Studs and Duds: Week 18

Mon Jan 6 11:12am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Related photo caption below

Gibbs scores four touchdowns


Well, that’s a wrap on another NFL regular season. And as you expected, the last week of the regular season was a tough one to predict. Teams started some regulars but that didn’t last long. Others played some starters longer than expected while some didn’t play any starters at all. It was a bit of a mess and another reason you should likely end your fantasy seasons in Week 18. But if you did play, the good news is there were plenty of big fantasy performances this week, including a player topping 40 fantasy points. Hopefully, you had some of those big performances on your roster.

Ravens 35, Browns 10

Fantasy Stud: Derrick Henry. Henry had a fitting end to his season, posting another huge game. He ran 20 times for 138 yards and two touchdowns. He also had two receptions for 23 yards, giving him 161 total yards. Henry topped 30 fantasy points in the game for the third time this season. He finished just 79 yards shy of 2,000-rushing yards.

Fantasy Dud: Zay Flowers. Flowers was a bust because he didn’t last too long, leaving with a knee injury. He had a catch for 12 yards before getting hurt. It came at a bad time because he had a chance to post some good numbers in this game. Instead, he was a bust for fantasy teams.

Game Notes: Bailey Zappe got his first start and had his struggles. He was 16-of-31 for 170 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions.

Mark Andrews found the end zone for the sixth straight game. He had four receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown on eight targets.

Bengals 19, Steelers 17

Fantasy Stud: Ja’Marr Chase. Chase topped off his career-best season with another big performance. He had 10 receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown. He had 25.6 fantasy points, giving him nine games with 20-plus fantasy points. He is going to end the season leading the league in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Chase was a league winner in 2024.

Fantasy Dud: George Pickens. Pickens had just a catch for no gain on six targets. He just couldn’t get it going. Pickens was up and down all season. He showed his huge fantasy ceiling at times but also disappeared at other times. Pickens has finished with fewer than double-digit fantasy points every game since Week 13.

Game Notes: Pat Freiermuth finished with season highs across the board. He had eight receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets.

Mike Gesicki had eight receptions for 68 yards on 10 targets. He has 18 receptions on 22 targets his last two games.

Eagles 20, Giants 13

Fantasy Stud: Malik Nabers. Nabers continued to produce despite all the offensive woes for the Giants. He had five receptions for 64 yards and a touchdown. He finished the season with 109 receptions. Nabers had at least 11 fantasy points 10 straight games to end his season. He is going to be a special player for years to come.

Fantasy Dud: Kenneth Gainwell. Some thought Gainwell might lead the backfield and produce well in an expanded role. He did get work but did next to nothing with it. He ran 10 times for just 15 yards. He also caught two passes for eight yards. It was not a great day for any fantasy owner that took a chance on Gainwell in Week 18.

Game Notes: Tanner McKee had a solid first NFL start. He was 27-of-41 for 268 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover.

Wan’Dale Robinson had double-digit receptions for the second time this season. He had 10 catches for just 43 yards on 11 targets.

Texans 23, Titans 14

Fantasy Stud: Dameon Pierce. Pierce ended up getting most of the work at running back and had a huge game. He ran 19 times for 176 yards and a touchdown. It was an impressive showing for the former starter. Maybe this game puts him in conversation for some team to take a chance on him as their starter in 2025.

Fantasy Dud: Tony Pollard. Pollard played and started. He got plenty of work, rushing 22 times but had just 62 yards and didn’t catch a pass. Pollard had a good first season with the Titans, topping 1,000-rushing yards and should get first shot to start next season in what could be a better offense. His finish was disappointing for fantasy owners, though.

Game Notes: Will Levis and Mason Rudolph split the work at quarterback for the Titans in this one. Levis was 9-of-17 for 175 yards and a touchdown. Rudolph was 7-of-9 for 70 yards.

C.J. Stroud played a few series and looked good, going 6-of-6 for 50 yards and a touchdown.

Patriots 23, Bills 16

Fantasy Stud: Kayshon Boutte. Boutte continued his late-season surge. He had seven receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown. This was his first 100-yard game of the season. He has 20-plus fantasy points two of his last three games. Boutte could be a big part of this offense from day one next season.

Fantasy Dud: Antonio Gibson. Gibson started and got much of the work at running back once again for the Patriots. He was held in check, though. He ran 12 times for just 41 yards and had four receptions for 20 yards. It was a disappointing showing for Gibson, getting so much work but not doing much with it.

Game Notes: Joe Milton ended up playing most of the game and looked very good for the Patriots. He was 22-of-29 for 241 yards and a touchdown without an interception. He also ran 10 times for 15 yards and a score.

James Cook ran 10 times for 28 yards and a touchdown. He finishes his season with 18 total touchdowns, scoring four straight games to end his season.

Bears 24, Packers 22

Fantasy Stud: D.J. Moore. Moore had nine receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown. Moore finishes the season just two catches shy of 100. He had at least six receptions eight straight games to end his season. Moore had another solid year and should be a big part of the offense once again for the Bears in 2025.

Fantasy Dud: Jayden Reed. Most of the Packers receivers played much of the game but none of them were much help to fantasy teams. Reed is the most marquee and had two catches for just 48 yards. He also ran three times for just three yards and lost a fumble. It was another disappointing showing for Reed.

Game Notes: Jordan Love started but suffered some sort of elbow injury and left the game. It was more of a precaution than something serious, though. He was 7-of-12 for 69 yards before leaving.

Emmanuel Wilson got more work at running back and ran well. He rushed 14 times for 73 yards and a touchdown.

Commanders 23, Cowboys 19

Fantasy Stud: Terry McLaurin. McLaurin was one of the few bright spots offensively in this one. He had eight receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown. He has touchdowns five of his last six games and 13 total for the season. McLaurin is having one of the best fantasy seasons of any receiver.

Fantasy Dud: Jayden Daniels. There was thought that Daniels might play the whole game here with the Commanders still fighting for position. But he didn’t last too long, burning most of his owners. He was 6-of-12 for 38 yards and ran four times for 27 yards.

Game Notes: Marcus Mariota had a great game in relief of Daniels. He had three total touchdowns. He was 15-of-18 for 161 yards and two touchdowns. Mariota also ran five times for 56 yards and another touchdown.

Trey Lance showed well at times in his start but failed to score a touchdown. He was 20-of-34 for 244 yards and ran six times for 26 yards.

Colts 26, Jaguars 23

Fantasy Stud: Jonathan Taylor. Taylor continued his big-time play late in the year. He ran 34 times for 177 yards and a touchdown. Taylor had four straight 100-yard games to end his season. He scored six touchdowns during that stretch. He finished the year with more than 1,500 total yards and 12 total touchdowns. He even missed three games because of injury.

Fantasy Dud: Joe Flacco. Flacco played fine but you thought he might have a really big game in this favorable matchup. Instead, he was 23-of-40 for 264 yards and a touchdown, scoring just 17.2 fantasy points. He failed to hit 20 fantasy points.

Game Notes: Josh Downs hit double-digit receptions for the first time all year. He had 10 catches for 94 yards on 13 targets.

Brian Thomas hit the 100-yard mark for the third time in four games. He had seven receptions for 103 yards on 11 targets.

Bucs 27, Saints 19

Fantasy Stud: Jalen McMillan. McMillan had five receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown. McMillan finishes the season with touchdowns five straight games. He had at least 16 fantasy points all of those games. He could end up being a big factor from the get go in 2025 for the Bucs.

Fantasy Dud: Foster Moreau. Moreau had been gaining steam in recent weeks, having double-digit fantasy points two of his previous three games. He didn’t do much in this one, though, catching four passes for 31 yards. It was a ho-hum performance from Moreau.

Game Notes: Mike Evans broke a record, topping the 1,000-yard mark for the 11th straight season. He had nine receptions for 88 yards.

Bucky Irvin scored his eighth touchdown of the season. He ran 19 times for 89 yards and a touchdown.

Panthers 44, Falcons 38

Fantasy Stud: Bryce Young. There were several huge fantasy performances in this game, but Young gets the well-deserved nod. He had his best game as a pro. Young was 25-of-34 for 251 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover. Young also ran five times for 24 yards and two touchdowns, giving him five total scores. Young had 38.95 fantasy points. He had multiple touchdowns four straight games to end his season, making big progress throughout the year.

Fantasy Dud: Kyle Pitts. Pitts had another typical game for his standards, catching two passes for 15 yards. He was once again all over the map this year for fantasy teams. His lack of consistency drives fantasy owners crazy. And it is clearly a trend and not a fluke based on the last few seasons.

Game Notes: Bijan Robinson had 28 carries for 170 yards and two touchdowns. Robinson had multiple scores three straight games to end his season.

Drake London picked the last game of his season for his best. He had 10 receptions for 187 yards and two touchdowns on 18 targets.

Broncos 38, Chiefs 0

Fantasy Stud: Bo Nix. Nix put on a show in the Broncos must-win game to make the playoffs. He was 26-of-29 for 321 yards and four touchdowns without a turnover. The Broncos seem to have found their franchise quarterback. Nix should just get better with more seasoning, too.

Fantasy Dud: Carson Wentz. Wentz got his big start but was able to do anything with it. He failed to even throw for 100 yards. He was 10-of-17 for just 98 yards without a touchdown or an interception. Wentz was a big disappointment for fantasy owners in this one.

Game Notes: Marvin Mims continued his late-season surge. He had five receptions for 51 yards and two touchdowns. Mims has multiple touchdowns two straight.

Courtland Sutton had five receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown. Sutton scored his eighth touchdown and has scores three of his last four games.

Chargers 34, Raiders 20

Fantasy Stud: Quentin Johnston. Johnston had arguably his best game as a pro. He had 13 receptions for 186 yards. He did not have more than five catches in a game all season before this huge showing. Maybe this is his coming out party in the NFL. Johnston certainly has the talent to produce big games like this.

Fantasy Dud: Alexander Mattison. Mattison got most of the work at running back with Ameer Abdullah out but did little. He had six carries for just 20 yards and caught four passes for 11 yards. It was a disappointing performance from Mattison. He got some play this week, too, because of the expected bump in playing time.

Game Notes: Justin Herbert had his second 300-yard game of the season. He was 28-of-36 for 346 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover.

Jakobi Meyers found the end zone for the second straight game and had his third 100-yard game of the year. He went over 1,000 yards for the season, catching nine passes for 123 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets.

Seahawks 30, Rams 25

Fantasy Stud: Geno Smith. Smith had a huge fantasy game, going 20-of-27 for 223 yards and four touchdowns without a turnover. He had 28.55 fantasy points, giving him 26-plus points two of his last three games. It was his second highest fantasy point total of the season. Smith had another solid season for the Seahawks, throwing for 4,320 yards with 23 total touchdowns.

Fantasy Dud: Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Seahawks played their starters but Smith-Njigba got little work for once. He had four receptions for just nine yards. Smith-Njigba had a great, breakout season but his last two games were not good, having fewer than seven fantasy points each of his last two.

Game Notes: Jimmy Garoppolo started the game with the Rams resting some of their starters and was 27-of-41 for 333 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.

Noah Fant found the end zone for the first time all season. He had five receptions for 64 yards and a score.

Jets 32, Dolphins 20

Fantasy Stud: Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers had a down year but finished on a high note in what might have been his last NFL game. He was 23-of-36 for 274 yards and four touchdowns with an interception. It was a great showing from Rodgers, a game you hoped he had more of throughout the season.

Fantasy Dud: Tyreek Hill. Hill had a quiet game, catching two passes for just 20 yards. He was held in check and on the sidelines a little more in the second half than usual. Hill had a down season for his standards and you wonder what he will be like going forward at this stage of his career.

Game Notes: Davante Adams had six receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown. He finishes the season with scores five of his last six games.

Devon Achane had just his second 100-yard game of the season but had them two of his last three games. He ran 11 times for 121 yards and a touchdown.

Cardinals 47, 49ers 24

Fantasy Stud: Kyler Murray. Murray was 25-of-35 for 242 yards and four touchdowns without a turnover. Murray topped 30 fantasy points for the third time this year, scoring 30.3 points. He didn’t have a huge year, but was better as the season progressed. He had 21-plus fantasy points three straight and four of his last five games.

Fantasy Dud: Isaac Guerendo. He was expected to be the starter but was on the field very little. Guerendo ran two times for just five yards. He had injury issues late in the season when he was supposed to finally get his chance to start. His injuries came at a bad time.

Game Notes: Trey McBride scored his first touchdown of the season last week and got his second in this one. He had seven receptions for 65 yards and a score.

Patrick Taylor got most of the work at running back for the 49ers and had a 100-yard showing. Taylor ran 17 times for 109 yards.

Lions 31, Vikings 9

Fantasy Stud: Jahmyr Gibbs. Gibbs had a monster performance in a huge game for the Lions. He ran 23 times for 139 yards and three touchdowns. He also caught five passes for 31 yards and another score, giving him four total touchdowns. Gibbs scored an amazing 46 fantasy points. Gibbs has 25-plus fantasy points four straight games.

Fantasy Dud: Sam Darnold. There were duds across the board for the Vikings, but Darnold tops the list because he was in charge of the offense. He really struggled, missing on a lot of possible game-changing passes. He finished just 18-of-41 for 166 yards without a touchdown. This probably was his worst showing of the season, coming at a terrible time for a Vikings team looking to clinch the No. 1 overall seed.

Game Notes: Sam LaPorta had seven receptions for 63 yards. He has at least five receptions four of his last five games.

Cam Akers got less work but actually led the Vikings in rushing. He ran six times for 65 yards, averaging 10.8 yards per carry. Aaron Jones rushed 10 times for 45 yards.

Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at jeff@rtsports.com. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.

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Joe Milton III Apr 3 9:30am CT
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The Dallas Cowboys are sending a fifth-round pick to the New England Patriots in exchange for quarterback Joe Milton III and a seventh-round pick, according to Ari Meirov of the 33rd Team. Milton has been in trade rumors all offseason long and is headed to Dallas to back up Dak Prescott now that Cooper Rush is with the Baltimore Ravens. Milton, a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Tennessee, flashed in his limited opportunity with New England as a rookie. In Week 18, the 25-year-old connected on 22 of his 29 passing attempts for 241 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. He added 10 rushing yards and a score on the ground. While Milton still does not have a clear path to a starting role, he could be one of the top quarterbacks to stash in deep two-QB or Superflex leagues. Prescott has missed at least five games in three of his nine NFL seasons. Milton is arguably one of the most talented signal-callers in the NFL, but touch and accuracy have been a concern for the rocket-armed QB.

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Joe Milton III Apr 3 7:31am CT
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Dynasty | The Patriots are reportedly receiving trade calls in regards to quarterback Joe Milton. Dynasty Analysis: This isn't the first report we've seen like this and it seems there's a lot of smoke surrounding the interest around the league. With Drake Maye established as the long-term starter, it's hard to imagine New England not at least listening to what other teams have to offer. Milton showed well in limited action last season and seemingly has some upside. With quarterbacks being the premium of all premium positions, it wouldn't be surprising to see New England hold on to him in case something happens with Maye as well. At this point, Milton looks like a solid stash in dynasty leagues.

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Matthew Golden Apr 2 9:10pm CT
Matthew Golden

University of Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden is taking a pre-draft visit to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday, according to Penn Live's Nick Farabaugh. The Steelers acquired wideout DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks this offseason, but it doesn't mean that they won't look to add to the position through the draft to provide depth in 2025 behind Metcalf, George Pickens and Calvin Austin III. The 21-year-old Golden is widely expected to come off the board in this year's NFL draft in the first round after producing 987 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in his final season with the Longhorns. He also impressed with his speed at the combine in late February by running a 4.29-second 40-yard dash. If makes sense for the Pittsburgh to look at receiver in the upcoming draft with the future of Pickens uncertain beyond the 2025 season.

From RotoBaller