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 tournament, 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
NEW: DFS Terminal – a new tool with modern features designed to help you succeed at DFS.
Puka Nacua ($8,800 DraftKings, $9,200 FanDuel)
The Rams have put together back-to-back ass kickings, albeit against the Chargers and Raiders. Despite being down Davante Adams, their offense has had no issues moving the ball.
Of course, having Nacua helps tremendously. He remains one of the league’s premier wide receivers, and he’s scored a touchdown in back-to-back games. Only Jaxon Smith-Njigba has averaged more fantasy points per game at the position this season.
From a usage standpoint, Nacua is up there with any receiver in football. He’s racked up a 35% target share, and he’s been targeted on 36% of his routes run (TPRR). He’s also amassed 40% of the team’s air yards and 38% of their end zone targets. Those figures only figure to increase with Adams out of the picture. Nacua had a 57% target share last week, and his 11 receptions were his second-most in a game this season.
Nacua will have just a smidge more competition for targets in Week 9. Terrance Ferguson will suit up for the first time since Week 3, and he should become the team’s No. 2 option. That said, Nacua is still going to be a massive target hog for as long as Adams is sidelined.
Nacua has posted a Plus/Minus in back-to-back games, despite failing to crack 100 receiving yards in either. That could certainly change this week. The Rams are taking on the Commanders, who have been merely average vs. the pass. More importantly, their offense has been competent. They’re listed as just 4.5-point underdogs, so the Rams could have to throw the ball more often than they have the past two weeks.
Nacua owns the top raw projections in our NFL Models, and he’s first at the position in projected FanDuel Plus/Minus. He’s No. 3 on DraftKings, making him the clear top choice if spending up.
Adonai Mitchell ($4,500 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel)
There are a handful of strong value targets at the position this week, but Mitchell might be the best of the bunch. He’s already been a big part of the Jets’ passing attack this season, racking up a 21% target share and 42% air yards share, and he’s coming off 30.2 DraftKings points last week vs. the Raiders.
Now, Mitchell will have a chance to step into the Jets’ WR1 role. Garrett Wilson has been ruled out vs. the Chiefs, and he leads the team with a 29% target share for the year. It opens up a bunch of additional opportunities for Mitchell and the rest of the roster. Even during Mitchell’s big Week 8 performance, Wilson still had 39% of the Jets’ targets.
The matchup vs. the Chiefs is less exciting. They’ve had a good defense this season, ranking 11th in EPA per pass defensively. They’ve also allowed the second-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing receivers.
Still, Mitchell is simply too cheap across the industry. He’d arguably be too cheap even with Wilson healthy, so his $4,500 salary on DraftKings stands out as a massive value. He ultimately ranks second at the position in projected Plus/Minus.
Matthew Golden ($7,000 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel)
What does Golden have to do to get some respect? He’s up to WR12 in terms of fantasy points per game, and he’s WR7 overall. He’s also racked up at least 12 targets in three straight outings, giving him some of the best volume in football.
But for some reason, his price has stayed pretty stagnant. That’s particularly true on FanDuel. His $6,800 price tag is absurd, and it results in a 99% Bargain Rating. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five of his past six games, yet FanDuel refuses to give him a bump.
Until Golden starts to be properly appreciated, he’s going to be a weekly option in all but the toughest of matchups. The Patriots defense is solid, but they’re far from a unit you need to fear. In fact, they’ve allowed the eighth-most fantasy points per game to opposing receivers.
Golden is viable across the industry, but he ranks third at the position in projected FanDuel Plus/Minus. He’s a slam-dunk cash game play on that site.
Amon-Ra St. Brown ($8,100 DraftKings, $8,600 FanDuel)
The Lions have turned in two consecutive subpar performances by their lofty standards. They were arguably the best offense in football before their Week 6 bye, and each of their first five games reached at least 55 total points. The Lions defense has picked up the slack the past two weeks – and got a bit healthier during the bye – propelling them to wins over the Vikings and Packers.
Still, this is an offensive-focused team, and they should be able to get back to business this week. They’re taking on the Dolphins, who currently rank dead last in EPA per pass defensively. The Lions are currently implied for 28.5 points, which is tied for the third-best mark on the slate.
St. Brown has been just a notch below the true fantasy superstars at receiver, but his usage has been elite. He owns a 32% target share for the year, and he’s been at 33% or higher in five of seven games. That includes three straight.
As long as the Lions don’t boat race the Dolphins, St. Brown is poised for a big bounce-back performance. He’s available at a slight discount to the other top receivers on the slate, but he has comparable upside.
Top NFL DFS Tournament Options
CeeDee Lamb ($8,300 DraftKings, $8,800 FanDuel)
It’s really close between St. Brown and Lamb for the No. 3 spot at receiver this week. The two players aren’t separated by much. Both guys have excellent matchups, and both of their teams have identical implied team totals.
Lamb does have a bit more competition for targets. He has to share the field with George Pickens who is also capable of putting up huge performances at receiver. However, Lamb has been the team’s clear-cut No. 1 option this year. He owns a 31% target share and 32% TPRR, to go along with a 40% air yards share and 50% end zone share. Each of those marks is the best on the team, and only Smith-Njigba and Nacua have averaged more fantasy points per game.
Ultimately, Lamb gets a slight edge over St. Brown in terms of projected Plus/Minus, while the latter has a slight edge in Sim Labs. St. Brown ranks second in terms of optimal lineup rate, while Lamb checks in at No. 3.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba ($9,300 DraftKings, $9,500 FanDuel)
Speaking of Smith-Njigba, he is always worth considering for fantasy purposes. In PPR leagues, no player at any position has averaged more fantasy points per game. He’s somehow been even better than he was last year, leading the league with 985 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns. He’s also leading the league in yards per touch for the second consecutive season.
JSN will have to “deal” with a backup QB this week, with Drew Lock stepping in for Sam Darnold. That said, it could end up being an upgrade. Lock has been better than Darnold statistically this season, and he’s leaned heavily on JSN when in the lineup. Smith-Njigba posted a 46% target share in Week 1 and a 42% mark in Week 2, and he finished with a season-high 45.5 DraftKings points in that outing.
That game came against the Cardinals in Arizona, and he’ll get to face the Cardinals once again in Week 9. This week’s game will be in Seattle, where the Seahawks are listed as 8.5-point favorites. No one has been able to slow down JSN yet, so there’s no reason to expect much difference this week.
Antonio Williams ($4,100 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel)
The Commanders will have a pretty thin receiving corps this week. Terry McLaurin was already out of the lineup, and he’ll be joined by Treylon Burks in Week 9. Burks had a 79% route participation and 21% target share last week, so his absence is going to open up some additional opportunities for the rest of the roster.
While Stefon Diggs is the Commanders’ No. 1 receiver, Williams is arguably their best fantasy target. He led the team in both routes and targets last week, and his 25% target share was his best mark of the year. He ultimately finished with 10.4 DraftKings points despite failing to score a touchdown.
Williams is priced at just $4,100 vs. the Rams, and that is simply too cheap for his potential volume. He actually leads all receivers in projected DraftKings Plus/Minus, so he has some appeal in all formats.
Contrarian NFL DFS Tournament Options With Upside
Omar Cooper ($4,900 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel)
Mitchell figures to get most of the attention in the Jets’ receiving corps this week. He’s coming off the bigger performance last week, and he’s a bit cheaper than Cooper across the industry. That’s enough to give him the edge in our projections.
That said, there’s certainly a possibility that Cooper emerges as the team’s top option sans Wilson. He’s still at the very beginning of his career, but he’s ripped off 100+ yards and a touchdown in two of the past three weeks. Unfortunately, the outlier was last week, and it was an ugly zero-target performance.
The good news is that Cooper was still on the field for 50 of the Jets’ 64 offensive plays. That number could approach 100% with Wilson out of the lineup vs. the Chiefs. He ultimately stands out as the most undervalued option at receiver in Sim Labs, with his optimal rate exceeding his projected ownership by a wide margin.
Caleb Douglas ($4,200 DraftKings, $5,200 FanDuel)
Douglas is another potentially undervalued rookie. While his performance last week wasn’t nearly as good as his 21.0 DraftKings points two weeks ago, it was still a step in the right direction. He earned more targets and was on the field for more snaps; the offense just wasn’t as productive as it was vs. the Jets.
Miami is going to have to throw the ball to try to keep up with the Lions this week. While Detroit’s defense seems improved, it’s still a spot where they could have some success. The Lions rank 29th in pass defense EPA, and they’ve allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to opposing receivers.
George Pickens ($6,300 DraftKings, $7,400 FanDuel)
Pickens has taken a clear backseat to Lamb this season, but he’s still capable of going off in any matchup. We saw that in Week 5, when he finished with 13 targets, nine catches, 130 receiving yards, one touchdown, and 31.0 DraftKings points. He offers much less week-to-week consistency, but the upside is clearly there.
Pivoting from Lamb to Pickens will result in a significant salary savings, and he’s projected for roughly half the ownership. You can even pair both together with Prescott for a Cowboys double stack.
KC Concepcion ($4,600 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel)
The Browns are another team that will feature a backup QB in Week 9. Shedeur Sanders will make his first start of the year, and that has to be considered a downgrade. DeShaun Watson hasn’t been great this season, but he’s performing better than what we saw from Sanders as a rookie.
That said, Sanders could certainly have improved from last year, and he’ll undoubtedly have a better supporting cast. That includes Concepcion at receiver. The rookie appeared to be coming on, posting target shares of 26% and 29% in back-to-back games in Weeks 6 and 7. That figure dipped to just 8% last week, but he still feels like a player on the rise.
His skill set also aligns with what we saw from Sanders last season. He did not push the ball downfield, and Concepcion does a lot of his damage around the line of scrimmage. It makes him an interesting option against the Saints. He ranks fourth at receiver in projected DraftKings Plus/Minus, and he’s projected for just 7% ownership.
Pictured: Amon-Ra St. Brown
Photo Credit: Imagn
