NFL DFS NFL Wild Card Round WR Coach: Nico Collins, Puka Nacua, Ladd McConkey

The NFL playoffs are coming! The NFL playoffs are coming! Wait, they’re here, and your Wild Card DFS lineups aren’t going to build themselves! The NFL DFS WR Coach aims to be your one-stop shop for all things at the wide receiver position for the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs. Each week, we’ll break down the wide receiver position to help you build smarter, sharper DFS lineups! We’ll highlight the top-tier studs, the best value plays, and the mispriced players in the mid-tier to help gain an edge! Without further ado, let’s dive into the Wild Card round DFS WR Coach, exclusively at Fantasy Alarm!

NFL DFS Wild Card Round WR Coach for Fanduel & DraftKings Fantasy

We got six pretty good matchups on Wild Card weekend, and the wide receiver position is quite interesting. We have teams like the Rams with multiple good options, numerous teams with just one good option, a la the Texans and Panthers, and then a couple of teams where it feels like a dart throw, whether it be because of matchup (Steelers) or just a bunch of guys at the position (Green Bay). However, we’ll figure out where to go, and the one major thing I’m still waiting to see is what the 49ers' injury report looks like. I’m intrigued by Ricky Pearsall if he’s able to go, but we’ll have to wait and see.

After sifting through the data and crunching the numbers, I’ve identified my favorite plays at the position this week, and there should be a receiver or two at every price point to give you plenty of options when building your NFL DFS lineups this week, headlined by Nico Collins of the Houston Texans.

NFL Wild Card Round Wide Receivers

This is a living, breathing resource, and it will be updated as the week goes on, based on injury news, practice reports, etc. By kickoff, you may see some players removed who were earlier featured, or perhaps some players added as we approach kickoff.

NFL DFS WR Top Tier Picks for Wild Card Round

Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams - DraftKings: $8,700 | FanDuel: $9,700

Teams that play more single-high safety looks hate to see Puka Nacua on the other side. Over the final six weeks of the season, Carolina played single-high safety looks at the seventh-highest clip in the NFL, per FantasyPoints Data. Well, for the 2025 season, Nacua posted 4.60 yards per route run, 0.42 targets per route run, and the league’s best 0.96 fantasy points per route run against single-high safety looks, per FantasyPoints Data. He went for 72 yards against the Panthers earlier this season, and I’d expect a better day here. It’s worth noting he’s averaging over 100 receiving yards per game in the playoffs in his career. Davante Adams returning helps Nacua, not hinders him.

A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles - DraftKings: $6,900 | FanDuel: $8,400

The 49ers struggled with slot receivers for a good chunk of the year, but Upton Stout has been playing better in recent weeks. However, what I see in this matchup is the fact that the 49ers played the sixth-most single-high safety looks over the final six weeks of the season, per FantasyPoints Data. Why’s that important? Well, A.J. Brown has been elite against single-high safety looks, posting 0.89 fantasy points per route run, 3.72 yards per route run, and 0.36 targets per route run over the final six weeks of the season, per FantasyPoints Data. Pay up for Brown over DeVonta Smith, as Smith hasn’t surpassed 55 yards in a game since Week 12.

Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers - DraftKings: $6,000 | FanDuel: $7,400

Not only have the Rams allowed the seventh-most fantasy points per game to wideouts over the last six weeks, but they have allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to perimeter receivers! Well, guess who primarily lines up wide for Carolina? McMillan! Emmanuel Forbes has really struggled in coverage over the last couple of weeks, and if PFF grades are your thing, he has the second-lowest coverage grade over the final six weeks of the season! McMillan had a 43-yard TD against the Rams a few weeks back, and over the final five regular-season games of his rookie season, McMillan posted a 13.4 average depth of target (aDOT), 1.72 yards per route run, and 25.4% first read rate, per FantasyPoints Data.

NFL DFS WR Mid-Tier Picks for NFL Wild Card Round

Stefon Diggs, New England Patriots - DraftKings: $6,300 | FanDuel: $6,600

The Chargers have been about league average over the final six weeks in terms of fantasy points per game to wideouts, but Drake Maye will have to look to someone to move the ball through the air. Diggs should be that guy, especially against Los Angeles’ two-high safety looks. For the year, Diggs posted 2.24 yards per route run against two-high safeties, but over the final six weeks of the season, that mark bumps up to 2.66 yards per route, per FantasyPoints Data. Diggs closed out the regular season by posting 3.28 yards per route run and 14.5 fantasy points per game over his final four.

Parker Washington, Jacksonville Jaguars - DraftKings: $5,000 | FanDuel: $6,900

Trevor Lawrence spreads the ball around a ton, but you might be surprised by some of the results over the final four weeks of the season between Lawrence’s top three wideouts:

• Player A = Jakobi Meyers
• Player B = Brian Thomas
• Player C = Parker Washington

Washington has been really good of late, and he’s the WR6 in fantasy points per game over the final four weeks of the regular season! Tough matchup against Buffalo, who has allowed the second-fewest fantasy points per game to wideouts over the last six weeks, but Washington’s 4.42 yards per route run against two-high safeties over the last six is good for his outlook in the Wild Card round. The price on DK looks (and feels) better.

Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers - DraftKings: $5,700 | FanDuel: $6,500

I don’t love the fact that McConkey closed out the season by recording two or fewer receptions in three of his last four games, but I find myself quite intrigued by him in this matchup against the New England Patriots. Marcus Jones has allowed the most touchdowns in slot coverage this season, per Pro Football Focus (PFF), and over the final four weeks of the season, he surrendered a 118.8 passer rating when targeted, and 2.02 yards per coverage snap. Furthermore, amongst corners with at least 150 slot coverage snaps, Jones allowed the sixth-highest passer rating when targeted. Rather than going at the Patriots’ perimeter corners, namely Christian Gonzalez, I’ll go in the slot and target Jones.

NFL Wild Card Round DFS WR Value Picks

Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers - DraftKings: $4,900 | FanDuel: $6,300

Of teams that are playing in the Wild Card round, no team played more man coverage over the final six weeks of the regular season than the Bears. When looking at the Packers’ wideouts, Dontayvion Wicks (2.85 yards per route run) and Watson (2.31 yards per route run) have been the best receivers against man coverage. Watson is on the field more than Wicks, so Watson is my preferred target. Over his last three games, Watson had a 16.8 aDOT, 34.3% of the team’s air yards, and 2.79 yards per route run, per FantasyPoints Data. The Bears allowed the second-most fantasy points per game over the final six weeks to wide receivers, and the fourth-most to wideouts on the perimeter, per FantasyPoints Data.

Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills - DraftKings: $4,800 | FanDuel: $6,100

I expect Josh Allen to continue leaning on his tight ends, but despite a tough matchup on paper against the Jags, Shakir is the only Buffalo wide receiver I can “trust.” Yes, trust is in quotes, as I’m using that quite loosely. Jarrian Jones has been quite good as the team’s slot corner the last couple of weeks, but the Jags are slightly below average in terms of fantasy points per game to slot receivers over the last six weeks, per FantasyPoints Data. However, against Jacksonville’s zone-heavy scheme, Shakir could be a trusted weapon for Allen, as Shakir registered 1.93 yards per route run and 0.43 fantasy points per route run during the regular season against zone coverage, per FantasyPoints Data. Again, more intrigued by the backs and tight ends through the air against Jacksonville, but if you stack this game, Shakir is the Buffalo wideout to look at.

Luther Burden, Chicago Bears - DraftKings: $4,600 | FanDuel: $6,000

Burden is my preferred Bears wideout. It took long enough, but I believe Chicago is at the point where they realize he needs to be an integral part of the pass attack. Sure, Rome Odunze missed some time down the stretch, but Burden averaged 6.7 targets per game over his final four games, not to mention a team-high 0.31 targets per route run, 4.02 yards per route run, and 5.4 yards per target over expectation (YPTOE), per FantasyPoints Data. His 5.4 YPTOE was the fourth-best mark amongst WRs with at least 60 routes from Weeks 15-18! The Packers have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to wideouts over the last six weeks, and also ranked in the bottom-6 in fantasy points per game to both perimeter and slot receivers individually.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Pittsburgh Steelers - DraftKings: $3,200 | FanDuel: $4,800

On smaller slates, you have to differentiate a bit, and we’ll try that here with MVS. Yes, DK Metcalf is back for this game, and he’s been great against single-high safety looks, something Houston has been doing a lot of late. Explosive plays have hurt the Texans' defense in recent weeks, and Metcalf is certainly no stranger to those, but neither is MVS. In Weeks 13-16, MVS had a higher route share than Calvin Austin, not to mention a 20.2 aDOT, per FantasyPoints Data. Again, boom-or-bust here, but we’ve seen downfield targets hurt Houston at times this season, so maybe MVS can find himself loose for a big one.

NFL DFS WR Fade for Wild Card Round

DJ Moore, Chicago Bears - DraftKings: $5,300 | FanDuel: $5,800

At the price point, you might be thinking, “DJ Moore might just be worth it.” Let me help you pump the brakes a bit. Over his last two games, Moore has two receptions on seven targets for 18 yards, good for a whopping 3.8 points (PPR). He’s been held to 20 or fewer receiving yards in four of his last six games, not to mention six of his last nine! Green Bay has been vulnerable to wideouts of late, and Moore did go for a season-high 97 yards and a TD in the last matchup between these two games, but I’m not buying a repeat performance. Oh, as good as that game was, in the first matchup between the two teams, he had a season low of -4 yards on one reception. Over the final six weeks of the season, Moore notched 1.23 yards per route run and 0.14 targets per route run versus two-high safety looks, per FantasyPoints Data. Yikes.

NFL Wild Card Round WR Play of The Week

Nico Collins, Houston Texans - DraftKings: $7,200 | FanDuel: $8,200

C.J. Stroud has been better at home than on the road this year, but Collins has been good no matter what. Take a look for yourself below:

The Steelers love to play man coverage, and that plays right into Collins’ strengths, as he posted 2.60 yards per route run for the year against man coverage, and 3.93 yards per route run over the final six weeks of the season, per FantasyPoints Data. Houston’s top wideout got to rest in Week 18, but in the three games prior, he posted over 20 yards per reception and 2.48 yards per route run, per FantasyPoints Data. Also, for what it’s worth, he’s averaged 91.8 yards per game in four career playoff games.

Check out the NFL DFS projections table below to help build your NFL DFS lineups for the Wild Card round. Be sure to also check out not just the WR Coach, but the rest of our NFL DFS Coaches, Watch List, and NFL DFS Playbook as you build those winning daily fantasy football lineups for the Wild Card round!