Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens will make his third start over the last four weeks when he returns under center against the Detroit Lions in Week 18. Outside of Jaren Hall's ugly first half last week, Mullens has been Minnesota's go-to quarterback for the final four games of the regular season. He has a tendency to air the ball out and take risks, and while this has led to several turnovers, it also allows the Vikings to deliver big plays and score touchdowns. In Week 16 against the Lions, Mullens tossed two touchdowns and four interceptions, all while amassing 411 passing yards. From a fantasy perspective, the scores and yardage outweigh the poor ball security. The same could be true in this season-ending rematch with the Lions, whose defense has allowed the third-most fantasy points to quarterbacks in 2023. Fantasy managers should feel comfortable deploying him as a fringe QB1 option this week.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson returns to the WR1 tier for fantasy football after the team announced that quarterback Nick Mullens would return to the starting role against the Detroit Lions in Week 18. The 24-year-old looked solid in Mullens' previous two starts, totaling 13 catches, 225 yards, and one touchdown during that span. Mullens has the tendency to air the ball out and take risks, which bodes well for Jefferson's upside, even against a respected Lions defense. Fantasy managers should view the alpha wideout as a must-start option once against this week.

San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Sam Darnold will draw his first start of the season in the team's final regular season game on Sunday at home versus the Los Angeles Rams. On Wednesday head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that starter Brock Purdy would see no action in Week 18 but that's no guarantee that Darnold will get all the snaps. On Friday morning general manager John Lynch commented "...we'll see if (third-string quarterback) Brandon Allen gets in there." In 2022 with the Panthers, Darnold averaged 14.4 fantasy points per game in a six-game stretch to finish the year, including a three-touchdown performance in Week 17, immediately followed by a dismal Week 18 when he produced less than one fantasy point. The Rams' pass defense has been the sixth-most generous to fantasy quarterbacks, but it's probably unwise to heed season-long statistics in a meaningless game with important starters on both sides resting. Darnold is an extremely unpredictable QB2 play in Week 18.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor (concussion) has been ruled out for the Week 18 matchup against the Detroit Lions. The young wideout will miss the last four games of the season due to a concussion. Nailor wasn't able to clear the league's concussion protocol ahead of the regular season finale. His absence won't be too significant considering Nailor has six targets and three receptions on the season. The 24-year-old is hopeful to have a bigger role on the team next season.

Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones will face off against the Chicago Bears in Week 18. The veteran had been limited in practice this past week with finger and knee injuries but was left off of the final injury report and will be active for the regular season finale. Jones has been on an absolute tear the past two weeks, tallying 247 rushing yards and averaging six yards per carry. This week will be a tough test for the 29-year-old, as Chicago has given up the third-fewest yards to running backs all season. With that said, AJ Dillon (neck, thumb) will not play this weekend, leaving Jones with the bulk of touches to himself. Consider the long-time Packer a top 15 option in Week 18.