There's always plenty of chaos in the final week of the NFL season. More than half the teams today have nothing to play for except a paycheck, future contract considerations, pride, their family, their friends, their fans, . . . Well, they have a lot to play for, even if it's not a postseason berth. Anyone playing today realistically is doing their best, and that should give title-pursuing managers some confidence.
However, management and coaches might make decisions that directly or indirectly increase the odds of an improved draft position. Some starters might be pulled in the second quarter. Other starters might be last-minute scratches. Again, chaos.
Most top producers in Week 18 last season were must-start players. In other words, not many surprises. Eight of the 10 highest-scoring RBs were expected to do well. Only two -- Dameon Pierce and Miles Sanders -- were fliers that managers hoped would carry the load for their respective depleted teams. Similarly, only two of the 10 highest-scoring QBs (Joshua Dobbs and Marcus Mariota) were spot-starters with no prior claim on their squad's starting job.
Good luck if you're competing for a fantasy title today. I'm here if you want to bounce anything around. Otherwise, we'll wrap up tomorrow with the final column of the season.
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