Should Fantasy Football Championships Be Played in Week 18?

Welcome back to your direct line of fantasy football advice, our mailbag article series powered by the Fantasy Football Advice Network.

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This is a bittersweet week as this is the final mailbag of the 2024 NFL Season. However, before I run into the sunset, we still have Week 18!

Week 18 Fantasy Football Advice Mailbag (2024)

Why Do People Still Do Week 18 Fantasy Football Championships? Yes, I Lost Saquon Barkley This Week. — @Nismo

Well, @Nismo, that is a great question. I also lost Saquon Barkley. Non-fantasy football-wise, I wanted him to take Eric Dickerson‘s rushing record, but that’s for another article and Twitter.

Before I dive into my three cents, I am feeling 50-50 about the Week 18 fantasy football championship debate. On one hand, it’s complicated. On the other, I currently have FOMO as I’m enjoying my final Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks and some third, second and fifth-place finishes.

However, in contrast to previous pieces, I will not provide a verdict because there’s no firm decision – just advice and rants. For one last time this season, let’s get into it.

The Week 18 Fantasy Football Life

Behold the community’s thoughts:

Reminder to never play in a week 18 championship fantasy football league

— Luke Sawhook ?? (@lukesawhook) January 2, 2025

If you are playing Week 18 in fantasy football your commissioner must be sick in the head

— Nicolas Wilcox (@Nick_Wilcox25) January 1, 2025

You should play week 18 fantasy football.

— Bing Bong Bailey AKA #GetSticky Guy (@onlysandro) December 30, 2024

Ban Week 18 Fantasy Football Championships

— Dave Heilman NFL (@DynastyDorks) January 1, 2025

Well, that’s just a snippet, but you get the idea.

At this point, you are either sitting back and chilling, celebrating your Week 16-17 titles, spending long days on the waivers, scouting College Football players to draft next year or maybe even just cooking up a player prop parlay. If you are named Carson Wentz or Blake Corum (and a plethora of others), you better get used to seeing your names on fantasy football rosters again.

Week 18 is an interesting time because it’s the rare time when one would drop Josh Allen for Wentz or Mac Jones (unless you’re in a dynasty league, that is). You have players playing for their incentives, coaches coaching for their jobs, teams playing for a playoff spot and those trying to increase their odds of landing a superstar quarterback in the NFL Draft.

One thing’s for certain, though: I love chaos.

Pros of Week 18 Fantasy Football Championships

One of the great things about fantasy sports is being able to customize leagues you want to play.

Many people don’t care for 8 team leagues, IDP, superflex, devy, TD only leagues, leagues with kickers, etc aren’t for them. Should we call those beyond silly too?

— Kraig Rueth (@RotoHeatKraig) January 1, 2025

This is certainly a big pro. Fantasy football and sports, in general, are all about customization. Yes, waiver wire appointments are tedious. Scrolling through Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Adam Schefter’s tweets can be tiresome at this point, especially for injury reports. But what’s one more week going to do? Assuming competition is healthy (it always should be), you could leverage a last-minute trade in dynasty leagues where trading is open.

If a commissioner plays their cards correctly, there can also be a “Lose Bowl” for cash prizes. This is similar thinking to March Madness with the NCAA Tournament and NIT tournament. The NCAA National Championship is obviously more desirable, but programs still benefit financially and gain more exposure playing in March. That way, multiple managers have more incentives to finish strong, and you are not celebrating participation-trophy style.

Cons of Week 18 Fantasy Football Championships

An extra week of football is more tiring for NFL personnel, alongside fantasy football managers. Now, it is nothing to the extent of athletes’ fatigue, but the common theme is that more football going into other sports’ calendars makes the game a little more exhausting to intake.

If you play in Week 18, you have to hit the waivers more than usual during the regular season. Trades are also harder to make or perhaps not even allowed. If you were in best ball or guillotine leagues, you wouldn’t have to worry as much, but other formats are a different story. Adding an extra week forces you to do some more research on second and third-stringers you may have never heard of. At least it could be beneficial to note for dynasty leagues and next season.

The Tweets alone discuss the cons of Week 18 titles. Fatigue, annoyance and pain (OK not really). They all can be a big hassle.

Bottomline

Does you fantasy football league go until Week 18?

— Jesse Morse, MD (@DrJesseMorse) December 30, 2024

I personally have never been in a league with a Week 18 fantasy football championship. While it is intriguing because I enjoy chaos, playing fantasy football while covering it and working in sports/entertainment does take a toll on me. Still, I enjoy every second of it, and although tiring, it can be worth it if you’re in the right leagues with the right people.

I lean towards the “No Week 18 Fantasy Football Championship” crowd and will probably sit this one out now. However, I am open to joining a league with one because of FOMO and a little tablespoon of chaos.

Check out all of our Week 18 fantasy football content:

Thank you to everyone who has read my mailbag all season long. Shout out to my editor, Ben Seibert, and head honcho himself, Seth Woolcock, for publishing and allowing me to contribute to this platform.

I am not going anywhere, though. I will return for more fantasy football later this year and contribute to some of our entertainment content (and social media) in the meantime! Also, follow me on Twitter/X @nrojo5 for more fantasy football & sports takes.

*Photo Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck – USA TODAY Sports*

Nicolette Rojo

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Week 18 Fantasy Football Advice Mailbag: When Should Championships Be Played? (2024)