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. 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 150 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
Top NFL DFS Wide Receiver Picks in the FantasyLabs Models
On DraftKings, there are two wide receivers near the top of the Sean Koerner, Chris Raybon, Cash Game, and Tournament Player Models.
- Amon-Ra St. Brown
- Garrett Wilson
We’ll discuss why these three are popping in our models, as well as take a look at some other wide receivers.
Top Model NFL DFS Wide Receiver Picks
Amon-Ra St. Brown ($7,800 DraftKings, $8,600 FanDuel): Detroit Lions (-2) vs. Minnesota Vikings (51.5 total)
Amon-Ra St. Brown has been on a tear the past few weeks, with 37.6 and 30.9 DraftKings points in back-to-back games and 25+ DraftKings points in three of his last four games. He’s started to find the end zone again, with three trips in his past two games, which has led to him accessing his ceiling.
St. Brown has one of the safest roles in all of fantasy football, with at least eight targets in every healthy game this year and double-digit targets in six games. He’s averaging 10 targets per game since their Week 7 bye, as his 32.4% team target share is the second-highest rate in the league. He’s also being targeted on 31.6% of his routes in that span, which is the third-highest rate in the league.
He’s averaging 3.24 yards per route run against zone coverage, which is third in the NFL. Who does St. Brown match up against this week? Only the Minnesota Vikings, who play zone at the second-highest rate in the league.
St. Brown caught six of nine targets for 73 yards when these teams first matched up, which is when St. Brown sustained his ankle injury. He’s the top wide receiver in our Tournament Model this week.
Garrett Wilson ($5,900 DraftKings, $7,200 FanDuel): New York Jets (+10) at Buffalo Bills (43 total)
Garrett Wilson rattled off another tremendous performance last week, catching eight of 15 targets for 162 yards en route to 27.2 DraftKings points. He now has 26.4 and 27.2 DraftKings points in back-to-back games and 17.9+ DraftKings points in four of his last five performances.
The quarterback change has proven to be good for Wilson, but he was still able to produce against Buffalo the last time they played with Zach Wilson under center. He caught eight of nine targets for 92 yards back in Week 9.
The Jets have heavily utilized play action with Mike White under center, which is where Garrett Wilson has thrived. Wilson leads all receivers with 146 yards and a touchdown off of play action in the past two weeks. He’s also commanded 45.8% of the team’s air yards with Whtie under center, which is another strong mark.
The Bills’ secondary is thought of highly, but they’ve been getting roughed up by opposing wide receivers lately. Wilson himself (8/92/0), Justin Jefferson (10/193/1), Amari Cooper (8/113/2), and Amon-Ra St. Brown (9/122/1) have all had stellar performances against Buffalo as of late.
Wilson is simply too cheap and needs to be priced correctly.
It’s no surprise that he is the top receiver in our Cash Game Model, as well as Chris Raybon and Sean Koerner’s Pro Model.
Other Notable NFL DFS Wide Receiver Picks
Justin Jefferson ($9,000 DraftKings, $9,300 FanDuel): Minnesota Vikings (+2) at Detroit Lions (51.5 total)
Justin Jefferson was held in check in a very difficult matchup last week, catching seven of 11 targets for 45 yards and a touchdown. His 18.6 DraftKings points were one of his lower totals on the year, which shows just how awesome of a season he’s been having. He has 28+ DraftKings points in three of his last five games and in six total games on the year.
Surprisingly, Jefferson was shut down when these teams last played. He caught three of six targets for merely 14 yards. The Lions are allowing the seventh-most fantasy points on opposing WR1 targets, so it’s likely that Jefferson has success in this matchup this time.
CeeDee Lamb ($7,500 DraftKings, $8,200 FanDuel): Dallas Cowboys (-17.5) vs. Houston Texans (44 total)
Dallas’ game with Indianapolis got out of hand quickly, but Lamb was still able to produce while Dallas was leaning on the passing attack. He caught five of seven targets for 71 yards and a touchdown. His volume never seems to get quite as high as we’d like it, but he’s still able to put up big games if he is efficient. He’s had more than seven targets in just two games since Prescott has come back from injury.
The matchup is a cakewalk for Lamb, it’s just a matter of how long Houston can keep the game close to keep Dallas throwing. They are facing merely 15.9 wide receiver targets per game but allowing 9.3 yards per target and a league-high 14.8 yards per catch to opposing receivers. If somehow this game can stay close and we can get Lamb up to double-digit targets, we could be in for a big fantasy day.
Adam Thielen ($4,900 DraftKings, $6,400 FanDuel): Minnesota Vikings (+2) at Detroit Lions (51.5 total)
If Justin Jefferson’s price tag is too steep, but you want exposure to this likely shootout, Adam Thielen could be the guy. He didn’t do much last week in a difficult matchup, but that was to be expected. He has merely a 17.6% team target share since Hockenson was acquired, which is a little lower than we’d like.
Thielen caught six of eight targets for 61 yards and a touchdown when these teams played in Week 3, which could be of note. Thielen’s yardage totals have been fairly low, with 72 yards being his season high. He’s likely to see six to nine targets, so the path to him reaching fantasy relevance in this game is pretty clear.
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