CeeDee Lamb
vs Ja'Marr Chase

“CeeDee Lamb (WR – DAL) It was a really disappointing 2025 for CeeDee Lamb , posting the second-lowest numbers of his career in targets (117), receptions (75) and receiving yards (1,077), with only his rookie season in 2020 worse. He also had a career-low three touchdowns. The newly arrived George Pickens recorded a 22.1% target share in the red zone compared to Lamb’s 18.6%, which was also behind Jake Ferguson , who led the team with 23.1%.”

“Lamb is a pick I don’t exactly love in a vacuum. I am lower on him than most this season and don’t believe he should be a first-round pick in fantasy.”

“Lamb remains a locked-in WR1 with a stellar quarterback in his prime and George Pickens alongside him to keep defenses honest.”

“CeeDee Lamb (WR – DAL) In a world where George Pickens had hit the open market, or was traded by the Cowboys this offseason, instead of signing his franchise tag tender, CeeDee Lamb could have been back in the top two wide receiver conversation.”

“CeeDee Lamb is eminently talented, do not get me wrong there, and this offense will promise to be extremely high-flying and productive. However, he has one season in his career wherein he finished higher than WR7 or with more than 17.7 PPR points per game. That season came in 2023 when he led the NFL in targets with 181 targets.”

“Lamb is coming off the least productive season of his career. There's no questioning his talent, but I'm still unsure how he'll fit into Dallas' new offensive scheme. That said, he'll still command an elite target share, and that's ultimately why we're drafting him. Lamb's combination of volume, explosiveness and big-play ability gives him overall WR1 upside if everything clicks.”

“CeeDee Lamb posted his fifth straight 1,000-yard season.”

“CeeDee Lamb was framed as one of the safest high-end fantasy receivers because of his ability to consistently function as the centerpiece of an offense. Even when offensive conditions fluctuate, receivers who dominate targets maintain elite fantasy floors. There was little concern expressed about talent or role, with the conversation focused on how dependable his fantasy profile remains compared to many receivers drafted around him.”

“The underlying story is a game of contrasting approaches: Cincinnati leaned on a clean, mistake-free connection between Burrow and his two clear top targets (Chase and Higgins combined for 19 of Burrow’s 31 attempts with Chase scoring both touchdowns). Burrow himself turned in a mistake-free day (0 INT, 105.2 rating) despite 5 sacks. Burrow went 20-of-31 for 207 yards and 2 touchdowns.”

“Early in the game, Chase made a highlight-reel touchdown catch, pinpointing the ball over his shoulder, then spinning around to catch it next to the pylon and tap his feet in the process. Social media rightfully went insane, oogling over the play. Chase added another touchdown reception later in the third quarter, and he led Cincinnati with seven receptions.”

“Cincy’s offensive line held up well, too, and Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase will have better days ahead, make no mistake about that. 9 — Chicago Bears (1-0, UP 3) Last week: W 59-37 vs. Carolina Panthers I don’t care what the defense looked like — put up 59 points in an NFL game and I’ll talk about you glowingly.”

“Even with that accounted for, Chase is averaging 19.9 PPG in his last 49 regular-season games. Relax, Chase will be fine. If his manager in your league is panicking, this may be your only chance to buy (somewhat) low.”

“Ja’Marr Chase is projected as the WR1 this week, with the WR1 value score at both DFS sites. In 34 games with Burrow playing at least 20 snaps since 2024, Chase has tallied 7.2 receptions per game, 91.7 receiving yards per game, 26 receiving touchdowns, 22.15 DraftKings points per game, 20.12 expected DraftKings points per game, 17.48 FanDuel points per game and 16.48 expected FanDuel points per game.”

“Mike takes the layup with Chase at the 1.03. If you are not getting one of the top RBs in Jahmyr Gibbs or Bijan Robinson, how can you go wrong with a player who has finished as WR1 and WR4 the last two seasons? Chase should be operating as the top target for a fully healthy Joe Burrow, at least to start the season, and that has always been a recipe for success.”

“To start, I went with Ja’Marr Chase. The Bengals have (at least on paper) one of the easiest schedules in the NFL this season, and Chase should have a target share of 30% or higher.”

“Chase is the WR1 in my rankings. Last year, he finished as the WR4, averaging 19.6 PPR fantasy points per game despite missing one contest with an injury and playing without Joe Burrow for half the season.”

“For two consecutive years, Chase has led the league in targets with 175 and 185, respectively. Chase also has two years with 1400 or more receiving yards, and his consistency is worth paying for.”