Finally, the wait is over! We have reached the championship round in most fantasy leagues. Certainly, congratulations are in order for each and every manager that has reached the pinnacle of fantasy football: going for their league’s championship. Best to all! Even as this is the final round, the waiver wire maintains its importance as players have a multitude of injuries to deal with and some teams with nothing to play for will sit some starters to get a look at the next generation. In any case, this fantasy football championship waivers is here to ease any lingering lineup questions and lower even the highest anxiety level.

It has been a pleasure to bring these articles to managers every week. Now, on to the championship! As a reminder, all ownership percentages are taken from ESPN. Lastly, I and the Belly Up crew hope everyone had a very merry Christmas and wish all a happy New Year! We are all excited to see what 2023 brings and are glad you are a part of what’s to come.

Top Fantasy Championship Running Back Waiver Pickups

James Cook, Buffalo Bills, 46.7% Owned

Against the Bears, Cook had 11 carries for 99 yards. Any running back averaging nine yards per carry demands attention from fantasy managers. In addition, Cook added a touchdown for good measure. He came out of the game with 16 fantasy points, matching his total against New England in week 13. In week 15, Cook scored 11 points. In three games over the past four weeks, Cook has averaged 4.6, 6.8 and 9.0 yards per carry.

With the top seed still in play in the AFC, no one on the Buffalo roster should be taking the game off against the Bengals. Cook and backfield mate Devin Singletary look to be heavily involved in the running game. Singletary had 106 yards rushing against the Bears but look for the touches to be about even between the two. If available, James Cook ranks as the top running back pickup on the wire heading into the championship round.

Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears, 28.1% Owned

Just like Cook above, Khalil Herbert get a second consecutive listing this week. There is no further need to speculate on his status, as Herbert was activated from the injured list and played against Buffalo this weekend. For sure, he didn’t blow the doors off the place, as Herbert only received six carries and was bottled up by the Bills defense, gaining just seven yards. However, as noted last time around, the recommendation for adding him was all about this week.

Next on the Bear schedule is Detroit. Assuredly, all managers noticed what Carolina did to that Lion defense as the Panthers rushed for an eye popping 320 yards, a 7.4 yards per carry average and three touchdowns. No doubt, Herbert will play behind David Montgomery, but both will be extremely busy against the Lions with lots of touches to go around.

If the running back position is a concern going into the final game and Cook is nowhere to be found, adding Herbert surely is a smart decision.

Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons, 39.2% Owned

Last week, Tyler Allgeier only received a mention, but gets a full write up this time around. The Falcons are nothing to write home about as the season winds down, but Allgeier has clear value. Going up against the fourth ranked Baltimore rush defense, Allgeier carried the ball 18 times for 74 yards. He also caught four passes for an additional 43 yards. Over his past two games, Allgeier has established himself as a fantasy worthy running back.

The previous week, Allgeier gained an outstanding 139 rush yards while averaging 8.2 yards per carry against a middle of the road Saints run defense. Over his past two games, Allgeier has scored 25 and 15 fantasy points. This week, his fantasy ceiling is through the roof going against Arizona.

The Cardinals just happen to rank a lowly 23rd against opposing running backs entering week sixteen. Unlike some other fantasy positions, running back has some excellent options going into the championship round and Allgeier is certainly one of those options. Add him without hesitation if RB is a roster need.

Top Fantasy Championship Wide Receiver Waiver Pickups

Richie James, New York Giants, 2.3% Owned

Obviously, there has been a lot of hesitation when it comes to adding Richie James to a roster. There has been plenty of reasons for that this season, but the time has come to put any such feelings aside. Over the last six weeks, James has been a solid fantasy option, scoring in double figures in five of those games. In two of the last three weeks, James has been one of the top producers among wide receivers, scoring 19 and 17 points.

Against Minnesota Saturday, James was targeted 12 times, resulting in eight catches for 90 yards. In week 14 against a strong Philadelphia defense, James was even better, catching seven of nine targets for 61 yards and a touchdown. Over the past three games, James has been targeted 26 times. That is a solid line for all but the most elite of receivers.

In week 17, Indianapolis is similarly strong against wide receivers (4th), but don’t let that stop you from adding James if necessary. The Giants will be at home with a victory needed to secure a playoff spot. James’ quarterback Daniel Jones has been playing excellent football and all signs point to a fantasy bonanza for James this week.

Go ahead, pull the trigger. There is no question that James is available throughout the fantasy landscape. He is the leading receiver on this fantasy football championship waivers edition.

Jahan Dotson, Washington Commanders, 30.2% Owned

If James doesn’t tickle the fancy and Jahan Dotson is available, he is clearly worth adding from the waiver wire jungle. Over his past three games, Dotson has really come on with 15 catches of 24 targets for 235 yards. Best of all, however, is that he has scored a touchdown in each of those games. There have been many games this season where Dotson was either missing in action or simply invisible on the field.

However, those worries can clearly be put to bed. Dotson has put up 16, 22 and 19 fantasy points over his past three games. Clearly, he is an explosive player with seven TDs on the season. That is an impressive total given that Dotson has essentially missed eight games.

Even though Cleveland is middle of the road defensively against receivers, Dotson has both a high floor and a high ceiling this week. Adding Dotson is a smart maneuver on the part of any fantasy manager.

DJ Chark, Detroit Lions, 30.9% Owned

As promised last week, DJ Chark was back to his usual tricks this past weekend against Carolina. The volume was down, but by every other measuring stick, Chark was a topflight receiver, both in the real and fantasy worlds. Going up against the Panthers, Chark caught four of five targets for 108 yards. For those scoring at home, that translates to a mind boggling 27 yards per catch. The only aspect missing from Chark’s game was a touchdown.

In three of the last four games, the only words that can be used to describe Chark are league winner. Against Jacksonville, Chark posted a 5-6-98 stat line, resulting in 14 fantasy points. Against the Vikings, he was even better with a 6-7-94 line while adding a touchdown. Chark finished that game with an outstanding 22 fantasy points. Finally, Chark posted 16 fantasy points against Carolina. Those stats equal quality production, no?

As mentioned previously, Chark’s game against the Jets will be dismissed as the apparition that it was. By no measuring stick whatsoever does the Bears defense equal New York’s, even if Chicago ranks tenth against receivers. The Lions will face them indoors this week and the offense should be at full capacity. In no way is Chark a fallback option for fantasy purposes. Adding him without hesitation is the call on this fantasy football championship waivers edition.

Top Fantasy Championship Tight End Waiver Pickups

Let’s be clear here: the tight end position is at the absolute bottom of the barrel. Hopefully, all managers reaching this level have their players safely in place for the championship. For anyone in desperation mode, there are a few players with solid matchups, which might boost their stock a bit. Those players are:

Tyler Conklin (36.3% owned) of the Jets has the sorry defense of Seattle to deal with on New Year’s Day. The Seahawks are next to last against fantasy tight ends, giving Conklin a chance at a high ceiling. Be aware, however, that his floor is extremely low, as he has only ten catches the last three weeks. Conklin scored in double figures in fantasy points the first three games of the season. Perhaps he can match that against Seattle. A smart manager won’t bet on it however, unless the position is absolutely barren.

Similarly, Jordan Akins (0.8% owned) of the Texans has an enticing matchup this week. Also, like Conklin, Atkins has a high floor and a very low ceiling potential. Next up for Houston is Jacksonville, which ranks a sorry 25th against tight ends. Jordan only has ten catches in his last four games, so unless truly desperate, leave him on the wire. Perhaps he can score 15 fantasy points like he did against Miami in week 12. Same as above, don’t make the move unless there simply are no other options.

Top Fantasy Championship Quarterback Waiver Pickups

Brock Purdy, San Fransisco 49ers, 28.6% Owned

Any manager in a two-quarterback league needing help at the position can look to Brock Purdy for comfort. Purdy has gone from curiosity to a topflight starting quarterback in no time flat this season. Over his past four games, Purdy has thrown two touchdown passes in each. During that same time, he has only two interceptions. He has completed at least 65 percent of his passes in every game.

Going up against a pretty solid Washington defense, Purdy completed 15 of 22 passes for 234 yards and, of course, the two touchdowns. His lone interception hit his receiver in the hands, who then bobbled it, and the ball was then picked off by the Commanders. Purdy shock that off and calmy led the 49ers to their eighth straight win.

Not much more to say, is there? Any manager with a need at quarterback can turn to Purdy knowing what his bottom line is. The best news is that San Fransisco goes up against a Las Vegas defense buried at number 25 against fantasy quarterbacks. If there is a need at the quarterback position, adding Purdy simply makes a ton of sense as he leads off the quarterback portion of this fantasy football championship waivers edition.

Jared Goff, Detroit Lions, 51% Owned

Like many others listed here, Jared Goff makes a return appearance, and deservedly so. After a slow start against Carolina, Goff came alive and likely saved the season for any manager that started him. Goff completed 25 of 42 passes for 355 huge yards. That wasn’t the best news, though, as Goff also threw for three touchdowns without an interception. He did have a fumble lost, his first turnover in his last six games.

True, the Lions lost a lot of their momentum as they lost to the Panthers. Unless Goff plays run defense, the blame for the loss must be placed elsewhere, however. Simply stated: Goff has been a fantasy dynamo over the past five weeks. During that stretch, he has 11 TD passes. Even as that is so, the best news was left for last.

In the fantasy championship round, Goff and the Lions draw their divisional rival Bears. Chicago is coming off a game in which they allowed Josh Allen to throw for two touchdowns and run in another score. Allen’s stats were muted below his normal standards, but the game was played inside a windy, frosty ice box in Soldier Field. There will be no such concerns this week as the game is indoors in Detroit.

If this was a math problem, the equation would look like this: Jared Goff + a fantasy starting spot= league winner. If there are any doubts about the quarterback position, adding Goff to the roster cannot be overemphasized.

A suggestion if available:

Daniel Jones has played himself off the waiver wire in most instances. In smaller leagues, it would be a smart move to see if he is still hanging around, however. Any QB that throws for 334 yards, which Jones did against Minnesota, demands fantasy attention. He goes up against a Colt defense ranking 21st against quarterbacks coming into the Monday night game. Bottom line: if available, adding Jones could be the last piece of a championship puzzle.

The Last Word

Thank you for joining me for this fantasy football championship waivers edition! As always, I welcome any and all suggestions, comments and input from my readers. Let’s discuss! Follow me on twitter @kevin62wilsea. Please feel free to share this article. Tune in for the Belly Up Fantasy Live Preview Show every Sunday morning at 11 AM EST on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or BellyUpTV. Be sure to turn to Belly Up Sports and Belly Up Fantasy for all the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL happenings and the latest sports news! 

Challenge Me!

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