Table of Contents
  1. NFL Week 18 NFL DFS RBs
  2. NFL DFS RB Picks For Week 18

Welcome to the Week 18 NFL DFS RB Coach article!! Admittedly, too many of my Week 17 suggestions were off the mark. Chase Brown and Rhamondre Stevenson had big weeks, but James Cook, Saquon Barkley, and Michael Carter did not. I need to be better, and there is no time like the present. Let’s find some Week 18 NFL DFS RBs that can help us win some cash for the new year!!

 

 

 

NFL Week 18 NFL DFS RBs

With some teams resting their starters ahead of the NFL playoffs, creating Week 18 NFL DFS lineups can be a real challenge. 

Teams like the Los Angeles Chargers and Green Bay Packers, who have secured their playoff spots, are expected to rest most of their key players. The Rams have stated they’ll play their starters in Week 18, but with Blake Corum nursing an injury, I don’t think we’ll see much of Kyren Williams this week. 

There are, however, several teams playing for “something” in Week 18. The Denver Broncos and New England Patriots both play at 1 PM on Sunday and have a chance at securing the overall number one seed in the AFC. The winner of the Baltimore Ravens-Pittsburgh Steelers matchup wins the AFC North. The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers play each other in Week 18. The winner not only will be the NFC West champ but will be the overall number one seed in the NFC as well. The Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans both play at 1 PM on Sunday. They’ve both made the playoffs, but both have a chance to win the AFC South.

Teams resting starters and playoff implications aren’t the only things to consider when deciding which NFL DFS RBs to use in Week 18. Some Week 18 NFL DFS RBs have individual incentives and can earn bonuses if they reach certain milestones this week. 

Carolina Panthers RB Rico Dowdle ($5900 DraftKings/$7400 FanDuel) needs just seven more yards from scrimmage to earn a $1,000,000 bonus. He also needs one more total TD to earn another $250,000 bonus. He skipped practice earlier this week but will likely be ready for his Week 18 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Dowdle has reasserted himself as the Panthers’ lead NFL DFS RB of late, and the Bucs have given up 5.18 YPC to the position over the past three weeks. Dowdle will be in an intense Week 18 battle since the Panthers and Bucs play each other for the NFC South division title. The loser is eliminated from playoff contention.

Tennessee Titans RB Tony Pollard ($5900 DK/$7400 FD) will be looking for the ball against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18. He needs 66 more rushing yards to earn a $250,000 bonus and two rushing TDs to earn another $200,000 bonus. Pollard will have his work cut out for him. The Jaguars have been tough against the run all season and will clinch the AFC South division title with a win. 

Kansas City Chiefs NFL DFS RB Kareem Hunt ($4700 DK/$5600 FD) can earn an extra $250,000 if he picks up 31 yards from scrimmage in Week 18. Hunt played more snaps than Isiah Pacheco ($5200 DK/$5800 FD) in Week 17 (24 vs. 15) but Pacheco had more carries than Hunt (9 vs. 7). Chiefs NFL DFS RBs have a good matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders who’ve given up the second most rushing TDs to the position and seem to be mailing it in at this point, but it’s tough to trust either Hunt or Pacheco this week.

Dallas Cowboys NFL DFS RB Javonte Williams ($6300 DK/$7500 FD) needs just nine yards from scrimmage in Week 18 against the New York Giants to earn a $250,000 bonus. The Cowboys have suggested that they’ll be playing their starters in Week 18, but with Williams nursing a shoulder injury, we might see an uptick in Malik Davis’ ($5300 DK/$6000 FD) snaps played. The Cowboys have hinted that rookie NFL DFS RB Jaydon Blue ($4300 DK/$4500 FD), who has been a healthy inactive for most of the season, might see some game action as well. Look for the Cowboys to want to finish the season with a win against their bitter rivals, and for Cowboys NFL DFS RBs to thrive against a weak Giants run defense.

The following are a few other Week 18 NFL DFS RBs who caught my attention as kickoffs approach.

 

 

 

NFL DFS RB Picks For Week 18

Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers

DraftKings: $8,800 | FanDuel: $9,400

McCaffrey is dealing with a back injury that you should monitor, but he’ll likely play in Week 18. He has a home game against the Seattle Seahawks, which will decide who will be the number one seed in the NFC throughout the playoffs. There’s rain in the forecast, and the Seahawks have been very tough on NFL DFS RBs, but McCaffrey is as close to a sure thing in DFS as there can possibly be. He scored 23.2 and 18.7 DraftKings and FanDuel fantasy points in Week 1 against the Seahawks.

Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens

DraftKings: $7,700 | FanDuel: $9,400

There is something about this time of year that really lights a fire under Henry. In his last three games, Henry is averaging 148 yards per game, 6.8 YPC, and he’s scored six TDs during that time frame. He has a tough matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who held him without a TD and just 102 yards from scrimmage in Week 14. Henry seems to be playing at a different level since then, and with the Ravens fighting for a chance to win the AFC North, Henry will have plenty of carries in Week 18.

Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

DraftKings: $7,600 | FanDuel: $8,200

Brown is coming off a 101 rushing yard and two TD scoring performance against the Cardinals in Week 17. Over his last 10 games, he’s averaging 5.1 YPC and 4.5 receptions per game. He takes on the Cleveland Browns in Week 18, whose run defense has fallen apart of late. The Browns have given up five rushing TDs and 5.25 YPC to NFL DFS RBs over their last three games.

 

 

 

Tank Bigsby, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

DraftKings: $5,400 | FanDuel: $5,600

This suggestion isn’t for the faint of heart, but Eagles NFL DFS RBs have a very good matchup against the Washington Commanders in Week 18. Over their last three games, the Commanders have given up the most rushing yards (439) and five total TDs to NFL DFS RBs. The Eagles have nothing to play for and are expected to rest Saquon Barkley. That leaves Bigsby and Will Shipley ($4400 DK/$4900 FD) as the two Eagles NFL DFS RBs most likely to get the majority of work in Week 18. Bigsby seems to have taken over as Barkley’s RB handcuff, so I’ll give him the nod over Shipley, but again, this suggestion isn’t for a DFS player hoping to avoid risk.

Ty Johnson, RB, Buffalo Bills

DraftKings: $4,900 | FanDuel: $5,100

Like the Eagles, the Bills don’t have anything to play for and probably will give James Cook the week off. Bills' NFL DFS RBs have a tasty matchup against the New York Jets, who have given up 11 total TDs to the position over the last five weeks. Johnson has emerged as Cook III’s primary backup, so I’m banking on him to play the most snaps out of the Bills’ backfield. However, if the Bills want to make sure that Johnson is healthy for their playoff run, Ray Davis ($4400 DK/$4900 FD) could see an uptick in snaps played as well.