January 4, 2026
Kansas City Chiefs tight end
Travis Kelce will look to finish out the season on a high note in a Week 18 matchup against a middle-of-the-road Las Vegas Raiders' defense. While Kelce hasn't been the fantasy superstar we've grown accustomed to for quite some time now, even at 36 years old, he's enjoying a productive season.
Chris Oladokun's inexperience undoubtedly caps some of Kelce's ceiling, although the former didn't look totally overmatched in Week 17's loss to Denver. Moreover, Kelce led the team in yards (36), targets (six), and receptions (five) in that contest. This Sunday, he'll face a Raiders' defense that's been roughly league average. They'll also be without star defensive end Maxx Crosby (knee). With the veteran still a focal point, fantasy managers can rely on Kelce as a back-end TE1 for the matchup. He'll officially land as RotoBaller's PPR TE12 for his meeting with Las Vegas.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
January 4, 2026
Indianapolis Colts tight end
Tyler Warren presents as a low-upside option for Week 18's road clash with their division-rival Houston Texans. For all intents and purposes, Warren has had an excellent rookie campaign, hauling in 71 passes for 791 yards and four touchdowns on 104 targets -- all second-best on the team. That said, the Penn State alum's production has slowed following the team's Week 11 bye, as he's surpassed 30 receiving yards just twice on six occasions. It's a stark contrast to the first ten weeks of the year, when he failed to do so just once. Favorably, Warren has remained a featured part of the offense with veteran signal-caller
Philip Rivers at the helm. Still, he'll carry a less-enticing ceiling than usual when they face off with the best defense in the league on a yards-per-game basis (274.4). Warren ranks as RotoBaller's PPR TE14 ahead of this weekend's games.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
January 4, 2026
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver
A.J. Brown will be difficult to recommend for fantasy in his final outing of the regular season against the visiting Washington Commanders. Brown has had a weird year. After an ice-cold start, he's rebounded nicely over the back half of 2025. Across his last seven games, the 28-year-old has notched double-digit targets in five of them, compiling 595 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Unfortunately, head coach Nick Sirianni is on record stating he'd be resting many of the team's key starters for Sunday's matchup with the Commanders. While Sirianni did not specify who would be sitting, it's worth noting that Brown didn't suit up for Week 18 of 2024. If the veteran does wind up playing, he'd be an excellent bet for fantasy. However, with uncertainty surrounding his playing time, it's best that owners look elsewhere for help in the season's final week.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
January 4, 2026
Atlanta Falcons tight end
Kyle Pitts Sr. (knee) carries excellent upside in Week 18 despite facing off with a solid New Orleans Saints defense at home. The fifth-year pro had been on a tear over the last month until his dud last weekend. In the four games prior, Pitts seemed unstoppable, averaging 23.6 PPR fantasy points per game. He was the TE1 across Weeks 13-16, and it wasn't really close. However, the former fourth-overall pick saw his production dip in Week 17 (2/16). While that may be due to a knee injury he picked up earlier in the week at practice, indeed, he doesn't carry the same upside with wide receiver
Drake London (knee) back in the fold. If Pitts plays this weekend, fantasy managers will find it difficult to bench him, particularly with teammate
Darnell Mooney (knee) also questionable for the contest. Whether Mooney is active or not, the 25-year-old's status should be monitored leading up to kickoff, considering his ranking as RotoBaller's PPR TE5.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
January 4, 2026
New England Patriots wide receiver
Stefon Diggs is a strong fantasy asset for this Sunday's home matchup with the Miami Dolphins. The 32-year-old veteran is coming off a second straight 100-yard outing and is having a nice season overall, despite eclipsing 60% of the team's snaps just twice in 16 appearances. In Week 18, he's positioned for another useful performance as the Pats vie for first place in the AFC. While Miami has, on paper, been one of the tougher units against fantasy wideouts, quarterback
Drake Maye has been excellent in 2025 and carved up the Fins back in a 33-27 Week 2 win. Diggs' 4/32 line in that outing may not be encouraging, but his recent involvement is, notching at least six catches and 101 yards in three of his last six games. He'll rank as RotoBaller's PPR WR15 for the season's final week.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
January 3, 2026
Houston Texans rookie wide receiver
Jayden Higgins is coming off arguably his best performance of the season. Higgins hauled in two passes for 88 yards and a touchdown during last week's win over the Los Angeles Chargers. He'll look to top that performance versus the Indianapolis Colts in the Week 18 regular-season finale. The Texans will play their starters with a chance to win the AFC South with a victory and a Jaguars' loss to the Titans. Higgins hasn't been a consistent fantasy option during his rookie season, which makes him difficult to trust in Week 18. He has big-play ability, but he can also give fantasy managers close to nothing. He hauled in five receptions for 65 yards during his last meeting with the Colts. Fantasy managers should consider Higgins a boom-or-bust WR4/flex option for Week 18.
--Andy WebbSource: Pro Football Reference
January 3, 2026
New York Giants quarterback
Jaxson Dart is looking to finish his rookie campaign on a high note. Interim head coach Mike Kafka said that he'll play the starters despite this being a meaningless game for both teams. This is good news for Dart, who will have a plus matchup against the Dallas Cowboys defense. Last week, Dart only threw for 207 passing yards, but he salvaged his fantasy value with nine carries for 48 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. As long as the Giants don't limit Dart, he should offer QB1 upside as a dual-threat option against a below-average defense in Week 18.
--Andy WebbSource: Pro Football Reference
January 3, 2026
Pittsburgh Steelers running back
Jaylen Warren saw his second-lowest snap count of the season during last week's loss to the Cleveland Browns. Warren rushed the ball 12 times for 64 yards, but he was only on the field for 32 percent of the offensive snaps. Fellow back
Kenneth Gainwell saw a season-high 68 percent of the offensive snaps last week. Gainwell has played well for the Steelers during the second half of the season and has earned himself a larger role in this offense. He figures to split up the workload with Warren again during the regular-season finale against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night. The loss of playing time is concerning and makes Warren a more volatile RB2 fantasy option for Week 18.
--Andy WebbSource: Pro Football Reference
January 3, 2026
Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back
Ashton Jeanty needs 112 yards in Week 18 to surpass the 1,000-yard mark for his rookie campaign. Jeanty has been finding more success on the ground lately, with 188 rushing yards over his last two games. He figures to continue being the workhorse back during the regular-season finale versus the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs. He could have trouble finding room to run with the Chiefs having a top-10 run defense this season. Jeanty has big-play upside, though, which keeps him in RB2 territory despite a tough matchup. The Raiders figure to go run-heavy with quarterbacks
Kenny Pickett or
Aidan O'Connell under center.
--Andy WebbSource: Pro Football Reference
January 3, 2026
Arizona Cardinals quarterback
Jacoby Brissett has surprised many with his solid play under center this season. The 33-year-old has thrown for 3,123 passing yards with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions through 13 games this season. He'll look to continue his success during the regular-season finale versus the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. During their last meeting, Brissett threw for 271 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in Week 14. Brissett has thrown for multiple touchdowns in four of his last five games. The Cardinals aren't having much success in the win category with him under center, but Brissett is putting up strong numbers. Fantasy managers should continue to trust Brissett as a high-end QB2.
--Andy WebbSource: Pro Football Reference
January 3, 2026
Los Angeles Rams quarterback
Matthew Stafford is looking to bounce back after throwing three interceptions during last week's loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Fantasy managers should give Stafford a break, considering he has been one of the best QBs in the league this season. He'll look to end the regular season on a strong note versus the Arizona Cardinals, a defense that he threw for 281 yards against with three touchdowns during their first meeting in Week 14. Head coach Sean McVay said that the starters are going to play in this game. That thinking could change if the 49ers beat the Seahawks on Saturday night, which would lock the Rams into the sixth seed for the NFC playoffs. For now, fantasy managers should view Stafford as a top-tier option, assuming he plays his normal workload.
--Andy WebbSource: Pro Football Reference
January 3, 2026
San Francisco 49ers tight end
George Kittle (ankle) is active ahead of Saturday's Week 18 matchup versus the Seattle Seahawks. Kittle is back in action this week after sitting out in Week 17 due to an ankle sprain. The expectation is that Kittle will have a full workload despite being limited in practice this week. Kittle is expected to see a larger target share with wide receiver
Ricky Pearsall (ankle, knee) ruled out for Saturday's game. The 32-year-old is a must-start and is ranked second among all tight ends behind only
Trey McBride in the latest RotoBaller rankings for Week 18.
--Andy WebbSource: Jonathan Jones
January 3, 2026
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver
Ricky Pearsall (knee, ankle) is officially inactive ahead of Saturday's Week 18 matchup versus the Seattle Seahawks. Pearsall was questionable coming into this game, but will sit out due to an ankle sprain and a PCL injury. The absence of Pearsall should mean increased looks for
Jauan Jennings and
George Kittle. There's a chance that
Demarcus Robinson and
Kendrick Bourne see a larger target share, but they remain inconsistent options. Jennings and Kittle are the best DFS options with Pearsall sidelined for the regular season finale.
--Andy WebbSource: Jonathan Jones
January 3, 2026
New England Patriots quarterback
Drake Maye put together his best performance of the season during last week's win over the New York Jets. Maye threw for 256 yards with five touchdowns and was pulled from the game in the middle of the third quarter. The 23-year-old likely won many fantasy managers championships with that performance, but he's not done yet. Maye heads into a favorable matchup against the Miami Dolphins in Week 18. The Patriots are expected to play their starters as they still need to win for seeding purposes. It wouldn't be shocking to see the Patriots pull Maye again if it's a blowout, but he's too valuable to avoid for Week 18.
--Andy WebbSource: Pro Football Reference
January 3, 2026
Dallas Cowboys quarterback
Dak Prescott will play in the regular-season finale against the New York Giants on Sunday. It's unclear whether Prescott will play the entire game, given that neither team is playing for anything beyond draft position. It wouldn't be shocking to see the Cowboys let
Joe Milton III play some to finish out the season. The Cowboys have little incentive for Prescott to play an entire game and risk injury. Given the uncertainty, fantasy managers might want to look elsewhere for quarterback help this weekend. If he plays the whole game, Prescott is an elite option, but the unknown makes him a risky choice.
--Andy WebbSource: Pro Football Reference
RADIO
