Last Updated: October 19th at 5:00 PM 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.
There are many paths to increased volume for cheap WRs throughout the season, especially early on. 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 under $5,000 on DraftKings and $5,500 or cheaper on FanDuel who we project for 5+ targets. 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
Josh Downs ($4,500 DK, $5,700 FD) – It’s a tough matchup with Cleveland, but Downs’ strong role continued in Week 6, earning another eight targets on 78.2% of snaps. It’s worth noting that Alec Pierce injured his shoulder last week, which could set Downs up for an even bigger role.
Projected Targets: 5.8
Kendrick Bourne ($4,400 DK, $5,800 FD) – Bourne has settled in as the de facto WR1 in New England, owning a 21.1% target share on the season. He gets a matchup with Buffalo this week that should call for negative game script. He’s coming off of a 10-target game.
Projected Targets: 5.7
Jaxon Smith-Njigba ($3,900 DK, $4,900 FD) – JSN’s price has dropped all the way below the $5K mark on FanDuel and $4K mark on DraftKings, and just in time to see his production start to increase, making him an intriguing value this week. He played 71.2% of snaps in Week 6 for a season-high total of 52, earning five targets. We’re still hoping to see more consistency and a higher ceiling, but it could be worth taking GPP shots in a good matchup with Arizona.
Projected Targets: 5.1
Wan’Dale Robinson ($3,800 DK, $5,600 FD) – Robinson is underpriced for his current role, which has been relatively strong each of the last three weeks. He’s played between 60 and 65% of snaps over that time frame, and he has a 22.2% target share in the same period. We do question the weekly ceiling, but there is an argument that Robinson has a solid floor on full-point PPR DraftKings.
Projected Targets: 6.4
DK “Only” (Over $6,000 on FanDuel, but under $5,000 On DraftKings)’’
Romeo Doubs ($4,900 DK) – The majority of the Packers’ offensive players profile well this week, as they are welcomed off the bye in a fantastic matchup against the putrid Broncos defense. Doubs is averaging seven targets per game this season, and profiles well alongside WR1 Christian Watson this week.
Projected Targets: 6.6
Josh Palmer ($4,800 DK) – In his two starts since Mike Williams‘ injury, Palmer has earned an impressive 26.3% target share on 92% of snaps. He’s purely underpriced on DraftKings and finds himself in the highest projected scoring game of the week on Sunday’s main slate. The Chiefs have been pretty good against opposing WRs, but the volume should be there for Palmer, as indicated by his 7.5 projected targets.
Projected Targets: 7.5
Curtis Samuel ($4,000 DK) – Samuel has been what we were hoping Jahan Dotson was going to be this season, as Washington’s WR3 has at least 50 yards or a touchdown in all games but one so far.
Projected Targets: 5.2
Honorable Mentions
Jahan Dotson ($4,600 DK, $5,400 FD) – Dotson gets one more shot on this list, although this time he has been demoted to the Honorable Mentions section. Despite playing on 82.6% of snaps, Dotson only owns a 14.3% target share on the season. Yet, still, I’m willing to give him one more shot in large-field tournaments in what should be a good matchup with the Giants.
Projected Targets: 5.2
Elijah Moore ($4,200 DK, $5,600 FD) – Moore appeared on Leone’s Buy-Low Model this week, and he is cheap enough to take shots with on both sites. QB Deshaun Watson is expected back this week, and Cleveland gets a Colts team that just gave up 37 points to Jacksonville. Moore has seven or more targets in four of five games this season.
Projected Targets: 6.5
