NFL Week 18 features a Saturday showdown between the Chiefs and Broncos at 4:30 p.m. ET.
In this article, I’ll be using various FantasyLabs tools and other industry metrics to break down the slate.
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Motivation
Before we get into the individual plays, it’s worth a quick discussion of the team’s motivations heading into this matchup. Kansas City is currently the AFC’s No. 2 seed. They are guaranteed to hold on to that spot with a win – which would mean the first two playoff games would be at Arrowhead. They could also challenge for the top seed, and it’s coveted bye week with a win. They’d need some help (a Titans loss to the Texans), but it’s still on the table.
Those two factors should be enough for the Chiefs to treat this like a normal game. However, it also wouldn’t be surprising to see an early end to the day for some of the Chiefs stars if they build a lead here.
Denver, on the other hand, has nothing to play for after falling out of contention with three straight losses. I wouldn’t expect a backup squad on the field for the Broncos, though. They’d certainly love to play spoiler to the Chiefs and could also be taking one final look at Drew Lock as a long-term quarterback. Their effort level on defense could be called into question, but expect a normal game plan here.
Studs
