NFL DFS Week 16 WR Coach: Puka Nacua, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Davante Adams

Week 16 of the NFL season is here, and it is once again my privilege to highlight my favorite wide receivers for your Week 16 NFL DFS lineups on the main slate for FanDuel and DraftKings. The fantasy football playoffs are here, and while we have a ton of great content to help you continue your quest for a fantasy football championship, we’ll be focused on daily fantasy football here!

From the top priced receivers to the value wide receivers, and everything in between, we got your Week 16 daily fantasy football lineups covered! Take these insights and numbers and check out some NFL player props for Week 16 as well, as some of the insights in this article can help uncover some advantageous lines for you to exploit!

Lastly, be sure to check back through the week leading up to Sunday, as we’ll make updates to the NFL DFS WR Coach based on injury reports, practice statuses, and more!

Without further ado, let’s jump into the NFL DFS Week 16 WR Coach, here exclusively at Fantasy Alarm!

NFL DFS Week 16 WR Coach For FanDuel & DraftKings Fantasy

Last week’s DFS WR Coach here at Fantasy Alarm was littered with some of the best plays on the slate, including Davante Adams, Terry McLaurin, and more! 

We’ll look to replicate that success this week here in Week 16 to build winning NFL DFS lineups, and the slate is filled with some interesting game environments from a DFS perspective. If not only we were getting Jameis Winston against that Cincinnati defense… Oh well!

Keep on reading for some insights as to the particular receivers I like this week at all different price tiers!

NFL Week 16 Wide Receivers

With the NFL gearing up for games on Christmas Day, which falls on a Wednesday, we have four teams (Texans, Chiefs, Steelers, and Ravens) playing on Saturday, so they are unavailable to us on the main slate. Additionally, the Broncos, Chargers, Bucs, Cowboys, Saints, and Packers are off the main slate as well. 

Of course, on FanDuel, you do have access to the Bucs-Cowboys game on the main slate. There are some good game environments here, though Cleveland deciding to start Dorian Thompson-Robinson and not Jameis Winston against the Bengals makes that game a little less fun from a fantasy perspective.

Quick notes on the slate:

• 5 games with a line of at least 46.5
• 4 games with a line of 42.5 or fewer points

NFL DFS WR Coach Week 15 Results

Our top tier picks were solid outside of Tyreek Hill, but Amon-Ra St. Brown and Davante Adams were the big ones here, while Nico Collins and Ja'Marr Chase were solid.

Terry McLaurin was the highlight of the mid-tier plays.

The best value play was Adam Thielen, but he was average at best.

Our fade of the week, Michael Pittman, went for sub-10 fantasy points, and Jerry Jeudy was pretty good as our play of the week, going for 24.8 DK points.

NFL DFS WR Top Tier Picks For Week 16

Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions - DraftKings: $7,900 | FanDuel: $8,600

St. Brown caught five of seven targets for 73 yards a few weeks ago against Chicago, and while he’s found the end zone against them just once in his career, we are going right back to the well with the star receiver. 

He’s posted 2.15 yards per route run versus zone coverage over the last four weeks with an 88 percent reception percentage, per PFF, and this Chicago secondary hasn’t been as difficult on the opposition as it was earlier in the season. Over the last five games, Kyler Gordon has allowed 14.3 yards per reception and a 126.8 passer rating when targeted in slot coverage, per PFF.

Davante Adams, New York Jets - DraftKings: $7,100 | FanDuel: $8,400

Aaron Rodgers seems to only have eyes for Davante Adams, and while Wilson still gets his fair share, Adams is the WR1 in New York. Adams has seen 7+ targets in six straight games, not to mention double-digit targets in five of his last six. 

He’s posted back-to-back games with at least 9 receptions and 100+ yards, and since the team’s bye in Week 12, Adams has commanded a massive 31.5 percent target share, 37.5 percent first read rate, and 3.33 yards per route run, per Fantasy Points’ Data Suite. 

You want perimeter receivers against the Rams, and while Wilson takes more snaps out wide, Adams goes out there a good bit, too, and he’s been more productive on the perimeter than Wilson over the last few weeks:

• Adams out wide over last three games: 3.46 yards per route run, 157.4 passer rating when targeted, 0.88 fantasy points per route run
• Wilson out wide over last three games: 1.41 yards per route run, 75.4 passer rating when targeted, 0.25 fantasy points per route run

Trust the volume, and the Rams should play with the lead, which bodes well for the New York passing volume.

Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals - DraftKings: $8,500 | FanDuel: $9,500

Chase is set up to destroy this Cleveland defense, as Cleveland has been one of the worst in slot coverage over the last six weeks, and Chase is no stranger to lining up there. 

Cleveland plays a lot of man coverage, which also bodes well for Chase, but they also sit in a lot of Cover 3 looks, and Chase has been one of the best in terms of fantasy points per route run (0.96), per Fantasy Points’ Data Suite, against Cover 3 this season. For what it’s worth, he tallied 55 yards and a touchdown back in Week 7 against the Browns.

NFL DFS WR Mid-Tier Picks For NFL Week 16

Brian Thomas, Jacksonville Jaguars - DraftKings: $6,300 | FanDuel: $7,300

This kid is an absolute stud, and they are finally giving him the workload he deserved. Yes, Trevor Lawrence started the game against Houston three weeks ago, but Mac Jones played a large chunk of that contest. With that in mind, Thomas has double-digit targets in three straight games, and last week’s performance was his best of the year (10 receptions for 105 yards and 2 TDs). 

Thomas has a 29.4 percent target share during this 3-game stretch, not to mention the fact that he’s a top-10 wideout (PPR) in terms of fantasy points per game during the aforementioned span. Mac Jones has played well for the Jags, all things considered, and this Las Vegas secondary isn’t particularly fearsome.

Malik Nabers, New York Giants - DraftKings: $6,100 | FanDuel: $8,200

Nabers’ touchdown against the Ravens broke a nearly three-month touchdown drought for the star rookie, and his 14 targets against Ravens marked the second-most he’s received in a game all year. Despite the revolving door at quarterback, and the constant bad play, Nabers posted his third game of the season with 10 or more receptions, and his ninth game with double-digit targets. 

Atlanta has been abused by perimeter receivers over the last month and a half, and Nabers has posted 1.87 yards per route run and a 10.2 average depth of target (aDOT) over the last four weeks against zone. Good matchup here overall for Nabers, and a heavy usage rate should offset any inefficiencies from his quarterbacks.

Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers - DraftKings: $5,900 | FanDuel: $7,000

Those who trusted Jennings in their fantasy football playoffs likely don’t want to see him listed here, but we are going right back to him this week. The price point is too good to ignore, and the guy has a 26 percent target share and 32 percent first read rate, per Fantasy Points’ Data Suite, over the last four weeks. 

Miami is pass-happy on offense, and pretty solid against the run, so Brock Purdy may need to air things out. San Francisco can’t afford another loss, and Jennings has been more reliable and productive than Deebo Samuel.

NFL Week 16 DFS WR Value Picks

Michael Pittman, Indianapolis Colts - DraftKings: $5,000 | FanDuel: $6,100

Pittman leads the Colts with a 25.6 percent target share over the last four weeks, and perimeter receivers have given Tennessee problems in recent weeks. Well, guess what? Over the last four weeks (3 games), Pittman has played on the perimeter on two-thirds of his snaps! 

He should see a fair amount of Darrell Baker Jr., who has allowed 80 percent of his targets to be caught over the last four weeks, per PFF, not to mention 16.3 yards per reception and a 141.0 passer rating when targeted.

Adam Thielen, Carolina Panthers - DraftKings: $5,600 | FanDuel: $6,200

While Thielen disappointed a bit with just 51 yards last week, he still commanded 7 targets in that contest, giving him a strong 22.4 percent target share over his last four games. During this four game stretch, he’s posted 2.15 yards per route run versus zone coverage, per PFF, which aligns nicely with what Arizona has been doing defensively over the last month and a half. 

Furthermore, the Cardinals have allowed the 12th-highest yards per route run out of the slot over the last six weeks, though I’ll admit Garrett Williams is far from an easy matchup.

Malik Washington, Miami Dolphins - DraftKings: $3,700 | FanDuel: $4,700

All eyes will be on Jaylen Waddle’s practice availability throughout the week, because if he is unable to go in Week 16, Washington is going to be highly, highly rostered. San Francisco isn’t the easiest matchup for opposing receivers by any means, but Washington posted season highs last week in targets (6), receptions (5), receiving yards (52), and snap share (59%). 

Miami has been pass-happy in recent weeks, so there should be enough pass volume for Washington to give us a quality ROI, not that he needs to do a ton at the price point.

DeMario Douglas, New England Patriots - DraftKings: $4,400 | FanDuel: $4,900

Douglas hasn’t set the world on storm by any means in recent weeks, though his touchdown catch last week was his first since Week 6 against the Texans. His three targets last week were the fewest he’s received in a game since Week 8, and with Buffalo being two touchdown favorites, game script should be in favor of some added volume for the New England passing attack. 

Buffalo has allowed the most fantasy points per game to wide receivers over the last four weeks, and they rank in the bottom 10 of the NFL in yards per route run, yards per target over expectation, and receiving yards per game to the slot over the last six weeks, per Fantasy Points’ Data Suite.

NFL DFS WR Fades For Week 16

Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills - DraftKings: $5,900 | FanDuel: $6,600

Don’t get me wrong, I really do like Khalil Shakir, but the Patriots are about league average over the last six weeks in slot coverage, but the man/zone splits are pretty noticeable for Shakir. If we go back to Week 7 when Amari Cooper suited up for Buffalo for the first time, take a look at Shakir’s numbers compared to the defensive scheme he faced:

*Courtesy of Fantasy Points’ Data Suite

I call this out, because the Patriots have played man coverage at the third-highest rate this season at 38.5 percent, and over their last five games, they’ve upped that mark to 41.5 percent (per Fantasy Points’ Data Suite). Buffalo is two touchdown favorites in this game, and I expect a heavy dosage of the ground game in a game Buffalo should easily handle.

NFL Week 16 WR Play Of The Week

Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams - DraftKings: $8,000 | FanDuel: $8,900

It’s the Puka Nacua show in L.A., and Cooper Kupp is just a complement to Nacua at this point. The Jets have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to wideouts over the last four weeks, and with the Jets trusting its corners in man coverage, the disparity between Nacua and Kupp widens. 

Over the last four weeks, Nacua has posted 3.71 yards per route run versus man coverage, per PFF, compared to Kupp’s 1.49. Furthermore, Nacua has a 47.2 percent target share versus man coverage over the last four weeks, compared to Kupp’s 22.2 percent mark, per Fantasy Points’ Data Suite.

Lastly, I’ll leave you with this: In the six games Nacua has played at least three-quarters of the team’s offensive snaps, he has at least eight targets in every game, not to mention 95 or more receiving yards in five of those six.

NFL DFS Week 16 WR Projections

Check out the NFL DFS Week 16 projections table below to help build your NFL DFS Week 16 lineups. 

Be sure to also check out not just the NFL Week 16 DFS 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 Week 16 of the 2024 NFL regular season.