Biggest Sleepers at Every Position for Week 18 Fantasy Football 2025

There are several intriguing sleeper options for hardcore fantasy football managers who play through the final week of the regular season or have two-round championship matchups.

Some playoff-bound teams will rest starters, which is ideal for finding hidden fantasy gems who will take on expanded workloads.

Looking through the weekly plans for teams across the league, managers can pluck a potential RB1 from the free agent pool.

Teams will also hold out banged-up star players in hopes they return for the postseason. Because of that, a couple of young wide receivers could put up big numbers in the second window of Sunday games.

Our sleeper tight ends are in marquee division battles with playoff implications. One has a plus matchup, and the other will need to be productive out of necessity due to injuries.

Check out our biggest sleeper options who are available in more than 50 percent of leagues, according to FantasyPros' roster consensus percentages. We also listed DraftKings' daily fantasy sports price for each player.

QB Cam Ward at Jacksonville Jaguars (10 Percent Rostered)

AP Photo/Stew Milne

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward

DK DFS Price: $4,800 

Either one of two game scripts will unfold for this contest. Cam Ward will give the Jacksonville Jaguars a scare as they try to lock up the AFC South title, or he'll throw 35 or more passes while losing in a blowout. 

Regardless, expect Ward to finish this season showcasing his arm against the Jaguars' 22nd-ranked pass defense. Jacksonville has improved in coverage over the past month, allowing more than 196 passing yards in a game once in the previous five weeks, but it did allow Bo Nix to throw for 352 yards in a blowout Week 16 win.

Likely to play from behind, Ward could rack up a ton of passing yards as Nix did a couple of weeks ago. He's made strides, throwing for eight touchdowns and just one interception over his previous four outings. 

Look for Ward to keep his streak of throwing for multiple touchdowns in a game alive to finish the season. 

QB Chris Oladokun at Las Vegas Raiders (0 Percent Rostered)

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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun

DK DFS Price: $4,500

In two games, Chris Oladokun has thrown for 177 yards and a touchdown, which isn't an inspiring stat line, but managers should consider his circumstances.

In Week 16, the Kansas City Chiefs inserted Oladokun for Gardner Minshew, who tore his ACL early in the second quarter of the game. Last week, he made his first career start on the road against the Denver Broncos' eighth-ranked pass defense.

This week, Oladokun is in a far better situation for fantasy production than in his first two outings of the season. He'll face the Las Vegas Raiders' 15th-ranked pass defense, that's without five-time Pro Bowl edge-rusher Maxx Crosby. 

Moreover, Oladokun will likely feed tight end Travis Kelce a ton of targets in what could be the final game of his career. Kelce has a history of tormenting the Raiders defense.

Lastly, despite a mostly unproductive outing against the Broncos last Thursday, Oladokun flashed the ability to use his legs late in the game, rushing for 11 yards on two carries. He could do more of that against the Raiders, with a depleted pass-catching group that will be without Rashee Rice for a third consecutive contest.

Oladokun will have his best game of the season by a wide margin in a decent matchup with Las Vegas.

RB Tank Bigsby vs. Washington Commanders (32 Percent Rostered)

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Philadelphia Eagles running back Tank Bigsby

DK DFS Price: $5,400

According to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Eagles are expected to rest "most" of their starters for this game. 

Running back Saquon Barkley has played through bumps and bruises; he'll likely watch from the sideline, which would open up opportunities for Eagles' No. 2 running back Tank Bigsby.

Bigsby carved out a role on the ground in recent weeks, rushing for 101 yards and a touchdown over his previous three outings. In Week 8, he rushed for 104 yards on nine carries. 

Likely in line for more touches, Bigsby could be an RB1 on fantasy rosters in a matchup against the Washington Commanders' 31st-ranked run defense. Also, Washington allows the fourth-most fantasy points to running backs.

With a 100-plus-yard performance under his belt for this season, Bigsby has fantasy boom potential in Week 18.

RB Dylan Sampson at Cincinnati Bengals (27 Percent Rostered)

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Cleveland Browns running back Dylan Sampson

DK DFS Price: $5,200

In the absence of Quinshon Judkins, who's out with a broken leg, Dylan Sampson emerged as the lead ball-carrier in the Cleveland Browns' previous game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He recorded 11 carries for 27 yards.

The Steelers stifled Sampson, but his uptick in touches is a positive sign ahead of a more favorable matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals, who allow the most rushing yards per game and the most fantasy points to running backs.

Sampson is a pass-catching threat, hauling in 31 of his 37 targets for 259 yards and two touchdowns. Last week, he caught three passes for zero yards, but in a matchup against a generous defense, the rookie fourth-rounder could rack up more yards through the air.

Sampson will have an opportunity to show he deserves more touches even when Judkins returns next season, and he'll take full advantage of it.

WR Luther Burden III vs. Detroit Lions (30 Percent Rostered)

DK DFS Price: $5,300

Despite a loss to the San Francisco 49ers on the prime-time Sunday Night Football stage, Luther Burden III showed tremendous growth as a go-to target in the Chicago Bears' aerial attack. He caught eight passes for 138 yards and a touchdown.

It's worth noting that Burden suffered a quad injury in that game and went through a limited practice to start the week. Still, if he's able to suit up, the rookie second-rounder is a must-start option against the Detroit Lions, who field the 19th-ranked pass defense and allow the second-most fantasy points to wide receivers.

Bears head coach Ben Johnson says that he's "hopeful" that Burden can play Sunday. If he does, expect the emerging receiver to see plenty of targets, while Rome Odunze remains sidelined with a foot injury.

Keep in mind that quarterback Caleb Williams wants to throw for 4,000 yards, and he's 270 yards short of that mark. He'll be active and may be aggressive in this game to reach that milestone, which benefits Burden's fantasy outlook for Week 18.

WR Xavier Smith vs. Arizona Cardinals (1 Percent Rostered)

AP Photo/Brynn Anderson

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Xavier Smith

DK DFS Price: $3,000

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters that he'll play his starters in Week 18. The Rams will either be the No. 5 or No. 6 seed in the NFC for the playoffs, which means there's little incentive for McVay to leave his first-stringers in for the entire contest.

Regardless, Xavier Smith should see a healthy number of targets. Last week, with the Rams starters in from start to finish, he caught four passes for a team-leading 67 yards. The third-year wideout saw a season-high six targets.

Furthermore, over the last two weeks, Smith has racked up 124 receiving yards. He's played in an expanded role since Davante Adams suffered a hamstring injury that forced him to the sideline for a couple of weeks. 

Adams will likely miss his third consecutive outing. So managers should expect Smith to take on a solid role in a matchup with the Arizona Cardinals, who field the 24th-ranked pass defense. Arizona has given up an average of 259 passing yards over the last four weeks.

With quarterback Matthew Stafford on the field to start the game, Smith could have a strong first half and an overall solid fantasy finish against a vulnerable pass defense. Keep an eye on his status. He's dealing with a chest injury.

TE AJ Barner at San Francisco 49ers (29 Percent Rostered)

AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman

Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner

DK DFS Price: $3,700

In Week 17, the San Francisco 49ers defense struggled to cover Chicago Bears rookie tight end Colston Loveland, who caught six passes for 94 yards and a touchdown.

Remember, All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner is out with a dislocated and broken ankle, leaving the middle of San Francisco's defense susceptible to passing attacks. 

In a high-stakes game for the NFC West title, Sam Darnold can exploit a weakness in the 49ers' pass coverage by targeting tight end AJ Barner. 

Over the last two weeks, Barner has hauled in seven out of nine targets for 92 yards and two touchdowns, scoring in back-to-back contests. He's second on the team behind star wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba in catches (50) and touchdown receptions (six).

As a consistent playmaker in the Seahawks offense, Barner should be productive in a matchup with a defense that's tied for seventh in fantasy points allowed to tight ends.  

TE Pat Freiermuth vs. Baltimore Ravens (8 Percent Rostered)

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Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth

DK DFS Price: $3,300

Entering a crucial win-or-go-home matchup for the AFC North title, the Pittsburgh Steelers are down two pass-catchers. The league suspended wide receiver DK Metcalf for his altercation with a fan in Detroit, and tight end Darnell Washington broke his arm last week.

The Steelers need a pass-catcher to play a significant role if they have any chance of winning this game. Pat Freiermuth is most likely to emerge in a must-win game.

Even though Freiermuth is fourth on the team in targets (49), he's third in receptions (38) and second in receiving yards (435) and touchdown receptions (four). 

In Week 7, Freiermuth hauled in five passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns against the Cincinnati Bengals, showing his ability to post a gaudy stat line. He's caught at least three passes in three consecutive weeks and racked up 63 receiving yards without Metcalf on the field in Pittsburgh's previous outing.

The Ravens aren't a slam-dunk matchup for tight ends. They're more vulnerable to outside receivers, but Baltimore is giving up the fourth-most passing yards per game. Freiermuth has a shot to be a top-five fantasy tight end this week. 

Fantasy points scored against statistics are provided by FantasyPros.

Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.