game. That is a big difference compared to the others in this division. It’s strange since Samuel is a player who has done well on the road rather than at home against the Cardinals. He averages 17.1 fantasy points on the road while at home, that number is 4.2. It’s strange, but Samuel is a better bet on the road in 2024.
Samuel has dominated the Seahawks in fantasy over the last three years. He has an average of 23 fantasy points per game. He has played only four games in the previous three years, but all four have been over ten fantasy points. Samuel has two 30-point games at home in the last three seasons. If Samuel continues to average over 100 yards, then he should be one to play in 2024, especially against Seattle.
The Rams are another team against which Samuel has played well. His 18.8 fantasy points have been good for his production. Samuel has been over 19 fantasy points in four of his last five games against the Rams. The only time he didn’t have a great game was in Week 18 of 2023, where he finished with 4.2 points. I wouldn’t bet against Samuel when he is playing the Rams. Samuel knows how to beat this team.
Mike Evans – TB
| Per Game | G | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | Ctch% | FPs (3 Years) |
| Atlanta Falcons | 18 | 8.3 | 5.1 | 78.2 | 15.3 | 0.6 | 61.7% | 12.8 |
| Carolina Panthers | 19 | 10.1 | 5.4 | 77.9 | 14.5 | 0.6 | 53.4% | 23.9 |
| New Orleans Saints | 19 | 5.4 | 3.2 | 50.5 | 15.7 | 0.3 | 59.8% | 7.2 |
We have old-man Mike Evans, and his stats against his division are fascinating. Evans has had a great career against the Falcons, averaging 78 yards in 18 games. His fantasy points have been solid over the last three years. You can trust his production at home against the Falcons, with two games over 17 fantasy points in the previous three seasons. Evans has put up four games over ten fantasy points in that span. Evans’ one poor game was one where the running game thrived, and the passing game was nonexistent. Evans should continue to succeed against the Falcons despite being older.
Next up is the Panthers, who have allowed Evans to average 23.9 fantasy points per game over the last three years. He has put up four games over 14 fantasy points, but one was a 43.7 outing in 2022. Evans would put up 207 yards and three touchdowns. Evans is elite against the Panthers at home with three straight home games over 20 fantasy points. While he can produce in away games, it has been average compared to the home games.
We head to New Orleans, which Evans has struggled with in fantasy. He only averages 50 receiving yards and 7.2 fantasy points per game. Evans has just one game over the last three years over ten fantasy points. The tough battle with Marshawn Lattimore has kept Evans in his place. He hasn’t gotten over ten fantasy points since 2021. Evans should continue to be a risky play against the Saints in fantasy football.
Chris Godwin – TB
| Per Game | G | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | Ctch% | FPs (3 Years) |
| Atlanta Falcons | 13 | 7.7 | 5.5 | 76.8 | 13.9 | 0.7 | 72.0% | 12.0 |
| Carolina Panthers | 11 | 6.9 | 5.2 | 75.0 | 14.5 | 0.2 | 75.0% | 10.2 |
| New Orleans Saints | 13 | 7.9 | 4.9 | 70.2 | 14.3 | 0.5 | 62.1% | 14.6 |
We have the other veteran receiver, Chris Godwin, and he’s been especially effective versus the Falcons. He has averaged the most receiving yards and the closest to one touchdown per game against Atlanta. For fantasy, Godwin has struggled in recent years. In 2021, he had over 14 fantasy points in both games. Over the last two years, he has not gotten over ten fantasy points versus the Falcons. He has averaged 55 receiving yards but zero touchdowns over those two years.
The Panthers have been the team that Godwin has the fewest fantasy points in the last three years. He averages great yardage, but the touchdowns are low against the Panthers. Godwin didn’t play the Panthers in 2021 due to injuries, so his points look lower. In these four other games in the last two years, he has only gone over ten fantasy points once. Godwin’s playing in Carolina has been mediocre at best, as he has produced eight points in back-to-back years.
The Saints are the team in which Godwin performs very well against. It is interesting since his teammate Evans doesn’t do well. Godwin has produced over ten fantasy points in four of his last five games against the Saints. He can reach that ten-point mark in fantasy if he can get at least 50 receiving yards. Overall, Godwin has done well against his division and should be able to rebound in 2024.
Terry McLaurin – WAS
| Per Game | G | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | Ctch% | FPs (3 Years) |
| Dallas Cowboys | 9 | 7.7 | 4.1 | 53.2 | 13.0 | 0.3 | 53.6% | 7.1 |
| New York Giants | 9 | 9.2 | 6.8 | 87.0 | 12.8 | 0.3 | 73.5% | 13.8 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 10 | 8.1 | 5.8 | 84.7 | 14.6 | 0.4 | 71.6% | 12.2 |
Terry McLaurin has been a decent fantasy option against this division. Unfortunately, the Cowboys are not one of those teams that McLaurin does well against. His production against the Cowboys is poor, with 53 yards and a catch rate of 53.6%. He only averages 7.1 fantasy points per game versus Dallas. McLaurin has only been over ten fantasy points once in the last six games against Dallas. It gets worse when playing in Dallas, as McLaurin has been under seven fantasy points in three straight games. We can only hope the new offense can help McLaurin see better production.
McLaurin produced well against the Giants. He averages 87 receiving yards and a catch rate of 73.5%. McLaurin has the highest fantasy points per game against the Giants within the division. He has been over ten fantasy points in five of the last six games. His one poor game came in 2023, where he finished with 6.8 points. McLaurin, on the road in New York, does have three straight games over ten fantasy points. He should continue to produce against the G-men.
The Eagles are the last team in this division, and McLaurin has played well against them. His YPR against the Eagles is his highest among the division foes. McLaurin isn’t putting up monster games against Philly but has solid production that gives him WR3 value. He has double-digit fantasy points in the last four games against the Eagles. McLaurin should be able to produce with the Eagles secondary, which is still very young.
Thank you for reading! For further fantasy advice, hit me up on X @CoachStevenP or on the Dynasty Nerds Discord! My content is aimed for those in the #NerdHerd wanting easily-digestible information to help them win a dynasty championship.
