Week 1 NFL DFS WR Breakdown: Top Cash Game and Tournament Picks

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 the award-winning expert ranker, 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 within the FantasyLabs Models. Subscribers now have the option to purchase Derek Carty’s THE BLITZ from our Marketplace.

You can also combine them to create your own aggregate projections:

Top NFL DFS Cash Game Options

Ja’Marr Chase ($7,800 DraftKings, $8,900 FanDuel)

Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Puka Nacua are not available on the main slate, leaving Chase as the top option by default. That said, it’s not an empty title. Chase is capable of going nuclear any given week, and he’s arguably the top receiver in fantasy regardless of who else is available.

Chase is coming off a slightly disappointing campaign in 2025-26 after a monster season two years ago, but he still had 125 catches, 1,412 receiving yards, and eight scores. His production was clearly impacted by the absence of Joe Burrow, who was limited to just eight starts. Burrow is healthy for the start of the new year, and Chase could be poised for another big season.

He’ll start his year with a matchup vs. the Buccaneers. It’s expected to be a great environment for fantasy purposes, leading the slate with a 50.5-point total. The Bengals are listed as 3.5-point favorites, and their 27.0 implied team total is the third highest on the slate. Tampa Bay’s pass defense was also vulnerable last season, ranking 20th in EPA per pass.

Ultimately, it’s hard to argue against Chase at his current prices. He leads all of Sunday’s receivers in median and ceiling projection, and he’s also first in projected Plus/Minus.

Luther Burden ($5,500 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel)

Burden is an extremely popular breakout pick in his second season. He was used sparingly over the first half of the season, but he was a focal point of the offense down the stretch. He posted an 18% target share from Week 11 on (including playoffs), and he was targeted on 24% of his routes run. Burden was ultimately one of the most efficient receivers in football, averaging 2.69 yards per route run. That was the third best mark among receivers with at least 100 routes run last year, trailing only Nacua and Smith-Njigba.

With more volume in Year Two, Burden could join the elites at the position. That shouldn’t be an issue. Burden had just a 46% route participation as a rookie, and even during his late-season breakout, he was at just 61%. With D.J. Moore now in Buffalo, the coast is clear for Burden to be closer to an every-down player in 2026-27.

Burden also benefits from playing for an elite offense. Head coach Ben Johnson said he wants to set a new NFL record for points per game this season, and that type of talk is catnip for fantasy purposes.

Add it all up, and Burden ranks third at wide receiver in projected Plus/Minus on both DraftKings and FanDuel. He’s a nice combination of value and upside at an affordable price tag.

Chris Olave ($6,700 DraftKings, $7,400 FanDuel)

Olave is someone that I’m personally bullish on this season, especially after the injury to Jordyn Tyson. He was already quietly one of the biggest alpha receivers in football last year. He had a 29% target share, and that number only increased as Tyler Shough got more comfortable. He had a target share of at least 35% in his final two contests, and he finished as a top-two fantasy receiver in each of those contests.

Olave gets to start his season with a strong matchup vs. the Lions. Their defense was pretty exploitable last year, allowing the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing receivers, and they’re pretty thin to start the year. Terrion Arnold is no longer with the squad, while both Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph will miss this contest.

This game has one of the highest totals of the week at 49.5 points, and as seven-point underdogs, the Saints could be forced to throw the ball a bunch. Olave ranks second at the position in projected Plus/Minus on FanDuel, while he’s No. 4 on DraftKings.

Tre Tucker ($4,000 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel)

Finding a value WR3 could be the way to go in cash games this week. Both Chase and Jahmyr Gibbs stand out as excellent pay-up options this week, and there are a number of other appealing high-priced players. The only way to fit all of them is to look for value at some spots, and Tucker stands out as an excellent choice.

The Raiders have arguably the least-impressive group of pass-catchers in football. That’s especially true with Brock Bowers on the shelf. He’s the type of player that could command a 30+% target share this season, and those looks are going to have to go somewhere in his absence.

Tucker is the most likely beneficiary. He led the receiving corps with a 20% target share last year, and no other receiver was above 11%. Michael Mayer should also see a boost sans Bowers, but it still opens up a few additional looks for Tucker.

Add in a nice matchup vs. the Dolphins, and Tucker checks all the boxes for a value play at receiver. He’s second at the position in projected Plus/Minus on DraftKings.

Top NFL DFS Tournament Options

Amon-Ra St. Brown ($7,500 DraftKings, $8,600 FanDuel)

St. Brown has become a slam-dunk option at receiver over the past three seasons. He’s had at least 1,161 receiving yards in four straight years, and he’s added double-digit touchdowns in three straight. St. Brown also set a new career-high with 172 targets last year.

He trails only Chase in terms of ceiling projection among Week 1 WRs. The Lions have the second-highest implied team total on the slate (28.25 points), and he’s historically done his best work playing in Detroit. He’s averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.33 in home games for his career, compared to just +0.26 on the road (per the Trends tool). 

Justin Jefferson ($7,300 DraftKings, $8,100 FanDuel)

Jefferson is coming off a “Larry Fitzgerald” season in 2025-26. He’s still undoubtedly one of the best receivers in football, but he dealt with some of the worst QB play in football. The combination of J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer ranged from bad to awful, and Jefferson’s numbers took a clear hit. He still managed 84 catches and 1,048 yards, but he scored just two touchdowns. Ultimately, he slipped to WR21 in 0.5-PPR scoring.

Hopefully, Kyler Murray taking over at quarterback will send Jefferson back to the top of the fantasy leaderboards. Just in case you need a reminder, here’s how he fared in terms of fantasy points per game before last year’s disastrous QB situation:

• 2024: WR3
• 2023: WR5
• 2022: WR2
• 2021: WR5
• 2020: WR8

Sadly, we’re not getting Jefferson at too much of a discount in Week 1. He’s the third-most expensive receiver on the slate, trailing only Chase and St. Brown. That said, he’s still capable of going off. He has the second-highest Sim Labs optimal lineup rate at wide receiver, and it exceeds his projected ownership on DraftKings by +1.7%. That’s the third-largest gap at the position.

Nico Collins ($7,000 DraftKings, $7,700 FanDuel)

The Texans are a trendy “sleeper” pick to make the Super Bowl this season. They have arguably the best defense in football; they just need the offense to play a bit better than last year.

Having a healthy Collins for the duration would certainly help. He missed the team’s playoff loss to the Patriots last season, and he’s never played more than 15 regular season games in a year.

Collins could be busy to start the year for Houston. Jayden Higgins went down in training camp with a season-ending injury, while Tank Dell will open the year on the PUP list. It leaves just Jaylin Noel and Kayshon Boutte as competition for targets at receiver, and neither guy has been a high-volume receiver for their career.

Collins’ target share last year was just 25%, but it could easily eclipse 30% vs. the Bills. Buffalo’s secondary also has some question marks, so Collins could start the year on a high note. No receiver stands out as more undervalued in Week 1 in Sim Labs. His optimal lineup rate exceeds his projected ownership by +3.2% on DraftKings and +1.7% on FanDuel.

Contrarian NFL DFS Tournament Options With Upside

DeVonta Smith ($6,600 DraftKings, $7,500 FanDuel)

Smith could be poised for a massive jump in production in 2026-27. He’s spent most of his career serving as the 1B to A.J. Brown’s 1A. With Brown now in New England, Smith should ascend to the top of the pecking order.

Smith still managed a healthy 25% target share last year, and that was with Brown checking in at 30%. Smith should assume at least a solid chunk of those targets, pushing him to the 30+% tier in 2026-27.

The only real question is how effective the Eagles’ passing attack will be. Jalen Hurts was a bit of a disaster last year, but he has a long track record of success. If he can get back to his previous levels of production, Smith could be a massive steal at the position. 

Ladd McConkey ($5,900 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel)

McConkey checks a lot of the same boxes as Smith. He’s someone who should see a solid boost in targets this season after the Chargers let Keenan Allen walk. Allen led the Chargers in both targets and receptions last year, and he did a lot of the same things as McConkey. McConkey’s target share slipped to just 21% last season with Allen after sitting at 26% as a rookie.

The Chargers’ offense also has the potential to be much better in general. They brought in Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator, who turned the Dolphins into an elite offensive squad two years ago. There wasn’t much he could do with the remnants of Tua Tagovailoa last year, but the prospect of McDaniel working with Justin Herbert is extremely exciting.

Finally, no team is expected to do more scoring than the Chargers in Week 1. They’re taking on the Cardinals, and they lead all teams with a 28.5-point implied team total.

Add it all up, and McConkey looks like one of the strongest options of the week at receiver. Getting him at less than 10% projected ownership on DraftKings and FanDuel feels like stealing.

Chris Godwin ($5,200 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel)

While the Bengals are getting plenty of attention this week, the Buccaneers are flying a bit under the radar. Part of that is due to how they finished last year. Baker Mayfield was clearly playing through an injury, and the team won just two of their final nine games.

However, the Buccaneers have been a strong offensive squad in the past with Mayfield under center. In fact, Mayfield was a leading MVP candidate before suffering an injury last year.

Emeka Egbuka has been drafted as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver this offseason, but I’m not sure that’s accurate. It’s possible that Godwin is still the top option in Tampa Bay. His projections are in line with Egbuka’s, despite being a full $1,000 cheaper on DraftKings.

Don’t forget how good Godwin was before suffering his devastating ankle injury two years ago. He racked up 50 catches, 576 yards, and five touchdowns in just seven games, and he was the No. 2 receiver in fantasy during that stretch. Godwin is still just 30 years old, and now that his ankle injury is in the rearview mirror, he stands out as a strong contrarian target in what is expected to be a high-scoring affair vs. the Bengals.

Devaughn Vele ($3,500 DraftKings, $5,000 FanDuel)

While Vele doesn’t have the same target upside as Tucker among cheap receivers, he is a similarly appealing value. With Tyson on the shelf for at least the first four weeks, Vele will serve as the No. 2 receiver opposite Olave. He should be on the field for nearly every passing play, and he displayed solid chemistry with Shough before getting injured last season. From Weeks 10 through 13, Vele averaged 6.5 targets, 4.8 receptions, and 59.8 receiving yards per game. He also added a touchdown.

Vele is currently projected for roughly 1% ownership on DraftKings, but his optimal lineup rate checks in at 3.6%. He’s a worthy punt play in stars-and-scrubs builds.

Pictured: Chris Olave
Photo Credit: Imagn