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Super Saturday fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks and lineups advice for the Saturday slate in Week 18 -- Panthers vs. Buccaneers and Seahawks vs. 49ers Saturday games.
There will be two games played on Saturday in Week 18. The first game is between the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both teams are fighting for a playoff spot. If the Panthers win, they clinch the NFC South. If the Buccaneers win, they will also need a Saints win over the Falcons to clinch the NFC South.
The second game is between the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers. The winner of this game will win the NFC West and receive the No. 1 seed throughout the NFL playoffs. The loser of this game will earn a Wild Card spot.
So, let's dive into the start/sits for these two Saturday games in Week 18. Be sure to also check out our full article for Week 18 fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks and all other Week 18 matchups.
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Matchups Analysis - Saturday 4:30 EST Game
Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Matchups We Love
QB Bryce Young
Bryce Young will come in as a potential QB1 streaming option in Week 18. He just scored 17.6 fantasy points against the Buccaneers in Week 16, and Tampa Bay has given up the third-most fantasy points to opposing QBs this year. Considering this defense has let a QB finish as a top-15 option in eight straight games, he could be a sneaky start in 12-plus team leagues.
Chris Godwin didn't post solid numbers in his first meeting against the Panthers, catching just five passes for 30 yards. However, Godwin will come in as a lower-end WR2 this time around. Carolina has given up the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing slot WRs this year, and the Buccaneers playmaker just caught seven passes for 108 yards and one touchdown last week.
Baker Mayfield finds Chris Godwin for the TD! 🔥
(🎥: @NFL)pic.twitter.com/N0334mCHh5
— theScore Bet (@theScoreBet) December 28, 2025
Matchups We Hate
TE Cade Otton
Cade Otton hasn't been fantasy-relevant in a few weeks. He has scored in single digits in seven straight games and has only seen 12 targets over his last five games. For that reason, Otton should not be on any fantasy radars in Week 18. The Panthers also held the Buccaneers' TE to just two catches for 15 yards back in Week 16.
WR Jalen Coker
Jalen Coker will be a risky flex play in Week 18 with Young under center. Coker has finished outside the top 50 at the WR position in back-to-back games and only saw two targets in last week's loss. So, it's best to avoid the 24-year-old playmaker in most formats. The Buccaneers also held Coker in check the last time these two teams played (three catches for 47 yards).
Potential Starts For Fantasy Football Lineups
Baker Mayfield has been harder to trust as a QB1, especially as of late. He has finished as a top-12 fantasy QB just once since Week 12 and only scored 13.7 fantasy points against the Panthers back in Week 16. Therefore, Mayfield will be a lower-end QB1 this week. Carolina has given up the sixth-fewest fantasy points to opposing QBs this year.
RB Rico Dowdle
Rico Dowdle has definitely cooled in fantasy since going on that heater toward the middle of the season. The 27-year-old has finished outside the top 20 at the RB position in five consecutive games. Still, Dowdle will come in as a middle-of-the-pack RB2 against the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay currently ranks 23rd in fantasy points allowed to RBs.
RB Bucky Irving
Bucky Irving has simply been unplayable in the fantasy football playoffs. He scored 8.1 PPR fantasy points in Week 15, 7.1 PPR fantasy points in Week 16, and 8.3 PPR fantasy points in Week 17. However, Irving will remain a solid RB2 play in all formats this week. The Panthers have given up the fifth-most rushing yards to opposing RBs this season and just let Zach Charbonnet rush for 110 yards and two touchdowns a week ago.
Buccaneers WRs
Mike Evans is probably the only outside WR that fantasy managers can trust in Week 18. Emeka Egbuka has totaled five PPR fantasy points in back-to-back games, and Jalen McMillan only ran 25 routes last week. Although McMillan did catch seven passes for 114 yards in that game, his low-floor will make him more of a low-end flex play this week. As for Evans, he will be a solid WR2 with WR1 upside due to his touchdown potential.
Things haven't been great for Tetairoa McMillan in recent weeks. He has caught two passes or fewer in four of his past five games and only caught one pass for five yards in last week's loss to the Seahawks. But his strong performance against the Buccaneers the last time these two teams played (19.3 PPR fantasy points) makes him a potential WR3 this week. Just be cautious because he has a really low floor.
Matchups Analysis - Saturday 8:00 EST Game
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers
Matchups We Love
TE AJ Barner
AJ Barner has been a consistent TE1 option recently. He has finished as a top-10 fantasy TE in back-to-back games and has caught at least three passes in five consecutive games. Therefore, Barner has some TE1 appeal in 14-plus team leagues this week. The 49ers have let a TE finish top-12 at the position in three of the past four games, and Colston Loveland just totaled 94 yards and one touchdown a week ago.
End zone had his name on it ‼️ @_ajbarner_ 17 yards to the house.
📺: @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/yYoG20JvaW
— x - Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) December 28, 2025
George Kittle is officially listed as questionable for Week 18, but all signs point to him suiting up in this game. If he plays on Saturday, Kittle will be a must-start TE1 in all formats. He has scored above 20 PPR fantasy points in four of his last six contests, and the Seahawks have given up the fifth-most receptions and the fifth-most receiving yards to opposing TEs this year.
Matchups We Hate
49ers WRs
Both Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall will be riskier WR plays this week. The Seahawks have given up the fifth-fewest fantasy points to opposing WRs and have let just two WRs score above 15 PPR fantasy points in a game since Week 7. That makes Jennings a lower-end WR2, while Pearsall falls into the lower-end WR3 territory.
Potential Starts For Fantasy Football Lineups
QB Sam Darnold
Sam Darnold has been hit-or-miss for fantasy managers this year. He has three top-10 fantasy QB finishes since Week 12, but also has three finishes outside the top 25 at the position during this span. That makes Darnold only worth a look in 16-plus team leagues. In Superflex formats, he is a fine QB2 play against a 49ers defense that has allowed multiple passing touchdowns in three straight games.
QB Brock Purdy
Fantasy managers can't possibly bench Brock Purdy this week. He has scored above 26 fantasy points in three straight games and has thrown 11 passing touchdowns over this three-game stretch. Purdy also threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns against this Seattle defense back in Week 1. So, you can trust him as a QB1 in all formats.
Brock is having so much fun 😭
CHIvsSF on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/VXKZeH29fM— NFL (@NFL) December 29, 2025
Christian McCaffrey will remain a must-start RB1 in all formats this week. He has been the best fantasy RB all season, averaging 25.3 PPR fantasy points per game. Therefore, McCaffrey should be in all lineups in the final week.
Seahawks RBs
This Seattle backfield has been a headache to manage all season. Kenneth Walker III would go off one week, and then Charbonnet would go off the next. After Walker scored 25.7 PPR fantasy points in Week 16, Charbonnet followed that up by scoring 26.2 PPR fantasy points last week against the Panthers.
With the uncertainty of which Seattle RB will have the better game, both Walker and Charbonnet will be lower-end RB2 plays this weekend. Of the two, Charbonnet might be the slightly better option, given his potential touchdown upside. Charbonnet has scored three touchdowns over the past two games and has crossed the goal line 11 different times this year.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba should continue to be in all fantasy lineups this week against the 49ers. He ranks second in fantasy points, third in receptions, and second in receiving yards heading into the final week of the season. So, he'll remain a must-start WR1.
Rashid Shaheed has seen his involvement in the passing game increase over the last few weeks. He saw five targets in Week 14 and another seven targets in Week 15. But considering he has seen just two combined targets over the past two games, Shaheed will be more of a low-end WR4 option this week against the 49ers.
More Fantasy Football Analysis
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