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Week 18 Waiver Wire Rankings - Fantasy Football Pickups Include: Elijah Mitchell, Zamir White, Khalil Herbert, Jerry Jeudy, more

Khalil Herbert - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy football waiver wire rankings for Week 18 of the 2023 NFL season. Top free agent options to add off waivers, and our rankings will help you prioritize.

Happy New Year, RotoBallers! It's time for the final round of waiver wire pickups of the 2023 fantasy football season. Most fantasy leagues ended in Week 17. However, we've got you covered with our Week 18 fantasy football waiver wire rankings for fantasy managers with still something to play for

Week 18 comes with many challenges as managers must navigate through injuries and NFL teams who have already clinched, resting their starters. There will likely be fill-ins and backups to emerge as viable fantasy options. Be sure to follow the news closely and be ready to strike. The 49ers clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and superstar running back Christian McCaffrey has already been ruled out for Week 18. Elijah Mitchell is expected to be San Francisco's lead back and have an expanded role in Sunday's matchup versus the Rams. Will Chicago Bears running back Khalil Herbert continue his strong performance with D'Onta Foreman out? Herbert has racked up at least 121 scrimmage yards over his last two games with Foreman unavailable. Will Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs (quad) return in Week 18, or will we see Zamir White for a fourth consecutive week?

Our waiver wire rankings will help answer these questions -- they've been a staple in the fantasy industry for years, providing a quick-hit list of player names that goes deep into the free agent options each week. For those unfamiliar, one of the industry's sharpest fantasy football minds, Nick Mariano, brings you his weekly waiver wire rankings and priority adds for the top 60 potential options.

Editor's Note: Access RotoBaller’s trusted fantasy football rankings for PPR, Standard, Dynasty, Super Flex, and Best Ball formats. Get tiered cheat sheets, expert analysis, and player outlooks to dominate your draft from every angle.

 

Week 18 Waiver Wire Articles

Before diving into the Week 18 rankings, let's look at 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 new Who Should I Pickup? Waiver wire player comparison tool. Bookmark it!

In addition, here is a quick rundown of our other waiver wire articles. First up is our overall Week 18 fantasy football waiver wire pickups (all positions) article by Robert Lorge and the famous Week 18 waiver wire express article compliments of Nick Mariano. These give a nice overview of the waiver wire pickup options each week. Then, we also look at FAAB waiver wire bidding recommendations from Nick Mariano. We also dig deeper for each position with individual waiver wire articles:

 

Who To Pickup for Fantasy Football Week 18?

Finally, below, you'll see our weekly rankings for the relevant 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:

Rank Player Name Position % Rostered Baller Move
1 Elijah Mitchell RB 12 Add in All Leagues
2 Khalil Herbert RB 53 Add in All Leagues
3 Zamir White RB 60 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
4 Jamaal Williams RB 18 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
5 Jerry Jeudy WR 53 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
6 Tyler Allgeier RB 47 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
7 Zach Charbonnet RB 56 Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues
8 Romeo Doubs WR 61 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
9 Wan'Dale Robinson WR 11 Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues
10 Demarcus Robinson WR 28 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
11 Curtis Samuel WR 39 Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues
12 Demario Douglas WR 23 Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues
13 Greg Dortch WR 7 Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues
14 Kareem Hunt RB 54 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
15 Justice Hill RB 19 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
16 Odell Beckham Jr. WR 60 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
17 Rashid Shaheed WR 59 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
18 Josh Downs WR 48 Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues
19 Roschon Johnson RB 24 Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues
20 Jeff Wilson Jr. RB 13 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
21 Rashod Bateman WR 16 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
22 Tyjae Spears RB 45 Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues
23 Juwan Johnson TE 15 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
24 Chase Brown RB 20 Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues
25 Taysom Hill TE 54 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
26 Julio Jones WR 1 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
27 Tucker Kraft TE 20 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
28 Darius Slayton WR 3 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
29 Kenneth Gainwell RB 28 Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues
30 Gerald Everett TE 46 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
31 Cedrick Wilson Jr. WR 2 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
32 Quentin Johnston WR 22 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
33 Jaleel McLaughlin RB 9 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
34 Trey Palmer WR 2 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
35 Chigoziem Okonkwo TE 43 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
36 Michael Wilson WR 5 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
37 Alec Pierce WR 4 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
38 K.J. Osborn WR 30 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
39 Michael Carter RB 2 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
40 Brandon Johnson WR 2 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
41 Tyler Higbee TE 38 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
42 Mike Gesicki TE 3 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
43 Jordan Mason RB 2 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
44 Kendre Miller RB 4 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
45 Bo Melton WR 0 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
46 Cedric Tillman WR 1 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
47 Xavier Hutchinson WR 0 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
48 Ameer Abdullah RB 1 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
49 Joe Flacco QB 34 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
50 Jake Browning QB 41 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
51 Gardner Minshew QB 32 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
52 Derek Carr QB 48 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
53 Tyrod Taylor QB 4 Add in 2QB Leagues
54 Jarrett Stidham QB 5 Add in 2QB Leagues
55 Jaren Hall QB 3 Add in 2QB Leagues
56 Tampa Bay Buccaneers DST 37 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
57 New England Patriots DST 21 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
58 Las Vegas Raiders DST 32 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
59 New Orleans Saints DST 49 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
60 Houston Texans DST 40 Add in 12+ Team Leagues

Some of the top names include Elijah Mitchell, Khalil Herbert, Zamir White, Jamaal Williams, and Jerry Jeudy. We recap why these players rostered under 60% in Yahoo! leagues should be on your radar when scrolling through the waiver wire for Week 18.

Jerry Jeudy, WR, Denver Broncos (53% Rostered)

Week 18 Waiver Wire Rankings: 5

Denver Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy was quarterback Jarrett Stidham's top target in Week 17, with both Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims Jr. out with injuries. Jeudy caught three of six targets for 54 yards in last Sunday's win over the Chargers. He was second in receiving yards behind Lil'Jordan Humphrey (69) and tied Brandon Johnson for the team lead in targets.

The 24-year-old has only found the end zone once this season and hasn't caught more than three passes in a game since Week 11. Despite the lack of fantasy production, Jeudy does receive 18.3% of the team's target share and averages 12.5 air yards per target. The former first-round pick has upside against the Raiders in Week 18 and could see an increase in target share as Denver's top receiving weapon if Sutton and Mims remain sidelined.

Khalil Herbert, RB, Chicago Bears (53% Rostered)

Week 18 Waiver Wire Rankings: 2

Chicago Bears running back Khalil Herbert had another massive performance. Herbert rushed for 124 yards and a touchdown while adding two catches on three targets for five yards in last Sunday's win over the Falcons. The 25-year-old has taken advantage as the Bear's primary back, with D'Onta Foreman inactive for the second consecutive week.

Herbert has rushed for 236 yards on 38 attempts and two touchdowns while catching three passes for 14 yards during both starts. Herbert will look to continue his strong against the Green Bay Packers in the regular season finale. The Packers have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs. Fantasy managers with still something to play for should plug-and-play Herbet into their lineups regardless of whether Foreman continues to miss time.

Zamir White, RB, Las Vegas Raiders (60% Rostered)

Week 18 Waiver Wire Rankings: 3

Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs has missed the last three games due to a quad injury. Zamir White replaced Jacobs as the Raiders' lead back in all three games. White has rushed for 285 yards on 59 attempts and scored while catching eight of 11 targets for 51 yards with Jacobs sidelined. The Raiders have been eliminated from the playoffs.

With Jacobs set to be a free agent next offseason, the Raiders could opt to give White an elevated role for the regular season finale against Denver. The Broncos have been gashed through the ground, allowing the third-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season. Fantasy managers should monitor Jacobs's status throughout the week, but all signs indicate White having an expanded role for the fourth consecutive week.

Elijah Mitchell, RB, San Francisco 49ers (12% Rostered)

Week 18 Waiver Wire Rankings: 1

The San Francisco 49ers have clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC and have already ruled out superstar running back Christian McCaffrey (calf) for the regular season finale against the Los Angeles Rams. Elijah Mitchell is available in most leagues and is expected to be San Francisco's primary back in Week 18. While filling in for McCaffrey, Mitchell rushed for 80 yards on 17 attempts and one touchdown in Sunday's win over the Commanders.

The Rams have been stingy against opposing backfields and allowed the fewest fantasy points (11.9 FPPG) against the position in 2023. Despite the tough matchup, Mitchell should have an expanded role in a high-octane offense, making him a viable fantasy option for managers still playing for something.

Jamaal Williams, RB, New Orleans Saints (12% Rostered)

Week 18 Waiver Wire Rankings: 4

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara sprained his ankle in Sunday's win over the Buccaneers. He exited early and missed the entire second half of last Sunday's game. Kamara is considered day-to-day, and his status for the regular season finale versus the Atlanta Falcons is up in the air. Jamaal Williams filled in for Kamara and rushed for 58 yards on 19 attempts. He also added four catches for 13 yards.

Williams would take over the Saints primary back if Kamara cannot suit up in Week 18. The 28-year-old has yet to find the end zone in 2023 after rushing for 17 touchdowns in 2022. Despite the lack of production this season, Williams should have an expanded role in a decent matchup if Kamara is ruled out. The Falcons recently allowed Khalil Herbert to rush for 124 yards and a touchdown. Fantasy managers of Kamara or searching for an RB2 can look to add Williams in all league formats.

Running Backs - Week 18 Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Player Name
Elijah Mitchell
Khalil Herbert
Zamir White
Jamaal Williams
Tyler Allgeier
Zach Charbonnet
Kareem Hunt
Justice Hill
Roschon Johnson
Jeff Wilson Jr.
Tyjae Spears
Chase Brown
Kenneth Gainwell
Jaleel McLaughlin
Michael Carter
Jordan Mason
Kendre Miller
Ameer Abdullah

 

Wide Receivers - Week 18 Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Player Name
Jerry Jeudy
Romeo Doubs
Wan'Dale Robinson
Demarcus Robinson
Curtis Samuel
Demario Douglas
Greg Dortch
Odell Beckham Jr.
Rashid Shaheed
Josh Downs
Rashod Bateman
Julio Jones
Darius Slayton
Cedrick Wilson Jr.
Quentin Johnston
Trey Palmer
Michael Wilson
Alec Pierce
K.J. Osborn
Brandon Johnson
Bo Melton
Cedric Tillman
Xavier Hutchinson

 

Tight Ends - Week 18 Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Player Name
Juwan Johnson
Taysom Hill
Tucker Kraft
Gerald Everett
Chigoziem Okonkwo
Tyler Higbee
Mike Gesicki

 

Quarterbacks - Week 18 Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order, with emphasis on Week 17:

Player Name
Joe Flacco
Jake Browning
Gardner Minshew
Derek Carr
Tyrod Taylor
Jarrett Stidham
Jaren Hall

 

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

Pickups are in priority order, with emphasis on Week 17:

Player Name
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
New England Patriots
Las Vegas Raiders
New Orleans Saints
Houston Texans



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Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.




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