Who Should I Start? Trey Lance or Caleb Williams

Sunday, January 4, 10:32 AM

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Trey Lance will make his first start of the season during Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Denver Broncos. The former first-round pick is starting in place of Justin Herbert (coach's decision) as the Chargers look to keep their No. 1 quarterback healthy for the upcoming playoff stretch. Turning to Lance puts Los Angeles as a 14-point underdog, and they could still finish anywhere between the No. 5 and No. 7 seed in the AFC. The young quarterback has flashed upside in the past, and perhaps the Chargers still hope that he can live up to his first-round draft stock. However, the odds are stacked against him this week. For starters, the Broncos have an elite defense anchored by Patrick Surtain II and Nik Bonitto. Denver has allowed the fourth-fewest passing yards and eighth-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in 2025. Furthermore, Lance is playing behind an offensive line that PFF ranked second-worst heading into Week 18. Every Chargers offensive lineman finished with a PFF grade below 70 last week. This is not the right time to start Lance in fantasy football. Managers should avoid him in all leagues.

Wednesday, January 7, 9:21 AM

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams finished the 2025 regular season as the QB5 for the year under first-year head coach Ben Johsnon. He completed 330 of 568 (58%) for 3,942 yards and a 27:7 TD: INT ratio. From a fantasy standpoint, he also contributed 383 rushing yards and three touchdowns, giving him a solid rushing floor. Although there were some lower moments on the season where he scored 12 or fewer fantasy points in three of his 17 contests, for the most part, Williams was a solid fantasy option, and should continue to be so in the playoffs. The Bears take on division opponent, the Green Bay Packers, in round one, who struggled to stay healthy down the stretch and have a very beatable defense after losing Micah Parsons (knee) for the season. This will be Williams' first career playoff start, and the Bears are currently underdogs(+1) to the Packers at home, so there is some risk for Fantasy managers in playoff leagues. However, if the Bears do make a run, it will likely be because the second-year signal-caller is performing at an elite level, making him a solid fantasy option for the playoffs.