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The second toughest slate – only behind Week 1 – is upon us. The DFS matchups for Week 18 are not easily predicted as there are vast directions each game could go. With seven teams from each conference now making the playoffs, what used to be a throwaway week for fantasy, is now one we can play in hopes of some high-scoring contests. However, where we found values prior to 2020, are now areas with questions.

Although he plays mostly out of the slot, whenever slot corner Byron Murphy lines up there, the Seahawks move Tyler Lockett to the outside. After a massive performance from D.K. Metcalf in Week 17, DraftKings pumped his price up $500 and I expect the field to follow. I’ll be off Metcalf outside of a couple of lineups in Week 18. To finish off the stack on the Seahawks, I don’t mind running Rashaad Penny out with Russell Wilson.

The High Value Touch DFS Index is here to help you find the best plays for the dollar in DFS. This is done by looking at leaders in Carries Inside The 10-Yard Line Per Game and Targets Inside The 10-Yard Line Per Game and comparing their prices on DraftKings and FanDuel to create a rating. We look at these touches close to the end zone because touchdowns lead to fantasy points, and fantasy points lead to cashing our lineups in DFS!

James Conner, David Montgomery, and Antonio Gibson are all cash and tournament viable in Week 18, making for great plays. Myles Gaskin and Zack Moss at this moment in time look like players to fade. Check the news updates for the early games and the late games in the event there are some unexpected surprises. 

No longer tethered to Jared Goff, we see the blossoming of a star receiver with Cooper Kupp. He’s always been a weapon for the Rams, but with Matthew Stafford calling the shots, he’s unleashed on the NFL and boy has it been a joy to watch. The Rams also have valuable weapons Van Jefferson and Odell Beckham, making a case for the most talented trio of wide receivers for any team. They will surely make plays, but Kupp is who Stafford looks to, and there’s no reason why he should stop.

The Jimmy Garoppolo injury opened the door for Trey Lance to start. After a slow start against Houston, he finished with 249 passing yards, 31 rushing yards, and two passing touchdowns. The rookie quarterback numbers from the 2021 NFL Draft have been a mixed bag, so it was refreshing to see him play competently. If Garoppolo can put in a limited or full practice on Friday, and with a playoff appearance on the line, the team may prefer the established veteran to start.

The Packers have not only clinched the NFC North divisional title, but also the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams have campaigned to play in this meaningless game for the Packers, but odds are they will sit out a significant portion of the game, if not all of it. For gamers playing in Week 18, or those eager to make DFS lineups, wait for confirmation as to whether or not key veteran skill players will play.

The only fantasy option from this Lions passing attack is Amon-Ra St. Brown, who was a league winner for many. His Target Share over the last five weeks? 32.2-percent. To put that in context, Cooper Kupp’s 32.3-percent Target Share ranks No. 2 in the league. For Week 18 and DFS purposes, there’s no reason to think St. Brown will stop now. He’s a strong WR2 play.

It’s Week 18 and the Titans can lock up the AFC one seed with a win. No doubt they’ll trot out D’Onta Foreman, who just ran for 132 yards and a touchdown last week. Entering Week 17, Tennessee averaged 31.7 (No. 2) Team Run Plays Per Game, and Foreman now has three games of 100-plus rushing yards in his last five. Expect the Titans to play hard for the top seed and expect Foreman to be a big part of that against a weak run defense.

This week, the Cardinals are looking forward to the playoffs while Seahawks will try to spoil a division rival’s playoff seeding. Wilson, outside of airing it out against the Texans and Lions, has been a mediocre fantasy QB post-injury, with both his yards per attempt and completion percentage dipping from pre-injury Russ. He does not hold much rushing value either, so do not expect him to be a great play this week.

The Browns can officially chalk up their season as lost. Baker Mayfield is playing through injuries and pumping out inefficient performances, even making Jarvis Landry an unreliable fantasy play. The teams production, as always, is propped up by the rushing duo of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Both backs are playable in fantasy, but it’s Chubb who has been putting out league winning performances over the fantasy playoffs.

Tonight marks Ben Roethlisberger’s last home game as a Steeler, and this team is not going to let their legend down. Najee Harris, while not an efficient back, has done a fine job of moving the chains and a great job of scoring fantasy points. Diontae Johnson is having a career year and dominates the opportunity and production in the Pittsburgh passing game. Finally, Pat Freiermuth returns from injury and steps right back into his red zone threat / safety net role.

Week 17 doesn’t appear as bad as some other weeks when it comes to the injury factor, but there’s still plenty of bad news. There always is. Quarterback has taken the biggest hit this week, with a few notable ones sidelined. Ankle injuries galore and Covid chaos do their part, as The Infirmary prepares managers for the final Sunday of the Fantasy season.

The behemoths of all behemoths. There are a plethora of options to choose from the matchups on the Week 17 DFS slate. 14 games are upon us with no byes and no games on Thursday or Saturday. As a result, there’s little reason to fade players due to the spread of ownership projections. However, keep in mind the vast landscape also creates high levels of volatility, and aiming for the ceiling is a must.

When I go with the Dak Prescott-Amari Cooper-Tony Pollard stack, I’ll run it back with Christian Kirk in the slot against (hopefully) Jourdan Lewis. Trevon Diggs doesn’t travel to the inside and will likely line up on A.J. Green throughout the game. Zach Ertz makes sense as well, and don’t sleep on Antoine Wesley.

On the heels of a straight-up embarrassing romp of the Washington Football Team, Dak Prescott and the Cowboys host the Cardinals. Over the past four games, Arizona has allowed the No. 7 most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. Pair Prescott up with Amari Cooper, who led the team in Week 16 with a season-high 27.5-percent Target Share.

Projecting at only 1.2-percent ownership, Dalton Schultz looks like the most overlooked piece from the Cowboys side of the ball. Schultz gets a great game environment in a weather-controlled dome in a game ranked No. 1 in Pace of Play. Schultz has shown tournament-winning upside while surpassing 20 DKPt in back-to-back games. The Cardinals have been suspect within 10 yards of the LOS allowing a 55-percent Pass Rate in that area where Shultz mostly operates.

The Terry McLaurin contrarian play narrative continues after an underwhelming 7 fantasy point performance last week in a blow out against the Cowboys. McLaurin has still seen at least 65 Air Yards the past four games despite averaging 4.8 fantasy points per game during this time span. Something has to give. Perhaps it does this week against the Eagles.

Marvin Jones and the Jaguars have an implied team point total of 13 points against a stout Patriots defense this week. He is perhaps a bit too contrarian of a play despite finishing as the WR20 last week seeing 157 Air Yards. However, at only $4,400 he makes for a low cost tournament dart though that has the peripheral stats to greatly outperform that price.