This is the final week of the weekly Waiver Wire article as teams and rosters are set for the playoffs at this point in the season. If you want more insight through the end of the year, please join our Live Streams on YouTube and we'll get to your questions in real time! With all that out of the way, let's get into the picks and sign up to place your picks on Sleeper using code "Bettorgreen" or using the link at the end of this article!
Devin Neal, RB, New Orleans Saints, 3.9% Owned
Devin Neal needs to be one of the top waiver pickups this week. With Kendre Miller on IR and Alvin Kamara now dealing with an MCL sprain and heading for an MRI, the Saints’ backfield is suddenly wide open—and Neal is stepping straight into a starting role. This is a guy who dominated in college, becoming Kansas’ all-time leader in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns while posting three straight 1,000-yard seasons. That elite production already flashed in the passing game last week, where he hauled in 5 receptions on 7 targets, showing clear trust from Tyler Shough. With a murky future for Kamara and no real competition for touches, Neal profiles as Shough’s best friend on checkdowns and a potential volume monster down the stretch. This is the exact kind of late-season waiver pickup that can swing fantasy titles.
Darnell Mooney, WR, Atlanta Falcons, 61.8% Owned
This pick is nasty, but Darnell Mooney should be on your waiver-wire radar this week. He quietly finished last season as the 31st-overall WR and already proved he can thrive with Kirk Cousins, who elevates him far more than Michael Penix ever did. Penix’s vertical, inconsistent style left Mooney unstartable, but Cousins’ accuracy and progression-based reads make him instantly relevant again—even as the WR2 behind Drake London, who’s injured and could return at any time. Cousins has a long history of supporting multiple fantasy-viable receivers, and Mooney’s speed and sharp route running fit perfectly into the secondary target role Cousins feeds when defenses key on the WR1. With London banged up and Mooney already showing he can produce in this system, he’s a strong pickup who could offer flex value right away.
Brenton Strange, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars, 18.4% Owned
Before his injury, he had already emerged as one of Trevor Lawrence’s most trusted targets, and now he returns to a Jacksonville offense that desperately needs someone to step up. The receiving corps is wrecked—Travis Hunter is out for the season, and BTJ has been battling injuries for weeks and continues to miss time—leaving Lawrence with very few consistent options in the passing game. Strange has the athleticism, red-zone presence, and rapport with Lawrence to immediately step back into a meaningful role, and he draws a favorable remaining schedule that sets up well for tight end production. With volume up for grabs and the Jaguars searching for reliability, Strange has a clear path to becoming a weekly TE streamer with upside.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Sam Darnold, Xavier Legette, Kareem Hunt, John Metchie III
