Wide Receiver Matchups to Target in Week 18 - Mike Evans, Drake London, DK Metcalf, Josh Downs, Olamide Zaccheaus

Welcome to our weekly WR Matchups to Target column for the last week of the NFL regular season. Our picks stayed red hot last week, finishing with three more in-the-money selections (3x multiplier on DraftKings salary). These players all scored 22.5 DK points or more. We are now hitting 3x DK multiplier picks at a 34% rate entering Week 18.

Each week, we will use matchup data to determine which wide receivers to target based on who they will be primarily lining up against that week. These players are more likely to return a 3x multiplier on their DraftKings salary, a benchmark for consistently winning DFS cash games. 

Below are five top WR vs. CB matchups for this week’s DFS main slate. Use these to set season-long lineups, make player-prop picks, and gain an edge in DFS. Let's get to it.

Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

$8k on DraftKings, $8.9k on FanDuel; vs. Kool-Aid McKinstry

We rarely highlight the chalkier plays of the main slate in this column, but the situation Mike Evans is in on Sunday makes him a can’t-miss play for cash games. 

Evans is five receptions and 85 yards away from $3 million in incentives. Totaling 85 receiving yards will also net the Buccs star his eleventh straight 1,000-yard season, which would tie Jerry Rice for the most consecutive such seasons in NFL history. 

The 31-year-old has a favorable matchup against the Saints on Sunday. PFF gives Evans a top-tier 95.1 matchup advantage over the New Orleans secondary, likely stemming from his prowess against man coverage, which the Saints deploy second most of all NFL teams. Evans leads the league in fantasy points per route run and is third in PFF receiver grade against man coverage.

Look for Evans to be flooded with targets early, giving him a high likelihood of adding to his 11 touchdowns as well (fourth-best among receivers).

Drake London, Atlanta Falcons

$6.5k on DraftKings, $7k on FanDuel; vs. Mike Jackson

London is another high-volume receiver in what should be a competitive game this week as the Falcons look to leapfrog the Buccaneers on Sunday to win the NFC West. London showed an immediate rapport with rookie Michael Penix Jr. last week, putting up 106 receiving yards and seven receptions on 13 targets in the pair’s first regular season game together. 

London has an excellent 92.2 matchup advantage over the Panthers’ secondary on Sunday, according to PFF, the seventh-highest matchup grade of any receiver this week. The Carolina passing defense ranks fourth worst in DVOA and has given up the ninth most fantasy points to opposing receivers over the last 4 weeks.

On a week with landlines throughout the slate based on playoff implications (or lack thereof), have comfort leaning on London in a must-win game.

DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks

$5.6k on DraftKings, $7.2k on FanDuel; vs. Ahkello Witherspoon

Metcalf has had a largely unimpressive 2024 campaign, ranking WR35 in fantasy points entering Week 18 with only two double-digit fantasy performances over his last six games. 

He will be in a great spot to finish the season on a high note on Sunday against the Rams, however. Los Angeles runs man coverage at the seventh-highest rate in the NFL. Metcalf owns a 32.5% target rate against man, which is by far the highest of Seattle’s receiving room. 

With QB Geno Smith chasing a slew of incentives and Metcalf himself only 61 yards from another 1,000-yard season, this week is a great time to lean into Metcalf’s deep playability.

The 27-year-old ranks second in the NFL in deep targets and ninth in unrealized air yards. He also comes at a $500 discount to JSN this week on DraftKings, a smart alternative in tournaments where he is likely to fly under the radar, given disappointing recent results.

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Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts

$5.3k on DraftKings, $6k on FanDuel; vs. Jarrian Jones

The other main Colts receivers outperformed Downs last week with Joe Flacco back under center, but don’t expect that trend to continue this week. In his previous six games with Flacco this season, the 23-year-old has averaged 9.7 targets, 6.8 receptions, 76 receiving yards, and 0.5 touchdowns. Hitting this average would put Downs safely in the money for DraftKings.

Downs has a matchup with the Jaguars to finish the 2024 season. The Jags have the NFL’s worst passing defense DVOA. They have given up the eighth most fantasy points to opposing receivers. Jacksonville also deploys zone coverage at a top-ten rate, against which Downs ranks 13th best in PFF grade among all receivers this season.

All three starting Colts receivers are great discount picks for cash and GPP this week.

Josh Downs among WRs this season:

🔷 84.4 PFF grade (11th) pic.twitter.com/gpCXVCSVHv

— PFF IND Colts (@colts_pff) January 1, 2025

Olamide Zaccheaus, Washington Commanders

$4.5k on DraftKings, $5.8k on FanDuel; vs. vs. Andrew Booth

Zaccheaus is a worthwhile dart throw in Week 18, coming off two straight 23+ fantasy point performances against the Eagles and Falcons in which he has scored three touchdowns. The 27-year-old had season highs in snap share, routes run, targets, receptions, and receiving yards last week and will look to stay hot on Sunday.

The Commanders will finish their regular season with a divisional matchup with the Cowboys. A win is meaningful for Washington as it would allow them to avoid Philadelphia on Wildcard Weekend.

Dallas vastly underachieved this year and will finish with nine or fewer wins for only the third time since 2016 (first in four years). The Cowboys have also given up the second-most fantasy points to opposing receivers over the last month.

Zaccheaus is projected to line up most often against CB Andrew Booth on Sunday, who has a paltry 38.9 PFF defensive grade this year. PFF gives Zaccheaus a 99.7 advantage grade in his matchup with Booth. Start him with confidence in DFS.

Olamide Zaccheaus faces the Cowboys, who use the 13th-most Cover 3 and the 10th-most Cover 4. He posted mediocre numbers against Cover 3, with a 22 percent target rate and 2.14 yards per route run.

Meanwhile, Zaccheaus has been dominant versus Cover 4, evidenced by a 36 percent… pic.twitter.com/WPhyaJq5i4

— Corbin (@corbin_young21) January 3, 2025

Thanks for reading, and good luck with your DFS contests!

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