DiscoverDraft Sharks - Fantasy Football PodcastWeek 18 Preview | Fantasy football Podcast 1-2-26
Week 18 Preview | Fantasy football Podcast 1-2-26

Week 18 Preview | Fantasy football Podcast 1-2-26

Update: 2026-01-02
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Description

Week 18 is here, and if you’re still setting lineups, you already know what comes with it: rested starters, snap-count roulette, and late-week chaos.

In this episode, Matt Schauf and Jared Smola break down the toughest Week 18 start-sit decisions, focusing on teams expected to rest starters like the Chargers, Packers, Bills, and Eagles. We cover how aggressive to be with the Rams, whether any Packers or Bills backups are actually usable, why Eagles players might be impossible to trust, the Bears’ motivation, and the uncertainty surrounding the Cowboys. All of it is backed by Draft Sharks’ Week 18 projections and rankings, with updates continuing right through inactives to help you squeeze every last edge out of the final week.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Intro

1:11 What to do with Chargers

4:48 Stay away from Packers

6:09 What to do with Bills

10:52 Are we underrating the Rams in Week 18?

13:58 Start Tanner McKee, Tank Bigsby, or Jahan Dotson?

17:00 Trust the Bears?

18:58 What does Rams decision mean for Jacoby Brissett and the Cardinals?

21:40 Trust the Cowboys?

23:41 Dallas backfield gets complicated

25:38 Trust Lamar Jackson?

29:03 What Riley Leonard means for Michael Pittman and Colts offense

32:08 Seahawks RBs still annoying

34:02 Which Commanders RB should you play?

EPISODE LINKS:


 

DRAFT SHARKS - YOUR UNFAIR ADVANTAGE
Award-winning fantasy football rankings, projections and draft tools. Live-draft sync, player analysis, draft strategies and expert advice to dominate your leagues.

HELPFUL LINKS

  • Draft War Room - Featuring Live Draft Sync
    Think of the Draft War Room as a “dynamic fantasy football cheat sheet”. As you draft, your live-synced Draft War Room automatically updates your board as players are selected.
     
  • Award Winning Fantasy Football Rankings
    We calculate floor, ceiling, and consensus projections for all fantasy-relevant players. These projections all feed into our 3D Value system. 3D Values are calculated using a cross-positional algorithm based on your exact league setup and scoring.
     
  • Mock Draft Simulator
    Our Mock Draft Simulator will help you prepare for your upcoming drafts, allowing for a customized setup to fit your specific league settings.
     
  • Trade Calculator and Trade Value Charts
    We made winning fantasy football trades easy. Powered by real-time player stats, our award-winning 3D projections and expert rankings, these trade tools assign each player a value based on your league's unique scoring system.

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Week 18 Preview | Fantasy football Podcast 1-2-26

Week 18 Preview | Fantasy football Podcast 1-2-26

Matt Schauf, Jared Smola, Fantasy Football, Draft Sharks