Fantasy Football Week 18 Sleepers: Samaje Perine among backups who could win leagues plus DFS lineups

Week 18 is tricky because of who could be resting with the playoffs starting the following week. There are many scenarios for several teams, but the Bengals are expected to be without a few key players for Sunday’s matchup with the Browns.

Joe Burrow (knee) has already said he won’t play, and Joe Mixon went into Friday night still on the reserve/COVID-19 list. With Mixon out, Samaje Perine becomes a sleeper you can use in all leagues and for DFS against Cleveland.

Perine has two games this season with at least 11 carries — Week 5 against Green Bay and Week 7 at Baltimore — and he scored at least 14 PPR points in each outing. He’s been useful at times in tandem with Mixon, and he has three games with at least three catches.

The Bengals will likely use Chris Evans to help Perine, so keep that in mind. And without Burrow (Brandon Allen is starting) and potentially other guys like Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, the offensive production could be minimal for Perine.

As for the matchup, the Browns have allowed a running back to score at least 12 PPR points in four games in a row, so hopefully Perine will keep that streak going. I like him as a No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues, and hopefully he takes advantage of this extended playing time with Mixon out.

Editor’s Note: Projections are provided by CBS Sports and not Jamey Eisenberg. Projected points are for PPR leagues.

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Week 18 Sleepers

DraftKings

QB: Kirk Cousins (vs. CHI) $6,100

RB: Devin Singletary (vs. NYJ) $6,000

RB: D’Onta Foreman (at HOU) $5,700

WR: Cooper Kupp (vs. SF) $9,700

WR: K.J. Osborn (vs. CHI) $5,500

WR: Cyril Grayson (vs. CAR) $4,400

TE: Austin Hooper (vs. CIN) $3,600

FLEX: Darnell Mooney (at MIN) $5,900

DST: Football Team (at NYG) $3,100

I’m stacking the Vikings here with Cousins and Osborn, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Minnesota-Chicago game was a high-scoring affair. It’s why I also like Mooney in this lineup, especially with Dalton starting.

Singletary is my Start of the Week, and I also expect Foreman to have a big game against the Texans. And I’ll play Hooper in this lineup based on his price, as well as the reasons listed above.

My receiving corps is rounded out with Kupp and Grayson, and hopefully Kupp has a record-setting game against the 49ers. He needs 136 yards to break Calvin Johnson’s record of 1,964 receiving yards, which was set in 2012. And he needs 12 catches to break Michael Thomas‘ record of 149 catches, which was set in 2019. If he does that, he’s well worth his price on DraftKings.

FanDuel

QB: Andy Dalton (at MIN) $6,300

RB: Jonathan Taylor (at JAC) $10,200

RB: Devin Singletary (vs. NYJ) $6,700

WR: Justin Jefferson (vs. CHI) $8,500

WR: Terry McLaurin (at NYG) $6,700

WR: Darnell Mooney (at MIN) $6,300

TE: Zach Ertz (vs. SEA) $5,600

FLEX: Ke’Shawn Vaughn (vs. CAR) $5,900

DEF: Steelers (at BAL) $3,500

I’ll play Dalton and Mooney in this lineup, and I love Dalton’s price on FanDuel. I also have Singletary in this lineup as well, and Taylor should have a monster game against the Jaguars. 

Jefferson is worth using to have someone else on the other side of the Bears stack, and he should have a huge game against Chicago’s secondary at home. I also expect McLaurin to go off against the Giants (he’s scored at least 14 PPR points in four games in a row against New York).

Ertz was awesome the last time he played Seattle with eight catches for 88 yards and two touchdowns on nine targets, and hopefully he can come close to that production again. And I like Vaughn at his price now that he could be the lead back for Tampa Bay in Week 18.

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