It’s arguably the hardest week of football to forecast in the NFL: Week 18, in which the playoff picture is decently clear, but there are still plenty of scenarios in which those still alive can make it to the postseason.
That means some teams have something to play for, whether it’s a higher playoff seed, a division title or just making it to the postseason. Then there are those who have a game that doesn’t matter to them either way.
And it’s that latter group we want to focus on to help you out. Here’s a guide to all the teams who could be sitting their starters in Week 18, which will no doubt affect spreads on their games:
Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
John Harbaugh hasn’t said it out loud yet, but with the Ravens clinching the AFC’s No. 1 seed, it’s likely that Baltimore will rest its starters at some point, whether it’s most of the game against the Steelers or all of it.
Ravens HC John Harbaugh on if starters will play on versus Steelers: “I have not made any decisions on personnel yet. We’ve got to kind of work through the injury part of it first. That’ll take us probably 24 to 48 hours to get a real handle on that, and then we’ll make those…
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) January 1, 2024
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The Browns can’t move from the No. 5 seed in the AFC, so my guess is Cleveland will rest a bunch of its starters ahead of the postseason.
Kevin Stefanski isn’t ready to announce whether he will rest #Browns starters in Cincinnati on Sunday with the playoffs starting Jan. 13 or 14. pic.twitter.com/SjGjrc7fpj
— Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) January 1, 2024
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
If they win and get help, they could be as high as the No. 2 seed in the NFC. Plus, Dan Campbell has said out loud that the plan is to play the starters. But keep an eye on that throughout the week.
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
On the one hand: They can win the NFC East if they win and the Cowboys lose or tie. But the Cowboys face the hapless Commanders and the Eagles will face the similarly hapless Giants. So you may see some benching here.
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
They’re the No. 3 seed in the AFC, so you may not see much out of their starters.
(Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
The NFC’s No. 1 seed is locked in, so no need to play their starters much.
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
They’re in the postseason but their going to be a Wild Card team no matter what. You may see a light load from their starters.
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