Week 18 Waiver Wire Rankings - Fantasy Football Pickups Include Malik Davis, Audric Estime, Jake Tonges, Parker Washington, Luther Burden, Dylan Sampson, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Jayden Reed

December 30, 2025

Fantasy football waiver wire rankings for Week 18 of the 2025 NFL season. Top free agent options to add off waivers, and our rankings will help you prioritize.

There is still one week left of football, and at RotoBaller HQ, we are back with more waiver wire advice for fantasy managers who still have something to play for. Week 18 is the most volatile week of the year and can feel like a preseason game for NFL teams that have clinched or have nothing to play for. Today, we are back with our fantasy football waiver wire rankings for Week 18 of the 2025 NFL season. Nick Mariano has ranked the top 100 free agent options to help you prioritize who to add off the waiver wire.

Several players still have low roster percentages and could have an immediate impact on fantasy teams for the final week of the season. Is Malik Davis a must-add for Week 18 if Javonte Williams misses the regular season finale with a shoulder injury? Has Parker Washington become quarterback Trevor Lawrence's favorite target in Jacksonville's passing attack? With George Kittle battling a mid-to-low ankle sprain, has Jake Tonges become a viable tight end streamer in a red-hot 49ers offense?

We have answers to these questions and will guide you with our top 100 fantasy football waiver wire pickups list for Week 18. Time to go make some moves, tweak your fantasy teams, and grab some waiver wire stashes to help you advance in the playoffs. Good luck, RotoBallers!

Who To Pickup for Fantasy Football Week 18?

Waiver wire pickup options, including how to prioritize them for your league - depending on the league size. Quarterbacks and Defenses (D/ST) are grouped together at the bottom of the list:

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlooks

Some of the top names include Malik Davis, Parker Washington, Michel Mayer, Audric Estime, Dylan Sampson, and more.  We recap why these players rostered under 70% in Yahoo! leagues should be on your waiver wire radar for Week 18.

Parker Washington, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 18 Waiver Wire Rankings: 3

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington functioned as his team's No. 1 pass-catcher on Sunday, recording eight catches for 115 yards on 10 targets in a 23-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Washington has now recorded double-digit targets and topped 100 receiving yards in back-to-back weeks. Across 15 games this season, the 23-year-old has hauled in 53 receptions for 760 yards and four touchdowns on 86 targets.

While the Jaguars have multiple capable offensive weapons worthy of touches, Washington has proven the ability to play a significant role in his team's offense. He's now logged four games with at least 10 targets and five games with at least 70 receiving yards in 2025. Washington profiles as a flex option with upside for fantasy managers heading into his Week 18 matchup against the Tennessee Titans.

Michael Mayer, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
Week 18 Waiver Wire Rankings: 20

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer hauled in nine of his 10 targets for 89 yards during Sunday's loss against the New York Giants. The tight end was thrust into the spotlight after fellow tight end Brock Bowers (knee) was placed on Injured Reserve. Mayer was quarterback Geno Smith's (ankle) preferred target and performed well under pressure, bringing in a long pass to convert a fourth down in the third quarter.

With Bowers out for the remainder of the season, Mayer almost certainly will continue his prominent role in the Raiders' passing attack for one more game. To close out the season in Week 18, the Raiders take on the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs at home, a defense that is an average matchup for opposing tight ends. Mayer will offer a decent floor for fantasy managers playing into Week 18 in need of a tight end, but keep in mind that backup QB Kenny Pickett will most likely be starting for the Raiders.

Audric Estime, RB, New Orleans Saints
Week 18 Waiver Wire Rankings: 10

New Orleans Saints running back Audric Estime had a big day in his team's 34-26 win over the Tennessee Titans, recording 14 carries for 94 yards and a touchdown. Estime also hauled in one reception for four yards on one target. With Saints running backs Alvin Kamara (knee, ankle), Kendre Miller (knee), and Devin Neal (hamstring) all on the shelf, Estime appears to have taken over the lead role in the New Orleans backfield.

Estime's 15 touches were triple the combined total of fellow Saints rushers Evan Hull and Taysom Hill (five). Across 19 career NFL games, Estime has now recorded 445 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 101 carries. He could be a viable starting running back option for fantasy managers in Week 18 when New Orleans takes on the Atlanta Falcons.

Dylan Sampson, RB, Cleveland Browns
Week 18 Waiver Wire Rankings: 21

Cleveland Browns rookie running back Dylan Sampson (hand) was largely inefficient against in the Browns' 13-6 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, gaining just 27 yards from his 11 rushing attempts. The young ball carrier also had three receptions from three targets, but was unable to gain any air yards. Sampson did have three more rushing attempts than fellow rookie running back Raheim Sanders, and the two seem to be splitting the backfield in Quinshon Judkins' (ankle, leg) absence.

The rookie running back will head to Cincinnati in Week 18 to take on the Bengals' defense, which is the best matchup for opposing running backs. His slight edge in backfield opportunities and a very favorable matchup make him an appealing option for fantasy managers in PPR leagues playing into Week 18.

Running Backs - Week 18 Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Wide Receiver - Week 18 Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Tight Ends - Week 18 Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Quarterbacks - Week 18 Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order, with emphasis on Week 18:

Defenses (D/ST) - Week 18 Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order, with emphasis on Week 18:

More Waiver Wire Articles

After diving into the Week 18 rankings, read about some other free waiver wire resources available at RotoBaller. Each week, our NFL team puts out a complete array of fantasy football waiver wire articles to compliment our slick Who Should I Pickup? Waiver wire player comparison tool. Bookmark it!

Who Should I Pickup Tool

Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool:

Who Should I Pickup for Week 18?

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2025 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players: Malik Davis, Audric Estime, Parker Washington, Michael Mayer, Michael Carter, Colston Loveland, Jake Tonges, Luther Burden III, Dylan Sampson, Chimere Dike, Raheim Sanders, Kyle Williams, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, and Adam Thielen. These are some common searches for 2025 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.

Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.

Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2025. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!

How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.

Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup

Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2025 for Malik Davis, Audric Estime, Parker Washington, Michael Mayer, Michael Carter, Colston Loveland, Jake Tonges, Luther Burden III, Dylan Sampson, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Chimere Dike, Raheim Sanders, Kyle Williams, and Adam Thielen:

More Waiver Wire Analysis