NFL Week 18 DFS Picks For FanDuel

I have no clue how it went by so fast, but we have arrived at the last week of the 2021 NFL regular season! Like most seasons, we have had an excellent year of cashing in on the main slates, so hopefully we can end the regular season with a bang. The end of the season is always interesting as we have some teams playing with their playoff hopes on the line, whereas other teams have nothing to play for. I much prefer to target the teams and players that have something left to play for, making DFS more challenging this week. In total, the NFL Week 18 main slate features 13 games, so there are still plenty of elite player options to choose from. Let's dive in to the breakdown of the NFL main slate on FanDuel for Week 18!

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Top Play:

Jonathon Taylor (RB - $10200) -

The Indianapolis Colts have a simple task this week - beat the terrible Jacksonville Jaguars, and they make the playoffs. They could still secure a playoff spot with a loss and help from some other teams, but they will want to take matters into their hands against the worst team in the NFL. With their win and get in mentality, the team should follow the same path to success that they have had all season - feeding Jonathon Taylor the ball. With the Jaguars ranking 25th in the league against the run, I expect Taylor to have a field day on the Jaguars like he has had on so many teams this season. Jonathon Taylor has failed to rush for 100 yards just one time in his last eight games, so there is no safer option at the position.

Best Value:

Zach Ertz (TE - $5600) -

It is not a common occurrence for my best value play of the slate to be a tight end, but then again, this also isn't your usual slate. As things stand right now, there isn't a homerun value running back or receiver that I am locking into my lineup. The one cheaper player that I will be securing into my lineup this weekend is Zach Ertz. At just $5600, Ertz is priced far too cheap for the target share that he has seen recently with the absence of DeAndre Hopkins. He has seen 40 targets in his last four games, with no fewer than 7 in each of those contests. With the Cardinals still fighting for playoff seeding with a chance of winning the division with a Rams loss, they are one of the safer teams to target players from.

Best Game Environment:

I will start this section by saying that there is no specific game that I am overly interested in stacking this week. With it being the final week of the regular season, the mindset of each NFL team is pretty simple - either you have something to play for, or you don't. As should be expected, I am much more interested in targeting the players and teams that are fighting for a playoff spot, or battling for seeding at the least. The teams that have the most to play for on the main slate are the Colts, 49ers, Saints, Rams, Titans, Bills, Patriots, Cardinals, and the Buccaneers. Both the Steelers and the Ravens have a chance of making the playoffs, but they would need plenty of situations to fall their way. I would recommend solely targeting players from these teams, as every other team is at risk of pulling starters at any point.

Main Player Pool: Quarterback:

Josh Allen ($8800)

Kyler Murray ($8400)

Matt Stafford ($7400)

Other great plays: Tom Brady ($8100), Taysom Hill ($7700), Ryan Tannehill ($7300), Carson Wentz ($7200), Tyler Huntley ($7000)

Running Back:

Jonathon Taylor ($10200)

Alvin Kamara ($9000)

James Conner ($7000 - if he plays)

Other great plays: Dalvin Cook ($8700), Najee Harris ($8500), Sony Michel ($7700), David Montgomery ($7600), AJ DIllon ($7300 - if Jones is out), D'Onta Foreman ($6900), Devin Singletary ($6700), Rhamondre Stevenson ($6500 - if Harris is out), Ke'Shawn Vaughn ($5900), Devonta Freeman ($5600)

Wide Receiver:

Cooper Kupp ($10000)

Stefon Diggs ($7700)

Michael Pittman Jr. ($6600)

Other great plays: Deebo Samuel ($8800), Justin Jefferson ($8500), Mike Evans ($7800), AJ Brown ($7400), DK Metcalf ($7200), Odell Beckham ($6500), Christian Kirk ($6200), DJ Moore ($6100), AJ Green ($5700), Allen Lazard ($5500), Cole Beasley ($5500), starting Bengals receivers

Tight End:

George Kittle ($6900)

Zach Ertz ($5600)

Tyler Higbee ($5500)

Other great plays: Rob Gronkowski ($7400), Pat Freiermuth ($5200), Cole Kmet ($4900), John Bates ($4600)

D/ST:

Colts ($4800)

Bills ($4500)

Lions ($3200)

Other great plays: Football Team ($5000), Titans (4$700), Browns ($4500), Packers ($4300), Buccaneers ($4200), Bengals ($3700), Vikings ($3700)

Cover Picture Attribution: AlexanderJonesi, Zach Ertz 2019 (cropped), CC BY-SA 2.0