NFL Week 18 Recap: Fantasy football takeaways

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

PFF's fantasy football recap focuses on player usage and stats, breaking down all the vital information you need to achieve fantasy success in 2025.

Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Miscellaneous Notes

• The Panthers made a significant change to their wide receiver depth chart. Jalen Coker played 100% of the snaps in two-receiver sets after playing 8.5% from Weeks 7-17. This came at Xavier Legette‘s expense, who played 83.1% during that time span. Legette’s playing time in 11 personnel also declined from 76.3% from Weeks 7-17 to 46.9% in this game. He split time with seventh-round rookie Jimmy Horn Jr.
• The Buccaneers‘ wide receiver rotation has stabilized. For the second straight week, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin Jr. played between 70-80% of the offensive snaps, Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan played between 50-60%, and Tez Johnson played between 10-20%.

Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers

Miscellaneous Notes

• The Seahawks rotated A.J. Barner more than usual in this game. He was on the injury report due to elbow and hip injuries, which likely contributed to his playing time. The Seahawks also had a game plan heavily focused on the run game, which also potentially led their run-blocking tight end Eric Saubert to play more than usual.
• San Francisco wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was limited in practice all week due to knee and ankle injuries. He was ruled questionable on Thursday but didn't play. Two weeks ago, when Pearsall didn’t play, Kendrick Bourne completely took over Pearsall’s role. This week, Bourne took over in 11 personnel, but Demarcus Robinson was the second primary receiver in two-receiver sets.
• 49ers‘ tight end George Kittle returned after missing last week due to an ankle injury. He was questionable for this game, but he played his usual snap alotment, reaching 95.2% of the offensive snaps.

New Orleans Saints @ Atlanta Falcons

Miscellaneous Notes

• Saints running back Audric Estime’s snap rate increased each of the last five weeks. He played 83.8% of the offensive snaps in this game, including at least 60% in every situation.
• Wide receiver Chris Olave was inactive due to a blood clot in his lungs, while Mason Tipton was placed on injured reserve due to a groin injury. This left New Orleans without its top five wide receivers from the start of the season. Kevin Austin Jr. and Dante Pettis were the primary wide receivers, while practice squad callup Ronnie Bell joined in three-receiver sets.
• The Saints placed backup tight ends Jack Stoll and Zaire Mitchell-Paden on injured reserve this week after placing Foster Moreau on injured reserve last week. This left Moliki Matavao as their run-blocking tight end.
• Taysom Hill suffered a right shoulder injury late in the third quarter and didn’t return to the game.
• Falcons tight end Charlie Woerner played a season-low four offensive snaps, as the team stuck almost entirely with 11 and 21 personnel, and Woerner mostly plays in 12 and 13 personnel.

Cleveland Browns @ Cincinnati Bengals

Miscellaneous Notes

• Browns running back Dylan Sampson played a season-high 50% of the Browns' offensive snaps, as Quinshon Judkins and Jerome Ford were both on injured reserve. He played 60% of the early-down snaps and 75% of the two-minute drill snaps. Raheim Sanders was the early-down backup, while Trayveon Williams was the passing-down back.
• Harold Fannin Jr. was inactive due to a groin injury, while David Njoku missed another game due to a knee injury. This left Blake Whiteheart as the primary tight end, while Brenden Bates joined him in 12 personnel, and Sal Cannella took the majority of the third-down snaps.
• Bengals tight end Drew Sample played a season-high 72.1% of the offensive snaps. His second-highest rate was in Week 1, which was the Bengals’ other matchup with the Browns. His snap rate typically increases when the Bengals are facing a strong pass rush.

Indianapolis Colts @ Houston Texans

Miscellaneous Notes

• Texans running back Nick Chubb was inactive, potentially suggesting he has fallen below the other running backs on the depth chart, and he doesn’t provide special teams value. He had only played five offensive snaps last week. It wouldn’t be surprising if Chubb is inactive in the wild-card round. He is a free agent after the season and seems unlikely to re-sign with Houston.
• Nico Collins is the one veteran Houston decided to rest this week. This allowed Jayden Higgins to be the lead wide receiver, while Xavier Hutchinson also played notably more snaps. Justin Watson was activated off injured reserve this week, leaving him as the backup outside wide receiver. This didn’t impact Christian Kirk or Jaylin Noel‘s playing time.
• The Texans took some starters out of the game in the second half, as the division was no longer in reach. That included Davis Mills taking over C.J. Stroud, while Cade Stover and Harrison Bryant took over for Dalton Schultz at tight end.
• Colts running back Jonathan Taylor played a season-low 52.3% of the offensive snaps, while rookie D.J. Giddens‘ role increased as the game progressed. Ameer Abdullah has typically been the backup, but this gave Indianapolis their first honest look at Giddens in a regular-season game.
• Wide receiver Alec Pierce was ejected from the game for making contact with an official. Ashton Dulin took over as the Colts’ X receiver for the rest of the game.

Tennessee Titans @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Miscellaneous Notes

• Titans quarterback Cam Ward suffered a shoulder injury while scoring a touchdown early in the first quarter and didn’t return to the game. Brandon Allen took over at quarterback.
• Tennessee tight end Gunnar Helm didn't practice all week due to a toe injury. He was ruled out on Friday. This left both Chig Okonkwo and David Martin-Robinson playing a higher percentage of the TItans‘ offensive snaps.
• Brian Thomas Jr. missed most of the second quarter for the Jacksonville Jaguars due to injury, resulting in Tim Patrick getting an increased role.
• The Jaguars rested several starters for all of the fourth quarter, resulting in players like Travis Etienne Jr. and Brenton Strange playing a lower snap rate than usual. Their snap rates over the first three quarters were normal.

Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings

Miscellaneous Notes

• Vikings halfback Aaron Jones Sr. didn't practice all week due to a hip injury. He was ruled out on Friday. Jordan Mason missed last week due to an ankle injury, but he was the main running back for this game. He rotated with Ty Chandler, who played more in passing situations.
• Vikings' tight end T.J. Hockenson was ruled out due to a shoulder injury, his second straight absence. He didn't practice all week. He was ruled out on Friday. Josh Oliver was the lead tight end last week and the start of this week, but he suffered an ankle injury and missed the second half. This left Ben Yurosek and Ben Sims in a two-man rotation, while Sims played slightly more in passing situations, and Yurosek played more in rushing situations.
• The Packers rested several starters. Running back Josh Jacobs was inactive. Quarterback Jordan Love and wide receivers Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs didn’t play a snap. Wide receiver Jayden Reed and tight end Luke Musgrave played but were held to single-digit snaps.
• Packers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks didn't practice all week due to a concussion. He was ruled doubtful on Friday but didn't play.
• The Packers placed wide receiver Savion Williams on injured reserve on Saturday.
• The most notable player who still played for Green Bay was Matthew Golden, who played 100% of the Packers' offensive snaps.

Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants

Miscellaneous Notes

• The Cowboys placed running backs Javonte Williams and Malik Davis on injured reserve on Saturday. This left Jaydon Blue as the starter, while Phil Mafah was activated from injured reserve on Saturday to be the backup.
• Dallas pulled quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens at halftime. Joe Milton III took over at quarterback, while Ryan Flournoy, Jonathan Mingo and Jalen Tolbert were the primary wide receivers.
• The Giants placed wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson on injured reserve on Saturday. This left Isaiah Hodgins playing more consistently in two-receiver sets, while Gunner Olszewski became the slot receiver in 11 personnel.
• New York tight end Theo Johnson didn't practice all week and missed his second straight game due to an illness. He was ruled out on Friday. Daniel Bellinger took over as the primary tight end, similar to last week.

New York Jets @ Buffalo Bills

Miscellaneous Notes

• Jets running back Breece Hall was inactive due to a knee injury, while backup Isaiah Davis was placed on injured reserve due to a concussion. This led Khalil Herbert to be the Jets' lead back, while Kene Nwangwu mixed in, particularly on passing downs.
• Tight end Mason Taylor missed his fourth-straight game due to a neck injury, while backup Jelani Woods was out due to a hamstring injury. This left a two-man rotation between Stone Smartt and Jeremy Ruckert. Smartt played more in passing situations, and Ruckert played more on run plays.
• The Bills generally rested their star players. While veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks was the only skill player who was inactive, wide receiver Khalil Shakir didn’t play a snap, while quarterback Josh Allen, running back James Cook III, wide receiverTyrell Shavers and tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox were held to 10 snaps each or fewer.

Detroit Lions @ Chicago Bears

Miscellaneous Notes

• Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze missed his third straight game due to a foot injury. Olamide Zaccheaus returned this week from his illness but only played six offensive snaps. Luther Burden III played 61.8% of the offensive snaps, his second-highest rate in a game this season. It was also his first time playing over 50% of the snaps in 12 personnel. Jahdae Walker was the primary third wide receiver.
• Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown didn't practice on Wednesday but was limited on Thursday and Friday due to knee and ankle injuries and was questionable, but he was active. He played his normal snap share.

Los Angeles Chargers @ Denver Broncos

Miscellaneous Notes

• Denver wide receiver Pat Bryant returned after missing last week due to a concussion. He was back to being the clear second wide receiver, playing 66.1% of the offensive snaps. 
• Denver tight end Nate Adkins was active this week after missing last week due to a knee injury. This left Marcedes Lewis inactive and Evan Engram playing a limited role.
• Chargers halfback Omarion Hampton was ruled out Friday due to an ankle injury. He didn't practice all week.
• Los Angeles' running back Kimani Vidal returned after missing last week due to a neck injury. However, he was the backup, mostly playing on passing downs. It’s unclear how much of his missed time was due to injury or Los Angeles resting essential players. Jaret Patterson was the Chargers‘ primary running back.
• Quarterback Justin Herbert and wide receivers Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston didn’t play.  Wide receiver Keenan Allen and tight end Oronde Gadsden played surprisingly large roles. Allen played his usual role as the third wide receiver in three-receiver sets, while Gadsden was rotated out more than usual.

Arizona Cardinals @ Los Angeles Rams

Miscellaneous Notes

• Los Angeles' wide receiver Davante Adams was inactive due to a hamstring injury, his third straight absence. He didn't practice on Wednesday but was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday. Jordan Whittington was no longer part of the wide receiver rotation. Konata Mumpfield and Xavier Smith remained the primary wide receivers outside of Puka Nacua, while Tutu Atwell a distant fourth option.
• The Rams activated tight end Tyler Higbee from injured reserve on Saturday. Terrance Ferguson was a late addition to the injury report due to a hamstring and was inactive. Higbee played behind Colby Parkinson in 11 personnel, but both had over 19 PPR points this week.
• The Cardinals placed wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. on injured reserve on Friday. Michael Wilson was back to being the X receiver, while Xavier Weaver played Z. Arizona mainly used 12 and 13 personnel, despite playing from behind.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Las Vegas Raiders

Miscellaneous Notes

• The Chiefs rested Isiah Pacheco for this game. They gave Brashard Smith the opportunity to be the lead back, while Kareem Hunt primarily played in passing situations. Pacheco and Hunt are both slated to be free agents this offseason.
• Chiefs' wide receiver Xavier Worthy didn't practice all week due to an illness. He was ruled doubtful on Friday and didn't play. Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton were also recently put on injured reserve. This left Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster as the top two wide receivers, while fourth-round rookie Jalen Royals had a significant role for the first time this season.
• Running back Ashton Jeanty played a career-high 96.8% of the Raiders‘ offensive snaps. Raheem Mostert missed his second straight game due to knee and ankle injuries. Zamir White was the backup running back.
• Las Vegas wide receiver Jack Bech returned after missing last week due to a back injury. He was the other primary starter opposite Tre Tucker.

Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots

Miscellaneous Notes

• New England wide receiver Kayshon Boutte was active this week after missing last week due to a concussion. He was back to leading the team in snaps.
• The Patriots played backups for roughly 25% of the game, leading to higher-than-expected snap rates for running back D’Ernest Johnson, wide receivers Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III and tight end C.J. Dippre.
• Miami's halfback De'Von Achane didn't practice all week due to a shoulder injury. He was ruled doubtful on Friday but didn't play. Jaylen Wright led a two-man rotation with Ollie Gordon II.
• Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle couldn't play due to a rib injury. Malik Washington and Cedrick Wilson Jr. were the main two wide receivers, while Tahj Washington and Theo Wease Jr. rotated in significantly in 11 personnel.
• The Dolphins placed tight end Darren Waller on injured reserve on Friday. This left Greg Dulcich as the Dolphins' only receiving tight end.

Washington Commanders @ Philadelphia Eagles

Miscellaneous Notes

• Ben Sinnott was taking a lead over John Bates in the Commanders' tight end rotation in 11 personnel, but Bates led the team in snaps this week. Sinnott, Bates and Colson Yankoff all played four of a possible 12 snaps in 11 personnel on third downs. If Zach Ertz retires or doesn’t return, and Washington sticks with these three tight ends, it could be hard to trust any of them for fantasy purposes without a significant change in their rotation.
• The Eagles rested key players quarterback Jalen Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley, wide receiver A.J. Brown and tight end Dallas Goedert.
• Wide receiver DeVonta Smith only played nine snaps. He caught three passes for 52 yards, which helped him reach over 1,000 yards on the season.
• Philadelphia used a classic two-man rotation at running back, as Tank Bigsby played over 80% of the snaps on early downs, short-yardage situations and goal-line snaps, while Will Shipley played 100% of the third-down and two-minute snaps. If the Eagles keep the same three running backs next season, then Bigsby should be considered the clear handcuff. All three are under contract for 2026.

Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Miscellaneous Notes

• Baltimore wide receiver Rashod Bateman couldn't play due to an illness. He didn't practice all week. Devontez Walker took the 22 personnel snaps and took over for Bateman in 12 and 21 personnel. LaJohntay Wester took over for Bateman in 11 personnel, joining Zay Flowers and DeAndre Hopkins.
• Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell played over 60% of the offensive snaps for the second straight week. He only hit that benchmark twice over the first 16 weeks. Jaylen Warren was injured in both of the previous games in which Gainwell hit the benchmark. Similarly, these last two games were the lowest two snap rates of Warren’s season among games where he stayed healthy.
• Pittsburgh wide receiver Calvin Austin III was back in the lineup after missing last week due to a hamstring injury. Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Adam Thielen remained the primary wide receivers in 11 and 12 personnel, while Austin joined them in 11 personnel.
• Pat Freiermuth took over as the primary tight end in 11 personnel after the Steelers placed tight end Darnell Washington on injured reserve on Wednesday. Jonnu Smith also played more snaps.

Table notes

• Snaps include plays called back due to penalties, including offensive holding or defensive pass interference. The other three stats have these plays removed.
• Targets may differ from official NFL sources. The most likely discrepancy would be from a clear thrown-away pass, where the NFL may give the target to the nearest receiver, while this data will not.
• Carries are only on designed plays. Quarterback scrambles won’t count for the total number of carries in the game.