Alexander Mattison is expected to start for the Raiders in Week 18 against the Chargers, with Ameer Abdullah (foot) listed as doubtful. That makes Mattison a sleeper in all leagues, and he's worth using as a No. 2 running back.
Mattison just scored 15.6 PPR points in Week 16 against Jacksonville, which was the fifth time this season he scored at least 13.4 PPR points. One of those games was Week 1 at the Chargers when he had five carries for 19 yards, four catches for 43 yards, and a touchdown on six targets.
The Chargers might not have anything to play for if the Steelers beat the Bengals on Saturday, so we could have Mattison facing backup defensive players. That's a positive. But the Chargers could also start resting players late in the game if they have a big lead, and Mattison would also benefit there.
There are a lot of sleeper running backs to consider this week, as you'll read below. And Mattison, if Abdullah is out as expected, could have another productive game to close the season for the Raiders.
More Week 18 content:
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Week 18 Sleepers
Week 18 Preview
Sleepers
Sleeper QBs
Smith has been an awful Fantasy quarterback down the stretch, with one game over 20 Fantasy points in his past seven outings. But he should do well against the Rams in Week 18, especially with Los Angeles expected to rest starters for the playoffs. Smith has a lot of money on the line in this game. He needs 186 passing yards to top his career high (4,282), which triggers a $2 million incentive bonus. If his completion percentage is a career-high (69.755) -- right now, he's at 70.2 percent -- he gets another $2 million. And if Seattle wins the game and finishes 10-7, then Smith gets another $2 million. There are other incentives Smith can get, but they are out of reach. But playing for $6 million should help Smith do well in Week 18.
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The Steelers want to win Saturday against the Bengals, even if the Ravens beat the Browns and lock up the AFC North title. A victory against Cincinnati would give Pittsburgh the No. 5 seed and a matchup at Houston, compared to being the No. 6 seed and playing at Baltimore. So expect Wilson to go all out, and he scored 32.9 Fantasy points at Cincinnati in Week 13. He's been held to under 20 Fantasy points in three games in a row, but the Bengals are No. 5 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. I'm expecting Wilson to be a No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in Week 18.
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Dobbs is starting in Week 18 at Arizona in place of Brock Purdy (elbow), and I like Dobbs as a low-end starter in all leagues. Dobbs came on for Purdy against Detroit in Week 17 and was 3-of-4 passing for 35 yards, and he ran for a 7-yard touchdown. Last year, Dobbs was a starter for the Cardinals and Vikings and scored at least 18.9 Fantasy points in seven of 13 games, and now he gets a revenge game against Arizona. He should make plenty of plays with his legs, and last year; he scored at least 8.1 Fantasy points with just his rushing totals alone in six games.
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Flacco is starting again for the Colts with Anthony Richardson (back) out, and I like Flacco as a low-end starter in all leagues against the Jaguars. He scored 32.6 Fantasy points at Jacksonville in Week 5, and the Jaguars are No. 2 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. Flacco scored 19.3 Fantasy points at the Giants in Week 17, but I expect him to do better in this matchup at home.
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It's been fun to watch Young improve as the season has gone on, and he scored at least 20.9 Fantasy points in two games in a row and three of his past five coming into Week 18. And he should have the chance for another strong game at Atlanta. The Falcons are No. 6 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and Andy Dalton scored 18.9 Fantasy points against Atlanta in Week 6 when Young was benched. Young will hopefully have one more solid outing to prove he deserves to be Carolina's starting quarterback in 2025.
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While I expect Bijan Robinson to have a huge game against the Panthers in Week 18, I hope the Falcons give Penix the chance to air it out at the final start of his rookie campaign. Penix has combined for just 19.6 Fantasy points in two starts against the Giants and Commanders, but Week 18 against Carolina could be his best performance to date. The Panthers are No. 1 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and Penix is worth a look in deeper leagues if you need a starter given the matchup.
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Sleeper RBs
Chase Brown (ankle) is likely out for this Week 18 game at Pittsburgh, which would make Herbert the starter. While Brown has been awesome this season, the Bengals have gotten great production from their backfield all year with Brown and Zack Moss. The duo combined to score at least 13.1 PPR points in 13 of 16 games this season, and hopefully, Herbert can follow suit. He had four games last year in Chicago with at least 15 total touches, and he scored at least 19.1 PPR points in three of those outings. I like Herbert as a No. 2 running back in all leagues.
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James Conner (knee) and Trey Benson (ankle) are out for Week 18 against San Francisco, so Carter will start against the 49ers, and he should be considered a No. 2 running back in all leagues. The 49ers have allowed three running backs in a row to score at least 13.2 PPR points, and Carter did a nice job in Week 17 at the Rams after Conner left with 13 carries for 70 yards and two catches for 11 yards on two targets for 10.1 PPR points. He also scored 9.8 PPR points in Week 16 at Carolina with five carries for 18 yards and five catches for 30 yards on five targets.
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The Eagles are expected to rest starters in Week 18 against the Giants, including Saquon Barkley. We'll see who plays for Philadelphia, but Gainwell should get the chance for the majority of touches. And I like him as a No. 2 running back in all leagues. A running back has scored at least 12.9 PPR points against the Giants in 13 games in a row. Gainwell has four games in his career with at least 15 total touches, and he scored at least 11.4 PPR points in three of them.
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James Cook needs 19 rushing yards for the second 1,000-yard season of his career, so the Bills might give him the chance to reach that mark in Week 18. But Cook isn't expected to play much of the game, if at all, since Buffalo is locked into the No. 2 seed in the AFC. That could mean additional playing time for Davis, and I like him as a low-end starter in all leagues at New England. Cook missed Week 6 at the Jets, and Davis scored 18.2 PPR points with 23 total touches for 153 total yards. The Patriots have allowed five running backs to score at least 15.3 PPR points in five games in a row, including Cook with 27.6 PPR points in Week 16. Ty Johnson could also be a factor, but he's a flex option at best. Davis could be great for Buffalo in Week 18.
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Kyren Williams isn't expected to play in Week 18 against Seattle, so Corum could be the lead running back against Seattle. I like Corum as a low-end starter in all leagues in this matchup. We haven't seen Corum in a featured role in his rookie campaign, and his best performance so far this season is 4.2 PPR points in Week 13 at New Orleans. But the Seahawks have allowed a running back to score at least 12.1 PPR points in five games in a row, and Corum will hopefully have success playing with Rams backups in Week 18.
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You never know what the Broncos will do with their backfield, but I'm willing to take a chance on McLaughlin as a potential flex option in all leagues in Week 18 against Kansas City. He has looked good in his last two healthy games against Cleveland in Week 13 and Cincinnati in Week 17 (Denver had a bye in Week 14; he was injured in Week 15 against Indianapolis and didn't play in Week 16 at the Chargers). He had 14 carries for 84 yards and one catch for no yards on two targets against the Browns, and he had 10 carries for 69 yards and two catches for 7 yards on two targets against the Bengals. He'll continue to share touches with Javonte Williams and Audric Estime, but McLaughlin can be a potential flex option against the Chiefs in Week 18 with Kansas City resting starters.
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Steele is worth a look as a flex option in Week 18 at Denver since the Chiefs are expected to rest Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt for the playoffs. Samaje Perine will likely also be in the mix, but I like Steele's upside more. He had 18 total touches in Week 3 at Atlanta, and he scored 8.4 PPR points. Perine, who was cut by Denver this offseason, will likely continue in his role on passing downs. He has five catches for 70 yards on five targets in his past two games. But hopefully, Steele can get enough touches to come through with a big outing, so consider him a flex option in deeper leagues.
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Sleeper WRs
McMillan has scored at least 16.7 PPR points in four games in a row heading into Week 18 against New Orleans, and he has six touchdowns over that span on 25 targets. He's worth starting as a No. 2 receiver in all leagues against the Saints, who have allowed seven touchdowns to receivers in their past five games. We know Mike Evans is going to be heavily involved since he's 85 yards away from his 11th-consecutive 1,000-yard season. But McMillan has proven to be a good sidekick, and Fantasy managers are enjoying his hot streak to end the year.
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Jennings needs 77 yards for the first 1,000-yard season of his NFL career, and he should get it in Week 18 at Arizona. Jennings and Joshua Dobbs played together in college at Tennessee, and that connection was evident when Dobbs came on for Brock Purdy (elbow) in Week 17 against Detroit. The Cardinals are a tough matchup at No. 10 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, and Jennings has to contend with George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and Ricky Pearsall getting targets. But I'm expecting Dobbs to lean on Jennings to help him reach his milestone, and he's worth using as a No. 2 receiver in all leagues. I also like Ricky Pearsall as a sleeper in this game, especially with Deebo Samuel (ribs/wrist) out.
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Pittman, Josh Downs, and Alec Pierce will all benefit with Joe Flacco as the starter in Week 18 against Jacksonville with Anthony Richardson (back) out. With Flacco starting in Week 17 at the Giants, Pittman benefited with nine catches for 109 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets. I like Pittman as a borderline starter in all leagues, and he had five catches for 37 yards and a touchdown on eight targets in Week 5 against the Jaguars with Flacco. Downs and Pierce are No. 3 Fantasy receivers in this matchup, and Pierce just had six catches for 122 yards and a touchdown on nine targets at the Giants in Week 17.
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I'm going to stick with Zaccheus again in Week 18 against Dallas after trusting him in Week 17 against Atlanta. He delivered against the Falcons with eight catches for 85 yards and a touchdown on nine targets, and he's now scored at least 23.3 PPR points in each of his past two games. The Cowboys have allowed eight touchdowns to receivers in their past five games, and six receivers have scored at least 12.6 PPR points against Dallas over that span. This should be a good week for Zaccheus and Terry McLaurin in Week 18.
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Odunze has been close to some big games recently, and I hope he ends his rookie campaign on a high note. He should still be considered the third-best receiving option for the Bears behind Keenan Allen and D.J. Moore, but Odunze has at least six targets in eight of his past 10 games. He had 10 targets against Green Bay in Week 11 and finished with six catches for 65 yards, and he had a touchdown called back in Week 17 against Seattle due to a penalty. I don't mind taking a chance on Odunze as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in Week 18 since the Packers could pull some starters in this game to get ready for the playoffs.
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Mims has scored at least 13.3 PPR points in three of his past six games, but he exploded in Week 17 at Cincinnati with eight catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns on eight targets. I hope the Broncos realize what they have with their second-year receiver heading into Week 18 against Kansas City, and it would be great if he was featured again in a matchup with mostly Chiefs' backups. I would take a chance on Mims as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in deeper leagues in this matchup, and he could have another solid outing to help Denver lock up a postseason spot.
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Sleeper TEs
I'm slightly concerned about the Titans saying that both Mason Rudolph and Will Levis will play in Week 18 against the Texans, but hopefully, both quarterbacks know to continue to feature Okonkwo. He has at least seven targets in three games in a row, and he scored at least 10.9 PPR points in each outing over that span. He had one catch for a 70-yard touchdown in Week 12 at Houston, and the Texans have allowed five tight ends to score at least 8.0 PPR points in their past five games, with three touchdowns. Okonkwo should again be considered a No. 1 Fantasy tight end in all leagues.
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Hockenson has yet to score a touchdown this season, but now would be a good time against his former team. He missed the first game against the Lions in Week 7 when he was still recovering from last year's knee injury, but he will hopefully do well in Week 18. Hockenson has scored at least 10.2 PPR points in two of his past three games, and Detroit has allowed four tight ends to score at least 8.9 PPR points in the past four games, including two touchdowns.
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Gesicki had a solid game against the Steelers in Week 13 with five catches for 53 yards on five targets, and Pittsburgh has allowed five tight ends to score at least 10.3 PPR points in the past five games, including four touchdowns. Gesicki just had 10 catches for 86 yards on 12 targets in Week 17 against Denver, and he could be needed again if the run game struggles for the Bengals with Chase Brown (ankle) likely out. I like Gesicki as a low-end No. 1 Fantasy option in all leagues in Week 18.
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Johnson (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game at Tampa Bay, but he's expected to play. If he's out, then consider Foster Moreau a sleeper in Week 18. The Saints are thin at receiver, and Johnson just had six catches for 66 yards on 10 targets against Las Vegas in Week 17. He's also scored at least 8.6 PPR points in four of his past six games, and the Buccaneers are No. 8 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends. Four tight ends in the past five games against Tampa Bay have scored at least 10 PPR points.
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I'll take a chance on Pitts as a low-end starter in all leagues in Week 18 against the Panthers, who are No. 4 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends. Carolina has allowed four touchdowns to tight ends in the past six games, and five tight ends have scored at least 8.2 PPR points against the Panthers over that span. Pitts had three catches for 70 yards on five targets against Carolina in Week 6, and he just caught four passes for 44 yards and a touchdown on five targets in Week 17 at Washington.
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Defense/Special Teams
Broncos (vs. KC)
Seahawks (at LAR)
Dolphins (at NYJ)
Kickers
Will Reichard (at DET)
Brandon McManus (vs. CHI)
Zane Gonzalez (at DAL)
