There's something calming about finality. All the stress, all the sleepless nights, the blood, sweat, and tears. Since the Super Bowl ended in February with Chiefs-colored confetti raining down on the Arizona crowd, 31 other NFL teams have planned on how they can get their own colors to come down next. There was free agency, a draft, OTAs, training camp, preseason, and a grueling regular season that claimed many starting QBs. Through it all, a select few never lost hope of getting into the tournament and finally claiming a seat at the adult table. Gone are the days of dinosaur nuggets and fries...no matter how good they may be.
It's win-or-go-home for three of the four teams set to play on Saturday in Week 18. In some cases, even that win might not even be enough. But after all the hard work, it's tough to not look back with some appreciation of it all. The Texans rose from the basement of the NFL, an afterthought in more ways than one. The Colts thought they had a franchise QB, only to lose him early in the season and survive with a backup. The Steelers are so far down the list of QBs that Sidney Crosby might have to switch sports. While being proud of their accomplishments, none of it matters if they don't get into the dance.
That's the thing about finding calmness in finality. As long as you leave it all on the field, the result no longer matters as much -- no matter how much it might hurt. While cruel, that's the beauty of it all. So, for one final time in the 2023-24 NFL regular season, we present to you a special Saturday edition of DraftKings and FanDuel lineups.
Before we break down all of our picks, here are the most notable scoring rules for DraftKings contests: Full-point PPR, four-point passing TDs, three-point bonuses for 100 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards, and 300 passing yards.
NFL Saturday DraftKings Picks Week 18: NFL DFS lineup for GPP tournaments
Sunday main slate, $50,000 budget
QB C.J. Stroud, Texans @ Colts ($7,300). Saturday's QB options include Stroud, Gardner Minshew, Mason Rudolph, and Tyler Huntley. It's not exactly the most glamorous slate of signal-callers to pick from -- a fitting conclusion to the year of the backup. So, it goes without saying that Stroud not only has the highest floor but also a limitless ceiling. While it's true that Stroud hasn't been playing at the same level lately, he's already shown an ability to dominate the Colts from a fantasy perspective, posting 25.5 points against them back in Week 2. With a second crack at Indy, we're expecting more of the same in what is essentially a playoff game for both teams.
RB Jonathan Taylor, Colts vs. Texans ($7,400). It's been a wacky season for Taylor that's included a holdout, injuries, and even a lucrative contract extension. Between all that, he's been up to his usual antics as the lead back for the Colts. Houston is fairly stout against the run, meaning it will be tough sledding at times, but as the best RB on the slate and the engine of the Indianapolis offense, we aren't passing up the value that our budget has allowed for.
RB Najee Harris, Steelers @ Ravens ($5,600). Harris has been streaky this year, but for all the criticism thrown his way, the RB has actually turned in a solid campaign. He's over 1,000 scrimmage yards and can reach 1,000 rushing yards with 77 on Saturday. Given his success since Mason Rudolph took over at QB, totaling at least 13 fantasy points in each game while also scoring a touchdown, we're inclined to believe he can do it against a watered-down Ravens' defense hoping to get through 60 minutes without incident.
WR Nico Collins, Texans @ Colts ($7,600). Injuries have taken a toll on Houston this season, threatening to derail a promising rookie year for both Stroud and HC DeMeco Ryans. While Tank Dell's (leg) absence has been a huge hit, Collins can't be discounted as WR1 either. He has no real competition for targets and plays for a team that often struggles to run the ball. Collins exploded for 146 yards and a touchdown against the Colts back in Week 2 when Dell and Robert Woods were still a factor. As the main show in town, Collins finds himself as not only one of the top receiving options on Saturday but also one of the best for the entire Week 18 slate.
WR Michael Pittman Jr., Colts vs. Texans ($7,500). From one WR1 to another, we believe both teams are going to war with their best weapons. Pittman has maintained an average of 10 targets per game this year, one of the only consistent players in this Colts offense. Despite that, the receiver only has four touchdowns on the year, something that will have to change on Saturday. We also have to factor in that there's a carousel of options that continue to turn behind him, none of which are reliable enough to consider for fantasy purposes. Teams don't like to get too cute come playoff time, so expect Pittman to see plenty of targets in a must-win game.
WR Rashod Bateman, Ravens vs. Steelers ($3,600). Everyone knows that the Ravens hate the Steelers and vice versa, but hatred in this case has a time and place. As the saying goes, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." That common foe is the Buffalo Bills, who can clinch a playoff spot with a Steelers' loss. A Steelers' win makes things much more interesting, and we all know that Pittsburgh isn't striking the same fear into anyone that Buffalo would in the playoffs. The Ravens can rest players and avoid injury, having locked up the AFC North and the AFC's No. 1 seed. Someone has to play, though, and that someone will likely be a player like Bateman. Odell Beckham Jr. might have some incentives to hit, but Bateman could end up being a top pass-catching option with the key starters either sitting out or playing a more limited role. It's hard to project Baltimore players for that reason, but we're willing to take a shot here at this price.
TE Dalton Schultz, Texans @ Colts ($4,200). The menu of TEs on Saturday would probably earn a one star review on Yelp, so naturally, we're going for two of them here to round out the offensive side of our DFS lineup. First up on the docket is Schultz, who will keep playing a prominent role in an offense that keeps losing key players to injury. After a slower start to the season, the TE settled in nicely and went on a heater through the middle part of the schedule. A hamstring injury derailed him down the stretch, something he'll need to overcome in Week 18. Houston is dealing with plenty of uncertainties at the WR spot, meaning the TEs become even more valuable for Stroud and co.
FLEX TE Pat Freiermuth, Steelers @ Ravens ($3,600). Our second TE comes in the form of Freiermuth, a budget option at this stage of the game. He's proven to have a nice connection with Rudolph over the years, though it took a week for that to click this time around. After being held without a target in Week 16, 'Muth saw four last week, turning in three catches for 44 yards. With the Ravens appearing to be leaning toward resting some players, we'll take the plunge with Freiermuth as a true boom-or-bust differentiator in the Pittsburgh passing attack.
DEF Steelers @ Ravens ($3,100). Resting players for Baltimore means there will be a new cast of characters for the Ravens on Saturday night. With the Steelers in need of a win, expect their defense to put its best effort on display. Even though Baltimore has seen plenty of backups play significant snaps in recent years, the sudden change won't bode well for a team that's just trying to run the clock out and get a head start on their bye next week.
NFL Saturday FanDuel Picks Week 18: NFL DFS lineup for GPP tournaments
Scoring based on FanDuel's half-point PPR format
- QB: Gardner Minshew, Colts ($7,100)
- RB: Gus Edwards, Ravens ($6,600)
- RB: Devin Singletary, Texans ($6,500)
- WR: Nico Collins, Texans ($8,000)
- WR: Michael Pittman Jr., Colts ($7,700)
- WR: George Pickens, Steelers ($7,500)
- TE: Dalton Schultz, Texans ($5,800)
- FLEX: RB Jaylen Warren, Steelers ($6,000)
- DEF: Pittsburgh Steelers ($4,700)
Our FanDuel lineup opts for the budget-friendly Minshew to QB the team. He can post big numbers at any time, and as with our DraftKings lineup, we're prioritizing the Texans and Colts players since they have everything to play for. That's why we're carrying over Collins, Pittman, and Schultz, while also getting some exposure on Singletary, as well. We're going a little lighter on the early game since it's unclear who will actually play for Baltimore. Edwards projects as someone who might see some action since the team can't rest everyone, while Pickens, Warren, and the Pittsburgh D/ST are going into this game with their season on the line.
Best SuperDraft NFL DFS Picks for NFL Week 18
This season, we're also listing our favorite Week 18 DFS lineup on SuperDraft, with some of our picks and analysis overlapping.
For those unfamiliar, SuperDraft's DFS scoring involves point multipliers as opposed to traditional salary-capped or tiered contests. A winning lineup will likely feature a strong mix of stud fantasy contributors with 1x-1.6x boosts, as well as a few matchup-based sleepers with larger multipliers. Each player is assigned a scoring multiplier based on their value as determined by SuperDraft. Users can roster any player in their lineup with no restrictions.
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Here are the most notable scoring rules for SuperDraft NFL contests: Half-point PPR, four-point passing TDs, two-point bonuses for 100 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards, and 300 passing yards.
MORE SUPERDRAFT DFS: How to play SuperDraft
- QB: C.J. Stroud, Texans (Multiplier 1.05x)
- RB: Jonathan Taylor, Colts (Multiplier 1x)
- RB: Jaylen Warren, Steelers (Multiplier 1.25x)
- WR: Nico Collins, Texans (Multiplier 1x)
- WR: Michael Pittman Jr., Colts (Multiplier 1.05x)
- WR: George Pickens, Steelers (Multiplier 1.3x)
- TE: Dalton Schultz, Texans (Multiplier 1.15x)
- FLEX: WR Rashod Bateman, Ravens (Multiplier 1.65x)
Our SuperDraft lineup is sticking to the top players on each team with Week 18's slate creating many difficulties trying to find sleepers amidst all the availability concerns. As with the other lineups, we're going heavy on a Texans-Colts game that has shootout potential, while opting for Steelers in a game that they appear to be well-positioned to win.