Fantasy Football Week 18 Wide Receiver Start/Sit: Jameson Williams, Olamide Zaccheaus, Xavier Legette, Deebo Samuel, Jerry Jeudy

Hello and welcome to the final Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Start/Sit Breakdown of the season! I may have said the same thing last week, but this is the real final breakdown for those of you unfortunate enough to be playing in leagues where Week 18 is relevant. The issue with Week 18 is that tons of NFL teams, especially teams that have already locked up a certain playoff seed, are incentivized to sit their best players. This makes lineup decisions extra difficult, especially with so many coaches being cagey about their true intentions.

However, before we try to unravel the mystery that is Week 18, let’s take a look back at how my picks performed in Week 17. I started with a complete dud, as Khalil Shakir caught just three of six targets for 25 scoreless yards. My second Start pick was better, but still mediocre, as Jauan Jennings racked up 10 targets but still finished with just 10.2 Half-PPR points (seven catches for 67 yards). Thankfully, I finished strong with Adam Thielen, who was the WR6 in a high-scoring week with 25.5 Half-PPR points.

Results were also mixed on the Sit side. Marvin Harrison Jr. (12.6 points) had a productive day, catching six of 10 targets for 96 yards. Deebo Samuel (8.6 points) and Amari Cooper (12.6 points) both scored touchdowns but saw low enough production and usage otherwise that I still feel good about those picks. I’m also going to give myself a pass on the Colts’ receivers, as the late-week switch from Anthony Richardson to Joe Flacco obviously massively changed their outlook. But nothing changed for the Browns, and Jerry Jeudy still came through with 15.4 points thanks to an absurd 18 targets (at least no other Cleveland WR scored even a single point). 

If I’m being honest with myself, that’s a pretty rough week, especially for Week 17 with fantasy football championships on the line. I plan to bounce back this week, so let’s get right into it!

For more help with your toughest Week 18 Start/Sit decisions, check out FantasySP’s NFL Start/Sit Tool!

Fantasy Football Wide Receivers To Start Week 18

Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings

I was surprised to see Jameson as one of the most asked-about players in our Start/Sit Tool for Week 18. After all, he is coming off a massive 22-point performance, in primetime, no less, and heading into a matchup with the softest defense in the entire league against wide receivers. Moreover, he’s the Half-PPR WR19 on the season (WR18 in points per game). Given the situation (and the Week 18 of it all), Williams is a must-start fantasy option. 

If you need more convincing, consider that the Lions have a massive 29.5-point team total for their one-seed-deciding matchup with the Vikings. Williams has maintained a 17% target share and a 30% air yards share in this offense for the season, plus just under one rush attempt per game. He has seen even more targets in recent weeks, with 22% and 24% target shares in the two weeks without David Montgomery (who hovered around a 10% target share on the season). If the Lions’ offense is scoring points, Williams is sure to be involved, especially given his big-play ability and the weakness of the Vikings’ secondary. Fire him up with confidence this week.

Olamide Zaccheaus, Washington Commanders @ Dallas Cowboys

Where Williams is one of the most popular picks in the Start/Sit Tool this week, these next two players probably aren’t on too many fantasy rosters, let alone in lineups. However, with so many stars resting in Week 18, I figure some fantasy managers will be looking for a fill-in receiver they can trust in Week 18.

If that sounds like you, consider Olamide Zaccheaus. The Commanders reportedly plan to play their starters on Sunday in an attempt to secure the NFC’s sixth seed. In recent weeks, those starters have included Zaccheaus, who has established himself as Washington’s WR2 with Noah Brown done for the season.

In some ways, it’s surprising Zaccheaus didn’t emerge sooner, as he leads the Commanders in targets per route run (24%) and ranks second to only Terry McLaurin in yards per route run (1.87). However it happened, he clearly has arrived now. He saw a 21% target share in Week 16 on just a 61% route participation rate, following it up with an elite 25% target share on a 79% participation rate in Week 17. He now leads (either outright or tied with Terry McLaurin) the Commanders in target share (20%), first-read target share (26%), and Half-PPR points per game (15.3) in the three weeks with Brown sidelined. Remember, he played very part-time roles in the first two of those games, making those numbers even more impressive. He’s certainly not without risk, but in a week with so many question marks, I like taking a bet on the WR2 in an elite offense that we know will be giving its all.   

Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers @ Atlanta Falcons

Like Zaccheaus, Legette is by no means a must-start. But the first-round rookie is absolutely someone to consider if you are suddenly out of options in your championship game. He returned from a hip injury in Week 17 and immediately racked up targets in Carolina’s offense. Although his 71% route participation rate was behind both Adam Thielen (86%) and Jalen Coker (80%), Legette easily led the team with nine targets for a 32% target share. This wasn’t just a fluke, as his 50% first-read target share not only led the Panthers but ranked fifth in the league for Week 17 as a whole. These were valuable targets, too, as he also posted a massive 45% air yards share. 

Now, Legette should be more healthy (and hopefully run more routes) in Week 18. He has an excellent matchup with the Falcons, who rank as the third-softest matchup for receivers overall and the best in the league for outside receivers in particular (they are a negative matchup for slot receivers, potentially hurting Thielen and Coker). And we don’t have to worry about the Panthers resting their players, as they haven’t been playing for anything but pride in weeks. Bryce Young in particular has been playing the best football of his NFL career. Legette’s overall rookie season has been disappointing for a first-round receiver, but I love his chances to finish on a high note.  

Fantasy Football Wide Receivers To Sit Week 18

Deebo Samuel Sr., San Francisco 49ers @ Arizona Cardinals

As I mentioned in the intro, I picked Deebo as a Sit last week. He finished with 8.5 points, but almost all of those points were thanks to a five-yard receiving touchdown. That touchdown came on his only target of the day, and he managed just 16 yards (and a fumble) on three carries. That level of volume simply isn’t enough to expect consistent fantasy production, especially given that Deebo has been nowhere near his usual hyper-efficient self this season.

At the same time, the 49ers have already ruled out Brock Purdy for Week 18. That means Samuel will be catching passes from the Passtronaut himself, Joshua Dobbs. Dobbs is a capable backup, but he’s a large downgrade from Purdy. Especially given that the Cardinals have been surprisingly tough on opposing WRs this year (the seventh-worst schedule-adjusted matchup), everything points toward Deebo being best left on benches this week.

Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens

Once again, I’m doubling down on a pick from last week. Unlike Samuel, Jeudy saw absolutely elite volume last week. He led not just the Browns but the entire NFL with a whopping 18 targets, catching 12 for 94 yards. But that’s almost part of the problem. Dorian Thompson-Robinson attempted 47 passes last week and still finished with just 170 yards and no touchdowns. Unless Jeudy accounts for literally more than half of the Browns’ passing offense again, he’s not going to be able to provide a repeat performance.

At the same time, the Ravens’ secondary is no longer the prime target it was early in the season. Switching Kyle Hamilton to free safety has revolutionized their defense. In fact, Baltimore has been the third-worst schedule-adjusted matchup for fantasy receivers over the last five weeks. It’s no surprise that the Browns with DTR under center have an embarrassing 10.5-point team total. That total again points to the problem — touchdowns are huge for fantasy scoring, and the Browns as a team are projected to score just one. There’s a chance that Jeudy is again their entire offense, but I wouldn’t want to bet on it.

Update: Bailey Zappe has been announced as the starter for the Browns this week. Believe it or not, that does not make me more excited about Jeudy. Zappe is probably an upgrade from DTR, but the fact that I can't say that with certainty tells you all you need to know.

Any Chiefs, Bills, Texans, Rams, or Eagles

Have you been enjoying the Xavier Worthy breakout? Did DeVonta Smith win a matchup for you last week? Or are you relying on Nico Collins, Puka Nacua, or Khalil Shakir? Well, too bad. This is the problem with playing fantasy football in Week 18. Each of these teams has essentially nothing to play for this week, turning their fantasy studs into unstartable options. 

Some teams, notably the Chiefs, Rams, and Eagles, have already announced their intentions to rest their top players for this week. The Texans and Bills haven’t been quite as clear, but it still seems likely we will see reduced workloads for their top contributors. Even if some top receivers play full workloads, you can guarantee that each of these teams will start by pulling their star quarterbacks off the field — you don’t want to start Shakir with Mitchell Trubisky under center. Some of these players (or their backups) might still have good games, but it’s simply much safer not to risk it. I’d rather roll the dice on players like Legette and Zaccheaus, whom we at least know will be out there giving it their all, than risk losing a fantasy championship with a star receiver who isn't even in the game. 

Ted Chmyz is a fantasy football contributor for FantasySP. Find him on Twitter @Tchmyz for more fantasy content or to ask questions.