3 NFL Player Prop Bets for Week 18 Saturday Slate

Player props can be useful in a variety of ways -- from taking advantage of them straight up to measuring a player's potential to produce in daily fantasy football on FanDuel. Here, we're going to focus on the former.

Utilizing numberFire's projections as a guide, here are some NFL player props bets -- per the NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook -- that look appealing.

Please note that betting lines and numberFire's game projections may change throughout the day after this article is published. Also, the weather may be an issue in some locations.

NFL Prop Bets Week 18 Saturday Slate

Justice Hill Any Time Touchdown (+270)

The Baltimore Ravens will sit Lamar Jackson in this week's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jackson could be one of a few Baltimore starters who sit or see a more muted workload this weekend.

While we can't totally foresee how Baltimore will attack this game in preparation for the playoffs, I do think we should be interested in Justice Hill. He has been seeing decent looks in both the run and pass game, isn't necessarily a major rest candidate for this Ravens team, and is in store for a decent matchup.

In two games since Keaton Mitchell (knee) was placed on the IR, Hill has an 11.1% red zone rush share. Since Jackson, who had a 16.7% red zone rush share in that sample, is out, we should see more red zone opportunities open up for the Baltimore backs. I also wouldn't be surpised if Gus Edwards, with his 44.4% red zone rush share, plays a softer role as the Ravens look to the postseason.

Hill has been seeing work in the passing game, touting a 14.3% target share (third-highest) since Mitchell has been out. With Tyler Huntley under center this Saturday, he could look to Hill as a bail-out target option against a Pittsburgh pass D that generates ample pressure.

The Steelers have surrendered the 15th-most (tied) rush touchdowns and sixth-most (tied) receiving touchdowns to running backs this season. The matchup is solid, and at these odds, we've been seeing Hill play a big enough role for me to be high on him to reach the end zone.

Dalton Schultz Over 41.5 Receiving Yards (-114)

FanDuel Sportsbook has C.J. Stroud's passing yards line set at 263.5, so there should be plenty of yardage to go around for the Houston Texans' receivers as they take on their AFC South comrades, the Indianapolis Colts. Both teams are vying for a playoff spot, and I expect Stroud to be firing on all cylinders this weekend.

I'm most interested in targeting the Stroud-to-Dalton Schultz connection.

On the season, Schultz is rocking with a 16.8% target share and netting 42.4 receiving yards per game. In three games without Tank Dell (fibula), Schultz has seen a slight uptick in usage, averaging 46.0 receiving yards off of a 17.7% target share (second-highest on the team).

The Colts have surrendered 858 yards to tight ends this season, which is good for the 10th-most in the NFL.

Houston has a pair of key offensive players on the injury report. Robert Woods and Noah Brown have yet to practice as of Wednesday. These two players have had a combined 30.8% target share since Dell hit the IR. If one or both of these players is unavailable for Saturday, Schultz should play a heavier role in the passing game.

But even when accounting for Woods and Brown, numberFire is still projecting Schultz to net 44.4 receiving yards in this friendly matchup.

Jonathan Taylor Over 70.5 Rushing Yards (-114)

According to numberFire's nERD-based power rankings, the Texans have the second-best schedule-adjusted rush defense in the league. Notwithstanding the tough matchup, I trust Jonathan Taylor to surpass 70.5 rush yards this weekend.

In games where Taylor has carried the ball 10 or more times, he is averaging 73.7 rush yards. The Colts have gone 4-1 in Taylor's last five games. In this span of four wins, Taylor is averaging 75.75 rush yards.

He is netting 3.67 rushing first downs per game. For reference, if we adjusted this number to account for a full season of play up until this point (16 games; Taylor has played in just nine games), Taylor would rank fourth among all running backs in total rushing first downs. Taylor's success directly correlates with Indy's success, so we should expect plenty of usage out of their lead back in this crucial contest.

And though Houston is limiting in the run game, they did surrender 88 rush yards to Zack Moss (Taylor was injured) in a Week 2 contest between these squads.

numberFire is projecting Taylor to gain 88.1 yards on the ground this Saturday, putting us well above the line here.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.