This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Football series.
Welcome to the main NFL Sunday slate for Week 18. This is the week we need to be careful of which teams are resting players or could potentially limit their snaps. As difficult as these things can be to predict, I will do my best to give you players who are expected to play their normal workload. Here are some of my favorite values for each position this week.
Quarterback:
Aaron Rodgers ($7,100) vs. Detroit Lions
Rodgers has not been the Aaron Rodgers we all know this season. There's no question about it. However, there has not been a single week where he hasn't thrown a touchdown pass since Week 1 this season. Although he has thrown just one touchdown in each of his last four games, that last win against the Vikings seemed to have put some life into the aged veteran.
To close out the season, Rodgers gets the best matchup a quarterback can get. He has thrown multiple touchdown passes in nine games this season and if he has a chance at making it 10, you better believe he'll do it against the Lions' defense who is ranked dead last vs. quarterbacks. Detroit has given up the seventh-fewest fantasy points to running back, so if the Packers are going to win this game, it will be through the air.
Jared Goff ($7,200) at Green Bay Packers
This isn't the greatest matchup for a quarterback, but we can no longer deny how good Goff has been. He has thrown multiple touchdowns in five of his last six games and has thrown for 330 yards or more in three of them. The Packers' defense does give up a lot to running backs, so it is possible we see more of Jamaal Williams and D'Andre Swift. The good news with that is Swift is a great pass catcher and could provide a safety blanket for a dump pass for Goff this week. At $7,200, Goff is a great option at quarterback if you are looking to save some of your budget on the position.
Running Back:
Zack Moss ($6,800) vs. Houston Texans
Zack Moss has emerged as the Indianapolis Colts lead back since Jonathan Taylor went on IR. Moss has handled 51 carries for 220 rush yards in the last three weeks. This all leads to a perfect matchup for the Colts' running back as he looks to run against the 32nd-ranked defense vs. running backs this season.
Moss has not rushed for under 65 yards since taking over as the lead back. This will be his easiest matchup, and I'm sure he'll want to give the best last impression he possibly can in the Colts' final games of the season.
Alexander Mattison ($7,000) at Chicago Bears
This pick is a risk, no doubt about it. The harsh reality in DFS is that you are not supposed to feel 100 percent comfortable with your lineups. You want some variance and to be contrarian. Mattison is the perfect contrarian pick for Week 18. There is little reason for the Vikings to play their starters at a full workload. They will want to allow Dalvin Cook some rest if they can provide it for him before the playoffs. Mattison is my favorite backup running back in the league. Every time he is asked to step in with an expanded role, he performs.
Cook has been healthy this season, but last year, Mattison stepped in with three games with 20-plus carries and had 90 or more rush yards in those games. I am confident Mattison will see an increase in volume this weekend and should take advantage of the favorable matchup. The Chicago Bears defense has given up the second-most fantasy points to running backs this season.
Wide Receiver:
Terry McLaurin ($7,000) at Dallas Cowboys
We've seen up and down weeks from McLaurin this season. That will work in your favor this week as it should help lower his roster percentage numbers, giving you an edge if he hits. The Dallas Cowboys defense is good at a lot of things, however, they struggle against wideouts. The Cowboys have given up the 7th-most fantasy points to wide receivers. They will often give up big chunk plays downfield to receivers which plays right into McLaurin's skillset. The Washington Commanders have been eliminated from playoff contention, but I'm sure they will be motivated to play spoiler against the Cowboys' playoff seeding. Washington has nothing to lose, which can result in some fun shots downfield to McLaurin.
Christian Watson ($6,900) vs. Detroit Lions
Let's go ahead and stack a high-risk, high-reward pass catcher for Rodgers. Watson is under $7k for FanDuel this week and has an amazing matchup to close out the regular season. Remember that four-game stretch from Weeks 10 to 13 that resulted in seven total touchdown receptions from Watson? This Week certainly has the makeup for another big game for the young wide receiver. The Detroit Lions have been awful defending the pass and have given up the third-most fantasy points to wideouts. Given Watson's target share and the plus matchup, this is an easy play in Week 18.
Tight End:
Brock Wright ($4,900) at Green Bay Packers
The tight end position is always so volatile. It's not always the best approach to give matchups as much weight as the other positions when factoring who to play at tight end. Wright has shown flashes and has been a nice replacement for T.J. Hockenson since he moved to Minnesota. Wright has caught three touchdowns in his last three games. He did tie he season high in targets last week in which he caught three passes, two of them for touchdowns. As I've mentioned, I expect this game to be high scoring, and if the Lions are putting numbers on the board, there's a good chance Wright cashes in. At the end of the day, all tight ends are a risky option, so having the Lions tight end under $5k on FanDuel should make your decision easier.
Defense:
Indianapolis Colts ($4,100) vs. Houston Texans
I'm surprised the Indianapolis Colts defense isn't among the top options this week. Lucky for you, they are priced so cheap, it's impossible to pass up. This week, the Colts get the Houston Texans offense who have given up the second-most fantasy points to opposing defenses. As bad as the Colts offense has been this season, their defense has kept them in many games against much tougher opponents. I'm expecting this to be a low-scoring game in which both teams run the ball all day. There will certainly be plenty of turnover opportunities given how poor the Houston Texans have been.
