Top Free Agent Pickups for Your Fantasy Championship

Welcome back to another postseason edition of Tanner’s Top Free Agents! This season has blown by, and I can hardly believe that it’s the start of the fantasy football championship in most leagues. I’ve had some pretty bad luck this year so, despite my team winning seven of its last 10 games (including playoffs), I won’t be playing for the crown. Maybe next year.

But that doesn’t mean I’ll be overlooking waivers this week! Even if you’re not playing for the championship, making the right pickups could give you some pretty sweet bragging rights rolling into next season. And, if you’re at the bottom of the loser’s bracket, those additions could keep you away from the punishment.

So, who should you be looking to add?

Recap

Rookie quarterbacks have been the biggest story of the 2024 fantasy season, and Week 16 was no exception. Two of my previous recommendations, Caleb Williams and Bo Nix, scored upwards of 20 fantasy points this week.

After some early-season struggles, Williams’ turnaround has been nothing short of impressive in recent weeks, especially for fantasy purposes. He’s produced over 20 fantasy points in three of his last five games, corresponding to a change in offensive coordinator out in Chicago. He’s quietly strung together a very good end to his rookie campaign. Williams hasn’t turned the ball over since Week 6, and he’s thrown multiple passing touchdowns seven times. His rushing activity provides additional upside for fantasy managers, as he’s failed to top four carries just twice all year. In Week 16, Williams had one of his best passing performances to date, completing 65% of his passes for 334 yards and a pair of touchdowns while recording zero interceptions. His recent output suggests that he’s more of a boom/bust fantasy play, but the fact that he’s rostered in less than half of ESPN leagues amazes me. Overall, he clocks in at QB12, and I’m confident that he can give you starter-level numbers the rest of the way.

Go after Williams if you can, even if he just serves as injury insurance for you. If you can’t nab him, who else should you be looking for?

Bryce Young – QB, CAR (4.9% rostered)

Is Bryce Young… good?

The former #1 overall pick has enjoyed a bit of a resurgence in recent weeks, capped by a 27-point fantasy showing on Sunday against the Cardinals. Ever since being lifted from the bench, Young has shown improvement over his first season in the NFL. Playing Arizona, he completed just over 65% of his passes for 158 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while adding 68 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Those numbers aren’t eye-popping, but they exhibit growth from what had been a miserable start to Young’s sophomore campaign. For fantasy purposes, he’s more of a hit-or-miss going forward, but he’s a solid option if you really need a quarterback. Young’s ceiling is admittedly low, as he’s yet to surpass three total touchdowns in a single game, but barring a slew of turnovers he’s a solid bet for 15 points per game. Of note is his recent production in the run game; he’s scored a rushing touchdown in three of his last four games.

I view Young as a decent backup going forward but thrusting him into your starting lineup isn’t the worst ideal in the world if you’re desperate for a quarterback. If you’re in a dynasty or keepers league, however, he’s a borderline must-add.

Brenton Strange – TE, JAX (21% rostered)

Brenton Strange’s performance this past Sunday was… strange, in a word. He followed up an impressive showing in Week 15 (11 catches, 73 yards) with an equally disappointing game against the Raiders (2 catches, 22 yards). That dip could cause a lot of fantasy managers to dump him, but I still think he’s a valuable fantasy player down the stretch.

Strange is essentially getting all of Evan Engram’s volume after he went down with an injury. Engram, who was banged up for much of 2024, is in his second stint on the injured reserve this year, and the next time we see him on a football field will be in 2025. While he was playing, however he got a lot of looks from Trevor Lawrence. He was a solid bet for around seven targets per week, which is good volume for a tight end. Engram also hit nine targets in three of his eight contests, and he never dipped below five. Although Strange didn’t match those numbers in Week 16, I’m confident that he could get close to them as the season comes to an end.

Seeing that he’s rostered in less than a fourth of fantasy leagues and that managers may want to move on from him, there’s a good chance that you can stash Strange on your bench. Despite his poor performance against Las Vegas, I believe he’s a solid bet for 8-10 fantasy points per week going forward.

If you’re thin at tight end, he’s a very solid pickup.

Rashod Bateman – WR, BAL (22.3% rostered)

It’s always more fun to write these pieces when I can talk about Ravens players.

Rashod Bateman has quietly had a very good year for Baltimore this season. However, his volume isn’t the most encouraging, as he’s topped 50 yards four times all year. His touchdown potential, on the other hand, is noteworthy. Bateman has hit paydirt four times in his last five games and has an impressive eight scores on the year.

He’s a completely touchdown-dependent player, but there are worse options on the waiver wire. After all, there’s a chance that he can give your team the boost it needs to get a signature late-season win. In deeper leagues, he’s a decent FLEX play, especially if you need help in that area.

That’s all for this week! As always, good luck!

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