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.
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
Malik Nabers ($5,900 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel)
Nabers is a player that I’m personally super high on entering the year. He’s an elite prospect – PlayerProfiler lists his top comp as Ja’Marr Chase – combining elite athleticism, college production, and draft capital. He also stepped into a monster workload in the preseason, racking up a 33% target share and 49% air yards share with the starting offense. It’s obviously not the biggest sample size in the world, but that kind of workload puts him in elite company. Only four players had a target share of at least 30% and at least 40% of their team’s air yards last season:
- Davante Adams
- Tyreek Hill
- Garrett Wilson
- A.J. Brown
If Nabers can maintain that type of volume in the regular season, he has a chance to be a WR1 for fantasy purposes right out of the gates.
Nabers is viable in all formats across the industry, but he’s particularly appealing on FanDuel. His $6,300 salary makes him just the 24th-most expensive receiver on the main slate, and he owns a 96% Bargain Rating.
Chris Godwin ($5,800 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel)
It’s rare to find a player with a cheaper salary on FanDuel than DraftKings, but that’s the case with Godwin in Week 1. The result is a 99% Bargain Rating, and he leads the position group in projected FanDuel Plus/Minus.
Godwin is coming off a quiet year in 2023, but he still managed to catch 83 passes and eclipse 1,000 yards. It was enough to make him a reliable WR3 for most of the year.
Godwin has a chance to start his year with a bang on Sunday. He’s taking on the Commanders, who were one of the worst defensive teams in football last season. They were dead last in dropback EPA against, and they allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing receivers. They didn’t make much of an effort to upgrade their defense in the offseason, so they should be a fruitful matchup once again in 2024.
This game also stands out from a Vegas perspective. The 42.5-point total doesn’t jump off the page, but it’s still the fifth-highest mark on the main slate.
Tyreek Hill ($8,700 DraftKings, $9,600 FanDuel)
If you’re spending up for a stud receiver in Week 1, Hill stands out as the clear top option. That’s particularly true on DraftKings, where the Sunday Night Football matchup between the Lions and Rams is not in play. That game is available on FanDuel, and it’s the only game with a total above 50 points this week. Going with the receivers in that contest is certainly viable if it’s available to you.
Regardless, Hill still leads all receivers this week in both median and ceiling projections. That’s not a huge shock. Hill is the biggest big-play threat in the entire NFL, and he also commands a massive target share on a weekly basis. That’s a tough combination to beat.
Since joining the Dolphins two years ago, Hill has been an absolute monster to start the year. Tua Tagovailoa doesn’t have the arm strength to deal with the winter elements, but he has no problem shredding defenses in September in Miami. In 22 pre-December games with the Dolphins, Hill has averaged an absurd 25.2 DraftKings points per game, and he’s cracked 30 DraftKings points on nine separate occasions (per the Trends tool).
Hill starts his season with a matchup vs. the Jaguars, who allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing receivers last year. This game also features the top total on the DraftKings main slate at 49.0 points, while the Dolphins’ 26.25 implied team total trails only the Bills (27.0). In other words, Hill checks all the boxes this week.
Rome Odunze ($4,000 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel)
Odunze stands out as the defacto value option on DraftKings, where he’s priced just $1,000 above the minimum. It results in a Bargain Rating of 93% – tied for the top mark on the slate – and he leads all receivers in projected DraftKings Plus/Minus.
Odunze’s role is a bit of a question mark heading into this season. The Bears have two other big-name receivers in D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen, but Odunze was a top-10 draft pick with plenty of upside. His production this preseason was a bit of a mixed bag. He had just a 50% route participation with the starters in Week 1, and that figure was only 68% in Week 2. However, he did manage to haul in a 45-yard bomb from Caleb Williams and just narrowly missed scoring a touchdown in the back of the end zone.
Overall, the positives outweigh the negatives at this price point. Using him as your WR3 opens up a lot of avenues for the rest of your lineup.
Try out our NFL DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.
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Drake London ($6,000 DraftKings, $6,700 FanDuel)
Here’s an interesting exercise. London was being drafted as a top 10 wide receiver in fantasy leagues this offseason. Among the players available on the main slate, here are their DraftKings salaries for that group in Week 1:
- Tyreek Hill: $8,700
- CeeDee Lamb: $8,900
- Justin Jefferson: $8,400
- Ja’Marr Chase: $7,800
- Marvin Harrison Jr.: $7,200
- Drake London: $6,000
To quote my friends from Sesame Street – one of these things is not like the other.
London has everything you look for in an NFL receiver, which is why he was drafted eighth overall in 2022. His production hasn’t lived up to the billing yet, but that’s due primarily to playing with subpar quarterbacks for his entire career.
That will change in 2024. Kirk Cousins represents a massive upgrade compared to the likes of Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, and Taylor Heinicke.
London starts his season with a matchup vs. the Bucs, who were a massive pass funnel last season. They had one of the best run defenses in football, but they were merely 22nd in dropback EPA against. As a result, they allowed the eighth-most fantasy points per game to opposing receivers.
London has a chance to break out in this spot, and if that happens, he’s going to be significantly more expensive in Week 2. This might be the cheapest price tag we get on him all season.
Marvin Harrison Jr. ($7,200 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel)
While Nabers is expected to garner plenty of attention in Week 1, his rookie counterpart is flying under the radar. Harrison was the first receiver off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft, with some considering him the best overall prospect on the board. He isn’t the same explosive athlete as Nabers, but he was an absolute monster in his final two years at Ohio State. Add in a 6’3” frame and some elite NFL bloodlines, and it’s easy to see why he was a top-five pick.
Harrison’s matchup vs. the Bills isn’t a great one on paper, but the Bills lost their entire starting secondary from last year. It’s possible that they regress a bit on defense after ranking seventh in dropback EPA against in 2023.
Harrison has the potential to be an absolute alpha in the Cardinals’ offense. Trey McBride will soak up targets at tight end, but he has no other real competition for targets at receiver. Kyler Murray fed DeAndre Hopkins when he was the No. 1 receiver in Arizona, so Harrison could get the same treatment.
Ultimately, this is a play on his talent on the Cardinals’ offensive system. They were a top-10 unit once Murray returned to the lineup last year, and there should be plenty of points scored in this matchup.
DK Metcalf ($6,200 DraftKings, $6,900 FanDuel) & Jaxson Smith-Njigba ($4,900 DraftKings, $5,200 FanDuel)
The Seahawks passing attack is extremely intriguing heading into 2024. They possess one of the best receiver trios in football, but their offense was always a run-first system under head coach Pete Carroll. He’s now gone, and Ryan Grubb will take over the playcalling duties as the new offensive coordinator. He brings with him his explosive offensive system from the University of Washington, which led them to the National Championship game last year.
Metcalf is one of the biggest freaks in the NFL, combining the strength of a tight end with a 4.33 40-yard dash. He averaged just 7.43 targets per game last season, and I think he could set a new career-high in that department this year.
Smith-Njigba was a first-round selection in 2023, and despite a subpar year, the talent is clearly there. He was used too often around the line of scrimmage last season, and if the preseason is any indication, he should be used more often as a downfield threat in 2024.
Ultimately, the Seahawks are one of my favorite undervalued stacks in Week 1 against a Broncos defense that was 27th in dropback EPA against last year. JSN stands out as the most undervalued DraftKings receiver using SimLabs, while Metcalf also provides positive leverage.
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CeeDee Lamb ($8,900 DraftKings, $9,300 FanDuel)
Lamb was a no show for most of training camp, but after inking a new contract last season, he’s expected to be a full go on Sunday. As long as that’s the case, it’s pretty tempting to fire him up in large-field tournaments.
Lamb was the best fantasy receiver in football last season, leading the league with 135 grabs for more than 1,700 yards. He added 14 touchdowns, giving him an elite combination of floor and ceiling. He had eight games with at least 25 PPR points last season while failing to hit double digits only once.
Lamb draws one of the toughest possible matchups in Week 1, taking on a Browns squad that ranked first in nearly every defensive metric last season. However, they benefitted from facing an easy schedule. The Texans lit the Browns up in the playoffs, so it’s possible that Dallas can do the same.
The combination of matchup and abbreviated offseason should make Lamb a contrarian option in Week 1. He’s currently projected for just 5% ownership on both DraftKings and FanDuel, and his optimal rate is higher than that on both sites.
Joshua Palmer ($5,200 DraftKings, $5,000 FanDuel)
The Chargers offense has received almost zero fanfare heading into 2024. Jim Harbaugh will be taking over as coach, and he was known for a run-first philosophy during his time with the 49ers.
That said, that was more than a decade ago, and he never had a quarterback like Justin Herbert. Harbaugh is considered to be a pretty good coach, so isn’t it possible he adapts his system to fit his stud quarterback?
Even if he doesn’t, Herbert is still going to throw the ball occasionally, and someone is going to have to be there to catch it. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are both gone, opening the door for a new WR1.
Palmer is one of the top candidates, and he’s showing up as significantly undervalued in SimLabs. His +2.68% leverage score is the sixth-highest mark at the position on DraftKings, making him an interesting pivot from some of the chalkier options in this price range.
Christian Kirk ($5,500 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel) & Brian Thomas Jr. ($4,700 DraftKings, $5,100 FanDuel)
Just like Trevor Lawrence could be a bit undervalued at QB this week, the same can be said of his top pass-catchers. Kirk is the more established option, serving as one of the team’s top receivers in the past two years. Thomas is the new guy after being drafted in the first round, and he brings elite deep speed to the table. He blazed a 4.33 40-yard dash at the combine, which puts him in the 98th percentile for receivers.
Both guys could provide some value in what has the potential to be the highest-scoring game of the week.
Tyler Lockett ($5,400 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel)
Metcalf and Smith-Njigba are the two clear targets for DFS players in the Seahawks’ receiving corps. That leaves Lockett as the more under-the-radar option.
Lockett has dealt with some injuries during training camp, and he’s coming off his first season with less than 1,000 receiving yards since 2018. At nearly 32 years old, it’s very possible that his best days are behind him.
Still, Lockett has been a solid producer in the past, and virtually no one is going to play him on this slate: he’s projected for less than 1.5% ownership on DraftKings. He benefits from the same elite matchup as the other Seahawks’ receivers, so he’s another interesting way to add some diversification to your lineups.
