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:
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Puka Nacua ($8,700 DraftKings, $9,700 FanDuel)
Nacua is arguably the strongest stud target regardless of position for the Wild Card slate. It starts with his team. The Rams are the largest favorites of the weekend by a massive margin, checking in at -10.5 on the road vs. the Panthers. As a result, they have the largest implied team total of the week at 28.25 points.
Then, there’s the fact that Nacua is just really, really good at football. He was the top scorer at receiver in terms of fantasy points per game this season, and he ended the season on a high note. He posted a positive Plus/Minus in four of his final five regular-season games, including three with at least 30.9 DraftKings points. A big chunk of those came without Davante Adams – who will be back for the Wild Card round – but Nacua is still the clear No. 1 option in this passing attack. He led the team with a 30% target share for the year, and he was targeted on 35% of his routes run overall.
The Panthers did a solid job vs. Nacua and the Rams in their first meeting this season, but he still has the top ceiling projection at receiver by six full points on DraftKings. He has the top median projection by roughly 4.5 points, so the gap between him and the rest of the position is pretty massive. There are opportunities to look for value with the rest of your lineup, so grabbing Nacua at WR1 feels like a great way to start your lineups.
Parker Washington ($5,000 DraftKings, $6,900 FanDuel)
The Jaguars are another priority team target this weekend. They have the second-highest implied team total on the slate, and the matchup between the Bills and Jaguars figures to be one of the best of the week for fantasy purposes. It features a 51.5-point total and just a one-point spread, with the Jaguars listed as slim home favorites.
Washington started the year as the team’s No. 3 receiver, but he has taken over as their top dog down the stretch. He’s posted a target share of at least 28% in three straight games, and he’s scored 19.7, 22.0, and 29.5 DraftKings points in those contests. With Travis Hunter injured and Brian Thomas Jr. falling out of favor, it’s been Washington and Jakobi Meyers responsible for moving the chains in the passing attack.
Washington’s price tag has yet to reflect his increased production on DraftKings. His salary comes with a 96% Bargain Rating, making him one of the best pure values at the position. He ranks second in projected Plus/Minus, and he provides a nice ceiling for his price tag as well.
Jayden Reed ($4,000 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel)
The game between the Bears and Packers stands out as one of the biggest coin flips this week. Chicago will have home-field advantage, but the Packers are listed as 1.5-point road favorites. The Bears have undoubtedly been fortunate this season, so it’s possible that their luck finally runs out in the playoffs.
The Packers are also getting healthier on offense. Reed missed most of the season, but he was able to return down the stretch. He’s yet to be a true difference-maker for the team’s passing attack, but he was their No. 1 receiver when healthy last season. He posted a 16% target share in the four games from Week 14 through 17, despite being on the field for just 68% of the team’s passing plays.
Reed could take on a larger role during the playoffs, and he’s another player who is available at a significant discount. He leads the position in projected DraftKings Plus/Minus, while he’s No. 3 on FanDuel.
Luther Burden ($4,600 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel)
On the other side of that matchup, it will be interesting to see how the targets shake out for the Bears. Burden emerged as their No. 1 receiver down the stretch, but that was with Rome Odunze out of the lineup. Odunze will return for Saturday’s matchup vs. the Packers, so there is going to be plenty of competition for targets at receiver. Burden, Odunze, and D.J. Moore could all theoretically be Caleb Williams’ top option in this contest.
Still, it’s hard to imagine Burden taking a huge step back after his late-season breakout. He was awesome in the team’s Week 17 contest vs. the 49ers, finishing with nine targets, eight receptions, 138 yards, and a touchdown. Burden was targeted on 26% of his routes run from Week 10 on, so while he wasn’t an every-snap player, he was one of Williams’ favorite options when he was on the field.
The matchup vs. the Packers is also a bit friendlier than it appears on paper. Green Bay was an excellent defensive team for most of the season, but that was with Micah Parsons in the mix. Parsons went down with a season-ending injury in Week 16, and the team really struggled without him vs. the Ravens the following week. The team rested most of their starters in Week 18, so that was our only glimpse of what this defense could look like without Parsons. They surrendered 41 points and 414 yards to the Ravens, despite Lamar Jackson being out of the lineup.
The Bears could ultimately be poised for a nice day on offense, and Burden stands out as one of their best values.
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Stefon Diggs ($6,300 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel)
Diggs has been available at a discount on FanDuel all season, and the Wild Card round is no exception. His $6,600 salary comes with a 98% Bargain Rating, which is tied for the top mark at the position.
He’s a potential cash game option on FanDuel, but he has tournament appeal across the industry. The Patriots have been careful with Diggs in his first year in New England after the receiver suffered a torn ACL in 2024-25. He had just a 68% route participation, but he still led the receiving corps with a 21% target share.
Now that we’ve made it to the playoffs, it’s possible that the Patriots crank up Diggs’ volume. The fact that Mack Hollins is out and Kayshon Boutte is questionable only increases that likelihood. The Patriots’ only truly healthy receivers are Diggs, Kyle Williams, Pop Douglas, and Efton Chism III, so Diggs could see a big spike in opportunities.
The matchup vs. the Chargers is far from ideal, with Los Angeles allowing the eighth-fewest PPR points per game to opposing receivers this season. Still, the prospect of Diggs getting 10+ targets at this price tag is enough to make him a fantastic tournament option. He has the third-best FanDuel optimal lineup rate in Sim Labs, while his optimal rate exceeds his projected ownership across the industry.
Jakobi Meyers ($5,500 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel)
While Washington emerged for the Jaguars down the stretch, Meyers has been a consistent source for the Jaguars ever since he was acquired. He was limited to a 50% route participation in his first game with his new team, but from that point on, he posted a 94% route participation and 25% target share. He averaged 12.6 PPR points per game in those eight contests, and he finished with the 14th-most fantasy points among receivers over that stretch.
Meyers had a target share of at least 20% in each of his five final regular-season contests, and he was at 25% or greater in three of them. While his targets don’t come as far downfield as Washington’s – he had a 9.6 Average Depth of Target (aDOT) from Week 14 through 18 – it does give him a pretty solid floor.
Meyers ultimately has the fourth-best optimal lineup rate at the position on FanDuel, and dips slightly to No. 6 on DraftKings. Stacking him with Trevor Lawrence and Washington has plenty of appeal, both on the Sunday slate and over the entire weekend.
A.J. Brown ($6,900 DraftKings, $8,400 FanDuel)
The Eagles’ offense is a major wild card heading into the first round of the playoffs. This offense has plenty of firepower, and we know what they’re capable of when operating at full strength. They won the Super Bowl last season, and Brown was a big part of their success. He averaged 83.0 yards per game during the regular season, and he punched in seven scores in just 13 games.
Unfortunately, Brown and the rest of the offense have not looked quite the same this season. His yards per game were down to just 66.9, thanks mostly to a decline in efficiency. He averaged 11.1 yards per target in 2024-25, but that figure was down to 8.3 this season.
However, Brown was a workhorse for the Eagles down the stretch. He posted a 35% target share and 42% air yards share over his final seven games. He finished with at least 16.0 PPR points in four of those contests, and he cracked double-digits in all seven.
Brown is ultimately tied for the second-best ceiling projection at receiver, and he’s available at a sizable discount compared to Nacua. He has the second-best optimal lineup rate at the position against a weak 49ers’ defense.
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DeVonta Smith ($5,900 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel)
Smith benefits from the same elite matchup as Brown. The 49ers lost both Fred Warner and Nick Bosa to injuries this season, and they struggled mightily to get stops without them. They ranked 26th in defensive EPA from Week 10 on, which is the worst mark among the remaining playoff squads. That includes a No. 24 ranking against the pass.
There should be opportunities for multiple Eagles players to eat in this contest. They’re up to six-point home favorites, while they’re tied for the third-highest implied team total for the week.
Smith took a clear backseat to Brown down the stretch, but he’s still an extremely talented receiver in his own right. He finished with 77 catches for more than 1,000 yards this season, so he could be a bit undervalued in large tournaments.
Ladd McConkey ($5,700 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel)
McConkey is another player who ended the year with a whimper. He posted a negative Plus/Minus in each of his final six games, and he had 4.3 DraftKings points or fewer in four of them. He had just a 17% target share, so he barely resembled the player who broke out for the Chargers as a rookie.
That said, it’s hard to blame McConkey too much. The Chargers’ offense has struggled since losing offensive tackle Joe Alt. Following their Week 12 bye, the team had just two games with more than 295 yards of total offense. One of those came against the lowly Raiders, and the other was against the Cowboys.
I wouldn’t expect a huge uptick in production vs. the Patriots, who have been a solid defensive team this season. However, the Patriots are largely untested. Just two of their 14 wins came against playoff teams this season: a 42-13 drubbing vs. the Panthers, and a three-point squeaker against the Bills. It’s possible that they’re not nearly as good as their record suggests, and if that’s the case, the Chargers could be a bit undervalued as a team.
McConkey ultimately has the second-largest discrepancy between optimal lineup rate and projected ownership at the position on DraftKings. His projected ownership is checking in below 7.5%, while his optimal lineup rate is closer to 13.5%.
Nico Collins ($7,200 DraftKings, $8,200 FanDuel)
The Texans’ offense is another unit that has underwhelmed for most of the year. However, Collins is their clear alpha. He posted a 25% target share and 37% air yards share for the season, resulting in an average of 14.9 PPR points per game.
Collins is tied with Brown for the No. 2 ceiling projection at the position, and he should carry the lowest ownership among the “stud” trio. Collins also benefits from a solid matchup vs. the Steelers. Their defense has struggled against opposing passing attacks this season, allowing the seventh-most PPR points per game to receivers.
Khalil Shakir ($4,800 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel)
The Bills’ offense is built around Josh Allen, James Cook, and not much else. However, if they have a No. 1 receiver, it’s Shakir. He hasn’t been quite as good as he was last year, but he still leads the team with a 21% target share.
Shakir had at least 9.5 PPR points in three of his final four games, and while that’s not a high bar to clear, he doesn’t need to do much to pay off his current price tags. He’s third at the position in projected DraftKings Plus/Minus, and he has a bit more upside than usual in what could be the highest-scoring game of the week.
Pictured: Parker Washington
Photo Credit: Imagn
