Fantasy Football Week 18: Starts, Sits, Sleepers and Busts for every game on the slate

Fantasy lineup calls -- as chosen by you -- for Week 18

A new spate of injuries brings a new slate of start/sit debates and we're here to answer them all for every matchup on the slate. There are players you should start and sit and matchup-based sleepers who could provide unexpected production plus big names who could flop based on these matchups. Every week we'll break down every game on the slate and pinpoint the players you need to know in every matchup.

All lines from Caesars Sportsbook.

Start 'em

10.0-7.00

6.99 - 5.01

5.00 - 0

Sit 'em

Kansas City Chiefs

@

Denver Broncos

Sat, Jan 8 at 4:30 pm ET •

DEN +10, O/U 44.5

Playoff scenarios: A Chiefs win and Titans loss clinches the No. 1 seed in AFC for Kansas City. The Chiefs shouldn't be expected to rest their starters.

Sit Them

Javonte Williams RB

DAL Dallas • #33
Age: 25 • Experience: 5 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP vs KC KC -10 O/U 44.5	OPP VS RB 21st	PROJ PTS 10.1	RB RNK 21st

YTD Stats
RUYDS 857	REC 41	REYDS 298	TD 7	FPTS/G 12.3

Melvin Gordon RB

BAL Baltimore • #33
Age: 32 • Experience: 9 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP vs KC KC -10 O/U 44.5	OPP VS RB 21st	PROJ PTS 10.3	RB RNK 29th

YTD Stats
RUYDS 808	REC 27	REYDS 207	TD 9	FPTS/G 11.9

Don't pin their two-game skid on them -- the Broncos offensive line has struggled to open up space over the past two weeks against two of the league's worst run defenses in the Raiders and Chargers. Candidly, the Chargers looked incredible last week gobbling up gaps the Broncos were pushing to make and limiting the Broncos' backs. Collectively, their best run was a 12-yard Gordon jaunt to the right edge, one of only five runs to the edges Denver tried all game. Now this duo will face a Chiefs defense that's yielded just four scores to running backs (three of them through the air!) over the past 12 games. Furthermore, the Broncos seem as committed as ever to splitting their backs' playing time as close to 50-50 as possible. History is also against Denver: the franchise has lost 12 straight games to the Chiefs, losing seven of them by more than one score. And finally, the Broncos have failed to score more than 16 points against the Chiefs with Vic Fangio as head coach. Williams has three touchdowns and one 100-yard game (against Kansas City with Gordon sidelined) in the Broncos' nine losses this year; Gordon has two touchdowns and zero 100-yard games in eight losses he's played in.

Start Him

Darrel Williams RB

NO New Orleans • #24
Age: 30 • Experience: 6 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP @ DEN KC -10 O/U 44.5	OPP VS RB 9th	PROJ PTS 14	RB RNK 10th

YTD Stats
RUYDS 541	REC 44	REYDS 422	TD 8	FPTS/G 11.8

Williams played 83% of the Chiefs snaps last week including all seven from 10 yards or closer to the goal line and 8 of 12 on third/fourth downs. He's their legitimate workhorse running back with Clyde Edwards-Helaire sidelined, and he might be their best back even when Edwards-Helaire returns. Denver has allowed 99-plus total yards to a running back in five of their past seven games, and the Chiefs ripped them for over 160 total yards in Week 13.

Start 'em

10.0-7.00

6.99 - 5.01

5.00 - 0

Sit 'em

Dallas Cowboys

@

Philadelphia Eagles

Sat, Jan 8 at 8:15 pm ET •

PHI +7, O/U 42.5

Playoff scenarios: The Cowboys have clinched a first-round home playoff game and may rest their starters for part of the game. The Eagles have clinched a playoff berth and are almost certain to rest their starters.

Bust Candidate

CeeDee Lamb WR

DAL Dallas • #88
Age: 26 • Experience: 6 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP @ PHI DAL -7 O/U 42.5	OPP VS WR 2nd	PROJ PTS 15	WR RNK 23rd

YTD Stats
REC 77	TAR 118	REYDS 1057	TD 6	FPTS/G 15.1

Michael Gallup's injury should open the door for Lamb to play along the outside, which should lead to improved efficiency. In seven games without Gallup this season, Lamb lined up wide on 83% of his snaps and had an average target depth of 12.1 yards. Between Weeks 10 and 16, with Gallup back, Lamb moved into the slot 68% of the time and his target depth collapsed to 7.6 yards, though his target rate did improve. That might help Lamb pick up some serious numbers in the playoffs, but in the past two weeks, he's been a red-zone afterthought (zero targets) and has seen his target share crater to 11.4%. After watching Dak Prescott's red-zone pass attempts from the past two weeks, there's definitely a disappointing combination of Prescott getting rid of the ball quickly and Lamb not breaking away from tight coverage quick enough. This isn't just a late-season issue -- Lamb only scored three red-zone touchdowns so far this season and is currently FOURTH in red-zone targets on the team. Obviously, this could flip with Gallup out and the Cowboys potentially playing against the Eagles' backups on defense in a build-momentum spot this week, but there are also no assurances on how much Lamb will play, making him all the riskier.

Start 'em

10.0-7.00

6.99 - 5.01

5.00 - 0

Sit 'em

Pittsburgh Steelers

@

Baltimore Ravens

Sun, Jan 9 at 1:00 pm ET •

BAL -5.5, O/U 41.5

Playoff scenarios: The Steelers and Ravens both need a win and a Colts loss to keep playoff hopes alive; the Ravens also need the Chargers and Dolphins to lose. Both teams are expected to play their starters all game long.

Sit Him

Chase Claypool WR

BUF Buffalo • #14
Age: 27 • Experience: 5 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP @ BAL BAL -5.5 O/U 41.5	OPP VS WR 29th	PROJ PTS 11	WR RNK 42nd

YTD Stats
REC 54	TAR 98	REYDS 823	TD 1	FPTS/G 10.6

Yep, the matchup is incredibly good but Claypool is incredibly frustrating. It's great that he's seen 17 targets in his past three games, but between Ben Roethlisberger's arm, the offensive line not protecting him and Claypool's own gaffes, he's caught seven. Of those seven, none have come in the red zone. Claypool has delivered single-digit PPR points in four of his past five -- it's tough to pin him to much more than that in full-PPR.

Start 'em

10.0-7.00

6.99 - 5.01

5.00 - 0

Sit 'em

Cincinnati Bengals

@

Cleveland Browns

Sun, Jan 9 at 1:00 pm ET •

CLE -6, O/U 38

Playoff scenarios: The Bengals have already clinched a home-playoff game. Joe Burrow announced this week he wasn't going to play and Joe Mixon, among other Bengals, landed on the Reserve/Covid list. Expect the backups to play plenty.

Sneaky Sleeper

Donovan Peoples-Jones WR

NO New Orleans • #14
Age: 26 • Experience: 5 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP vs CIN CLE -6 O/U 38	OPP VS WR 21st	PROJ PTS 9	WR RNK NR

YTD Stats
REC 31	TAR 54	REYDS 559	TD 3	FPTS/G 7.9

Earlier this year I wrote that Peoples-Jones had potential based on his size but was inconsistent. At this point, the Browns are in evaluation mode and should be interested in giving him as much work as he can handle. In some ways he's been good for the Browns as he leads them in explosive plays (13 receptions of 16-plus yards) and overall receiving yards. He figures to be their top outside receiver versus a Bengals defense that may wind up holding some starters out (two of them, safety Vonn Bell and pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, went on the Covid list earlier this week and are longshots to play). Peoples-Jones has eight-plus PPR points in three of his past four and could find more upside if he collects more targets from Case Keenum, who should try his hardest to play well so he stays on the NFL backup quarterback radar.

Start 'em

10.0-7.00

6.99 - 5.01

5.00 - 0

Sit 'em

Green Bay Packers

@

Detroit Lions

Sun, Jan 9 at 1:00 pm ET •

DET +4, O/U 44.5

Playoff scenarios: The Packers have clinched the No. 1 seed in NFC and may rest starters for some of the game.

Sit Him

Aaron Jones RB

MIN Minnesota • #33
Age: 31 • Experience: 9 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP @ DET GB -4 O/U 44.5	OPP VS RB 29th	PROJ PTS 10.7	RB RNK 26th

YTD Stats
RUYDS 799	REC 52	REYDS 391	TD 10	FPTS/G 15.3

I know this looks really, really stupid, but if there's one player I bet the Packers coaching staff leans on the least in what amounts to a meaningless game, it's Jones. Remember, he's five games removed from what looked like a major knee injury, and since that game, he's posted 10, 8, 15, 17 and 13 touches. And in those five games, he has two carries, one catch and 13 of 34 possible snaps from 10 yards or closer to the goal line. So even if the Packers were to play a full game, there might only be very limited opportunities for Jones to score anyway.

Start 'em

10.0-7.00

6.99 - 5.01

5.00 - 0

Sit 'em

Tennessee Titans

@

Houston Texans

Sun, Jan 9 at 1:00 pm ET •

HOU +10.5, O/U 43

Playoff scenarios: A Titans win clinches the No. 1 seed in AFC for Tennessee.

Start Him

D'Onta Foreman RB

CLE Cleveland • #27
Age: 29 • Experience: 6 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP @ HOU TEN -10.5 O/U 43	OPP VS RB 28th	PROJ PTS 10.4	RB RNK 15th

YTD Stats
RUYDS 497	REC 8	REYDS 108	TD 3	FPTS/G 10.6

While Derrick Henry starts ramping up his work to carry the mail for the Titans in the playoffs, expect D'Onta Foreman to continue rushing when the Titans are building and playing with a lead. The Texans run defense remains among the very worst in football with 10 touchdowns to rushers in their past six games and at least 120 total yards to a running back in five of those past six. Foreman has delivered 13-plus PPR points in three of his past four.

Sit Him

Rex Burkhead RB

HOU Houston • #28
Age: 35 • Experience: 11 year

Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP vs TEN TEN -10.5 O/U 43	OPP VS RB 1st	PROJ PTS 9.9	RB RNK 30th

YTD Stats
RUYDS 403	REC 22	REYDS 144	TD 3	FPTS/G 6.3

Starting Burkhead based on his workload is sensible; he had six catches last week and at least 15 total touches in four straight games. Even the return of David Johnson shouldn't impact him much, if at all. But holy guacamole, Burkhead's been among the least efficient running backs this season. The only reason why he averaged 4.3 yards per run in his last four games is that the Chargers run defense was depleted and awful in Week 16; on the year he's at 3.7 yards per rush. On the season he has five explosive runs of 12-plus yards; Brandon Bolden has six. The Titans have one of the better run defenses in the game -- only four rushers have totaled over 100 yards against them. Start Burkhead out of desperation, not by choice.

Start 'em

10.0-7.00

6.99 - 5.01

5.00 - 0

Sit 'em

Indianapolis Colts

@

Jacksonville Jaguars

Sun, Jan 9 at 1:00 pm ET •

JAC +15.5, O/U 44

Playoff scenarios: A Colts win clinches a playoff berth for Indianapolis. A Colts loss creates potential chaos.

Start Him

Michael Pittman WR

IND Indianapolis • #11
Age: 28 • Experience: 6 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP @ JAC IND -15.5 O/U 44	OPP VS WR 26th	PROJ PTS 13.5	WR RNK 13th

YTD Stats
REC 82	TAR 122	REYDS 1018	TD 5	FPTS/G 13.6

This absolutely feels like a game where Jonathan Taylor will run wild, but the Colts know they have to be ready to pass effectively in the playoffs. Don't be surprised if Frank Reich pushes the issue a little bit and dials up some throws both early on and in the red zone. With a 25.8% target share, Pittman's been the primary option for Carson Wentz all season. Expect him to continue to get fed against the Jags, who allowed three touchdowns and 200 yards to wide receivers in a blowout last week and 15 total touchdowns to wideouts in their past 11 games.

Sit Him

Dare Ogunbowale RB

HOU Houston • #33
Age: 31 • Experience: 7 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP vs IND IND -15.5 O/U 44	OPP VS RB 4th	PROJ PTS 9.1	RB RNK 40th

YTD Stats
RUYDS 107	REC 10	REYDS 89	TD 2	FPTS/G 2.6

I actually thought Ogunbowale looked solid last week given the circumstances of playing behind a horrid offensive line in a negative game script, but the reality is that he was headed for a four-PPR-point afternoon until his final play when he caught a screen pass and ran for a 28-yard garbage-time touchdown. If that's what you have to count on for Ogunbowale to be useful for your Fantasy team, you're probably better off starting anyone else. Not only might the game be yet another blowout loss for the Jaguars, but the Colts have one of the toughest run defenses in the league with a number of starters prepared for the game instead of coming off the Covid list. There's a very real chance Ogunbowale fails to record 10 PPR points.

Start 'em

10.0-7.00

6.99 - 5.01

5.00 - 0

Sit 'em

Chicago Bears

@

Minnesota Vikings

Sun, Jan 9 at 1:00 pm ET •

MIN -3.5, O/U 44.5

Playoff scenarios: LOL.

Sit Him

K.J. Osborn WR

ATL Atlanta • #13
Age: 28 • Experience: 6 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP vs CHI MIN -3.5 O/U 44.5	OPP VS WR 10th	PROJ PTS 11.1	WR RNK 34th

YTD Stats
REC 49	TAR 78	REYDS 634	TD 6	FPTS/G 9.3

The track record for Osborn has been outstanding: a touchdown in four of his past five games, all with Adam Thielen limited or out. Kirk Cousins started four of those games and gave Osborn at least seven targets in three of them. The outlier? At Chicago in Week 15 when the Vikings were able to run the ball relatively well. If I was certain the Bears offense would play like it did last week, then Osborn would be a must-start. But in 10 games Justin Fields has started, the Bears have averaged 16.8 points, including a mere nine against Minnesota a few weeks back. That's why Osborn is just a flex this week.

Start 'em

10.0-7.00

6.99 - 5.01

5.00 - 0

Sit 'em

Washington Commanders

@

New York Giants

Sun, Jan 9 at 1:00 pm ET •

NYG +7, O/U 38

Playoff scenarios: Yeah right.

Start Him

Terry McLaurin WR

WAS Washington • #17
Age: 30 • Experience: 7 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP @ NYG WAS -7 O/U 38	OPP VS WR 23rd	PROJ PTS 12.1	WR RNK 25th

YTD Stats
REC 73	TAR 124	REYDS 960	TD 5	FPTS/G 12.5

Neither team has anything to play for, but the Giants are just downtrodden. They've let four receivers pick up at least 75 yards in their past five games with six scores. If New York's offense can't move the football (63 first downs, second-fewest per game), then Washington will be set up to win the time-of-possession battle and potentially give Taylor Heinicke one last chance to show what he could do. At the bare minimum, it was encouraging to see Heinicke throw McLaurin's way eight times last week, completing seven of them for an ineffective 61 yards. There's more hope for a bigger game on that kind of catch volume against the G-Men.

Start 'em

10.0-7.00

6.99 - 5.01

5.00 - 0

Sit 'em

New England Patriots

@

Miami Dolphins

Sun, Jan 9 at 4:25 pm ET •

MIA +6.5, O/U 40

Playoff scenarios: A Patriots win coupled with a Bills loss clinches the AFC East for New England. A Patriots win along with losses by the Chiefs, Titans and Bills clinches the No. 1 seed in AFC for New England. There's a chance the Patriots pull back their starters if they realize the Bills are going to win their game, but that might not happen until the second half, if at all.

Flex Starter in PPR

Jakobi Meyers WR

JAC Jacksonville • #3
Age: 29 • Experience: 7 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP @ MIA NE -6.5 O/U 40	OPP VS WR 16th	PROJ PTS 10.2	WR RNK 31st

YTD Stats
REC 79	TAR 118	REYDS 796	TD 2	FPTS/G 11.1

In his past five games excluding the gusty-wind game at Buffalo, Meyers has seen at least 23% of the targets from Mac Jones. He's commanded at least 10 PPR points in four of those five games and scored last week in the blowout win over the Jaguars. Miami's defense figures to bring a lot of pressure on Mac Jones, forcing him into shorter throws, which should work out great for Meyers since he's already seeing a lot of targets to begin with. The Dolphins have allowed 19 pass plays of 20-plus yards to slot receivers this season (second-most) and have missed 14 tackles on those specific wideouts (third-most). That's contributed to them struggling in yards after the catch to slot receivers (455 on the year). They're also the most-targeted defense for slot receivers on the year.

Sit Him

Mike Gesicki TE

CIN Cincinnati • #88
Age: 30 • Experience: 8 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP vs NE NE -6.5 O/U 40	OPP VS TE 1st	PROJ PTS 8.2	TE RNK 14th

YTD Stats
REC 71	TAR 109	REYDS 758	TD 2	FPTS/G 10.1

Gesicki's hit the 10-point mark in PPR just twice in his past nine games. To be fair, he has hit nine PPR points in four of those nine, so he has a decent floor. But his target share is dissolving (below 20% each of his past two games) and the Miami offense is collapsing down the stretch. I would expect the Patriots to bring a lot of pressure to Tua Tagovailoa, which in turn should lower the pass distance and pass quality he'll throw. That might not hurt or help the overall volume of targets Gesicki will get, but it won't make him any more effective. The Patriots have given up four touchdowns to tight ends all year; Gesicki went catchless against the Patriots in Week 1.

Start 'em

10.0-7.00

6.99 - 5.01

5.00 - 0

Sit 'em

New York Jets

@

Buffalo Bills

Sun, Jan 9 at 4:25 pm ET •

BUF -16.5, O/U 41

Playoff scenarios: A Bills win clinches the AFC East. The Bills can also move as high as the No. 2 seed if the Bengals and Chiefs lose. They'll play their starters.

Flex Starter

Michael Carter RB

ARI Arizona • #22
Age: 26 • Experience: 4 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP @ BUF BUF -16 O/U 40.5	OPP VS RB 16th	PROJ PTS 5.3	RB RNK NR

YTD Stats
RUYDS 620	REC 36	REYDS 325	TD 4	FPTS/G 11.8

Any running back with 15-touch potential is a top-24 running back by default. Carter qualifies as he is assumed to take back his job as the Jets' primary running back. It should mean a decent workload, though Carter is likely to underwhelm as a receiver and not lock into short-yardage carries near the goal line. That could give Tevin Coleman a glimmer of hope in the matchup against Buffalo -- the Bills have allowed seven total touchdowns (six rushing) to enemy running backs over their past five games. Carter is better suited to flirt with 100 total yards, which the Bills have ceded to three backs in the past five weeks. With his upside potentially limited by game script and Coleman (or Zach Wilson) potentially swiping a short-yardage score, Carter is best considered a flex.

Start 'em

10.0-7.00

6.99 - 5.01

5.00 - 0

Sit 'em

New Orleans Saints

@

Atlanta Falcons

Sun, Jan 9 at 4:25 pm ET •

ATL +4.5, O/U 40

Playoff scenarios: A win and a 49ers loss clinches a playoff berth for the Saints.

Start Him

Taysom Hill TE

NO New Orleans • #7
Age: 35 • Experience: 9 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP @ ATL NO -4.5 O/U 40	OPP VS QB 30th	PROJ PTS 22.3	QB RNK 7th

YTD Stats
PAYDS 871	RUYDS 356	TD 8	INT 5	FPTS/G 10.7

The Falcons have allowed a touchdown on the ground in 12 of 16 games and allow a worse-than-league-average 4.8 yards per rush to opposing quarterbacks. In fact, they gave up two rushing scores to Josh Allen last week! That should establish a terrific floor for Hill with the upside coming from his somewhat encouraging throws. He's done a better job taking care of the football in his past three starts and should take advantage of the matchup against the Falcons, who give up the sixth-highest completion rate (67.8%).

Flex Starter

Marquez Callaway WR

LV Las Vegas • #15
Age: 27 • Experience: 4 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP @ ATL NO -4.5 O/U 40	OPP VS WR 27th	PROJ PTS 10	WR RNK 36th

YTD Stats
REC 46	TAR 83	REYDS 698	TD 6	FPTS/G 9.5

We're finally seeing Callaway do some of the things we recognized from the preseason. In his past two games with Hill, Callaway has seen an insane 39.6% target share with 8 of 12 receptions good for a first down and five good for 16-plus yards. Separating from the Falcons pass defense shouldn't be a big issue; he's done that against the Bucs and Panthers lately. He feels like a better option in non-PPR than the other formats.

Start 'em

10.0-7.00

6.99 - 5.01

5.00 - 0

Sit 'em

Carolina Panthers

@

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Sun, Jan 9 at 4:25 pm ET •

TB -8, O/U 41.5

Playoff scenarios: The Buccaneers have clinched a first-round home playoff game and could rest starters if they wish to. The Buccaneers are also alive for the No. 2 seed and a potential home game in the divisional round.

Start Him

Cyril Grayson WR

CLE Cleveland • #15
Age: 32 • Experience: 3 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP vs CAR TB -8 O/U 41.5	OPP VS WR 6th	PROJ PTS 11.2	WR RNK 32nd

YTD Stats
REC 10	TAR 12	REYDS 212	TD 2	FPTS/G 11.2

Grayson has very good straight-line speed, but otherwise feels like a guy in the right place at the right time. He didn't do a great job separating from Jets defenders last week when he needed to make cuts or turns and really only collected 43 yards and a touchdown on his last two catches because of the Jets' prevent defense on one play and a terrible breakdown on the score. What Grayson does seem to have, ultimately, is an opportunity to have a meaningful role in the Bucs offense, and that outweighs his lack of experience or refined skills. After Antonio Brown left last week, Grayson played 29 of 34 snaps, saw a target on an incredible 36.4% of his routes, made two explosive plays and caught five of seven targets (he had a catch before Brown excused himself). Tyler Johnson is more versatile and moves better than Grayson, but isn't as fast, and while Breshad Perriman is more experienced and stronger, he wasn't the one replacing Brown last week (six second-half snaps played). I wouldn't set expectations too high for Grayson, but it's hard to ignore anyone who's put up at least decent numbers from Tom Brady over the past two weeks.

Sit Him

DJ Moore WR

CHI Chicago • #2
Age: 28 • Experience: 8 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP @ TB TB -8 O/U 41.5	OPP VS WR 20th	PROJ PTS 13.5	WR RNK 20th

YTD Stats
REC 86	TAR 153	REYDS 1070	TD 4	FPTS/G 13.8

I liked Moore last week because of his track record against the Saints and the hope that Sam Darnold would throw his way a little further downfield than Cam Newton did. Turns out Darnold's return didn't lead to many big-play chances for Moore, nor did the Saints allow Moore to get loose against them. Darnold was off-target including three throws that were easier for Saints defenders to make a play on than Moore in the fourth quarter. Not that you'd expect Moore to have 100 yards with this mess of an offense, but the Bucs haven't allowed a receiver to get that many against them in 13 straight games. Also, only two receivers have scored on the Bucs in their past five.

Start 'em

10.0-7.00

6.99 - 5.01

5.00 - 0

Sit 'em

Seattle Seahawks

@

Arizona Cardinals

Sun, Jan 9 at 4:25 pm ET •

ARI -6.5, O/U 48

Playoff scenarios: A Cardinals win and Rams loss clinches the NFC West for Arizona. The Cardinals are still in the playoffs even with a loss. The only way they'd pull back starters is if it's abundantly clear the Rams won't lose, and even then they might stick with their main guys.

Start Him

Russell Wilson QB

NYG N.Y. Giants • #3
Age: 37 • Experience: 14 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP @ ARI ARI -6.5 O/U 48	OPP VS QB 10th	PROJ PTS 18.9	QB RNK 8th

YTD Stats
PAYDS 2875	RUYDS 178	TD 23	INT 5	FPTS/G 20.2

Wilson exceeded all expectations with a throwback to his days of playing with elite efficiency last week. He should be in line for another good game this week against a Cardinals defense that's ceded at least 21 Fantasy points to each of the past four quarterbacks they've faced. It's a downturn for the Cards, who only gave up 20-plus points to three quarterbacks through their first 12 games. Wilson has posted at least 20 points in each of his past five games and is a safe bet to reach that plateau. With so many quality quarterbacks sitting out or not expected to play a full game, Wilson is a must.

Start 'em

10.0-7.00

6.99 - 5.01

5.00 - 0

Sit 'em

San Francisco 49ers

@

Los Angeles Rams

Sun, Jan 9 at 4:25 pm ET •

LAR -4.5, O/U 44.5

Playoff scenarios: A Rams win clinches the NFC West and a home playoff game for Los Angeles. The Rams are still locked into the playoffs with a loss. The 49ers can clinch a playoff berth with either a win against the Rams or a Saints loss to the Falcons. Both teams should go all out.

Start Him

Odell Beckham Jr. WR

MIA Miami • #3
Age: 33 • Experience: 10 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP vs SF LAR -4.5 O/U 44.5	OPP VS WR 24th	PROJ PTS 11.4	WR RNK 19th

YTD Stats
REC 42	TAR 77	REYDS 519	TD 5	FPTS/G 9.6

It's painfully clear that Beckham has been saved by his touchdowns in three of his past five games. But if that's part of the role he's taking on with the Rams, then there's no reason to run away from him. It also helps that the 49ers pass defense has not only fallen apart over their past six games (nine touchdowns to wide receivers), but they figure to be without cornerbacks K'Waun Williams, Dontae Johnson and Ambry Thomas along with safety Jimmie Ward. If they all miss the game with Covid-related issues, less experienced guys will have to step up in the secondary and the Rams will definitely try to take advantage. But even if they play, their conditioning figures to get tested by the Rams since they didn't practice all week. It should lead to at least a solid game for Beckham.

Start 'em

10.0-7.00

6.99 - 5.01

5.00 - 0

Sit 'em

Los Angeles Chargers

@

Las Vegas Raiders

Sun, Jan 9 at 8:20 pm ET •

LV +3, O/U 49.5

Playoff scenarios: If the Chargers win, they'll clinch a playoff berth. If they lose, they're out. The Raiders' easiest path to the playoffs is a win, but they can also make it if the Colts and Steelers lose. There's also a scenario where BOTH teams can make the playoffs if they tie and the Colts lose.

Start Him

Mike Williams WR

LAC L.A. Chargers • #81
Age: 31 • Experience: 9 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP @ LV LAC -3 O/U 49.5	OPP VS WR 3rd	PROJ PTS 13.9	WR RNK 27th

YTD Stats
REC 67	TAR 112	REYDS 1027	TD 8	FPTS/G 14.6

Despite the heinous game log Williams has put up since October, there is a glimmer of hope for him to have a good game against Las Vegas. The Raiders have stuck with a Cover-3 zone scheme against pretty much everyone they've played; they lead the league in percentage of defensive snaps in this scheme. Not only has Justin Herbert been the most efficient against Cover-3 zone defenses all year, but Williams has seen the most targets, had the most catches and has the highest average target depth (12.7 yards) against this defense. Pair that with the Chargers' insistence on feeding him a target or two every week near the goal line, and there's enough here to feel fairly good about starting this guy.