Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Carson Wentz will start for the team in Week 18 with Matthew Stafford resting for the playoffs. Wentz will make his first start in over a year when he threw three interceptions in a loss against the Cleveland Browns. He now faces the top-seed San Francisco 49ers, who will be short-handed defensively. Considering their clinching of the playoffs, the Niners could rest players or play them cautiously on Sunday. Factoring in the Rams' aggressive pass attack and Wentz's ability to throw the ball downfield, he is worth a DFS play or a desperate Week 18 start.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr. has a chance to end on a high note what has easily been his least effective season in Week 18 against the Los Angeles Chargers. In nine games over time also with the New York Jets, Hardman has cobbled together nine catches on 13 targets for 47 scoreless yards. Rashee Rice (hamstring) will take a seat on Sunday, with Travis Kelce likely operating on a shortened snap count to boot. Hardman returned to run two routes in last Sunday's home win over the Cincinnati Bengals after a five-game hiatus due to surgery for a sprained thumb, but he could be forced into an amplified role in his second contest back on the field. The speedy 25-year-old is a candidate to frequently occupy three-receiver sets for head coach Andy Reid in the regular-season finale, but Hardman is still a low-floor fantasy bet given his weak production overall.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justin Watson looks set for an expanded role in the regular-season finale versus the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chiefs have ruled out top wideout Rashee Rice (hamstring) for Week 18, and Travis Kelce probably won't be out there for his usual amount of playing time. 2023 has easily been Watson's most productive season, banking career-high figures in targets (52), catches (27), yards (460), and touchdowns (three). The 27-year-old's calling card is his ability as a vertical threat, ranking second in the league in average yards of target distance (17.8) and fifth in yards per reception (17.0). Watson has played just 52.3% of K.C.'s offensive snaps this year, but he could be in line for his largest workload as a dart-throw DFS option with the team shorthanded on Sunday.

There was some uncertainty surrounding Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce's (neck) status against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 18 due to a neck injury, but he was cleared from Friday's injury report after a week of limited practice sessions. Sunday represents a meaningless game in relation to K.C.'s playoff positioning -- they are locked into the AFC's No. 3 seed -- but Kelce is still 16 yards away from attaining his eighth consecutive 1,000-yard campaign. The 34-year-old eight-time Pro Bowler will be catching passes from backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert in the regular-season finale, and it would seem unlikely that Kelce plays a full complement of snaps in this contest. Kelce is still the type of fantasy player who deserves must-start treatment in season-long leagues whenever he is active, but his DFS expectations particularly need to be tempered under these circumstances. Treat him as a risk/reward TE1 proposition.

Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt (groin) missed practice on Wednesday but was upgraded to a full session by Friday and is listed without an injury designation heading into a Week 18 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. Whether Hunt actually plays on Sunday against the Bengals remains to be seen as the Browns already have the No. 5 seed in the AFC locked up and don't have much motivation to put their key players in harm's way. Although they haven't officially announced it, both Hunt and Jerome Ford are candidates to sit out of action in Week 18. If that does happen, Pierre Strong Jr. would be elevated to the lead role against a Cincinnati defense that is allowing the 14th-most fantasy points per game to running backs this season, making him an interesting name for DFS contests. Stay tuned.