Sport: NFL
Week 17 of Fantasy Football has arrived (aka the Fantasy Football Championship), and I’ve highlighted my top waiver wire targets. These players are rostered in fewer than 55% of Fantrax leagues. To accommodate different league formats and roster sizes, I’ve provided plenty of options.
More Week 17 Fantasy Football Fun!: | Sneaky Starts | Fantasy Football Waiver Wire | Weekly Sleepers & Streamers | Starts & Sits | Skrip’s Week Winners | NFL DFS | NFL Player Props | IDP Analysis | Bold Predictions | Survivor Picks | NFL Injury Report | Dynasty Trade Targets | Weekly Rankings | Dynasty Risers and Fallers
Waiver Wire Winners for Fantasy Football – Week 17
Tyler Shough (QB, Saints)
Tyler Shough has now finished with 17+ Fantasy Points in five of his last six games, with three of those being at 18+ Fantasy Points. The rookie has been extremely consistent and will get a Titans matchup in Week 17. Flashes include 308 passing yards in Week 16, three weeks of 270+ passing yards, two games throwing a pair of touchdowns, and 55 rushing yards with a pair of rushing touchdowns in Week 14. The rookie has been balling out.
Michael Carter (RB, Cardinals)
Michael Carter finished Week 16 with 11 rushing attempts for 65 yards, playing 53% of the snaps. The week prior, Carter rushed 14 times for 56 yards and also caught four balls for 38 yards. Carter has three weeks of double-digit Fantasy Points this season, three weeks with 50+ rushing yards, and four weeks catching four or more passes. Carter is the Cardinals’ RB1 with all of James Conner, Trey Benson, and Bam Knight on the IR.
Dylan Sampson (RB, Browns)
Quinshon Judkins suffered a horrible leg injury in Week 16 that will end his season. This meant increased roles for Trayveon Williams and rookie Raheim Sanders. Dylan Sampson is the one you need to target out of this group, pending his return from injury. Sampson has not shown a ton as a rusher, but the rookie has displayed plenty of pass-catching upside. Sampson has receiving lines of eight catches for 64 yards (Week 1), five receptions for 29 yards (Week 8), two catches for 59 yards (Week 12), five catches for 64 yards (Week 14), and has scored two receiving touchdowns this season.
Chris Rodriguez (RB, Commanders)
After missing Week 15 due to injury, Chris Rodriguez rushed 15 times for 63 yards and a touchdown, playing 52% of the snaps. Rodriguez has now scored a rushing touchdown in five of his last eight appearances for the Commanders, showing upside in that department. Rodriguez has also finished with 63+ rushing yards three times since Week 9. Rodriguez will continue to operate as the lead back for the Commanders in Week 17.
Luther Burden III (WR, Bears)
Luther Burden III missed Week 16 due to an ankle injury, but if he returns for Week 17, he should be picked up off waivers. The rookie has earned six, six, and seven targets in the last three games he appeared in, showing an increase in his role. He finished with four catches for 67 yards (16.8 yards per catch) in Week 14, then six catches for 84 yards in Week 15. Burden had a huge three-catch for 101 yards and a touchdown receiving day back in Week 3. Dynamic, versatile, solid rookie talent.
Brenton Strange (TE, Jaguars)
Brenton Strange caught five of his seven targets in Week 16 for 39 yards and a touchdown, which was 14.9 Fantasy Points. Strange finished with three catches for 45 yards and a touchdown back in Week 13 for 13.5 Fantasy Points, and caught five passes for 93 yards in Week 12 for 14.3 Fantasy Points. This means Strange has finished with 13.5+ Fantasy Points in three of his last five games since returning from injury.
Troy Franklin (WR, Broncos)
Troy Franklin cooled off for a few games, but has picked it up the last two weeks. Franklin finished with six catches for 85 yards and a touchdown in Week 15, then caught four balls for 65 yards in Week 16. Franklin has now finished five weeks with over 65 receiving yards, four weeks with 84+ receiving yards, he has scored six touchdowns, finished four weeks with 15+ Fantasy Points, and three weeks with 20+ Fantasy Points. The FLEX potential is definitely there.
Emanuel Wilson (RB, Packers)
Emanuel Wilson rushed 14 times for 82 yards in Week 16, with Josh Jacobs active. Wilson rushed for 61 yards in Week 8 and 107 in Week 12 (as the starter that game), and has three rushing touchdowns on the year. Jacobs has been banged up and nearly did not play in Week 16, so Wilson is a smart stash in the event that Jacobs does not go in Week 17.
Taysom Hill (TE, Saints)
Taysom Hill had his gadget role reinstated in Week 16 as he completed his only pass attempt for a 38-yard touchdown, caught four of his six targets for 36 yards, and rushed 12 times for 42 yards. Even if we scratch the random passing touchdown, the 16 touches are important to note as the Saints have been extremely banged up. Potentially a tight end “cheat-code” again in Week 17.
Adonai Mitchell (WR, Jets)
Adonai Mitchell caught eight of his 12 targets for 102 yards and a touchdown in Week 13 for 24.2 Fantasy Points. In Week 15, AD caught six of his nine targets for 58 yards and a touchdown for 17.4 Fantasy Points. In Week 16, Mitchell caught three of his six targets for 43 yards. Mitchell has been a solid FLEX play in two of his last four games, even with a carousel of Jets quarterbacks. Target earnings paired with receiving yard upside have made Mitchell interesting for Fantasy Football.
Jawhar Jordan (RB, Texans)
Jawhar Jordan has stepped into a lead role the last two weeks for the Texans due to injuries to both rookie Woody Marks and Nick Chubb. Jordan rushed 15 times for 101 yards with two catches for another 17 yards in Week 15. Then in Week 16, Jordan rushed 15 times for 53 yards with five receptions for 17 yards again. If Marks and Chubb both miss Week 17, Jordan is good to grab. If either of those backs is back, though, you can fade this.
Parker Washington (WR, Jaguars)
In a huge game against a tough Broncos defense, it was Parker Washington, not Jakobi Meyers or Brian Thomas Jr., who stepped up huge. Washington caught six of his 10 targets for 145 yards and a touchdown, for 26.5 Fantasy Points. Washington has now scored four touchdowns on the year and has finished with four weeks of 17+ Fantasy Points this season. FLEX potential with how solid Trevor Lawrence is playing.
Chimere Dike (WR, Titans)
Chimere Dike caught three of his five targets for 40 yards and a touchdown. Back in Week 14, Dike caught five of his eight targets for 24 yards and a touchdown, which was 13.4 Fantasy Points. In Week 12, Dike caught five of his seven targets for 44 yards and a touchdown for 21.4 Fantasy Points. Dike produced 70/93 yards in Weeks 7-8, where he scored a touchdown during that stretch and scored 16-ish Fantasy Points in both weeks. Dike has been an explosive Special Teams producer, but the rookie has flashed as a receiver plenty, too.
Jalen Coker (WR, Panthers)
Jalen Coker has finished with 17.4 (Week 13) and 14 (Week 15) Fantasy Points in two of his last three weeks. Coker scored in both of those mentioned weeks, finished with 74/60 receiving yards in those games, and has averaged five targets across the last three weeks. Deep league FLEX dart-throw.
Tyjae Spears (RB, Titans)
Tyjae Spears rushed 13 times for 52 yards and a touchdown in Week 16, and caught five balls for 53 yards for 21.5 Fantasy Points. Tony Pollard still led the team with 21 carries, but Spears was very productive with his touches. Week 16 was also the fifth time since Week 6 that Spears caught four or more passes, and the third time since the Week 10 BYE he caught five or more passes. The pass-catching role could have PPR upside attached to it for Fantasy Football.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 17 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!
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