Which NFL Teams are Resting Starters in Week 18?

There are still some playoff spots up for grabs during Week 18, but there will be plenty of NFL teams resting starters because they have nothing left to play for. 

Let’s highlight those teams that will be resting starters and discuss which players could sit out, opening up some opportunities for NFL DFS on PrizePicks in Week 18.

Week 18 also brings our final full slate of games for NFL DFS before the NFL Playoffs. Get in on the NFL DFS action for Week 18 on PrizePicks.

‍

Kansas City Chiefs Resting Starters

The Chiefs have already secured the top seed in the AFC, so they are going to rest some of their key starters for their Week 18 matchup with the Broncos. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has already said that QB Carson Wentz will start in place of QB Patrick Mahomes.

Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco is currently battling a rib injury. While Reid said that he expects Pacheco to be ready for the playoffs, the Chiefs are expected to sit him this week. It’s likely they’ll let RB Kareem Hunt rest as well, so expect RB Samaje Perine to lead the backfield.

It would also be a surprise to see Chiefs TE Travis Kelce take the field. When the Chiefs rested their key starters in Week 18 last season, Kelce did not take the field. In that game last year, they also did not play top WR Rashee Rice. 

The Broncos need a win to secure the last AFC Wild Card spot, while the Dolphins and Bengals needs a Broncos loss for a chance to get into the Playoffs.

Buffalo Bills Resting Starters for Most of Game

The Bills have clinched the #2 seed in the AFC. Bills QB Josh Allen will start Week 18 against the Patriots, but that is just to keep his consecutive games played streak alive. Bills head coach Sean McDermott said that Allen’s appearance will be a “very, very short-lived amount of time.” Bills QB Mitchell Trubisky will take over once Allen is done for the afternoon.

With Allen getting the start, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Bills played the rest of their starters for however long Allen remains in the game. However, once he comes off the field, expect other starters to join him. We might not see much of Bills RB James Cook or Bills WR Amari Cooper. Expect Bills RB Ray Davis and Bills RB Ty Johnson to receive additional carries.

Bills coach Sean McDermott said: “What we're going to do is you'll see some starters out there playing, and you'll see some other players who we want to take a good look at. So it'll be a blend of both.”

‍

💰 Use Promo Code "Playbook": Get $50 instantly with your first $5 NFL Lineup

‍

Philadelphia Eagles to Rest Key Starters

The Eagles are locked into the #2 seed in the NFC. Head coach Nick Sirianni said they will rest some of their key starters for their Week 18 matchup with the Giants. That will likely include QB Jalen Hurts, who is still recovering from a concussion that forced him to miss Week 17. Eagles QB Kenny Pickett (ribs) also hasn’t practiced this week, so Eagles QB Tanner McKee could get the start.

Eagles RB Saquon Barkley has a chance to set the all-time single-season rushing record with 101 more yards on the ground. However, Barkley will be one of the starters who won’t take the field for Week 18. Expect Eagles WR A.J. Brown to also get the week off. Even Eagles WR DeVonta Smith might not play.

The Eagles will run with RB Kenny Gainwell as RB, with Will Shipley behind him. At WR, we should see Jahan Dotson and Johnny Wilson leading the team.

Los Angeles Rams Clinched, Resting Matthew Stafford

The Rams have secured the NFC West title, however, they could still secure the #3 seed with a win — a loss with a Buccaneers win (vs, the Saints) drops them to #4 and a matchup with a 14-3 Lions or Vikings team. However, Rams head coach Sean McVay has said that QB Matthew Stafford won’t play in Week 18 versus the Seahawks. Rams QB Jimmy Garoppolo will get the start in his place. 

McVay said resting starters is “probably the direction that we’ll go.” That means most of these Rams players are off the table for NFL DFS this week.

With Stafford out, Rams WR Puka Nacua and Rams WR Cooper Kupp might also take the week off.

Don’t expect to see Rams RB Kyren Williams take the field, either. McVay said that he is excited to see what Rams RB Blake Corum can do with a heavy workload. He even mentioned that RB Cody Schrader could receive carries.

Other Potential Teams Resting Starters

There are a few teams who haven’t said they will rest starters, but still could in Week 18, setting up a buyer-beware situation for Week 18.

First is the Houston Texans, who are locked into the No. 4 seed in the AFC after winning the AFC South. Coach DeMeco Ryans has been somewhat vague about resting starters, saying: “Everybody has to be ready to go. Everybody will be out there playing and then we’ll see how the game goes.”

In all likelihood, the Texans starters won’t play the full games, but instead try to get right after getting embarrassed on Christmas Day against the Ravens.

In the two Saturday NFL games, the Steelers are in the late game, with the Ravens — currently leading the division — playing in the early game at 4:30 p.m. ET. If the Ravens win their game against the Browns, the Steelers have no chance to win the AFC North, making their game mostly meaningless. However, head coach Mike Tomlin said he hasn't "pondered" resting starters at all. "I doubt I'll be in that mentality," Tomlin said. Expect the Steelers to play all starters, but proceed with caution.

Even if the Ravens win, the Steelers will be playing for seeding in the Playoffs, as the fifth seed will get a matchup with the Texans, who have been stumbling down the stretch.

Lastly, the Chargers could rest starters as well, as they could move up in the Wild Card rankings. They're currently No. 6 in the AFC behind the Steelers, who play on Saturday. If the Steelers lose tot he Bengals, the Chargers could move up to No. 6. with a win. If the Steelers win, the Chargers could rest their starters as they'd be locked into the No. 6 seed. Coach Jim Harbaugh did not give a clear answer if they would rest starters in that scenario.

Teams that Need to Win in Week 18

Here are the teams you can count on to be business as usual in Week 18, as they all need a win for different reasons.

• Atlanta Falcons — Need a win to stay alive in the NFC South.
• Baltimore Ravens — Win the AFC North with a win.
• Cincinnati Bengals — Need to win vs. Steelers, in addition to Broncos and Dolphins losses.
• Denver Broncos — Clinch AFC Wild Card spot with a win vs. Chiefs.
• Detroit Lions — Win the NFC North and clinch #1 seed in NFC with a win.
• Miami Dolphins — Win AFC Wild Card spot win and Broncos loss. Both games are in the 4 p.m. ET window on Sunday.
• Minnesota Vikings — Win the NFC North and clinch #1 seed in NFC with a win.
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Win the NFC South with a win vs. the Saints.

‍

Build Your Week 18 NFL DFS Lineup on PrizePicks

Some playoff teams will use Week 18 to rest key starters heading into the playoffs. While that makes things interesting for NFL DFS, there is still money to be won on PrizePicks.

Many starters will rest, but other teams will be looking to give young players more opportunities this week in many meaningless games.

There are no salary constraints on PrizePicks, so pick two or more projections for your favorite players, finalize your lineup, sit back, and enjoy the games.