Wide receivers are the backbone of your NFL DFS lineups. It’s a spot where you’ll need massive production if you’re going to take down a GPP, but it’s also a spot where you can save money on occasion. Some of the best values in a given week are likely to be found at the receiver position.
In this piece, I highlight wide receivers who stand out in our large suite of analytical fantasy tools, most specifically, our FantasyLabs Player Models. While the models are built for DFS contests, this is an all-purpose fantasy article with actionable information for all formats.
As news breaks throughout the week and we adjust our projections (powered by Sean Koerner), player ratings in our Player Models will change as the projections change. For updates, visit the models directly.
And don’t forget about the tools that FantasyLabs has to offer, like our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
Or you can just use our NFL DFS sims to effortlessly create advanced lineups.
Finally, make sure to check out all the projections available for purchase (Chris Raybon’s come included with a FantasyLabs subscription) within the FantasyLabs Models. Subscribers now have the option to purchase Derek Carty’s THE BLITZ from our Marketplace. Projections from One Week Season and Establish the Run are available if you’re a subscriber to those specific sites (our optimizer is a separate add-on feature).
You can also combine them to create your own aggregate projections:
Top NFL DFS Cash Game Options
Rashee Rice ($5,600 DraftKings, $7,500 FanDuel)
For the first time in seemingly years, the Chiefs’ offense is going to be at full capacity. Xavier Worthy returned to the lineup in Week 5, and Rice will follow suit in Week 7. He missed the end of last season with an injury and the first six games of this season with a suspension, so he’ll suit up for the first time in more than a calendar year.
Before getting hurt last year, Rice looked like he was poised for a career year. He racked up a massive 34% target share through his three full contests, resulting in an average of 21.6 PPR points per game. That was the most at the position, trailing only Malik Nabers (22.8).
Rice should immediately step back into the No. 1 receiver role for the Chiefs. He has a bit more competition for targets than he did at the start of last season, but Worthy has posted just a 21% target share in three games since returning from injury. The offense has been pretty spread out overall, with Hollywood Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Tyquan Thornton all maintaining roles in the offense. Now that Rice is back, the targets and snaps could become a lot more condensed.
Rice also benefits from a fantastic matchup in his first game back. The Raiders have been a pass funnel defense this season, ranking sixth in rush defense EPA but 19th against the pass. The Chiefs are first in the league in Pass Rate Over Expectation (PROE), so it’s a spot where the offense should take to the air plenty. Kansas City also has the top implied team total of the week at 29.0 points, so there’s plenty to like with Rice in his first game of 2025. Fire him up with confidence.
Chris Olave ($5,400 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel)
The Saints’ offense has surpassed the dismal expectations they had entering the year. They were not expected to be competitive with Spencer Rattler at quarterback, but they’re a respectable 24th in yards per game. That’s nothing to get too excited about, but it’s not the complete dumpster fire most people thought it’d be.
Olave has also bounced back from an injury-plagued 2024 season. He’s operated like a true alpha receiver, racking up a 31% target share, 38% air yards share, and 40% end zone share. That’s given him one of the safest floors at the position, with Olave scoring double-digit PPR points in all six games.
Olave has had double-digit targets in all but one contest this season, and he reached a season-high 38% target share last week vs. the Patriots. He gets an excellent matchup this week vs. the Bears, who have not been the same defense against the pass this season. Top cornerback Jaylon Johnson has missed most of the season with an injury, and without him, the team has fallen to 23rd in pass defense EPA.
The Saints are implied for more points than usual in this matchup (20.75), making Olave a solid option for cash games.
Stefon Diggs ($5,600 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel)
Diggs stands out as a cash-game play more on FanDuel than DraftKings. His $5,800 salary comes with a 98% Bargain Rating, and he leads the position in projected Plus/Minus.
Diggs was acquired by the Patriots this offseason to serve as Drake Maye’s No. 1 target, and he’s basically lived up to that billing. He started the year slowly, but the team has ramped up his activity over the past few weeks. He’s been targeted on 35% of his routes run over the past three contests, and he’s posted a 32% target share overall.
Diggs did see a downtick in production last week, but he had a target share north of 40% in each of his two previous games. That may stem from an injury he’s dealing with. He’s officially listed as questionable with a chest injury, so his status is going to have to be monitored leading up to kick off.
If Diggs is active, there’s no reason to shy away from him vs. a dismal Titans defense. They’re 27th in defense EPA for the year, including No. 25 against the pass. The Patriots are listed as seven-point favorites in this contest, so Diggs is simply too cheap on FanDuel for the upside he possesses.
CeeDee Lamb ($7,500 DraftKings, $8,600 FanDuel)
The Cowboys have had to survive without their top receiver over the past few weeks, and they’ve basically done so. George Pickens and Jake Ferguson have helped pick up the slack, while guys like Ryan Flournoy have also chipped in.
However, Lamb will be back in this mix this Sunday, and there’s no reason he shouldn’t pick up right where he left off. Through the first two weeks, Lamb posted a 93% route participation, 29% target share, and 42% air yards share. He earned at least 11 targets in both outings, and he finished with at least seven catches and 110 yards in each.
It’s always possible that Lamb is a bit limited in his first game back. However, the reports from practice have been extremely positive. It appears as though he could’ve returned last week, but the team decided to exercise a bit of caution. Hopefully, that means he’s close to 100% this Sunday.
If he is, he has the potential for a massive game vs. the Commanders. This game has a massive 54.5-point total, which is the top mark on the slate by six full points. Quarterback Dak Prescott has historically thrived as a divisional home favorite, so Lamb has unsurprisingly done well in that split as well. Since the start of the 2022-23 season, Lamb has posted 23.43 DraftKings points when favored at home vs. a divisional opponent, good for an average Plus/Minus of +3.88 (per the Trends tool).
As long as Lamb is close to 100%, he stands out as underpriced across the industry. He has one of the top ceiling projections on the slate, and only Rice is popping in the optimal lineup more frequently at WR in Sim Labs.
Now available: our NFL DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.
Top NFL DFS Tournament Options
Justin Jefferson ($7,600 DraftKings, $9,000 FanDuel)
Jefferson is the most expensive receiver on a slate that is relatively light on studs at the position. Puka Nacua, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Ja’Marr Chase are all not available, so we’re missing four of the top five scorers in terms of PPR points per game.
Jefferson is right up there with those guys from a talent standpoint. He might actually be the best of the bunch, with no receiver in history producing like Jefferson through his first five seasons. He’s averaged just under 100 receiving yards per game for his career, which is the top mark among all players in NFL history.
Jefferson has had to overcome a subpar set of circumstances this season, with J.J. McCarthy struggling to get him the ball to start the season. However, he’s played significantly better since Carson Wentz took over at QB. He has 11 targets in back-to-back games, and he’s finished with 123 and 126 receiving yards in those outings. That includes a matchup vs. an elite Browns defense and a game that was played vs. the Steelers overseas.
Wentz will get the start at QB once again this week vs. the Eagles. Philly is a scary matchup, but their defense hasn’t been nearly as imposing as it was last year. They’re down to 18th in EPA per play defensively, and they’re 14th against the pass.
Ultimately, Jefferson is expected to check in at a significant ownership discount compared to Lamb, but the two players have similar projections. In fact, Jefferson has a superior ceiling projection, despite just a $100 difference in price tag. He makes for an elite pivot for tournaments.
Deebo Samuel ($6,200 DraftKings, $7,100 FanDuel)
Samuel is another player who is listed as questionable for Sunday. He’s been playing through a heel injury for the past few weeks, and he was able to get in a limited practice on Friday. That puts him on track to suit up, though it’s a situation that is still worth monitoring.
As long as Samuel is active, he should serve as the Commanders’ top pass-catcher in a game that should feature plenty of scoring. Even as slight underdogs, the Commanders’ 26.5 implied team total is the third-highest mark on the slate. Terry McLaurin will miss yet another contest for Washington, and Samuel has posted a massive 32% target share in the three games he’s played without him.
The Cowboys are also the best possible matchup. They’ve been shredded on defense all year, ranking dead last in pass defense EPA. They’ve also allowed the most PPR points per game to opposing receivers, making Washington a team you definitely want some exposure to.
If Samuel does sit, Chris Moore would become a slam-dunk value play at just 3,000. He’s in play as a value option even if Samuel is active, while Jaylin Lane and Luke McCaffrey would also enter the conversation if Samuel is out.
A.J. Brown ($5,800 DraftKings, $7,600 FanDuel)
What is going on with the Eagles’ offense? They look like a shell of themselves through the first six weeks, ranking 30th in the league in yards per game. Their run game has been far less efficient than it was last season, while their passing attack has dried up almost completely.
It’s had a massive impact on Brown’s production. He was WR12 in terms of PPR points per game last season, despite the Eagles being one of the most run-heavy teams in football. He made up for his minimal volume with maximum efficiency, averaging a whopping 11.1 yards per target. Brown is down to 6.1 yards per target this year, while he’s found the end zone merely once.
The good news is that Brown is still the clear alpha in the Eagles’ passing attack. He owns a 30% target share over the team’s past five games, and he’s been at 33% or higher in three of those contests. He’s also still a major threat downfield, so there’s no reason he can’t improve moving forward.
Brown simply needs Jalen Hurts and the offense to start producing at a higher level. There’s definitely no guarantee that happens vs. the Vikings – they have the No. 1 pass defense in terms of EPA per play – but Brown still has plenty of upside at a very reasonable salary. His $5,800 price tag on DraftKings is particularly appealing, resulting in a 96% Bargain Rating. His optimal lineup rate is also north of 20% in Sim Labs, so there’s plenty of potential here.
Contrarian NFL DFS Tournament Options With Upside
Michael Pittman ($5,100 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel)
Pittman is coming off his worst game of the year in Week 6. He finished with a season-low three targets, and he logged just two catches for 20 yards. He also failed to find the end zone after scoring in four of his first five outings.
Pittman’s production has come from touchdowns more than anything else, and there’s always risk in those types of players. In weeks where they don’t find the paint, it’s going to be tough for them to return value. In the two games where Pittman hasn’t scored this season, he has just 4.0 and 8.0 DraftKings points.
The positive is that the Colts are expected to do some scoring on Sunday. They’re taking on the Chargers in a game with the second-highest total on the slate (48.5 points). The Chargers are listed as slight home favorites, but it still looks like a favorable game script overall.
Pittman stands out as a solid source of value using our projections. Only Rice has a better projected Plus/Minus on DraftKings, while only Diggs is better on FanDuel.
Rome Odunze ($6,600 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel)
The Odunze breakout appeared to be full steam ahead through the first four games this season, with the second-year receiver scoring at least 15.2 DraftKings points in each contest. However, Odunze took a clear step back following the team’s Week 5 bye. He had a season-low 17% target share in that contest, and he finished with just five targets, two catches, and 32 yards.
Still, Odunze has commanded WR1 usage all season. Even with last week’s clunker, he’s still posted a 25% target share and 42% air yards share for the year. He’s ninth at the position in terms of PPR points per game, and he draws an excellent matchup this week vs. the Saints. They’re 27th in pass defense EPA this season, so it’s an elite spot for Odunze to bounce back.
Odunze could also fly under the radar just a bit. He’s currently projected for less than 15% ownership despite his very reasonable $6,600 salary.
Matthew Golden ($4,700 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel)
Rookie receivers historically tend to see a bit of a bump following their team’s bye week. Perhaps that will be the case with Golden this year. He’s coming off just five targets last week vs. the Bengals, but he did post a season-high 86 receiving yards.
Golden still has to navigate a loaded Packers’ receiving corps, but Christian Watson is going to miss one more week before being activated from IR. Jayden Reed is also still sidelined, so there should be opportunities for Golden to make some plays.
He’s taking on the Cardinals this week, who have improved defensively in 2025. However, the Packers are still listed as seven-point favorites in this matchup, and their 25.75 implied team total is the fourth-highest on the slate. Golden should carry single-digit ownership across the industry, and he has solid upside at that figure.
Lil’Jordan Humphrey ($3,100 DraftKings, $4,700 FanDuel)
The Giants are going to have to survive at receiver without Nabers for the rest of the season. Darius Slayton is also doubtful to suit up in Week 7 vs. the Broncos, leaving the team without two of their top downfield threats.
While Wan’Dale Robinson still profiles as the team’s top receiver, Humphrey was a massive part of their passing attack with Nabers and Slayton out of the picture in Week 6. He posted a 28% target share, 51% air yards share, and 100% end zone share, and he finished with 9.5 DraftKings points. It’s hard to overlook those types of numbers at essentially a minimum price tag, even in a brutal matchup vs. the Broncos.
Pictured: Chris Olave
Photo Credit: Imagn
