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
Ja’Marr Chase ($8,400 DraftKings, $9,700 FanDuel)
It looked a bit shaky at times, but Chase is back to being arguably the best receiver in fantasy. 42 total targets over a two-game stretch will do that for you. Since Joe Flacco took over at QB, getting the ball to Chase as often as possible has been a clear priority. He has an absurd 46% target share in his three games with Flacco, and he’s been above 50% in each of the past two weeks.
That type of volume is basically unheard of. Jaxon Smith-Njigba leads the league in target share for the year, and he’s at just 39%. Malik Nabers led the league at 35% last year, so Chase is entering uncharted territory.
Unsurprisingly, all those targets have led to elite fantasy numbers. Chase has posted a positive Plus/Minus on DraftKings in three straight games, including two games with at least 32.0 DraftKings points. Chase is extremely dangerous with the ball in his hands, so he has the potential to turn any target into a highlight-reel touchdown.
He gets a solid matchup this week vs. the Bears. While they’ve shown a bit of improvement defensively against the run recently, they’ve still struggled against the pass. They’re 19th in pass defense EPA, and this game has a massive 51-point total.
The Bengals have already struggled to run the ball this season, so it’s a spot where they could lean heavily on the short passing attack once again. They’ve had a +5.0% Dropback Over Expectation with Flacco under center the past three weeks, and Chase has clearly been the biggest beneficiary. On a slate with plenty of strong value options across each position, he’s a clear stud to target.
Rashee Rice ($7,600 DraftKings, $8,200 FanDuel)
Going with a pair of stud receivers is definitely viable this week. That’s even more true on FanDuel, where we have a bit more salary to work with. Rice stands out as an excellent value on that site, with his $8,200 salary resulting in an 82% Bargain Rating.
Rice was limited to just a 48% route participation in his first game of the season, but he made up for it by earning a target on 47% of his routes run. He increased his route participation to 83% in his second game and raised his overall target share to 29% in that contest. Rice has gobbled up 16 catches through his first two weeks, adding 135 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
The only real downside with Rice is that most of his opportunities are coming right around the line of scrimmage. His Average Depth of Target (aDOT) is just 2.8 yards through two weeks, which is a pitiful figure for a wide receiver. It limits his ability to create big plays, which could hurt him on weeks where he doesn’t find the paint.
Still, the positives far outweigh the negatives, especially in a potential shootout vs. the Bills. This game has a 52.5-point total, which is the top mark on the main slate.
Ultimately, Rice is too cheap as Patrick Mahomes’ clear top target. He has the highest optimal lineup rate on FanDuel, and he trails only Chase on DraftKings.
Parker Washington ($3,700 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel)
Washington stands out as a solid value target at just $3,700 on DraftKings. He has the third-best projected Plus/Minus on that site, thanks in part to a 94% Bargain Rating.
Washington has already been a meaningful part of the Jaguars’ passing attack this season. He was up to an 89% route participation and 22% target share in Week 7, and he could be a clear focal point vs. the Raiders. Travis Hunter was recently placed on IR, while Brian Thomas Jr. has been limited at practice with a shoulder injury. Thomas will almost certainly be in the lineup, but there’s no guarantee he makes it through the full game.
With more opportunities, Washington has the chance to provide excellent value vs. the Raiders. They’ve been terrible against the pass this season, ranking 27th in EPA per dropback. They’ve also allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to opposing receivers.
Olamide Zaccheaus ($3,300 DraftKings, $5,100 FanDuel)
Zaccheaus is another potential value play on DraftKings. He’s even cheaper than Washington, and he should serve as the Bears’ No. 3 receiver in Week 9. Luther Burden will miss this week’s contest with an injury, while starting RB D’Andre Swift has also been ruled out.
Zaccheaus is also coming off his best game of the year in Week 8. He posted a 21% target share, his second time cracking 20% in the past three weeks, and responded by catching all seven of his targets. He only managed 33 receiving yards, but his average of 7.4 yards per reception for the year is a bit more encouraging.
Zaccheaus should be able to improve upon his numbers in a phenomenal matchup vs. the Bengals. They’ve been one of the worst defenses in football dating back to last year, and they were just absolutely shredded by the Jets in Week 8. They surrendered more than 500 total yards and 39 points to an anemic offense, despite the Jets being without top receiver Garrett Wilson. Zaccheaus doesn’t feel quite as safe as Washington, but he actually has a better Plus/Minus projection in our NFL Models.
Now available: our NFL DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.
Top NFL DFS Tournament Options
Puka Nacua ($8,500 DraftKings, $9,500 FanDuel)
Nacua is officially back. It feels like we haven’t seen him in ages. He got hurt in Week 6 and missed the team’s Week 7 game in London, and the Rams were on bye last week. As a result, his last full game was nearly a month ago.
However, don’t forget how dominant Nacua was before getting injured. He posted a 35% target share through his five full games, resulting in an average of nearly 27 PPR points per game. He did that despite managing just two receiving touchdowns, which feels almost impossible. Nacua recorded at least 85 receiving yards in all five contests – including three 100-yard performances – and he had double-digit receptions in four of them.
The only real concern with Nacua this week is the potential game script. The Rams are listed as 14-point favorites vs. the Saints, so they might not need to throw the ball as often as usual. That’s a bit concerning, but Nacua has historically averaged just under 21 DraftKings points as a favorite for his career, good for an average Plus/Minus of +2.48 (per the Trends tool). He’s never taken the field as a favorite this large, but he should hopefully be able to do some damage before the game gets out of hand. New Orleans has been a major pass funnel, ranking 22nd in pass defense EPA and sixth against the run, so it’s still a pretty good spot overall.
Amon-Ra St. Brown ($8,300 DraftKings, $9,100 FanDuel)
St. Brown could be the stud receiver that gets a bit overlooked this week. He doesn’t have the same eye-popping volume stats as Chase or Nacua, but he makes up for it through sheer efficiency. He leads the league with seven receiving touchdowns, and he’s caught 82% of his targets.
The Lions will square off with a beleaguered Vikings’ defense in Week 9. They were absolutely torched by the Chargers in Week 8, with Justin Herbert averaging 11.12 adjusted yards per attempt on his 25 throws. He tossed three touchdowns, and that’s not exactly an outlier. The Vikings are dead last in pass defense EPA over the past three weeks, so it’s a great spot for Detroit to do some damage.
The Lions should be fresh coming off a bye in Week 8, and they’re currently implied for 28.5 points in this matchup. That’s tied for the second-highest mark on the main slate.
Brian Thomas Jr. ($6,200 DraftKings, $6,900 FanDuel)
Is this the potential breakout spot for Thomas? He looked like an absolute star as a rookie, racking up 87 catches, 1,282 yards, and 10 receiving touchdowns for an underwhelming Jaguars’ offense. Only five other players in NFL history had at least 1,200 yards and 10 scores as a rookie, including Chase, Randy Moss, and Odell Beckham Jr.
Unfortunately, Thomas has not been nearly the same player this year. He’s looked disinterested at times, and his name is being floated as a potential trade target. He’s averaged just 11.0 PPR points per game, which is good for the No. 41 rank at receiver.
The good news is that Thomas has at least started to show some signs of life. He had his best performance of the year two games ago vs. the Seahawks, finishing with 10 targets, eight receptions, 90 yards, and a touchdown. He also has at least double-digit DraftKings points in three of his past four games.
With Hunter now out of the picture, it’s possible that BTJ steps back into the alpha role we saw from him as a rookie. He posted a massive 37% target share over his final five games last year, and he averaged 23.7 PPR points per game during that stretch. He has plenty of appeal at a reasonable price tag against a weak Raiders defense.
Contrarian NFL DFS Tournament Options With Upside
Wan’Dale Robinson ($5,100 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel)
It seems as though Giants’ fans just can’t have nice things. Malik Nabers went down with a season-ending injury in Week 4, and exciting rookie Cam Skattebo picked up a season-ending injury last week. It leaves the Giants with minimal playmakers on their active roster.
Fortunately, the team does still have Jaxson Dart at quarterback. He’s given their offense a clear spark, and Robinson has been his favorite target since losing Nabers. He has a 25% target share over his past five games, and he’s eclipsed 15.5 DraftKings points in two of his past three outings.
Robinson and Dart get a date with a poor 49ers’ defense in Week 9. They lost stud linebacker Fred Warner to an injury a few weeks ago, and they were unable to do anything against the Texans without him. They surrendered 475 yards of total offense to an offense that has struggled for most of the year, so the Giants should be able to move the ball in this matchup.
Stefon Diggs ($5,700 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel)
Drake Maye has solidified himself as a stud quarterback, and Diggs has become his clear No. 1 target. He owns a 30% target share over his past five games, despite the fact that he’s not an every-snap player. He’s cracked double-digit DraftKings points in four of those outings, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in three of them.
Diggs has been underpriced on FanDuel for most of the season, and this week is no exception. His $6,200 salary comes with a 97% Bargain Rating, which is the third-best mark at the position. He ranks seventh among FanDuel receivers in projected Plus/Minus, and he has the fifth-best optimal lineup rate in Sim Labs.
Khalil Shakir ($5,300 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel)
The Bills’ receivers look to be undervalued as a group for Sunday’s matchup vs. the Chiefs, with Shakir leading the pack. Only Rice has a larger gap between projected DraftKings ownership and optimal lineup rate in Sim Labs.
Josh Allen and the Bills love to spread the ball around on offense, but Shakir has still been his go-to guy of late. He has a target share of at least 24% in three of his past four games, and he’s been at 30% in two of them. Shakir has responded with two top-15 finishes at the position, including a WR7 showing in Week 8.
Shakir could be looking at another expanded workload vs. the Chiefs. Joshua Palmer is going to miss another contest for Buffalo, opening up a few additional looks at receiver. Shakir has gone for at least 15.0 DraftKings points in two of his past three meetings vs. the Chiefs, so he has a solid track record in this matchup as well.
Ladd McConkey ($6,000 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel)
McConkey gave season-long drafters a real scare with his production early in the year, but he’s turned things around recently. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in four straight games, and his target share has gone way up over that time frame. He posted an elite 42% target share last week vs. the Vikings, so he has pulled ahead of guys like Quentin Johnston and Keenan Allen in the pecking order.
McConkey and the Chargers have an exploitable opponent on the schedule once again in Week 9. They’re taking on the Titans, who are 29th in pass defense EPA for the year. They’ve allowed the ninth-most PPR points per game to opposing receivers, so it’s a great spot for McConkey to keep the hot streak going.
Pictured: Puka Nacua
Photo Credit: Imagn
