Week 18 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 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

Puka Nacua ($9,000 DraftKings, $9,900 FanDuel)

Sean McVay is notorious for not playing his guys in meaningless contests. His starters see almost no action in the preseason, and they sat out in Week 18 in a similar situation last year.

With that in mind, the fact that he’s rolling his guys out there in Week 18 vs. the Cardinals is absolutely shocking. The Rams are locked into a Wild Card spot in the playoffs, but there’s still a chance they could get up to the No. 5 seed. That would mean a game vs. the NFC South champ, which would undoubtedly be easier than going on the road vs. the Bears or Eagles. That still gives them something to play for, and they would need a win in Week 18 for that to be a possibility.

As long as McVay doesn’t rug pull us, it’s hard not to view Nacua as the top stud receiver on this slate. He has been exceptional in recent weeks. He had three straight games with 38.7, 30.9, and 49.5 DraftKings points from Weeks 14 through 16. Nacua slipped down to “just” 15.7 DraftKings points in a loss vs. the Falcons last week, but he still had 10 targets in that contest. Overall, he’s posted a massive 32% target share over that stretch, most of which has come with Davante Adams sidelined.

Adams is officially questionable for Week 18, but it’s hard to imagine the Rams rushing him back for a meaningless contest. It seems more likely that he sits than plays, so Nacua could be looking at an expanded workload once again.

He’ll also wrap up his season with an elite matchup vs. the Cardinals. Arizona has been a sieve defensively down the stretch, and Nacua torched them for seven catches, 167 yards, and two touchdowns four weeks ago. He leads all receivers in median and ceiling projection, and he owns the best projected Plus/Minus among the stud tier.

Darius Slayton ($4,100 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel)

The Giants are going to be pretty thin in their pass-catching corps in Week 18. They’ve been without Malik Nabers for most of the year, and Wan’Dale Robinson and Theo Johnson will join him on the sidelines this Sunday. Even Jalin Hyatt is listed as questionable, so the team simply doesn’t have a ton of available bodies at the moment.

That could force Slayton into a featured role. He’s been the Giants’ No. 2 receiver for most of the year, posting an 82% route participation and 14% target share for the year. Those aren’t elite numbers, but Slayton has posted a 14.8-yard Average Depth of Target (aDOT). His best attribute is his ability to get downfield, so a few additional targets could lead to some big plays.

Then, there’s the matchup vs. the Cowboys. Their defense has been shredded by opposing pass games all season, and they’ve allowed the most fantasy points per game to opposing receivers. The Giants’ receiving corps torched the Cowboys in their matchup back in Week 2, with Nabers (nine catches, 167 yards, two touchdowns), Robinson (eight catches, 142 yards, one touchdown), and Slayton (two catches, 61 yards) all doing damage.

Ja’Marr Chase ($8,500 DraftKings, $9,500 FanDuel)

Chase is another solid stud option to consider on a slate with plenty of appealing values. He’s expected to be the highest-owned option at the position on both DraftKings and FanDuel, and he and the Bengals have shown plenty of fight down the stretch. They racked up 45 points against the Dolphins two weeks ago, and they followed that up with 37 points last week vs. the Cardinals. Chase has had at least 21.0 DraftKings points in four of his past five outings, including three straight.

This week’s matchup vs. the Browns will be a bit more difficult. The Browns are known for having an elite defense, and they’re third in EPA per play for the year. Myles Garrett is also just one sack away from the single-season record.

They did an excellent job against Chase in their first matchup this season, limiting him to five targets, two catches, and 26 scoreless yards. Overall, Chase has an average Plus/Minus of -8.32 in 11 career showdowns vs. the Browns (per the Trends tool).

Still, with the way this offense has been rolling of late, it’s hard not to like their chances. This game will also take place in Cincinnati, and the Browns’ defense hasn’t been nearly as imposing away from home. The Bengals are implied for 26.0 points in this matchup, and if they can approach that figure, there’s a big chance that Chase will be a part of it.

Michael Wilson ($6,600 DraftKings, $7,300 FanDuel)

Marvin Harrison Jr. is trending towards being an all-time draft bust. He still has some time to turn things around, but his second professional season will end with a whimper after landing on IR.

However, his loss is Wilson’s gain. Wilson has been nothing short of dominant when playing without Harrison this season. He’s played in four games without the former No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he’s racked up 36.5, 24.8, 40.2, and 16.4 DraftKings points in those contests. His worst game in that stretch came against the Texans, who possess arguably the best pass defense in football.

His final matchup of the year won’t be easy, but he’s already crushed the Rams once without Harrison this season. He finished with 16 targets, 11 receptions, 142 yards, and two touchdowns when these squads met in Week 15, and he was the No. 1 scorer at receiver for the week. It’s hard to look past a player with that type of upside at his current salaries across the industry.

Now available: our NFL DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.

Top NFL DFS Tournament Options

Amon-Ra St. Brown ($7,700 DraftKings, $9,100 FanDuel)

St. Brown should be available at a slight ownership discount to Nacua and Chase, but he offers similar upside. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been on display recently, with St. Brown going for just 10.8 DraftKings points vs. the Vikings on Christmas and 7.4 vs. the Steelers two weeks prior.

However, St. Brown still had 22 total targets in those outings, and he’s been one of the biggest alphas in the league from a target standpoint this year. He has a 31% target share for the year, and he’s been at 44% or higher in two of his past three games.

St. Brown draws a much friendlier matchup this week vs. the Bears. This game has the highest total on the slate at 50.5 points, and Chicago has allowed the ninth-most PPR points per game to opposing receivers this season. St. Brown ran wild against this unit in their first matchup this season, finishing with nine catches, 115 yards, and three touchdowns. He has the potential to be the highest-scoring receiver for the week, and he provides a nice discount to Nacua and Chase on DraftKings.

Jakobi Meyers ($5,600 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel)

Meyers has stepped right into the WR1 role in Jacksonville after being acquired before the trade deadline. He’s posted a 26% target share since Week 11, and he’s averaged 13.0 PPR points per game during that stretch.

Meyers’ fantasy production has ticked down a smidge in recent weeks, but his workload remains largely unchanged. He still had a 26% target share last week vs. the Colts, but he finished with six receptions for merely 39 yards.

Meyers is in a great spot to bounce back this week vs. the Titans. Their defense has struggled against the pass all season, and the Jaguars lead the slate with a 30.5-point implied team total. Jacksonville is still theoretically playing for the No. 1 seed in the conference, and they need a win to secure the AFC South crown as well. Meyers doesn’t have the same ceiling as some of the top receivers on this slate, but he ranks second on DraftKings in projected Plus/Minus. He’s a logical stacking partner with Trevor Lawrence – the top quarterback on this slate – and has some standalone value as well.

Darius Cooper ($3,300 DraftKings, $4,700 FanDuel)

Cooper is expected to be the most popular value target on this slate, and he’ll likely be used in plenty of cash games. That’s definitely a viable option. He has the third-best projected Plus/Minus in our NFL Models.

Still, I view him as more of a tournament option. The Eagles’ passing game has been a major question mark all season, and that’s been with guys like Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, and DeVonta Smith. Why should we expect things to be much better with Cooper catching passes from Tanner McKee?

Still, there’s no denying that Cooper could provide immense value at just $3,300. He’s expected to serve as the team’s top receiver in a great matchup. Washington ranks dead last in pass defense EPA for the year, and they’ve allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to the position.

Contrarian NFL DFS Tournament Options With Upside

Luther Burden ($5,300 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel)

Burden finally had his true breakout game last week vs. the 49ers. He had flirted with it for the past several weeks, and after a one-game injury absence in Week 16, he erupted for eight receptions, 138 yards, and one touchdown vs. the Lions.

Burden still isn’t an every-snap player – his route participation was just 58% last week – but he has been a featured part of the offense when he has been on the field. He was targeted on 35% of his routes run vs. the 49ers, and he was at 44% in Week 15.

It’s possible that Rome Odunze returns to the lineup for the Bears in their final game of the regular season. He’s been out since Week 14, and his absence has undoubtedly helped Burden. Burden would get a slight downgrade if Odunze does return, but at this point, it’s hard to imagine Burden taking a huge step back. He should continue to be an elite target earner when he’s on the field, and he has an elite matchup this week vs. the Lions. The Bears have the fourth-highest implied team total on the slate, and the Lions have allowed the second-most PPR points per game to opposing receivers.

CeeDee Lamb ($7,300 DraftKings, $9,000 FanDuel)

Lamb should be easily the lowest-owned of the stud receivers on this slate. He’s projected for just 5% ownership on DraftKings vs. the Giants, while his optimal lineup rate is closer to 7.5% in Sim Labs. That’s the fourth-largest discrepancy at the position.

We all know what Lamb is capable of. He’s been limited to just 13 games played this season, but he’s still turned in his fifth consecutive season with more than 1,000 yards. He’s coming off back-to-back subpar showings, but he still had 10 targets last week vs. the Commanders. That was good for a 28% target share, the best on the team.

Lamb draws another solid matchup this week vs. the Giants. They’ve struggled defensively for most of the year, and this game has the second-highest total on the main slate at 49.5 points. Lamb had 11 targets, nine receptions, and 112 receiving yards in his first matchup vs. the Giants, and he could certainly do it again this Sunday. The fact that Dallas is down their top three running backs could also result in a few more looks for Lamb in this matchup.

Courtland Sutton ($5,900 DraftKings, $7,000 FanDuel)

The Broncos are still playing for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and a win over the Chargers in Week 18 would mean that the AFC runs through Denver. They have one of the best home-field advantages in the league, so it’s undoubtedly something worth playing for.

The Broncos will also face an undermanned Chargers squad in their final regular-season contest. They’re going to be without several key pieces, including Justin Herbert on offense and Khalil Mack and Derwin James on defense. It makes the Chargers a much easier matchup than they’ve been for most of the year.

The Broncos should be able to do plenty of scoring against that unit, and they’re currently listed as 13.5-point favorites. Sutton has re-emerged as the team’s clear WR1 down the stretch, posting a 27% target share, 48% air yards share, and 67% end zone share over his past four games. He’s had two top-10 finishes at the position in the past three weeks, so he clearly has some upside at a midrange price tag.

Parker Washington ($5,100 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel)

Washington is another potential pass-catching option for Jacksonville. With the way Lawrence has been playing recently, there’s the possibility for multiple guys to eat in this offense. Brian Thomas Jr. has been a non-factor in recent weeks, allowing Washington to grow his role in the passing attack. He’s garnered a target share of at least 28% in back-to-back games, and he’s finished with 22.0 and 29.5 DraftKings points in those outings.

Washington is projected for roughly 10% ownership on DraftKings, and his optimal lineup rate exceeds that figure. He’s a nice pivot off Meyers in Jaguars’ stacks, and he could even be used alongside him if you’re going all in on Jacksonville.

Pictured: Puka Nacua
Photo Credit: Imagn