Welcome to Going Deep! This weekly article will make use of charting data, advanced metrics, and other RotoViz tools, specifically the newly released Passing Game Matchup Rater, to help readers better understand the challenges facing wide receivers and tight ends in the coming week.

As this article will leverage a great deal of information from the Passing Game Matchup Rater (PGMR), we took a quick walkthrough of the tool earlier in the season and highlighted some important caveats.

Week 4 WR Ratings with 6.0 Point Per Game Filter

• The PGMR calculates favorable matchups for nearly all of Tampa Bay’s receivers against the Chiefs. Russell Gage should see significant coverage from L’Jarius Sneed. Sneed is allowing 7.7 points per game (PPG) on direct targets and in 2022, Kansas City’s defense has allowed 1.8 points per reception. From a threshold perspective, the Chiefs have been a middle-of-the-road defense. While these data points don’t jump out as ones that figure to make for one of the most favorable ratings of the week, it’s worth noting that Gage lines up in the slot far more than any other WR on the Buccaneers. This bodes well for Gage as the Chiefs have been more susceptible to slot WRs than most teams.
• The Ravens have also struggled to cover the slot. It’s easy to excuse the 51 slot points the team allowed to Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill, but it’s worth noting that the Jets and Patriots combined for 1.9 points per slot target. This bodes well for Isaiah McKenzie who has one of the highest ratings of the week.
• Jeffrey Okudah has been a stingy defender in recent games, but Mike Hughes and Amani Oruwariye are allowing a combined 23.2 PPG on direct targets. D.K. Metcalf will likely draw the most coverage from Okudah but could feast when matched up elsewhere. Naturally, Tyler Lockett also scores strongly in this week’s ratings.
• We’ve already touched upon it this year, so I won’t beat a dead horse, but the Rams’ secondary isn’t one that should concern fantasy managers. In 2021, Jalen Ramsey did get the best of Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel, allowing the duo to score just 3.1 points on him while in direct coverage. That said, the two WRs averaged 2.3 points per target against Los Angeles’ secondary and posted 84.6 receiving points in three games.
• Garret Wilson’s exciting start could continue against the Steelers. Pittsburgh hasn’t been terrible on an individual basis in recent weeks, but look at how the top-scoring players from the last five teams that faced the Steelers fared.