The mid-tier of wide receivers for Week 6 NFL DFS action takes the cake for me. Sure, there are a few studs that I want to pay up for, but after that, I like loading up on multiple guys from the mid-tier, whether it be due to a good matchup, recent workload, etc. By taking a look at projected game and team totals, as well as our NFL DFS Week 6 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 NFL 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 Sunday’s main slate on DraftKings and FanDuel.

 

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NFL DFS WR Top Tier Picks

Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals

The Seahawks have allowed the most fantasy points per game to receivers this season, and now have to face Joe Burrow and the Bengals, and the star QB just might be back to his usual level of play. Chase broke the slate last week with 192 yards and three touchdowns last week against the Cardinals, and this is another juicy matchup for the star receiver. Seattle has been rather good against the run this year, and rather than hand it off to the inefficient Joe Mixon, just let Burrow sling it 45+ times this week, and let Chase decimate this Seattle secondary.

Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams

Kupp returns from his hamstring injury to catch eight of 12 targets for 118 yards, playing in 95 percent of the offensive snaps. He seemed to have come out of the game unscathed, immediately placing him in as a rock-solid WR1 regardless of matchup. Kupp was quiet against the Cardinals last season, but before 2022, he had some monster games against them, and the Rams will continue to be a pass-heavy offense. The Cardinals have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers this year.

Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams

Can you play both Cooper Kupp and Nacua this week? I mean, I think so! Kupp and Nacua dominated the targets last week, and the Cardinals have allowed a good bit of fantasy goodness to outside receivers, Nacua did most of his damage out wide. In Week 5, Nacua had just three receptions on five targets for 12 yards out of the slot upon Kupp’s return, meaning most of his damage came when he lined up out wide! That bodes well in this matchup, as Arizona’s perimeter corners don’t frighten me one bit, and the Cardinals defense as a whole has allowed the seventh-most fantasy points per game to receivers this season.

DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles

If you want hard-hitting analysis on wide receivers, and why Smith is the play this week, you came to the right place. Philadelphia spreads the wealth, and it’s been a minute since Smith had a big game, so he figures to get that chance this week. A.J. Brown had a tirade on the sideline, and he has been fed targets ever since. The team said Dallas Goedert needed some more looks, and he went for 117 yards and a touchdown on a season-high nine targets this past week. After catching just one ball last week, the Eagles will ensure that he leaves this game against the Jets with a smile on his face. Beyond that, Smith leads the teams in targets out of the slot, and that’s the area of the New York secondary I’d be most comfortable attacking.

NFL DFS WR Mid-Tier Picks

Calvin Ridley, Jacksonville Jaguars

If you find something in life that loves you as much as the Indianapolis Colts love handing out yards and fantasy points to perimeter wide receivers, cherish it with all of your heart, and never ever let it go. Boundary receivers have decimated the Colts this season, and that trend will continue this week with Ridley, who exploded for 122 yards last week against the Bills. Remember, the Jaguars already faced Indy this season, and Ridley caught eight of 11 targets for 101 yards and a touchdown, easily his biggest fantasy day of the season. The Colts haven’t gotten any better against outside receivers in particular, but overall against wideouts, they have allowed the 12th-most fantasy points per game over the last four weeks (ninth-most for all of 2023).

Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

You want slot receivers against the Detroit Lions, especially with Brian Branch out of the mix. Adam Thielen just had eight grabs on nine targets for 85 yards and a touchdown out of the slot last week against the Lions, and while Godwin hasn’t been playing as much as expected out of the slot in the beginning of 2023, coming off the team’s bye, I like for him to see some more work out of the slot in this matchup. We’ll have to keep an eye out for Mike Evans’ availability in this one, but Godwin is my preferred Tampa Bay receiver in this one.

DJ Moore, Chicago Bears

Strike while the iron is hot, right? With Justin Fields playing solid right now, let’s keep the momentum going. Fields has eight touchdown passes over his last two games, and Moore just so happens to have caught four of those touchdown passes! Also, over his last two games, Moore has caught 16 of 19 targets for 361 yards! The Bears get the Minnesota Vikings this week, and their defensive issues are well-documented, as they have allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers this year, not to mention the most receiving yards overall! Expect the Bears to stay hot, points to be scored, and Moore to be celebrating in the end zone on at least one occasion.

Michael Pittman, Indianapolis Colts

Pittman can thrive with a quarterback like Garnder Minshew, and this is a matchup that favors him, as Jacksonville has been pretty generous to outside receivers. Pittman hasn’t been seeing the volume that he saw early in the season, but that should change this week, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him have close to 10 targets in this contest. Pittman and Josh Downs are the primary weapons in the passing game you want to look at in this matchup, and while I wouldn’t play both, Pittman seems to be the GPP option, as many will look to Downs following last week’s performance and smaller salary compared to Pittman. 

If Jacksonville can slow down Indy’s rushing attack, the teams should be more than comfortable letting Minshew throw it a bunch, and remember, in Minshew’s lone start this year, he threw it 44 times, and in Week 2 against Houston where he came into that game rather earlier, he logged 23 pass attempts on 39 offensive snaps.

Adam Thielen, Carolina Panthers

The game script will be in favor of Thielen here, as Carolina may get blown out, meaning they’ll be dropping back early and often. All Thielen has done is produce this year, and not only has he scored in three of his last four games, but he has at least seven receptions in four straight games! He’s Bryce Young’s top guy, and not only have the Dolphins have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points per game to receivers, they have been very generous to slot receivers, in particular, this season.

Garrett Wilson, New York Jets

Okay, hear me out here. Ownership should be lower on Wilson after he underwhelmed a bit in a great matchup against Denver, but this matchup is sneaky good. The Eagles have actually allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers this season, and the Jets have been moving Garrett Wilson around a good bit. Per PFF, he’s logged at least 26 percent of his snaps out of the slot in each of the last three weeks, after failing to exceed 21 percent in either of the first two games of the season. 

None of his metrics out of the slot are all that great or noteworthy, but the Jets realize that they have to get Wilson in key spots to help out Zach Wilson, and that’s what they’ll do this week. The Jets will be throwing the ball, and in a few GPP lineups, don’t be afraid to take a chance on Wilson.

NFL DFS WR Value Picks

Drake London, Atlanta Falcons

Did you see what DJ Moore did to the Washington secondary? Well, with Desmond Ridder coming off his best game as a professional, some newfound confidence should play well for the Atlanta passing attack in a game against a Washington defense that has surrendered the fifth-most fantasy points per game overall to wideouts. This one scares me, as trusting London (and therefore Ridder) isn’t exactly the safest bet in the world, but the matchup is too good to ignore. 

The Commanders are bleeding receptions and yards to perimeter wide receivers, and London primarily lines up out wide. We need Washington to get some points on the board early so Arthur Smith isn’t able to just run the ball every play, but when Atlanta does drop to throw it, London is the guy in my eyes who has the best chance for the big game.

Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings

Does Minnesota stand to gain anything by feeding KJ Osborn more targets? Why not try to accelerate Addison’s rise to fantasy stardom? I think Osborn is fine to use this week, and I won’t fault you for doing so, but I believe Addison has the most to gain in Jefferson’s absence. Addison’s deployment thus far has been more in line with Justin Jefferson than Osborn has, and despite his 1.49 yards per route run, his 12.9 aDOT was actually higher than Jefferson’s (11.8), per PFF. 

Addison is more sure-handed than Osborn, and his upside is higher. It’s a great matchup against the Bears, and a potential shootout is in store here, as the Bears offense is moving like a well-oiled machine of late. The Bears have been quite generous to boundary receivers this season, and Addison has played on the perimeter on basically three-quarters of his snaps.

Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks

I like DK Metcalf as well, but the matchup for Lockett is better in this matchup. His reps in the slot should be quite advantageous for him, and even when he goes out wide, these Cincy corners don’t scare me. Lockett’s two-touchdown game against Detroit has been his best performance of the season, and while that’s been his only productive day in fantasy, he’s in line for solid production in a game that should blow past the O/U line set forth by Vegas.

Robert Woods, Houston Texans

PLEASE JUST CATCH THE BALL! He has way too many drops this season, but he’s going to have the best matchup amongst Houston’s receivers in this matchup against the Saints. Houston can’t run the ball, and they won’t be able to do so in this game against New Orleans, so the offense will rely on the right arm of C.J. Stroud. Alontae Taylor has allowed the second-most yards in slot coverage this year, per Pro Football Focus, and he’s by far the most targeted New Orleans cornerback. 

With Tank Dell out of the mix, Woods is basically uncontested for slot snaps, and while the production hasn’t been there in recent weeks, he has at least six targets in every game this season, and New Orleans likely tries to remove Nico Collins from the equation, forcing Woods and Co. to beat them.

Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts

Guess who has allowed the most yards in slot coverage this year among all cornerbacks? If you guessed Tre Herndon of the Jacksonville Jaguars, you are correct! Herndon has allowed a 147.4 passer rating when targeted in slot coverage this year, per Pro Football Focus (PFF), and a league-high 208 yards (13.0 YPR). In Week 6, rookie slot receiver Josh Downs will get to face Herndon, and Downs just so happens to rank in the top five of all receivers in slot targets (25), receiving yards out of the slot (223), and YAC out of the slot (99). Gardner Minshew will be under center in this game, and Downs will have a damn good opportunity for another double-digit fantasy point effort.

NFL DFS WR Fades

Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns

Yes, you attack San Francisco’s defense by going at its corners, but what in the hell is up with Deshaun Watson? I’m not liking what I’m hearing, and while Cooper isn’t overly expensive, there are so many better options around his price point, that it just doesn’t make sense to willingly go at one of the best defenses in the league. Without Watson this afternoon, Cooper is one of the easiest fades on the board, given his QB and the weather in the area..