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While most of the action regarding fantasy football championships went down last week, there are still titles to be won in Week 18. Now is no time to get lazy!
Yes, teams resting their starters can be a thorn in your side if your league’s championship match is this week. However, one thing is for certain: If you want to win a fantasy football title, you’re going to need quality production from your wide receivers.
Several pass-catchers gamers should consider starting in Week 18 are George Pickens, Zay Flowers, and Jerry Jeudy. There’s a case to be made for each player, so let’s break down what to expect from each receiver in Week 18.
Should I Start George Pickens?
Pickens returned to the field last week after missing three games with a hamstring injury. He only caught three passes for 50 yards on seven targets. While his Week 17 was disappointing, Pickens could bounce back in a big way Saturday.
PICKETT TO PICKENS. 71-YARD TD.
📺: #CLEvsPIT on ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/zWM8hlwdPY pic.twitter.com/jZJCBAqd81— NFL (@NFL) September 19, 2023
Pittsburgh draws a date against the Cincinnati Bengals, and their defense has struggled all year. The Bengals rank 26th in defensive passing DVOA, per FTN Fantasy, and allow the ninth-most passing yards per game in the league. Pickens posted a 3-74-1 line earlier this year against Cincinnati.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has also indicated he doesn’t plan to rest players. This is good to hear as there is a strong chance the Baltimore Ravens will lock up the AFC North earlier in the day.
This is a good matchup, and Pickens could erupt if we get the right game script. Gamers should start him in all formats as a high-end WR2.
Should I Start Zay Flowers?
Despite clearing the 1,000-yard mark, Flowers has not finished as a top-12 receiver since Week 9. He could break that streak this weekend as Baltimore faces a Browns defense that’s allowed the ninth-most PPR points to opposing receivers this year, per Fantasy Football Today.
Flowers also has the fifth-best WR/CB matchup this week, according to Fantasy Points Data Suite. That could mean big things for his fantasy owners. The main concern with Flowers, though, is that Baltimore gets out to a huge lead early and pulls its starters once the game gets out of hand. While that is a possibility, there should be ample opportunities for Flowers to produce even if this game does get squirrely.
There’s some risk, but the matchup is too good to ignore. Flowers should be started as a back-end WR1 or a high-end WR2. We just need him to find the end zone to give us a quality outing. Seeing as Cleveland has allowed the third-most touchdowns to receivers this year, the odds are good.
Should I Start Jerry Jeudy?
After a poor outing in Week 16, Jeudy bounced back last week to post a 12-94-0 line on a ridiculous 18 targets. Browns quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson clearly understood the assignment and made it a point to get the ball into Jeudy’s hands.
Cleveland now turns to Bailey Zappe at quarterback this week. While he won’t fool anyone for Dan Marino, Zappe is undeniably better for Jeudy’s fantasy value than Thompson-Robinson. Jeudy also has a great matchup, as he goes against a Ravens secondary that’s allowed the third-most PPR points to receivers this year.
It’s going to be tough sledding for the Browns again this week, but Zappe should be better for the offense compared to the quarterback play they’ve gotten the last few weeks. That’s good news for Jeudy.
Gamers should start him as a WR3 or flex play. Seeing as Cleveland will be playing from behind for the majority of this game, he should see plenty of opportunities and could be good for some garbage-time points as well.
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