Week 18 Waiver Wire (Fantasy Football)

For most of us, our fantasy championships have come and gone, but there are still some who play the extra week. There are many obstacles to overcome if you play your championship this week like injuries and playoff implications. Below is a list of the players to target if you need a Week 18 pickup. Listen or watch today’s Week 18 Waivers episode of The Fantasy Footballers podcast for a full breakdown of these waiver adds.

Wide Receivers

In case you missed the madness, Antonio Brown straight quit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the middle of the game on Sunday. This is rough situation for the Bucs who will be without Chris Godwin for the remainder of the season, and are missing Leonard Fournette for the short term due to injury. A surprising name that has come to light to help out has been Cyril Grayson. In Week 16, he had 81 receiving yards on three targets and three receptions. He added another 81 yards in Week 17 on eight targets and six receptions plus scored a touchdown. He is widely available at less than 1% rostered across most platforms.

The Jets’ wide receiver, Braxton Berrios, looked nothing short of explosive against the Buccaneers on Sunday. He was involved in the pass and run game with eight receptions on 12 targets for 65 yards and two rushing attempts for 12 yards a rushing TD. Berrios has been quietly productive over the last few weeks. Last week’s touchdown was his second rushing score in the last four weeks and he has logged double-digit targets twice in that time as well. It’s important to remember that Elijah Moore and Jamison Crowder have been sidelined, which may significantly help his fantasy production. However, if they remains out, Berrios has WR3 and Flex appeal against the Bills in Week 18.

Another receiver who has been quietly getting the job done is Antoine Wesley. Perhaps quiet isn’t exactly the correct adjective considering he was featured on “You Got Mossed” for his touchdown catch against the Cowboys from Sunday. With DeAndre Hopkins done for the season, Kyler Murray will need a field stretcher to help in those big-play opportunities. Wesley has scored a touchdown in each of his last two games and the Cardinals will face the porous secondary of the Seahawks in Week 18.

Listen or watch today’s Week 18 Waivers episode to hear how The Fantasy Footballers are prioritizing these wideouts and who you can drop to pick them up!

Running Backs

If Rhamondre Stevenson is somehow available in your league, he would be my first snag among running backs. I find it shocking that he is 50% available so double check to make sure.

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It’s hard to believe we are here at this moment talking about players like D’Onta Foreman, Rex Burkhead, and Le’Veon Bell as being fantasy life savers but here we are. Bell has bounced around the NFL this season and landed most recently with the Buccaneers. As I previously mentioned, the Buccs will need as much help as they can get moving forward, especially with both Ronald Jones and Ke’Shawn Vaughn banged up. Luckily for fantasy managers, he is widely available at only 7% rostered.

Unfortunately, the rest of the running backs are dart throws in the dark and are dependent on health/COVID-19 status.

Jaret Patterson of the Washington Football Team who is only 5% rostered and dominated the backfield with both Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic out. If they return, his role is all but obsolete, but he is worth a pick up if you have room. If one of them does not clear the protocol, he has the opportunity for Flex consideration.

Boston Scott also did not disappoint in the absence of Miles Sanders and a banged-up Jordan Howard. He is about the only running back on this list that I have any faith in, which isn’t saying much since I trust Nick Siriani about as far as I can throw him. Unfortunately, he and Howard both tested positive for COVID-19 as of this morning (Tuesday 1/4), which would make Kenneth Gainwell more enticing. With the new protocols in place, he may test out by the time their matchup rolls around. However, the Eagles have a playoff spot wrapped up.

If you are looking for volume with a long-shot for upside, then you may want to consider Dare Ogunbowale. The receiving touchdown on his two targets saved his fantasy day against the Patriots as he only logged 36 yards on nine carries in the run game. Rushing volume simply isn’t in the cards for the beleaguered Jags who face the Colts in Week 18.

Get the full breakdown of these RBs on today’s Week 18 Waivers episode.

Tight Ends

The tight end situation is… once again… awful. Pittsburgh’s Pat Freiermuth is the only option worth considering if he is somehow available on the wire. Hopefully, you have already made plans to secure your TE starter for the entirety of playoffs way ahead of time.

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Foster Moreau has been disappointing for the Raiders in Darren Waller’s absence but you may not have a choice. Luckily, he does have an excellent matchup with the Chargers who have been in the bottom-five against tight ends in the last four weeks. They are tied with the Bengals for the most touchdowns allowed to the position in that time.

If you’re doing the TE dumpster dive this week, listen/watch The Fantasy Footballers discuss these options on today’s Week 18 Waivers show.

Team DEF/ST

Get the full breakdown from The Fantasy Footballers on the Week 18 Waivers episode! Good luck on your waiver claims!