2023 Fantasy Football: Targets, Fades for NFL Week 18

Jordan Love, QB, Green Bay Packers (vs. CHI)

The Green Bay Packers hold a precarious 8-8 record heading into the final week of the regular season, which puts them in a four-way tie with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks in a race for the last NFC wild-card spot.

Green Bay is squaring off against its division rivals, the Chicago Bears, who have nothing to play for. The Bears are still likely to play quarterback Justin Fields as they head into a much-anticipated offseason with the Panthers’ No. 1 overall pick. 

Given this situation and recent performance, Jordan Love should be a locked-in QB1 start this week. He has finished as the QB6 and QB2 in back-to-back weeks and has seven touchdowns to zero interceptions in that span.

Love even faced a challenging Minnesota Vikings defense last week on the road and was near-perfect. He should excel in this much softer matchup and must-win game.

Brandin Cooks, WR, Dallas Cowboys (at WAS)

Brandin Cooks is coming off a strong fantasy performance against the Detroit Lions. He caught five of eight targets for 60 yards and a touchdown – his second in two weeks and seventh of the season. 

The Dallas Cowboys are one of a handful of teams who have already clinched a playoff spot but whose playoff seeding remains up in the air. They sit atop the NFC East, tied (in record) with the Philadelphia Eagles, who would earn the No. 1 wild-card spot if the season ended today.

With a decent amount on the line, Cooks should be a sneaky WR2 play this week, especially against the Washington Commanders. Their defense has allowed the second-most fantasy points to wide receivers this year.

De’Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins (vs. BUF)

De’Von Achane exploded last week (likely on most managers’ benches) for 14 carries and 107 yards against a shutdown Ravens defense. He also tacked on four catches for 30 yards and a touchdown, finishing as the RB8 in half-PPR scoring – his fifth RB1 in 10 games played this season. 

Like the Cowboys, the Miami Dolphins nabbed a spot in the playoffs but haven't won the AFC East. The Buffalo Bills are just one game behind and have won four straight games, so Miami needs the win (or a tie) to clinch the division title.

The last time these two teams met in Week 4, Achane popped off for more than 100 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns. He should be regarded as a premium RB2 option with sky-high RB1 upside in this crucial divisional showdown.

Juwan Johnson, TE, New Orleans Saints (vs. ATL)

Juwan Johnson is in the midst of a late-season hot streak. In weeks 15 through 17 (i.e., most leagues’ playoffs), Johnson finished as the TE10, TE4 and TE1 in half-PPR scoring. He was the TE2 in those three weeks combined, behind only David Njoku. 

New Orleans is in a similar boat as Green Bay and needs a Week 18 win to punch its ticket to the playoffs, though their path is slightly more convoluted. They sit in second place in the NFC South, tied with Tampa Bay and in a four-way tie for the potential last wild-card spot.

Johnson and the Saints will be highly motivated heading into this divisional matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, whose defense is subpar against the pass and fantasy tight ends.

Johnson is a fringe top-12 play, who could be a fill-in for an otherwise premium tight end on a team with nothing left to play for.

Players We Hate This Week

Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions (vs. MIN)

Jared Goff is one of a handful of fantasy-relevant quarterbacks fighting for a higher seed who could still disappoint this weekend. He and the Detroit Lions take on the Vikings (who have the slimmest of playoff chances) at home after facing them just two weeks ago.

Goff was unremarkable in that game, throwing for 257 yards and a touchdown. The team relied heavily on their one-two punch of RBs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. 

However, the Lions’ situation is not enough to vault Goff into the must-start category. His recent anemic performance, paired with the Vikings’ stout pass defense, should give managers pause. He is a low-end QB1 with a wide range of potential outcomes in a challenging Week 18 faceoff.

Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals (vs. CLE)

Ja’Marr Chase has been a disappointment for fantasy managers this season. He was drafted top three in many leagues – especially in point-per-reception formats. He is the overall WR10 in half-PPR heading into Week 18.

Much of his production has come from a few monster games. The most recent of which occurred in Week 13 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. His numbers have been erratic all season, especially after Joe Burrow’s season was cut short in Week 11.

Managers should temper expectations for Chase, along with most members of this squad, in a game with nothing on the line. As mentioned, the Bengals were eliminated, the Ravens have won the AFC North, and the Browns will nab the No. 5 seed as the conference’s top wild-card team.

Chase could be a sit-candidate in the final week of play, making him far too risky to start in the fantasy finals.

Javonte Williams, RB, Denver Broncos (at LV)

Javonte Williams was mediocre in the Broncos’ Week 16 win against the Chargers. He rushed 15 times for a meager 41 yards and finished as the RB36 in half-PPR. This continues an unfortunate trend of inefficiency. Williams is averaging just 3.6 yards per attempt in his third season in the league. 

The former second-round pick has yet to ink a deal to follow his four-year rookie deal. So in theory, the Broncos could use this game as an additional opportunity to assess his future with the team.

The more likely scenario is Williams and most of Denver’s starters see minimal playing time – especially with QB Russell Wilson already sitting out this game. Williams is an RB3 with limited upside in a game between two eliminated teams.

George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers (vs. LAR)

George Kittle struggled in what should have been an easy matchup in Week 17 against the Commanders. He caught three of four targets for 29 yards and finished as the week's TE28.

With the 49ers locking up the No. 1 seed, the prospect of Kittle playing enough, only to risk injury, strains credulity. He is a prime example of why fantasy leagues should not play into Week 18 and does not belong in championship lineups.