Week 18 Fantasy Football Takeaways for QB/RB: C.J. Stroud, Jonathan Taylor, Jordan Love, Derrick Henry and More
Taking a look at some of the top performers from week 18 of the NFL season and what it means from a fantasy football perspective.
The NFL regular season has come to an end. The playoff field and matchups are set, but before we dive into the next stage of the season, let’s take a look at what happened around the league this week.
We’ll take a look at quarterbacks and running backs in this article. Check back later for a story on wide receivers and tight ends that performed well.
Explore the best in-season tool to manage lineup/start decisions including predictive waiver analytics to help prioritize waiver pickups, projections, auction values, trade suggestions, trade value charts, rest of season rankings, power rankings, and tons more with Fantasy Assistant. Use our fantasy football trade analyzer to break down trade scenarios.
Top-Performing Quarterbacks
Several quarterbacks delivered when their teams needed them the most.
New Orleans Saints’ Derek Carr had one of his best games of the season in a win over the Atlanta Falcons. He threw for 264 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions while completing 22-of-28 passes, but in the end, the Saints missed the playoffs.
Carr battled a number of injuries this season, but played extremely well down the stretch for New Orleans. It should give him and the Saints a little momentum going into next season.
Houston Texans’ C.J. Stroud may have locked up the Rookie of the Year honor with a clutch performance in the team’s playoff-clinching win over the Indianapolis Colts. Stroud was 20-of-26 for 264 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Stroud enjoyed a fantastic rookie season and is part of the bright future for the organization. Stroud played himself into being one of the top quarterbacks drafted going into next fantasy season.
Green Bay Packers’ Jordan Love delivered again and helped the team to a playoff-clinching win over the Chicago Bears. Love was 27-of-32 for 316 yards and two touchdowns.
Love wasn’t viewed very highly coming into the season, but ended the season as QB5. He’s cemented his starting spot in Green Bay for the future, and will be another early QB option in fantasy drafts next fall.
Detroit Lions’ Jared Goff was 23-of-32 for 320 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in his final tuneup before the playoffs. Goff was another surprise fantasy QB this season and was a starting option for much of the season. He should remain a quality starting option as next season starts up.
Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott finished with 279 yards, four touchdowns and one pick while completing 31 of his 36 attempts in the regular season finale. Prescott had a huge bounceback season after a turnover-prone 2022 season and will be one of the first QBs off the board next fall.
Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen had 359 yards and two touchdowns, but two interceptions in the team’s big win over the Miami Dolphins. Turnovers remain a huge problem for Allen, but his big numbers usually offset the mistakes, which made him QB1 for the season.
Jacksonville Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence accumulated 280 passing yards and two scores, but also threw two picks and couldn’t lead his team to a win over the Tennessee Titans. Lawrence has dealt with a multitude of injuries late in the season, but the team’s collapse has started raising questions about Lawrence’s future with the team and in the league. Next season will be a huge one for Lawrence.
Running Backs Who Excelled
Colts’ Jonathan Taylor went off for 196 total yards and a touchdown on 32 touches, but he wasn’t on the field when the team failed on a fourth down pass late in the contest.
Taylor had a rocky season between his contract holdout and a couple of injuries, but when he was on the field, he was one of the best backs in the league. He’ll be one of the first backs drafted next season, but injury concerns are going to be there.
New York Jets’ Breece Hall went for 190 total yards and a touchdown on 39 touches in the team’s win over the New England Patriots.
It may not have mattered much for New York, but Hall was an absolute stud down the stretch, tallying at least 125 total yards and a touchdown in each of the final three weeks. There were injury concerns for Hall coming into the season, but he played every game and was one of the few bright spots on the team’s offense. He should be another highly-drafted back going into next season.
Titans’ Derrick Henry delivered a vintage performance in the team’s upset win over the Jaguars. Henry had 153 rushing yards and a score on 19 attempts.
It was likely Henry’s last game in Tennessee, but he showed the rest of the league that he still has plenty in the tank. He’ll be one of the better free agents out there this offseason, and it will be fascinating to see where he lands.
Arizona Cardinals’ James Conner racked up 204 total yards and a touchdown in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
When he was on the field this season, Conner was a fantasy star. There’s a potential out in his contract this offseason, but he would land with another team if the Cardinals decide not to retain him based on what he showed this season.
Pittsburgh Steelers’ Najee Harris continued his late season surge with a 133-total yard and one-touchdown performance in a win over the Baltimore Ravens.
Harris should be utilized heavily in the team’s playoff run. Hopefully, Harris can build on his strong finish to the season and become one of the top fantasy backs next season.
