FanDuel Fantasy Football: Week 18 Picks

FanDuel Fantasy Football: Week 18 Picks

This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Football series.

With most season-long leagues concluded, now is a great time to check out daily fantasy sports at FanDuel.com. As always, they'll run contests from now all the way up to the Super Bowl. Check out their "main slate" of games Sunday, and try your skill at the stand alone games, both Saturday and then Sunday night.

QUARTERBACKS

There's nothing wrong with locking in Josh Allen ($8,800) considering his favorable home matchup with the Jets. The Bills should easily handle New York, and the only fear here is Allen gets shut down in the second half and it turns into the Mitchell Trubisky show. My favorite play this week at the position, dollar-for-dollar, is the Saints' Taysom Hill ($7,700). Hill still managed 17.39 fantasy points last week against Carolina's No. 2 defense and now gets the Falcons, who rank 30th in the league against the quarterback position.

My long shot of the week is the Browns' Case Keenum ($6,300). The Bengals rank dead last in the league against the quarterback, the game is in Cleveland and Keenum has had the whole week to work with the first string offense. With Joe Burrow not expected to play, the Browns moved up to being six-point favorites in this contest.

RUNNING BACKS

All three of the top rated running backs this week — Jonathan Taylor ($10,200), Alvin Kamara ($9,000) and Austin Ekeler ($8,800) have fantastic matchups this week, putting all three in play despite their high salary cap hits. Nick Chubb ($8,200) is in play against the Bengals, although the Browns usage of him lately has been questionable. On the other side of that game, Samaje Perine ($6,500) will likely be a popular choice given that Joe Mixon will be out after being placed on the COVID-19 list. 

I'm not going to ignore the hot hand and will make sure I have Rashaad Penny ($7,800) in a few lineups. He's been on fire lately as the Seahawks main running back with games of 31.5, 19.5 and 26.3 fantasy points in three of his last four contests. He should be in line for another 15-plus touches including getting the goal line work.

WIDE RECEIVERS

I think wide receiver is a good spot to save salary cap this week, given that the top options aren't in good matchups for the most part. Cooper Kupp ($10,000) does have a good matchup against the 49ers, but I'd rather use Odell Beckham ($6,500) considering the savings. Other middle-tier options I like this week include Jarvis Landry ($6,000), Chase Claypool ($5,800, if Diontae Johnson is out), Tyler Lockett ($6,900) and Terry McLaurin ($6,700). All four have plus matchups and are easily capable of scoring double-digit fantasy points.

If you're looking for an economical option at the position this week, think about using Allen Robinson ($5,500). While he's had a horrible season, he gets the Vikings defense this week who are 31st in the league against the position. Robinson will easily be under five percent owned, even in tournaments, making him a good contrarian option.

TIGHT ENDS

Mark Andrews ($8,500) has been unstoppable this season and has scored 11.9, 22.5, 30.6 and 23 fantasy points over his last four games. I would make sure I get him into a few GPPS lineups even at his salary cap hit. The two mid-tier options I'd look at are Dawson Knox ($6,000) and Darren Waller ($6,500, if he plays). Knox has become a favorite target of Josh Allen and now has nine touchdowns on the season..

DEFENSE

On this week's episode of "who's playing the Giants," the Washington Football team ($5,000) gets that distinguish honor. Expect them to be very chalky. The Buffalo Bills ($4,500) are another good option home against the Jets. Expect a couple of turnovers and sacks for the heavily favored Bills.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Kevin Payne plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: Fanduel: kevinccp, Draft Kings: kevinccp, Yahoo: kevinccp.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kevin Payne
Kevin has worked for RotoWire over a decade and has covered basketball, baseball and football. A glutton for punishment, he roots for his hometown Bills, Sabres and the New York Yankees. You can follow him on Twitter @KCPayne26.
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