Vanek's Views: DraftKings NFL DFS Picks for Week 18

by Jordan Vanek (vanekjordan) Last Updated 2026-01-03 16:50:13 Premium Content Part of the product NFL DFS

Using his experience as a former scout and staff member at Central Florida under Josh Heupel, Jordan Vanek takes an in-depth look at the upcoming NFL DFS main slate on DraftKings for Week 18. Formerly of The 33rd Team and 4for4 Fantasy Football, Jordan’s deep dive into the best stacks, running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends is a must-read before you start building your lineups.

Week 18 is one of the most volatile slates of the NFL season. I prefer narrowing my focus to just a few games and overstacking teams that aren’t playing for much, and for me that starts with Cowboys and Giants. I’m comfortable fully buying into one of the quarterbacks in that matchup, then rounding out builds with a mix of one-offs and mini-stacks.

Ownership is so important this weekend, and our NFL DFS projections are going to extrapolate a lot of the news for you. The team will adjust as much as possible for the tea leaves of play time.

Editor’s Note: Looking for more places to play? Check out our Underdog promo code and PrizePicks promo code, two of the best DFS sites available today.

NFL DFS DraftKings Picks: Top Stacks, RBs, WRs, & TEs for Week 18

Game Stacks

Jaxson Dart ($5,700, QB, New York Giants)

Darius Slayton ($4,100, QB, New York Giants)

Isaiah Hodgins ($3,100, QB, New York Giants)

Jaydon Blue ($4,300, RB, Dallas Cowboys)

George Pickens ($7,200, WR, Dallas Cowboys)

Since Week 14, the Dallas Cowboys have allowed 9.6 yards per pass attempt, and this sets up as a game where Jaxson Dart should be able to both throw and run. Losing Wan’Dale Robinson hurts the short-area passing game, but it opens the door for Isaiah Hodgins to soak up receptions. Hodgins hasn’t been anything special with Dart under center, but he’s the best bet to inherit the middle-of-the-field targets Robinson was seeing. Meanwhile, Dallas has allowed the most receiving yards in the league to wide receivers aligned out wide, and Darius Slayton has dominated boundary targets. If you’re only playing one receiver with Dart (which is a viable approach) Slayton is the preferred option in this matchup.

The Giants are a terrible defense and one of the worst teams in the league against the run, which sets up Jaydon Blue for a full workload. Even if Dak Prescott doesn’t play the entire game, George Pickens should still be aggressive while he’s on the field. With free agency looming, Pickens will be motivated to make plays and put strong tape out there, and this matchup against the Giants gives him a real opportunity for a big day. From a coverage standpoint, the Giants play a lot of zone but also mix in frequent blitzes and man coverage, which is where Pickens is most capable of creating explosive plays.

Mini Game Stacks

Want to read more? Sign up for NFL Premium!

-

-

-