Week 18 in NFL DFS is always a bit wonky, so take the terms “cash game” and “GPP” with a grain of salt. For the most part, we want to target good players in meaningful situations, or players that aren’t at risk of being benched for no reason.
Chalky studs like Bijan Robinson and Ja’Marr Chase are still great plays, but they also have little to play for, so you just never know what can happen. There are several playoff seeds and even division titles up for grabs yet, giving us a decent chunk of options we can at least feel confident will play the majority of their game.
That said, beyond the obvious plays, you need some viable options who won’t be super owned. If you are looking for some NFL DFS GPP picks, I’ve got you covered with my favorite pivot at every position this week:
Top Quarterback Pivot: Bo Nix – Broncos ($6.2k)
Trevor Lawrence looks like the chalk, as he still has to officially win the AFC South. Nix has to play to win anyways, as New England plays at the same time and they also could win the #1 seed.
Despite this fact, Nix is half as owned as T-Law and both less expensive and less owned than both of these guys. Nix has a built in rushing floor and could be facing Chargers backups by the end of the game.
L.A. isn’t the friendliest matchup on paper, but Nix has a solid floor with 20+ fantasy points in each of his last three games and four of his last five. He’s shaping up as my favorite tourney play at QB.
Contrarian RB Pick: TreVeyon Henderson – Patriots ($6.1k)
Hendo is still going to lose some work to Rhamondre Stevenson, but he also saw 19 touches last week. That tells us he’s healthy and will retain a sizable role, so if he can simply turn those touches into some big plays, we’ll be cooking with gas.
Despite the talent+role, Henderson is carrying roughly 6% ownership. We know the Pats will try hard to win their game, while Miami is a defense we can target with confidence. The Dolphins rank just 23rd against fantasy RBs on the year, so this is a matchup we can take advantage of.
Top WR Tourney Play: Jerry Jeudy – Browns ($4.1k)
I have some interest in Shedeur Sanders and this Browns passing game, seeing as they are closing the year out against a bad Bengals defense. Sanders feels risky, but targeting some of his passing game weapons is somewhat safer and still not something that will be owned.
Insert Jeudy, who saves us some money at $4.1k, has a sublime matchup, and could benefit from an enhanced role with Cleveland’s top two tight ends sidelined to end the year.
Best TE Pivot: Tyler Warren – Colts ($4.4k)
Michael Mayer and Juwan Johnson are two chalky plays at tight end that can save us some cash, while there’s always the tried and true Trey McBride. I’m not sure this is the position I’d work hard to get different, but one guy that does stand out is Tyler Warren.
The rookie has been sensational in his first year, and while he’s slowed down recently, his matchup looks pretty good on paper. He faces a tough Houston defense, but one that has given up a lot of production to TEs lately, ranking 28th against the position over the last four weeks.
Indy will most certainly be trailing in this one, while Riley Leonard gets the start and could end up dumping the ball off quite a bit.
More Week 18 NFL DFS GPP Picks
- Jacoby Brissett, QB, Cardinals ($5.6k)
- Tanner McKee, QB, Eagles ($4.5k)
- Jaydon Blue, RB, Cowboys ($4.3k)
- Jaylen Wright, RB, Dolphins ($4.2k)
- Luther Burden, WR, Bears ($5.3k)
- Isaac TeSlaa, WR, Lions ($3.7k)
- Hunter Henry, TE, Patriots ($4.5k)
I am putting these guys as tentative GPP plays just because I’m not certain about some of the ownership. For instance, guys like Blue and Wright are so cheap and talented that they should be garnering ownership, but at the moment I’m not seeing it. I like both a lot given the prices, roles, and matchups, but Blue is the preferred punt.
Jacoby has quieted down the past two weeks, but he’s facing a Rams defense with nothing to play for and the same concentrated target share can be expected. I love Brissett/Wilson/McBride stacks to end the season.
McKee is going to get the start with Philly resting everyone.
He was awesome during the preseason and has a tasty matchup with the Commanders. He looks like an excellent punt that can free up money to get some of the top cash game plays for the week.
Burden is still too cheap for the role he has. It sounds like Chicago wants to hold onto the 2-seed and also get Caleb Williams to 4,000+ passing yards, so look for Bears guys to play a good amount of this game.
TeSlaa also stands out, as Chicago is a good matchup and the Lions are eliminated from playoff contention. They have zero reason not to let their raw rookie go and ball out to end the season.
Henry has a soft matchup against Miami and his Pats are playing for the top seed in the AFC. He is TD reliant, but the role is solid and he won’t be owned at all.
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