Hopefully you had a happy and safe holiday season! The overwhelming number of fantasy football leagues came to a close on New Year’s Eve, but there are some of you out there still playing in Week 18, so this recap will be focused on players who may be of use to gamers in the final week of the regular season.
6
RB Jamaal Williams, New Orleans Saints
Typically, when players are included in this article series it is to inform owners about prime fantasy opportunities to be had, but this one is a warning. Williams, whose season has been an unmitigated disaster, will get a crack at starting if Alvin Kamara (ankle) isn’t available. The issue here is his opponent, Atlanta, has been ruthless vs. the position in 2023. Only one in every 121 carries has scored against this defense, or three rushing TDs in total on the year. Should Williams get the primary workload, he’s no better than a highly risky play for a cheap touchdown out of respect for his prowess around the stripe.
5
WR Greg Dortch and Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals
Seattle is the upcoming opponent, and the Cardinals have shown some life of late. In Week 18, the duo of Wilson and Dortch should lead the receiving corps in targets with Marquise Brown on IR. Dortch has been quite effective overall with his limited touches during the last two years, and Wilson is coming off a a six-target game with is first TD since Week 4. Seattle has given up the eighth-most catches, 14th-most aerial yards, and the 12th-most touchdowns (tied) with 14 in 16 outings. If you’re in a pinch, Dortch is a better volume play, whereas Wilson has slightly more upside for a score. The real concern here is that the Cards could run wild with James Conner against the fifth-weakest defense of running backs, thus limiting the necessity of an expanded passing game.
4
RB Justice Hill, Baltimore Ravens
Hill had 13 utilizations in Week 16 and eight last week, being much more productive in the latter, but the idea here is his could get a healthy share of the touches with Baltimore being locked into the first-round bye. In Week 18, the Ravens host the Pittsburgh Steelers, a defense that has given up nine RB rushing touchdowns — including one to Hill in the previous meeting — and 13 total on the year. In total, we’re looking at the 13th-best matchup for reception-rewarding formats, which comes into play given Hill’s versatility. Monitor this situation throughout the week, since Melvin Gordon should be involved, and he wouldn’t be a terrible play in his own right, but quarterback Tyler Huntley likely starting might allow the Steelers to stack the box.
3
TE Johnny Mundt, Minnesota Vikings
The season-ending loss of T.J. Hockenson (knee) puts Mundt into a prominent role in a pass-heavy offense, and it was evident in Week 17 with his seven targets that resulted in a 4-39-1 night. The Vikings face Detroit in Week 18, a defense that has given up the ninth-most PPR points in 2023. In the Week 16 meeting, Hockenson was on his way to a quality fantasy outing before the injury, and the Lions have allowed 14.8 PPR points per game to the position in the last five weeks.
2
RB Elijah Mitchell, San Francisco 49ers
Mitchell, while oft-injured, is healthy for a change and coming off a 17-carry day that resulted in 80 yards and his first TD of 2023. Christian McCaffrey‘s banner regular season ended last week with a calf injury that the coaching staff wisely is using as a valid reason to rest him in a meaningless finale, even though he may want a rebuttal to Lamar Jackson‘s latest argument in the MVP argument. The postseason is more important, of course, so look for Mitchell to have a hearty workload once again. He has generated fantasy points in past opportunities, but this matchup is brutal for fantasy purposes. These teams met way back in Week 2, which might as well be the 1800s at this point, but McCaffrey’s 22.5 PPR points stands as the best fantasy outing vs. LA on the year.
1
TE Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
Johnson had been a popular sleeper candidate entering the season but offered up-and-down results throughout the year. In the last three weeks, however, his emergence has been a fantasy godsend to anyone who stuck with him or, more likely, plucked Johnson off the wire. In the last three weeks, he has seen his utilization and subsequent results ramp up. Johnson has scored in each of those outings, topping out last week at 23 fantasy points on a 12-target, eight-catch, 90-yard, one-TD day. While expecting that in Week 18 is asking a bit much, volume with be on his side in the second matchup vs. the Falcons. This defensive unit has given up just four tight end scores in 2023, but only five teams have yielded more grabs and this is the fifth-best opponent to exploit for receiving yards. Johnson should be good for double-digit PPR returns even without a score.
