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Eric Moody, ESPN
Is your fantasy football league active through Week 18? If yes, you should talk to your commissioner and vote to change it. There were plenty of highs and lows in Week 17, and unfortunately there was another wave of injuries. One of the most notable involved Christian McCaffrey, who had his lowest fantasy point total of the season and left Sunday’s game against the Commanders because of a calf injury.
The 49ers are the top seed in the NFC, so they’ll have a bye in the first round and home-field advantage throughout the postseason. McCaffrey will likely be ruled out against the Rams in Week 18. This positions Elijah Mitchell (rostered in 13.4% of ESPN leagues) to lead San Francisco’s backfield. The 49ers rank eighth with 29.4 rushing attempts per game Mitchell finished with 17 rushing attempts and 80 yards against the Commanders on Sunday. He has averaged 14 fantasy points per game in games where he’s had 17 or more rushing attempts in his career.
In addition to Mitchell, Zamir White, Romeo Doubs, Demarcus Robinson, and Derek Carr highlight my top adds of the week. As the NFL playoff field begins to take shape, some teams with clinched postseason positions are planning to rest their starters during the final week of the regular season. Each player mentioned in this column is on a team with something to play for.
Running Backs
Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears (49.1%): In two consecutive games, D’Onta Foreman has been a health scratch, while Herbert has produced at least 19 fantasy points in two consecutive games. Herbert has also had 20 or more touches in two straight games. Herbert remains a very good flex option against the Packers if Foreman is out. With a win over the Bears, Green Bay can make the playoffs, but Chicago won’t make things easy.
Zamir White, Las Vegas Raiders (38.5%): Josh Jacobs has been out with a quadriceps injury, so White started three straight games. With the Raiders out of postseason contention and Jacobs about to enter free agency, it’d be surprising to see him play against the Broncos in Week 18. Over the past three games, White has had 20 or more touches and scored 14 or more fantasy points in each game. The Broncos’ defense has given up the second-most fantasy points per game to running backs.
Jamaal Williams, New Orleans Saints (20.3%): Alvin Kamara is dealing with an ankle injury. A high ankle sprain or low ankle sprain has not been confirmed as of writing this article. After Kamara was injured against the Buccaneers in the first quarter, Williams filled the void finishing with 23 touches and 71 total yards. Williams is firmly on the flex radar if Kamara can’t play against the Panthers in Week 18. In terms of fantasy points per game, Carolina’s defense gives up the fifth most to running backs.
Quick Hits
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As the Ravens have clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC, they may rest their starters. Justice Hill (16.4%) finished with eight touches and 22.2 fantasy points against the Dolphins on Sunday. As a result, he’s a candidate to lead the Ravens’ backfield in Week 18 against the Steelers, but Melvin Gordon (0.1%), who had six touches against Miami, may also play a larger role. The Ravens lead the league with 32.3 rushing attempts per game.
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Tyler Allgeier (37.0%) continues to play a significant role in the Falcons’ backfield alongside 2023 No. 8 draft pick Bijan Robinson. Allgeier has averaged 9.7 touches per game in his past six games. In each of his past two games, he has scored 16 fantasy points.
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Pierre Strong Jr. (0.4%) shouldn’t be overlooked by managers in deeper leagues. The Browns are locked into the No. 5 seed and are likely to rest Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt. This would leave Strong Jr. as Cleveland’s starter in a matchup against a vulnerable Bengals defense that just gave up 130 rushing yards to Isiah Pacheco on Sunday night.
Quarterbacks
Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints (26%): Carr had an underwhelming performance in a favorable matchup against the Buccaneers’ secondary on Sunday. After scoring 20 or more fantasy points in each of the two previous games, he only scored 15.6 against Tampa Bay. It’s still anyone’s game in the NFC South. New Orleans will win the division if the Buccaneers lose to the Panthers in Week 18 and the Saints defeat the Falcons. It is still possible for the Saints to get a wild-card spot if they lose to the Falcons, but they will need help. Carr and the Saints’ other starters will be busy against Atlanta.
Gardner Minshew, Indianapolis Colts (15.7%): Minshew only had 13.2 fantasy points against the Raiders. With an early lead, the Colts leaned heavily on their running game. Minshew will face a Texans defense in Week 18 that gives up the ninth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. The Colts are currently in the wild-card position and will win the AFC South if they defeat Houston. A win over Indianapolis can secure a wild-card spot for the Texans. Minshew has averaged 15.0 fantasy points per game over the past six games.
Tyrod Taylor, New York Giants (1.7%): Taylor threw for 319 yards and a touchdown along with 40 rushing yards against the Rams on Sunday. He finished with 18.7 fantasy points. Taylor faces an Eagles defense in Week 18 that gives up the most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Philadelphia has lost control of the NFC East following a late-season collapse. With a win over the Giants and a loss by the Cowboys, the Eagles can still win the division. New York will relish playing spoiler in Week 18, which bodes well for Taylor’s fantasy outlook.
Wide Receivers
Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers (41.7%): With a win over the Bears, the Packers can punch their playoff ticket, making Doubs a solid fantasy option. In his past 11 games, he has averaged 5.2 targets and 10.2 fantasy points. It gives managers a sense of what his floor is, but Doubs did finish with 18.6 fantasy points against the Bears in Week 1.
Demarcus Robinson, Los Angeles Rams (10.6%): The Rams have clinched a playoff spot and could rest Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, which opens the door for Robinson to see additional targets. It has been five straight games of scoring at least 13 fantasy points for Robinson, including one with 20.2 points. The 49ers’ defense gives up the 14th-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Robinson could benefit even more from some of San Francisco’s defensive starters resting in this game.
Quick Hits
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Wan’Dale Robinson (6.7%) and Darius Slayton (3.3%) are intriguing options against an Eagles secondary that allows the most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Since the Giants’ Week 13 bye, Robinson has scored 17 or more fantasy points in two of his past four games, while Slayton has scored 10 or more in three.
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Michael Wilson (4.8%) and Greg Dortch (2.7%) are the top targets in the Cardinals passing game with Marquise Brown placed on injured reserve because of a heel injury. Dortch has accumulated 12 total targets in the last two games. In consecutive games, he has scored 12 or more fantasy points. On Sunday, Wilson had six targets and 15.5 fantasy points. This duo faces a Seahawks defense that gives up the 12th-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers.
Tight Ends
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints (19.0%): In Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers, Johnson had 12 targets and 23 fantasy points, both season highs. Over the past three games, he has scored 10 or more fantasy points, including two games with 15 or more points. The Falcons’ defense has given up the sixth-most receptions and fifth-most receiving yards per games to tight ends this season.
Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers (13.3%): Luke Musgrave left a huge void in the Packers’ offense following a serious kidney injury, which Kraft has filled admirably. In three of his past four games, Kraft has had at least six targets. In four consecutive games, he has scored at least 10 fantasy points. Kraft faces a Bears defense that has given up the fifth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends. While Musgrave is still on injured reserve, he returned to practice last week in a limited capacity, so keep an eye on this situation as the week progresses.
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