NFL Fantasy Football Week 18 2025 Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em: D/ST

Yes, the little guys matter in fantasy football, too, so don’t forget the kickers. And if you need the full defensive rankings, check here. But here is start ‘em, sit ‘em advice for Week 18 of the 2025 NFL season.

A coaching decision has moved one team near the top of the start ‘em list. The Los Angeles Chargers said they will sit Justin Herbert, which means the Broncos’ defense should be a full go for Week 18 as they chase the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

Start ‘em — Denver Broncos vs. Chargers

It makes perfect sense to roll with the Broncos. They already have one of the NFL’s best defenses, and now they have an advantage. And head coach Sean Payton’s team will face mistake-prone quarterback Trey Lance, along with mostly backups, this week.

It opens the door from cracked to very wide for the Broncos, according to NBC Sports.

“I hadn’t expected to rank the Broncos this high,” Eric Samulski wrote. “Over the last two months, they rank 6th in pressure rate and 10th in EPA per play allowed, and average a solid but not great 7.6 fantasy points per game. However, we got news on Monday that Justin Herbert was going to sit out this game, which means Trey Lance is going to start for the Chargers. The Broncos need this win to lock up the number one seed in the AFC, so expect them to take full advantage of the situation.”

However, it’s not all roses for the Broncos. There is this warning from sportsnaut.com.

“From Weeks 11 through 17, opponents have averaged 301 total yards and 22.5 points per game, with Denver’s sack per game total dropping to 3.0 and its passer rating allowed rising to 84.4,” Matt Johnson wrote. “Those still aren’t bad numbers by any means. But it highlights the slight dip in productivity even after facing a third-string quarterback.”

We will see if the matchup gets the Broncos back into a sack-happy mode.

Start ‘em — Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Titans

There’s a lot to like about the Jaguars in this matchup. They had three sacks and recovered two fumbles in the first meeting with the Titans. And they’ve picked off eight passes over their last four games.

The Jaguars have become a turnover-hungry unit. And while Cam Ward has toned down the interceptions of late, he took four sacks in last week’s game against the Saints.

Plus, the Jaguars are coming off a good performance.

“The Jaguars are another team with plenty to play for as they still have an outside shot at the top seed in the AFC,” Samulski wrote. “Over the last two months, they rank 4th in opponents’ scoring rate, 4th in EPA per play allowed, and 7th in turnover rate, which has led to 9.6 fantasy points per game. However, the Titans are no longer a great matchup and are allowing just 4.5 fantasy points per game to opposing defenses over the last month. On the other hand, the Saints did finish as a top 10 defense last week, so there is certainly a path for the Jaguars to do the same.”

This is a game where the Jaguars figure to make at least one splash play on defense. And if it’s a pick-six, it might be enough to put your team over the top in the championship week.

Start ‘em — Buffalo Bills vs. Jets

It wasn’t a great fantasy week for the Bills, even though they held the Eagles to 13 points. But the Jets are a different animal.

They’re starting a quarterback who seems to have no business in that role. At least Brady Cook is consistent, with finishes of QB26, 26, 30, and 30.

The Bills should be able to add to Cook’s misery. Head coach Sean McDermott said it’s another chance to prepare for the playoffs, according to democratandchronicle.com.

“We talked about that after the (Eagles) game,” coach Sean McDermott said. “We’ve got to learn some things from this game. I know we all want to win, right? You work hard during the week. We’re a very competitive group. We want to win, and I want to win, right? So you learn things from this game that we’ve got to get shored up if we want to advance in the playoffs, and that’s what I’m mostly focused on right now.”

Sit ‘em — Green Bay Packers vs. Vikings

It doesn’t matter who the Packers are playing this week. Being successful in the NFL on defense requires toughness. And the Packers simply have none of that on the defensive side of the ball. They wilted against Derrick Henry like ice cream against a blowtorch.

So what if they’re facing Max Brosmer? Are the Packers going to suddenly develop the mindset that it takes to play defense? Maybe if they scream at Brosmer, he will curl up in the fetal position for a sack?

Save the headache. Avoid the Packers.

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