
Should I start Jared Wayne or Will Mallory in Week 18 (2026, Half-PPR)?
THE FF CALL
Slight lean: Jared Wayne
+0.8 projected edge ยท Half-PPR
Start Jared Wayne over Will Mallory for Week 18 Half-PPR: 1.0 projected points versus 0.3.
- Jared Wayne: 0.0 FP recent scoring average.
- Jared Wayne: 10% matchup lift against NE.
Forecast updated ยท Half-PPR



Will Mallory
TE ยท INDStats & schedule โบWhy this pick?
Jared Wayne
- FF projection
- 1.0 FP
- Sleeper
- 0.9 FP
Jared Wayne faces NE in Week 18. Recent scoring average: 0.0 fantasy points. The position-specific defensive matchup adjusts the forecast up 10%.
Will Mallory
- FF projection
- 0.3 FP
- Sleeper
- 0.3 FP
Will Mallory faces JAC in Week 18. Recent scoring average: 0.0 fantasy points. The position-specific defensive matchup adjusts the forecast down 1.25%.
Your next decision
Scoring & lineup notes
FORTIFIED RANKINGS ยท
FLEX. The bigger picture.
Ranked by FF expected points. Displayed ties favor the higher FF-minus-ESPN margin. Medians and ranges add context.
- 1
Kenneth Walker IIIRB ยท KC vs LVSun 12:00 AM ETRange unavailableMean 25.0Range unavailableMedian unavailableESPN 28.1Sleeper 21.5FantasyPros 20.325.0Expected FP - 2
Jahmyr GibbsRB ยท DET vs GBSun 12:00 AM ETRange unavailableMean 24.2Range unavailableMedian unavailableESPN 19.8Sleeper 22.8FantasyPros 22.124.2Expected FP - 3
Bijan RobinsonRB ยท ATL vs CARSun 12:00 AM ETRange unavailableMean 22.3Range unavailableMedian unavailableESPN 19.4Sleeper 20.4FantasyPros 19.122.3Expected FP
How the forecast and ranges work
FF uses position-specific provider weights, rescored CBS and FFToday stats, and the existing bounded form, defense and metric adjustments. Saved Boosted Trees and Workload have bounded model influence when available. Monte Carlo supplies the distribution; it does not get a duplicate mean vote.
Every player is ranked by the FF expected score (mean), whether or not a simulation distribution is available. Equal displayed scores use the higher FF-minus-ESPN margin when both ESPN forecasts are known, then unrounded FF, a comparable FantasyPros/Sleeper estimate, and stable identity order if still level. This tiebreaker is not a measured probability of beating ESPN. The median marker is additional information and never changes the order. Missing or availability-conditional ranges do not switch the ranking statistic. The window shows the experimental middle 80% (P10โP90), rather than the difference between two model means. Its observed coverage under this new version is still collecting. Availability-conditional distributions are labeled and are not shifted to a different center.
Missing sources and incompatible scoring are excluded. Bye and confirmed unavailable players remain excluded. ESPN, Sleeper and FantasyPros are the benchmark markers. The common scale covers the displayed outcome windows and available benchmarks.
More Week 18 decisions
Jared Wayne1.0projected FP
Deion Burks2.5projected FP
Jared Wayne1.0projected FP
Ben Skowronek1.0projected FP
Jared Wayne1.0projected FP
Lil'Jordan Humphrey1.0projected FP
Jared Wayne1.0projected FP
Isaiah Williams1.0projected FP
Jaxon Smith-Njigba18.3projected FP
CeeDee Lamb17.8projected FP
CeeDee Lamb17.8projected FP
Ja'Marr Chase17.5projected FP
Ja'Marr Chase17.5projected FP
Amon-Ra St. Brown16.5projected FP
Amon-Ra St. Brown16.5projected FP
Christian Watson15.8projected FP
Christian Watson15.8projected FP
Tee Higgins15.6projected FP
Tee Higgins15.6projected FP
Matthew Golden15.4projected FP