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    Javonte Williams or Melvin Gordon Start/Sit Week 18: Can both be trusted?

    For the final week of the NFL regular season, can Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams be trusted for fantasy football purposes?

    The Denver Broncos backfield has been a source of both jubilation and frustration for fantasy football managers over the course of this season, with both Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams providing plenty of points. For the last week of the regular season, should fantasy managers expect anything different?

    Javonte Williams is going to be a future star

    When the Broncos took Williams in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, it was clear that their ambition was to draft their future lead back. Gordon is under contract only for this year, and Denver will need to make a decision this offseason as to whether or not they want to bring him back for 2022. It’s possible that they do.

    What we’ve seen out of Williams, though, is a future star running back in the making. His ability to break tackles is amongst the best in the NFL, and he is a natural at breaking big plays. Williams has 6 runs over 20+ yards this year on 191 carries. Joe Mixon, for comparison, also has 6 such runs, but he has 292 attempts on the season. Williams will be a star when he has the full workload — it’s just a matter of when we see it.

    Melvin Gordon has been just good enough to be annoying

    Here’s a funny stat for you. When people talk about a timeshare, it typically isn’t an even split. Gordon and Williams, however, each have exactly 191 rushing attempts this season.

    Gordon has averaged 4.2 yards per carry, with 808 rushing yards and 7 TDs this season. He’s been effective enough, for the most part, to get in the way of a true Williams breakout.

    Gordon is the RB21 on the season, averaging 11.0 fantasy points per game. Guess who else is averaging exactly 11.0 fantasy points per game this season? Javonte Williams.

    This backfield is a true split. The only question for fantasy managers heading into Week 18 is what to expect from their utilization in the final regular-season game.

    Gordon’s and Williams’ fantasy expectations

    In the last week of the NFL regular season, the Broncos will be playing the Kansas City Chiefs. Denver has been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, while the Chiefs will be playing hard for a shot at the AFC’s No. 1 seed.

    There’s a realistic chance that if the Chiefs jump out to an early lead on Denver, the Broncos could feature Gordon more heavily than Williams. The future of their backfield is their 2021 second-round pick, not a veteran that’s heading into free agency.

    Gordon is auditioning for a role for next year, whether with Denver or elsewhere. He’ll be running angry.

    As is the case with every game, Week 18 can bring about a lot of weirdness. If you have either of the Denver running backs, you likely have to play them as an RB2 like you have all season. Cross your fingers that they both see their usual workload.

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