This article will be short and sweet as we head into the final week of the fantasy season.
Instead of focusing on stashes and potential bench adds, we are only interested in potential starters this week.
If filling out a bench, look for high-upside backups in case we get unexpected injury news in practice.
Before we get to it, thanks to all of you who have followed this article this season.
I wish you and yours a happy holidays, and good luck in the fantasy Super Bowl.
Contents
Best Week 17 Waiver Wire Pickups: Quarterback
- Tyler Shough
- Marcus Mariota
- Malik Willis
Best Week 17 Waiver Wire Pickups: Running Back
- Michael Carter
- Blake Corum
- Chris Rodriguez
- Emanuel Wilson
- Jawhar Jordan
Best Week 17 Waiver Wire Pickups: Wide Receiver
- Mack Hollins
- Parker Washington
- Luther Burden
- Darius Slayton
- Kendrick Bourne
Best Week 17 Waiver Wire Pickups: Tight Ends
- Taysom Hill
- A.J. Barner
- Darren Waller
- Brenton Strange
Quarterback Waiver Targets, Week 17
1. Tyler Shough, Saints — Available in 89.1% of ESPN leagues
We thought Week 17 would be a great one for streamers, but injuries to the next two guys on the list have left Shough as the clear No. 1 streaming option. The Titans managed to shut down the Chiefs last week, but Kansas City ended the game with their third-string quarterback and looked done with the season before kickoff. Before that, Tennessee had been a weekly target for fantasy quarterbacks. For his part, Shough is the QB8 over the last three weeks and is third in rushing over that span with 2 scores on the ground. Because the Saints did not have a running back they trusted last week (see Taysom Hill below), they were 13% over their expected pass rate. If Alvin Kamara remains out this week and that kind of game plan sticks around, Shough should get a lot of opportunities against a beatable secondary.
2. Marcus Mariota, Commanders — Available in 83.8% of ESPN leagues
I am including Mariota because of the matchup, but I have doubts he will play on Christmas Day. If he plays, Mariota will be in a smash spot against a terrible Cowboys defense in a game that should feature a lot of points. Even if he starts, I will have some concern about Mariota's rushing upside since he has a quad injury in addition to the hand issue, but the game environment and matchup are enough to make him a streaming option. That said, I would not feel comfortable with Josh Johnson if he gets the nod.
3. Malik Willis, Packers — Available in 99.9% of ESPN leagues
Willis is more in the desperation range for streaming quarterbacks, but there is a path to him being fantasy viable if Jordan Love is forced to miss Saturday's game against the Ravens — also have to note Willis is dealing with a shoulder injury himself. Willis averaged 57 rushing yards in his two starts last season. He was the QB10 over those two games and the QB2 in fantasy rushing points per game. He ran for 44 yards after taking over for Love against the Bears.
Running Back Waiver Targets, Week 17
1. Michael Carter, Cardinals — Available in 61% of ESPN leagues
Carter did not dominate the snaps to the same degree as he did in Week 15, but he was still the clear lead back against the Falcons. That was a promising development heading into Week 17, when he gets a great matchup against the Bengals in a game with a 53.5 point total. Carter is a viable FLEX option even for good teams this week.
2. Blake Corum, Rams — Available in 70.1% of ESPN leagues
Our concern last week was that Corum would not get as large a percentage of the backfield work in a competitive game. That did end up happening, but the Rams ran enough plays that it did not matter. Corum also found the end zone for the fourth game in a row. The matchup on Monday against the Falcons is not ideal — they have quietly been a good run defense — but it does profile as the kind of game where Corum should get a bigger chunk of the backfield work.
3. Chris Rodriguez, Commanders — Available in 70.1% of ESPN leagues
Rodriguez continues to be the guy in the Washington backfield, getting 16 touches and 62.5% of the running back carries in Week 16. We do have some concerns this week, though. Dallas is likely to get back Quinnen Williams, and their run defense has been better with him on the field. We also have questions about Washington's offense if Josh Johnson is forced to start. Still, Rodriguez is a good bet for carries.
4. Emanuel Wilson, Packers — Available in 63.6% of ESPN leagues
Josh Jacobs is clearly still hindered by his knee injury, which left the door open for Wilson to stack some work in Week 16. Wilson actually ended up playing 5 more snaps than Jacobs in that game. If Malik Willis gets the start, the Packers should lean heavily into the run game, and it appears as if Wilson will get a decent share of that work as Green Bay looks to manage Jacobs' injury.
5. Jawhar Jordan, Texans — Available in 94.8% of ESPN leagues
I suppose there is a case for Dylan Sampson as an add if he can play this week thanks to his pass catching ability, but Jordan is as low as I am willing to go down the list. That will change if Woody Marks returns this week, as I assume he will. Jordan got the bulk of the carries even with Nick Chubb active on Sunday, but the carry split was much bigger than the snap split with the veteran. If Marks returns, I would expect Jordan to fade back into a secondary role. Even if Marks is out, the matchup against the Chargers is not ideal.
Wide Receiver Waiver Targets, Week 17
1. Mack Hollins, Patriots — Available in 95.9% of ESPN leagues
Kayshon Boutte is in the concussion protocol, making him questionable at best to face the Jets on Sunday. Hollins was a primary target when Boutte was out earlier this season, commanding 15 targets in just 2 games and running a route on 83.6% of dropbacks. He has a great matchup this week against the Jets.
2. Parker Washington, Jaguars — Available in 87.2% of ESPN leagues
Washington will be a popular name this week, and I am not going to push back against it since he has consistently earned targets and made plays when on the field this season. That said, there are a lot of mouths to feed, and it is fair to wonder if the Jaguars will need to remain as pass-heavy against the Colts. That said, Jacksonville could still realistically find their way to the No. 1 seed, giving them plenty of motivation.
3. Luther Burden, Bears — Available in 85.5% of ESPN leagues
Burden did not practice at all last week, and it is possible he will not be able to make it back this week. If he does, though, and Rome Odunze remains out, Burden would slot right back into the role that earned him 13 targets across two games in Weeks 14 and 15.
4. Darius Slayton, Giants — Available in 78.4% of ESPN leagues
Slayton sank along with the rest of the Giants offense against the Vikings in Week 16, but the underlying numbers continued to look good. If the offense and Jaxson Dart can get back on track in a much better matchup against the Raiders this week, Slayton should go along for the ride.
5. Kendrick Bourne, 49ers — Available in 93.5% of ESPN leagues
There are other interesting options this week. Chimere Dike for the Titans. Mason Tipton and Kevin Austin on the other side of that game. Konata Mumpfield if Davante Adams remains out. But Bourne is as low as I am realistically willing to go, assuming Ricky Pearsall remains out. While he did not get in on the touchdown bonanza on Monday night, Bourne ran a route on 80.6% of the dropbacks — second on the team — and saw 5 targets. We have also seen him be a real factor in this passing game at different points this season. Bourne will be an even more interesting option if George Kittle‘s injury turns out to be more serious than it appears right now.
Tight End Waiver Targets, Week 17
1. Taysom Hill — Available in 98.6% of ESPN leagues
Based on the usage we have seen from Hill in recent weeks, it seems pretty clear the Saints will use him heavily when they do not trust the running back room. Hill had 10 carries against the Falcons in the game in which Alvin Kamara was injured. Devin Neal proved himself after that and took over the next three games, but with Neal out in Week 16, Hill came right back in as the de facto lead back. I may be connecting dots that do not exist, but Hill's fantasy viability seemingly hinges on whether Kamara returns or not. If Kamara remains out this week, Hill is a legit TE1 option. If Kamara returns, he will look more like a touchdown-or-bust play.
2. A.J. Barner — Available in 84.3% of ESPN leagues
If Kamara plays or Hill is not eligible at tight end in your league, Barner is the next best option on the wire. With Elijah Arroyo sidelined for the last two weeks, Barner has run a route on 86.8% of the dropbacks. He has 12 targets in those two games. The Panthers have not been as giving to tight ends over the last few weeks, but they have still given up the third-most yards per target to tight ends this season.
3. Darren Waller — Available in 69.5% of ESPN leagues
Waller's underlying numbers continue to look great — he was targeted on 27.8% of his routes in Week 16 — and he looked dominant at times on the field against the Bengals. The problem is the Dolphins attempted just 30 passes in what turned into a blowout in the second half, and they were 11% below their expected pass rate. That has been the story for a while for Waller, but there is a path for him if he gets a touchdown or the Bucs push Miami to throw more.
4. Brenton Strange — Available in 72.7% of ESPN leagues
The Rams guys (Colby Parkinson and Terrance Ferguson) also deserve a mention, but picking who gets the targets each week is difficult. The Rams also have not ruled out Davante Adams returning. Luke Musgrave is also more interesting with John FitzPatrick on injured reserve, but the quarterback situation creates concerns. Jake Tonges will also be an option if George Kittle‘s ankle injury is more serious than it appeared to be on Monday night. As for Strange, he logged his 2nd touchdown of the season against the Broncos, and he gets what appears to be a good matchup against the Colts based on what we saw from Kittle on Monday. The concern is volume given how many receiving options there are in Jacksonville, but the Jaguars have been pass-heavy the last two weeks.
