Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 18 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Kenneth Gainwell, Jaylen Warren, Lamar Jackson, Zay Flowers, Derrick Henry, Aaron Rodgers, Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Calvin Austin III, Rashod Bateman, Pat Freiermuth. 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.
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
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:
Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (back) said he will "100%" play in the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday night against the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN. Jackson practiced in full on Wednesday and was on the practice field for a second straight day on Thursday. The two-time MVP will return this weekend after missing the Week 17 win over the Green Bay Packers with a back contusion that he suffered in the Week 16 loss to the New England Patriots.
Jackson has not been very healthy in 2025, and the results have shown, as he hasn't been a top-10 fantasy QB. He looks to be the healthiest he's been in a while, though, going into the AFC North title game, and he'll be squaring off against a Steelers defense that has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to opposing QBs. There's some hope that Jackson can bounce back as a QB1 in Week 18.
Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman (illness) is listed as questionable but is expected to suit up for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bateman is likely to play despite missing practice all week due to a lingering illness. The Ravens are likely going to wait and see how Bateman feels closer to game time before making a final decision.
Even if he's active, Bateman isn't a reliable fantasy option. Since Week 11, Bateman has hauled in three receptions for 30 yards. Fantasy managers should look elsewhere for help, even if Bateman is active. The absence of Bateman would mean slightly increased value for DeAndre Hopkins and Tylan Wallace in a must-win game that will decide the AFC North division.
Pat Freiermuth, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth finished with his second-highest total in yardage during Sunday's loss to the Cleveland Browns. Freiermuth hauled in three of his five targets for 63 yards in the loss. He saw 70 percent of the offensive snaps, which is the most for him since Week 3. The increased playing time was because Darnell Washington (forearm) was forced to leave the game.
Washington suffered a broken forearm during that game, so he won't play in the regular-season finale. Freiermuth figures to play a bigger role alongside Jonnu Smith during the Week 18 matchup against the division-rival Baltimore Ravens. Freiermuth has seen four or more targets in three straight games coming into this one. He's worthy of looking at as a TE2 streamer for the regular-season finale.
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 - Kenneth Gainwell, Jaylen Warren, Lamar Jackson, Zay Flowers, Derrick Henry, Aaron Rodgers, Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Calvin Austin III, Rashod Bateman, Pat Freiermuth. 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 Kenneth Gainwell, Jaylen Warren, Lamar Jackson, Zay Flowers, Derrick Henry, Aaron Rodgers, Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Calvin Austin III, Rashod Bateman, Pat Freiermuth:
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