The Week 18 waiver wire isn’t overly exciting at the wide receiver position. There aren’t high-upside players, but there are some solid floor guys fantasy football managers might want to add. Should you look to add Greg Dortch, Darius Slayton, and Alex Erickson?
Top WR Waiver Wire Targets in Week 18
Greg Dortch, Arizona Cardinals (7% Rostered)
I’m not quite sure why Dortch gets relegated to an afterthought when the Arizona Cardinals are fully healthy. He’s a nice little player. He caught all seven of his targets for 82 yards against the Philadelphia Eagles, and he’s scored 11.7+ fantasy points in four of his last six contests.
MORE: Week 18 Waiver Wire Targets — QB | RB | TE
Marquise Brown is done for the season. Dortch is going to have the same role in Week 18 as he had this past week. There’s a very useful floor here.
Wan’Dale Robinson, New York Giants (11% Rostered)
At various points this season, Wan’Dale Robinson has spiked for a WR1 performance. It’s impossible to predict, but clearly, the sophomore receiver has the talent to do so.
Robinson has seen at least seven targets in three of the last four weeks. He caught six passes for 55 yards against the Los Angeles Rams and scored on his lone carry, which went for 24 yards. You can do worse than Robinson in Week 18.
Darius Slayton, New York Giants (3% Rostered)
I can’t say I buy what Darius Slayton is doing, but I can’t deny that he’s doing it.
Slayton has caught bomb touchdowns in back-to-back games. He’s now posted double-digit fantasy points in three straight weeks.
Taylor makes the New York Giants offense better. The Philadelphia Eagles have the worst pass defense in the NFL, and Slayton beat them deep two weeks ago. He can do it again.
I wouldn’t feel great about starting him, but at least Slayton’s proven that the upside exists.
Alex Erickson, Los Angeles Chargers (0% Rostered)
No one should be surprised that even with no Keenan Allen or Joshua Palmer, it wasn’t Quentin Johnston who stepped up. It was never going to be Johnston.
But it’s certainly a bit surprising that Alex Erickson led the game in receiving with seven catches for 68 yards.
MORE: PFN’S FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
Erickson is a solid if unspectacular player. Once Justin Herbert went down, with him went the Los Angeles Chargers’ playoff hopes, and any chance Allen would bother playing again this season.
I can’t imagine Palmer has any reason to return for Week 18, either. That should once again put Erickson in the WR1 role. It won’t be pretty, but Erickson is startable as a floor play for the final week of the NFL regular season.
Kalif Raymond, Detroit Lions (2% Rostered)
The same reasoning behind why Craig Reynolds is a worthwhile add at RB applies to Kalif Raymond at wide receiver.
The only player that we know for sure wouldn’t play in a scenario where the Lions rest starters is Amon-Ra St. Brown. My guess is Josh Reynolds won’t play either. That would leave Jameson Williams and Kalif Raymond as the top two options.
The Lions’ backup quarterbacks are actually pretty good, relatively speaking. Teddy Bridgewater is technically the backup, but I wouldn’t be surprised if rookie Hendon Hooker got the start.
It makes so much more sense given that Bridgewater already said this will be his last NFL season. It would be pretty cool to see what the rookie can do, and you know he’d be motivated. As a result, Raymond could be a worthwhile WR3 in Week 18.
Which WR Should You Roster in Fantasy Football?
Should You Roster Greg Dortch or Curtis Samuel?
Curtis Samuel had been a solid contributor for a decent stretch from late November into early December. That feels like eons ago, now.
Over the past two weeks, Samuel has caught a total of four passes for 49 yards. That’s not good enough for one week, let alone two.
Currently, Dortch has the better role. He has the better quarterback and is on the better offense. I would rather start Dortch in Week 18.
Should You Roster Wan’Dale Robinson or Tyler Boyd?
Robinson and Tyler Boyd have kind of been similar players from a fantasy standpoint. Like Robinson, Boyd’s games result in single-digit fantasy points, with the occasional spike week that often coincides with one of Ja’Marr Chase or Tee Higgins not playing.
Boyd caught a mere two passes for 29 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs. However, there’s reason to be bullish on him for Week 18.
Higgins left the game with a hamstring strain. Chase played through a sprained shoulder but was clearly not close to 100%. The Cincinnati Bengals are now eliminated from playoff contention. It would be a surprise if either of those two played in Week 18, which would thrust Boyd into the WR1 role.
Given the volume Boyd could see, he’s the preferred option for this final week of the season.
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