I didn't include Jordan Love or any Packers receivers in Start 'Em & Sit 'Em for this week because I wanted to see who was healthy for the Week 18 game against the Bears. On Friday, it appears like Christian Watson (hamstring) won't play, while Jayden Reed (chest) and Dontayvion Wicks (chest) will be active.
With Reed, Love has top-five upside against Chicago, and we'll see if he can lead Green Bay into the NFL playoffs with a win. He's had a remarkable season as the first-year starter for the Packers, and he could be a No. 1 Fantasy quarterback heading into 2024.
Love has scored at least 20.7 Fantasy points in seven of his past eight games, including four outings with at least 27.9 points over that span. He was amazing at Minnesota in Week 17 with 34.4 Fantasy points with 256 passing yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, along with a rushing score.
Love had 29 Fantasy points at Chicago in Week 1 with 245 passing yards and three touchdowns, along with 12 rushing yards, and he should have another quality performance in Week 18. Two of the past three opposing quarterbacks against the Bears have scored at least 21.1 Fantasy points, and Love should be above that total.
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Reed is easily my favorite Packers receiver, and he has top-15 upside in Week 18. He has scored at least 15 PPR points in six of his past seven games, including three in a row with at least 17.2 PPR points. He has five receiving touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns since Week 10, and that includes missing Week 16 at Carolina with an injured toe.
Wicks and Bo Melton also have sleeper appeal against the Bears. Wicks had six catches for 97 yards on seven targets against Tampa Bay in Week 15, and he followed that up with two catches for 29 yards and a touchdown on two targets at Carolina before leaving with a chest injury, which forced him to miss Week 17.
Melton has benefitted the past two weeks with Watson, Reed and Wicks battling injuries, and Melton had 10 catches for 149 yards and a touchdown on 15 targets combined against the Panthers and Vikings. I like Reed, Wicks and Melton ahead of Romeo Doubs, who has scored more than 7.2 PPR points just once in his past four games.
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At tight end, we'll see if Luke Musgrave (abdomen) returns in Week 18. If he's out again then consider Tucker Kraft a No. 1 tight end in all leagues. Kraft has scored at least 10 PPR points in four games in a row, and the Bears are No. 6 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends.
I'm excited to see all the Packers in this game, and Aaron Jones (listed as a starter in Start 'Em & Sit 'Em) should also have a solid outing. It helps that Green Bay has won nine straight regular-season games against Chicago and 13 of the last 14 meetings overall.
Now, let's see what other sleepers we can use in what should be a wacky Week 18 regular-season finale.
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Week 18 Sleepers
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
Week 18 Preview
Sleepers
Sleeper QBs
Carr is playing his best football of the season coming into Week 18 with 10 touchdowns and two interceptions in his past four games while completing 73 percent of his passes. He's also scored at least 19.6 Fantasy points in three games in a row, and the Saints are still alive for the NFC South title or a Wild Card spot. Carr only scored 10.9 Fantasy points at Atlanta in Week 12 with no touchdowns and an interception, but he passed for 304 yards. Two of the past four quarterbacks against the Falcons have scored at least 24.1 Fantasy points, and Carr should have another strong performance in Week 18.
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The last two games that Taylor started and finished he scored at least 20.8 Fantasy points. He reached that total in Week 17 against the Rams, and he had 11.4 Fantasy points in the second half against the Eagles in Week 16 when he replaced Tommy DeVito. He should give you production with his legs -- he's run for at least 21 yards in each of his past five significant appearances -- and Philadelphia is No. 1 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. I like Taylor as a low-end No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in all leagues.
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Smith only scored 17.8 Fantasy points against Arizona in Week 7, but I expect him to do better in the rematch. He's scored at least 21.3 Fantasy points in two of his past three games, with both of them on the road, and the Seahawks need to win this game to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Cardinals have also allowed three quarterbacks in a row to score at least 25.2 Fantasy points, and Smith should have the chance for a standout season finale on the road.
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Sleeper RBs
This is likely Derrick Henry's last game in Tennessee as a member of the Titans, and we'll see how he does to help Tennessee play spoiler against Jacksonville. Depending on how this game unfolds, Spears could also play a prominent role for the Titans -- and Fantasy managers. Spears scored at least 11.7 PPR points in three of his past five games, and he has at least four catches in four of his past five outings. His role in the passing game is relevant since the Jaguars are No. 1 in most receptions allowed to running backs, and 13 running backs have caught at least four passes against Jacksonville this year. Now, Spears -- and Henry -- both struggled at Jacksonville in Week 11, as Henry scored 5.4 PPR points and Spears 4.6. But both should do better at home, and Henry is worth using as a No. 2 running back in all leagues, with Spears a sleeper as a flex.
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Singletary had another quality outing in Week 17 against Tennessee with 16 carries for 80 yards and three catches for 6 yards on three targets, and he's now scored at least 11.6 PPR points in six of his past eight games. He should be considered a low-end No. 2 running back in Week 18 against the Colts, who are No. 3 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs this season. A running back has scored at least 11.8 PPR points against Indianapolis in seven games in a row, with 10 running backs hitting that mark over that span. The Colts have only allowed five total touchdowns during that time, but seven running backs have gone over 100 total yards in those seven games.
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If Alvin Kamara (ankle) is out this week, then Williams could be looking at a big workload, which would make him a flex option in most leagues. Kamara left Week 17 at Tampa Bay, and Williams had 19 carries for 58 yards and four catches for 13 yards on four targets for 11.1 PPR points. You can expect similar production if Williams is the featured option against the Falcons, who have allowed four running backs to score at least 12.3 PPR points in their past four games. It's rather remarkable that Williams led the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns in 2022 with Detroit but has yet to score any touchdowns with the Saints in 2023. Maybe he'll find the end zone for the first time in Week 18.
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It would be a surprise if the Browns played Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt much, if at all, in Week 18 at Cincinnati. Cleveland is locked into the No. 5 seed in the AFC, and resting Ford and Hunt for the playoffs makes sense. In that scenario, Strong would be in a featured role in a great matchup against the Bengals. Cincinnati has allowed three running backs in a row to score at least 13.8 PPR points, and Strong is worth using as a flex option in all leagues if Ford and Hunt are out as expected.
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There's a good chance Mason could be the lead running back for the 49ers in Week 18 against the Rams, and I would use him as a flex option in all leagues in that scenario. Christian McCaffrey (calf) has already been ruled out, and I'd be surprised if the 49ers played Elijah Mitchell much after he missed three of the past four games with a knee injury. Tyrion Davis-Price could be added off the practice squad to share touches with Mason, who has four games this season with at least four carries, and he scored a touchdown in three of them. This isn't an easy matchup against the Rams, but they also are resting players in preparation for the postseason. Keep an eye on what develops prior to Sunday, but Mason has plenty of upside if Mitchell joins McCaffrey on the sidelines in Week 18.
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Sleeper WRs
Rashee Rice isn't playing this week, and the Chiefs are sitting Patrick Mahomes to rest for the playoffs. Blaine Gabbert will start at quarterback for Kansas City, and he acknowledged Ross as one of the receivers he's looking forward to playing with, saying Ross "is doing a great job." We'll see what that means in terms of targets and how Ross does compared to other guys like Justin Watson, Mecole Hardman and Richie James, but Ross has the most upside of this group. The Chargers are No. 5 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, and Ross is worth using as a No. 3 Fantasy option in deeper leagues.
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We know Carson Wentz is starting in Week 18 with the Rams resting Matthew Stafford for the playoffs, and Cooper Kupp (rest) is also out. Puka Nacua isn't expected to play much at San Francisco, but Robinson should stay in the game -- and hopefully Wentz leans on him as the No. 1 receiver. Robinson has scored at least 13.2 PPR points in five games in a row, with four touchdowns over that span, and he can be used as a potential starter in all leagues. The 49ers are expected to be resting guys on defense as well, and we could also see Tutu Atwell get in the mix if you're looking for help in deeper leagues. Remember, Atwell scored at least 15.2 PPR points in each of his first three games this season while Kupp was out.
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I'm excited about Kyler Murray as my Start of the Week, and Dortch should continue to be one of Murray's go-to options in Week 18 against Seattle. I liked Dortch as a sleeper in Week 17 at Philadelphia, and he delivered seven catches for 82 yards on seven targets for 15.2 PPR points. That's now 11 games over the past two seasons with at least four targets, and he has scored at least 11.7 PPR points in nine of those outings. He should once again see a decent amount of targets against the Seahawks in Week 18, and Dortch is worth starting as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. Eight receivers have scored at least 13 PPR points against Seattle in the past seven games.
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It's risky to trust Cooks on the road, but he's got a great matchup in Week 18 at Washington and should be a useful No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. Cooks has topped 10 PPR points just twice on the road this season, which was in Week 6 at the Chargers (15 PPR points) and Week 16 at Miami (10.3 PPR points). But at home he's scored at least 14.2 PPR points in five of his past six outings in Dallas. That includes Week 12 against the Commanders when he had four catches for 72 yards and a touchdown on five targets, and he could replicate that level of production in the rematch. In their past five games, Washington has allowed eight receivers to score at least 14.7 PPR points, including three duos to reach that mark (CeeDee Lamb and Cooks in Week 12, Cooper Kupp and Demarcus Robinson in Week 15 and Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel in Week 17). Look for Lamb and Cooks to both play well in Week 18.
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There are two Giants receivers worth using as No. 3 Fantasy receivers in Week 18 against the Eagles in Slayton and Wan'Dale Robinson. Slayton has done well with Tyrod Taylor in the past two games with seven catches for 196 yards and two touchdowns on nine targets over that span, and Slayton had a 69-yard touchdown from Taylor in Week 16 at Philadelphia. Robinson's two best games this season have come with Taylor in Week 8 at Buffalo (14.2 PPR points) and Week 17 against the Rams (19.9 PPR points). The Eagles enter Week 18 as the No. 1 team in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, and Slayton and Robinson could be great with Taylor under center.
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Sleeper TEs
Waller had a solid game in Week 17 against the Rams with five catches for 51 yards on six targets, and he could post a similar stat line in Week 18 against the Eagles. Four tight ends have scored at least 10.8 PPR points against Philadelphia in the past seven games, and Tyrod Taylor should lean on Waller in this matchup at home.
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Everett will hopefully bounce back in Week 18 against the Chiefs, and it helps that Keenan Allen (heel) will be out again. Everett had a down game in Week 17 at Denver with four catches for 31 yards on nine targets, and he scored just 7.7 PPR points. While the production was bad, Everett had at least eight targets for the fourth game in a row, and that should continue again in Week 18. He caught three passes for 26 yards and a touchdown on four targets in Week 7 at Kansas City, and the Chiefs will likely rest several starters on defense in the rematch.
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Schultz only had four catches for 34 yards on seven targets in Week 2 against the Colts, but he should do better in the rematch in Week 18. He's coming off a down game in Week 17 against Tennessee with only two catches for 19 yards on four targets, and he hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 11. But the Colts have allowed two of the past four tight ends to score a touchdown with Tanner Hudson in Week 14 and Kyle Pitts in Week 16, and Schultz should be a go-to option for C.J. Stroud in this matchup.
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Defense/Special Teams
- Jets (at NE)
- Patriots (vs. NYJ)
- Buccaneers (at CAR)
Kickers
- Matt Gay (vs. HOU)
- Matt Prater (vs. SEA)
- Brandon McManus (at TEN)