Week 18 Waiver Wire Breakout Fantasy Football Pickups from Sunday's Box Scores

For many fantasy leagues, Week 17 of the NFL season marks the end of play. Championships are won and lost, consolation brackets are finished and fantasy managers ride into the offseason.

However, some leagues follow the NFL calendar to the letter and have one final week to decide their season. If your league takes Week 18 into account, you may be looking to scour the waiver wire due to injuries or teams resting starters while waiting for the playoffs to start.

These three under-the-radar players can help make or break your Week 18 matchup. 
All rostered information and stats via FantasyPros using point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

Audric Estime, RB, New Orleans Saints

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Rostered: 12%

Week 17 stats: 14 att, 95 yds, 1 TD, 1 rec, 4 yds, 16.80 pts

While the New Orleans Saints won't be going to the playoffs this year, they're showing positive momentum as the season draws to a close, having now won four games in a row.

Over that time, the Saints have been shuffling their backfield due to injuries, with both Alvin Kamara and rookie running back Devin Neal out for Week 17. 

That left the door open for second-year running back Audric Estime, who has slowly seen his playing time increase over the past several weeks. Estime made the most of his opportunity on Sunday, rushing for 95 yards and a late touchdown on 14 attempts along with one reception for four yards to help the Saints ice their victory over the Tennessee Titans.

With Neal on injured reserve to end the season and Kamara's status unknown heading into the Week 18 matchup against the rival Atlanta Falcons, the Saints may opt to continue leaning on Estime into the offseason. Whether or not Kamara is active, Estime is a good bet to see heavy playing time in the final week of the season.

Malik Willis, QB, Green Bay Packers

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Rostered: 2%

Week 17 stats: 18/21, 288 pass yards, 1 pass TD, 1 INT, 9 att, 60 rush yds, 2 rush TDs, 1 FUM, 31.52 pts

It's not every day that we're discussing a backup quarterback as a fantasy pickup this late in the season, but Week 18 makes for some strange happenings.

With QB Jordan Love out in Week 17 due to a concussion, Willis had his best day as a pro in the Packers' loss to the Ravens on Saturday, making plays with both his arms and his legs. His stats made him the second-highest-scoring fantasy quarterback in Week 17.

Head coach Matt LaFleur has not made a decision on whether or not to rest his starters in Week 18 against the Minnesota Vikings, who have already been eliminated from the playoffs. Thus far, LaFleur has indicated that a decision will not be made until Love is fully cleared from the concussion protocol.

However, with the Packers locked into a wild-card spot and Love's status uncertain, there's a distinct possibility that the Packers will rest their starters, or at least rest Love, in Week 18. If that's the case, Willis' ability to score through the air and on the ground makes him a viable starter if you're looking for a shot in the arm at the QB position.

Michael Mayer, TE, Las Vegas Raiders

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Rostered: 10%

Week 17 stats: 9 rec, 89 rec yds, 17.90 pts

Tight end continues to be a hard position to nail down in fantasy football. If you don't have one of the top players at the position, you're likely scouring the waiver wire to find someone to fill the void.

While the Raiders may have lost to the New York Giants this week to secure the inside track for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Las Vegas does have a few players to consider playing in Week 18 against the eliminated Kansas City Chiefs. Mayer tops the list.

With star tight end Brock Bowers on injured reserve for the remainder of the season, Mayer took over as a top weapon for the Raiders, leading the team in targets, receptions and yards against the Giants.

Although Mayer has been relegated to the No. 2 role when Bowers is healthy, Week 18 provides him with another opportunity to show his skill set before the season ends. If you have a need at the tight end position, Mayer could help put your team over the top.