Fantasy football managers who are still playing for something heading into the regular-season finale will find themselves in a very tricky position with multiple NFL teams either playing for nothing or potentially trying to evaluate some younger players for the upcoming offseason.
Here are some of my start/sit options at the RB position for a pivotal Week 18 of NFL action.
Which RB Should You Start in Fantasy This Week?
Breece Hall, New York Jets
After going for a total of 18 yards on seven touches against the Miami Dolphins back in Week 15, Breece Hall has produced 317 total yards and three scores combined over the last two games, which gave fantasy managers a huge boost toward a fantasy championship in their league.
The lone concern you can have for Hall in your fantasy lineup is if the New York Jets face an offense that can blow them off the football field and create a horrid game script.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
As bad as the Jets’ offense has been in 2023, the New England Patriots have been equally terrible. Start Hall with confidence in Week 18.
Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys
Despite the disappointing year from Dallas Cowboys RB Tony Pollard, he has a favorable matchup against a Washington Commanders defense that has given up points to anybody and everybody this year.
Backup RB Rico Dowdle was out of the lineup for Week 17 due to an ankle injury, which led to a season-high 85% of the offensive snaps on Saturday against the Detroit Lions for Pollard.
If he sees north of 15+ carries against the Commanders, expect Pollard to finish his 2023 campaign on a high note in Week 18.
Which RB Should You Sit in Fantasy This Week?
Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers
The fantasy greatness we have seen from Los Angeles Chargers RB Austin Ekeler over the years simply hasn’t been present for the majority of the 2023 season.
His fantasy ceiling has come crashing down to the floor after injuries to Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen, and Mike Williams have helped cripple the explosiveness of this offense around him.
MORE: Tate’s Fantasy Week 18 WR Start/Sit
The fantasy floor is also very risky with Easton Stick under center, which makes Ekeler a pretty high-risk, mild-reward option at the RB position for Week 18.
Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens RB Gus Edwards has been a TD machine this year with 13 rushing scores through the first 17 weeks of the season.
But with the Ravens locking up the No. 1 seed heading into the season finale, it’s hard to imagine Edwards seeing a huge workload for the final game of the regular season.
Trending Searches for RB Start/Sit
Did you know that we have a Start/Sit Optimizer here at Pro Football Network?! It’s completely free to use and allows you to enter up to six players to find the best option to plug into your starting lineup!
It also allows us to see the most popular trending searches, and we’ve jotted some of them down here to help provide some clarity!
Should You Start Austin Ekeler or Derrick Henry?
These two fantasy superstars of yesteryear find themselves potentially playing in their final game with their respective teams. Unfortunately for Ekeler, he’s still stuck with Stick under center heading into their matchup against the Chiefs, who have already locked up the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs.
The Tennessee Titans, on the other hand, have the chance to potentially play spoiler to the Jacksonville Jaguars in what could be Derrick Henry’s final game in a Titans uniform. I like Henry’s chances to find the end zone more than Ekeler’s this week, which has me rolling with the former Heisman Trophy winner in the regular-season finale.
Should You Start Breece Hall or Zamir White?
The recent play from Las Vegas Raiders RB Zamir White has been commendable, to say the least. He has topped 69 yards rushing in three straight games, a yardage mark that Josh Jacobs has topped only two more times than White despite having the lead role for 13 games this year.
However, Hall possesses a similar fantasy floor due to his pass-catching prowess with a much higher fantasy ceiling, which has me rolling with Hall in my lineups for Week 18.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!
