ETR’s Cheap WR Volume: Week 1

Last Updated: September 7th at 11:00 AM EST

Welcome back to the Cheap WR Volume column, your one-stop shop for all of our favorite discounted wideouts. Realistically, this list can be used for cash games or tournaments, as we can be looser with the WR spots in our lineups, showing profit with lower-owned plays (vs. RBs) and cheaper salaries (vs. RBs). I’ll try to be sure to contextualize the plays we expect to be popular both as cash-game “locks” and tournament options, as well as hit on some deeper cuts. We’ll have cost-saving players each and every week, but we’ll likely never have more options than in Week 1.

Week 1 is wonky for a couple of reasons, most notably the fact that pricing has been out for over a month, leading to tons of discounted players, especially rookies. We also see mispriced veterans on new teams, or receivers that are looking at expanded volume this season compared to last. The market has not adjusted to these new scenarios yet, so the Week 1 cost-saving opportunities are plentiful.

The other reason Week 1 prices and projections can be sporadic is the fact that our data behind projected volume is limited and, in the case of rookie WRs, virtually nonexistent. For rookies, we only have the preseason, college stats/draft profile, and projected target opportunity.

With that said, there are many paths to increased volume for cheap WRs throughout the season, especially early on and particularly in Week 1. Volume is what we’re looking for — even at the cheap end. The surest path to fantasy points is simply opportunity, and this article will explore projected opportunities for these cheap wide receivers. 

Each week, I’ll discuss my favorite main-slate wideouts at $5,000 or cheaper on DraftKings and $5,500 or cheaper on FanDuel who we project for 5+ targets. HOWEVER, for the purposes of Week 1, and the sheer volume of potential plays, I am lowering the DK threshold to $4,800. Guys like Treylon Burks, Jahan Dotson, George Pickens, and Brandon Aiyuk are all priced at $4,900 or $5,000. Please note that this is not a full look at all cheap WR options, just the ones we deem worth mentioning. Be sure to consult our Projections (DraftKings, FanDuel), Top Plays (released Friday night), and Silva’s Matchups for more context on the position as a whole.

DraftKings & FanDuel

Marvin Mims ($3,000 DK, $4,700 FD) – Denver’s first overall draft choice in the Sean Payton era, rookie Marvin Mims should have a big role from the jump. However, it is unlikely DraftKings anticipated Mims potentially lining up as the WR2 when they priced him at the stone minimum of $3,000. Even if Jerry Jeudy does suit up, Mims is a tournament option at worst. If Jeudy is out, we expect Mims to be one of, if not the chalkiest player on the slate and a virtual cash-game lock. 

Projected targets: 5.0

Tutu Atwell ($3,000 DK, $5,000 FD) – With the Cooper Kupp hamstring injury looking more and more serious, the Rams’ receivers look like values across the board. This starts with Atwell, due to his bare minimum price on DraftKings. Atwell is seemingly splitting WR2/3 duties with rookie Puka Nacua, the fifth-round pick out of BYU, and both guys are on the tournament radar. Atwell figures to be a cash option as well at his price.

Projected targets: 4.9

Van Jefferson ($4,700 DK, $5,500 FD) – While Atwell and Nacua seem like the super-value options you can talk yourself into, it is Van Jefferson who is set to line up as the undisputed WR1 until Kupp returns. His 6.2 projected targets have him nearly cracking the top 30 of projected WR targets on the main slate. We don’t talk about tight ends in this column, but it’s worth noting that we are projecting teammate Tyler Higbee to be Matthew Stafford’s favorite option, with 7.1 projected targets.

Projected targets: 6.2