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:
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Cooper Kupp ($7,600 DraftKings, $7,700 FanDuel)
Kupp isn’t just the clear top option at receiver, he’s the best overall play on the slate. With Puka Nacua sidelined, the coast is clear for Kupp to resume his role as the unquestioned alpha receiver in the Rams offense.
We’ve seen plenty of examples of just how good that role can be. Kupp won the receiving triple-crown as the Rams top receiver in 2021, leading the league with 146 receptions, 1,947 yards, and 16 receiving touchdowns. He’s struggled to stay on the field since then, but he’s still been a slam-dunk WR1 when healthy. He was the top receiver in fantasy in PPR points per game in 2022 before Nacua broke onto the scene last year.
With Nacua going down vs. the Lions, Kupp picked up right where he left off. He had an absurd 21 targets, which he turned into 14 catches, 110 yards, and a touchdown. His 35.0 DraftKings points made him the second-highest scorer at the position in Week 1, trailing only Jayden Reed (36.1). Kupp’s 44% target share was easily the top figure in Week 1, while he was seventh in terms of air yards.
If that wasn’t enough of a reason to click Kupp, he also draws a slam-dunk matchup vs. the Cardinals. They were No. 31 in dropback EPA defensively in Week 1, and they were No. 31 last season as well. This game also has the second-highest total on the slate at 48.0 points.
Kupp is going to be extremely chalky in this spot, but it’s chalk that you have to eat in cash games.
Deebo Samuel ($6,800 DraftKings, $7,300 FanDuel)
The 49ers offense didn’t need to throw the ball that much in their Week 1 win over the Jets, but Deebo was the man whenever they did take to the air. He led the 49ers in both target share (32%) and air yards share (29%), resulting in nine targets, five catches, and 54 yards.
His receiving production might not jump off the page, but it’s more than good enough when you factor in his work as a runner. With Christian McCaffrey sidelined last week, Samuel took on a role as the 49ers’ 1B in the backfield. He finished with eight carries total, including an extremely valuable carry from inside the five-yard line.
With Brandon Aiyuk still rounding into form, the coast is clear for Samuel to work as the 49ers’ top pass-catcher once again vs. the Vikings. Minnesota’s defense looked good vs. the Giants – they limited New York to a week-low six points – but it’s hard to know how much credit they deserve. Daniel Jones was a disaster, and it’s possible they might just be awful offensively. The Vikings allowed the fourth-most PPR points to opposing receivers last year, so it still appears to be a good matchup on paper.
If McCaffrey remains out of the lineup, Samuel becomes another relatively easy choice for cash games. His role would be diminished if McCaffrey suits up, so make sure to monitor the injury reports for updates.
Rashee Rice ($6,700 DraftKings, $6,900 FanDuel)
If Week 1 is any indication, the Chiefs could be poised for a big year offensively. They took a major step back in 2023, putting up their worst finishes in points and yards per game during the Patrick Mahomes era. However, they looked explosive vs. the Ravens on Thursday night, with Rice and Xavier Worthy giving Mahomes the most receiving talent he’s had since losing Tyreek Hill.
While Worthy scored the touchdowns in Week 1, it was Rice who was the most consistent target-earner. He racked up a 33% target share vs. the Ravens, and he was targetted on 38% of his routes run. Among players with at least a 50% route share last week, only Kupp was targetted at a higher frequency than Rice.
The Chiefs are currently implied for 27.0 points in Week 2, which trails only the Lions’ slate-best mark of 29.25. The last time Rice played in a game with a comparable implied team total was against the Bengals last season, and he racked up 20.7 DraftKings points in that matchup. Overall, he’s posted a +1.58 average Plus/Minus in 10 games with an implied team total of at least 27 points (per the Trends tool). Much of that split came early in his career before he had emerged as the team’s clear top pass-catcher. Now that he has that role solidified, the sky is the limit.
Andrei Iosivas ($3,800 DraftKings, $5,200 FanDuel)
Iosivas is the defacto punt play receiver of the week at just $3,800 on DraftKings. Going with a cheap player as your WR3 allows you to load up the rest of your lineup. Iosivas also provides some correlation with guys like Mahomes and Rice, who are expected to be among the highest-owned players at their respective positions. If that game lives up to expectations, there should be plenty of fantasy points to go around.
Iosivas is currently operating as the Bengals’ No. 2 receiver with Tee Higgins sidelined. That role didn’t lead to any tangible fantasy production, but the Bengals offense was dreadful vs. the Patriots.
However, his underlying metrics were excellent. He had a perfect 100% route participation, and he racked up 18% of the team’s targets and 25% of their air yards. Both of those metrics were comparable to Ja’Marr Chase (21% targets, 23% air yards).
Chase will likely be more involved this week after being slightly limited in Week 1, but that still leaves plenty of opportunities for Iosivas. Joe Burrow has attempted an average of 37.25 passes in four career matchups vs. the Chiefs, so Iosivas should be able to carve out a solid chunk of targets.
Try out our NFL DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.
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CeeDee Lamb ($8,800 DraftKings, $9,100 FanDuel)
Lamb moved basically right from the negotiating table this offseason to the field in Week 1. He had little time to actually practice in training camp, so it’s not too surprising that his production lagged a bit in Week 1. He managed just five catches for 61 yards, resulting in 11.1 DraftKings points.
However, his role was still really strong. He managed 10 targets vs. the Browns, who were the best pass defense in football last season. Five of those targets came in the first quarter, but his usage was curtailed as the Cowboys eventually pulled away. He still finished with a 29% target share and 35% of the air yards; the Cowboys simply just didn’t need to throw the ball that often.
Lamb will take the field in Dallas for the first time this season in Week 2, and he absolutely smashed at home last season. He averaged a ridiculous 29.92 DraftKings points in nine home contests, and he scored at least 19.1 DraftKings points on seven separate occasions. He also had four games with more than 35 DraftKings points, so he displayed an elite ceiling when playing at Cowboys Stadium.
Lamb owns the top ceiling projection at the position in our NFL Models, yet he’s projected for approximately 10% ownership on DraftKings. That’s simply too low for a player of his caliber.
Malik Nabers ($5,900 DraftKings, $6,400 FanDuel)
Nabers entered Week 1 with sky-high expectations, which made his final stat line feel like a disappointment. His 11.6 DraftKings points weren’t a killer at his salary, but his role wasn’t nearly as large as expected. After posting a 33% target share with the starters during the preseason, he slipped to just a 19% target share in Week 1.
Still, I’m going to continue to buy Nabers. There are questions about what kind of production the Giants will get at quarterback, but Nabers is an elite talent. He combines elite athleticism, college production, and draft capital, with PlayerProfiler listing his top comparable as Ja’Marr Chase. He just needs opportunities, and he should get more of them moving forward.
His matchup vs. the Commanders in Week 2 couldn’t be better. Washington was eviscerated by Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers in Week 1, ranking dead last in EPA per dropback defensively by a wide margin. They allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing receivers in Week 1 after allowing the second-most fantasy points to the position in 2023. It’s an ideal bounce-back spot for Nabers, who is expected to garner less attention than he did in his pro debut.
Michael Pittman ($6,600 DraftKings, $6,400 FanDuel)
Week 1 was a bit of a mixed bag for Pittman. On one hand, he was one of the busiest receivers in the league. He ran a route on 88% of the team’s dropbacks, and he had a 39% target share. Only Kupp earned a higher percentage of his team’s targets in the first week of the season.
Unfortunately, Pittman didn’t do very much with them. He finished with just four catches for 31 yards, and he wasn’t the recipient of either of Anthony Richardson‘s long touchdown passes. Richardson seems much more comfortable throwing the ball deep or running than he does making intermediate throws at this point of his career, which is where Pittman does most of his damage.
Still, the workload cannot be ignored, particularly in a great matchup vs. the Packers. Their defense was torn apart by the Eagles in Week 1, surrendering 34 points and 410 yards to the Eagles. Pittman also stands out as one of the best pure values on FanDuel, where his $6,400 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 99%.
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Terry McLaurin ($5,700 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel)
McLaurin has always been a boom-or-bust type of receiver, and that doesn’t figure to change much with Jayden Daniels under center. His utilization in Week 1 reflected that reality. He only managed a 17% target share, but he was responsible for 62% of the team’s air yards. Only three receivers had a higher air yards share than McLaurin in Week 1, so he has plenty of upside despite the dud performance.
McLaurin draws a friendly matchup this week vs. the Giants. Their defense was pretty thoroughly picked apart by the Vikings’ passing attack in Week 1, ranking 26th in EPA per dropback defensively. The Giants also allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing receivers last year, so it’s a great spot for McLaurin to get on track.
He’s checking in as one of the most underappreciated receivers this week in SimLabs. He has a projected ownership of just 8.7% on DraftKings, but he’s showing up in the optimal lineup rate at a 12.6% clip. That’s the fourth-largest differential at the position.
Ladd McConkey ($4,900 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel)
We knew the Chargers wanted to run the ball under head coach Jim Harbaugh, and that’s exactly what they did in Week 1. Justin Herbert threw the ball just 26 times, and the team ran just 54 total plays. That was the 10th-fewest in Week 1.
When the Chargers did take to the air, McConkey was Herbert’s most frequent target. He led the team with a 28% target share, and he was targetted on 32% of his routes run. His targets came just six yards downfield, and he caught 71.4% of them. He’s going to fit the archetype of a classic slot receiver, which gives him a boost in PPR formats.
There’s a chance that the Chargers will have to throw the ball even less this week, but McConkey still seems a bit underpriced on DraftKings. He’s projected for just 3.2% ownership, but he’s showing up in the optimal lineup in more than six percent of sims.
Marvin Harrison Jr. ($6,900 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel)
Week 1 was not a good one for the No. 4 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He had just three targets, but there were some other red flags as well. For starters, he didn’t look like the same explosive athlete that he was in college:
Quarterback Kyler Murray also went out of his way to say that it wasn’t “his job” to get the ball specifically to Harrison. None of this instills a ton of confidence moving forward.
Personally, the speed stuff is not concerning to me at all. He was clocked at more than 22 miles per hour in college, so he can boogie when he needs to. I think it was more a case of him not getting the ball and maybe loafing a little than simply not having the speed to compete in the NFL.
That makes Harrison a very interesting buy-low target vs. the Rams. It has the potential to be one of the highest-scoring games of the week, and it should surprise no one if the Cardinals decide to make Harrison a focal point. He’s particularly intriguing on FanDuel, where his salary comes with a 99% Bargain Rating.
Wan’Dale Robinson ($4,300 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel)
I’m almost embarrassed to admit this, but I’ll have some double stacks with Jones, Nabers, and Robinson this week. I don’t necessarily expect Robinson to be as busy as he was vs. the Vikings, but his 31% target share was excellent.
He benefits from the same elite matchup as Nabers, and he checks in with an affordable salary across the industry. He also stands out as undervalued per SimLabs, with an optimal lineup rate of nearly 12%.
Going with Jones, Nabers, and Robinson allows you to basically play studs at every other position in your lineup. It might feel gross on the surface, but gross stacks have won plenty of people $1M.
