The Green Bay Packers will face the Chicago Bears in Week 18. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding TE Tucker Kraft.
Is Tucker Kraft Playing in Week 18?
Updated at 11:30 AM ET on Sunday, January 5
Kraft is active for today's game.
Kraft was limited at Wednesday and Thursday’s practices due to rest. He practiced in full on Friday and carries no injury designation.
We’ll continue to monitor the Packers’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit Tucker Kraft in Week 18?
This is going to shock you, but the uncertainty in target hierarchy when it comes to the receivers in Green Bay spills over to the tight end position. Tucker Kraft has proven capable of making plays when given the opportunity. While there is enough potential in this profile to land him inside my top 10 with the Packers motivated to avoid the Eagles in the first round of the playoffs, there’s no overlooking the risk that comes with a sporadic role:
- Week 14 at Lions: 21.7% on-field target share
- Week 15 at Seahawks: 7.4% on-field target share
- Week 16 vs. Saints: 21.1% on-field target share
- Week 17 at Vikings: 10.3% on-field target share
Kraft (one target) was shut out in Chicago in Week 11, due in large part to Green Bay throwing just 17 passes. I’m not reading too far into that, preferring the matchup as a whole (third-most yards allowed per pass) over a single data point.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 18 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Tucker Kraft’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 18
As of Sunday, Kraft is projected to score 11.7 fantasy points in PPR formats. This includes 3.8 receptions for 48 yards and 0.5 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
PFN Insight on the Bears' Defense
Most defense-first teams need at least some level of support from the offense before the attrition of a long season wears them down. Unfortunately, the Bears' defense appears to be experiencing that, having slipped towards league average after a strong start.
To their credit, the Bears bounced back with their second-best Defense+ grade of the season (86.0) in the 6-3 loss to the Seahawks. Only the team's Week 5 performance vs. the Carolina Panthers (88.8) graded better this season.
Prior to that, each of Chicago's six worst grades had come over a six-week stretch. Week 17 was the first time since Week 10 that the Bears had finished in the top half of defenses in a single week.
Chicago's defense is more talented than the season-long ranking will indicate. But with the offense providing zero support and the playoffs long out of consideration, the final ranking will reflect a roughly league-average unit.
For more insight on all other team defenses, head to our PFN Defense+ Metric Analysis.
Tucker Kraft’s Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 7:00 AM ET on Sunday, January 5. If you're in a Superflex league, make sure you check out our Week 18 Consensus Superflex Rankings.
Week 18 TE PPR Rankings
1) Brock Bowers | LV (vs. LAC)
2) Sam LaPorta | DET (vs. MIN)
3) Trey McBride | ARI (vs. SF)
4) T.J. Hockenson | MIN (at DET)
5) Mark Andrews | BAL (vs. CLE)
6) Jonnu Smith | MIA (at NYJ)
7) Tucker Kraft | GB (vs. CHI)
8) George Kittle | SF (at ARI)
9) Chigoziem Okonkwo | TEN (vs. HOU)
10) Pat Freiermuth | PIT (vs. CIN)
11) Zach Ertz | WAS (at DAL)
12) Kyle Pitts | ATL (vs. CAR)
13) Hunter Henry | NE (vs. BUF)
14) Will Dissly | LAC (at LV)
15) Isaiah Likely | BAL (vs. CLE)
16) Jake Ferguson | DAL (vs. WAS)
17) Mike Gesicki | CIN (at PIT)
18) Juwan Johnson | NO (at TB)
19) Noah Gray | KC (at DEN)
20) Brenton Strange | JAX (at IND)
21) Dalton Kincaid | BUF (at NE)
22) Dalton Schultz | HOU (at TEN)
23) Cole Kmet | CHI (at GB)
24) Tyler Conklin | NYJ (vs. MIA)
25) Austin Hooper | NE (vs. BUF)
26) Noah Fant | SEA (at LAR)
27) Foster Moreau | NO (at TB)
28) Grant Calcaterra | PHI (vs. NYG)
29) Jordan Akins | CLE (at BAL)
30) Stone Smartt | LAC (at LV)
31) Daniel Bellinger | NYG (at PHI)
32) Ja'Tavion Sanders | CAR (at ATL)
33) Payne Durham | TB (vs. NO)
34) Dawson Knox | BUF (at NE)
35) Michael Mayer | LV (vs. LAC)
Bears at Packers Trends and Insights
Chicago Bears
Team: After Thursday night’s loss, the Bears have a league-high nine games this season in which their offense has not been on the field with a lead for a single snap.
QB: Caleb Williams’ average QB+ this season is 71.04, an underwhelming grade in the scope of the NFL, but not that bad when put up against the average QB+ grades of the three quarterbacks taken first overall prior to him in their introduction to the league.
- 2020 Joe Burrow: 73.33
- 2021 Trevor Lawrence: 71.58
- 2023 Bryce Young: 68.30
Offense: Week 17 was the third time this season that Chicago averaged more yards per run than yards per pass.
Defense: The Bears held the Seahawks to a field goal on their lone red zone trip last week, improving their defensive red zone touchdown rate to 46.7%, the best mark by this franchise since 2011 (44.6%).
Fantasy: D’Andre Swift has the lead role in this backfield without much competition, but because of game script, he’s reached 15 carries just once in his past seven games.
Betting: Chicago is 0-3 ATS on extended rest this season, and all three have come on the road (cumulative score differential compared to the spread: -35 points).
Green Bay Packers
Team: The Packers have lost to just two teams since Week 2, and yet, they will finish third in the NFC North this season.
QB: Over his past six games, Jordan Love has five touchdown passes and zero interceptions against the blitz (this season prior: five touchdowns against five interceptions).
Offense: On Sunday, the Packers averaged a season-low 27.4 yards per drive (they are 3-3 this season when averaging under 32 yards per drive).
Defense: Green Bay’s four worst defensive efforts on third down this season have come on the road, three of which came in the division. They are going to be on the road this postseason, and there will likely be NFC North teams in their way at some point.
Fantasy: Josh Jacobs has a rushing score in seven straight games, tying Paul Hornung's franchise record.
Betting: Green Bay has covered each of their past three home games and their total cover margin in those contests has been 51.5 points (overall score: 102-27).