Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta played better as a rookie. But after a rough start to the 2024-25 campaign, the 23-year-old has finally put together a decent season, totaling 53 catches for 663 yards and seven touchdowns. He's also found the end zone in each of his previous two contests. With the Minnesota Vikings on tap for Week 18, LaPorta will look to find the end zone for the third time in as many weeks. Granted, he's not as safe as he was last season. Still, LaPorta deserves attention in any fantasy format, especially with increased involvement potentially on the horizon due to the absence of David Montgomery (knee).

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Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams won't be a viable fantasy option in Week 18's divisional clash against the Green Bay Packers on the road. The rookie put together his worst performance since Week 10 in last weekend's loss to the Seahawks. Williams tossed his first interception in ten outings and broke a streak of five straight games with at least one touchdown pass, totaling 122 passing yards -- his third-fewest of the year. This Sunday, he'll get a slightly stiffer test against a Packers squad, allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks (16.3) and the sixth-fewest points per game in the NFL (19.6). While the experience will benefit the 23-year-old, he won't be on the fantasy radar in the season's final week. The USC product ranks as RotoBaller's QB16 ahead of this weekend's slate.

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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman (knee) was limited in practice all week but has been ruled out for the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival Denver Broncos. The Chiefs opened Hardman's 21-day window to return from Injured Reserve on Wednesday, but they will wait to officially activate him. The Chiefs have already secured the top seed in the AFC and a first-round bye in the playoffs, so the earliest Hardman could return from IR would be for the Divisional Round of the postseason. The 26-year-old will have ample time to get closer to 100 percent by then, but even if he comes off IR and is active in the playoffs, he's likely to have a small role behind starters DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise Brown and others. In 12 games before his injury, Hardman had only 12 receptions on 14 targets for 90 yards and no touchdowns.

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Los Angeles Chargers tight end Stone Smartt is a non-zero floor option without much upside in a Week 18 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Smartt and Will Dissly will likely once again split time, with Hayden Hurst possibly mixing in at the position as well. Smartt might have the most upside of the three Chargers tight ends, but he's still a mid-range TE2 at best.

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Detroit Lions wide receiver Tim Patrick has had a decent season, especially for a wideout who missed so much time due to injuries over the years. He's appeared in 15 contests during the 2024-25 campaign, totaling 31 catches for 379 yards and three touchdowns. Without question, Patrick was more productive while a member of the Denver Broncos. He also hasn't been a trustworthy fantasy option, with that trend expected to continue when the Lions meet the Vikings in Week 18.

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense has struggled at times, but they've been playing better lately. Last week, the Bucs defense recorded five sacks and allowed only 14 points in the win over the Carolina Panthers. This team will get another favorable matchup against the New Orleans Saints in Week 18. The Saints are banged up right now and will start backup quarterback Spencer Rattler once again. Rattler has been unable to find much success with only three touchdowns and five interceptions this season. The 24-year-old doesn't appear to be the long term solution in New Orleans, but he'll get one more start in the regular season finale. Fantasy managers seeking a defense for a championship game or DFS contest should take a look at the Bucs for Week 18.

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Detroit Lions wide receiver Kalif Raymond (foot) is listed as questionable to play on Sunday night in a huge divisional clash against the Minnesota Vikings in the Week 18 regular-season finale. Raymond is currently still on Injured Reserve, so the Lions would need to activate him by the deadline on Saturday in order to have him active on Sunday night. The 30-year-old was able to practice in full all week, though, and he could be back for Detroit for the first time since injuring his foot in Week 12. Raymond is mostly an asset to Detroit on special teams as a returner, so if he comes off IR and is active against Minnesota, he'll be one to avoid for fantasy lineups in a depth role behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Tim Patrick. In his fourth year with the Lions, Raymond has only 16 catches for 204 yards and two touchdowns on 21 targets through 11 contests.

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The Kansas City Chiefs will be resting most of their key players on both sides of the ball for the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday in Denver against the division-rival Broncos. The Chiefs have listed defensive lineman Chris Jones (calf), cornerback Trent McDuffie (knee), linebacker Nick Bolton, defensive end George Karlaftis, safety Justin Reid and linebacker Drue Tranquill all as doubtful to play this weekend. Cornerback Jaylen Watson (ankle) has been ruled out. Jones missed the team's Christmas Day win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last Wednesday and didn't practice at all this week. The 30-year-old interior pass-rusher is the most notable of KC's defenders on this list. He should be ready to go with the Chiefs having a first-round bye in the postseason as the AFC's top seed. With players resting while facing a Broncos team in a must-win situation, fantasy managers should avoid KC's defensive unit.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin was extremely busy during last week's win over the Carolina Panthers. McLaughlin made eight kicks during that game, including six extra points. McLaughlin has been one of the better kicking options this season with only four misses heading into Week 18. He figures to continue having success in a plus-matchup against the New Orleans Saints. McLaughlin registered seven kicks during their last meeting. The 28-year-old is likely to remain busy given how the Bucs offense has been playing lately.

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According to sources, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance is expected to play his first significant snaps of the season in the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday versus the division-rival Washington Commanders. Earlier on Friday, owner Jerry Jones said on 105.3 The Fan that the team won't reveal who they will start in Week 18 until Sunday, which is further evidence that Lance could make the start over Cooper Rush to close out a disappointing season. From 2022 through 17 weeks this season, Lance has attempted just 20 passes in game action. Rush has been the starting QB for Dallas since Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in Week 9, but it looks like Lance is going to see some run in Week 18. He won't have top wideout CeeDee Lamb (shoulder) to work with and could come in as relief for Rush on Sunday, so the 24-year-old will be a high risk for a potentially low reward in fantasy.

From RotoBaller

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Tutu Atwell could be set for a much bigger workload this week against the Seahawks since the Rams are resting Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp for the playoffs. Atwell ranks third on the team with 37 catches on the season and 525 receiving yards. He has yet to find the end zone this season but has shown some big-play ability with a 50-yard catch and an average of 14.2 yards per catch on the year. The third-year receiver could set a new career-best with three catches on Sunday and has already established a personal best in receiving yards. With Nacua and Kupp resting, he could be one of the top targets in offense for fill-in QB Jimmy Garoppolo. He's a high-risk play with an unknown workload, but he does have potential to deliver a big game to finish the season.

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Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams has finally been a reliable fantasy option for managers after years of injuries and suspension. While he missed two games this season, he has still posted career-highs in catches (52), yards (967), and touchdowns (seven). The Lions are hoping to secure the top spot in the NFC heading toward the postseason when Detroit meets the NFC North rival Minnesota Vikings in Week 18. The Lions offense begins and ends with the contributions of Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Amon-Ra St. Brown. While that was also the case for David Montgomery (knee), he could miss the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign. With that in mind, fantasy managers can continue to consider Williams a starting option in all formats, considering he could continue to see more involvement on Sunday night.

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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Jordan Whittington (ankle) could be the team's top option at the position in Week 18 against the Seahawks since both Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp will rest for the playoffs. The sixth-round pick from Texas made a splash early in the season with 13 catches in a two-week span against the Bears and Packers. However, he battled injury and fell into a very limited role after Nacua and Kupp returned from their early-season injuries. He caught his one target for six yards in Week 17 against the Cardinals, but that was Whittington's first target in his last nine games. This week in practice, he was limited with an ankle injury but got back to a full workload and has no injury designation for Sunday's game. With a bigger workload expected, he will be a boom-or-bust DFS punt option, depending on how he clicks with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who will start in place of Matthew Stafford.

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Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston is a decent option for Week 18 fantasy lineups. Whether or not the Chargers will play to win on Sunday depends on the results of Saturday's Bengals-Steelers game, but Johnston is likely to play regardless. With Josh Palmer (foot) already ruled out and Ladd McConkey potentially getting some rest before the playoffs, "QJ" could be the lead receiver for the Chargers for at least part of this game. He has some touchdown upside and a decently high floor as well.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan has stepped up and delivered for this offense over the last few weeks. The rookie wideout came alive in Week 14 and hasn't looked back since then. McMillan now carries a four-game touchdown streak into the Week 18 matchup against the New Orleans Saints. The 23-year-old has also hauled in five receptions for 50 yards or more in each of the last four games. McMillan is playing solid football right now and that should continue during Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints. He'll get a banged up secondary and he has already emerged as a reliable red-zone threat. Fantasy managers should strongly consider sticking McMillan in their DFS lineups given his recent success. Otherwise, McMillan should be treated as a WR2 for fantasy managers in championship games.

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NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said that Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown (ankle) is "very sore" and "needs to improve greatly" in order to have a shot at playing on Saturday in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers. Brown suffered a mild high-ankle sprain in the Week 17 win over the Denver Broncos and is questionable to play in a must-win game on Saturday. The 24-year-old will be a game-time decision this weekend, but it's sounding like he might be on the wrong side of questionable. He's having a career year with 990 rushing yards and seven touchdowns while adding 54 catches for 360 yards and four more TDs in 16 games, but Brown is shaping up as a risky RB2 in fantasy in Week 18. If he's active, he could be limited by his ankle. If he's out, Khalil Herbert would have a high floor with RB2 upside.

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Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs has had a stellar season. He's appeared in all 16 of Detroit's contests, posting career-highs in rushing yards (1,273), receiving yards (486), rushing touchdowns (13), and receiving touchdowns (three). Without question, the 22-year-old has been a reliable fantasy option for managers. That trend should continue in Week 18 versus the Vikings, with the Lions looking to secure the top spot in the NFC heading toward the postseason. Gibbs played well when these clubs met in October, amassing 116 yards on the ground while finding the end zone twice. With David Montgomery (knee) out, as expected, and Craig Reynolds (back) questionable, Gibbs should be heavily involved. Truth be told, even if Reynolds is active, Gibbs will consume most of the chances out of the backfield. Keep him starting in all formats.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Payne Durham (quad) is good to go ahead of Sunday's Week 18 matchup against the New Orleans Saints. Durham has been asked to start in each of the last two games with Cade Otton (knee) sidelined. That is likely going to be the case once again this weekend, so Durham figures to get one more start. Durham has done a nice job with seven receptions for 65 yards and one touchdown over the last two games. He'll have some deep league appeal for this weekend and might be worth a dart throw in DFS contests for Week 18.

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Los Angeles Rams running back Cody Schrader hasn't gotten any NFL work yet, but coach Sean McVay said he wants to see what the rookie can bring by getting him some work in Week 18 against the Seahawks. Schrader was an undrafted rookie out of Missouri last season who signed with the 49ers last May. He was waived at the end of training camp and claimed by the Rams. Schrader was very productive for the Tigers last season, setting the single-season record with 1,627 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. However, he hasn't seen any NFL action and is mostly viewed as a depth option going forward. He could get double-digit touches this week, though, so he's a flier to keep an eye on for very deep formats going forward. He's RotoBaller's RB73 this week, so he doesn't make a good fantasy play at this point in his NFL journey.

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Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey is off the injury report and good to go for a Week 18 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. McConkey showed up on the report with a toe injury this week, missing practice on Wednesday. He was able to get in a limited session on Thursday and then a full session on Friday before being removed from the injury report heading into the weekend. With Josh Palmer (foot) out, McConkey could see even more targets than usual if the Chargers are going full bore in this game. That will depend on the results of Saturday's Bengals-Steelers game. If the Bengals win, the Chargers will earn the No. 5 seed with a win against the Raiders. If the Steelers win, the Chargers will be locked into the No. 6 seed regardless of the results of their own game. If the Bengals win, McConkey is a high-end WR2 with a clear top-10 ceiling.

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