Vanek's Views: DraftKings NFL DFS Tips for Week 18 WRs

by Jordan Vanek (vanekjordan) Last Updated 2025-01-04 17:36:05 Premium Content Part of the product NFL DFS

Using his experience as a former scout and staff member at Central Florida under Josh Heupel, Jordan Vanek takes an in-depth look at the upcoming NFL DFS main slate on DraftKings. Formerly of The 33rd Team and 4for4 Fantasy Football, Jordan will do a deep dive into the best ways to attack the wide receiver position to help you climb the leaderboards.

There’s no better week to be using our NFL DFS optimizer, LineupHQ. This tool will showcase who is even playing and be constantly updated with projected play time for a lot of these teams battling for the playoffs or resting their starters.

Many players are competing not just to be part of the plans for 2025 but also to secure a spot on a team next season and earn their incentives. For example, everyone is aware of Mike Evans’ incentive—it’s even available as a parlay option on sportsbooks right now. I’d expect Baker Mayfield to give him plenty of opportunities to hit that target. However, the New Orleans Saints won’t simply roll over and let Evans achieve his goal. These teams have a long-standing rivalry and genuinely dislike each other, so I anticipate a very physical matchup.

Now, let’s get into my views on the slate!

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Vanek’s Views: DraftKings NFL DFS Tips for Week 18 WRs

Stacks

Michael Penix ($5,400, QB, Atlanta Falcons)

Drake London ($6,500, WR, Atlanta Falcons)

Jalen Coker ($4,100, WR, Carolina Panthers)

Breaking down Penix’s film, I see a rookie quarterback with a strong understanding of where to go with the ball, though his chemistry with the wide receivers is slightly off. As the games have progressed, he seems to be developing a special connection with London, which was evident during the game against the Commanders. On the Panthers’ side, Jaycee Horn has been listed as a DNP (Did Not Practice) for the past few days, and if he remains out, I don’t believe the Panthers have the personnel to effectively match up with London.

The Panthers rely heavily on Cover 3 coverage, and over the last 3 games, London has excelled against it. According to Fantasy Points, he boasts an average win rate of 16% and a separation score of 0.240, placing him among the NFL’s best (minimum 20 routes run against Cover 3). This mismatch could be a significant factor in the game.

While I do think Bijan Robinson is in an incredible matchup, this could pull away points for him to pay off the $8,500 price tag and allows you to get to some of the other fun RBs that will see an increased workload to end the season.

As great as Adam Thielen has been, I love this game for Coker. Coker has been playing over 80% of the snaps the last 3 games, and I expect him to have the advantage against CB Mike Hughes and be matched up with him for a lot of the game.

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