Sit/Start 2025 Week 18: Reviewing All Fantasy Relevant Players in Every Game

Sit or Start recommendations for EVERY fantasy-relevant player in Week 18 of the 2025 NFL season!

Game Info

 

Kickoff: Saturday, January 3, 2026, 8:00 PM ET

Location: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA

Network: ABC

 

Seattle Seahawks

 

Quarterback

Sam Darnold: START, Low-End QB1

Sam Darnold struggled again last week in Carolina, scoring just 11.6 fantasy points, his fewest since Week 13 against Minnesota. He gets a great matchup against a 49ers defense that just got torched by the Bears last week and has been bitten by the injury bug all season. It’s a dice roll to trust Darnold in a game with the one seed in the NFC on the line, as he was in this same situation one season ago with the Vikings. Darnold struggled, scoring zero TDs and completing just 18 of 41 passes for 166 yards, the fifth-lowest yards per attempt (4.0) in a game.

 

Running Back

Kenneth Walker III: START, Low-End RB2
Zach Charbonnet: START, Low-End RB2

Zach Charbonnet posted his best performance of the season, clearing the century mark in rushing yards for the first time and adding two scores on the ground. He’s up to 11 on the year and will have a good chance of finding the end zone again in Week 18. Kenneth Walker delivered a dud after his season-best performance in Week 16 against the Rams. It’s still a messy backfield, and it’s tough to predict which one will be the better play week to week.

 

Wide Receiver

Jaxon Smith-Njigba: START, WR1
Rashid Shaheed: SIT
Cooper Kupp: SIT

It’s still only Jaxon Smith-Njigba as a startable option in Seattle’s pass game. JSN has 1,709 receiving yards on the season and needs 126 yards to move into the top five most yards in a season of all time.

 

Tight End

AJ Barner: START, Low-End TE1

AJ Barner has scored TDs in back-to-back weeks, catching seven of nine targets for 92 yards. He’s very much touchdown-dependent with a lack of real target volume, but that’s the case for most tight ends.

 

Defense/Special Teams

Seattle Seahawks: SIT

The 49ers’ offense is too strong to target in fantasy right now, even with how well Seattle’s defense has played this season.

 

San Francisco 49ers

 

Quarterback

Brock Purdy: START, QB1

Brock Purdy has totaled 94.02 fantasy points over his past three games, the second-most by any quarterback over a three-game stretch this season, trailing only Trevor Lawrence during that same span. He’s playing some incredible ball right now and is a must-start even against a tough Seattle defense.

 

Running Back

Christian McCaffrey: START, RB1
Brian Robinson Jr.: SIT

CMC is one of the all-time greats in fantasy football and has recorded an unbelievable 399 touches while playing all 16 games. He ran for a season-high 140 yards on 23 attempts last week, averaging over six yards per carry for only the second time this year. 

 

Wide Receiver

Ricky Pearsall: START, WR3
Jauan Jennings, START, WR2
Demarcus Robinson: SIT

Ricky Pearsall looked healthy and dynamic last week, finishing second on the team with eight targets and finishing with five catches for 85 yards. He’s ascending after an injury-plagued season. Jauan Jennings remains a reliable touchdown scorer, scoring in five consecutive games and seven of the last eight. Both are legit starting options with how the offense has been humming.

 

Tight End

George Kittle: START, TE1

George Kittle is expected to be back after missing last week with an ankle injury. He delivered his best performance of the season in Week 15 at Indianapolis, posting an 8–7–115 line with a touchdown before exiting with an injury, and remains a must-start option as always.

 

Defense/Special Teams

San Francisco 49ers: SIT

They got toasted by the Bears last week and got diced up by 44-year-old Philip Rivers the week prior.