Amen Thompson, Brandon Ingram and 5 Other Must-Sit Week 18 Fantasy Basketball Players

Fantasy Basketball tips off in Week 18, while these players preview lacking upside to count on.

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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Fantasy Basketball is played in many different formats, with most people tending to play the week-by-week format. This means making many decisions at the start of each week, most of them Start 'Em, Sit 'Em. The article has identified seven Sit 'Ems for Week 18, including Payton Pritchard, Devin White, Nikola Vucevic of the Boston Celtics, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Brandon Ingram of the Toronto Raptors, and Amen Thompson of the Houston Rockets.

Why it matters

The Celtics and Raptors are two of the teams playing a reduced schedule in Week 18, with only three games each. Additionally, the matchups for these players are not high-upside affairs against very bad defenses, making them less viable fantasy options for the week.

The details

The Celtics trio of Payton Pritchard, Devin White, and Nikola Vucevic are being recommended to sit this week due to the reduced schedule and their West Coast road trip for the final two games. The Raptors trio of Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Brandon Ingram are also being recommended to sit due to their three-game schedule, which includes matchups against the Pistons, Bulls, and Bucks. Amen Thompson of the Houston Rockets is also being recommended to sit based on his shot chart from last season compared to this season.

  • Week 18 of the Fantasy Basketball season

The players

Payton Pritchard

Boston Celtics player.

Devin White

Boston Celtics player.

Nikola Vucevic

Boston Celtics player.

Immanuel Quickley

Toronto Raptors player.

RJ Barrett

Toronto Raptors player.

Brandon Ingram

Toronto Raptors player.

Amen Thompson

Houston Rockets player.

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What they’re saying

“Looking at Amen Thompson's shot chart from last season compared to this season is just depressing”

— Adam Spolane (Twitter)

The takeaway

This article highlights the importance of carefully considering schedules, matchups, and player performance when making Start 'Em, Sit 'Em decisions in Fantasy Basketball. The reduced schedules and unfavorable matchups for the highlighted players make them less viable fantasy options for Week 18.