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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Nico Collins ($7,700 DraftKings, $8,800 FanDuel)
Has Collins become the top receiver in all of fantasy? It’s possible. He’s accumulated the most fantasy points through the first four weeks of the season, and he has some of the best utilization in all of football. His 29% target share ranks 10th among receivers, while his 45% air yards share ranks ninth. However, what truly separates Collins from the pack is his involvement near the goal line. He’s racked up an absurd 78% of the Texans’ endzone targets this season, so he’s one of the biggest touchdown threats in the league at receiver.
Collins will have a bit more competition for targets this week, with Tank Dell set to rejoin the rotation after missing their last game. However, Collins has still been able to produce WR1 numbers even with Dell in the lineup, including a WR4 finish in Week 2.
Collins’ matchup this week vs. the Bills is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, the Bills have been very difficult to pass against this season, ranking sixth in pass defense EPA. On the other, the Bills are capable of putting up plenty of points, so this is expected to be a high-scoring affair. The total on this game sits at 47.5, which is the fourth-highest mark on the main slate.
Ultimately, Collins tops the position in terms of median and ceiling projection on DraftKings despite not possessing the highest salary. On a slate with plenty of value, that makes Collins a strong choice to anchor your receiving corps.
Dontayvion Wicks ($5,000 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel)
While Collins is arguably the top overall option at the position, Wicks is the best pure value. Wicks has struggled to carve out a consistent role in the Packers’ passing attack, which features a host of talented young receivers. That said, whenever he’s gotten the chance to play, he’s absolutely balled out. He’s now played three games with a snap share of at least 72%, and he’s posted the following stat lines:
- Six catches, 97 yards
- Five catches, 78 yards, two touchdowns
- Six catches, 61 yards, two touchdowns
The middle outcome came just last week vs. the Vikings. Wicks took full advantage of the injury to Christian Watson, allowing him to post a season-high 80% route participation. He saw a ridiculous 13 targets, and while Jordan Love probably won’t need to throw 50+ times again, his 26% target share is still an outstanding figure for this price range.
The Rams also represent an outstanding matchup. They’ve been shredded through the air this season, ranking 31st in dropback EPA defensively, so it’s the perfect combination of talent, opportunity, and opponent. Wicks is an outstanding target in all formats.
Jordan Whittington ($4,600 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel)
On the other side of that matchup, the Rams are desperately looking for someone to step up in place of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. There’s a chance Whittington might be that guy. The sixth-round rookie had an excellent preseason, and he’s started to get more opportunities over the past two weeks. He was targeted on 30% of his routes run in Week 3, and his route participation skyrocketed to 97% in Week 4. He ultimately finished with a 30% target share in that contest, resulting in six catches for 62 yards.
If Whittington can continue to earn targets at that rate, he’s going to be a massive value until Kupp and Nacua return to the lineup. The Packers have surrendered the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing receivers, so it’s a great spot to buy Whittington at a cheap salary.
Diontae Johnson ($6,100 DraftKings, $7,100 FanDuel)
Don’t forget about Diontae. He has been unleashed by the Panthers after switching to Andy Dalton at quarterback, racking up 15 catches, 205 yards, and two touchdowns over the past two weeks. He’s earned 27 targets over that time frame, and there’s no reason to expect him to slow down moving forward.
Johnson draws a tough matchup this week vs. the Bears, who have one of the best pass defenses in football. However, they’re not infallible. Stud corner Jaylon Johnson doesn’t follow receivers into the slot, so the Panthers could easily scheme some opportunities for Diontae in that area of the field.
Regardless of the matchup, this is simply too cheap of a price tag for someone who should command double-digit targets on a weekly basis.
Try out our NFL DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.
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Jakobi Meyers ($5,500 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel)
The Raiders are stuck in a soap opera with Davante Adams, who will be out of the lineup while trying to negotiate a trade elsewhere. While that’s not great for the Raiders, it creates some excellent opportunities for the rest of their receivers.
Expect Meyers to be the biggest beneficiary. He didn’t take full advantage in Week 4, finishing with five catches for 49 yards, but he earned a season-high 10 targets. More impressively, he had a 42% target share in a game where the Raiders only threw the ball 24 times. There will be weeks where they have to throw the ball a lot more, and Meyers could be looking at a huge workload in those contests.
Like Diontae, Meyers does have a tough matchup on paper vs. the Broncos, who have an outstanding corner in Patrick Surtain. That said, Surtain hasn’t been quite as good so far this season, and he also doesn’t play in the slot. Meyers does a lot of his damage from the slot, so it’s a bit matter matchup than it might initially seem.
Meyers stands out as an elite value on FanDuel, where his $5,800 salary comes with a 96% Bargain Rating.
Jayden Reed ($6,500 DraftKings, $7,200 FanDuel)
Wicks is the best pure value in the Packers’ receiving corps at the moment, but Reed is still their top dog. In his two games with Love, Reed has racked up 26.6 and 34.1 FanDuel points. He’s scored three total touchdowns in those contests – two receiving, one rushing – and he’s had at least 138 receiving yards in each.
Reed benefits from the same elite matchup as Wicks, and their +2.6 Opponent Plus/Minus is the second-best mark on FanDuel. He has the third-highest median and ceiling projections in our NFL Models but just the ninth-highest salary.
Terry McLaurin ($6,100 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel)
McLaurin struggled to get going with the Commanders early despite the fact that their offense was absolutely humming. However, they’ve managed to figure things out of late. He had 100 yards and a touchdown two weeks ago, and he followed that up with another score in Week 4.
McLaurin’s overall production was down slightly, but he earned a season-high 10 targets. Overall, he has a 27% target share for the year, and he’s been above a 60% air yards share in three of four games. That gives him a nice combination of ceiling and floor.
The Browns stand out as a tougher matchup than the Commanders have faced all season, but they haven’t been nearly as good as they were last year. They were historically good in 2023, but they’re merely 13th in pass defense EPA so far this season.
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Wan’Dale Robinson ($5,600 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel)
If not for all the other elite values on this slate, Robinson would be significantly more popular on this slate. He’s projected for single-digit ownership on DraftKings despite Malik Nabers being out of the lineup.
Robinson has already had a pretty sizable role for the Giants this season. He’s posted a 28% target share despite Nabers leading the league with a 39% mark. With Nabers now out of the picture, Robinson should easily be able to eclipse 30% in this spot.
Robinson doesn’t typically see many downfield targets, but he can pile up the catches in PPR formats. Something like 10 catches and a touchdown is not out of the realm of possibility, and he stands out as one of the most undervalued receivers of the week per SimLabs.
DK Metcalf ($7,000 DraftKings, $8,200 FanDuel)
The Seahawks receivers also stand out as undervalued in that matchup. Metcalf is on pace for a career season under first-year OC Ryan Grubb, racking up 100+ yards in three straight outings. He’s added a touchdown in two of them, and he’s had at least 12 targets twice as well.
Metcalf has always been one of the biggest talents in the league at receiver, and he’s starting to get the volume of opportunities he deserves. The Giants’ pass defense is another solid matchup, so Metcalf is certainly in play on this slate. The Seahawks’ implied team total of 24.75 is the fourth-highest mark on the slate.
Brian Thomas ($5,900 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel)
The Jaguars have been a massive disappointment this season, and they’re still looking for their first win of the season. That said, they’re listed as three-point home favorites vs. the Colts, so it’s certainly possible that they break out of their funk.
From a matchup standpoint, the Colts have been really weak against opposing passing attacks through the first four weeks. They’re merely 24th in pass defense EPA, despite facing Malik Willis, Caleb Williams, and Justin Fields in three of their four matchups. If those passers can have success, it’s not crazy to think that Trevor Lawrence can, too.
Thomas and Christian Kirk have operated as co-No. 1s in the passing game this season. Both players have a target share between 21 and 24% and air yards share between 26 and 29%. Both stand out as undervalued options in SimLabs, but Thomas is popping in the optimal lineups far more frequently (13.12% vs. 3.55%).
George Pickens ($6,000 FanDuel)
Pickens is only available on the FanDuel main slate – which includes Sunday Night Football – but he’s an outstanding option. He’s taking on a Cowboys’ defense that is in absolute shambles. They’ve been shredded basically all season, and now they’ll be playing without Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence. That could be a disaster.
Pickens has the underlying metrics of a true alpha receiver: 28% target share, 53% air yards. He’s coming off 11 targets and his first 100-yard game of the season last week, and I wouldn’t bet against him doing it again.
