The Cincinnati Bengals will face the Pittsburgh Steelers 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 RB Khalil Herbert.
Is Khalil Herbert Playing in Week 18?
Bengals RB Chase Brown is inactive, which means Herbert will get the start in Week 18 against the Steelers.
We’ll continue to monitor the Bengals’ 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 Khalil Herbert in Week 18?
Once upon a time, Khalil Herbert was a popular fantasy breakout pick as the presumptive Bears RB1. In 2023, he posted three games of 19+ fantasy points.
Top 10 in yards per touch and evaded tackles per touch in 2022, Herbert does have talent. Unfortunately, the stigma of being a sixth round pick is hard to overcome.
This is big audition for Herbert, who will get once chance to prove to an NFL team he’s worth of a role next year. You can bet he’s going to give it 100% effort.
With that said, fantasy managers expecting Herbert to be a one-for-one Chase Brown replacement will likely leave disappointed. For the past eight weeks, Brown has played over 80% of the snaps. Herbert will almost certainly rotate with the Bengals backup of choice this week, while the Bengals, who lead the league with a 65% neutral game script pass rate, continue being the most pass-heavy team in the league.
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.
Khalil Herbert’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 18
As of Saturday, Herbert is projected to score 5.6 fantasy points in PPR formats. This includes 6.4 rushing attempts for 30.5 yards and 0.2 touchdowns. It also includes 0.8 receptions for 4.9 yards and 0 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
Khalil Herbert’s Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 11:45 PM ET on Saturday, January 25.
Conference Championship RB PPR Rankings
1) Saquon Barkley | PHI (vs. WAS)
2) James Cook | BUF (at KC)
3) Brian Robinson Jr. | WAS (at PHI)
4) Isiah Pacheco | KC (vs. BUF)
5) Kareem Hunt | KC (vs. BUF)
6) Austin Ekeler | WAS (at PHI)
7) Ray Davis | BUF (at KC)
8) Ty Johnson | BUF (at KC)
9) Samaje Perine | KC (vs. BUF)
10) Kenneth Gainwell | PHI (vs. WAS)
11) Jeremy McNichols | WAS (at PHI)
12) Will Shipley | PHI (vs. WAS)
13) Carson Steele | KC (vs. BUF)
14) Reggie Gilliam | BUF (at KC)
15) Chris Rodriguez Jr. | WAS (at PHI)