Fantasy Football Week 18 Wide Receiver Start/Sit: Tetairoa McMillan, Luther Burden, Parker Washington and More

There's a reason most fantasy football leagues don't continue into the final week of the regular season. Week 18 is an absolute cluster-you-know-what, as the vast majority of NFL teams have absolutely nothing to play for. While some teams will suit up regardless, many (especially playoff teams) will choose to rest their top players, either ruling them out before the game or pulling them early on. 

This adds a new layer of difficulty to fantasy start/sit decisions, as we have to dive into tiebreakers, coach press conferences, and historical precedent to figure out which players we can actually trust to play 60 minutes, let alone score fantasy points.

With this in mind, here are my picks for three wide receivers to start and three to sit if your league has made the mistake of still playing fantasy football in Week 18. 

For more help with your toughest Week 18 start/sit decisions, check out FantasySP's NFL Start/Sit tool!

Wide Receivers to Start Week 18

Parker Washington, Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars' offense has been on absolute fire over the last month. And one of the biggest beneficiaries has been Washington, the team's third-year wideout. After missing Week 14 with a hip injury, his role has grown steadily since his return: he posted a 53% route participation rate in Week 15, a 65% route participation rate in Week 16, and an elite 93% participation rate last week.

In fact, Washington actually tied Jakobi Meyers for the team lead in routes last week, running more than Brian Thomas Jr. (40 to 36). Washington beat out even Meyers in terms of targets, with 10 looks for an excellent 27% share. He also posted a 25% target share in Week 16. In both weeks, he finished as a top-12 fantasy wideout in half-PPR.

The Jaguars are also one of the few teams with a very meaningful matchup this week, as a win against the Titans will secure them the AFC South division title. Tennessee is also a good matchup in terms of defensive incompetence. They allow the seventh-most points per game to WRs, and the Jaguars' 30.5-point team total is the highest of the week. 

Even if it doesn't feel great trusting a theoretical NFL WR3 with fantasy championships on the line, Washington (who is available in over 75% of leagues) is a solid option this week. 

Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I was surprised to see Evans as one of the most asked-about players in our Start/Sit Tool for this week. The veteran has been excellent since his Week 15 return from injury. Despite being eased back in, he has averaged a 25% target share and a 43% air yards share over the last three weeks. Unsurprisingly given that usage, Evans has been good for fantasy, too, averaging 12.9 half-PPR points per game. 

This week, the Buccaneers are playing for their playoff lives. They don't control their own destiny, but a loss will eliminate them. Evans will be out there, and Baker Mayfield is likely to lean on his favorite target. Lock him into your lineup as a legit WR1. 

Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers

After seemingly breaking out in the middle of his rookie season, the eighth-overall pick in this year's draft has slowed down in recent weeks. He scored just 3.5 half-PPR points in Week 15 and an even worse one point last week. However, McMillan should still be started in Week 18.

McMillan's usage was worse in those two dud games (a 17% target share in each), but his season-long numbers are still pristine. The rookie has averaged a 24% target share and a 44% air yards share on a 90% route participation rate. There's no obvious reason that would explain his recent struggles as anything more than variance, so I'm willing to look past them. 

Meanwhile, unlike the Buccaneers (whom they face on Sunday), the Panthers do control their own destiny for the playoffs. If they win, they're in, so we've got no worries about rest here. 

On paper, Tampa Bay's defense is just a roughly average opponent for fantasy wideouts, but I would argue they're at least slightly better than that — they allow the seventh-highest dropback success rate in the league. Put it all together, and McMillan should finish his potential Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign with at least a decent outing. 

Wide Receivers to Sit Week 18

Luther Burden, Chicago Bears

From one rookie to another, let's take a closer look at Burden's fantasy outlook for Week 18. After he popped off against the 49ers for 23.8 half-PPR points, Burden is suddenly being treated as the next true fantasy stud. Consenus rankings for Week 18 have him as a top-20 option.

But does his usage really justify all the hype? Not really. Even in his breakout game last week, Burden was just a part-time player for the Bears. He posted a 54% route participation rate, behind not just D.J. Moore (85%) but also UDFA rookie Jahdae Walker (67%). Burden did suffer a quad injury, but it came on the final play of the game, so it certainly doesn't explain his low participation throughout. 

To be fair, some of Burden's other numbers were more exciting. He posted a 21% target share and a 32% air yards share, which are only made more impressive by his low route rate (his per-route numbers are genuinely elite). With that in mind — especially combined with an excellent matchup with the Lions' defense — he's by no means a must-bench. 

But I can't get behind calling a part-time player a must-start, either, even in a week loaded with question marks. Don't be surprised if Burden follows up his huge outing with a relative dud. 

Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Burden may not be a must-bench, but Egbuka is. Another rookie, Egbuka once looked like one of the breakout stars of the season. But his efficiency rapidly declined as the season continued and, as the Buccaneers' other receivers got healthy, his role went with it.

Egbuka is now an afterthought in the Buccaneers' offense. He has been the team's WR4 in terms of route participation in each of the last two weeks, with rates of 50% and 46%. He did see five targets last week, but that was good for just an 11% share in a high-volume day for Mayfield. He caught only three of them for 20 scoreless yards. 

Even if all the rest of your usual starters are taking the week off, you should be able to find a more appealing option than Egbuka on waivers if necessary. 

Any Colts, Chiefs, Packers, Chargers or Eagles

This is why playing fantasy football in Week 18 is so brutal. These teams have provided a ton of fantasy production this season, but we can't expect anything from them this week.

The Chiefs and Colts are officially eliminated and will be rolling out practice-squad level QBs in Chris Oladokun and Riley Leonard. Neither of those guys has much hope against elite defenses actually playing for something in the Broncos and Texans. 

For their part, each of the Packers, Chargers, and Eagles has already announced that their usual starting quarterbacks will be taking Sunday off. It's not yet clear if they will also rest their top options at receiver, but it doesn't really matter. 

As Justin Jefferson has proven this season, no wideout is truly QB-proof. Clayton Tune, Trey Lance, and Tanner McKee don't exactly inspire confidence (to be fair, McKee has shown flashes, but A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are likely to sit alongside Hurts). I would avoid any pass catcher on all of these teams if you have any other viable options.