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.
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You can also combine them to create your own aggregate projections:
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Amon-Ra St. Brown ($7,900 DraftKings, $9,000 FanDuel)
The Lions have the potential to be a fantasy goldmine this season. They have an elite offense, while their defense has been an abomination. They’ve allowed at least 30 points to both of their first two opponents, and they’re 31st in the league in defensive EPA. That has created some extremely favorable game scripts for their offense.
St. Brown has taken full advantage. He’s scored multiple touchdowns in back-to-back games, and he’s finished with 28.7 and 38.2 DraftKings points in the process.
St. Brown has also seen a massive increase in volume compared to last season. He’s posted a 37% target share through the first two weeks, logging at least 13 targets in both contests. He only managed 67 receiving yards against the Saints in Week 1, but he bounced back with nine catches for 142 yards last week.
St. Brown draws a matchup vs. the Jets this week, who have looked good defensively to start the year. However, they’ve done it against the Titans and Packers. Neither of those teams has been impressive offensively, so this represents a clear step up in weight class. The Lions are still getting plenty of respect from Vegas in this contest, with their 27.25 implied team total ranking fifth on the slate.
Add it all up, and St. Brown stands out as the strongest receiver option in Week 3. His raw projections rank first at the position, despite being available at a slight discount compared to the priciest receivers on the slate. It results in the top Plus/Minus at the position.
Parker Washington ($6,000 DraftKings, $7,100 FanDuel)
There were some questions heading into the season about how the targets would shake out in Jacksonville. On paper, they have one of the deepest groups of receivers in football. Washington emerged as a legit stud down the stretch last season, but Jakobi Meyers, Brian Thomas Jr., and Travis Hunter were all around to soak up targets.
Through two weeks, that competition for targets hasn’t materialized. Washington has been a clear alpha. He’s posted a massive 38% target share, and he’s been targeted on 39% of his routes run. Add in a 50% air yards share, and Washington has some of the best utilization in football.
Washington has posted a positive Plus/Minus in each of his first two games, and he’s coming off a 12-target performance last week vs. the Broncos. He managed seven catches for 98 yards against their elite secondary.
Despite his production, his price has remained pretty stagnant. He’s merely tied for 15th in terms of DraftKings salary, and he’s 13th on FanDuel. That’s simply too cheap based on what we’ve seen from him so far this season.
Xavier Worthy ($4,400 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel)
The Chiefs offense is absolutely rolling. It’s only been two weeks, but this is as good as they’ve looked in years. Kenneth Walker has given them a legit threat on the ground, which has opened things up for Patrick Mahomes through the air. They currently rank first in the league in yardage and third in points, so they could be poised for a massive bounce-back season.
Rashee Rice still figures to be the No. 1 wide receiver in Kansas City, but the gap between him and Worthy has narrowed. In fact, Worthy leads the Chiefs receivers in target share to start the year. He owns a 21% target share, and he’s been at 18+% in each of his first two games. Rice has a target share of just 11%.
There should be plenty of opportunities for the Chiefs to do damage on Sunday. They’re taking on the Dolphins, who have been a disaster to start the season. The Chiefs are listed as 10.5-point favorites, and their 28.25 implied team total ranks fourth on the slate.
Worthy stands out as one of the best sources of value at the position on DraftKings. He’s fourth in projected Plus/Minus, and he has a bit of upside as well. If he can continue to serve as Mahomes’ No. 1 receiver, this price could look silly in a few weeks.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba ($8,600 DraftKings, $9,200 FanDuel)
Paying up for Smith-Njigba on DraftKings is difficult, especially if you’re already targeting St. Brown. But on FanDuel? His price tag comes with an 81% Bargain Rating, and the extra salary means you can definitely pair him with another stud or two in your lineups.
JSN has looked basically unstoppable to start the year. He was already one of the best receivers in football, but he’s seemingly gotten better. Despite playing most of the first two weeks without his starting quarterback, Smith-Njigba has erupted for 17 catches, 277 yards, and four touchdowns. He’s racked up 60.2 fantasy points in 0.5-PPR leagues, and St. Brown is the only other receiver within 15 points of him.
He completely eviscerated the Cardinals secondary last week, and there’s no reason he can’t do it again vs. the Commanders. Their defense was torched by CeeDee Lamb last week, and they’re 26th in pass defense EPA for the year. His raw projections are slightly behind St. Brown’s, but it should shock no one if he’s the highest-scoring receiver for the second straight week.
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CeeDee Lamb ($7,800 DraftKings, $8,600 FanDuel)
Speaking of Lamb, it was nice to see him bounce back after a quiet Week 1. He saw nine targets vs. the Commanders, which he turned into eight catches for 153 yards and two scores. He ultimately finished with 38.3 DraftKings points, and he’s up to WR3 for the year in terms of fantasy production.
Like with the Lions, the Cowboys could be an elite fantasy team to target this season. Their defense hasn’t shown any signs of improvement compared to last year; they’re currently 31st in defensive EPA. That’s going to result in a lot of favorable game scripts. This could be one of them, with the Cowboys-Ravens game leading the slate with a 53.5-point total.
The only thing separating Lamb from guys like St. Brown and Smith-Njigba is his competition for targets. George Pickens is always going to be a threat, and there will be weeks where he gets more opportunities than Lamb. Still, Lamb has a 27% target share through two weeks, which is an excellent figure. He’s also had 46% of the air yards and 60% of the end zone targets, which increases his value.
Garrett Wilson ($6,300 DraftKings, $7,300 FanDuel)
Wilson will be opposing St. Brown and the Lions in Week 3, which is as good as it gets from a matchup standpoint. He should be a popular “bring back” option – paired with guys like St. Brown and Jared Goff – but he has plenty of appeal on his own.
Wilson took a bit of a backseat to Adonai Mitchell in Week 2, but he still profiles as the Jets’ clear-cut No. 1 receiver. He had a 30% target share in Week 1 and was targeted on 33% of his routes run, and he also had 49% of the team’s air yards. Even though he took a slight step back usage-wise in Week 2, he did make up for it by scoring a touchdown.
Against the Lions’ decimated secondary, Wilson has the potential for a huge game. Chris Olave erupted for 182 receiving yards against them in Week 1, and Wilson brings that type of upside to the table. He has the fourth-highest optimal lineup rate in SimLabs, trailing only JSN, St. Brown, and Lamb. Wilson is projected for less ownership than all of them, making him an excellent tournament target.
Jalen Coker ($5,500 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel)
Is it possible that the Panthers offense is going to break out this season? It’s only been two weeks, but the early results are promising. They’ve scored at least 34 points in each of their first two outings, and those look a lot more impressive in retrospect. The Bears defense limited the Vikings to just nine points in Week 2, while the Falcons defense was excellent against the Packers on Thursday. It’s possible that those performances had more to do with the Panthers offense being good than their opponents being terrible.
Part of their success can be attributed to the emergence of Coker. He gives the team a legit No. 2 receiver opposite Tetairoa McMillan. In fact, Coker has actually been the team’s No. 1 receiver to start the year. He leads the squad with a 29% target share, compared to 27% for McMillan. That probably won’t last all year – McMillan had a 30% mark in Week 2, while Coker was at 28% – but the gap between the two doesn’t feel particularly wide.
It makes Coker an intriguing midrange target. He’s a bit cheaper than McMillan across the industry, but the two have nearly identical projections in our NFL Models. He also owns the top optimal lineup rate among receivers priced below $6,000 on DraftKings.
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Ladd McConkey ($5,900 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel)
I don’t blame you if you want nothing to do with the Chargers. No team has been a bigger disappointment through the first two weeks, and now they have to navigate one of the toughest stretches in recent memory. Their next seven games are against the Bills, Seahawks, Broncos, Chiefs, Rams, Texans, and Ravens, so it’s hard to imagine them turning things around.
However, that doesn’t mean they can’t provide some fantasy value. Their matchup against the Bills has a 50.5-point total, which is the second-highest of the week. The Chargers are also listed as 7.5-point underdogs, so it could be a pass-heavy game script.
It makes McConkey an intriguing contrarian target for tournaments. He’s been limited through the first two games, but he’s been targeted on 25% of his routes run. That includes a massive 39% TPRR in Week 1.
If he can maintain that type of volume in a week where the Chargers have to throw the ball 40+ times, he could be poised for a big week. He stands out as an excellent option on FanDuel, where his $6,300 salary comes with a 98% Bargain Rating.
Devaughn Vele ($4,400 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel)
The Saints have been extremely competitive through the first two weeks, despite missing No. 2 receiver Jordyn Tyson. He was expected to be a big part of the equation after the team selected him eighth overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Vele has stepped in for Tyson pretty seamlessly. He’s had at least seven targets in both outings, good for a 19% target share overall. He also managed to score a touchdown in Week 1 vs. the Lions, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in both games.
Vele remains priced very affordably at $4,400 on DraftKings, and he stands out as an excellent value option in Sim Labs. He’s projected for roughly 5.5% ownership, but his optimal lineup rate is closer to 9%. It’s the third-largest discrepancy at the position.
Ja’Marr Chase ($8,100 DraftKings, $8,900 FanDuel)
Chase looks like he could be a bit overlooked this week. You can only afford so many of the top players in fantasy, and guys like Smith-Njigba, St. Brown, and Lamb should garner most of the attention at receiver. Chase draws a matchup vs. the Steelers, who currently rank first in defensive EPA.
Still, Chase is capable of going off against anyone. You’d be hard pressed to find a better defense than the Texans, who Chase got for seven catches, 75 yards, and two scores last week. He’s yet to put together a truly nuclear performance, but no receiver provides a higher ceiling on a week-to-week basis. It doesn’t really matter who the opponent is; any time you can get Chase at reduced ownership, it’s something you should at least consider.
Denzel Boston ($4,500 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel)
The Browns pulled off one of the biggest upsets of Week 2, beating the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay. Boston was a big part of it. He scored a touchdown for the second straight week, while his target share crept up to 24%. He ultimately finished with five catches for 95 yards and a score, resulting in 20.5 DraftKings points.
It’s hard to have any level of trust in the Browns offense, but Boston has proven that he at least has some upside. He should continue to be a focal point of their passing attack with plenty of big-play ability. It makes him a weekly tournament dart throw, especially while his salary remains affordable.
Pictured: Parker Washington
Photo Credit: Imagn
