Fantasy Football Rankings - Quarterbacks (QB) Week 18 Early Updates

December 30, 2025

Fantasy football rankings - quarterbacks (QB) Week 18 rankings early edition for 2025. Read the top-accuracy fantasy football QB rankings.

If your championship is in Week 18, you have some tough calls to make this week. We're here to help! Use our Week 18 fantasy football quarterback rankings for 2025 to analyze the position. In the initial Week 18 QB rankings below, find out where key signal callers like Sam Darnold, Lamar Jackson, Tyler Shough, Riley Leonard, Cam Ward, Malik Willis, and more stand, among all others. A QB spike week can win your matchup, so finding the top option to start is key.

Our quarterback fantasy football rankings for Week 18 are put together by Nick Mariano. Below the rankings, you will also find a summary of the important QB fantasy football news for this week. There are always key injuries and developments to keep track of, so check back throughout the week for updates.

Be sure to bookmark our fantasy football rankings portal and check back regularly for updates. Most importantly, our free mobile app is a must-have - download it and configure your push notifications. We deliver all the top NFL news, injuries, and fantasy analysis 24x7 with our free push notification alerts... all for free!

Week 18 Quarterback Rankings for Fantasy Football

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Week 18 Quarterback Rankings Outlooks

Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders

Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota doesn't look like he'll be a great option for streaming at quarterback for his team's season finale. Coach Dan Quinn said Mariota did not participate in the team's walkthrough on Monday and is "still a stretch" to play in Week 18 against the Eagles. Quinn did still say there was hope the 32-year-old veteran would be able to play, but even if he does, it's a tough matchup for him against the strong Eagles defense, which will still be playing for playoff seeding.

Mariota has played 11 games this season, throwing 10 touchdowns to go with seven interceptions and running for a score as well. Even if he recovers in time, he will be a high-risk play against Philly, so there are most likely better options available from your waiver wire. If Mariota is out, Josh Johnson will likely start once again, and he is not a great fantasy option either.

Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young has a chance to get his team to the playoffs, as he looks to bounce back from a rough outing last week against the Seahawks. He only managed 54 passing yards and also threw an interception in tough weather conditions in his team's Week 17 home loss. The 8-8 Panthers can still win the division, though, if they knock off the Buccaneers in Tampa on Saturday afternoon. Carolina will also make the playoffs even with a loss if the Falcons beat the Saints on Sunday.

Young and the Panthers just faced and beat the Bucs in Week 16, with the QB throwing for two touchdowns and 191 yards in the 23-20 victory. On the season, Young has 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while averaging 183 passing yards per game. If he can duplicate his Week 16 performance, he is a streaming option in two-QB leagues, although the tough matchup on the road keeps him from being a strong play in single-QB formats.

Riley Leonard, Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Riley Leonard is expected to start in Week 18 against the Houston Texans after backing up Philip Rivers for the last three games. Even though the Colts were officially eliminated from the playoff hunt with Houston's win over the Chargers last Saturday, the team gave Rivers the start in Week 16 against Jacksonville. This week, though, they'll turn to their sixth-round pick out of Notre Dame to see how Leonard can figure into their future.

He got most of his NFL experience in relief of Daniel Jones in Week 14, completing 18-of-29 passes for 145 yards and an interception while also rushing for a six-yard score in garbage time. Leonard gets a tough matchup against the Texans, who will still be playing for the division title. He has some flier upside for dual-QB leagues since he'll be out to prove himself, but he's still a long shot to be a fantasy factor this week.

Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett went 21-for-37 for 212 yards with two touchdowns in his team's 37-14 Week 17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Arizona's pass-happy offense stalled despite going against a bottom-tier pass defense. Brissett threw for under 215 yards and finished outside of QB1 territory for a second straight week, marking the first time since taking over the offense. From Week 6 to Week 15, Brissett was the QB3 overall in all fantasy football and averaged 21.2 fantasy points per game.

The 33-year-old veteran has averaged 14.05 fantasy points over his last two games. Brissett seems to have found himself in a valley with his play during the fantasy football playoffs, but he will look to climb out of it in Week 18 against the Los Angeles Rams.

Cameron Ward, Tennessee Titans

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cameron Ward has shown flashes of why he was the No. 1 overall pick back in April, but mostly, it's been a struggle for the 23-year-old and the Titans' offense in 2025. However, in the Week 17 loss to the New Orleans Saints, Ward had one of his best all-around showings of the year, going 21-for-40 for 251 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions against a decent Saints defense. He added two carries for 10 yards on the ground. Ward fumbled twice, losing one of them.

Don't look now, but Ward has now thrown two touchdown passes in four straight games with only one interception. It could signal that he's taking the next step as an NFL passer as he heads into a difficult Week 18 matchup against the division-rival Jacksonville Jaguars, who are looking to lock up the AFC South title. In the first meeting with the Jags on Nov. 30, Ward threw for 141 yards with no touchdowns or picks.

Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints

New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough continues to get better with more playing time. For the second straight week, the 26-year-old threw for over 300 yards in the Week 17 win over the Tennessee Titans. Shough went 22-for-27 passing on Sunday for a season-high 333 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions in the 34-26 win. He added six rushing yards on four attempts. The second-rounder out of Louisville has latched on to star receiver Chris Olave, but beyond him, he doesn't have a lot of experienced options, which makes his rise in the second half of the 2025 season that much more impressive.

In 10 games (eight starts), Shough has completed 67.8% of his pass attempts for 2,125 yards, nine TDs, and five interceptions, adding 152 rushing yards and two more touchdowns. In the season finale this weekend against Atlanta, Shough will be a popular streaming option in fantasy as he looks to close out his rookie campaign on a high note.

Trey Lance, Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said on Monday that quarterback Trey Lance will make the start on Sunday in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Denver Broncos, according to Kris Rhim of ESPN. The Chargers will rest Justin Herbert, and he won't dress for the game in Denver. Lance will make his first start of the year and only the sixth start of his NFL career. DJ Uiagalelei will be elevated from the practice squad to the active 53-man roster to back Lance up.

The 25-year-old former first-round pick has completed seven of his 13 pass attempts in three games played for the Bolts in 2025 for 90 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. With other starters on offense possibly being rested while facing one of the best defenses in the league (the Broncos will be playing for a first-round bye), Lance will not be set up for success in Week 18.

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