It's Fantasy finals time in some leagues, so the stakes are big and juicy. Injuries to DeAndre Hopkins, Deebo Samuel, Jakobi Meyers, Mecole Hardman, DeVante Parker and Skyy Moore could make things tricky for some Fantasy survivors.
Jamey Eisenberg has his Start and Sit calls for WR here. His Waiver Wire column also can direct you to the best options who may be available in your leagues. And don't forget to check out Heath Cummings' wide receiver preview for more help with matchup notes, Week 18 numbers to know and more.
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START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Wide Receivers
WRs to Start
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Imagine what could have been for Moore if he just had Sam Darnold at quarterback all year. That sounds funny, but Moore has been awesome with Darnold, scoring at least 18 PPR points in four of five starts. Moore is coming off his best game with Darnold in Week 17 at Tampa Bay when he had six catches for 117 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets, and the Saints have allowed five receivers in their past four games to score at least 13 PPR points.
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Watson was clearly limited in Week 17 against Minnesota with the hip injury he suffered in Week 16 at Miami, and he finished the game against the Vikings with one catch for 11 yards on five targets. He should rebound this week against the Lions at home, and Detroit has allowed six receivers to score at least 13 PPR points in the past five games. Watson only had two catches for 24 yards on two targets against the Lions in Week 9, but he should destroy them at home in Week 18 if he's back to full strength.
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Aiyuk is starting to click with Brock Purdy, and has 19 targets in his past two games against Washington and Las Vegas for 14 catches, 182 yards and a touchdown. He has scored at least 13 PPR points in three of his past four games overall with Purdy, and Aiyuk had two catches for 20 yards and two touchdowns on four targets at Arizona in Week 11. Keep an eye on Deebo Samuel (knee) this week, and if he remains out then consider Aiyuk a quality No. 2 Fantasy receiver in the majority of leagues.
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I like the setup for Olave and Rashid Shaheed this week, and both are worth starting in three-receiver leagues, with a slight nod to Olave as the better Fantasy option. Olave hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 11 and missed Week 16 with a hamstring injury, but I hope he's fully healthy this week. And Shaheed is hot right now, having scored at least 13 PPR points in two of his past three games. But the reason to like both of these guys is the matchup with the Panthers, who have been awful against receivers of late and don't have starting corners Donte Jackson (Achilles) and Jaycee Horn (wrist). In Carolina's past six games, 10 receivers have scored at least 13 PPR points against this defense. This could be a big game for Olave and Shaheed in Week 18.
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Since Trevor Lawrence is the Start of the Week, I like the setup for Jones, Christian Kirk and Engram in Week 18 against the Titans. We'll tout Jones here because he's due for a big game after being limited the past two weeks against the Jets and Texans for a combined seven PPR points. Prior to that, Jones had a five-game stretch where he scored at least 14 PPR points in four games, with 51 targets over that span. He also faced the Titans in Week 14 and had eight catches for 77 yards and a touchdown on 12 targets. Kirk only had five catches for 45 yards on seven targets in that first meeting, but he should do better in the rematch. And Engram went off against Tennessee in Week 14 with 11 catches for 162 yards and two touchdowns on 15 targets. This should be a big week for the Jacksonville air attack.
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Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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I'm sure a lot of people are rooting for everything Buffalo right now following the Damar Hamlin situation, so let's send some positive vibes to Gabe Davis and hope he plays well against the Patriots. It would be great to see him end the season on a high note after struggling down the stretch, but he did have a touchdown against the Patriots in Week 13. However, he only had two catches for 15 yards on seven targets. New England is dealing with injuries in the secondary which should help Davis, Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs, and Davis is worth using as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in the majority of leagues.
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Let's hope that Dortch gets 10 targets again from David Blough in Week 18 at San Francisco like he did in Week 17 against Atlanta. Only this time let's hope he catches more than four passes for 15 yards. That was the sixth time this season Dortch had more than three targets in a game, but the only time he failed to score more than 13 PPR points. DeAndre Hopkins (knee) is out again in Week 18, and 49ers have allowed six receivers to score at least 12 PPR points in their past three games, so Dortch could be a No. 3 PPR Fantasy option in Week 18. Marquise Brown should be considered a borderline starter in all leagues.
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Brandin Cooks remains the better of the Texans receivers, but Moore could be a sneaky sleeper in Week 18 against the Colts, who have struggled with slot receivers. He's been quiet the past two games with Cooks back, and Moore only has five catches for 46 yards on nine targets over that span against Tennessee and Jacksonville. But Indianapolis has struggled with receivers of late, especially in the slot, including Keenan Allen and Richie James each scoring at least 20 PPR points in the past two games. Moore could be a No. 3 receiver in deeper formats.
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We'll see what happens with Toney now that Mecole Hardman (abdomen) is back for Week 18, but I still like the idea of Toney as a flex option against the Raiders. Toney had a productive game in Week 17 against Denver with four catches for 71 yards on four targets, but he played just 16 of 53 offensive snaps and remains tough to trust. That being said, you see his explosiveness every time he touches the ball, and he could be electric on the turf in Las Vegas. It's also a good matchup since the Raiders have allowed six receivers to score at least 12 PPR points in their past five games.
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WRs to Sit
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McLaurin could have a great game in rookie Sam Howell's first start, or he could be an absolute disaster, especially against the Cowboys. I'm not going to be too pessimistic, but I'll downgrade McLaurin to a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in this scenario. His targets have been down of late with a combined 16 in his past three games against the Giants, 49ers and Browns, and he struggled against Cleveland in Week 17 with two catches for 25 yards on five targets. That was with Carson Wentz at quarterback, and Howell could easily play better than Wentz, which would help McLaurin. But he also has to deal with promising rookie Jahan Dotson -- who might be the better Fantasy play in Week 18 and has 23 targets in his past three outings -- and I'm not expecting a huge game from McLaurin this week.
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I hope the Kenny Pickett to Johnson connection improves for 2023 because it hasn't gone well for Fantasy managers in 2022. Johnson had two catches for 35 yards on seven targets at Baltimore in Week 17, and he has now scored 11 PPR points or less in the past 11 games with Pickett under center, including seven games with nine PPR points or fewer. Johnson also has yet to score a touchdown this year. Now, he did play well against the Browns in Week 3 with eight catches for 84 yards on 11 targets, but that was Mitchell Trubisky at quarterback. Johnson is a No. 3 PPR receiver in Week 18 at best and someone to avoid in non-PPR leagues.
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Chark was good the last time he was on the road in Week 16 at Carolina with four catches for 108 yards on five targets, but I'm not going to trust him here at Green Bay. The Packers secondary is tough, led by standout cornerback Jaire Alexander, and Chark hasn't scored a touchdown in his past three games. He's also been at five targets or less in three games in a row, and the only Fantasy receiver to start for the Lions is Amon-Ra St. Brown. Jared Goff will get help from his running backs, St. Brown and some tight end who will likely come out of nowhere (see Shane Zylstra in Week 16 and Brock Wright in Week 17), but Chark is not worth starting in the majority of leagues in Week 18.
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There's always the chance the Vikings try to get Thielen going this week to make sure he's ready for the playoffs, but he's been brutal of late and should not be started in the majority of leagues. In his past two games against the Giants and Packers, Thielen has combined for three PPR points on two catches for 22 yards on nine targets. He also had just four catches for 27 yards on seven targets against the Bears in Week 5. At best, Thielen is a low-end No. 3 receiver in PPR in Week 18.
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Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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Waddle without Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) is tough to trust, and Teddy Bridgewater (finger) could also be out. In four games this season where Tagovailoa was either out or didn't finish and the game was still in contention, Waddle scored eight PPR points or less, including last week at New England. One of those games was against the Jets in Week 5 with Skylar Thompson, and Waddle finished with three catches for 23 yards on four targets. The Jets are tough in the secondary, and Waddle should be considered a No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week in the majority of leagues.
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