Bjorn Yang-Vaernet examines which players on the waiver wire are worth prioritizing for Week 18.
First and foremost: We’re all hoping for the best for Damar Hamlin and wishing him a speedy recovery.
Congratulations to those of you who finished up your fantasy seasons this weekend, I hope you all crushed championship week. For those of you who are in championship week in Week 18 or still have something to play for, good luck! The variance will be crazy this week with teams playing for their playoff dreams, others resting for playoffs, and players showcasing their ability for next season. If there is a week to stay on top of the news, this is the week to do it. There will likely be surprise inactives and players who will be rested early. This theme is echoed in the players below.
A housekeeping note — Since Week 18 is the last week of the regular season, I’m turning this waiver wire article into a space for players that can be started right away. Let’s get these wins!
The waiver wire is one of the most important pieces of season-long draft leagues. It is the easiest way to acquire new players and every year there are gems to be found. The goal of this article will not only be to highlight which weekly breakout players to prioritize but find others to preemptively pick up before the breakout happens.
This article will be published once on Mondays with a quick run through my favorite pickups and again on Tuesdays with more charts and data points added in.
This article will only reference players that are less than 50% owned in ESPN leagues. The players are categorized by position group and within each group is the order of how I would prioritize them. In lieu of free agent acquisition budget percentages, which are highly dependent on the makeup of each league, I have highlighted which players I would prioritize on the week.
Quarterback
Brock Purdy (Available in 63% of Leagues)
I was uncertain if the San Francisco 49ers would rest their starters for playoffs, but with both the Vikings and Eagles losing in Week 17, the 49ers have a path to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The 49ers need to win in Arizona and the Eagles would need to lose to the Giants, who may be resting their starters. San Francisco will be playing hard and that keeps Brock Purdy firmly in the streaming mix.
Purdy does not have a ton of upside but he has been good for around 15 to 20 points a week. His game log from Weeks 13 to 16 highlights the consistency.
Purdy does carry a little bit of risk because the 49ers are big, home favorites. However, Kyle Shanahan has shown a willingness to let Purdy be the reason the 49ers take a lead. In addition, in the Week 11 matchup, Jimmy Garoppolo threw for four TDs against Arizona in a blowout win. I wouldn’t play Purdy if needing a big ceiling game, but he has a solid floor.
Gardner Minshew (Available in 59% of Leagues)
This entire write-up could be rendered obsolete if Jalen Hurts plays in Week 18, but Gardner Minshew is viable once again if he starts. The Eagles are looking to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC after two straight losses and will be playing their full starting lineup. On the other hand, the Giants are locked into the No. 6 seed in the NFC, meaning they will likely be resting starters or only playing their starters for a portion of the game.
The talented Philadelphia offense should have no issues dismantling a team playing backups, especially backup defensive backs that will be left on “islands” because of the high-blitz rate tendencies of defensive coordinator Don Martindale. In terms of fantasy production, the Giants have been a sieve to opposing QBs. The Eagles should be in full-attack mode until the win is in hand and Minshew, if he starts, should be a big part of a potential Philadelphia win.
