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Week 2 Fantasy WR Breakdown: Davante Adams Should Dominate

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The Week 2 NFL main slate kicks off on Sunday, Sep. 20, at 1 p.m. ET.

In this piece, I highlight the wide receivers who stand out in our large suite of analytical DFS Tools, most specifically our FantasyLabs Models, and I include plenty of actionable analysis relevant to season-long fantasy as well.

New NFL DFS Trial Offer: Try our new football subscription for $4.95 and get access to our industry-leading tools and projections.

Top Wide Receivers in the FantasyLabs Models

There are three wide receivers atop the individual Pro Models that Jonathan Bales, Peter Jennings (CSURAM88), Adam Levitan, Sean Koerner, Chris Raybon, Kevin McClelland (SportsGeek) and I have constructed.

  • Davante Adams: $8,100 DraftKings, $8,600 FanDuel
  • Robert Woods: $6,400 DraftKings, $6,700 FanDuel
  • Mike Williams: $4,200 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel

Odds as of Thursday afternoon and via DraftKings Sportsbook, where you can get up to a $1,000 sign-up bonus today.

Davante Adams: Green Bay Packers (-6.5) vs. Detroit Lions, 49.5 Over/Under

When Adams entered the NFL in 2014, he was just a big-bodied bully-ball receiver with an inflated 233-3,031-38 receiving line in two years at Fresno State.

In his first two NFL seasons, he struggled mightily.

He had flashes: In Week 13 of his rookie year, he led the Packers with 6-121-0 receiving on 11 targets in a 26-21 road win over the mighty Patriots, who had the shutdown cornerback duo of Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner.

In his first playoff game — a classic 26-21 home win over the Cowboys — Adams was a team-best 7-117-1 receiving on 11 targets. (By the way, Dez Bryant caught that ball.)

And in one 2015 game, Adams got an unholy 21 targets — plus a two-point attempt that would have tied the game in the final minute if he had caught it — in the ultimate display of trust from quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers’ relationship with Adams is probably the longest one he’s ever had.

But Lysander’s words in A Midsummer Night’s Dream are just as true now as they were when Shakespeare wrote them: The course of true love never did run smooth.

In his first two regular seasons, only three wide receivers with 100-plus targets had marks worse than Adams’ 5.8 yards per target: Cecil Shorts (5.6), Jeremy Kerley (5.6) and Tavon Austin (5.5). Adams was No. 83 out of 86 qualifiers. He was arguably not good enough to be an NFL starter.

But Adams worked at his craft. He honed his technique. He did the work on the field and in the film room. He fashioned himself into a master route-running artist.

In his third year, Adams put it all together with a 75-997-12 breakout campaign, and since then, he has been one of the league’s best receivers.

In the post-Jordy Nelson era in particular, Adams has been exceptional: Since 2018, Adams has been the NFL’s most productive wide receiver on a per-game basis (including postseason, per our FantasyLabs Trends Tool).

  • Fantasy Production: 22.8 DraftKings points | +5.03 Plus/Minus | 76.7% Consistency Rating
  • Football Production: 94.6 yards and 0.73 touchdowns on 7.5 receptions and 11.2 targets

Week in and week out for the past two-plus seasons, Adams has crushed his salary-based expectations unlike any other wide receiver.

  • Michael Thomas: 22.2 DraftKings points | +2.54 Plus/Minus | 58.3% Consistency Rating
  • Julio Jones: 21.2 DraftKings points | +2.68 Plus/Minus | 56.3% Consistency Rating
  • DeAndre Hopkins: 20.1 DraftKings points | +1.68 Plus/Minus | 47.2% Consistency Rating

These three All-Pro talents have been great, but Adams has been better. Since 2018, Adams has been a fantasy WR1 in 57% of his 28 regular-season games (per RotoViz NFL Stat Explorer).

That kind of consistency at wide receiver is incogitable.

In each of the past two years, Adams has been a top-three producer in DraftKings points per snap (per Pro Football Focus).

  • 2019: 0.37 (2nd)
  • 2018: 0.36 (3rd)

And then in Week 1 … well, you saw what happened. Adams dominated the Vikings with an orgasm-inducing slate-best 14-156-2 receiving performance on 17 targets. Naturally, he was in the Millionaire Maker-winning lineup (per our FantasyLabs Contests Dashboard).

Adams is an All-Pro receiver without the recognition.

For most of the past two years, Thomas has been the consensus No. 1 wide receiver in dynasty, but I think the question needs to be asked: Should Adams be No. 1?

Adams has the usage and the talent to make a case.

For Week 2, Adams has a great matchup against the Lions, who allowed a league-high 503.2 air yards and yards after the catch (AirYAC) combined per game last year (per AirYards.com).

On top of that, starting cornerbacks Jeffrey Okudah (hamstring), Desmond Trufant (hamstring) and Justin Coleman (hamstring, IR) are all dealing with significant injuries. The Lions might actually need to start three backup cornerbacks this week.

In his two games against defense-focused head coach Matt Patricia’s Lions, Adams has done what he does.

  • Week 17, 2019 (on road): 22.3 DraftKings points | 7-93-1 receiving on 13 targets
  • Week 5, 2018 (on road): 32.0 DraftKings points | 9-140-1 receiving on 12 targets

Excuse me, you just drooled on my shoe.

Last week, the Bears wide receivers collectively ranked No. 6 with 47.9 DraftKings points on 14-201-2 receiving against the Lions. Adams will have a massive edge no matter which cornerback he faces on any given snap.

With Rodgers as their starter, the Packers are 53-30-3 against the spread (ATS) at home in the regular season, good for an A-graded 24.1% return on investment (ROI, per Bet Labs).



Adams and the Packers are investable from a number of angles.

The No. 1 wide receiver in our Week 2 fantasy rankings, Adams is a strong candidate for cash games — but he might be someone to fade in guaranteed prize pools given that he’s almost certain to be the slate’s most popular receiver.

It won’t be easy to fade him in tournaments — it won’t be comfortable — but contrarianism isn’t comfortable, and to be a contrarian is to be a winner. Speaking of which …

But if you go with him in tournaments, use our Lineup Builder to stack Adams with Rodgers. Over the past year, Adams and Rodgers have had an elite 0.63 correlation in production. If Adams goes off, the odds are that Rodgers will, too.

Adams is the No. 1 option in the Bales, Levitan, Raybon, SportsGeek and Freedman Models for DraftKings, where he has position-high marks with his median and ceiling projections, +3.87 Projected Plus/Minus and seven Pro Trends.

Adams is also the top wide receiver in the Levitan, Koerner, Raybon, SportsGeek and Freedman Models for FanDuel.

Robert Woods: Los Angeles Rams (+1) at Philadelphia Eagles, 45.5 O/U

Woods is simply way too cheap, especially on FanDuel, where he has the No. 17 wide receiver salary but the No. 4 ceiling projection. Bang a gong, if you know what I mean. (Even I don’t know what I mean.)

For the past two years, Woods has been one of the league’s most underappreciated receivers, consistently producing at a near-elite level.

  • 2019 (15 games): 90-1,134-2 receiving on 139 targets | 17-115-1 rushing
  • 2018 (16 games): 86-1,219-6 receiving on 130 targets | 19-157-1 rushing

Unsurprisingly, he was 6-105-0 receiving and 1-14-0 rushing in Week 1 against the Cowboys. It wasn’t quite a “Party in the Tunnel with the Strobe Lights!” performance, but it was close.

For Week 2, Woods is likely to face the shadow coverage of Eagles cornerback Darius Slay.

For a half-decade span in Detroit, Slay was one of the league’s most reliable cover men.

  • 2018: 78.2 PFF coverage grade, 6.2 yards per target
  • 2017: 80.0 PFF coverage grade, 6.8 yards per target
  • 2016: 80.2 PFF coverage grade, 6.8 yards per target
  • 2015: 77.0 PFF coverage grade, 8.5 yards per target
  • 2014: 70.0 PFF coverage grade, 7.0 yards per target

Slay was especially strong in 2016-18, a period highlighted by a 2017 All-Pro campaign in which he posted league-high marks with eight interceptions and 26 passes defended.

With the Lions, he regularly faced opposing No. 1 receivers and was one of the few shadow defenders capable of tailing his man from the perimeter to the slot.

But in 2019 Slay had a remarkably bad year with a 56.9 PFF coverage grade and 8.2 yards per target. Why? Maybe the problem was head coach Matt Patricia’s defense. Maybe the problem was that Slay, at 28 years old, was no longer the athlete he was as a younger player.

Either way, the Lions traded him to the Eagles this offseason for third- and fifth-round picks, and in Week 1 against Washington, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz used him in shadow coverage against emerging second-year wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who had a good game with 5-61-0 receiving on seven targets — but not a great game.

Slay might be returning to form.

Even so, he’s unlikely to shut Woods down entirely. When the Lions hosted the Rams in Week 13 of 2018, Slay was the primary defender against Woods, who had 16.3 FanDuel points on 5-67-1 receiving with eight targets and 2-11-0 rushing.

A high-end WR2 with upside in season-long leagues, Woods should draw consideration in DFS cash games and tournaments and is the No. 1 receiver in the Bales and CSURAM88 Models for FanDuel.

New NFL DFS Trial Offer: Try our new football subscription for $4.95 and get access to our industry-leading tools and projections.

Mike Williams: Los Angeles Chargers (+8.5) vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 47.5 O/U

Let’s just get this out of the way so you know where I stand …

That’s not a #hottaek. That’s just the stone-cold truth.

Let’s ignore what Williams did in 2017 when he lost much of his rookie campaign to a back injury. Let’s look only at what he has done in the past two-plus seasons and compare that to Allen over the same time (per RotoViz Screener).

  • Mike Williams (34 games): 0.53 receiving success rate, 10.2 yards per target, 6.6% touchdown rate
  • Keenan Allen (34 games): 0.59 receiving success rate, 8.3 yards per target, 4.2% touchdown rate

Allen has the higher success rate, and that’s indicative of his chain-moving role within the offense, but Williams is still way more efficient at turning his targets into yards and touchdowns.

The efficiency edge Williams has is reflected in RotoViz’s reFPOEPA metric (receiving fantasy points over expectation per attempt). Adjusted for field position, Allen has a 0.14 reFPOEPA: On a per-target basis, he gets 0.14 fantasy points more than you’d expect a league-average wide receiver to get. That’s not bad.

But Williams has a 0.32 reFPOEPA.

Last year, the difference between Allen and Williams was both minimal and obvious.

  • Keenan Allen (2019): 74.9 yards on 9.3 targets per game
  • Mike Williams (2019): 66.7 yards on 6.0 targets per game

Despite having 55% more targets than Williams, Allen had just 12.3% more receiving yardage. In a more rational world, some of Allen’s targets would have been reallocated to Williams in 2019.

As it happens, that’s what we saw in Week 1, when Williams had a team-high nine targets.

  • Keenan Allen: 7.7 DraftKings points | 4-37-0 receiving on eight targets
  • Mike Williams: 10.9 DraftKings points | 4-69-0 receiving on nine targets

It’s not a surprise that Williams outperformed Allen last week, given that his skill set is probably a better match for quarterback Tyrod Taylor than Allen’s is.

With Williams, Taylor can simply throw the ball deep and let his receiver make a play. To wit …

With Allen, Taylor needs to throw with anticipation and precision. As we saw on Sunday, that’s not likely to happen often.

Last year, Williams was No. 2 among starting wide receivers with an 18.3-yard average depth of target (aDOT) and No. 3 with 11.8 yards per target (per PFF).

He was basically a more downfield version of Kenny Golladay with fewer targets and bad touchdown luck.

  • Kenny Golladay (16 games): 113 targets, 16.1 aDOT, 10.5 yards per target, 14 end-zone targets
  • Mike Williams (15 games): 85 targets, 18.3 aDOT, 11.8 yards per target, 12 end-zone targets

Even though he missed Week 4 with an injury and was limited in the middle of the season with a lingering knee issue, Williams had 1,001 yards receiving for the year. If not for hilariously and randomly scoring just two touchdowns last year, Williams would have entered the season with a 2019 Golladay-level of hype.

Last year, Williams was No. 15 in the league with 120.9 AirYAC per game. Allen was No. 17 with 117.2. Insert shrug emoji.

Allen is almost certainly the more nuanced player: He’s known for his precise route-running technique and ability to get open.

That might not matter.

Williams is more physically dominant, and I expect that lots of people — in a pre-Moneyball fashion — overvalue Allen and undervalue Williams for reasons that have more to do with aesthetics and less to do with statistics.

Williams was drafted No. 7 overall just three years ago. He has elite size (6-foot-4, 218 pounds). In just his second season, he had double-digit receiving touchdowns. Seven years into his career, Allen has yet to hit that mark. In his most efficient campaign, Allen had 10.0 yards per target as a rookie. Williams has surpassed that mark twice with 10.1 in 2018 and 11.1 in 2019.

Williams missed Week 4 last year because of a knee injury, but since his return in Week 5, he has actually outproduced Allen (continuing into this season).

  • Mike Williams (13 games): 45-913-2 receiving on 84 targets
  • Keenan Allen (13 games): 74-784-3 receiving 110 targets

In this 13-game span, Allen has been the more desirable fantasy option in scoring formats that reward receptions — but Williams has been the superior (or at least the more efficient and productive) NFL player. Allen has the edge on Williams in routes (511 vs. 491) and snaps (768 vs. 748), but Williams has done more with his opportunities.

  • Mike Williams (13 games): 1.86 yards per route, 1.22 yards per snap
  • Keenan Allen (13 games): 1.53 yards per route, 1.02 yards per snap

At some point, there will be a reckoning. This year, I won’t be surprised if Williams has more yards and touchdowns — and maybe even more targets — than Allen.

As for Week 2, Williams is in an intriguing spot. He’s on the positive side of his reverse splits as an underdog.

  • Underdog (11 games): 14.3 DraftKings points | +5.41 Plus/Minus | 63.6% Consistency Rating
  • Favorite (23 games): 9.62 DraftKings points | +0.84 Plus/Minus | 52.2% Consistency Rating

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is an A-graded 66-44-3 ATS (17.4% ROI) when playing outside of Kansas City: The Chargers will likely need to throw to keep up with the Chiefs, and that could mean more and higher-quality downfield targets for Williams.

And the matchup looks exploitable. The Chiefs are likely to be without both starting perimeter cornerbacks: Bashaud Breeland (suspension) is definitely out, and Charvarius Ward (hand) did not practice on Wednesday after leaving Week 1 early.

In their absence last week, slot man Rashad Fenton shifted to the outside, undrafted backup journeyman Antonio Hamilton defended the interior and fourth-round rookie L’Jarius Sneed started on the perimeter. Yuk.

In Week 1 against the Chiefs, field-stretcher Will Fuller was the No. 11 wide receiver with 22.2 DraftKings points on 8-112-0 receiving with 10 targets. Williams and Fuller are different types of players, but they both get their targets downfield and attack defenses deep.

Williams has underappreciated potential: Last week he was No. 9 in the league with 156 AirYAC (per RotoViz Statistical Summary). Given that usage, it’s not a surprise that Williams is the No. 1 player in Josh Hermsmeyer’s Air Yards Buy Low Model.

A season-long WR3 with blowup potential, Williams is a boom-or-bust big-play GPP-only option who probably works best as the “bring back” player in Chiefs-focused game stacks.

William is the No. 1 wide receiver in the CSURAM88 and Koerner Models for DraftKings.

Upside Wide Receivers for Guaranteed Prize Pools

DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona Cardinals ($7,700 DK, $8,300 FD): A three-time All-Pro, Hopkins looked at home last week in his Arizona debut, balling out as a top-six fantasy receiver with 14-151-0 receiving on 16 targets.

Washington perimeter cornerbacks Ronald Darby and Fabian Moreau are both exploitable: Last year, Darby was one of the worst starting corners in the league with his 39.8 PFF coverage, and Moreau has marks of 42.2, 58.3 and 56.4 in his three NFL seasons.

Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs ($7,500 DK, $8,000 FD): Week 1 was a little “meh” for Hill, who was an unmemorable 5-46-1 receiving on six targets, and he has a tough matchup against top-six PFF cornerbacks Casey Hayward Jr. and Chris Harris Jr. But in his 29 full games with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Hill has averaged 20.0 DraftKings and 16.4 FanDuel points with 90.1 scrimmage yards and 0.79 all-purpose touchdowns.

Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons ($7,400 DK, $8,200 FD): The godfather enters Week 2 leading the league in receiving thanks to his 9-157-0 line on 12 targets against the Seahawks, and he’s in another eruption spot given that the Falcons-Cowboys game has a slate-high 53-point over/under. I project him to match up most with cornerback Trevon Diggs, who is playing in just his second NFL game.

Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings ($7,200 DK, $7,300 FD): In the absence of former teammate Stefon Diggs, Thielen played as the team’s true No. 1 receiver last week, putting up a trash time-aided top-three 6-110-2 stat line (with a two-point reception) on eight targets. With an average of 18.1 DraftKings and 13.8 FanDuel points in 19 games as an underdog since his 2016 breakout season, Thielen is on the positive side of his splits.

Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons ($6,800 DK, $7,100 FD): That 90-1 ticket on Ridley to lead the league in receiving is looking pretty good right now. In Week 1, the third-year breakout was the No. 2 fantasy receiver courtesy of a 9-130-2 receiving performance on 12 targets, and this week, he has a position-high seven pro Trends on FanDuel.

JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers ($6,500 DK, $7,100 FD): Last year, Smith-Schuster dealt with knee, toe and concussion issues while missing four games and playing without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. With a top-10 fantasy performance on 6-69-2 receiving with six targets, Smith-Schuster returned to form in Week 1, and now he has a must-start matchup against a Broncos defense missing No. 1 cornerback A.J. Bouye (shoulder, IR) and starting in the slot an undrafted rookie named … checking notes … Essang Bailey.

Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills ($6,500 DK, $6,800 FD): In his Bills debut, Diggs looked good with an efficient 8-86-0 receiving on nine targets, and he might be in line for more volume in Week 2 given that teammate John Brown (foot) missed Wednesday practice with an injury.

Dolphins No. 1 cornerback Xavien Howard (knee) is uncertain after playing just 27 snaps last week, and last year the Fins were No. 32 with a 43.4% pass-defense DVOA (per Football Outsiders).

Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($6,400 DK, $7,400 FD): Last week, Evans (hamstring) had a 93% snap rate despite dealing with a soft-tissue injury, so he seems likely to play this week and should see more than the four targets he had against the Saints, especially since teammate Chris Godwin (concussion) is uncertain to play. An elite deep receiver, Evans was No. 1 last year with 158.9 AirYAC per game, and the Panthers are without three of their four top cornerbacks from last season, including No. 1 corner James Bradberry.

Allen Robinson, Chicago Bears ($6,400 DK, $7,000 FD): Reports indicate that A-Rob wishes to be traded, but there was nothing wrong with his usage in Week 1, when he was No. 6 in the league with 169 AirYAC on nine targets. Against the Giants, he has an exploitable matchup with second-year sixth-round cornerback Corey Ballentine, who in his short career has allowed 9.2 yards per target to opposing receivers.

Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys ($6,300 DK, $7,000 FD): In a tough shadow matchup with cornerback Jalen Ramsey, Cooper was still 10-81-0 receiving and No. 3 in the league with 14 targets. This week …

… we should see a big bounce-back against a Falcons secondary that PFF ranked No. 30 entering the season.

D.J. Moore, Carolina Panthers ($6,300 DK, $6,800 FD): The disappointment with Moore was palpable last week after his 4-54-0 receiving letdown in a smash spot, but investors should be encouraged by his team-high nine targets, two of which were in the end zone. Moore is slated to match up with up-and-coming cornerback Carlton Davis, but Moore is every bit a No. 1 receiver after putting up 1,175 receiving yards last year in his 22-year-old second season.

Will Fuller, Houston Texans ($6,300 DK, $6,100 FD): In his 21 mostly healthy games with quarterback Deshaun Watson over the past three-plus years, Fuller has averaged 17.1 DraftKings and 13.7 FanDuel points, and in Week 1, he rewarded backers with an 8-112-0 receiving performance on 10 targets.

The Ravens boast the No. 1 secondary in the league, thanks primarily to cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters, but Fuller has the talent and now the target volume to go off in any week.

Marquise Brown, Baltimore Ravens ($6,200 DK, $6,200 FD): Players are normally more expensive on FanDuel than DraftKings (because of the former’s larger salary cap), but that’s not the case with Hollywood, who is way too cheap after his 5-101-0 performance on six targets in Week 1. Brown has a position-high 98% Bargain Rating on FanDuel and a destructive matchup against Texans cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III, who has allowed 9.1 yards per target for his career.

A.J. Brown, Tennessee Titans ($6,100 DK, $6,600 FD): On Monday Night Football, Brown disappointed with 5-39-0 receiving, but he had a team-high eight targets and was the only Titans wide receiver targeted in the end zone. In Week 12 against the Jaguars last year, Brown had a 4-135-1 breakout on five targets.

D.J. Chark, Jacksonville Jaguars ($6,000 DK, $6,700 FD): In a game in which quarterback Gardner Minshew attempted just 20 passes, Chark made the most of his opportunities with a 3-25-1 receiving performance on three targets. On the positive side of his reverse splits, Chark had 19.1 DraftKings and 15.2 FanDuel points with 70.5 yards and 0.83 touchdowns on 5.7 receptions and 9.3 targets in his games last year as a road underdog.

Terry McLaurin, Washington Football Team ($5,900 DK, $6,500 FD): Week 1 wasn’t exactly a pants-off party for McLaurin, but he did lead the Footballers with five receptions, 61 yards receiving and 98 AirYAC. Last year, the Cardinals were No. 31 with a 41.8 PFF coverage grade.

T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts ($5,700 DK, $6,300 FD): The consummation devoutly to be wished, Week 1 was not — but Hilton still had a team-high nine targets. Since his 2014 breakout season, Hilton has averaged 19.5 DraftKings and 15.4 FanDuel points in his 26 games as a home favorite … with someone other than quarterback Jacoby Brissett as the starter.

Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys ($5,600 DK, $6,000 FD): Victim to a bogus pass interference call that negated a 47-yard completion in the game’s final minute, Gallup in reality had a bigger Week 1 performance than his 3-50-0 stat line indicates. On the positive side of his splits, Gallup averaged 19.9 DraftKings and 16.5 FanDuel points with 90.3 yards and 0.83 touchdowns on 4.8 receptions and 8.1 targets in his six games as a home favorite last year.

DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles ($5,100 DK, $5,500 FD): There’s nothing special about a 2-46-0 receiving line, but Jackson had an NFL-high 221 AirYAC in Week 1 — on just seven targets — and he should see more than 37 snaps this week. D-Jax might see shadow coverage from cornerback Jalen Ramsey, but he has the ability to score on any play, and in his 21 games with a receiving touchdown since 2014 (his first year away from the Eagles), Jackson has averaged 101.1 scrimmage yards.

Darius Slayton, New York Giants ($5,000 DK, $5,300 FD): With his 6-102-2 receiving line on nine targets in Week 1, Slayton now has three 100-2 performances in 15 career games. An explosive playmaker, Slayton could continue to enjoy inflated target volume with teammate Golden Tate (hamstring) hampered by injury.

Sammy Watkins, Kansas City Chiefs ($4,800 DK, $5,900 FD): In Week 1, Watkins had team-high marks with his 7-82-1 receiving line and nine targets.

Projected to be rostered in no more than 8% of tournament lineups, Watkins has scored a touchdown in 16.7% of his Chiefs games — and in those outings, he has averaged a GPP-altering 30.2 DraftKings and 24.8 FanDuel points.

Russell Gage, Atlanta Falcons ($4,800 DK, $5,400 FD): Is Gage likely to repeat his Week 1 feat of 9-114-0 receiving on 12 targets? No … but in his 10 games since former teammate Mohamad Sanu was traded, Gage has averaged 7.8 targets, and in an expected shootout with the Cowboys, that kind of volume could carry him to another big performance.

CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys ($4,700 DK, $5,200 FD): In his NFL debut, Lamb played 82% of the team’s offensive snaps and ran 90% of his routes from the slot. Facing a Falcons defense that last year was No. 27  in the league with a 20.7% pass-defense DVOA against No. 3 wide receivers, Lamb could explode this week — a fact reflected in his position-high +4.19 Projected Plus/Minus on FanDuel.

Parris Campbell, Indianapolis Colts ($4,500 DK, $5,300 FD): Following his nothingburger of a rookie campaign, Campbell made good in Week 1 with 6-71-0 receiving on nine targets and 1-9-0 rushing. With a team-high 125 AirYAC, Campbell has a good matchup against a Vikings defense that is starting three new cornerbacks and just allowed the Packers wideouts to go off for 22-315-4 receiving on 27 targets.

Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers ($4,500 DK, $5,800 FD): After leading all rookies last year with 59 receptions, Johnson underwhelmed in Week 1 with 6-57-0 receiving, to which he added a lost fumble and a drop. But he still led the team with 10 targets and 95 AirYAC, and this week, he faces a Broncos defense missing No. 1 cornerback A.J. Bouye (shoulder, IR) and starting third-round rookie Michael Ojemudia on the perimeter.

Christian Kirk, Arizona Cardinals ($4,300 DK, $5,700 FD): Even though Kirk was a laughable 1-0-0 receiving last week, he was No. 2 on the team with 73 AirYAC and five targets. The Football Team is not a good football team.

Laviska Shenault, Jacksonville Jaguars ($4,200 DK, $4,900 FD): In his NFL debut, Shenault flashed with 3-37-1 receiving and 2-10-0 rushing. The Titans are without No. 1 cornerback Adoree’ Jackson (knee, IR).

Jalen Reagor, Philadelphia Eagles ($4,100 DK, $5,100 FD): A 59% snap rate, four targets and one reception doesn’t get the blood flowing, but Reagor has undeniable big-play potential.

In Week 1 he was No. 14 in the league with 139 AirYAC, and if teammate DeSean Jackson is shadowed by cornerback Jalen Ramsey, Reagor could face fairly soft coverage.

Scotty Miller, Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($4,100 DK, $5,200 FD): Teammates Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (concussion) are dealing with injuries, so Miller could see extra targets against the Panthers. A speedy John Brown-esque receiver, Miller impressed in Week 1 with 5-73-0 receiving on six targets and 1-6-0 rushing.

Breshad Perriman, New York Jets ($3,800 DK, $5,200 FD): In case you’re feeling nasty. Slot receiver Jamison Crowder (hamstring) is uncertain to play, perimeter receiver Denzel Mims (hamstrings, plural; IR) is out, and 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman (calf, IR) is on the sideline.

Chris Hogan, New York Jets ($3,200 DK, $4,500 FD): I’m talking really nasty. An in-his-prime Michael Hutchence-level nastiness.

FantasyLabs Positional Breakdowns

For more in-depth NFL analysis, check out The Action Network. For updates, see our FantasyLabs News Feed.



Matthew Freedman is the Editor-in-Chief of FantasyLabs. He has a dog and sometimes a British accent. In Rosemount, Minnesota, he’s known only as The Labyrinthian.

Pictured above: Davante Adams
Photo credit: Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

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The Week 2 NFL main slate kicks off on Sunday, Sep. 20, at 1 p.m. ET.

In this piece, I highlight the wide receivers who stand out in our large suite of analytical DFS Tools, most specifically our FantasyLabs Models, and I include plenty of actionable analysis relevant to season-long fantasy as well.

New NFL DFS Trial Offer: Try our new football subscription for $4.95 and get access to our industry-leading tools and projections.

Top Wide Receivers in the FantasyLabs Models

There are three wide receivers atop the individual Pro Models that Jonathan Bales, Peter Jennings (CSURAM88), Adam Levitan, Sean Koerner, Chris Raybon, Kevin McClelland (SportsGeek) and I have constructed.

  • Davante Adams: $8,100 DraftKings, $8,600 FanDuel
  • Robert Woods: $6,400 DraftKings, $6,700 FanDuel
  • Mike Williams: $4,200 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel

Odds as of Thursday afternoon and via DraftKings Sportsbook, where you can get up to a $1,000 sign-up bonus today.

Davante Adams: Green Bay Packers (-6.5) vs. Detroit Lions, 49.5 Over/Under

When Adams entered the NFL in 2014, he was just a big-bodied bully-ball receiver with an inflated 233-3,031-38 receiving line in two years at Fresno State.

In his first two NFL seasons, he struggled mightily.

He had flashes: In Week 13 of his rookie year, he led the Packers with 6-121-0 receiving on 11 targets in a 26-21 road win over the mighty Patriots, who had the shutdown cornerback duo of Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner.

In his first playoff game — a classic 26-21 home win over the Cowboys — Adams was a team-best 7-117-1 receiving on 11 targets. (By the way, Dez Bryant caught that ball.)

And in one 2015 game, Adams got an unholy 21 targets — plus a two-point attempt that would have tied the game in the final minute if he had caught it — in the ultimate display of trust from quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers’ relationship with Adams is probably the longest one he’s ever had.

But Lysander’s words in A Midsummer Night’s Dream are just as true now as they were when Shakespeare wrote them: The course of true love never did run smooth.

In his first two regular seasons, only three wide receivers with 100-plus targets had marks worse than Adams’ 5.8 yards per target: Cecil Shorts (5.6), Jeremy Kerley (5.6) and Tavon Austin (5.5). Adams was No. 83 out of 86 qualifiers. He was arguably not good enough to be an NFL starter.

But Adams worked at his craft. He honed his technique. He did the work on the field and in the film room. He fashioned himself into a master route-running artist.

In his third year, Adams put it all together with a 75-997-12 breakout campaign, and since then, he has been one of the league’s best receivers.

In the post-Jordy Nelson era in particular, Adams has been exceptional: Since 2018, Adams has been the NFL’s most productive wide receiver on a per-game basis (including postseason, per our FantasyLabs Trends Tool).

  • Fantasy Production: 22.8 DraftKings points | +5.03 Plus/Minus | 76.7% Consistency Rating
  • Football Production: 94.6 yards and 0.73 touchdowns on 7.5 receptions and 11.2 targets

Week in and week out for the past two-plus seasons, Adams has crushed his salary-based expectations unlike any other wide receiver.

  • Michael Thomas: 22.2 DraftKings points | +2.54 Plus/Minus | 58.3% Consistency Rating
  • Julio Jones: 21.2 DraftKings points | +2.68 Plus/Minus | 56.3% Consistency Rating
  • DeAndre Hopkins: 20.1 DraftKings points | +1.68 Plus/Minus | 47.2% Consistency Rating

These three All-Pro talents have been great, but Adams has been better. Since 2018, Adams has been a fantasy WR1 in 57% of his 28 regular-season games (per RotoViz NFL Stat Explorer).

That kind of consistency at wide receiver is incogitable.

In each of the past two years, Adams has been a top-three producer in DraftKings points per snap (per Pro Football Focus).

  • 2019: 0.37 (2nd)
  • 2018: 0.36 (3rd)

And then in Week 1 … well, you saw what happened. Adams dominated the Vikings with an orgasm-inducing slate-best 14-156-2 receiving performance on 17 targets. Naturally, he was in the Millionaire Maker-winning lineup (per our FantasyLabs Contests Dashboard).

Adams is an All-Pro receiver without the recognition.

For most of the past two years, Thomas has been the consensus No. 1 wide receiver in dynasty, but I think the question needs to be asked: Should Adams be No. 1?

Adams has the usage and the talent to make a case.

For Week 2, Adams has a great matchup against the Lions, who allowed a league-high 503.2 air yards and yards after the catch (AirYAC) combined per game last year (per AirYards.com).

On top of that, starting cornerbacks Jeffrey Okudah (hamstring), Desmond Trufant (hamstring) and Justin Coleman (hamstring, IR) are all dealing with significant injuries. The Lions might actually need to start three backup cornerbacks this week.

In his two games against defense-focused head coach Matt Patricia’s Lions, Adams has done what he does.

  • Week 17, 2019 (on road): 22.3 DraftKings points | 7-93-1 receiving on 13 targets
  • Week 5, 2018 (on road): 32.0 DraftKings points | 9-140-1 receiving on 12 targets

Excuse me, you just drooled on my shoe.

Last week, the Bears wide receivers collectively ranked No. 6 with 47.9 DraftKings points on 14-201-2 receiving against the Lions. Adams will have a massive edge no matter which cornerback he faces on any given snap.

With Rodgers as their starter, the Packers are 53-30-3 against the spread (ATS) at home in the regular season, good for an A-graded 24.1% return on investment (ROI, per Bet Labs).



Adams and the Packers are investable from a number of angles.

The No. 1 wide receiver in our Week 2 fantasy rankings, Adams is a strong candidate for cash games — but he might be someone to fade in guaranteed prize pools given that he’s almost certain to be the slate’s most popular receiver.

It won’t be easy to fade him in tournaments — it won’t be comfortable — but contrarianism isn’t comfortable, and to be a contrarian is to be a winner. Speaking of which …

But if you go with him in tournaments, use our Lineup Builder to stack Adams with Rodgers. Over the past year, Adams and Rodgers have had an elite 0.63 correlation in production. If Adams goes off, the odds are that Rodgers will, too.

Adams is the No. 1 option in the Bales, Levitan, Raybon, SportsGeek and Freedman Models for DraftKings, where he has position-high marks with his median and ceiling projections, +3.87 Projected Plus/Minus and seven Pro Trends.

Adams is also the top wide receiver in the Levitan, Koerner, Raybon, SportsGeek and Freedman Models for FanDuel.

Robert Woods: Los Angeles Rams (+1) at Philadelphia Eagles, 45.5 O/U

Woods is simply way too cheap, especially on FanDuel, where he has the No. 17 wide receiver salary but the No. 4 ceiling projection. Bang a gong, if you know what I mean. (Even I don’t know what I mean.)

For the past two years, Woods has been one of the league’s most underappreciated receivers, consistently producing at a near-elite level.

  • 2019 (15 games): 90-1,134-2 receiving on 139 targets | 17-115-1 rushing
  • 2018 (16 games): 86-1,219-6 receiving on 130 targets | 19-157-1 rushing

Unsurprisingly, he was 6-105-0 receiving and 1-14-0 rushing in Week 1 against the Cowboys. It wasn’t quite a “Party in the Tunnel with the Strobe Lights!” performance, but it was close.

For Week 2, Woods is likely to face the shadow coverage of Eagles cornerback Darius Slay.

For a half-decade span in Detroit, Slay was one of the league’s most reliable cover men.

  • 2018: 78.2 PFF coverage grade, 6.2 yards per target
  • 2017: 80.0 PFF coverage grade, 6.8 yards per target
  • 2016: 80.2 PFF coverage grade, 6.8 yards per target
  • 2015: 77.0 PFF coverage grade, 8.5 yards per target
  • 2014: 70.0 PFF coverage grade, 7.0 yards per target

Slay was especially strong in 2016-18, a period highlighted by a 2017 All-Pro campaign in which he posted league-high marks with eight interceptions and 26 passes defended.

With the Lions, he regularly faced opposing No. 1 receivers and was one of the few shadow defenders capable of tailing his man from the perimeter to the slot.

But in 2019 Slay had a remarkably bad year with a 56.9 PFF coverage grade and 8.2 yards per target. Why? Maybe the problem was head coach Matt Patricia’s defense. Maybe the problem was that Slay, at 28 years old, was no longer the athlete he was as a younger player.

Either way, the Lions traded him to the Eagles this offseason for third- and fifth-round picks, and in Week 1 against Washington, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz used him in shadow coverage against emerging second-year wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who had a good game with 5-61-0 receiving on seven targets — but not a great game.

Slay might be returning to form.

Even so, he’s unlikely to shut Woods down entirely. When the Lions hosted the Rams in Week 13 of 2018, Slay was the primary defender against Woods, who had 16.3 FanDuel points on 5-67-1 receiving with eight targets and 2-11-0 rushing.

A high-end WR2 with upside in season-long leagues, Woods should draw consideration in DFS cash games and tournaments and is the No. 1 receiver in the Bales and CSURAM88 Models for FanDuel.

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Mike Williams: Los Angeles Chargers (+8.5) vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 47.5 O/U

Let’s just get this out of the way so you know where I stand …

That’s not a #hottaek. That’s just the stone-cold truth.

Let’s ignore what Williams did in 2017 when he lost much of his rookie campaign to a back injury. Let’s look only at what he has done in the past two-plus seasons and compare that to Allen over the same time (per RotoViz Screener).

  • Mike Williams (34 games): 0.53 receiving success rate, 10.2 yards per target, 6.6% touchdown rate
  • Keenan Allen (34 games): 0.59 receiving success rate, 8.3 yards per target, 4.2% touchdown rate

Allen has the higher success rate, and that’s indicative of his chain-moving role within the offense, but Williams is still way more efficient at turning his targets into yards and touchdowns.

The efficiency edge Williams has is reflected in RotoViz’s reFPOEPA metric (receiving fantasy points over expectation per attempt). Adjusted for field position, Allen has a 0.14 reFPOEPA: On a per-target basis, he gets 0.14 fantasy points more than you’d expect a league-average wide receiver to get. That’s not bad.

But Williams has a 0.32 reFPOEPA.

Last year, the difference between Allen and Williams was both minimal and obvious.

  • Keenan Allen (2019): 74.9 yards on 9.3 targets per game
  • Mike Williams (2019): 66.7 yards on 6.0 targets per game

Despite having 55% more targets than Williams, Allen had just 12.3% more receiving yardage. In a more rational world, some of Allen’s targets would have been reallocated to Williams in 2019.

As it happens, that’s what we saw in Week 1, when Williams had a team-high nine targets.

  • Keenan Allen: 7.7 DraftKings points | 4-37-0 receiving on eight targets
  • Mike Williams: 10.9 DraftKings points | 4-69-0 receiving on nine targets

It’s not a surprise that Williams outperformed Allen last week, given that his skill set is probably a better match for quarterback Tyrod Taylor than Allen’s is.

With Williams, Taylor can simply throw the ball deep and let his receiver make a play. To wit …

With Allen, Taylor needs to throw with anticipation and precision. As we saw on Sunday, that’s not likely to happen often.

Last year, Williams was No. 2 among starting wide receivers with an 18.3-yard average depth of target (aDOT) and No. 3 with 11.8 yards per target (per PFF).

He was basically a more downfield version of Kenny Golladay with fewer targets and bad touchdown luck.

  • Kenny Golladay (16 games): 113 targets, 16.1 aDOT, 10.5 yards per target, 14 end-zone targets
  • Mike Williams (15 games): 85 targets, 18.3 aDOT, 11.8 yards per target, 12 end-zone targets

Even though he missed Week 4 with an injury and was limited in the middle of the season with a lingering knee issue, Williams had 1,001 yards receiving for the year. If not for hilariously and randomly scoring just two touchdowns last year, Williams would have entered the season with a 2019 Golladay-level of hype.

Last year, Williams was No. 15 in the league with 120.9 AirYAC per game. Allen was No. 17 with 117.2. Insert shrug emoji.

Allen is almost certainly the more nuanced player: He’s known for his precise route-running technique and ability to get open.

That might not matter.

Williams is more physically dominant, and I expect that lots of people — in a pre-Moneyball fashion — overvalue Allen and undervalue Williams for reasons that have more to do with aesthetics and less to do with statistics.

Williams was drafted No. 7 overall just three years ago. He has elite size (6-foot-4, 218 pounds). In just his second season, he had double-digit receiving touchdowns. Seven years into his career, Allen has yet to hit that mark. In his most efficient campaign, Allen had 10.0 yards per target as a rookie. Williams has surpassed that mark twice with 10.1 in 2018 and 11.1 in 2019.

Williams missed Week 4 last year because of a knee injury, but since his return in Week 5, he has actually outproduced Allen (continuing into this season).

  • Mike Williams (13 games): 45-913-2 receiving on 84 targets
  • Keenan Allen (13 games): 74-784-3 receiving 110 targets

In this 13-game span, Allen has been the more desirable fantasy option in scoring formats that reward receptions — but Williams has been the superior (or at least the more efficient and productive) NFL player. Allen has the edge on Williams in routes (511 vs. 491) and snaps (768 vs. 748), but Williams has done more with his opportunities.

  • Mike Williams (13 games): 1.86 yards per route, 1.22 yards per snap
  • Keenan Allen (13 games): 1.53 yards per route, 1.02 yards per snap

At some point, there will be a reckoning. This year, I won’t be surprised if Williams has more yards and touchdowns — and maybe even more targets — than Allen.

As for Week 2, Williams is in an intriguing spot. He’s on the positive side of his reverse splits as an underdog.

  • Underdog (11 games): 14.3 DraftKings points | +5.41 Plus/Minus | 63.6% Consistency Rating
  • Favorite (23 games): 9.62 DraftKings points | +0.84 Plus/Minus | 52.2% Consistency Rating

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is an A-graded 66-44-3 ATS (17.4% ROI) when playing outside of Kansas City: The Chargers will likely need to throw to keep up with the Chiefs, and that could mean more and higher-quality downfield targets for Williams.

And the matchup looks exploitable. The Chiefs are likely to be without both starting perimeter cornerbacks: Bashaud Breeland (suspension) is definitely out, and Charvarius Ward (hand) did not practice on Wednesday after leaving Week 1 early.

In their absence last week, slot man Rashad Fenton shifted to the outside, undrafted backup journeyman Antonio Hamilton defended the interior and fourth-round rookie L’Jarius Sneed started on the perimeter. Yuk.

In Week 1 against the Chiefs, field-stretcher Will Fuller was the No. 11 wide receiver with 22.2 DraftKings points on 8-112-0 receiving with 10 targets. Williams and Fuller are different types of players, but they both get their targets downfield and attack defenses deep.

Williams has underappreciated potential: Last week he was No. 9 in the league with 156 AirYAC (per RotoViz Statistical Summary). Given that usage, it’s not a surprise that Williams is the No. 1 player in Josh Hermsmeyer’s Air Yards Buy Low Model.

A season-long WR3 with blowup potential, Williams is a boom-or-bust big-play GPP-only option who probably works best as the “bring back” player in Chiefs-focused game stacks.

William is the No. 1 wide receiver in the CSURAM88 and Koerner Models for DraftKings.

Upside Wide Receivers for Guaranteed Prize Pools

DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona Cardinals ($7,700 DK, $8,300 FD): A three-time All-Pro, Hopkins looked at home last week in his Arizona debut, balling out as a top-six fantasy receiver with 14-151-0 receiving on 16 targets.

Washington perimeter cornerbacks Ronald Darby and Fabian Moreau are both exploitable: Last year, Darby was one of the worst starting corners in the league with his 39.8 PFF coverage, and Moreau has marks of 42.2, 58.3 and 56.4 in his three NFL seasons.

Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs ($7,500 DK, $8,000 FD): Week 1 was a little “meh” for Hill, who was an unmemorable 5-46-1 receiving on six targets, and he has a tough matchup against top-six PFF cornerbacks Casey Hayward Jr. and Chris Harris Jr. But in his 29 full games with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Hill has averaged 20.0 DraftKings and 16.4 FanDuel points with 90.1 scrimmage yards and 0.79 all-purpose touchdowns.

Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons ($7,400 DK, $8,200 FD): The godfather enters Week 2 leading the league in receiving thanks to his 9-157-0 line on 12 targets against the Seahawks, and he’s in another eruption spot given that the Falcons-Cowboys game has a slate-high 53-point over/under. I project him to match up most with cornerback Trevon Diggs, who is playing in just his second NFL game.

Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings ($7,200 DK, $7,300 FD): In the absence of former teammate Stefon Diggs, Thielen played as the team’s true No. 1 receiver last week, putting up a trash time-aided top-three 6-110-2 stat line (with a two-point reception) on eight targets. With an average of 18.1 DraftKings and 13.8 FanDuel points in 19 games as an underdog since his 2016 breakout season, Thielen is on the positive side of his splits.

Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons ($6,800 DK, $7,100 FD): That 90-1 ticket on Ridley to lead the league in receiving is looking pretty good right now. In Week 1, the third-year breakout was the No. 2 fantasy receiver courtesy of a 9-130-2 receiving performance on 12 targets, and this week, he has a position-high seven pro Trends on FanDuel.

JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers ($6,500 DK, $7,100 FD): Last year, Smith-Schuster dealt with knee, toe and concussion issues while missing four games and playing without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. With a top-10 fantasy performance on 6-69-2 receiving with six targets, Smith-Schuster returned to form in Week 1, and now he has a must-start matchup against a Broncos defense missing No. 1 cornerback A.J. Bouye (shoulder, IR) and starting in the slot an undrafted rookie named … checking notes … Essang Bailey.

Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills ($6,500 DK, $6,800 FD): In his Bills debut, Diggs looked good with an efficient 8-86-0 receiving on nine targets, and he might be in line for more volume in Week 2 given that teammate John Brown (foot) missed Wednesday practice with an injury.

Dolphins No. 1 cornerback Xavien Howard (knee) is uncertain after playing just 27 snaps last week, and last year the Fins were No. 32 with a 43.4% pass-defense DVOA (per Football Outsiders).

Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($6,400 DK, $7,400 FD): Last week, Evans (hamstring) had a 93% snap rate despite dealing with a soft-tissue injury, so he seems likely to play this week and should see more than the four targets he had against the Saints, especially since teammate Chris Godwin (concussion) is uncertain to play. An elite deep receiver, Evans was No. 1 last year with 158.9 AirYAC per game, and the Panthers are without three of their four top cornerbacks from last season, including No. 1 corner James Bradberry.

Allen Robinson, Chicago Bears ($6,400 DK, $7,000 FD): Reports indicate that A-Rob wishes to be traded, but there was nothing wrong with his usage in Week 1, when he was No. 6 in the league with 169 AirYAC on nine targets. Against the Giants, he has an exploitable matchup with second-year sixth-round cornerback Corey Ballentine, who in his short career has allowed 9.2 yards per target to opposing receivers.

Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys ($6,300 DK, $7,000 FD): In a tough shadow matchup with cornerback Jalen Ramsey, Cooper was still 10-81-0 receiving and No. 3 in the league with 14 targets. This week …

… we should see a big bounce-back against a Falcons secondary that PFF ranked No. 30 entering the season.

D.J. Moore, Carolina Panthers ($6,300 DK, $6,800 FD): The disappointment with Moore was palpable last week after his 4-54-0 receiving letdown in a smash spot, but investors should be encouraged by his team-high nine targets, two of which were in the end zone. Moore is slated to match up with up-and-coming cornerback Carlton Davis, but Moore is every bit a No. 1 receiver after putting up 1,175 receiving yards last year in his 22-year-old second season.

Will Fuller, Houston Texans ($6,300 DK, $6,100 FD): In his 21 mostly healthy games with quarterback Deshaun Watson over the past three-plus years, Fuller has averaged 17.1 DraftKings and 13.7 FanDuel points, and in Week 1, he rewarded backers with an 8-112-0 receiving performance on 10 targets.

The Ravens boast the No. 1 secondary in the league, thanks primarily to cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters, but Fuller has the talent and now the target volume to go off in any week.

Marquise Brown, Baltimore Ravens ($6,200 DK, $6,200 FD): Players are normally more expensive on FanDuel than DraftKings (because of the former’s larger salary cap), but that’s not the case with Hollywood, who is way too cheap after his 5-101-0 performance on six targets in Week 1. Brown has a position-high 98% Bargain Rating on FanDuel and a destructive matchup against Texans cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III, who has allowed 9.1 yards per target for his career.

A.J. Brown, Tennessee Titans ($6,100 DK, $6,600 FD): On Monday Night Football, Brown disappointed with 5-39-0 receiving, but he had a team-high eight targets and was the only Titans wide receiver targeted in the end zone. In Week 12 against the Jaguars last year, Brown had a 4-135-1 breakout on five targets.

D.J. Chark, Jacksonville Jaguars ($6,000 DK, $6,700 FD): In a game in which quarterback Gardner Minshew attempted just 20 passes, Chark made the most of his opportunities with a 3-25-1 receiving performance on three targets. On the positive side of his reverse splits, Chark had 19.1 DraftKings and 15.2 FanDuel points with 70.5 yards and 0.83 touchdowns on 5.7 receptions and 9.3 targets in his games last year as a road underdog.

Terry McLaurin, Washington Football Team ($5,900 DK, $6,500 FD): Week 1 wasn’t exactly a pants-off party for McLaurin, but he did lead the Footballers with five receptions, 61 yards receiving and 98 AirYAC. Last year, the Cardinals were No. 31 with a 41.8 PFF coverage grade.

T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts ($5,700 DK, $6,300 FD): The consummation devoutly to be wished, Week 1 was not — but Hilton still had a team-high nine targets. Since his 2014 breakout season, Hilton has averaged 19.5 DraftKings and 15.4 FanDuel points in his 26 games as a home favorite … with someone other than quarterback Jacoby Brissett as the starter.

Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys ($5,600 DK, $6,000 FD): Victim to a bogus pass interference call that negated a 47-yard completion in the game’s final minute, Gallup in reality had a bigger Week 1 performance than his 3-50-0 stat line indicates. On the positive side of his splits, Gallup averaged 19.9 DraftKings and 16.5 FanDuel points with 90.3 yards and 0.83 touchdowns on 4.8 receptions and 8.1 targets in his six games as a home favorite last year.

DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles ($5,100 DK, $5,500 FD): There’s nothing special about a 2-46-0 receiving line, but Jackson had an NFL-high 221 AirYAC in Week 1 — on just seven targets — and he should see more than 37 snaps this week. D-Jax might see shadow coverage from cornerback Jalen Ramsey, but he has the ability to score on any play, and in his 21 games with a receiving touchdown since 2014 (his first year away from the Eagles), Jackson has averaged 101.1 scrimmage yards.

Darius Slayton, New York Giants ($5,000 DK, $5,300 FD): With his 6-102-2 receiving line on nine targets in Week 1, Slayton now has three 100-2 performances in 15 career games. An explosive playmaker, Slayton could continue to enjoy inflated target volume with teammate Golden Tate (hamstring) hampered by injury.

Sammy Watkins, Kansas City Chiefs ($4,800 DK, $5,900 FD): In Week 1, Watkins had team-high marks with his 7-82-1 receiving line and nine targets.

Projected to be rostered in no more than 8% of tournament lineups, Watkins has scored a touchdown in 16.7% of his Chiefs games — and in those outings, he has averaged a GPP-altering 30.2 DraftKings and 24.8 FanDuel points.

Russell Gage, Atlanta Falcons ($4,800 DK, $5,400 FD): Is Gage likely to repeat his Week 1 feat of 9-114-0 receiving on 12 targets? No … but in his 10 games since former teammate Mohamad Sanu was traded, Gage has averaged 7.8 targets, and in an expected shootout with the Cowboys, that kind of volume could carry him to another big performance.

CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys ($4,700 DK, $5,200 FD): In his NFL debut, Lamb played 82% of the team’s offensive snaps and ran 90% of his routes from the slot. Facing a Falcons defense that last year was No. 27  in the league with a 20.7% pass-defense DVOA against No. 3 wide receivers, Lamb could explode this week — a fact reflected in his position-high +4.19 Projected Plus/Minus on FanDuel.

Parris Campbell, Indianapolis Colts ($4,500 DK, $5,300 FD): Following his nothingburger of a rookie campaign, Campbell made good in Week 1 with 6-71-0 receiving on nine targets and 1-9-0 rushing. With a team-high 125 AirYAC, Campbell has a good matchup against a Vikings defense that is starting three new cornerbacks and just allowed the Packers wideouts to go off for 22-315-4 receiving on 27 targets.

Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers ($4,500 DK, $5,800 FD): After leading all rookies last year with 59 receptions, Johnson underwhelmed in Week 1 with 6-57-0 receiving, to which he added a lost fumble and a drop. But he still led the team with 10 targets and 95 AirYAC, and this week, he faces a Broncos defense missing No. 1 cornerback A.J. Bouye (shoulder, IR) and starting third-round rookie Michael Ojemudia on the perimeter.

Christian Kirk, Arizona Cardinals ($4,300 DK, $5,700 FD): Even though Kirk was a laughable 1-0-0 receiving last week, he was No. 2 on the team with 73 AirYAC and five targets. The Football Team is not a good football team.

Laviska Shenault, Jacksonville Jaguars ($4,200 DK, $4,900 FD): In his NFL debut, Shenault flashed with 3-37-1 receiving and 2-10-0 rushing. The Titans are without No. 1 cornerback Adoree’ Jackson (knee, IR).

Jalen Reagor, Philadelphia Eagles ($4,100 DK, $5,100 FD): A 59% snap rate, four targets and one reception doesn’t get the blood flowing, but Reagor has undeniable big-play potential.

In Week 1 he was No. 14 in the league with 139 AirYAC, and if teammate DeSean Jackson is shadowed by cornerback Jalen Ramsey, Reagor could face fairly soft coverage.

Scotty Miller, Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($4,100 DK, $5,200 FD): Teammates Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (concussion) are dealing with injuries, so Miller could see extra targets against the Panthers. A speedy John Brown-esque receiver, Miller impressed in Week 1 with 5-73-0 receiving on six targets and 1-6-0 rushing.

Breshad Perriman, New York Jets ($3,800 DK, $5,200 FD): In case you’re feeling nasty. Slot receiver Jamison Crowder (hamstring) is uncertain to play, perimeter receiver Denzel Mims (hamstrings, plural; IR) is out, and 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman (calf, IR) is on the sideline.

Chris Hogan, New York Jets ($3,200 DK, $4,500 FD): I’m talking really nasty. An in-his-prime Michael Hutchence-level nastiness.

FantasyLabs Positional Breakdowns

For more in-depth NFL analysis, check out The Action Network. For updates, see our FantasyLabs News Feed.



Matthew Freedman is the Editor-in-Chief of FantasyLabs. He has a dog and sometimes a British accent. In Rosemount, Minnesota, he’s known only as The Labyrinthian.

Pictured above: Davante Adams
Photo credit: Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

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About the Author

Matthew Freedman is the Editor-in-Chief of FantasyLabs. The only edge he has in anything is his knowledge of '90s music.