Fantasy Football Playoffs Week 18 Start ‘Em & Sit ‘Em: Zach Charbonnet finishes strong, plus sleepers

On Wednesday’s Fantasy Football Today podcast, we asked people to email us if they still hold their Fantasy championship in Week 18. I was surprised by how many responses we got.

Some said they hold a two-week championship that starts in Week 17. Others said they do total points through the end of the season. And some said they just like doing it “because it’s a challenge.”

Here was one response from a podcast listener named David.

“Yes, it’s difficult at the end, but it rewards managers who stay active, keep up with clinching scenarios and attempt to project start/sit situations,” David wrote. “Winning these leagues means a lot more to us.”

That’s all I needed to see. So with that in mind, here is the Week 18 Start ‘Em & Sit ‘Em. It’s a challenging scoring period with several teams resting players for the playoffs, but we’ll navigate all the scenarios as best as we can.

I appreciate all of you who have read this column once again this season. And hopefully we helped you win a Fantasy championship in 2024 — and you’ll be back again in 2025.

Zach Charbonnet’s performance in Week 17 at Chicago was one of the bigger disappointments of the season. He scored 10.6 PPR points, which wasn’t a total disaster, but so much more was expected of him with Kenneth Walker III (calf) out.

Charbonnet will start again in Week 18 at the Rams, and I expect him to rebound in a big way. The Rams are planning to rest several starters on defense because of the playoffs, and Charbonnet should excel against backups.

The Rams have allowed four running backs to score at least 13.5 PPR points in their past six games, but that was with their starters active. While Seattle has nothing to play for after being eliminated from the playoffs, expect the Seahawks to go all out, especially Charbonnet.

He grew up in Camarillo, CA, which is near Los Angeles, and he played collegiately at UCLA. Last year, he scored 12.9 PPR points at the Rams with 15 carries for 47 yards and six catches for 22 yards, but I’m expecting a better performance in Week 18.

I thought Charbonnet would be a top 10 running back in Week 17, but he let us down. He won’t do the same thing again in the season finale, and he should end the year with a bang.

Buccaneers (vs. NO)

The Saints will likely once again be without Derek Carr (hand) and Alvin Kamara (groin), and this offense has been a disaster for the past two weeks against Green Bay and Las Vegas. New Orleans combined for 10 points in those two games while giving up seven sacks, one fumble and three interceptions. I like the Buccaneers DST as a top-five Fantasy option in Week 18.

• Broncos (vs. KC)
• Seahawks (at LAR)
• Dolphins (at NYJ)

Chiefs (at DEN)

The Chiefs are expected to rest several starters on defense with the No. 1 seed in the AFC locked up, and the Broncos need to win this game to get the final AFC wild-card spot. Bo Nix has been sacked just five times in his past four games, and Kansas City only sacked him twice in Week 10 when the defense was playing its starters. You should find a different DST option in Week 18 and sit the Chiefs DST in this matchup.