Best Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups Of The Season

January 12, 2026

Joey Pollizze looks at the best waiver wire pickups from the fantasy football season. His top QB, RB, WR, and TEs who fantasy managers picked up off waivers.

The fantasy football season has come and gone. After multiple weeks of grueling lineup decisions, waiver wire pickups, and trade negotiations, fantasy managers will have to wait another eight months to do it all over again. Hopefully, RotoBaller was able to help you win a fantasy football championship this year.

As we look back at the 2025 season, one of the best ways to improve your team post-draft was by making the right waiver wire pickups. There were plenty of players who went undrafted in most leagues to become fantasy superstars in just the span of a few weeks.

So, let's dive in and look at the best waiver wire pickups from this season.

Top Fantasy Football QB Waiver Wire Pickups

Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence went undrafted in most leagues after averaging just 15.2 fantasy points in 10 games last year. Lawrence remained on the waiver wire for most of the first half of this season, as he was an inconsistent QB1 play through 11 weeks. He had four finishes outside the top-20 and only one finish inside the top-10 at the position to begin the year.

But something switched for Lawrence in the second half. He became one of the best fantasy QBs over the final weeks of the season, which included emerging as the fantasy football playoffs MVP following three unreal performances in Week 15 through Week 17. The 26-year-old averaged 26.8 fantasy points per game from Week 12 to Week 17.

Parker Washington scores and makes his tee time! 🏌

TENvsJAX on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/uWQJzlgHfr

— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2026

He instantly became a hot waiver wire target and won fantasy managers their leagues. Lawrence scored 44.3 fantasy points (Week 15), 31.2 fantasy points (Week 16), and 24.1 fantasy points (Week 17) across the last three weeks. That insane stretch helped him finish as the overall QB4 in 2025.

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

There were concerns about whether Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford's back would hold up throughout the season. That injury risk, mixed with his non-existent rushing, made him an avoid in most drafts. Therefore, Stafford went undrafted in most leagues with an average ADP of QB23.

However, it didn't take long for fantasy managers to swoop him up on waivers. He threw for 375 yards and three touchdowns against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4, firmly putting him on many people's radar. His rostership continued to rise, and Stafford was soon a set-it-and-forget-it QB1 option the rest of the season.

He went from going undrafted in most leagues to becoming one of the most reliable QB1 options the entire season. Stafford finished as the overall QB3 in all formats and finished as a QB1 in 10 of his last 14 games. That limited rushing didn't seem to affect his fantasy value, as he threw a league-leading 46 touchdowns.

Jaxson Dart, New York Giants

Since Jaxson Dart was set to sit behind Russell Wilson to start the year, Dart was not drafted in almost all leagues. Once he took over for Wilson in Week 4, though, he immediately became a top QB waiver wire pickup. He scored 19.8 fantasy points in his first career start and continued to have a nice ceiling and floor each week due to his rushing potential.

Dart was a solid QB1 play each week, which made him one of the best waiver wire pickups at the QB position this year. He averaged 20.6 fantasy points in his 11 starts and finished as a top-12 fantasy QB in seven of those contests. Outside of an abysmal fantasy performance in Week 16 against the Minnesota Vikings, the rookie was consistent for most of the year.

Fantasy managers can thank his rushing for that. He ran 86 times for 487 yards and nine touchdowns during the 2025 season and rushed for over 50 yards in six of his 11 starts from Week 4 to Week 17.

Honorable Mention: Daniel Jones

Top Fantasy Football RB Waiver Wire Pickups

Kenneth Gainwell, Pittsburgh Steelers

The assumption among fantasy managers to begin the season was that Jaylen Warren and Kaleb Johnson would lead this backfield this year. Warren signed a two-year extension, and Johnson was the prized rookie that the Steelers selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. For that reason, Kenneth Gainwell had an RB84 ADP in drafts.

Fantasy managers, though, quickly saw that Gainwell would have a viable role in this Pittsburgh offense. He scored 31.4 PPR fantasy points in a Week 4 game in which Warren missed and remained a big part of the offense after that. From Week 11 onward, Gainwell was one of the best fantasy RBs to own. He averaged 17.4 PPR fantasy points per game over the final seven weeks and finished as a top-12 fantasy RB in five of those contests.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME KG 😱 @KENNETHGAINWEL

📺: #PITvsDET on @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/tIObyBYuvZ

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) December 21, 2025

Although Gainwell was in a timeshare with Warren for the entire season, he became one of the best waiver wire pickups of the year. He finished as the RB16 in PPR formats, and his volume in the passing game made him a strong option down the stretch. The 26-year-old scored above 16 PPR fantasy points in five of the final seven games.

Rico Dowdle, Carolina Panthers

Chuba Hubbard was set to lead the Carolina backfield this year. The team just re-signed him to a multi-year contract last season, and he totaled over 290 touches while operating as the top back in the Panthers' offense last year. So, there wasn't a need to draft someone like Rico Dowdle, who had an RB54 ADP.

However, once Hubbard went down with a calf injury ahead of Week 5, Dowdle was one of the most-added players in fantasy. The 27-year-old took advantage of Hubbard's absence and eventually emerged as the top running back in this Carolina offense the rest of the year. He played over 50% of the team's offensive snaps in 10 of the team's final 13 games.

While Dowdle was not as strong a fantasy option down the stretch, he was still one of the better fantasy pickups at the position. He scored over 32 PPR fantasy points in back-to-back games in Week 5 and Week 6 and was the RB10 in fantasy points scored from Week 4 to Week 17. That makes him deserving of being on this list.

Honorable Mention: Woody Marks 

Top Fantasy Football WR Waiver Wire Pickups

Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals

There was no bigger waiver wire pickup this year than Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson. Wilson had an average WR81 ADP in the preseason and was still on most fantasy waiver wires at the midway point of the season. Then, Marvin Harrison Jr. underwent an emergency surgery on his appendix prior to Week 11.

That led to Wilson stepping up as the team's WR1. He scored 33.5 PPR fantasy points in Week 11 and added another 21.8 PPR fantasy points in Week 12 against the Jaguars. Although Harrison returned again in Week 13, he would miss two more games in Week 14 and Week 15 due to a heel injury. In those two contests, Wilson scored 37.2 PPR fantasy points (Week 14) and 16.4 PPR fantasy points (Week 15).

The route from Michael Wilson 😮

AZvsLAR on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/YyveXGZwUm

— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2026

Wilson really benefited from Harrison missing four games in the second half. He was the WR2 in PPR formats from Week 11 to Week 17 while averaging a whopping 21.2 PPR fantasy points per game during this span. The Cardinals' playmaker was certainly a league winner in all fantasy formats.

Wan'Dale Robinson, New York Giants 

Even after finishing as the WR36 in PPR formats last year, Wan'Dale Robinson went undrafted in most leagues in 2025. The expectation was that Malik Nabers would be the unanimous WR1, and there wouldn't be many targets to get around to players like Robinson. Therefore, his preseason ADP was set as the WR63 in PPR formats.

However, Robinson quickly became a waiver wire target following two solid showings to start the season. He totaled 11.5 PPR fantasy points in Week 1 and then scored 28.2 PPR fantasy points in Week 2. The 5-foot-8 slot wide receiver then became a more consistent fantasy option once Nabers went down with a season-ending ACL injury in Week 4.

He finished as the overall WR14 in PPR formats and scored in double figures in PPR formats in eight of his final 11 games of the season. Robinson was definitely one of the best waiver wire pickups for fantasy managers this past year.

Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce wasn't as consistent a fantasy option as the two other wide receivers on this list. Nevertheless, he was still one of the better waiver wire pickups at this position this season. Despite having a preseason ADP of WR75 in drafts, Pierce finished as the overall WR28 in PPR formats.

Pierce operated as Indianapolis' top deep-threat option throughout the year, as he averaged 21.3 yards per catch in 2025. He scored in double figures in PPR formats in nine of his 15 games and came up big for fantasy managers down the stretch. The 25-year-old finished as a top-24 fantasy WR in three of four games from Week 13 to Week 16. So, Pierce is deserving of being on this list.

Honorable Mention: Christian Watson 

Top Fantasy Football TE Waiver Wire Pickups

Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr. was easily the best pickup at the position this year. Having three different quarterbacks in one season did not make things easy for Fannin throughout the 2025 campaign. That resulted in Fannin being an inconsistent fantasy option for most of the first half. He scored under 10 PPR fantasy points in seven of his first 11 games.

Once Shedeur Sanders took over as the full-time starting quarterback, though, Fannin was one of the top fantasy TEs to end the season. He averaged 15.8 PPR fantasy points over the final four weeks, which included scoring a career-high 25.4 PPR fantasy points against the Tennessee Titans in Week 14.

SHEDEUR. FANNIN JR. TOUCHDOWN.

PITvsCLE on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/8GgifjPjEc

— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2025

That strong stretch to end the year helped Fannin finish as the overall TE6 in PPR formats. He averaged 11.7 PPR fantasy points and finished as a top-12 fantasy TE in eight different contests. After going as the TE30 in PPR leagues in the summer, the rookie exceeded all expectations in his first season in the NFL.

Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints 

New Orleans Saints TE Juwan Johnson had a very interesting fantasy season. He started off the year red-hot, with three straight double-digit PPR fantasy point days. That immediately made him one of the most-added TEs to begin the season. Johnson finished as a top-10 fantasy TE in all three of those contests.

However, that three-game hot stretch was followed up by three straight finishes outside the top 26 at the TE position. He scored 5.8 PPR fantasy points (Week 4), 3.7 PPR fantasy points (Week 5), and 1.5 PPR fantasy points (Week 6) during that span. That resulted in fantasy managers dropping him in some formats.

Johnson, though, eventually emerged as a reliable TE1 option for managers for the rest of the year. He averaged 11.9 PPR fantasy points from Week 7 to Week 17, and his 119.2 PPR fantasy points during this span were the eighth-most at the TE position. With a preseason ADP of TE37, the Saints playmaker was a top waiver wire pickup this season.

Honorable Mention: Dalton Schultz

More Waiver Wire Analysis