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Week 18 of the 2023 fantasy football season features a unique schedule unlike any other week this year. No games will be played on Thursday or Monday, but two games will be played on Saturday instead. One of them is a high-stakes showdown between the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans in prime time with a spot in the NFL playoffs on the line.
Whichever team wins this matchup will automatically clinch its spot in the postseason, so the outcome will be crucial. This will also be an important game for fantasy football players, as this final week of the season will include the championship round of the fantasy playoffs.
With so much on the line, managers will need to make sure all lineup options are properly analyzed. The following breakdown can help.
Saturday Night Football Week 18 Start 'Em & Sit 'Em fantasy football
The Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts both feature a ton of weekly lineup options. While they aren't necessarily loaded with superstars, plenty of their players are capable of solid fantasy football production when playing in the right situations.
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This means that managers should carefully assess all of their potential options before plugging any of them into their starting lineups, especially during the fantasy playoffs.
Determining which fantasy players to target in any game is based on a long list of many variables. These include recent individual performances, injuries to relevant players, potential game scripts, expected offensive roles, direct weekly matchups and projected team totals. This helps to pinpoint the most favorable lineup options and increase weekly projected lineup scores.
This process can be extensive and complicated, but the Start/Sit Optimizer makes it much easier. This useful tool considers every possible factor for any player in a given week to generate lineup suggestions and fantasy projections. Managers who take advantage of it often gain an edge over the rest of their league, which can be pivotal during the 2023 fantasy football playoffs.
Official injury reports are always an important factor when making fantasy lineup decisions. For this matchup, both teams are expected to be relatively healthy, with pretty much all of their usual offensive weapons available. Houston receiver Noah Brown will be the exception, as he has already been ruled out with a back injury.
Taking all of this and much more into careful consideration, here is a list of potential fantasy football players to target and fade on Saturday Night Football in Week 18 of the 2023 NFL season.
Week 18 Fantasy Football Start 'Em Picks
Jonathan Taylor
Jonathan Taylor has been having a frustrating 2023 fantasy football season, mostly due to injuries. He has still been one of the NFL's most productive running backs when healthy.
In each of his seven games this year that he has received at least 10 carries, he has finished among the top 25 weekly fantasy running backs in all of them. He has also scored six touchdowns across his past five games, making him an attractive lineup option this week.
Devin Singletary
Devin Singletary has been having an excellent second half to the 2023 fantasy football season since taking over for Dameon Pierce as the Texans' featured running back. He is averaging nearly 20 touches and 100 yards per game across the past eight weeks with four finishes among the top 15 weekly running backs along the way.
The Colts are allowing the fifth-most fantasy points per game to his position, making Singletary a strong player to target this week.
Michael Pittman
Michael Pittman has emerged as a legitimate WR1 option in fantasy football this year due to his massive volume in the Colts' offense. He ranks among the top 10 wide receivers in the entire NFL in receptions and total targets this season. He recorded eight receptions on 12 targets the last time he faced the Texans, making him an elite option again this week.
Nico Collins
Nico Collins has served as the WR1 for the Texans all season despite breakout performances from Noah Brown and Tank Dell. He ranks among the top 20 wide receivers in total fantasy points scored this year. With Dell and Brown both out with injuries, Collins should be heavily targeted in this crucial Week 18 matchup.
Dalton Schultz
Dalton Schultz is quietly having an excellent 2023 fantasy football season in his first year with the Texans. He has finished among the top 10 weekly tight ends in PPR leagues in exactly half of his 14 games played this year. He has been one of the most consistently reliable options in a traditionally inconsistent fantasy position position.
Week 18 Fantasy Football Sit 'Em Picks
C.J. Stroud
C.J. Stroud has cooled off considerably in recent weeks following a hot streak earlier in the season. After finishing among the top 13 weekly quarterbacks eight times in a 10-game span, he has failed to do so again in any of his past three games. With the Colts allowing the 10th-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks this year, Stroud is better off faded in most lineups.
Gardner Minshew
Gardner Minshew has been a solid replacement for Anthony Richardson this season for the Colts, but he has been difficult to trust in fantasy football lineups. Despite a solid year all-around, he has ranked among the top 12 quarterbacks just three times. While he is an option for Superflex leagues, he can be faded in traditional one-quarterback formats.
Josh Downs
Josh Downs has proven to be a dangerous deep threat in the Colts' offense this year, but his fantasy output hasn't been reliable enough to trust in weekly lineups. He has recorded just three finishes among the top 20 wide receivers in PPR leagues. The Texans also rank inside the top 10 in passing defense, so Downs is not a legitimate Week 18 lineup option.
Robert Woods
Robert Woods should see a significant boost in his usage this week with Noah Brown already ruled out. Serving as the Texans' WR2 this week surely gives him more upside than usual, but he will still be difficult to trust in fantasy lineups. He has failed to finish inside of the top 35 weekly wide receivers in any of his 14 games this season.
