Week 18 is always an interesting time, with the playoff picture mostly set and lots of teams resting their starters. Sunday’s 13-game slate means that DFS players have plenty of interesting options. Below, I’ve highlighted three of my favorite bargain wide receivers to consider on Sunday.
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Tutu Atwell ($3,800)
With the Los Angeles Rams having clinched the NFC West title with the Washington Commanders’ victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football, head coach Sean McVay will rest his starters against the Seattle Seahawks to prepare for the Rams’ playoff opener next weekend. If the season ended today, Los Angeles would host the Commanders, but that’s far from guaranteed, depending on Week 18’s results.
Atwell has played only sparingly this season because Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp form one of the most dangerous one-two wide receiver punches in the league, but he has been very effective when he has taken the field, hauling in 37 passes for 525 yards. Pro Football Focus gives him a 73.8 grade, higher even than Kupp’s 71.2. With Nacua and Kupp both likely to sit, Atwell should have plenty of opportunities.
Atwell did have a four-game stretch as the Rams’ No. 1 receiver when both Nacua and Kupp were sidelined, and he was very solid, recording 20 catches for 284 yards across that span. The Seahawks have a very average defense, allowing the 16th-most FPTS to opposing wide receivers. Former Pro Bowl cornerback Riq Woolen might pose problems, but in Week 1 of the 2023 season, Atwell torched Woolen for six catches and 119 yards.
Although Matthew Stafford will be resting on Sunday, Jimmy Garoppolo is one of the league’s premier backups and has a higher career adjusted net yards per attempt average than Stafford. I’m still optimistic about Atwell’s ceiling, even with Garoppolo under center.
Keon Coleman ($4,800)
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott hasn’t announced how much he will rest his starters other than to announce that quarterback Josh Allen will start but be pulled early in the game in favor of Mitchell Trubisky. However, Buffalo, locked into the AFC’s No. 2 seed, has zero incentive to win, so it’s fair to assume that several other players — including wide receivers Amari Cooper and Khalil Shakir — will not see the field on Sunday.
During his weekly press availability, McDermott said, “You’ll see some starters out there playing, and you’ll see some other players who we want to take a look at.”
As a 21-year-old who could benefit from more game time, I expect Coleman to play, especially if Curtis Samuel — who McDermott hopes returns from injury this week — isn’t 100% fit. Coleman has been solid in an auxiliary role since the Bills traded for Cooper on October 15, racking up 15 catches for 324 yards and two scores in six games since.
Coleman will have a relatively favorable matchup on Sunday against a terrible New England Patriots team that would secure the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft with a defeat. New England has allowed opposing receivers to score 26 times this season, more than all but seven teams. The Patriots’ top cornerback, Christian Gonzalez, is also in concussion protocol and has not practiced this week.
Jalen McMillan ($5,100)
In a must-win for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Option No. 1 will be Mike Evans ($8,000), who needs 85 receiving yards for his 11th consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season. Quarterback Baker Mayfield already admitted that one of his top priorities will be getting Evans the ball.
“There’s balance and the most important thing is winning but I see it playing out,” he said. “If we win, Mike is getting the record.”
Still, McMillan should have no problem producing against a New Orleans Saints outfit that has been truly dreadful in recent weeks and has no incentive to win. Since losing starting quarterback Derek Carr in Week 14, New Orleans has been outscored 79-29, losing all three games. Carr technically has a chance to return this week, as does star running back Alvin Kamara, but neither has practiced all week, so rookie Spencer Rattler is once again projected to be the starter.
By any metric, Rattler has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL this season, so the Buccaneers can expect to have their offense on the field for most of the game. Tampa Bay’s offense has been on fire in recent weeks, scoring at least 40 points in two of the past three weeks, and McMillan has been on a tear, catching 19 passes for 242 yards and six scores in the past four games.
Meanwhile, New Orleans’ defense has been kind to opposing receivers. The Saints have allowed 4,074 receiving yards this season, the sixth-most of any team in the league, and 11.8 yards per reception, the fifth-best efficiency. Overall, New Orleans has allowed the ninth-most FPTS to opposing wide receivers.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
