It saddens me to say this, but this is my final article of the season! It’s been a fantastic year with some ups and downs, but I always love to get feedback from my readers! You guys have been great all year, and I hope I’ve made you some money. With that said, this Week 18 card is one of the most frustrating of the season. There will be more volatile news than any week all year, and there will undoubtedly be some breaking news after this article is published. Some players will be rested, but we don’t know who that will be, either. We’ll do our best to foresee some of that info, but I want to thank you guys for reading throughout the year!
The players below are ones I’m looking at for GPP considerations for Week 18:
Quarterbacks
DraftKings
Justin Herbert (QB – LAC): $6,800 at DEN
Herbert was my preseason pick for MVP, and while I was wrong there, he’s been a great option in DFS at times this year. That’s certainly the case here, with Herbert playing much better since Mike Williams and Keenan Allen both returned from injury. That’s led to Justin posting a 19-point average across his last six games, despite seeing a decrease in pass attempts. Efficiency is more important than volume with such a talented quarterback, and he shouldn’t have any issues against a Denver defense that’s allowed 78 points over the last two weeks.
It saddens me to say this, but this is my final article of the season! It’s been a fantastic year with some ups and downs, but I always love to get feedback from my readers! You guys have been great all year, and I hope I’ve made you some money. With that said, this Week 18 card is one of the most frustrating of the season. There will be more volatile news than any week all year, and there will undoubtedly be some breaking news after this article is published. Some players will be rested, but we don’t know who that will be, either. We’ll do our best to foresee some of that info, but I want to thank you guys for reading throughout the year!
The players below are ones I’m looking at for GPP considerations for Week 18:
Quarterbacks
DraftKings
Justin Herbert (QB – LAC): $6,800 at DEN
Herbert was my preseason pick for MVP, and while I was wrong there, he’s been a great option in DFS at times this year. That’s certainly the case here, with Herbert playing much better since Mike Williams and Keenan Allen both returned from injury. That’s led to Justin posting a 19-point average across his last six games, despite seeing a decrease in pass attempts. Efficiency is more important than volume with such a talented quarterback, and he shouldn’t have any issues against a Denver defense that’s allowed 78 points over the last two weeks.
Mike White (QB – NYJ): $5,300 at MIA
The Jets are a conservative team, but they let White sling it! White is averaging 298 passing yards and 44 pass attempts per game in his four starts this year. That volume is important for a less talented quarterback, especially since he’s averaging nearly 20 DraftKings points per game. A matchup with Miami is the best part of this, though, with the Dolphins owning a 31st OPRK against opposing quarterbacks this season.
FanDuel
Kirk Cousins (QB – MIN): $7,700 at CHI
Cousins is the definition of a GPP option. This guy can look like the best quarterback in the NFL for a month and then look like a college player the next week. In any case, we think he’ll look good against this subpar Chicago defense. The Bears allow the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, surrendering 23 FD points to Cousins earlier in the year. This is one of the few teams playing for something, and we expect Cuz to sling the ball around!
Geno Smith (QB – SEA): $7,300 vs. LAR
Geno has been in this article more than any quarterback all season, and it’s hard to understand why these DFS sites disrespect him. The breakout quarterback ranks sixth on this slate in terms of FD points but is 12th in terms of salary. That doesn’t add up, with Geno averaging 19 FanDuel points per game. We believe he can surpass that average here, with Smith scoring 24 fantasy points against the Rams just a few weeks ago.
In Consideration: Josh Allen (QB – BUF): DK $8,400/FD $8,800 vs. NE
It would be Allen’s dream to knock the Patriots out of the playoffs. This is the second-highest scoring player in fantasy, and look for him to play motivated in such a tasty situation.
Running Backs
DraftKings
Najee Harris (RB – PIT): $6,100 vs. CLE
Najee has had a disappointing year by his lofty standards, but he’s been crushing it over the last month. Harris has at least 10 DraftKings points in seven straight outings, posting a 17-point average in that span. That’s rare from a $6K player, especially one that used to be an $8K guy just last year. He also had 14 DK points when he played the Browns earlier in the year, which is incredible since Cleveland owns a 27th OPRK against opposing running backs.
Latavius Murray (RB – DEN): $5,400 vs. LAC
Murray plays for a new team once every few months, but it’s hard to understand why. He’s been the go-to back in Denver since the Javonte Williams–Melvin Gordon dup\o collapsed, with Murray averaging 14 carries for 63 rushing yards over the last seven games. He’s also averaging nearly four targets while taking all the goal-line work, making him a heck of a value at just $5,400. Facing the Chargers is his biggest asset though, allowing the most yards per carry in the NFL.
FanDuel
Cam Akers (RB – LAR): $7,300 at SEA
It’s been a strange season for Akers, but he’s the go-to back in LA now. The 23-year-old has been an every-down back for five straight weeks, averaging 17 carries for 82 rushing yards. He’s also scored six rushing touchdowns in that span, playing in over 70 percent of the team’s snaps. Squaring off with Seattle is the icing on the cake, with the Seahawks surrendering the third-most rushing yards in the NFL. When they played in Week 13, Cam collected 19 FanDuel points!
Miles Sanders (RB – PHI): $6,700 vs. NYG
Sanders has been terrible the last three weeks, but he’s too good to be this cheap. The Eagles RB averaged 15 FD points per game before this slump, and we believe he can return to that form here. Miles gets a matchup with the Giants, with Sanders tallying 144 yards and two touchdowns in their one matchup just last month. That’s not surprising since they surrender the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing rushers and the second-most yards per carry.
In Consideration: Rachaad White (RB – TB): DK $5,400/FD $6,500 at ATL
We believe most of these Tampa veterans will be rested in this meaningless game, which means White could get the bulk of the work in the backfield. In the two games White has played at least 40 snaps, he’s combined for 169 rushing yards and nine receptions for an addition 45 yards.
Wide Receivers
DraftKings
DJ Moore (WR – CAR): $6,100 at NOS
Moore has been in this article for a month now, and he continues to be one of our better picks. Carolina’s top target has at least 18 DraftKings points in four of his last five games. The elite target share was always there for him to be a stud, and it’s finally coming to fruition with Sam Darnold behind center. Facing New Orleans will be challenging but look for the Panthers to feed Moore double-digit targets once again.
Greg Dortch (WR – ARI): $3,800 at ARI
I had Dortch in a ton of lineups last week, and he let us down with an inefficient day. In any case, he still had 10 targets and looks like the go-to receiver in Arizona with DeAndre Hopkins injured. That’s the third time he’s had double-digit targets over the last month, and it’s no surprise since he played in 85 percent of the team’s snaps in all three of those games. That’s amazing since the Cardinals enter this matchup as a 14-point underdog, likely forcing another monster target share for GD.
FanDuel
Christian Watson (WR – GB): $6,900 vs. DET
Watson was playing through an injury last week, but he was one of the best receivers in the NFL before that. He had at least six targets in each of his previous six games before that, averaging 18 FanDuel points per game in that span. That makes him about $1,000 too cheap, and you know he’ll dice through a disastrous Detroit defense. The Lions allow the third most passing yards in the NFL while owning a 29th OPRK against opposing pass-catchers.
Jahan Dotson (RB – WAS): $5,900 vs. DAL
It was bizarre to see Dotson sitting below $6,000. This talented rookie has scored at least 14 FanDuel points in three of his last four games, averaging eight targets per game in that span. He also scored at least 12 FD points in three of the first four games that Wentz started earlier in the year, and it’s clear Carson trusts this guy more than anyone else. Dallas is not as daunting of a matchup as it sounds either, with the Cowboys surrendering the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers.
In Consideration: Tyler Lockett (WR – SEA): DK $6,400/FD $6,900 vs. LAR
Lockett is averaging 16 fantasy points per game and has seen a price drop because of a limited workload last week. That makes him intriguing, but he’s one of the best plays on the board after collecting nine catches for 128 yards in his last matchup with the Rams.
Tight Ends
DraftKings
Tyler Higbee (TE – LAR): $4,400 at SEA
Baker Mayfield loves Higbee, and it’s made the tight end one of the best options for the position. Higbee has 20 targets over the last three games, averaging 16 DraftKings points per game in that span. That’s a Top-5 mark at the position, and the matchup with Seattle is the most impactful variable here. The Seahawks are surrendering the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season.
FanDuel
Pat Freiermuth (TE – PIT): $5,500 vs. CLE
The price tag and production do not match up here. Freiermuth ranks fifth among active tight ends with 8.3 FD points per game but sits outside the top 10 in terms of salary. That’s bizarre because Patty has been playing his best ball with Kenny Pickett behind center, averaging nearly 10 FD points per game in those circumstances.
In Consideration: George Kittle (TE – SF): DK $6,000/FD $7,600 vs. ARI
Kittle is the highest-priced tight end on the board, and rightfully so. He’s averaging over 23 DK points per game across his last three outings and faces an Arizona team that allows the second-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends.
Defense/Special Teams
DraftKings
Dallas Cowboys D/ST: $3,900 at WAS
Carson Wentz looked horrible last week, and we will use the top-scoring D/ST against him. Dallas is the only defense averaging over 10 DraftKings points per game, scoring 10 DK points in their last matchup with Washington. The oddsmakers certainly adore them here, with the Cowboys projected to hold the Commanders to just 19 points. That’s fantastic since Washington owns a 26th OPRK against opposing D/STs.
FanDuel
San Francisco 49ers D/ST: $4,900 vs. ARI
What if I told you that the best defense in the league is facing a team without their top receiver and third-string quarterback? What if I added that they’re not even the highest-priced D/ST on the slate? That makes San Fran the best option over on FanDuel, entering this matchup as a 14-point favorite. That also means Arizona is projected to score just 13 points, the lowest team total of the week!
In Consideration: Indianapolis Colts D/ST: DK $3,100/FD $4,100 vs. HOU
The Texans have surrendered the second-most fantasy points to opposing D/STs, and have one of the worst rosters in the NFL. We love that since Indy is a 2.5-point favorite in a game with a 38-point total.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
