Wide Receiver Matchups to Target on Wild Card Weekend: CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper, Rashee Rice, Jayden Reed, Demarcus Robinson

Welcome to WR Matchups to Target for Wild Card weekend. 

Last week’s picks yielded two double-multiplier finishes (two fantasy points per $1,000 in DraftKings salary) in Calvin Ridley and Chris Olave. Ridley finished top-five at the position in DraftKings points last week despite ranking WR19 in price. The Wild Card weekend slates have a few favorable high-priced and value receivers to pick from.

Each week, we use matchup data from PFF to determine wide receivers to target based on who they will be primarily lining up against that week. Below are five of the 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.

CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys

$9,000 on DraftKings, $10,000 on FanDuel; vs. Keisean Nixon

Lamb is worth every penny as the top-priced player at the position on both DraftKings and FanDuel this week.

The 24-year-old had an outstanding 2023 campaign, finishing as the WR1 in fantasy with career highs in every major statistical category. He enters the postseason on an absolute streak of dominance, totaling 30 targets, 26 catches, 325 receiving yards, and three touchdowns over his last two games. 

PFF projects Lamb to have the best matchup advantage of any receiver this week with a 91.9 advantage grade against the Packers secondary. His 91.1 PFF receiving grade far outpaces the 61.2 coverage grade of Green Bay slot corner Keisean Nixon, who he will line up against most often on Sunday night.

The Packers are league-average in their rate of both zone and man coverage. Lamb ranks among the league’s best in fantasy points per route run versus man (0.88) and zone (0.44) this season. He is worth the chalk in cash games if you can fit him under your salary cap.

Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns

$6,800 on DraftKings, $7,500 on FanDuel; vs. Steven Nelson

Cooper is enjoying an impressive second campaign with Cleveland, finishing the regular season with a career-high 1,250 receiving yards in just 15 games. He has shown a particularly strong rapport with QB Joe Flacco, tallying 42 targets, 25 catches, 485 receiving yards, and three touchdowns over four games with Flacco.

The 29-year-old is a good bet for double-digit targets again on Sunday against the Texans, who have been a top-12 matchup for opposing fantasy receivers this season. They have allowed seven or more catches to opposing WR1s in three of their last four. 

Houston deploys man coverage at the eighth-highest rate in the NFL. Cooper leads his team in production against man coverage with a 22% target rate. Ride with Cooper and the Browns passing attack on Saturday.

Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs

$6,600 on DraftKings, $7,800 on FanDuel; vs. Kader Kohou

Rice emerged as the Chiefs' number-one wide receiver over the second half of the season, averaging 86.3 yards over his last six games. He has a great opportunity to continue producing this week against a banged-up Dolphins secondary that has four of their starting defensive backs on the injury report.

The Dolphins are the eighth-best matchup for opposing fantasy receivers this year and present a favorable matchup for Rice. PFF projects an excellent 87.3 matchup advantage for Rice against Miami’s secondary, the fourth-best receiver matchup of the Wild Card round. 

QB Patrick Mahomes attempted 34 passes in 11 of his 16 games this season despite a down year. The Chiefs will need to push the ball to their top receiving options on Saturday night if they expect to keep pace with the Dolphins and their quick-strike offense. 

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Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers

$5,700 on DraftKings, $7,000 on FanDuel; vs. Jourdan Lewis

Rookie Jayden Reed finished the regular season as the WR28 in fantasy despite being undrafted in the vast majority of leagues. This included five top-15 performances since Week 10.

Receivers lining up against Cowboys CB Jourdan Lewis have been a mainstay of this article over the course of 2023 and for good reason. Lewis graded out as the fifth-lowest-rated cover corner in the NFL this season according to PFF, and the second-lowest among corners still alive in the playoffs.

The Cowboys play man coverage at the fourth-highest rate in the NFL, which bodes well for Reed in his slot matchup with Lewis. Trust QB Jordan Love to feed his rookie receiver over the middle of the field in what could be a shootout on Sunday afternoon.

Demarcus Robinson, Los Angeles Rams

$3,600 on DraftKings, $6,300 on FanDuel; vs. Cameron Sutton

Robinson came on strong to finish the 2023 regular season, posting top-20 fantasy receiver weeks in four of his final five games. He led the Rams in red zone (13) and endzone (eight) targets over that span. 

Robinson has emerged as an exciting and trustworthy WR3 in the Rams’ explosive offense. He has excellent projected matchups against Detroit defensive backs Cameron Sutton (56 PFF coverage grade) and Kindle Vindor (60.6 PFF coverage grade).

Robinson is an excellent value in what is expected to be a high-scoring affair on Sunday. Lock him into cash or GPP lineups to free up salary for a top-priced player elsewhere.

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

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