We’ve finally reached the final — yes, the very last — week of the NFL regular season. The new calendar year started just a couple of days ago and the football world enters 2026 with a two-game slate on Saturday as the appetizer to the rest of the Week 18 festivities. Two showdowns for division titles take place as the Panthers visit the Buccaneers at 4:30 p.m. EST before the 49ers host the Seahawks at 8 p.m., so the stakes don’t get much higher and the matchups look quite fun. Are you ready?
Here are the top anytime TD scorer picks on DraftKings Sportsbook during the Saturday slate in Week 18.
Bucky Irving (+170) vs. Panthers
“Bucky Irving hasn’t scored a touchdown in three weeks! Why would I take him?” Don’t ask too many questions and check out this stat instead. The Panthers have allowed 20 rushing touchdowns this season, tied for fourth-most in the NFL. That in itself bodes well for Irving’s outlook for an anytime TD this week, but Carolina also comes in at 26th in defensive EPA/rush and just gave up two rushing scores to Zach Charbonnet last week. While the loss of former offensive coordinator Liam Coen has clearly limited this Buccaneers offense this season, everything is on the line on Saturday and Josh Grizzard is sure to pull out all the stops when calling the plays.
Irving comes off one of his worst career performances with just 33 total yards on 14 touches, but he racked up at least 71 yards in all four of his games prior to that ugly showing since returning from injury. This is a chance for him to get rolling, and while Sean Tucker sees some backfield work in the red zone, it’s still Irving’s team until proven otherwise. Don’t be dissuaded by his four scrimmage scores in an injury-marred campaign.
A.J. Barner (+165) @ 49ers
There are so many options for touchdowns in the later game on this schedule thanks to a couple of the league’s highest-upside offenses. One player who stands out among the bunch who isn’t particularly chalky is Seahawks tight end A.J. Barner. He’s not the biggest name available, but the +165 odds are encouraging given the environment here. Yes, Seattle plays on the road, but the team faces a 49ers defense that allows 2.7 touchdowns per game (20th) and continues to nurse numerous injuries to key talent. Over the last three contests, the Niners have allowed 38 points to the Bears, 27 points to Philip Rivers’ Colts, and even 24 points to the lowly Titans. We can target this for sure.
The reason for Barner’s selection in this column? San Francisco has conceded the third-most touchdowns to tight ends this season. That’s an encouraging sign, so the value here feels pretty solid if you’re picking a Seahawk to score aside from red-zone back Zach Charbonnet (especially since the 49ers have allowed the fifth-fewest rushing touchdowns). The fun part about Barner though is that he sees some goal-line usage on occasion as a tush push option, which paid off with one rushing touchdown to complement his six via the receiving game. He’s an intriguing choice.
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Long shot anytime TD scorers for Week 18’s Saturday slate
- Cade Otton (+425)
- Tommy Tremble (+500)
- Baker Mayfield (+700)
- Seahawks D/ST (+500)
- Jake Tonges (+900)
