Week 18 Fantasy Football Takeaways for WR/TE: Nico Collins, Dalton Kincaid, Justin Jefferson, Evan Engram, Dontayvion Wicks and More
Taking a look at some of the top performers from week 18 of the NFL season and what it means from a fantasy football perspective.
The NFL regular season has come to an end. The playoff field and matchups are set, but before we dive into the next stage of the season, let’s take a look at what happened around the league this week.
We’ll take a look at wide receiver and tight ends in this article after already going over the quarterbacks and running backs.
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Best Wideouts from the Week
There were some monster performances from wide receivers in week 18.
Houston Texans’ Nico Collins was targeted nine times in the team’s playoff-clinching win over the Indianapolis Colts. He made nine receptions for 195 yards and a touchdown.
Collins will be the team’s go-to receiver in the playoffs. He’s established himself as one of the better fantasy wideouts in the game, and should only get better as C.J. Stroud gets more comfortable in the league.
Minnesota Vikings’ Justin Jefferson went off for 192 receiving yards and a score on 12 catches and 14 targets.
Jefferson missed several games with an injury, but still topped 1,000 receiving yards. His future in Minnesota is up in the air, so he might be the top name to watch in the offense this offseason. If he can land on a team with an established quarterback, Jefferson might be the top receiver in next year’s fantasy drafts again.
Detroit Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown had another big game to help the team to a win. He tallied 144 yards and a touchdown on seven catches and 10 targets.
St. Brown had over 100 yards in nine games this season. He went over 50 yards in all but two games. He’s going to be one of the first wideouts selected in fantasy drafts next season.
Several Green Bay Packers’ receivers had big games, but Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks led the way. Reed had 112 yards on four catches and targets, while Wicks went for 61 yards and two touchdowns on six catches and seven targets.
Reed and Wicks have looked like cornerstones for the Packers’ offense, which is crazy considering they are both rookies. They should be big parts of the team’s offense going into next season.
Jacksonville Jaguars’ Calvin Ridley had a big game, but one missed target cost the team a shot at the playoffs. Ridley had 106 yards and a score on six receptions and 10 targets, but Trevor Lawrence overthrew him for a potential 67-yard game-tying touchdown in the final minutes of the game.
There were some great games that Ridley delivered this season, but there were also some stinkers. He’s a free agent this offseason, so his landing spot will potentially make or break his fantasy outlook for next season.
Dallas Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb finished with 98 yards and two touchdowns on 13 receptions and targets in the team’s win over the Washington Commanders.
Lamb finishes the regular season as WR1 in PPR formats and will be a top-end fantasy option for next season. Lamb should be heavily targeted in the postseason, so he’ll be a popular player to bet on.
New Orleans Saints’ A.T. Perry is the last guy I want to mention. He only got three catches and targets, but they went for 53 yards and two scores in the team’s win over the Atlanta Falcons.
Perry showed some flashes of promise this season. He should be a trendy sleeper pick for next season.
Tight Ends Who Delivered
Buffalo Bills’ Dalton Kincaid had a solid outing while helping the team to an AFC East-clinching win over the Miami Dolphins. Kincaid had seven grabs on eight targets for 84 yards.
It was the second-most receiving yards in a game for the rookie tight end, who will be a popular pick in fantasy drafts next year, especially dynasty and keeper leagues.
Los Angeles Chargers’ Donald Parham finished with a surprising 83 yards on five catches and six targets against the Kansas City Chiefs. It was easily his best outing of the season. Parham had a pretty solid season for being TE2 on his own team.
Jacksonville’s Evan Engram totaled 79 yards and a touchdown on 10 catches and 13 targets against the Titans. He was the one targeted on fourth down at the end of the game, but a Lawrence pass sailed way over his head.
Engram had three strong outings to finish the season, giving him some momentum going into the offseason and next season. He had some consistency issues in his performances, but at a weak fantasy position, he finished fourth in PPR formats.
Dallas’ Jake Ferguson capped his season with a six-catch, 69-yard outing on six targets against Washington.
It was the fifth time he’s gone over 50 receiving yards this season. He finishes the season as a top-10 fantasy option at the position. He’ll be another sleeper option going into next season.
