Week 18 is one of the trickiest GPP game slates of the year for DFS purposes, but that creates a bigger edge for those of us willing to grind the information that’s available and find the best plays. It’s much more similar to a preseason slate than anything we’ve had this season. Guys are playing for jobs in 2025 as well as teams playing for their last hopes of playoff spots. Heading into Week 18, these are the best GPP plays as things stand.
Week 18 GPP DFS Advice & Picks
The players below are the ones I’m looking at for GPP considerations for Week 17.
Quarterbacks
Geno Smith (QB – SEA) vs LAR – $5500 DraftKings / $7200 FanDuel
The Seahawks have been eliminated from the playoff contention despite an overall positive first season under this new coaching regime, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything left to play for. The Seahawks are taking on a Rams defense that ranks 23rd in pass defense DVOA according to FTN Fantasy, and they’re also expected to rest starters ahead of the playoffs. Geno Smith needs 185 passing yards to reach 4282 yards on the season, which might not sound significant, but it is to Smith as he’ll earn a $2m incentive should he reach that and set a new career-high. It’s also noteworthy that Jaxon Smith-Njigba needs four catches for 100 receptions and DK Metcalf needs 61 yards for 1000 receiving yards on the season. Stacking the three of them and running it back with Tutu Atwell makes sense.
Joshua Dobbs (QB – SF) vs ARI – $4000 DraftKings / $6000 FanDuel
The Passtronaught returns to grace us with another start and gets a revenge game against the Arizona Cardinals for whom he started eight games in 2023 before being traded to the Vikings when Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles. After a bumpy Week 1 game where Dobbs scored 1.0 points, he averaged 17.7 points through his next seven games with the Cardinals and then increased that in his four full games for the Vikings to 17.9 points. Dobbs is on his tenth NFL team in the 49ers and while they have nothing but pride to play for, they won’t want to lose to the Cardinals this week. Jauan Jennings is 77 yards away from 1000 receiving yards and Kyle Shanahan said “You always want to get incentives and milestones for guys… We’re not playing the next week, so I’d love to help guys do that out.” – so it makes sense to take shots at slim stacks of these two.
Jared Goff (QB – DET) vs MIN – $7900 FanDuel Only
Over the last four weeks, Jared Goff has averaged a whopping 28.6 fantasy points per game, topping off a season where he has been a top-10 QB on eight occasions and 290 passing yards would set a career-high in passing yards, along with the 36 touchdowns he already set as a new career-high. Goff has also set a career-high in yards per attempt and firmly put any doubts that lingered around him to bed. The Vikings have allowed four performances over 20 points all year and typically held QBs in check but we’re only two weeks removed from Matthew Stafford throwing for 279 yards and four touchdowns against them. In this must-win game for both sides, Sam Darnold might have the easier matchup but Jared Goff is worth paying attention to also. The easiest way to take on the Vikings is through wide receivers and stacking both Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams looks to be the move here.
Running Backs
Will Shipley (RB – PHI) vs NYG – $4600 DraftKings / $4100 FanDuel
The Eagles are set to rest most of their starters and key players for this week, and that extends to Kenneth Gainwell who typically sees work behind Saquon Barkley and the pass-catching duties on third downs. Shipley is a fourth-round rookie who so far has a total of 20 touches for 50 total yards this season and can play in both the passing game and the receiving game. He’s probably not someone who’s going to be relevant in redraft anytime soon, but in DFS for one week where all we care about is volume we should pay attention given this matchup. The Giants have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to running backs, the second-most rushing yards per game (141.6) and the fifth-highest yards per carry (4.7).
Jonathan Taylor (RB – IND) vs JAX – $8200 DraftKings / $8500 FanDuel
The Jaguars have been stronger against the run than the pass, but that isn’t saying much with them ranked 32nd in pass defense DVOA. In the ground game, they rank 21st on defense but they’ve allowed the second-most fantasy points to the position because teams can do what they want against the Jaguars. 10 running backs have finished as top-12 options against Jacksonville and Taylor comes into this game in the best form he’s had in the last couple of years, finishing as the RB1 overall in back-to-back weeks with 39.8 and 27.6 points respectively. There will be a rush to play the passing options if Anthony Richardson is unable to play, but Taylor might be the best option overall.
Zach Charbonnet (RB – SEA) vs LAR – $6700 DraftKings / $7000 FanDuel
People are down on Zach Charbonnet after a poor performance in Week 17 against a soft Bears defense where he put up only 10.6 points, but Charbonnet still saw a 72% opportunity share among running backs and it could be worth going back to the well this week. The Rams rank 22nd in run defense and are expected to rest starters which sets Charbonnet up for a potentially nice week.
Tank Bigsby (RB – JAC) vs IND – $5100 DraftKings / $5500 FanDuel
While Jonathan Taylor on the other side of this game is the more obvious play, Tank Bigsby might be the play that helps more in tournaments as a low-owned, low-priced play. Bigsby hasn’t been as impressive as earlier in the season, but he’s still had double-digit touches in his last four games and scored touchdowns in two of them. The Colts are almost as bad on defense as the Jaguars are, allowing the twelfth-most fantasy points and four top-10 finishes since Week 11.
Wide Receivers
Justin Jefferson (WR – MIN) vs DET – $9500 Fanduel Only
Since Week 12 when Justin Jefferson inexplicably had only two catches for 27 yards, he’s averaged 7.8 touches per game for 108.0 yards and 1.0 touchdowns per game. In that period Jefferson has had two games over 32 PPR points and he could well be poised for another against a Lions team that can’t stop anyone. The Lions have allowed nine receivers to score 18 or more PPR points, including Keenan Allen in both Weeks 13 and 16 and Ricky Pearsall put up 147 yards against them in Week 17. If you’re playing on Fanduel this game is a must to focus on with Jordan Addison ($7100) also a great play.
Mike Evans (WR – TB) vs NO – $8000 DraftKings / $8900 FanDuel
We all know the narrative by now, Mike Evans needs 85 receiving yards to hit 1000 for the eleventh season in a row, but there are other things at stake in this game also. Not only do the Buccaneers need to win this game to secure their playoff spot and the NFC South title, but Evans needs five catches on top of the 85 yards to hit a $3m escalator in his contract. Most incentives are for much smaller amounts than this and it’s hard to imagine the Bucs don’t go all out to help Evans hit this against a lowly Saints defense allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to wide receivers.
Drake London (WR – ATL) vs CAR – $6500 DraftKings / $7000 FandDuel
The Falcons also need to win in order to have any hope of winning the NFC South and their task should be similarly easy with the Panthers on deck, who looked simply lost without Chuba Hubbard in Week 17. Drake London is 10 catches away from 100 receptions on the year and is ninth in receptions among wide receivers, saw the sixth-most targets and set career highs in yardage, targets, receptions, touchdowns and fantasy points. The Panthers pass defense ranks 30th in DVOA and should be no match for London who has had a 29% or higher target share in three of the last five games.
Jameson Williams (WR – DET) vs MIN – $6500 Fanduel Only
There’s no doubting that Jameson Williams can be a more volatile player than Amon-Ra St. Brown whose style of play lends itself more to cash games typically, but with this matchup, we might want to prioritize exposure to the game overall rather than worrying about which players we pick. Williams for his part has been excellent, scoring touchdowns in each of his last four games and scoring over 24.0 PPR points in each of his last two games.
Keenan Allen (WR – CHI) vs GB – $6000 DraftKings / $6100 FanDuel
Like most players involved in the Bears vs Seahawks Thursday night game, Keenan Allen was disappointed with a lowly 7.5 PPR points, but he still boasted a 30.8% target share and could bounce back here. Allen has seen 34 targets in his last three games and scored over 20 points in four of the last six games. Since Week 13 the Packers have allowed Tyreek Hill and Tim Patrick to have 20+ point games against them and the loss of Jaire Alexander at cornerback has been noteworthy.
Wan’Dale Robinson (WR – NYG) vs PHI – $4600 DraftKings / $5600 FanDuel
With the Eagles resting the majority of their starters on defense Wan’Dale Robinson’s life just became a whole lot easier. Malik Nabers will be more popular and is a fine play himself, but at this low price, it’s worth keeping Robinson in your thoughts also. Robinson is coming off a season-high 71 yards in Week 17, having also tied his season-high of 18.1 PPR points. That kind of return on this cost would be solid leverage for a cheap wide receiver who’ll enable you to play studs elsewhere.
Terry McLaurin (WR – WSH) vs DAL – $6800 DraftKings / $7400 FanDuel
Coming off a down week for Terry McLaurin where he put up his worst performance of the year, ownership seems likely to be deflated on him due to those miserable PPR points, but he can bounce back against a woeful Cowboys defense. McLaurin was averaging 23.0 points over his previous four games including 21.2 points last time these two teams met. Dallas allows the seventh-most fantasy points to wide receivers and ranks 19th in pass defense. The Commanders have said they want to win this game as seeding is important to them, which should mean another strong day for McLaurin.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling (WR – NO) vs TB – $4000 DraftKings / $5600 FanDuel
This would have been easier if Derek Carr was available for this game but it’s still worth considering that Marquez Valdes-Scantling has been the lead receiver for the Saints since everyone else there had their seasons curtailed. Valdes-Scantling needs one touchdown to earn a quarter of a million-dollar incentive, which feels like the kind of bonus a team with nothing to play for would like to facilitate for a player who’s been a bright spot. MVS also has incentives for 11 catches and 172 yards, but they might be a little out of reach, even with the Bucs pass defense ranked 22nd in DVOA and allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to WRs.
Johnny Wilson (WR – PHI) vs NYG – $3000 DraftKings / $4900 FanDuel
It’s a dart throw, but if you’re looking for super cheap receivers then Johnny Wilson is as cheap as they get. Wilson is a tight end/wide receiver hybrid player at 6ft6 he has a huge catch radius and can make a quarterback’s life easier. Wilson has only four targets since Week 10, but we know how condensed the Eagles target tree usually is, and that won’t be the case with AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith expected to rest. It’s not a smash play, but it’s a cheap punt that could pay off.
Tight Ends
Trey McBride (TE – ARI) vs SF – $6500 DraftKings / $7400 FanDuel
The Cardinals have nothing to play for and neither do the San Francisco 49ers, which makes everything about this game tricky to count upon, but it’s hard to ignore Trey McBride all the same. McBride ranks 13th among all players in targets this year, fifth in receptions and 11th in receiving yards. His ability to stay incredibly relevant despite a lack of touchdowns is a testament to what a volume hog he has become. The Niners have allowed TE7 and TE9 finishes in their last two outings and it wouldn’t surprise if Trey McBride scores his second receiving touchdown of the year.
Chigoziem Okonkwo (TE – TEN) vs HOU – $3800 DraftKings / $5400 FanDuel
There are so many complete dart throw plays at tight end this week that the middle tier of tight ends could be looked over and forgotten about entirely. Chigoziem Okonkwo deserves a little attention though, going up against a weak Texans team that plans to rest players as the game goes on. Okonkwo has had over 59 yards in each of his last three games and had 23 catches in that period, he’s as good of a play as anyone in the middle tier.
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