Team of the Week
QB: Bryce Young, CAR
Young has been excellent since re-entering the starting lineup for Carolina, and Week 18 was a closing statement to be the unquestioned quarterback of the future—completing 25-of-34 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns with another 24 yards and two scores on the ground. A newfound confidence for Young has him looking like the guy we saw at Alabama, and the arrow is pointing way up in dynasty leagues.
RB: Jahmyr Gibbs, DET
Gibbs handling a workhorse role in Detroit’s high-powered offense with David Montgomery (knee) out continued in the season finale—and he had his best game yet with 28 touches for 170 total yards and four total touchdowns on his way to 43.5 fantasy points. The game gave Gibbs an NFL-best 20 total touchdowns on the season, and he roasted Minnesota in both matchups this season (30.0 fantasy points in the other).
RB: Bijan Robinson, ATL
Sunday was a showcase game for both Round 1 running backs from the 2023 NFL Draft, and Robinson did all he could for Atlanta in a 44-38 loss—rushing 28 times for 170 yards and two touchdowns. The vision and overall skillset of Robinson will undoubtedly make him a high-end RB1 in 2025.
WR: Drake London, ATL
London also went off for the Falcons in a losing effort this week—bringing in 10-of-18 targets for 187 yards and two touchdowns for a season-high 35.7 fantasy points. The performance certainly bodes well for London next year with Michael Penix Jr. under center all season, and the former USC standout suddenly ranks as a top-five fantasy wide receiver if you include Week 18.
WR: Quentin Johnston, LAC
Inconsistency has been part of the story for Johnston this season, but he finished on the highest possible note—catching 13 passes for 186 yards while routinely ripping off chunk gains against Las Vegas. It came at the perfect time, too, as Johnston should be confident for the Wild Card Round versus Houston.
TE: Pat Freiermuth, PIT
Tight end was very strong this week as 14 players finished with double-digit fantasy points, and Freiermuth led the way with an 8/85/1 line on 11 targets. The future quarterback situation looks a lot more unsettled for Pittsburgh than it did a few weeks ago, but Freiermuth needs to remain a big part of the offense next year.
FLEX: Derrick Henry, BAL
Another monster performance for Henry concluded his first regular season in Baltimore, as he overcame a slow start versus a tough Cleveland defense to eventually rush 20 times for 138 yards and two touchdowns (plus two receptions for 23 yards). We expect King Henry will again be a tremendous value in 2025 fantasy drafts despite entering his age-31/32 campaign.
D/ST: Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore was the clear top D/ST option in Week 18, and they came through by starting things off with a pick-six by rookie Nate Wiggins and ending with a highlight interception by 355-pound defensive lineman Michael Pierce—giving them 17.0 fantasy points on Saturday.
K: Joshua Karty, LAC
Similar to tight end, kicker was a position that came through with 10.0+ fantasy points by nearly half the league (13)—and Karty led the way by nailing all four of his field goals to give him 17.0 fantasy points.
Surprise of the Week: Marcus Mariota
Week 18 was full of surprises, but Mariota came off the bench to lead a win over the Cowboys—completing 15-of-18 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns while adding five carries for 56 yards and another score on the ground. Mariota has been outstanding in both appearances with extended action this season, and it’s clear he should have a starting job in the league.
Disappointment of the Week: Drake Maye
Maye didn’t complete a pass with the Patriots basically “tanking” in the finale—but that didn’t work out with New England still winning in Jerod Mayo’s last game as head coach thanks to Joe Milton III showing extremely well off the bench. It’s unfortunate that those counting on Maye weren’t given an indication that he should have such a short day, and his rookie campaign ends with 2,276 passing yards and a 15:10 touchdown-interception ratio.
Rookie of the Week: Bo Nix
The sensational rookie year for Nix continued in a must-win game yesterday, and he again set or extended plenty of records by completing 89.7% of his passes for 321 yards and four touchdowns—also adding seven carries for 47 yards for good measure. On the season, Nix silenced all doubters with the third-most total touchdowns ever for a rookie (34), which trails on Justin Herbert (36) and Cam Newton (35).
Week 18 MVP: Jahmyr Gibbs
Detroit selecting Gibbs with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft was mocked by the media, but no one is laughing now—and he’s clearly one of the game’s biggest difference-makers at any position. Through two seasons, Gibbs has averaged 5.5 yards per carry and totaled 31 touchdowns in 32 games as yet another home run by general manager Brad Holmes.