Fantasy Football: 2 running backs to avoid in Week 18

Among the positions to navigate in fantasy football in Week 18, it might be the running back position. A lot of NFL teams will give clear indications of who is in and out in the final game at positions like quarterback.

However, the running back position is one that is often fluid and teams might want to go with younger players to give them a chance to play as the game goes along. When looking ahead to the final week of the regular season, these are two running backs that should be avoided.

2 running backs to avoid starting in Week 18 for fantasy football

Joe Mixon (vs. Cleveland Browns)

The Cincinnati Bengals have been eliminated from playoff contention and have probably turned their focus to 2024. One of the players that could be a part of that future is running back Chase Brown, who they drafted in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

He would essentially replace Joe Mixon, who has been a staple of this offense for a number of years but could be released after the season with a cap hit of $8.5 million. This week, the Bengals are playing a good Browns' defense that has not given up much on the ground and combined with Brown seeing more work, Mixon is a player to avoid starting in Week 18.

Ty Chandler (vs. Detroit Lions)

The matchup between the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings don't really have any playoff implications as the Vikings have been eliminated and the Lions are essentially locked in at the three seed. For the Vikings, they have plenty of questions at quarterback and teams are able to load up against the run.

Ty Chandler had a breakout game against the Bengals with 132 rushing yards and a touchdown in Week 15. However, the past two weeks has had a total of only 57 rushing yards. The Lions are another defense that has done a great job shutting down running backs and it's unlikely that Chandler ends the season on a high note.