Sean McVay says he wants to see Blake Corum log a bunch of carries this week. And I remember Jordan Whittington (pictured) looking like a poor man’s Puka Nacua in August. Are these guys who might do something of note in Week 18?
Myself, I tend to be leery of teams that are looking to rest players. If they’re plugging in backups and spending more of their time prepping for the playoffs, how good can they be?
With that in mind, I decided to pull some of the available numbers. I believe 10 teams in the past two years have plugged in a new quarterback in Week 18. That includes Washington and Chicago two years ago, who weren’t resting players but simply putting in new quarterbacks. And I’m including the 2022 Vikings, who (I think) went in with the plan of playing Kirk Cousins for about a half. So seven and a half teams, I believe, that were going the “rest players” route.
Picking through these boxscores, I don’t see many standout running backs. I don’t see anybody with 80 rushing yards. Looks like only three of these 10 teams even had a running back who scored a touchdown.
| WEEK 18 TEAMS WITH NEW QBs -- RUNNING BACKS | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Opp | Results | Rushing | Receiving | PPR |
| 2022 | Alexander Mattison, Min. | at Chi. | W 29-13 | 10-54-2 | 1-6-0 | 19.0 |
| 2022 | Kenyan Drake, Bal. | at Cin. | L 16-27 | 16-60-1 | 2-19-0 | 15.9 |
| 2022 | Elijah Mitchell, S.F. | LAR | L 20-21 | 14-52-1 | 2-15-0 | 14.7 |
| 2023 | LaMical Perine, K.C. | at LAC | W 13-12 | 21-76-0 | 3-33-0 | 13.9 |
| 2022 | Matt Breida, NYG | at Phi. | L 16-22 | 4-28-0 | 7-12-0 | 11.0 |
| 2022 | C.J. Ham, Min. | at Chi. | W 29-13 | 0-0-0 | 4-47-0 | 8.7 |
| 2022 | Jaret Patterson, Was. | Dall. | W 26-6 | 17-78-0 | 0-0-0 | 7.8 |
| 2022 | Gary Brightwell, NYG | at Phi. | L 16-22 | 11-60-0 | 1-3-0 | 7.3 |
| 2023 | Pierre Strong, Cle. | at Cin. | L 14-31 | 14-65-0 | 0-0-0 | 6.5 |
| 2022 | Jonathan Williams, Was. | Dall. | W 26-6 | 14-32-0 | 2-9-0 | 6.1 |
| 2022 | Khalil Herbert, Chi. | Min. | L 13-29 | 10-50-0 | 1-(-1)-0 | 5.9 |
| 2022 | Jordan Mason, S.F. | LAR | L 20-21 | 6-36-0 | 1-12-0 | 5.8 |
| 2023 | Justice Hill, Bal. | Pitt. | L 10-17 | 0-0-0 | 3-26-0 | 5.6 |
| 2023 | Ronnie Rivers, LAR | at S.F. | W 21-20 | 13-52-0 | 0-0-0 | 5.2 |
| 2023 | Jerome Ford, Cle. | at Cin. | L 14-31 | 3-6-0 | 2-26-0 | 5.2 |
| 2023 | Gus Edwards, Bal. | Pitt. | L 10-17 | 10-48-0 | 0-0-0 | 4.8 |
| 2022 | Dalvin Cook, Min. | at Chi. | W 29-13 | 11-37-0 | 1-0-0 | 4.7 |
| 2022 | Kene Nwangwu, Min. | at Chi. | W 29-13 | 5-13-0 | 1-16-0 | 3.9 |
| 2022 | Justice Hill, Bal. | at Cin. | L 16-27 | 7-34-0 | 0-0-0 | 3.4 |
| 2023 | Royce Freeman, LAR | at S.F. | W 21-20 | 4-2-0 | 1-13-0 | 2.5 |
| 2022 | David Montgomery, Chi. | Min. | L 13-29 | 7-21-0 | 0-0-0 | 2.1 |
| 2022 | Ty Chandler, Min. | at Chi. | W 29-13 | 6-20-0 | 0-0-0 | 2.0 |
| 2023 | Clyde Edwards-Helaire, K.C. | at LAC | W 13-12 | 2-1-0 | 1-9-0 | 2.0 |
| 2023 | Melvin Gordon, Bal. | Pitt. | L 10-17 | 7-18-0 | 0-0-0 | 1.8 |
| 2022 | Gus Edwards, Bal. | at Cin. | L 16-27 | 4-16-0 | 0-0-0 | 1.6 |
| 2023 | Kareem Hunt, Cle. | at Cin. | L 14-31 | 0-0-0 | 1-5-0 | 1.5 |
Similarly at wide receiver, I don’t see a lot of standouts. David Bell came out of nowhere last year to catch 4 passes for 68 yards and 2 TDs for the Browns, but he’s not a guy anybody could have realistically seen coming. K.J. Osborn the previous year with the Vikings caught 5 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown; he’s a little different in that he had been playing well at the time and the Vikings used their starters for a half.
| WEEK 18 TEAMS WITH NEW QBs -- WIDE RECEIVERS | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Opp | Results | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD | PPR |
| 2023 | David Bell, Cle. | at Cin. | L 14-31 | 4 | 68 | 17.0 | 2 | 22.8 |
| 2022 | K.J. Osborn, Min. | at Chi. | W 29-13 | 5 | 117 | 23.4 | 0 | 16.7 |
| 2022 | Terry McLaurin, Was. | Dall. | W 26-6 | 3 | 74 | 24.7 | 1 | 16.4 |
| 2023 | Puka Nacua, LAR | at S.F. | W 21-20 | 4 | 41 | 10.3 | 1 | 14.1 |
| 2022 | Velus Jones, Chi. | Min. | L 13-29 | 1 | 28 | 28.0 | 0 | 14.0 |
| 2023 | Mecole Hardman, K.C. | at LAC | W 13-12 | 6 | 77 | 12.8 | 0 | 13.7 |
| 2023 | Isaiah Likely, Bal. | Pitt. | L 10-17 | 2 | 31 | 15.5 | 1 | 11.1 |
| 2022 | Kenny Golladay, NYG | at Phi. | L 16-22 | 2 | 30 | 15.0 | 1 | 11.0 |
| 2022 | Jalen Nailor, Min. | at Chi. | W 29-13 | 4 | 62 | 15.5 | 0 | 10.2 |
| 2022 | Jahan Dotson, Was. | Dall. | W 26-6 | 3 | 72 | 24.0 | 0 | 10.2 |
| 2022 | Chris Conley, S.F. | LAR | L 20-21 | 3 | 69 | 23.0 | 0 | 9.9 |
| 2022 | Sammy Watkins, Bal. | at Cin. | L 16-27 | 2 | 79 | 39.5 | 0 | 9.9 |
| 2022 | Adam Thielen, Min. | at Chi. | W 29-13 | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 1 | 9.2 |
| 2023 | Nelson Agholor, Bal. | Pitt. | L 10-17 | 5 | 39 | 7.8 | 0 | 8.9 |
| 2023 | Tyler Johnson, LAR | at S.F. | W 21-20 | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 1 | 8.8 |
| 2022 | Justin Jefferson, Min. | at Chi. | W 29-13 | 4 | 38 | 9.5 | 0 | 7.8 |
| 2022 | Ronnie Bell, S.F. | LAR | L 20-21 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 1 | 7.5 |
| 2023 | Cedric Tillman, Cle. | at Cin. | L 14-31 | 3 | 43 | 14.3 | 0 | 7.3 |
| 2022 | Marcus Johnson, NYG | at Phi. | L 16-22 | 3 | 36 | 12.0 | 0 | 6.6 |
| 2022 | Ray-Ray McCloud, S.F. | LAR | L 20-21 | 3 | 22 | 7.3 | 0 | 5.9 |
| 2022 | Brandon Aiyuk, S.F. | LAR | L 20-21 | 3 | 25 | 8.3 | 0 | 5.5 |
| 2022 | Deebo Samuel, S.F. | LAR | L 20-21 | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | 0 | 5.2 |
| 2022 | Chase Claypool, Chi. | Min. | L 13-29 | 2 | 29 | 14.5 | 0 | 4.9 |
| 2022 | Demarcus Robinson, Bal. | at Cin. | L 16-27 | 2 | 24 | 12.0 | 0 | 4.4 |
| 2022 | Jalen Reagor, Min. | at Chi. | W 29-13 | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 0 | 4.2 |
| 2023 | Ben Skowronek, LAR | at S.F. | W 21-20 | 2 | 22 | 11.0 | 0 | 4.2 |
| 2022 | Dante Pettis, Chi. | Min. | L 13-29 | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | 0 | 3.9 |
| 2023 | Justyn Ross, K.C. | at LAC | W 13-12 | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 0 | 3.7 |
| 2023 | Richie James, K.C. | at LAC | W 13-12 | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 0 | 3.5 |
| 2023 | Laquon Treadwell, Bal. | Pitt. | L 10-17 | 1 | 16 | 16.0 | 0 | 2.6 |
At tight end, I see three of note, led by Isaiah Likely, coming up with 8 catches for 103 yards in 2022, taking on a larger role (with both Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews sitting out).
| WEEK 18 TEAMS WITH NEW QBs -- TIGHT ENDS | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Opp | Results | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD | PPR |
| 2022 | Isaiah Likely, Bal. | at Cin. | L 16-27 | 8 | 103 | 12.9 | 0 | 18.3 |
| 2022 | Cole Kmet, Chi. | Min. | L 13-29 | 4 | 57 | 14.3 | 1 | 15.7 |
| 2022 | Lawrence Cager, NYG | at Phi. | L 16-22 | 8 | 69 | 8.6 | 0 | 14.9 |
| 2022 | Charlie Kolar, Bal. | at Cin. | L 16-27 | 4 | 49 | 12.3 | 0 | 8.9 |
| 2023 | Brycen Hopkins, LAR | at S.F. | W 21-20 | 2 | 47 | 23.5 | 0 | 6.7 |
| 2023 | Davis Allen, LAR | at S.F. | W 21-20 | 4 | 25 | 6.3 | 0 | 6.5 |
| 2023 | Jordan Akins, Cle. | at Cin. | L 14-31 | 3 | 24 | 8.0 | 0 | 5.4 |
| 2023 | Charlie Kolar, Bal. | Pitt. | L 10-17 | 3 | 23 | 7.7 | 0 | 5.3 |
| 2022 | Irv Smith, Min. | at Chi. | W 29-13 | 3 | 14 | 4.7 | 0 | 4.4 |
| 2022 | Nick Vannett, NYG | at Phi. | L 16-22 | 2 | 18 | 9.0 | 0 | 3.8 |
| 2022 | Logan Thomas, Was. | Dall. | W 26-6 | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 0 | 3.6 |
| 2022 | Charlie Woerner, S.F. | LAR | L 20-21 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | 0 | 3.0 |
Overall, it looks pretty spartan. I suppose there are some in roster binds who’ll have to consider players from teams like the Rams, Bills, Eagles and Kansas City. But the preference should be to find players on teams that are approaching the week more conventionally.
—Ian Allan