Free agent pickups: Look to Saints, Titans amid Week 18 uncertainty

The 17th and penultimate Sunday of the NFL season featured excellent performances by New England Patriots QB Drake Maye, Cincinnati Bengals RB Chase Brown and New Orleans Saints WR Chris Olave, among myriad others, while Trey McBride of the Arizona Cardinals set the single-season TE receptions mark. The Patriots and Seattle Seahawks each won their 13th game. The Las Vegas Raiders lost their 14th game. The San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears entertained with one of the best games of the season to end the day.

For some/many in the fantasy football world, Week 18 will not be about the statistics at all, with our championships already decided. Settle in and watch the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers decide the NFC South title on Saturday afternoon or the Pittsburgh Steelers battle the rival Baltimore Ravens for the AFC North crown on Sunday night. The No. 1 seed in each conference also remains unclear. Otherwise, some NFL teams will play their best players. Others will not. We are here for those searching for free-agent additions! Keep up with the news this week and good luck!

Each Monday, before the current NFL weekend ends, we will identify players available in at least 50% of ESPN standard leagues worthy of your attention, from standard formats to deeper options. The NFL is a weekly league, and player valuation and roles seldom remain stagnant. It does not matter how you acquire players for your fantasy rosters, just that you acquire them!

Quarterback

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Is Tyler Shough underrated heading into the fantasy playoffs?

Eric Karabell breaks down what impresses him about Tyler Shough, and why the Saints' rookie is an underrated fantasy quarterback.

Tyler Shough, Saints (20.3% rostered in ESPN leagues): Shough, the No. 40 selection in the 2025 NFL draft, continued his splendid play in Week 17, scoring 21.92 points in a win over the Tennessee Titans. The 6-10 Saints are rolling with four consecutive wins, and they will face the Atlanta Falcons in the finale. Shough, who made his first start back in Week 8, has scored at least 17 points in each of the last five games, even with his team nowhere near playoff contention. He can do it once more.

Cam Ward, Titans (6.5%): Ward, the No. 1 choice in the 2025 NFL draft, hasn't been a top provider of fantasy points this season, but he has scored 35.06 fantasy points over the last two weeks. In Week 18, Ward faces the Jacksonville Jaguars, against whom he scored 6.34 points in Week 13. He should double that figure, at least, in his rookie finale.

Deep-league options/streamers/random thoughts

• If available, the Green Bay Packers figure to start Jordan Love (concussion) in Week 18 against the Minnesota Vikings. However, the game does not matter to the Packers in the standings, so regardless of Love's status, Malik Willis (2.2%) should play, too. Perhaps he plays all of it. Willis scored an impressive 31.52 points in Saturday's loss to the Ravens, combining 288 passing yards with 60 rushing yards, scoring three touchdowns. The Vikings generally defend better than the Ravens, but if Willis starts, many will consider him viable.

• The Ravens must win to make the playoffs and we don't yet know if the team will have the services of preseason MVP candidate Lamar Jackson (back) for the winner-take-division Steelers game, leaving Tyler Huntley (0.4%) as the potential starter. Huntley scored 14.28 points in the win over the Packers. If playing time was equal, we would choose Willis over Huntley, but Green Bay's motivation is a factor.

• Several of the top fantasy quarterbacks may sit some or more of their respective Week 18 games, including Buffalo Bills starter Josh Allen and Los Angeles Chargers starter Justin Herbert, because their playoff-bound teams are locked into their seeds. Their top running backs and wide receivers may be inactive, too. In general, be careful relying on unproven backup QBs. What then-Packers backup Matt Flynn achieved in his historic 2011 season finale (480 passing yards, 6 TD) is not normal.

Running back

Audric Estime, Saints (10.6%): Estime led Saints RBs with 15 touches on Sunday, turning them into 98 yards, one touchdown and 16.8 points. He was active in a mere 2.2% of ESPN standard leagues, while TE Taysom Hill, who many believed would handle volume, was active in 18.9% of leagues. Hill handled little volume. Trust Estime in Week 18.

Dylan Sampson, Cleveland Browns (25.7%): Sampson enjoyed little success against the Steelers on Sunday, turning 14 touches into 27 yards and 5.7 points, but things should improve in the final game against the weak Bengals defense. Sampson's top game this season occurred in Week 1 against the Bengals, when he caught eight passes and totaled 17.3 points.

Malik Davis, Dallas Cowboys (1.2%): Give all credit to Javonte Williams, who resurrected his career with 1,201 rushing yards and 13 total touchdowns. However, he hurt a shoulder in Week 17, and the Cowboys could easily give Davis the volume this week against the New York Giants. Davis rushed for 103 yards in relief of Williams. He can do it again.

Emanuel Wilson, Packers (35.2%): The Packers, locked into the No. 7 seed, have watched compromised star Josh Jacobs (knee/ankle) struggle lately. He sure could use a week off. Wilson rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns in the first meeting with the Vikings in Week 12. Then again, the Packers could opt to sit both Jacobs and Wilson.

Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams (34.7%): Corum entered Week 17's Monday night game on a solid four-game stretch of at least 13 fantasy points, scoring five touchdowns in relief of Kyren Williams. The Rams finish up with the terrible Cardinals. Corum scored 26.1 points on them in Week 14.

Deep-league options/streamers/random thoughts

• Washington Commanders running backs have frustrated fantasy managers much of the season, and it may continue in the finale against a Philadelphia Eagles squad that may or may not play its starters. Rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt (48.6%) scored 22.5 points in the Christmas Day loss to the Cowboys, capitalizing on playing time as Chris Rodriguez Jr. (32.3%) missed the game due to an illness. Rodriguez should return this week to reunite the annoying timeshare!

Wide receiver

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Why the future looks bright for Chris Olave in fantasy

Tristan H. Cockcroft explains why fantasy managers should monitor Chris Olave if he continues his career with the Saints.

Parker Washington, Jaguars (21.8%): A repeat entry from last time, in Week 17, Washington again outshined his more popular WR teammates Jakobi Meyers and Brian Thomas Jr. with his 19 fantasy points. Meyers and Thomas combined for 15.8 points. Washington also scored 26.5 points at Denver in Week 16. He caught only one pass in the first matchup with the Titans, but his recent numbers override what happened in Week 13.

Luther Burden III, Bears (28%): Burden led all wide receivers with 27.8 fantasy points in Week 17 (entering Monday night), but he injured a quad on the final play of Sunday night's loss. The Bears could opt to sit Burden in the finale, so make sure he is playing before trusting him.

Deep-league options/streamers/random thoughts

• Buccaneers WR Jalen McMillan (1.6%) made his 2025 debut in Week 15 and saw only five targets in his first two games. Few would have relied on him in Week 17 against the Dolphins. Suddenly, though, McMillan caught seven of nine targets for a team-leading 114 yards and 18.4 points. Teammates Chris Godwin Jr. and Mike Evans remain better options for Week 18, but perhaps not struggling rookie Emeka Egbuka.

• The Patriots didn't have Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins on Sunday, so Kyle Williams (3.1%) and Efton Chism III (0.2%) stepped up with a combined 17 fantasy points. Chism caught a touchdown. Williams has three touchdowns among his past eight receptions over seven games. He may be in for more work in the finale against the Miami Dolphins.

Tight end

Colston Loveland, Bears (48.2%): Loveland starred in Sunday's loss to San Francisco with 21.4 points, which included 94 receiving yards and his fifth touchdown. He should handle a large target share in Week 18 against the Detroit Lions.

Michael Mayer, Raiders (8.7%): Starter Brock Bowers (knee) is done for the season, and Mayer celebrated on Sunday by scoring 17.9 points. The Raiders finish up with a home game against the long-eliminated Kansas City Chiefs.

AJ Barner, Seahawks (32.2%): Barner enters the critical 49ers game with touchdowns in consecutive contests. The 49ers are among the top 10 in permitting fantasy points to the position.

Chig Okonkwo, Titans (5.7%): Okonkwo hasn't helped fantasy managers much this season, but he boasts double-digit performances in both of the last two weeks, with his lone touchdowns of the season. However, the Titans face a motivated Jaguars defense on Sunday.

Defense

• The Saints D/ST (48.2%) has been one of the better fantasy units of late, perhaps due to the friendly schedule, scoring double digit points in consecutive games. They should finish strong against the Falcons.

• The Packers-Vikings game may be too risky to rely on either defense. The Packers D/ST (49.4%) has cost fantasy managers eight fantasy points (minus-five and minus-three points) over the past two games, and it may sit key players. The Vikings D/ST (43.2%) is clearly playing better defense of late, scoring 35 fantasy points over the last two games. They may end up facing a bunch of Packers reserves.