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Who Should I Start for Week 18? Fantasy Football outlooks for Travis Etienne Jr., Javonte Williams, Kimani Vidal, Jake Ferguson, Alec Pierce, Derrick Henry, Puka Nacua, Jerry Jeudy, Brandin Cooks, Keenan Allen.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 18 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Travis Etienne Jr., Javonte Williams, Kimani Vidal, Jake Ferguson, Alec Pierce, Derrick Henry, Puka Nacua, Jerry Jeudy, Brandin Cooks, Keenan Allen. However, don't worry, we are here to help you make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 18. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 18 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
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Fantasy Football Matchup Outlooks
Below are some fantasy football outlooks written by our NFL team here at RotoBaller, bringing you their fantasy football analysis and advice on which players to consider starting in Week 18:
Javonte Williams, RB, Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams (shoulder) was initially expected to be limited in Wednesday's practice. However, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports that Williams isn't included on the Week 18 injury report, suggesting he put in a full practice on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Malik Davis (calf, eye) was a non-participant. Williams has been a top-10 fantasy RB in his first year in Dallas as their unquestioned lead back.
However, the 25-year-old former Denver Broncos running back could be much riskier for starting lineups this weekend in a meaningless Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival New York Giants. Williams appears to be healthy enough to play on Sunday, but Dallas could give rookie Jaydon Blue some run with an eye towards next season. We should have a clearer picture of how Dallas' backfield will shake out later this week.
Kimani Vidal, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal (neck) upgraded to a full practice session on Thursday. Vidal started the week with a limited showing in practice on Wednesday. A full session on Thursday suggests that he's ready to play in the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday in Denver against the division-rival Broncos. Meanwhile, rookie Omarion Hampton (ankle) has yet to practice this week, and Hassan Haskins has been limited as he works his way through the NFL's concussion protocol.
L.A.'s backfield is in flux entering the weekend, but if Hampton is held out, Vidal figures to be the team's lead back in Week 18. The 24-year-old would receive a volume boost, but expectations would need to be tempered in an offense led by backup quarterback Trey Lance against a stout Denver defense. Fantasy managers need to check back on Friday for more clarity on this backfield.
Brandin Cooks, WR, Buffalo Bills
Out of nowhere, Buffalo Bills veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks led the team in receiving yards (101) while catching four of his six targets in the Week 17 loss to the visiting Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. The Bills needed someone to step up in the passing attack with tight end Dalton Kincaid (knee) out due to injury and receiver Keon Coleman being a healthy scratch. The 32-year-old Cooks hooked up with quarterback Josh Allen a few times deep down the field and averaged a healthy 25.3 yards per reception in his fifth game with the team.
In the first four games with Buffalo, Cooks had only one catch on five targets for one yard. Although Cooks may be more of a long shot to replicate his production from Week 17 going forward, he might have done enough to secure a bigger role going into the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Jets and into the postseason.
Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua caught five of his 10 targets for 47 yards and a touchdown in Monday night's loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Nacua could have had another monster performance after his 225-yard, two-touchdown performance last week, but he had multiple big plays wiped out by a penalty or a review. The superstar wideout nearly pulled off an unbelievable one-handed catch near the end of the game to put the Rams in field-goal range with a chance to tie, but he just barely lost possession of the ball as he went to the ground.
It still ended up being a solid performance for Nacua, as he led the Rams' passing attack again without star teammate Davante Adams (hamstring). He's now scored five touchdowns in the past four games after having four in the first 11 games. Nacua will be in for another heavy dose of targets with Adams likely out again in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Arizona Cardinals.
Who Should I Start Tool
You can also see the Who Should I Start tool here.
Week 18 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Travis Etienne Jr., Javonte Williams, Kimani Vidal, Jake Ferguson, Alec Pierce, Derrick Henry, Puka Nacua, Jerry Jeudy, Brandin Cooks, Keenan Allen. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 18.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, players news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do, is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circle), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 18 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 18 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 18 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 18 for Travis Etienne Jr., Javonte Williams, Kimani Vidal, Jake Ferguson, Alec Pierce, Derrick Henry, Puka Nacua, Jerry Jeudy, Brandin Cooks, Keenan Allen:
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