After a bunch of high-priced receivers catching my eye last week, I have to admit, there are a plethora of value wide receivers this week. Lineup construction for Week 5 NFL DFS is going to be a fun one! By taking a look at projected game and team totals, as well as our NFL DFS Week 5 player projections, we’ll get a good look at how we can best optimize the wide receiver position in our NFL DFS lineups. 

From superstar receivers to top DFS stacks, the NFL DFS WR Coach will have multiple plays at various pricing tiers to help construct your lineups. Without further ado, let’s dive into this week’s DFS WR Coach, highlighting the top plays, values, and fades at the wide receiver position to help build your NFL DFS lineups for the main slate on DraftKings and FanDuel.

 

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NFL DFS WR Top Tier Picks

Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins

The Giants look lost right now, their corners aren’t very good, and Miami is likely to be a little miffed after getting blown out by Buffalo. I would say the Giants are a great “get right” spot for this squad, that I’ll remind you, can score at will, as seen by putting up 70 against the Broncos two weeks ago. Tyreek Hill is just faster and better than anyone the Giants can put in front of him, and Hill knows how to work within this offense to get around anything the opposition tries to do to him. This isn’t a hot take by any means, but 100 yards and a score incoming.

Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

High game total. Minnesota can’t stop a nosebleed. They’ll have to throw it a ton. He has 149+ yards in three of four games this season and 85+ in every game. Need I say more?

Reasons not to play Jefferson:

You hate winning money.

End of list.

NFL DFS WR Mid-Tier Picks

Nico Collins, Houston Texans 

I picked the wrong Houston receiver last week, but with how this offense is moving, we will want a piece of it on this slate. This week, Collins is the preferred play for me. Atlanta has played a lot of man coverage this season, and Collins has been C.J. Stroud’s preferred target when facing man looks. 

Collins has feasted on man coverage this year, posting an impressive 6.27 yards per route run, 23.3 yards per reception and a perfect 158.3 passer rating when targeted, per PFF. If you like PFF’s grading, he’s the highest-graded receiver against man coverage this season and his 163 yards are the highest in the league. 

To be fair, Tank Dell has been excellent against man coverage as well and makes for a fine DFS play this week, but I believe this is another week where Collins puts forth the most fantasy points.

UPDATE 10/6: I liked Nico at the beginning of the week, but if we get any inkling that Atlanta tends to use A.J. Terrell to shadow Collins, we may need to pivot. I expect Bobby Slowik to work to get Collins into advantageous matchups, but if Atlanta commits to stopping Collins, we'll look to pivot to Dell or Woods.

Michael Pittman, Indianapolis Colts

With Anthony Richardson under center, there are going to be ups and downs, similar to that of a roller coaster. He’ll have someone wide open and miss him, and then look like vintage Tom Brady dropping the ball right in a bucket. Prior to last week, Pittman had at least nine targets in each game and he draws a far better matchup this week against the Titans, a team that has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers this season, and boundary receivers have decimated them this season. Indy should look to the air a bit more this week, and volume should be there for Pittman, meaning production should follow suit.

Adam Thielen, Carolina Panthers

How can you not consider Thielen at this point? The game script will be in his favor as the Panthers should be trailing for most of this game, and he’s assumed the WR1 role for this team, seeing as he has at least seven receptions, eight targets, and 50+ yards in three straight games. Despite Carolina’s offensive struggles, he’s managed to find the end zone twice in the last three weeks! Brian Branch is a talented young player, but he’s allowed just under 80 percent of his targets in slot coverage to be caught, not to mention a 105.1 passer rating when targeted, per PFF. 

Detroit just allowed 70 yards and a touchdown out of the slot last week to Green Bay, and Mr. Thielen just so happens to be tied for the league lead in receptions out of the slot, as well as racking up the third-most receiving yards. I’m fine with D.J. Chark in GPPs, but Thielen is my preferred target.

Tutu Atwell, Los Angeles Rams

There are a lot of moving parts here that we’ll need to monitor, namely the statuses of Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford. However, there’s some fantasy value to be had with these Rams receivers, because the matchup against the Eagles may not be as daunting as you may think. The Eagles have actually allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to opposing receivers this season, and Atwell has at least eight targets in every game this season. 

Again, there are a lot of moving parts here, but with many likely looking to Puka Nacua, I may zag to Atwell this week. However, that’s not to say I don’t like Nacua this week, because I do, and I don’t think Josh Jobe can contain him.

UPDATE 10/6: If Cooper Kupp plays, which all signs are pointing to that, Atwell becomes a GPP only play, as I expect Kupp and Puka Nacua to be the 1 and 1A in the passing attack, with Atwell a distant third.

UPDATE 10/8: Kupp is a full go, so Atwell moves to GPP territory.

10/7 ADD: DeAndre Hopkins, Tennessee Titans

I've come around on Hopkins as the week has gone on. I'm skeptical of the Tennessee passing attack as a whole, but if he can't get it done in this matchup, then I don't know what to say. The Colts have bled fantasy points to receivers all year, and they've really struggled with perimeter wide receivers. The price point is very affordable, and once again, if he can't do it here, I don't know what to tell you. Hopkins is very familiar with this team, and he's had great success against them in the past. Let's hope he recaptures that on Sunday.

NFL DFS WR Value Picks

Demario Douglas, New England Patriots

If you want to take a chance, look at Douglas. He’s averaged 13.3 yards per reception and a 12.8 average depth of target (aDOT) out of the slot this season, per PFF, and if you read the DFS WR Coach last week, you’ll know about New Orleans’ Alontae Taylor. Taylor has been the most targeted cornerback out of the slot this season, and he’s allowed the most yards and a 104.8 passer rating when targeted, per PFF. If he’s on the field, New England is throwing the ball (100 percent route participation), and his 33 percent snap share last week was higher than the 24 percent mark in Week 3. He isn’t a full-time player, but he should get enough work this upcoming week to be useful in GPPs, and the New England offense has to be better this week than last.

Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs

A Chiefs wideout has to pop off in this game, right? Right? RIGHT!? If that’s the case, I’m going to bank on the rookie Rashee Rice. he’s getting more and more involved, and believe it or not, he’s the most targeted wide receiver out of the slot for the Chiefs this season. The Vikings have allowed the most fantasy points per game to wide receivers this season, and over the last three weeks, Rice leads all Chiefs players not named Travis Kelce in targets and receptions, and he leads the team overall in yards per route run (2.52), per PFF.

Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals

This Cincinnati defense has struggled against the pass and Wilson busted onto the scene with two touchdowns last week. Of course, everyone is going to be in on him this week, but the price tag is too good to ignore. However, I do believe Marquise Brown becomes a very interesting contrarian play of sorts, with everyone looking to the cheaper Wilson.

However, Wilson had 100 percent route participation last week, as well as logging season-highs in targets and receptions. When Joshua Dobbs throws it downfield, Wilson has been the guy for him, and Wilson is sporting a very healthy 16.0 aDOT thus far, and Dobbs has an impressive 158.0 passer rating when targeting the rookie, per PFF. 

NFL DFS WR Fades

Drake London, Atlanta Falcons

For London to pay off in DFS he has to find the end zone, because we all know the volume is not there. The Texans have allowed just one receiving touchdown to wide receivers this year, and given Atlanta’s offensive tendencies, I don’t believe London will be the second to do so. Houston’s defense is more susceptible on the ground, which just so happens to be Arthur Smith’s favorite thing to do in the whole wide world. Expect a heavy dosage of runs, and trying to protect Desmond Ridder, which doesn’t seem to lend itself to a big day for London. 

The Texans haven’t gotten a ton of sacks this year, but they have put a lot of pressure on the quarterback, and Ridder has been horrible when under pressure this season, to the tune of a 47.1 percent completion percentage and 58.5 passer rating, per PFF. Fade London and fade every single Atlanta wide receiver.