Fabs Five Fantasy Football Sleeper Picks: Start Blake Corum, Jalen McMillan

Michael Fabiano | Jan 2, 2025

Kenneth Gainwell (left), Blake Corum (center) and Jalen McMillan (right) are all sleeper starts for fantasy football Week 18. / Blake Corum: Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesKenneth Gainwell: Bill Streicher-Imagn ImagesJalen McMillan: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Welcome to Week 18, where you’ll see more fantasy sleepers than in any other week of the year. That’s because teams that have clinched postseason berths will be resting starters, which opens up opportunities for backups to put up solid stat lines for their offenses.

Looking at the Week 18 matchups, here are five players you didn’t draft or aren’t locked-in starters who you should consider.  Also, for those who want even more fantasy advice, check out Lindsay Rhodes and I on Fantasy Dirt five days a week and live on Sundays!

All Positions: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Ks & DSTs

Week 18 Fantasy Football Sleeper Starts

RB – Blake Corum vs. Seahawks

Corum will get a chance to start for the Rams this week, as the team will rest its starters with a playoff berth and the NFC West title already clinched. The game has no real meaning either, as the Seahawks have already been eliminated from playoff contention. As a result, Corum should push for No. 2 fantasy running back value in the regular-season finale.

RB – Kenneth Gainwell vs. Giants

Saquon Barkley will be rested this week, so he won’t get a chance to face his old team and surpass Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record of 2.105 yards. As a result, Gainwell will get a chance to play a bigger role in what is a plus matchup. Big Blue has allowed the most fantasy points to opposing running backs over the last eight weeks of the season.

WR – Josh Downs vs. Jaguars

Downs put up a stinker in last week’s loss to the Giants, as both Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce went off in the contest. I think Downs will rebound this week though against a Jaguars defense that’s been vulnerable to wide receivers all season. With Joe Flacco getting the start once again, Downs could post top-24 numbers at the position this weekend.

WR – Jalen McMillan vs. Saints

McMillan has been under-the-radar awesome in the last month, scoring six touchdowns in his last four games. During that time, he has put up at least 16.7 points in every contest, including two with more than 21 points. The Buccaneers are playing for the NFC South title, and New Orleans has allowed the ninth-most points to perimeter receivers since Week 10.

TE – Chig Okonkwo vs. Texans

Okonkwo has been on a nice hot streak, scoring at least 10.9 fantasy points in each of his last three straight games. He’s also been targeted 28 times in that stretch, so he’s become a bigger part of the Titans' offense. Okonkwo also has a great matchup against the Texans, who have surrendered the third-most points to opposing tight ends since Week 10.