
Should I start Caleb Williams or J.J. McCarthy? (Standard Week 18 2026)
THE FF CALL
Start J.J. McCarthy
+1.6 projected edge ยท Standard
Start J.J. McCarthy over Caleb Williams for Week 18 Standard: 14.6 projected points versus 13.1.
J.J. McCarthy ยท Injury report dated ยท Starter role checked
Caleb Williams ยท Injury report dated ยท Starter role checked
- J.J. McCarthy: 8.7 FP recent scoring average.
- Caleb Williams: 16.3 FP recent scoring average.
Forecast updated ยท Standard



Caleb Williams
QB ยท CHIStats & schedule โบWhy this pick?
J.J. McCarthy
- FF projection
- 14.6 FP -1.9vs ESPN
- ESPN
- 16.5 FP
- Sleeper
- 13.5 FP
- FantasyPros
- 15.7 FP
- Boosted Trees
- 18.6 FP
- Experimental ยท saved Oct 27, 12:03 AM ET
J.J. McCarthy faces PHI in Week 18. Recent scoring average: 8.7 fantasy points.
Caleb Williams
- FF projection
- 13.1 FP -1.4vs ESPN
- ESPN
- 14.5 FP
- Sleeper
- 15.3 FP
- FantasyPros
- 12.7 FP
- Boosted Trees
- 15.2 FP
- Experimental ยท saved Oct 27, 12:03 AM ET
Caleb Williams faces MIN in Week 18. Recent scoring average: 16.3 fantasy points. The position-specific defensive matchup adjusts the forecast down 10%.
Your next decision
Scoring & lineup notes
FORTIFIED RANKINGS ยท
QB. The bigger picture.
Ranked by FF expected points. Displayed ties favor the higher FF-minus-ESPN margin. Medians and ranges add context.
- 1
Josh AllenQB ยท BUF vs NYJSun 12:00 AM ETRange unavailableMean 24.8Range unavailableMedian unavailableESPN 25.2Sleeper 24.6FantasyPros 23.624.8Expected FP - 2
Brock PurdyQB ยท SF vs ARISun 12:00 AM ETRange unavailableMean 24.4Range unavailableMedian unavailableESPN 20.6Sleeper 24.8FantasyPros 22.624.4Expected FP - 3
Jayden DanielsQB ยท WAS vs DALSun 12:00 AM ETRange unavailableMean 23.9Range unavailableMedian unavailableESPN 21.9Sleeper 21.3FantasyPros 22.323.9Expected 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
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Brock Purdy24.4projected FP
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Jayden Daniels23.9projected FP
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Jordan Love23.3projected FP
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Drake Maye23.0projected FP
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Trevor Lawrence22.4projected FP
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Joe Burrow22.1projected FP