The final week is all that is left of the NFL regular season. I can't believe it went by so fast! Seems it was just yesterday I had been waiting for the season to start with rabid anticipation, only to watch my beloved Baltimore Ravens lose in heartbreaking fashion, once again, to the Kansas City Chiefs to kick off Week 1 on Thursday Night Football. Soon, all attention will turn to the (real) playoffs. But as long as it's still the regular season, it's still the fantasy football playoffs in some leagues. If that's you, and you need a wide receiver on short notice, consider these three players:
Marvin Mims Jr., Denver Broncos
Second-year wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. caught eight passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns against the Bengals. Both scores came in the 4th quarter. With 8:56 left to play, Mims sprinted behind past the defense and brought in a 51-yard bomb from Bo Nix to tie the game. Then, trailing by a touchdown once again with 14 seconds remaining on 4th down, Mims made an incredible 25-yard touchdown catch, high-pointing the ball while sandwiched between two Bengals defenders and maintaining control to the ground as the defenders attempted to rip the ball free. Mims's spectacular 4th quarter illustrated what it can look like when his potential translates into production.
Mims had little fantasy relevance for the first nine weeks of the NFL season, averaging less than two points per game in PPR formats. However, it's increasingly clear that head coach Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos want this guy to touch the ball. Mims handles kickoff and punt returns, leading the league in the latter category with 15.7 yards per return. He has had at least one carry in every game since Week 10, with Sean Payton drawing up gadget plays and jet sweeps to try to get Mims the ball in space. Most importantly, he is developing chemistry and trust with Bo Nix and emerging as a weapon in the receiving game, capped off by last week's superstar performance against the Bengals. He now has four touchdown catches in the last six games.
Mims may not be the most consistent performer yet, and there's no guarantee he will repeat his explosive Week 17 performance. But his target share and production have been trending upward all season, and the coaching staff views him as a playmaker. Next, the Broncos will fight for their playoff lives against the Kansas City Chiefs, who have already wrapped up the No. 1 seed and will be resting starters. Look for Mims to make plays and help send the Broncos to the playoffs.
Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts
Alec Pierce has been a boom-or-bust fantasy player all year. Despite having five games of over 16 fantasy points, he still averages less than 10 points per game in PPR formats. Last week was a boom, as Pierce hauled in six catches on nine targets for 122 yards and a touchdown against the New York Giants. Despite demonstrating a good rapport with Anthony Richardson early in the season, Pierce was likely helped by Joe Flacco stepping in at quarterback due to injury. Richardson has been too erratic and inconsistent of a passer to trust any of his receiving options in fantasy, while the 39-year-old Flacco always seems to relish the chance to step in and start slinging the ball all over the field.
The Colts have indicated Richardson will play if he's healthy in Week 18. Head coach Shane Steichen told reporters, "We'll see how the week progresses. I know he was in here getting treatment today. He's feeling a little better. ... If he's healthy and he's ready to go, we'll have those conversations at the end of the week." If Richardson returns for the last game of the season, it might be best to leave Pierce on waivers. Richardson is completing less than 50 percent of his passes this season and averages only 165 passing yards a game.
If Richardson is not cleared to play, however, then Alec Pierce will be once again catching passes from Joe Flacco against, once again, a very poor defense. This week, the Colts will host the Jacksonville Jaguars, who rank last in passing yards allowed per game. We saw how this movie went already this year. In Week 5, Pierce caught three passes from Flacco for a season-high 134 yards and a touchdown against the Jags. If Flacco is named the starter, it could be a recipe for another breakout game from Alec Pierce.
Keon Coleman, Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills have the #2 seed in the AFC all wrapped up, and head coach Sean McDermott said they plan to use a blend of starters and backups in their Week 18 matchup against the Patriots: "What we're going to do is you'll see some starters out there playing, and you'll see some other players who we want to take a good look at." McDermott also indicated that Josh Allen would start the game and play "a very, very short-lived amount of time, and then he'll be off rather quickly."
This makes predicting fantasy output a bit tricky. However, this could be an opportunity for the rookie wide receiver if McDermott and the Bills want to give Coleman some run this weekend. If Khalil Shakir and Amari Cooper are mostly off against the Patriots to rest up for the playoffs, Coleman could even move into the WR1 role for the Bills in Week 18. Consider Coleman a high-risk, high-reward flex option. Last week, Coleman had three catches for 27 yards and a touchdown.
To see how these players stack up against other potential wire waiver additions, check out the full Waiver Wire Report from Footballguys.