Fantasy Football Week 18 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Lamar Jackson vs. Matthew Stafford
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Two QBs that could be in store for big week 18 performances in fantasy football are Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford and Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson. Here is a breakdown on who to start and who to sit between the two this week in fantasy football.
Lamar Jackson
After missing last week’s game against the Green Bay Packers, QB for the Ravens, Lamar Jackson, is slated to play the Ravens' regular-season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This game holds heavy implications. The winner of the matchup wins their division and gets a playoff spot, while the loser is then bumped out of playoff contention. With the high stakes on the line, Jackson, who has had an up-and-down year, will need to show up for Baltimore in a monumental way.
The last time the Ravens played the Steelers this season was in week 14. In this game, Jackson had a solid day fantasy football-wise, despite the Ravens losing 27-22. He went 19-35 passing for 219 yards and threw one touchdown and one interception. He also ran the ball seven times for 43 yards and had a rushing TD.
Overall, this season the Steelers have been abysmal in guarding the pass. They are allowing the third most passing yards per game. In their last three games, they have allowed to Qbs to throw for over 250 yards and allowed a TD-to-INT ratio of 6-3.
Matthew Stafford
QB for the Rams, Matthew Stafford, did not have a great game against the Atlanta Falcons in week 17. In the game, he went 22-38 passing, threw for 269 passing yards, two TDS, and three INTs. In his final game of the season, he should be able to bounce back against the Arizona Cardinals' passing defense.
The Cardinals this season are allowing the ninth-most passing yards per game. In their last three games, opposing QBs have gone over 250 passing yards twice, and all three starting QBs combine for a 7-1 TD-to-INT ratio. In a game earlier this season against the Cardinals, Stafford had a great game. In week 14, he went 22-31 passing for 281 passing yards, and threw three TDs and no INTs against them. This ranked him as QB5.
Final Verdict
When it comes to who should start between Stafford and Jackson in week 18 in fantasy football, Stafford should start, and Jackson should sit. The Steelers are the worst passing defense on paper than the Cardinals, but based on how Stafford and Jackson played against these teams in their first meeting, Stafford looks like the stronger player. Stafford in the year in fantasy football ranks as QB3, so there are few debates where he should be the sit option. So, for fantasy managers with Jackson, he is still a great play in fantasy outside of this debate with Stafford. And Jackson, coming off an injury, is a bit concerning, but in a game where everything is on the line, Jackson has all the capabilities to put up big fantasy numbers.
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Gray Deyo is a Nashville-based sportswriter who graduated with a sports management bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He has covered prep sports, college sports, the WNBA, and the NBA for the past four years. In addition to writing for SI, Gray also currently contributes to Prep Girls Hoops