Week 18 is always a whacky one in the NFL with so many teams resting starters in preparation for the NFL postseason. If your Fantasy Football season runs through Week 18, you're going to have to think a little outside of the box when it comes to who you are starting and sitting.
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Jamey Eisenberg has his Start 'Em & Sit 'Em calls for Week 18 at running back here. His Waiver Wire column can also direct you to the best options that may be available in your leagues. And don't forget to check out Heath Cummings' running back preview for more help with matchup notes, numbers to know and more. Plus check out Heath's Week 17 projections over at SportsLine.
START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Running Backs
RBs to Start
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I hope the Raiders give White one more start in Week 18, and he could be their running back of the future if Josh Jacobs leaves this offseason as a free agent. Jacobs has missed the past three games with a quadriceps injury, and White has scored at least 14.5 PPR points in each outing against the Chargers, Chiefs and Colts. In two of those games he has at least three catches, and he also has two outings with more than 100 total yards. This week, he's facing a Broncos defense that is No. 2 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and three of the past four running backs against Denver have scored at least 21 PPR points. White has top-10 upside in Week 18.
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Pollard has been arguably the biggest Fantasy bust this season, and he comes into Week 18 with three games in a row scoring 7.7 PPR points or less. But he'll reward you this week at Washington, and he had his best game of the season against the Commanders in Week 12 with 22.3 PPR points. In that game, Pollard had 13 carries for 79 yards and a touchdown, along with six catches for 24 yards on six targets. Washington has allowed a running back to score at least 14 PPR points in six games in a row, including five over that span with at least 22 PPR points. Pollard should be a top-10 Fantasy running back this week.
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Jones is on fire over the past two games with at least 120 rushing yards in each outing against Carolina and Minnesota. Over that span, he has 41 carries for 247 yards and two catches for 18 yards on four targets. I wish he had more work in the passing game or scored a touchdown, but he's scored at least 14 PPR points in each outing without finding the end zone, which is a great sign. He has a tough opponent in Week 18 against Chicago, but the Bears have allowed a running back to score at least 15.8 PPR points in three of their past four games. And six running backs have scored at least 11.5 PPR points over that span. Jones also has dominated Chicago in his career. In his past five meetings with the Bears, he has 51 carries for 310 yards and three touchdowns and 17 catches for 212 yards and four touchdowns. He's scored at least 21 PPR points against Chicago in four of his past five meetings, including Week 1 when he had 26.7 PPR points.
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It's worked out well for the Bears and Fantasy managers that Herbert has taken over as the No. 1 running back over the past two games, and he should remain in that role in Week 18 at Green Bay. In his past two outings against Arizona and Atlanta, Herbert has scored at least 19.1 PPR points in each game with 38 carries for 236 yards and two touchdowns and three catches for 14 yards on five targets over that span. He now has 12 games in his career with at least 13 total touches, and he's scored at least 15.7 PPR points in eight of them. He scored 11.4 PPR points against Green Bay in Week 1, and the Packers have allowed a running back to score at least 12.1 PPR points in five of their past six games, including three running backs with at least 21.3 PPR points during that time.
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I've recommended Harris as a sleeper over the past two weeks, and he delivered in each outing against Cincinnati and Seattle with at least 13.8 PPR points in both contests. Over that span, Harris has combined for 46 carries for 200 yards and three touchdowns, although he doesn't have a target. The lack of work in the passing game is a concern (he hasn't caught a pass since Week 14), but he should run well again in Week 18 at Baltimore. The Ravens are expected to rest several starters on defense with the No. 1 seed in the AFC locked up, and Harris is worth trusting as a No. 2 running back in all leagues. Jaylen Warren is also worth using as a No. 2 running back, and he's scored at least 10.4 PPR points in three games in a row. Over that span, Warren has 14 catches on 16 targets, and it's been fun to watch the Steelers running backs work well in tandem down the stretch.
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Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Kenneth Walker III (shoulder) couldn't finish the Week 17 loss against Pittsburgh, and Pete Carroll is upset with his run game overall, saying the "running game element ... has not been part of our team the way we would like it to be." Could we see more of Charbonnet in Week 18 at Arizona? It's a definite possibility, and Charbonnet would be a No. 2 running back in all leagues if Walker is out. The Cardinals are No. 1 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and 16 running backs this season have scored at least 12.7 PPR points against Arizona, including four scoring at least 13.7 PPR points in the past five games. Charbonnet has three games this season with double digits in carries, and he scored at least 12.9 PPR points in two of them. He also just had five catches for 39 yards on five targets against the Steelers in Week 17.
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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 might be resting players in preparation for the postseason. Keep an eye on what develops before Sunday, but Mason has plenty of upside if Mitchell joins McCaffrey on the sidelines in Week 18. Now, if we find out that Mitchell will play in Week 18, I'll replace Mason with Mitchell in the column later in the week.
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RBs to Sit
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The Cowboys run defense has suffered over the past three games with defensive lineman Johnathan Hankins (ankle) out, but Mike McCarthy expressed some optimism that Hankins could play in Week 18 at Washington. A running back has scored at least 12 PPR points in three games in a row against Dallas without Hankins. Prior to that, only five running backs had reached that total against the Cowboys in the first 12 games of the season, including Robinson in Week 12. He had 15 carries for 53 yards and two catches for 11 yards on three targets at Dallas, and I could see a similar stat line in the rematch. I would only use Robinson as a flex option in most leagues in Week 18.
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Williams has scored 10.9 PPR points or less in six of his past seven games, including just 8.8 PPR points in Week 17 against the Chargers. He's shared playing time with Jaleel McLaughlin and Samaje Perine more in the past two games than he has since Week 6, and this isn't an easy matchup. In Week 1 against Las Vegas, Williams had 13 carries for 52 yards and four catches for 5 yards on six targets. Since Antonio Pierce took over as interim head coach, Breece Hall (10.5 PPR points), Raheem Mostert (10.3 PPR points) and Austin Ekeler (7.8 PPR points) have struggled against the Raiders, and Williams should be used as just a flex option at best in the majority of leagues for Week 18.
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Chandler had a huge game in Week 15 at Cincinnati with 24.7 PPR points, and Alexander Mattison was out for that contest with an ankle injury. Mattison has since returned, even in a limited role, but Chandler has struggled with a combined 17.1 PPR points against Detroit and Green Bay. He scored a touchdown against the Lions in Week 16, but he finished with eight carries for 17 yards and no catches at home. Detroit is No. 1 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and Chandler should struggle again in the rematch. Only seven running backs have scored at least 10 PPR points against the Lions this season and none since Week 13.
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