Your settings appear to be:
./xmlchange DATM_CLMNCEP_YR_START=2018
./xmlchange DATM_CLMNCEP_YR_ALIGN=2018
./xmlchange DATM_CLMNCEP_YR_END=2019
./xmlchange RUN_STARTDATE=2018-01-01
This should work as long as you have atm forcing for all of 2018 and 2019. Generally, for spinup, we start the model at year "1" instead of a "real" year, e.g.,
./xmlchange DATM_CLMNCEP_YR_ALIGN=1
./xmlchange RUN_STARTDATE=0001-01-01
But I think your settings should also work. The model should repeat the 2018-2019 forcing.
You can't spinup over partial years however.