Week 18 of the NFL season is here, and that means we have hit the final week of the regular season! Time flies! For the last time this regular season, I will be highlighting my favorite wide receivers for your Week 18 NFL DFS lineups on the main slate for FanDuel and DraftKings. 

Don’t worry, we’ll be here for playoff DFS action! However, let’s focus on Week 18 for now, and sift through the NFL playoff scenarios and potential incentives that could help us as we build out our daily fantasy football lineups and make our favorite bets for Week 18!

 

 

 

From the top priced receivers to the value wide receivers, and everything in between, we got your Week 18 daily fantasy football lineups covered! Take these insights and numbers and check out some NFL player props for Week 18 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 18 WR Coach, here exclusively at Fantasy Alarm!

NFL DFS Week 18 WR Coach For FanDuel & DraftKings Fantasy

There’s always challenges to building lineups when it comes to NFL DFS, but Week 18 just might be the most challenging. Not only do we have to determine or make educated guesses on what teams will play their starters, and what teams will rest, but then also, what players will be rested? 

How long do guys like Josh Allen and Nico Collins play when the teams have said they’ll play, but not for long? Of course, incentives are also in the picture, whether it be receptions, touchdowns, or Mike Evans’ streak of 1,000+ receiving yard seasons.

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

 

 

 

NFL Week 18 Wide Receivers

The Sunday Night Football game is going to be a fantasy bonanza, so if you play on FanDuel, make sure you leave enough money through the afternoon to give you exposure to that contest. Aside from that, I’m crushing on a few Tampa Bay receivers, a value receiver in Houston, and my top play comes from Atlanta…

Quick notes on the slate:

  • Only one game on the main slate for DK has an O/U greater than 47 points
  • Eight (!!!) games have an O/U at or below 41 points
  • 4 teams are touchdown favorites (or more)!
  • The O/U for Sunday Night Football is nearly 60 points!

 

 

 

NFL DFS WR Coach Week 17 Results

Our top tier picks were highlighted by big days from Mike Evans and Brian Thomas, and Justin Jefferson gave us 92 yards on eight grabs, too.

Adam Thielen was the star of the mid-tier section.

Jalen McMillan was outstanding in the value section.

Our fade of the week, Amari Cooper, only had three receptions, but he found the end zone, so that stung a little.

Malik Nabers was a massive hit as our play of the week!

 

 

 

NFL DFS WR Top Tier Picks For Week 18

Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings (FanDuel: $9,500) & Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings (FanDuel: $7,100)

This Detroit defense is banged up, and opposing offenses can put up points as they wish. Kevin O’Connell has this offense firing, and Sam Darnold is racking up yards, touchdowns, and points. Sam Darnold has the seventh-highest fantasy points per dropback against man coverage this season, and it goes without saying how awesome Justin Jefferson is. 

No analysis needed there, but I will call out that he’s averaged 159.3 receiving yards per game over his last four matchups with the Lions, including 81 yards and a touchdown back in Week 7 of this year. 

As for Addison, he has at least eight targets in four straight games, scoring five total touchdowns during that stretch. These two are only available to us on FanDuel but look at the projected total for this game… IT’S NEARLY 60!!!

Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - DraftKings: $8,000 | FanDuel: $8,900

Evans had a big game last week and it will take another solid game to get him to his sacred milestone. He needs 85 yards to continue his streak of 1,000+ yards in a season, and once again, I expect Tampa Bay to get Evans the ball so that he doesn’t lose the streak. 

Tampa Bay needs to win, or Atlanta needs to lose to give the Bucs the division, but with these teams playing at the same time, Tampa Bay can’t sit and wait to see how things shake out. They need to play to win, and Evans will be a big part of the passing attack. 

The matchup with A.J. Terrell is less than ideal, but they’ll find ways to get him the ball, and of wideouts who have played in at least 10 games this year, Evans has the third-highest separation score and fourth-highest win rate when lined up on the perimeter, per Fantasy Points’ Data Suite.

Brian Thomas Jr, Jacksonville Jaguars - DraftKings: $7,300 | FanDuel: $8,000

Not only did Thomas go for 122 yards and a touchdown against the Colts earlier this year, but if you look over the last six weeks, Thomas has an impressive 2.77 yards per route run, 42.2 percent first read rate, 50 percent share of the team’s air yards, and 31.7 percent target share, per Fantasy Points’ Data Suite. 

The rookie is getting elite usage and the alpha treatment, and rightfully so, because he’s been phenomenal, even with Mac Jones! Also check this out: Against AFC South opponents this year, Thomas Jr. is averaging six receptions and 92.2 yards per game.

 

 

 

NFL DFS WR Mid-Tier Picks For NFL Week 18

Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions - FanDuel: $6,500

In a game with a total that is nearly at 60 points, Williams at just 6,500 is quite affordable. Not only has Minnesota allowed the third-most fantasy points per game over the last four weeks, but they rank in the bottom-10 in the NFL in yards per route run and receiving yards per game to perimeter receivers over the last six weeks, per Fantasy Points’ Data Suite.

Williams has seven or more targets in five of his last six, and he’s a threat to find the end zone every time he touches the ball. I like his opportunity this week to extend his touchdown streak to four.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks - DraftKings: $6,100 | FanDuel: $7,700

JSN is four receptions away from 100 on the year, so at the very least, I’d imagine Seattle tries to get him to the century mark to cap off his breakout season. Last time he saw this Rams defense, he went for 180 yards and two touchdowns, and while Los Angeles is expected to rest several key starters, is Quentin Lake a key starter? 

Lake has been shredded in slot coverage lately, and over the last six weeks, he’s allowed the fifth-most yards and 104.1 passer rating when targeted, per Pro Football Focus (PFF).

Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos - DraftKings: $6,400 | FanDuel: $7,300

Marvin Mims has been great and has added some juice to the offense lately, but Sutton is the consistent presence, and he has eight or more targets in eight of his last nine games. This is a must-win game for Denver, and Kansas City will likely have numerous backups on the field, which bodes well for Denver. 

Over the last three weeks, regardless of Marvin Mims balling out, Sutton has 55.9 percent of the team’s air yards, 22.1 percent target share, and 31.1 percent first read rate, per Fantasy Points’ Data Suite. 

Denver is big favorites, but their defense has been a bit leaky, so maybe, just maybe, Carson Wentz can put up some points, and Bo Nix can pick up some more steam potentially heading to the playoffs. Marvin Mims is enticing on DraftKings, too, at just $4,600.

Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers - DraftKings: $6,900 | FanDuel: $7,600

This one is fluid, because what L.A. does likely depend on what happens on Saturday. If the Steelers lose to Cincinnati on Saturday, the Chargers should play their starters and play to win against Las Vegas, because if Pittsburgh loses and the Chargers win in Week 18, the Chargers get the #5 seed, meaning they would play Houston instead of Baltimore.

McConkey has a 21.9 percent target share over the last three weeks with an impressive 2.44 yards per route run, per Fantasy Points’ Data Suite. McConkey has at least 80 receiving yards in five of his last six, and he has 50+ receiving yards in nine straight games.

Keenan Allen, Chicago Bears - DraftKings: $6,000 | FanDuel: $6,100

Allen wasn’t great last week in terms of his statistical output, but the Chicago offense only mustered three points, so what can he do? In Week 18, Chicago will face a zone-heavy Green Bay defense, and over the last six weeks against zone coverage, Allen leads the Chicago receivers in yards per route (2.58), targets per route run (0.28), and fantasy points per route run (0.59), per Fantasy Points’ Data Suite.

Calvin Ridley, Tennessee Titans - DraftKings: $5,400 | FanDuel: $6,200

Houston is going to play some of its starters for a bit, but then key starters will be rested. I would imagine that Derek Stingley and Kamari Lassiter are considered key starters. Therefore, Ridley will get to go up against some backup corners, like Myles Brant and Jeff Okudah for most of Sunday’s AFC South clash. 

Okudah has allowed a 145.1 passer rating and 18.3 yards per reception when targeted this season, and Ridley is the No. 1 pass-catcher for this Titans squad. I’ll also give a tip of the cap here to Tyler Boyd, as his best game of the year came against the Texans a few weeks back, and Houston simply cannot cover the slot receiver.

 

 

 

NFL Week 18 DFS WR Value Picks

Jalen McMillan, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - DraftKings: $5,100 | FanDuel: $6,100

McMillan’s pricing is starting to catch up with recent production, but guess what, he’s still too cheap! He has at least five targets and a touchdown in four straight games, and during this four-game run, his 0.69 fantasy points per route is actually higher than Ladd McConkey (0.62), Malik Nabers (0.61), and Ja'Marr Chase (0.61)! 

Also, do this what you will, but Carolina has been playing a good bit of man coverage over the last month and a half, and over the last six weeks, McMillan actually has a higher target share against man coverage than Mike Evans…

Michael Pittman, Indianapolis Colts - DraftKings: $5,200 | FanDuel: $6,200

For fantasy purposes, specifically for Pittman Jr., we want Joe Flacco to start in Week 18. Even if Anthony Richardson starts, I believe there’s a path for viability for Pittman, but with Flacco, we have a better chance of a ceiling game for Pittman. 

Jacksonville plays a lot of man coverage and is vulnerable on the perimeter. Well, Pittman primarily plays out wide, and Pittman has a 33.3 percent target share when facing man coverage over the last six weeks, per Fantasy Points’ Data Suite. 

Furthermore, the Jaguars rank in the bottom seven in the NFL in yards per route run and yards per target over expectation to perimeter pass catchers over the last six weeks, and with Flacco under center, we could see another shootout for Indy in Week 18.

Olamide Zaccheaus, Washington Commanders - DraftKings: $4,500 | FanDuel: $5,800

Terry McLaurin WHO!? I’m kidding, kinda. Zaccheaus has been on the field a ton, and over the last two weeks, he’s caught 13 of 17 targets for 155 yards and three touchdowns! 

The Cowboys have allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to wideouts over the last four weeks, and while Washington has clinched a playoff berth, head coach Dan Quinn has said that playoff seeding is important, and they are playing to win, so the regulars should play a bunch on Sunday.

John Metchie, Houston Texans - DraftKings: $4,000 | FanDuel: $5,500

Head coach DeMeco Ryans has come out and said the starters will play, but with Houston locked in as the #4 seed, I can’t imagine the starters play more than a handful of drives. 

Metchie has seen some valuable snaps with the injury to Tank Dell, and it would behoove Houston to feature Metchie in this game and build confidence heading into the playoffs, so that Houston’s 3WR sets in the playoffs feature Nico Collins, Diontae Johnson, and Metchie. 

Roger McCreary, Tennessee’s slot corner, has allowed a 135.4 passer rating when targeted in slot coverage over the last two weeks, per Pro Football Focus, and Davis Mills has shown that he is competent under center.

 

 

 

NFL DFS WR Fades For Week 18

Nico Collins, Houston Texans - DraftKings: $7,800 | FanDuel: $8,700

I’m taking the easy road here by including Collins, but don’t get too attached to the fact that Houston is playing their starters. Yes, DeMeco Ryans did say the starters will play, but he also acknowledged they’d be smart about keeping guys healthy.

 

DeMeco Ryans said they need to play better but that the Texans would be smart about their approach to the playoffs saying there was a “balance” between being healthy and being in a rhythm.

— Cody Stoots (@Cody_Stoots) December 30, 2024

 

I think at the absolute longest, Collins plays the first half, but ultimately, I highly doubt he plays more than a handful of series. There just won’t be enough time for Collins to pay off these price tags when Houston can’t improve upon their playoff seeding.

 

 

 

NFL Week 18 WR Play Of The Week

Drake London, Atlanta Falcons - DraftKings: $6,500 | FanDuel: $7,000

Over the last two weeks since the team made the switch under center to rookie Michael Penix, London leads Atlanta in air yards share (40.3%), target share (33.9%), targets per route run (0.38), yards per route run (2.95), and first read rate (38.1%, per Fantasy Points’ Data Suite. 

Dating back to Week 12, London is tied for 3rd in the NFL amongst WRs with at least 50 routes run with 0.31 targets per route run, per Fantasy Points’ Data Suite, and the star receiver has posted a 3.74 Y/RR versus man coverage over the last six weeks. For what it’s worth, five of Carolina’s last six games have gone over the projected total, and this Atlanta offense has opened up a bit.

 

 

 

NFL DFS Week 18 WR Projections

Check out the NFL DFS Week 18 projections table below to help build your NFL DFS Week 18 lineups. 

Be sure to also check out not just the NFL Week 18 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 18 of the 2024 NFL regular season.