Week 14 at Seattle Seahawks
D.J. Moore had a nice game against the Broncos before the bye last week, catching four of his six targets for 103 yards and a touchdown in Sam Darnold’s return to the starting job. Moore has been woefully inconsistent this year, but the switch to Darnold should be good things for him for the rest of the season. Darnold helped him to his third straight 1,000-plus yard season a year ago and he led the team in targets against the Broncos.
This week, Moore faces a Seahawks defense that ranks third in aFPA to opposing wide receivers and has an emerging secondary. Expect tough sledding for Moore against these Seattle corners, but with Darnold back behind center, there’s still enough upside to warrant WR2 consideration.
Week 12 vs. Denver Broncos
D.J. Moore has struggled this season along with most of the Carolina offense, and he put up just 24 yards on three receptions in Baker Mayfield’s return to the starting role against the Ravens last week.
Moore has a tough matchup this week against the Broncos. Denver ranks seventh in aFPA to opposing wide receivers and they have one of the best cornerbacks in the league in Patrick Surtain II. It’s simply too risky to trust Moore in a bad offense, with questionable quarterback play, against a tough defense this week. We have him ranked as a fringe WR3 option at best, and fantasy managers should look elsewhere if possible.
Week 11 at Baltimore Ravens
D.J. Moore was held to just 29 yards on four receptions last week against the Falcons, although he still had six targets. Moore has been frustratingly inconsistent for fantasy managers this year, but he’s had at least six targets in every game. His role is there, but the quarterbacking has not been.
This week, Baker Mayfield returns under center – for better or worse – against the Ravens, who rank 23rd in aFPA to opposing wide receivers. It’s scary to trust Moore, especially considering how he and Mayfield struggled to build a rapport earlier this year, but the upside is there. The Panthers may need to throw more and the best way to score against them is at the wide receiver position. Start him as a low-end WR2 and wear your lucky shirt during the game.
Week 10 vs. Atlanta Falcons
D.J. Moore was back in the gutter last week, catching just two of his six targets for 24 yards. Time will tell if this is another blip, or if his two consecutive games with a touchdown in the preceding games are the anomaly for the season. I’m betting the former.
Moore should rebound nicely against the Falcons this week. Atlanta ranks dead last in aFPA to opposing wide receivers. While the quarterback situation continues to be a crapshoot in Carolina, at least Moore is still averaging 7.9 targets per game. Start him as a WR2.
Week 9 at Cincinnati Bengals
D.J. Moore has been good with P.J. Walker behind center, so it’s good Walker is set to start against the Bengals again this week. Moore has a touchdown and double-digit targets in each of Walker’s starts, including six catches and 152 yards last week. That was padded by an improbable 62-yard Hail Mary touchdown to end regulation, but it’s still good to see him producing after such a dreadful start to the season.
The Bengals rank 13th in aFPA to opposing wide receivers, but they just gave up solid outings to Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones on Monday night. Moore should have no trouble continuing his current streak of improved play and we have him ranked as a fringe-WR1 this week. Start him.
Week 8 at Atlanta Falcons
D.J. Moore had a nice game last week against the Buccaneers, catching seven balls for 69 yards and a touchdown. It was Moore’s best game of the season and it was good to see him get double-digit (10) targets for only the second time this year. He had a nice rapport going with P.J. Walker that will hopefully continue.
Moore gets a great matchup this week. The Falcons rank dead last in aFPA to opposing wide receivers. While it’s hard to trust him after so many struggles this season, the talent and matchup make him worth the risk. We have him ranked as a low-end WR2 option this week. He’s a risky option, but one with significant upside.
Week 7 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
D.J. Moore continued his massively disappointing fantasy season last week with just seven yards on three receptions in a loss to the Rams. It was his second game in the last four outings with single-digit receiving yards and while he’s getting significant targets – 7.3 per game – the production isn’t there on this woeful offense.
This week, Moore faces a Buccaneers defense that ranks 18th in aFPA to opposing wide receivers. With questions at quarterback, trade rumors circling, and the offense struggling as a whole, Moore is best left on the bench in all but the deepest of leagues. Hopefully, Moore will get moved before the trade deadline and regain some semblance of value in fantasy leagues.
Week 6 at Los Angeles Rams
D.J. Moore had one carry and four catches for a total of 67 yards last week as he continues his disappointing season. A change at head coach and a change at quarterback might help him, but it’s far from a sure thing. Past the quarter point in the season, Moore is on pace for just 58 catches, 670 yards, and three touchdowns. Those would be career low numbers for him.
Moore gets a nice matchup against the Rams this week, who rank 28th in aFPA to opposing wide receivers. However, until we see him produce in this offense, it’s hard to bank on him as anything more than a risky WR3 option.
Week 5 vs. San Francisco 49ers
D.J. Moore has had a really tough start to the year, as Baker Mayfield has struggled and the entire Carolina passing attack looks inept. The team tried to get Moore involved against the Cardinals last week, as he led the team with 11 targets. However, he was still held to just 50 yards on six receptions, adding another 11 yards on the ground.
This week, Moore faces a 49ers defense that ranks 15th in aFPA to opposing wide receivers. Expect him to continue to get targets, but on a team with so many issues and with Mayfield completing just 54.7% of his passes so far this year, it’s hard to trust any of the Carolina receivers. We have Moore ranked just outside WR3 territory this week.
Week 4 vs. Arizona Cardinals
D.J. Moore struggled along with most of the Panthers’ passing game, catching just one of his six targets for two yards last week against the Saints. It was a tough matchup and Moore did find the end zone in Week 2, but it’s concerning to see him with such a dismal start to the season. Furthermore, the entire offense looks in disarray outside of Christian McCaffrey, making it hard to get too excited about any of the receivers.
This week, Moore will try to get back on track against a Cardinals defense that held Cooper Kupp mostly in check last week – as much as you can anyway – and did a good job against Davante Adams in Week 2. They’ve mostly been torched by the tight end position, so take a cautious approach with Moore. We have him ranked as a WR3 option this week, and it’s best to stay away from the Panthers’ passing game as much as possible for the time being.
