It's the final waiver wire article of the year. This time of the NFL calendar, it's arguably more important than ever to check back throughout the week to know who's playing and who's not. Thankfully, the majority of the playoff teams still have plenty to play for from a seeding perspective, but if you're asking a bunch out of the Cowboys, Packers, etc., it might be an uphill battle. I'll be updating this article daily with new information about players to acquire if you're still fighting for the fantasy championships. If nothing else, consider this a great roadmap for NFL Week 18 DFS.
For the audio and video component of the article, I also went through a fully developed list on the RotoWire YouTube channel that you can view below.
Be sure to keep an eye on our NFL injury report and the latest fantasy football news. For player usage updates and roster context, check out RotoWire's NFL depth charts, and don't miss the weekly projections to see how this week's matchups shape up.
Quarterback
Sam Darnold, Seahawks - I'm not entirely sure of Darnold's availability is at this point of the year, but I'm putting him down to just stake my claim that I believe. Not that I believe in Darnold per say, but I do believe San Francisco's defense is really bad. In their last nine games, the 49ers have allowed 356 yards per game (with more than 400 allowed four times) and a league-low nine sacks. It's risky given how poorly Seattle's offense has moved the ball lately, but I have faith that Darnold can take advantage of this defense. He's in QB1 territory this week.
Running Back
Dylan Sampson, Browns - We talked about Raheim Sanders plenty last week, but that was under the assumption Sampson would be out again. Turns out the Browns were just sandbagging their 2025 fourth-round pick, as Sampson showed no real ill effects from the hand injury that kept him out the previous two weeks. On the one hand, Cleveland plays Cincinnati this week, a defense that has been a smash spot for virtually every opponent this year. On the other hand, the Browns will likely be without their only pass-catching option, Harold Fannin (groin), and have incredibly cumbersome quarterback play in the form of Shedeur Sanders. I think Sampson can get a comfortable enough floor as a PPR option by default, but I am nervous there's very little upside, and real risk for a "bad floor" week if this turns into an AFC North laugher.
Isaiah Davis, Jets - I'd probably rather play a few other RBs this week, but without any updates on a some key injuries, I wanted to get Davis on the show sheet to jump ahead those who might not have this on their radar. Breece Hall suffered a knee injury in the demoralizing blowout loss to the Patriots on Sunday, but he said it won't need additional testing and that he'll be fine. I don't think it really makes sense for the Jets to play him regardless. For starters, Hall already eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards, so he might not be motivated. Hall's availability won't impact New York's chances to lose, as it seems entirely capable of doing that even when the star back is functioning well. However, with Hall on the final year of his rookie deal, it would behoove the Jets to make sure the market for him is as pristine as possible come the offseason, either to net a nifty compensatory pick if he signs elsewhere, or to extend him to a much deserved long-term contract. Davis is a really good backup; far better than Braelon Allen (knee), who was wrongly hyped at various points this year. Davis could have a strong Week 18 as the lead back.
Wide Receiver
Keenan Allen, Chargers - There wasn't a whole bunch of obvious wide-receiver options, but I was able to dig up a handful of players who could have a guaranteed floor if you assume their team will get them to reach contract incentives. The veteran Allen probably has a harder task than most with a difficult matchup against the Broncos who get the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC with a win, but should the 33-year-old get six more receptions and nine more receiving yards, he'll net an additional $1 million. There's some outside opportunities based on touchdowns as well, but it feels like a range of 6-8 PPR points should be relatively safe, and that's a mark Allen has failed to hit in four of his last eight games.
Hollywood Brown, Chiefs - It's another long shot, but per the Athletic, Brown just needs one more touchdown to get $750k. Presumably Chris Oladokun will be making the team's final start of the year, but even with poor QB play, this feels like something that Andy Reid and company could ensure happens against a miserable Raiders defense. This initial waiver wire write-up is all about surveying the uncertainty and providing some options if you're desperate.
Tight End
Michael Mayer, Raiders - There's probably no more obvious choice if you're desperate for a TE replacement or flex option in Week 18. Las Vegas kicked off the tanking last week by placing Brock Bowers (knee) on injured reserve, and rightly opted to hyper-focus Mayer, a rumored midseason trade candidate, to the tune of nine receptions (on 10 targets) for 89 yards in the loss to the Giants on Sunday. I happen to think the 2023 second-round pick is something like a top-20 TE in the league who is just unfortunately blocked by the best one in Bowers, so it'd make sense to pump up Mayer's trade market with another strong showing. Of course, the Raiders have done almost nothing in the form of common sense all year so there's obvious risk, but this seems like a difficult situation to somehow mismanage.
