The Worksheet, a comprehensive fantasy football preview by Rich Hribar, breaks down everything you need to know about the Week 18 matchup between the Ravens and Steelers.
Find a breakdown of every Week 18 NFL game in our Worksheet Hub.
| Pittsburgh | Rank | @ | Baltimore | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -4.0 | Spread | 4.0 | ||
| 20.75 | Implied Total | 16.75 | ||
| 17.9 | 27 | Points/Gm | 29.6 | 2 |
| 19.6 | 7 | Points All./Gm | 16.4 | 1 |
| 60.4 | 26 | Plays/Gm | 63.7 | 16 |
| 63.6 | 14 | Opp. Plays/Gm | 65.4 | 28 |
| 5.1 | 22 | Off. Yards/Play | 6.0 | 3 |
| 5.5 | 26 | Def. Yards/Play | 4.6 | 2 |
| 46.33% | 6 | Rush% | 50.64% | 1 |
| 53.67% | 27 | Pass% | 49.36% | 32 |
| 42.18% | 15 | Opp. Rush % | 35.91% | 2 |
| 57.82% | 18 | Opp. Pass % | 64.09% | 31 |
Rest Alert: The Ravens have clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
We have seen John Harbaugh rest players in the past when Baltimore has locked up a playoff spot.
Looking at Harbaugh’s past, Tyler Huntley should start on Saturday and be an option for those playing the two-game slate. But expect a limited Baltimore roster facing a Pittsburgh team that still has a lot to play for.
Playoff Scenarios: The Steelers can still make the playoffs and get as high as the No. 6 seed.
They have multiple paths to get in, but the cleanest avenue is with a win on a Saturday and a Buffalo loss on Sunday night.
The other ways that the Steelers can make the playoffs:
- PIT win + JAX loss/tie
- PIT win + IND tie
- PIT tie + IND loss + JAX loss
- PIT tie + HOU loss + JAX loss
- JAX loss + IND loss + DEN win
- JAX loss + HOU loss + DEN win
Trust = spike production for that player
Quarterback
Mason Rudolph: We will see Rudolph make his third straight start on Saturday, regardless of whether Kenny Pickett is ready to return or not.
The Steelers have scored 30 points in back-to-back games for the first time since 2020.
Rudolph has thrown for 10.7 and 11.4 yards per pass attempt in those games, finishing as the QB12 (20.0 points) and QB26 (11.5 points) for fantasy over the past two weeks.
Rudolph is a low-ceiling starter for gamers in 2QB formats and those playing the Saturday slate for DFS.
This would normally be a stay-away matchup, but with Baltimore potentially resting several core players on the defensive side of the ball, there could be relief on the seasonal-long restrictions the Baltimore defense has placed on passers.
Running Back
Najee Harris: Harris handled a season-high 27 touches (all runs) in Seattle for 122 yards and a pair of scores on the ground.
We have seen that if Pittsburgh is ahead, they are going to run the football.
When ahead on the scoreboard this season, Pittsburgh has a 45.7% dropback rate, 31st in the league.
When the Steelers have led in the second half of games this season, they have a 36.7% dropback rate, last in the NFL.
With the Steelers as favorites here against a half-mast Baltimore squad, Harris should be able to stack enough opportunities to be a volume-based fantasy option.
He still needs to reach the end zone to hit his ceiling given the timeshare and lack of receiving work with Jaylen Warren.
Harris has out-touched Warren 48-to-35 when leading in the second half and 17-to-8 inside of the 10-yard line this season.
Jaylen Warren: Warren also got into the action on Sunday, matching a season-high with 17 touches in Seattle.
He turned those opportunities into 98 yards.
He also got into the end zone for the fourth time this season on an 18-yard scamper.
All four of Warren’s touchdowns this season have come from outside of the 10-yard line (13 yards being the shortest), so he must still sustain scoring from long range to hit an upside outcome.
That said, we just highlighted how run-centric Pittsburgh is with a lead.
If we are expecting to control the game script here, Warren is a viable RB2/FLEX option for gamers with added appeal should he cash in a long touchdown run.
Wide Receiver
George Pickens: After having his effort questioned in Week 15, Pickens has rebounded with games of 4-195-2 and 7-131-0 the past two weeks.
Mason Rudolph has targeted Pickens a team-high 30.6% of the time over his abbreviated sample as the starter.
Pickens has 51.8% of the team’s air yards with an average depth of target of 15.0 yards downfield the past two weeks.
He has catches of 86, 66, 44, 37, and 34 yards over the past two games after averaging 39.3 yards per game over his previous eight games.
As a splash-play fantasy asset attached to an aggressive passer, Pickens has plenty of upside for the Saturday DFS slate.
Against a fully stocked Baltimore defense back in Week 5, Pickens caught 6-of-10 targets for 130 yards and a touchdown.
Diontae Johnson: Johnson caught all four of his targets for 76 yards in Seattle, which included a season-long 42-yard catch and run.
Those were the most yards Johnson has had in a game since Week 9.
He has not had more than four receptions in a game since that Week 9 game.
Johnson has been targeted on 22.2% of his routes with 20.4% of the team targets in Rudolph’s two starts.
He is a floor-based WR3/FLEX option with an added upside angle with Baltimore potentially resting several starters.
Tight End
Pat Freiermuth: Freiermuth collected 3-of-4 targets for 44 yards Sunday in Seattle.
He now has 167 receiving yards in his 10 games outside of the 120 yards that he posted in Week 12.
Freiermuth will be looking for his first touchdown since Week 3 on Saturday.
He is best used as a dart throw on the Saturday DFS slate.