Fantasy Football: Week 18 Streamers to Consider
The final week of the regular NFL season is here and it’s championship week for some leagues. Some analysts will say you shouldn’t be playing your championship game in Week 18, but you know what? Fantasy football is about having fun and nobody can blame you for wanting to extend that fun until the very end of the NFL season. So if you’re playing for a title this week, congratulations!
This article will do its best to give you some streaming options to get as many points as possible from the QB, K, and D/ST positions. If you need further help, Andy, Mike, and Jason’s weekly rankings are still available this week and you can also use the Start/Sit Tool.
Let’s take a look at some streamers for the final week of the season.
Quarterbacks
Joe Flacco – Cleveland Browns (37% rostered)
Last week Joe Flacco seemed like an obvious sit against the Jets. But even in that bad matchup, he was great for fantasy. He has been a great streamer during the whole fantasy playoffs stretch, and it’s time to bring him back for a final showdown. This week he’ll play the Cincinnati Bengals, whose defense has allowed 17.2 fantasy points on average to opposing QBs over the past four weeks. Flacco has been throwing the ball an insane amount of times. Since his first start with the Browns, he has attempted over 40 passes in each game except for this last one against the Jets. With this kind of volume, Joe Flacco might have one of the safest floors among all QBs this week.
Gardner Minshew – Indianapolis Colts (36% rostered)
We know Gardner Minshew’s floor is pretty low, but I would be willing to stream him this week against the Texans. The divisional title is at stake in this game and the way to compete against Houston is through the air. They have allowed more than 4,000 passing yards this season and Minshew has the weapons to take advantage of this weakness. Gardner should be a decent streamer.
Kyler Murray – Arizona Cardinals (71% rostered)
Kyler has been much better for fantasy lately. Last week against the Eagles he had his best fantasy performance of the season, proving once again that he can be started in favorable matchups. This Sunday he’ll play against the Seahawks in a divisional clash that should provide fantasy value on both sides of the ball. Over the past four weeks, Seattle has allowed the fourth most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, so go ahead and stream him if you need a signal-caller for your championship matchup.
Geno Smith – Seattle Seahawks (61% rostered)
On the other side of the ball, Geno Smith will have a chance to finish his season on a high note against the very exploitable Cardinals’ defense. Since he came back from injury, Geno has been progressively getting better. Last week against Pittsburgh, he managed to pass for 290 yards and a touchdown. His fantasy finish wasn’t great but it was a tough matchup. Arizona has been allowing over 20 fantasy points on average to QBs during the past month. This is a good week to stream Geno Smith.
Kickers
Michael Badgley – Detroit Lions (10% rostered)
Michael Badgley got the starting job in Detroit just in time for the Lions’ high-scoring streak. They have scored 91 points in the last three games and their Week 18 game against the Vikings is once again among the week’s highest over/under lines. Michael Badgley has been perfect in all his attempts as a Lion, and his fantasy managers are reaping the benefits of this high-powered offense. However, there’s still plenty of room in the Bagdley train. He is widely available, so if you need a kicker with upside, he might be your guy.
Jason Myers – Seattle Seahawks (52% rostered)
Jason Myers has not been perfect this season, but he has made considerably fewer mistakes since the Seahawks’ bye week. This Sunday, Seattle will have a divisional matchup against the Arizona Cardinals and I think it will be a very offensive game. Both defenses have been bad against the pass, so a significant amount of points should be scored. Jason Myers should have plenty of chances to finish the regular season with a decent fantasy performance.
Lucas Havrisik – Los Angeles Rams (3% rostered)
The Rams have been on fire lately. Matthew Stafford has been using all his elite weapons in an elite way. Now they will play against the 49ers in what should be a high-scoring game. Lucas Havrisik has not been the most accurate kicker, but he has been good for fantasy in these kinds of shootouts. I expect a lot of fantasy points from both kickers in this exciting matchup.
Ka’imi Fairbairn – Houston Texans (7% rostered)
Last week we confirmed that the Texans score more points when C.J. Stroud is throwing the ball. Their matchup this week smells like the playoffs because they will be playing for the divisional title against the Colts. So there should be plenty of opportunities for Ka’imi Fairbairn, who hasn’t missed a kick since Week 2.
Defense & Special Teams
New York Jets (72% rostered)
When streaming defenses, you always want to target low-scoring games. This matchup between the Jets and the Patriots could easily result in this week’s lowest score. Both teams are already eliminated and there’s no need to risk any key players. Despite their record, the Jets’ defense has been good all season and this matchup should be a piece of cake for them.
New England Patriots (19% rostered)
On the other side of the ball, the Patriots will have a chance to exploit the Jets’ offensive weaknesses. The Jets’ season has been a nightmare from the very beginning when Aaron Rodgers tore his ACL in his first drive as the team’s QB. But their offensive line has been so bad that I’m starting to wonder if Rodgers would have made an actual difference. They have allowed more points per game to opposing D/STs than any other team. The Patriots’ defense has sacked opposing QBs multiple times in the vast majority of their games this season. They should be a fine streamer this week in what should be a low-scoring affair.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (31% rostered)
The Carolina Panthers have been one of the best late-season matchups to target. They are in full rebuild mode, with a rookie quarterback and recent coaching staff changes. The Buccaneers’ secondary isn’t great, but their offense has been good enough to stay on the field longer, and this helps the defense a lot. The last time they faced the Panthers, they sacked Bryce Young four times and intercepted him once. If you need a decent D/ST for your championship matchup, the Bucs are a safe option.
Jacksonville Jaguars (49% rostered)
The Jaguars’ defense had a much better first half of the season than what we have seen since their bye week. But last week they proved to be a streamable defense in favorable matchups, and they have a very interesting one in Week 18 against the Tennessee Titans. It doesn’t matter who Mike Vrabel decides to start at QB. Both Ryan Tannehill and Will Levis have been bad this year, and their offensive line is among the top three in sacks allowed this season. The Jaguars’ D/ST should be a fine streamer this week.
Comments
Havrisik went bye-bye.