5 breakout fantasy football stars to pick up for Week 18

4. Top Fantasy Football Pickups For Week 18 – Arizona Cardinals TE Trey McBride

One of the interesting things to watch on teams that are eliminated from the playoffs is when young players take advantage of otherwise meaningless game action. This information is useful in dynasty leagues but also can be helpful for players trying to win a title in Week 18.

One guy who fits that bill is Arizona tight end Trey McBride, a highly touted prospect in the 2022 draft who began the year behind veteran Zach Ertz on the Cardinals’ depth chart. Ertz was lost for the season in November, which opened up more snaps for McBride, and he delivered a breakout performance in Week 18.

McBride was targeted 10 times in Arizona’s Week 17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons and caught seven of them for 78 yards. One of those catches led to McBride’s first NFL touchdown and the Cardinals’ coaching staff will surely look to see what he can do in Week 18.

Teams in need of help at tight end could do worse than throwing a dart at McBride, who is rostered in just four percent of leagues. Arizona figures to be playing catch up with the San Francisco 49ers all day so there could be plenty of garbage time targets for McBride to vacuum up.