Video: Who’s Even Playing? Week 18 Fantasy Survival Guide

Resting starters, iffy snap counts, unsettled situations. It's a tough week to set your fantasy football lineup. But that's why we're here to help.

By Matt Schauf • Updated on January 2, 2026 8:17 PM UTC

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Week 18 is here, and if you’re still setting lineups, you already know what comes with it: rested starters, snap-count roulette, and late-week chaos.

In this episode, Matt Schauf and Jared Smola break down the toughest Week 18 start-sit decisions, focusing on teams expected to rest starters like the Chargers, Packers, Bills, and Eagles. We cover how aggressive to be with the Rams, whether any Packers or Bills backups are actually usable, why Eagles players might be impossible to trust, the Bears’ motivation, and the uncertainty surrounding the Cowboys. All of it is backed by Draft Sharks’ Week 18 projections and rankings, with updates continuing right through inactives to help you squeeze every last edge out of the final week.

TIMESTAMPS

Timestamp	Show Notes
0:00	Intro
1:11	What to do with Chargers
4:48	Stay away from Packers
6:09	What to do with Bills
10:52	Are we underrating the Rams in Week 18?
13:58	Start Tanner McKee, Tank Bigsby, or Jahan Dotson?
17:00	Trust the Bears?
18:58	What does Rams decision mean for Jacoby Brissett and the Cardinals?
21:40	Trust the Cowboys?
23:41	Dallas backfield gets complicated
25:38	Trust Lamar Jackson?
29:03	What Riley Leonard means for Michael Pittman and Colts offense
32:08	Seahawks RBs still annoying
34:02	Which Commanders RB should you play?

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Fantasy Football Start Sit Week 18: Avoid The Buffalo Bills

Matt Schauf, Editor

Matt has earned two Fantasy Pros accuracy awards for IDP rankings and won thousands of dollars as a player across best ball, dynasty, and high-stakes fantasy formats. He has been creating fantasy football content for more than 20 years, with work featured by Sporting News, Rotoworld, Athlon, Sirius XM, and others. He's been with Draft Sharks since 2011.