Fantasy Football Week 18 FAAB Rankings: Shedeur Sanders, Parker Washington, and More
FAAB rankings for some of the hottest names on the waiver wire heading into Week 18.
Most fantasy leagues end with Week 17 because many players sit out during the final week of the season. It's a long season, and guys are banged up, so more players than usual will miss the final game if they have nothing to play for.
Other teams are locked into playoff position and want to have everyone as healthy and rested as possible for the postseason, like the Packers. Green Bay is locked into the seventh seed in the NFC, and they will likely rest players in the final week, including Jordan Love, who has been out with a concussion.
And others still have much more to gain from losing than winning, so they are sitting guys who are quasi-injured to improve their draft pick. The Raiders and Maxx Crosby butted heads this week when the team shut him down against his wishes; Crosby needs surgery but could play if needed. (As a Raiders fan, I fully endorse this behavior.)
Let's look at some of the hottest names on the waiver wire heading into the final week of the NFL season. From an FAAB perspective, there is no reason to save any money at this point, so instead of giving you bid ranges, the players are ranked at each position.
There will be more guys who pop up as the week goes on and players are announced as being out for the final week. These are just some of the names who could make an impact in Week 18. Most stats are from NFL.com.
Use FantasySP's waiver wire tool to find the players being added most to fantasy teams each week!
Quarterback
- Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints
- Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
- Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns
- Malik Willis, Green Bay Packers
- Cameron Ward, Tennessee Titans
- Quinn Ewers, Miami Dolphins
Shough has been putting up good fantasy numbers most weeks, and he's coming off one of his best: 333 passing yards on 12.3 per attempt with two touchdowns and no interceptions. That came in a fantastic matchup against the Titans, and Shough plays the Falcons this week, who are in the middle as a pass defense. Shough is a decent low-to-mid-level streamer.
Young is low-level fantasy player, not someone to count on often and definitely not during your fantasy championship. The matchup this week is juicy, though, so he is worth mentioning; Tampa Bay has allowed the sixth-most yards per pass attempt and the third-most fantasy points to QBs. His team will also be playing at 100% as they try to win the division, so Young has several advantages this week.
I'm not big on Sanders as either a real-life or fantasy quarterback; he's a fifth-round rookie, and we need to see him really show a stretch of average play before expecting much. His matchup in the final game couldn't be much better, as the Bengals have given up the fourth-most yards per pass attempt and the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks.
As mentioned above, Green Bay is likely to sit Love, but they could also choose to sit Willis, who is dealing with a shoulder issue. Even if he plays, Willis has a tougher matchup against the Vikings, so he is probably a guy to skip this week, though Willis has found success when in the lineup.
Ward had a good Week 17 (251 yards, two touchdowns), but that was in a positive matchup against the Saints. Things turn this week against Jaguars, who need a win to lock up the division and have allowed the third-fewest yards per pass attempt. Skip Ward this week.
Ewers had a few decent statistical games in his first two starts in two great matchups against the Bengals and Bucs. Things turn this week against the Patriots, though, especially as New England will be going after the top seed. Ewers is likely to struggle in Week 18.
Running Back
- Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Washington Commanders
- Malik Davis, Dallas Cowboys
- Audric Estime, New Orleans Saints
- Dylan Sampson/Raheim Sanders, Cleveland Browns
Croskey-Merritt got to lead the backfield for Washington with Chris Rodriguez Jr. out and turned 11 carries into 105 yards and two touchdowns. Whoever leads the backfield in Week 18 has fantasy value, and the matchup against the Eagles isn't as tough as it might seem. Croskey-Merritt and Rodriguez are both intriguing.
Javonte Williams left Thursday's game with a shoulder injury, leaving Davis in charge of the Dallas backfield. Davis had 103 yards on 20 carries, so if Williams remains out, Davis would be a strong streamer against the Giants. Williams is questionable, but with the Cowboys eliminated, they could play it safe and sit the starter, opening the door for Davis.
After Taysom Hill led New Orleans' backfield in Week 16, there were questions as to how things would shake out in the final two games, but Estime was in charge on Sunday, carrying the ball 14 times for 94 yards and a touchdown. His matchup against the Falcons is decent if you need a flex player.
After Quinshon Judkins suffered a major injury last week, there was a question as to who would lead the backfield to finish the season. Sampson had 14 touches and Sanders nine touches, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see a similar distribution in Week 18. The last game against the Bengals is a great matchup, so Sampson has some flex value, especially in PPR leagues.
Wide Receiver
- Parker Washington, Jacksonville Jaguars
- Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears
- Efton Chism III, New England Patriots
- Jayden Higgins/Jaylin Noel, Houston Texans
Washington now has two straight big games, combining for 14 catches, 260 yards, and a touchdown against the Broncos and Colts. I still expect Jakobi Meyers and Brian Thomas Jr. to be more involved, but that's two straight games with 10 targets for Washington. Week 18 against the Titans is a strong matchup, so Washington is a sneaky WR3.
Burden had a huge game Sunday night against the 49ers, catching eight passes for 138 yards and a touchdown. He suffered an injury on the final play but said it's not a big deal, and he should be fine. The issue is that Rome Odunze could be back, pushing Burden down the pecking order. If Odunze is out again, Burden has a strong matchup against Detroit.
Chism may have been the MVP of the preseason, but the undrafted free agent was buried on New England's depth chart and only played 25 offensive snaps prior to Sunday. With Mack Hollins on IR and Kayshon Boutte out, Chism finally got on the field in the blowout of the Jets, catching two passes for 40 yards and a touchdown.
We don't know if Chism will get many opportunities in Week 18, but if so, he's an intriguing deep-league option as a WR3/4/flex player. More realistically, Chism might be a name to know next season, particularly in PPR.
Higgins and Noel both caught long touchdown passes in the first quarter, but they only combined for three receptions and 24 yards the rest of the day. That is a common worry with this duo, as Nico Collins leads the way, and everyone else shares the targets that are left. Higgins and Noel could be more interesting next year in fantasy.
Tight End
- Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears
- Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders
- Chig Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans
- Jake Tonges, San Francisco 49ers
Loveland is owned in just under half of leagues, a surprise given some of his exploits after being drafted 10th overall. He had six catches for 94 yards and a touchdown on Sunday night, and Loveland has a decent matchup against Detroit on Sunday, making him a mid-level streamer.
Mayer is getting extra run with Brock Bowers out, and he had the best game of his career in Week 17, catching nine passes for 89 yards. It's uncertain who will play quarterback in Week 18 for Vegas, and the matchup will be tougher on paper against Kansas City, but Mayer is a decent low-level streamer.
Okonkwo had three receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown on Sunday, his second straight game with a score but also just his second TD on the season. Okonkwo is a low-level fantasy player on a bad team, and the matchup in Week 18 is tough against a strong Jacksonville defense (which has been better against TEs after a poor start).
Tonges is another guy who had a good game on Sunday Night Football, turning seven catches into 60 yards and a touchdown. Tonges has had a few good games this year, but George Kittle is likely to be back for next week's game against the Seahawks, sapping Tonges of any fantasy value.
