Wide Receiver Matchups to Target For Week 18 (2025)

January 3, 2026

Kyle's favorite WR vs. CB matchups to exploit for Week 18 of 2025 - DFS wide receivers to target on DraftKings and FanDuel. These WR/CB matchups are GPP and cash game opportunities.

Welcome to the Wide Receiver Matchups to Target column for Week 18 of the 2025 NFL season. We're at the end of the regular season, so we have all the data in the world at our disposal. We'll use individual performance, matchup grades, pace of play, and implied totals to pinpoint the best WRs to target in daily fantasy lineups. Week 17 panned out well for this article as Ja'Marr Chase, Chris Olave, and Stefon Diggs all exceeded 3x value at their DraftKings salary. Tre Tucker narrowly missed 3x'ing while Jakobi Meyers disappointed with the other picks.

This week, we'll break down the top five WR/CB matchups using Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades, along with key usage metrics that indicate which players can realistically hit three times their DraftKings salary. This is meant to serve as a guide for both cash games and GPPs -- these guys are in position to smash regardless of the contest type you're playing in.

Be sure to jump into our RotoBaller Discord! We have so many different channels devoted to whatever you're playing in fantasy football. We also have lots of great NFL DFS articles and NFL DFS tools to help you win MORE this season! Below are my top five WR vs. CB matchups for this week’s DFS main slate. Use these insights to fine-tune season-long lineups, player props, and DFS builds. Let’s get to it!

Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams

• $9.0K on DraftKings, $9.9K on FanDuel
• Vs. Will Johnson, Denzel Burke (Arizona Cardinals)

We're rocking with Puka Nacua one last time before the regular season ends. The third-year superstar is having his best year as a pro, ranking #1 in fantasy points per game (23.3), expected fantasy points per game (19.8), receptions (119), yards after catch (635), yards per route run (3.88), expected points added (+123.8), and target rate (36.7%). That's a lot of metrics to be leading in the league in, and he'll have an excellent chance at finishing on a strong note in a favorable matchup against the Cardinals.

Arizona just allowed Ja'Marr Chase to go for 25 DK points on a 7/60/2 receiving line just last week. Will Johnson (55th of 112 CBs) and Denzel Burke (31st of 112 CBs) don't have the worst individual rankings, but the team defense metrics tell another story. The Cardinals rank 31st in PFF's defense grade, 27th in PFF's coverage grade, and 27th in defensive EPA. They've allowed the fifth-most passing yards while ranking 26th in pass DVOA over their last three games.

Puka Nacua became the fifth player with at least 300 receptions in his first three career seasons, joining Justin Jefferson (324 receptions), Michael Thomas (321), Amon-Ra St. Brown (315) and Christian McCaffrey (303). pic.twitter.com/Rdl6qwpRkP

— Los Angeles Rams PR (@TheLARamsPR) January 2, 2026

The Rams hold a high 27.5 point implied total at home this week, giving them the third-highest total on the main slate. Importantly, the Rams are still fighting for a higher playoff seed, so all indications are that they'll play their starters in Week 18. Roll with Nacua as the high-floor, high-ceiling pay-up option on the main slate.

Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

• $5.8K on DraftKings, $7.5K on FanDuel
• Vs. Carrington Valentine, Javon Bullard, Keisean Nixon (Green Bay Packers)

We're giving Jefferson one final chance in the last week of the regular season. Jefferson has been disappointing all season, averaging just 11.9 DK points per game while reaching the end zone only twice amid shoddy quarterback play. He has logged just one double-digit DK point game since Week 11, but we know he's capable of 100+ yards and a touchdown on any given week. J.J. McCarthy is tracking to start, and while he has had a rocky year, he has looked better as of late with a 5/1 TD/INT ratio over his last three contests.

He's well worth the dice roll at his (now) mid-range salary on DraftKings. The Packers have already stated they'll be resting starters, meaning we could see a lot of backups, Ty'Ron Hopper, Shemar Bartholomew, and the newly minted Trevon Diggs, rotating in to cover Jefferson. The Vikings want to get the offense jump-started and build momentum between their young franchise QB and their star receiver heading into the offseason, and this is their chance to do it.

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Parker Washington, Jacksonville Jaguars

• $5.1K on DraftKings, $6.2K on FanDuel
• Vs. Amani Hooker, Darrell Baker Jr., Kaiir Elam (Tennessee Titans)

Parker Washington has been a key piece of the Jaguars' late-season resurgence, averaging 15.1 DK points per game over his last eight contests. He's now averaging 11.4 DK points per game this season, which is more than his teammates Meyers (11.2) and Brian Thomas Jr. (10.1). You can get Washington for a lower price on DraftKings, and he's in fantastic form with 14 catches for 260 yards and a score over the last two weeks.

Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington, and Brian Thomas Jr. played three (fully healthy) games together this season, the fantasy football playoffs (Weeks 15-17)

Here’s how they stacked up: pic.twitter.com/4j8QGRPs9R

— Adam Koffler (@AdamKoffler) January 1, 2026

He gets an exploitable matchup in Week 18 as well. Tennessee ranks 29th in pass DVOA, 31st in pass DVOA vs. WR1s, 28th in defensive EPA, and 26th in PFF's coverage grade while allowing the fourth-most receiving yards to WRs this season. They also allow the seventh-most fantasy points per game to WRs, so pretty much every metric is pointing to them being a favorable matchup.

Amani Hooker (14.8 yards per reception), Darrell Baker Jr. (71% catch rate, 14.8 yards per reception, five TDs allowed), and Kaiir Elam (13.1 yards per reception, 3 TDs allowed) have all struggled this season, so keep plugging Washington into DFS lineups while his price is still low.

Darius Slayton, New York Giants

• $4.1K on DraftKings, $5.4K on FanDuel
• Vs. Reddy Steward, Shavon Revel, Trikweze Bridges (Dallas Cowboys)

Wan'Dale Robinson would have been the preferred choice in this incredible matchup, but he has been ruled out with an injury to his ribs. We'll pivot to the always-elusive Slayton, who has had a forgettable year as the distant third or fourth option on a struggling offense. Slayton has finished with at least 12.9 DK points in two of his last six games, but that's not much to write home about. This is ultimately only about the matchup; Slayton being the default WR1 gives him the inside edge here.

The Cowboys have been a mess on defense all season. They've allowed the most touchdowns (26) and receiving yards (2,771) to wide receivers this season while ranking 28th in PFF's defense grade, 31st in PFF's coverage grade, 31st in pass DVOA, 30th in pass DVOA vs. WR1s, and 30th in defensive EPA. That's as bad as it gets in the NFL, and someone is going to be able to take advantage. Slayton's cheap enough to take shots on, but getting to the other pieces (Isaiah Hodgins, Gunner Olszewski, Daniel Bellinger) makes sense, too.

Darius Cooper, Philadelphia Eagles

• $3.3K on DraftKings, $4.7K on FanDuel (DraftKings Preferred)
• Vs. Mike Sainristil, Jonathan Jones, Noah Igbinoghene (Washington Commanders)

Sometimes things line up perfectly, and this is one of those times. Cooper is going to be chalky, but he's $3,300 on DraftKings in a game where the Eagles will likely be resting A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert. He hasn't done much of anything this season as the distant WR4 in a concentrated offense, but he figures to see a lot of snaps in Week 18 as the Eagles prepare for their playoff run.

If the Eagles rest their starters this week, @MikeGarafolo is a believer in "The Legend of Tanner McKee" 👀 pic.twitter.com/mcMY8ihFFf

— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) January 1, 2026

Cooper, Britain Covey, and Jahan Dotson are extra appealing on this slate due to the matchup they'll be facing off against. The Commanders have been brutal on defense, giving up the sixth-most fantasy points per game to WRs while ranking 28th in pass DVOA, 32nd in defensive EPA, 29th in PFF's defense grade, and 30th in PFF's coverage grade.

Mike Sainristil (96th of 112 CBs), Jonathan Jones (89th of 112 CBs), and Noah Igbinoghene (94th of 112 CBs) make up arguably the worst cornerback room in the league. Take shots on Cooper as a bargain-bin value-saver this week.

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

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