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Week 18 DraftKings Cash-Game Picks

Top Plays for DraftKings Head-to-Head and 50/50 Contests

Week 18 cash games are the trickiest of the year, with playing-time landmines everywhere.

The best strategy is to play as many guys as possible from teams that are fully motivated to win. Beyond that group, look for young players and guys looking to earn contract incentives.

Here are the guys I’m considering for DraftKings Week 18 head-to-heads and 50/50s:

Quarterback

Josh Dobbs, 49ers ($4,000)

A mobile QB in a strong scheme with good-enough weapons for $4K? Yes, please.

Dobbs will start in place of the injured QB Brock Purdy on Sunday against a mediocre Cardinals defense that sits 18th in overall DVOA and 19th against the pass.

Dobbs played 85+% of the offensive snaps in 12 games last year – eight for the Cardinals, four for the Vikings – and averaged:

• 200 passing yards
• 1.1 passing TDs
• 33 rushing yards
• 0.5 rushing TDs

He scored at least 17 DraftKings points in seven of those 12 games, with 22+ in five of them.

His situation this week might not be as strong as it was in Minnesota, but it’s better than what he had in Arizona.

Dobbs is easily the top dollars-per-point value at QB.

Running Backs

Bijan Robinson, Falcons ($8,500)

He’s the safest play on the board this week.

Robinson has tallied 20+ touches in five straight games, averaging 21.8 carries and 3.4 targets per game over that span.

His team needs to win on Sunday to keep its playoff hopes alive.

And he gets the Panthers’ 32nd-ranked RB defense. Robinson dumped 25.5 DraftKings points on Carolina earlier this season.

Bucky Irving, Buccaneers ($7,700)

Irving has gotten expensive. But he’s another safe bet in a week with lots of questions.

Tampa Bay clinches the NFC South with a win over New Orleans this weekend, so there are no playing time concerns here. Irving is coming off a 24-touch outing and has at least 16 touches in six straight healthy games.

He scored 18.5 DK points vs. the Saints earlier this season. RB Rachaad White missed that game, but Irving’s 18 touches in that one is a mark he should reach again on Sunday.

The Saints head into this one sitting 29th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs.

Michael Carter, Cardinals ($4,700)

RBs James Conner and Trey Benson are out for Week 18, leaving Carter as Arizona’s lead back.

With Conner exiting early in each of the last two games, Carter has totaled 18 carries and seven targets. DeeJay Dallas, who will be the No. 2 RB on Sunday, has just 0 carries and two targets across those two games. 

Carter “will get a bunch of carries, I’m sure,” HC Jonathan Gannon said on Wednesday.

The matchup is nice, too, against a struggling 49ers run defense. San Francisco has coughed up 437 rushing yards on 5.0 yards per carry to opposing RBs over the last three weeks.

Carter is the top dollars-per-point value at RB.

Also consider:

• Zach Charbonnet, Seahawks ($6,700)

Wide Receivers

Brian Thomas Jr., Jaguars ($7,300)

The rookie has become a weekly staple in this article.

He delivered a 7-91-1 line for us last week, giving him 23+ DraftKings points in three straight. He’s seen double-digit targets in five straight.

Expect another busy outing from Thomas Jr. in Sunday’s finale vs. the Colts. The game will be played indoors with no weather concerns. And Indianapolis ranks 21st in adjusted fantasy points allowed to WRs, getting smoked for 171 yards and two scores by Malik Nabers last week.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seahawks ($6,100)

JSN’s Week 17 dud was just his second game with fewer than 18 DraftKings points among his last eight.

He’s in a nice bounce-back spot on Sunday indoors against a Rams defense that’s expected to rest starters.

HC Mike Macdonald said Wednesday that he has no plans to get QB Sam Howell snaps this week, so we can expect Seattle’s regulars to play the entire game.

Michael Pittman, Colts ($5,200)

Pittman popped off for a 9-109-1 line last week. It was his biggest game of the season, and he remains more of a floor play in Week 18.

But the floor is attractive at this price tag, assuming Joe Flacco is back under center for Sunday’s game against the Jaguars. Jacksonville ranks 27th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to WRs.

Also consider:

• Adam Thielen, Panthers ($6,200)
• D.J. Moore, Bears ($5,900)

Tight End

Zach Ertz, Commanders ($4,000)

Ertz is coming off a season-high 25.2 DraftKings points in the playoff-clinching win over the Falcons on Sunday night. But he’s been a steady volume bet for a while now.

Ertz has 6+ targets in five of his last six healthy games. He’s caught 4+ balls in four of those and scored 12+ DK points in four of the six.

The Commanders will be playing to win and lock up the NFC’s No. 6 seed vs. the Cowboys on Sunday, so expect full playing time for Ertz. He posted a 6-38-1 line against Dallas back in Week 12.

Also consider:

• Chig Okonkwo, Titans ($3,800)

Defense/Special Teams

Giants ($2,400)

The Giants get an Eagles offense that will likely be trotting out QB Tanner McKee, RB Will Shipley, and WRs Jahan Dotson, Johnny Wilson, and Ainias Smith behind a backup offensive line.

If this DST can’t squeeze out a handful of DraftKings points, the Giants are a bigger mess than I realized.

Also consider:

• Broncos ($3,000)
• Seahawks ($2,900)

Jared Smola, Lead Analyst

Jared has been with Draft Sharks since 2007. He’s now Lead Analyst, heading up the preseason and weekly projections that fuel your Draft War Room and My Team tools. He currently ranks 1st among 133 analysts in draft rankings accuracy.