• QB gets even deeper: Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, Brock Purdy, and Joe Flacco are sitting out Week 18 in a season that has been dominated by backup QBs.
• Motivations for eliminated teams: How do teams removed from the playoff picture approach a game whose only implications are draft position?
• Dominate your fantasy league in 2023: For up-to-date fantasy draft rankings and projections, check out PFF’s fantasy rankings tool!
Estimated reading time: 13 minutes
Welcome to Week 18. Hopefully, your fantasy championship(s) were kind, but we still have football to watch! Week 18 represents an interesting situation for those of you whose fantasy championships spill into the final week of the regular season as well as for DFS enthusiasts and bettors. There is a lot of speculation that goes into analyzing games with so many question marks, but all one can do is work with the information available to them.
Below is the list of players confirmed to not be playing in Week 18 while a handful of others (TEs Travis Kelce and George Kittle primarily) are expected to be heavily limited, if not sat down entirely. Expect more players to be confirmed out Friday and Saturday, and don’t fall into the trap of relying on players with no incentive to be out there for what is essentially a meaningless game.
With that said, there are still a significant handful of games with legitimate stakes on one or both sides that will make for an exciting cap to the 2023-2024 regular season. Let’s take a look at the significant skill position players listed questionable and hit on some notable OL and defensive injuries matchup by matchup as we look ahead to a pivotal week 18 that features two Saturday games and an absolutely loaded Sunday slate.
Players confirmed OUT Week 18:
- QB Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
- QB Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns
- QB Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
- QB Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
- QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
- QB Zach Wilson, New York Jets
- RB Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
- RB Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
- WR Brandon Aiyuk & WR Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers
- WR Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams
- WR Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns
- WR Odell Beckham Jr., Baltimore Ravens
- WR Noah Brown, Houston Texans
- TE Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams
Saturday, January 5, 2024
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens
- PIT: RB Najee Harris (knee)
- BAL: WR Zay Flowers (calf), WR Tylan Wallace (knee)
With Lamar Jackson already confirmed out for Week 18, Tyler Huntley will start, but it is unknown how many more of the Ravens’ starters will be held out. WR Zay Flowers is listed as doubtful, so you can expect him to be heavily limited or sidelined completely.
The Steelers are still firmly in the wild card mix and are looking healthy aside from Najee Harris, who did not practice twice this week, giving Jaylen Warren the inside track to dominate their backfield snaps.
Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts
- HOU: WR Robert Woods (hip)
- IND: None
With two DNPs this week, it sounds like the Texans and C.J. Stroud will be without Noah Brown or Robert Woods in their receiving corps for the final week of the regular season, which would leave just Nico Collins, John Metchie III, and Xavier Hutchinson as their healthy WRs against the Colts.
The Colts appear relatively healthy offensively outside of concerns around Quenton Nelson and Ryan Kelly’s availability upfront.
Sunday, January 6, 2024
Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions
- MIN: None
- DET: TE Sam LaPorta (ankle), WR Jameson Williams (ankle), TE Brock Wright (hip)
The Vikings roll into their final divisional matchup of the season as healthy as can be expected for this time of year. Aside from losing T.J. Hockenson (knee) two weeks ago, the Vikings have brought back Justin Jefferson and Alexander Mattison (albeit in a diminished role). Of note here, Minnesota’s star RT Brian O’Neill has not practiced ahead of a matchup with Aidan Hutchinson, who aligns primarily on the offense's right side.
By all reports, the Lions have no intention of resting their starters with the No. 2 seed still up for grabs in the NFC, but their explosive wideout Jameson Williams appears to be in serious danger of missing the Week 18 contest. The Lions also potentially return multiple defensive impact players from IR this week in Alim McNeill, James Houston, and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson.
Cleveland Browns @ Cincinnati Bengals
- CLV: RB Kareem Hunt (groin), WR Elijah Moore (concussion)
- CIN: WR Ja’Marr Chase (shoulder), WR Tee Higgins (hamstring)
Outside of Joe Flacco and Amari Cooper (heel), not much is known about how the Browns are approaching their final game. Beyond Kareem Hunt and Elijah Moore, the Browns have a handful of questionable players this week, including OL Wyatt Teller, Ethan Pocic and Joel Bitonio as well as specialists Dustin Hopkins and Corey Bojorquez. TE David Njoku has also dealt with an illness this week.
The Bengals' top two WRs are the names to watch on the Cincinnati side with Tee Higgins trending negatively after back-to-back DNPs while Ja’Marr Chase has been limited as he manages a shoulder issue picked up back in week 16. While Chase is a safe assumption to play, Higgins could be a true game-time decision, especially with the Bengals eliminated from the postseason.
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans
- JAX: QB Trevor Lawrence (shoulder), WR Zay Jones (hamstring), WR Christian Kirk (groin), WR Jamal Agnew (leg)
- TEN: QB Will Levis (foot)
Limited in practice this week, Trevor Lawrence could be without one of his top options in Zay Jones as well as playmaking WR/return man Jamal Agnew. Christian Kirk is eligible to return from injured reserve, which would provide a massive boost, but his availability is still uncertain.
Eliminated from playoff contention, the Titans look to play spoiler but do so with an extensive injury sheet, most of whom are special team or depth pieces. Rookie QB Will Levis missed their Week 16 contest and was knocked out almost immediately last week, so his situation is precarious at best. Ryan Tannehill seems to be the logical next man up, but the Titans could give Malik Willis some run if Levis is unable to go.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Carolina Panthers
- TB: QB Baker Mayfield (ribs), WR Trey Palmer (hip)
- CAR: WR DJ Chark (foot)
Mayfield returned in a limited fashion on Thursday and the offense around him seems to be nearly at full strength aside from WR Trey Palmer, who has been limited this week. The Bucs will be appealing from a DFS or player prop perspective with an exploitable matchup in a must-win scenario.
The Panthers will be without rookie WR Jonathan Mingo (foot) after he was placed on injured reserve while fellow WR DJ Chark has been limited in practice due to a foot issue. RB Miles Sanders and depth WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette are dealing with illnesses and have not practiced.
Atlanta Falcons @ New Orleans Saints
- ATL: Taylor Heinicke (ankle)
- NO: RB Alvin Kamara (ankle), WR Chris Olave (ankle), TE Juwan Johnson (chest), RB Kendre Miller (ankle)
Relatively healthy, the Falcons are still mathematically alive in the NFC playoff race. While neither option at QB has been great, the Falcons are optimistic about Heinicke’s availability and will continue to roll with him unless he’s unable to go.
Also firmly in the mix in the NFC, the Saints are facing some questions at their skill positions with Alvin Kamara being held out of practice back-to-back days while his backup Kendre Miller has been limited as well. Chris Olave has been managing an ankle injury for a few weeks but does not appear to be in danger of missing more time while TE Juwan Johnson appears to be trending toward playing. Rookie WR A.T. Perry popped up on the injury report with an illness on Thursday.
New York Jets @ New England Patriots
NYJ: None
NE: TE Hunter Henry (knee), DeVante Parker (ribs)
The Jets roll into Week 18 healthy on both sides of the ball aside from TE Jeremy Ruckert and QB Zach Wilson already being ruled out.
On the Patriots side, TE Hunter Henry and WR DeVante Parker have both been limited this week but don’t appear in serious danger of missing Week 18. Meanwhile, the Patriots defense has a handful of players at all three levels questionable, including Christian Barmore, Jahlani Tavai, Jonathan Jones and Myles Bryant.
Kansas City Chiefs @ Los Angeles Chargers
- KC: RB Isiah Pacheco (quad/shoulder), WR Rashee Rice (hamstring), Kadarius Toney (hip)
- LAC: WR Keenan Allen (heel), WR Josh Palmer (concussion), TE Stone Smartt (shoulder)
Locked into the third seed in the AFC, the Chiefs have no real motivation to play any of their starters outside of incentive milestones and reps for younger players. RB Isiah Pacheco returned to practice on Thursday after sitting out Wednesday, but Rashee Rice and Kadarius Toney are yet to practice while the Chiefs' top two defenders in DL Chris Jones (groin) and CB L’Jarius Sneed (calf) have not practiced this week either. Expect the Chiefs to play things safe with the majority of their starters, if they play at all.
WR Keenan Allen remains unlikely to play for the Chargers along with EDGE Joey Bosa, but the Chargers face questions around WR Joshua Palmer and TE Stone Smartt as well as starting OL Zion Johnson and Trey Pipkins.
Los Angeles Rams @ San Francisco 49ers
- LAR: None
- SF: TE Ross Dwelley (ankle), WR Jauan Jennings (concussion)
The Rams have clinched a playoff spot and will reportedly rest several key starters, including QB Matthew Stafford, WR Cooper Kupp, RB Kyren Williams and DL Aaron Donald. Rookie phenom Puka Nacua is just four catches and 29 yards away from setting multiple rookie records, but don’t expect much beyond that from him as the Rams likely look to conserve him for a playoff run.
Also resting most of their starters, the 49ers also have a bevy of injuries to depth pieces with WR Jauan Jennings limited in practice this week while TE Ross Dwelley has not practiced. Multiple defensive backs, including Tashaun Gipson, Ji’Ayir Brown and Ambry Thomas, have either been ruled out already or have not practiced this week. RB Elijah Mitchell is also dealing with an illness and has been up and down in practice, which could open the door for Jordan Mason to receive a healthy workload.
Denver Broncos @ Las Vegas Raiders
- DEN: WR Courtland Sutton (concussion)
- LVR: RB Josh Jacobs (quad), TE Michael Mayer (toe)
The Broncos roll into Week 18 healthy but eliminated from postseason play, and Jarrett Stidham will start at QB again with a presumed full supporting cast. WR Courtland Sutton has been working through concussion protocol and practiced in full on Thursday, giving him a more than solid chance to be active for this divisional tilt.
The Raiders have been without Josh Jacobs for several weeks, and with him not practicing ahead of Week 18, this seems unlikely to change, handing the keys to Zamir White once again. Rookie TE Michael Mayer has missed the last two contests and has not practiced this week either, leaving Austin Hooper and Zach Gentry as the lone healthy TEs.
Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers
- CHI: TE Cole Kmet (knee), WR D.J. Moore (ankle), WR Darnell Mooney (concussion), RB Khalil Herbert (back)
- GB: RB Aaron Jones (knee), RB AJ Dillon (neck), TE Luke Musgrave (abdomen), WR Christian Watson (hamstring), WR Jayden Reed (chest)
The Bears have some question marks at their skill positions for Week 18 with Darnell Mooney not practicing and trending toward being sidelined while Cole Kmet, D.J. Moore and Khalil Herbert have all been limited and will carry a questionable designation. Of note on defense, CB Jaylon Johnson has not practiced due to a shoulder injury this week but has stated his intention is to play.
The Packers have dealt with a similar issue for several weeks but could be returning TE Luke Musgrave and WR Christian Watson after multiple weeks off to a team that has put up 30-plus points the last two weeks. The backfield mates of Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon have been limited as well as rookie WR Jayden Reed, but the expectation is they will play in a must-win scenario for Green Bay.
Seattle Seahawks @ Arizona Cardinals
SEA: RB Kenneth Walker III (shoulder)
ARZ: None
The only skill position player on the Seattle side with some concern is Kenneth Walker III, who has been limited this week ahead of a must-win matchup, but the Seahawks defense has myriad question marks with DL Leonard Williams, Mario Edwards Jr. and Jarran Reed as well as LB Jordyn Brooks not practicing as of Thursday.
The Cardinals have ruled out LT D.J. Humphries, but do not have many other injuries to be concerned about.
Philadelphia Eagles @ New York Giants
- PHI: WR DeVonta Smith (ankle)
- NYG: QB Tyrod Taylor (back)
The Eagles continue to play for seeding implications in the final week of the regular season and could be without one of their star WRs in DeVonta Smith after suffering an ankle injury in Week 17. The ageless Julio Jones caught two TDs last week, and A.J. Brown should be featured heavily against an exploitable Giants defense.
The primary concern on the Giants' side of things is QB Tyrod Taylor, who has been limited due to a back injury. The Giants also have starting DBs Deonte Banks, Darnay Holmes and Jason Pinnock questionable this week.
Dallas Cowboys @ Washington Commanders
- DAL: None
- WAS: WR Curtis Samuel (hamstring)
Dallas rolls into Week 18 needing a win to maintain their No. 2 seed in the NFC while being relatively healthy with just LG Tyler Smith of immediate concern due to a foot injury. Something worth keeping an eye on here is the Cowboys do appear to have some type of illness bug making its way through the locker room with several depth players missing practices this week.
Washington does not have many skill position injuries to speak of outside of Curtis Samuel, who has not practiced this week due to a hamstring ailment. Defensively, the Commanders could be without several defenders with DL Jonathan Allen, SAF Kamren Curl, CB Tariq Castro-Fields and CB Kendall Fuller not practicing this week.
Buffalo Bills @ Miami Dolphins
- BUF: None
- MIA: RB De’Von Achane (toe), WR Tyreek Hill (ankle), RB Raheem Mostert (knee), WR Jaylen Waddle (ankle)
Buffalo appears as healthy as possible for this time of year ahead of a winner-take-all divisional matchup with Miami. Don’t expect the Bills to rest any contributors unless the game gets out of hand.
Miami has had some of the worst injury luck of any team this season, and three of their top playmakers in Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Raheem Mostert have not practiced this week. The Dolphins have played things relatively safe in regard to resting players in practice, but ahead of such a pivotal game, these situations will need to be monitored. Defensively, the Dolphins lost EDGE Bradley Chubb for the rest of the season, and CB Xavien Howard is doubtful for Week 18 due to a foot injury.
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