Week 5 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

Jaylen Waddle ($5,400 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel)

The midrange section at receiver this week feels particularly robust. There are a host of players priced between $5,000 and $6,000 on DraftKings that all have the potential to deliver solid value.

However, Waddle stands out as arguably the strongest option of the bunch. He has the most to gain from his team’s current injury situation. Tyreek Hill went down with an injury in Week 4, and he’ll miss the rest of the year after undergoing knee surgery. That leaves Waddle as the team’s top receiver moving forward. Hill has commanded a team-high 25% target share this season, and those looks are going to have to go somewhere now that he’s out of the picture.

Hill has only missed one game since joining the Dolphins, and Waddle stepped up with a big performance in his absence. He garnered a team-high nine targets, which he converted into eight catches, 142 yards, and a touchdown vs. the Jets. The Jets had one of the best pass defenses in the league that season, so it was an extremely impressive performance.

Can Waddle deliver WR1-caliber performances sans Hill in 2025? That remains to be seen. The offense isn’t firing on all cylinders the same way it has in previous years, with Tua Tagovailoa averaging nearly 100 fewer passing yards per game than he did in 2023. Still, from a pure volume standpoint, Waddle should be able to outproduce his meager price tag across the industry.

Jakobi Meyers ($5,600 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel)

It was the Ashton Jeanty show for the Raiders in Week 4, with the talented rookie running back racking up approximately 150 total yards and three touchdowns. Geno Smith and the passing attack mustered just 117 passing yards, so there wasn’t a ton of value to go around for the pass-catchers.

Still, Meyers’ workload continues to stand out as undervalued. He’s racked up a 27% target share for the year, and that figure was at 35% in Week 4. He also had 57% of the team’s air yards in that contest, though it resulted in a meager four catches for 30 yards overall. There will be weeks where the passing attack is more productive, and Meyers figures to provide excellent value in those contests.

This matchup vs. the Colts could be one of them. The Raiders are currently listed as seven-point underdogs, so they should have to throw the ball more than they did last week. Meyers has historically gotten the job done in comparable spots as a member of the Raiders, providing at least 15.7 DraftKings points in four of his past five games as a dog of at least seven points (per the Trends tool).

Meyers ultimately ranks third at the position in projected Plus/Minus on both DraftKings and FanDuel. He might not provide the same ceiling as some of the other players in this price range, but he’s as steady as they come.

Tetairoa McMillan ($5,700 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel)

McMillan has been underpriced on FanDuel all season, and that’s the case once again in Week 5. He leads all receivers on that site in projected Plus/Minus.

McMillan has stepped into the WR1 role for the Panthers immediately as a rookie. He garnered 25% of the targets and 41% of the air yards, albeit for an underwhelming offense. Bryce Young has seemingly made zero strides since entering the league, despite a brief flash towards the end of last season. He ranks 31st out of 33 qualified quarterbacks in EPA + CPOE composite this season, and he’s 26th at the position in PFF grade. Young also isn’t getting any help from his offensive line, which ranks 22nd in ESPN’s pass block win rate.

Fortunately, the Panthers get a favorable matchup this week vs. the Dolphins. Miami ranks 31st in pass defense EPA, and they’re also 31st in pass rush and coverage grades per PFF. It’s a spot where the Panthers’ passing attack could be far more successful than usual, and McMillan should be one of the biggest beneficiaries. Young has only thrown for more than 154 yards in one contest this season, and McMillan responded with 100 receiving yards. If the Panthers can move the ball a bit more consistently, McMillan should be able to deliver value with some upside as well.

Michael Pittman ($5,100 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel)

While the Panthers’ offense has been a negative surprise, the Colts have been the opposite. They were not expected to do much with Daniel Jones or Anthony Richardson at quarterback this season, but Jones has propelled the offense to unexpected heights. They’re currently fourth in the league in both points and yards per game, and while they did struggle a bit last week, the Rams have an excellent defense.

They should have no such issues this week vs. the Raiders. Las Vegas has been much more vulnerable on that side of the ball, including a 24th-place ranking in pass defense EPA. The Colts are implied for 27 points in this matchup, which is the second-highest mark on the main slate.

Pittman has emerged as Jones’ favorite target in the passing game. He has a 25% target share overall, and he’s been at 25% or higher in three of four games. He was at a season-high 31% target share last week vs. the Rams, and he also had 51% of the team’s air yards and all of their end zone targets.

Ultimately, Pittman has posted a positive Plus/Minus in three of his first four games, and like most of the players in this price range, he still seems too cheap based on his early-season production. He leads all receivers in projected Plus/Minus on DraftKings.

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

Top NFL DFS Tournament Options

Jaxon Smith-Njigba ($7,100 DraftKings, $8,500 FanDuel)

The Seahawks have not been a particularly pass-heavy offense to start the year. They rank second-to-last in Pass Rate Over Expectation, besting only the Jets in that department. Quarterback Sam Darnold has attempted 26 passes or fewer in three of four games, which has kept the overall volume down for the team’s receivers.

However, Darnold has been extremely efficient when he has dropped back to pass, and Smith-Njigba has been his clear go-to receiver. He has a 36% target share for the year, which is tied with Garrett Wilson for the best mark in the league. He also has 50% of his team’s air yards, so he’s been a monster from a usage standpoint.

The Seahawks draw an interesting matchup this week vs. the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay has been the No. 1 defense in football against the run, so it’s a situation where the Seahawks might have to lean on their passing attack. If they crank up the volume for Darnold, it could result in a huge showing from JSN. The Buccaneers allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing receivers last year, giving him elite upside for his price tag. He ranks at the top of the position in terms of ceiling projection, despite checking in at a solid discount compared to Amon-Ra St. Brown and Ja’Marr Chase.

Deebo Samuel ($6,300 DraftKings, $6,400 FanDuel)

Samuel is definitely in the cash game conversation on FanDuel, where his $6,400 salary comes with a 98% Bargain Rating. It’s the top mark at the receiver position, and Samuel has a lot working in his favor in Week 5.

For starters, he’s going to have his stud quarterback back in the lineup. Jayden Daniels has missed the past two games with a knee injury, but he’s officially good to go vs. the Chargers. Terry McLaurin also remains out of the lineup for Washington, so Samuel should be Daniels’ top target in his first game back.

Samuel has already worked well with Daniels, despite McLaurin being in the lineup for both contests. He’s racked up 17 targets in those outings, good for a 25% target share. McLaurin was at 21%, so Samuel could definitely eclipse that figure vs. the Chargers.

The Commanders have also tried to get Samuel involved in the run game a bit more lately. He has three carries in back-to-back games after sitting at one through the first two games combined. It gives Samuel a really strong outlook from a volume standpoint in a game that is expected to be high-scoring. This contest has a 47.5-point total, which is tied for the second-best mark on the slate.

Ultimately, Samuel has the top FanDuel optimal lineup rate in Sim Labs, and he’s No. 2 at the position on DraftKings.

George Pickens ($6,600 DraftKings, $7,100 FanDuel)

The Cowboys are another team that is currently playing without their top receiver. CeeDee Lamb missed last week’s game vs. the Packers, and he’s expected to miss at least one or two more. That opens the door for Pickens to take over as the top option for Dak Prescott.

Pickens turned in one of the best performances of his career in that role vs. the Packers. He racked up 11 targets, which he converted into eight catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns. He finished with 36.4 DraftKings points against a really tough defense, which made him the second-highest-scoring receiver of the week.

Pickens gets a matchup vs. the Jets in Week 5, which should be a much easier task. The Jets have historically had a strong defense, but that has not been the case to start 2025. They’re 30th in pass defense EPA, and the previously elite Sauce Gardner ranks merely 50th out of 101 corners in terms of PFF coverage grade. If Pickens can go off vs. the Packers, he can definitely do the same vs. the Jets.

Pickens is another player who stands out as a better value on FanDuel than DraftKings, but he owns a top-four optimal lineup rate across the industry in Sim Labs.

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Amon-Ra St. Brown ($7,900 DraftKings, $9,300 FanDuel)

It’s possible that St. Brown is a bit overlooked this week. There are plenty of strong options in the midrange, while guys like JSN and Pickens could get more attention at the top of the pricing spectrum. However, St. Brown’s optimal lineup rate is still north of 20% on DraftKings, so he’s definitely worth consideration.

St. Brown has been a fantastic receiver for years now, but he’s taken his game to another level in 2025. His target share is up to 28%, which would represent a new career best. He’s responded with 27 catches for 307 yards and an NFL-best six touchdowns.

While St. Brown has definitely run hot from a touchdown perspective, there’s no reason to expect the Lions’ offense to slow down in Week 5. They’re currently implied for a slate-high 30 points, and they should be able to do serious damage vs. the Bengals. They rank 22nd in pass defense EPA, and they’ve allowed the eighth-most PPR points to opposing receivers.

Wan’Dale Robinson ($5,300 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel)

Robinson is currently projected for less than 4% ownership on DraftKings, but he should step into the Giants’ No. 1 receiver role following the injury to Malik Nabers. Nabers has been an absolute target hog since landing in New York, so it opens the door for guys like Robinson and Darius Slayton to get a bit more involved moving forward. Robinson’s target share is already at 24% for the year, and he was on the field for 100% of the team’s passing plays last week.

The only real question is how much the Giants will throw the ball with Jaxson Dart at QB. He was more impressive as a runner than a passer in Week 1, with Dart managing just 111 passing yards and one touchdown on his 20 attempts.

However, that was a game that the Giants lead throughout, and that probably won’t be the case most weeks. They’re currently listed as slight underdogs on the road vs. the Saints, and if the Giants have to throw the ball a bit more, they could have success in this matchup. The Saints rank merely 29th in pass defense EPA, so Robinson has some sneaky upside.

Chris Olave ($5,200 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel)

On the other side of that matchup, the Saints’ offense has been a bit better than expected this season. They still haven’t been good – they’re 28th in points per game and 22nd in yards – but they’ve at least been able to move the chains from time to time. It’s more than we thought would happen with Spencer Rattler under center.

Olave has been the clear focal point in the Saints’ passing attack. He has a 29% target share for the year, and he’s had at least 10 targets in three of four games. Last week’s showing vs. the Bills was the lone exception, but he did manage to score his first touchdown of the year.

If Olave can get back to double-digit targets vs. the Giants, he has the potential for a big showing. They’ve allowed the second-most PPR points per game to opposing receivers.

Quentin Johnston ($5,700 DraftKings, $7,500 FanDuel)

There is some momentum building for Ladd McConkey this week, who is currently projected for the second-most ownership at the position on DraftKings and the fourth-most on FanDuel.

However, why not pivot to the Chargers’ No. 1 receiver? While McConkey has seen a decrease in target share in four straight games, Johnston’s role only seems to be growing. He leads the team with a 25% target share for the year, and he’s tops in air yards share (38%) as well.

Johnston has posted a positive Plus/Minus in four straight games, and he’s topped 23 DraftKings points in two of them. The Chargers are in a good spot this week vs. the Commanders – they have the third-highest implied team total on the slate – but I’m not sure why the ownership is condensing more around McConkey. Johnston might just be the better player at this point, and the gap in price tag isn’t enough to sway me in the other direction.

Pictured: George Pickens
Photo Credit: Imagn