Fantasy Football: Top 10 waiver wire pickups for Week 18 (2025)

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Fantasy Football: Top 10 waiver wire pickups for Week 18 (2025)

Mike Johrendt, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Tue, Dec 30, 2025 ·

6 min read

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Fantasy Football: Top 10 waiver wire pickups for Week 18 (2025) appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

The final week of the 2025 NFL regular season is here, and if your fantasy football teams are still fighting for championships in Week 18, ClutchPoints' Week 18 waiver wire pickups can help you take home the trophy.

With teams sitting their star players with playoff berths locked up, while others are sitting their stars to enhance their 2026 draft odds, figuring out your best roster for championship week is tough. So don't be surprised when some of the options in the following list are names new to the waiver wire pickup list.

The following list includes players rostered on 50 percent or more of ESPN rosters, as this week's list focuses on plug-in options in a make-or-break week.

Week 18 Waiver Wire Pickups

1. RB Blake Corum , Los Angeles Rams
34.7% Rostered

An ankle injury sidelined Blake Corum early in the Rams' Monday Night Football matchup with the Atlanta Falcons , although he looked to have been able to come back if needed. His low yardage total shouldn't concern you heading into Week 18, but keep an eye on injury reports moving forward.

Before his ankle injury, Corum recorded four-straight games with a touchdown, and facing a below-average defense in the Cardinals would give him a good rebound opportunity.

2. RB Malik Davis , Dallas Cowboys
1.2% Rostered

A Javonte Williams injury suffered in Week 17 opens the door for rookie running back Malik Davis to step into the starter's role in Week 18. While Williams has yet to be ruled out for the final week, with Dallas not having anything to play for, it makes sense for Davis to assume the lead-back role.

Davis has seen his workload increase over the second half of the season, as Williams has been injured on and off. A 20-carry performance against the Washington Commanders last week paints an optimistic picture of his potential role against the New York Giants this upcoming week, which would immediately vault him into the RB2 conversation.

3. RB Emanuel Wilson , Green Bay Packers
35.2% Rostered

A playoff berth is already locked up for the Green Bay Packers, and with no potential seeding to gain, it seems likely that they would sit most of their starters on offense. With Green Bay likely to look to rest Josh Jacobs , the RB1 role would shift to Emanuel Wilson, who has looked good stepping in for the injured Jacobs earlier this year.

A Week 18 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings bodes well for Wilson and the running game, as his spot start back in Week 12 against MIN produced 107 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. If Jacobs is ruled out, you can confidently lock Wilson in as your RB2.

4. QB Tyler Shough , New Orleans Saints
36.4% Rostered

While not the only rookie quarterback in the Week 18 waiver wire pickups, Tyler Shough has been one of the most impressive rookie QBs this year. In a lost year for the New Orleans Saints, Shough has taken a strong hold of the starting job after taking over for Spencer Rattler , and his turnover-free performances have become more and more frequent as of late.

Shough faces the Atlanta Falcons' secondary next week, a beatable unit but one that should challenge him a bit. With as good as Shough's connection with Chris Olave has looked lately, you can comfortably fire Shough up in your championship matchup.

5. WR Luther Burden III , Chicago Bears
28.0% Rostered

A breakout performance from rookie wideout Luther Burden III in Week 17 put the first-year pass catcher on the map for the Chicago Bears. With Rome Odunze missing the past few weeks with injury, Burden has stepped up, seeing six-plus targets in each of his past four games.

His eight-catch, 138-yard outing against the San Francisco 49ers was huge for CHI keeping pace in their shootout loss, and even though he suffered a quad injury on the final play of the game, early results are optimistic about his health for Week 18.

6. WR Parker Washington , Jacksonville Jaguars
21.9% Rostered

While it is a crowded wide receiver room, Parker Washington seems to be Trevor Lawrence 's favorite target this season. A week after catching six passes for 145 yards and a touchdown, Washington caught eight passes for 115 yards on 10 targets, tying his season-high mark for receptions.

A Week 18 matchup with the Titans presents another good opportunity for Washington, putting him in the WR2/FLEX category for championship week.

7. TE AJ Barner , Seattle Seahawks
32.4% Rostered

AJ Barner is the lone tight end in the Week 18 waiver wire pickups, as he is on a two-game touchdown streak as a secondary target for Sam Darnold . The Seattle offense features Barner as its top tight end, and his workload has been consistent over the past five weeks, catching at least three passes.

In the best NFC matchup of Week 18, Seattle and San Francisco face off for the right to be the top seed in the NFC, putting Barner in another strong spot to repeat as a startable option at tight end.

8. RB Ray Davis , Buffalo Bills
4.8% Rostered

An elevated workload is expected for Ray Davis in Week 18, with the Buffalo Bills not having anything to play for with their playoff berth wrapped up. If the Bills decide to rest their starters on offense, that would mean no James Cook, paving the way for Davis to step into the RB1 role.

Keep an eye on the news surrounding the Bills' offense this week, leading up to their Week 18 matchup with the New York Jets , and add Davis based on the status of their starters.

9. QB Cam Ward , Tennessee Titans
6.5% Rostered

The second quarterback in ClutchPoints' Week 18 NFL Power Rankings is another rookie, Cam Ward, who has looked really comfortable as of late. After throwing an interception in six straight games, Ward has only thrown one INT since Week 9, keeping his turnover totals down.

Ward is fresh off a 251-yard performance against the Saints in Week 17, throwing two touchdowns and displaying really impressive throws down the field. While facing a tough Jacksonville defense in Week 18 might turn you off of adding Ward, he has shown enough this year to trust him in your championship matchup.

10. RB Dylan Sampson , Cleveland Browns
26.0% Rostered

The final player in the Week 18 waiver wire pickups is rookie running back Dylan Sampson, who is the de facto RB1 for the Cleveland Browns after Quinshon Judkins was lost for the season. Sampson led the CLE backfield with 14 touches in Week 17, with fellow rookie running back Raheim Sanders coming in with nine.

Sampson gets a beatable Cincinnati defense in Week 18, a good chance to improve upon his 27 yards from this past week. Sampson is a fringe RB3/FLEX play in the final week of the 2025 NFL regular season.

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