Who Should I Start for Fantasy Football Week 18? Matthew Stafford, Jaxson Dart, Jared Goff, Bo Nix, Lamar Jackson, Cam Ward, Brock Purdy, Caleb Williams, Tyler Shough, Jalen Hurts

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford may have sold his shot at winning MVP in last Monday night's loss to the Atlanta Falcons, completing 22 of 38 passes for 269 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. The 37-year-old signal-caller entered the game with only five interceptions on 519 pass attempts this season, but he threw three costly ones Monday night, with one of them being returned for a pick-six.

It was easily the veteran's lowest passer rating of the season at 64.5, with the next closest game being 85.9 in his two-interception game in Week 13's loss to the Carolina Panthers. Stafford still managed to throw two touchdown passes, extending his streak to 10 consecutive games, twice as long as the next closest quarterback. Los Angeles will close out their regular season at home against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 18 before having to play on the road in the playoffs.

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.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams delivered an outstanding performance on Sunday night against the San Francisco 49ers despite the loss, completing 25 of 42 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns while adding five carries for 18 yards on the ground. Williams went blow-for-blow with 49ers QB Brock Purdy, posting his first 300-yard passing performance of the season.

The second-year signal-caller continues to look more and more comfortable under head coach Ben Johnson, now throwing two touchdown passes in four consecutive outings. In 16 games this season, the 2024 No. 1 overall pick has completed 57.9% of his passes for 3,730 yards, 25 touchdowns, and six interceptions while adding 76 carries for 387 yards and three scores on the ground. Williams will look to finish out the regular season strong in Week 18 against the Detroit Lions before heading into the playoffs.

New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough has proven he is the quarterback of the future during their four-game win streak. During the streak, Shough has completed 91 of 128 passes (72%) for 1,057 yards and four touchdowns, with one interception. He has also added 70 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries, making him a dual threat as well.

While most didn't expect Shough to be a key piece for fantasy managers in his rookie season, he has delivered, averaging 17.0 fantasy points per game since becoming the starter, which places him as QB11 during that span. In Week 18, Shough faces the Atlanta Falcons, who rank 15th against quarterbacks this season and have caused the sixth-most interceptions as well. While the matchup is relatively difficult, Shough will hope to lead the Saints to their fifth straight win and potentially take control of the offensive rookie of the year race.

The Philadelphia Eagles are expected to rest quarterback Jalen Hurts and most of their starters in Sunday's Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Washington Commanders, sources told Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Eagles can move up from the No. 3 seed to the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoff picture with a win over Washington, coupled with a Chicago Bears loss to the Detroit Lions, but the Eagles are prioritizing rest for their starters as they head into the postseason.

With Hurts set to be rested this weekend, Tanner McKee will get the start under center for the Eagles against the Commanders. Fantasy managers will also need to stay away from running back Saquon Barkley, wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, and tight end Dallas Goedert. Hurts didn't run as much in 2025, but he still goes into Week 18 action as the QB6 in overall fantasy points.