Week 17 is upon us, meaning it’s championship week for the vast majority of fantasy leagues. If you’ve advanced to your league’s championship, congratulations, but there’s no time to celebrate your success. It’s time to regroup and move on to the first item on the Week 17 to-do list: filing waiver claims.
If you lost a player to an injury last week or are just sick of a particular player underperforming, chances are you’ll have to head to the waiver wire to find a replacement. It’s less than ideal, but starter-level production can be found on waivers if you identify strong matchups and players with elevated opportunity within their offense.
Last week, we provided names like Tyjae Spears and Jerome Ford as strong waiver pickups. Both of these players went on to find the end zone in Week 16 and were very strong fantasy producers overall. We’ll be looking to provide another strong batch of candidates as you prepare to file waiver claims for Week 17.
Top fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 17: Trey Benson, Olamide Zaccheaus and Chigoziem Okonkwo among best adds
Roster percentages representative of Yahoo! fantasy leagues.
Trey Benson, RB, Arizona Cardinals (18% Rostered)
The Cardinals’ running back room is limping into Week 17. Trey Benson is already dealing with an ankle injury, but James Conner suffered a knee injury last week against the Panthers. If Benson is able to make his way back to the field, he’d be Arizona’s lead back in Conner’s absence. He should be rostered while monitoring Arizona’s injury report this week.
FAAB Recommendation: 20-25% of your budget
Olamide Zaccheaus, WR, Washington Commanders (0% Rostered)
Olamide Zaccheaus is coming off his best game of the year, scoring 24 PPR points on a 5/70/2 stat line. While this sort of production is surprising for Zaccheaus, it’s not surprising to see him taking on a larger role in the Washington offense. In two games without Noah Brown, Zaccheaus ranks 2nd on the team in targets. Against an up-and-down Atlanta defense, Zaccheaus can be an emergency Flex option in hopes that he can see some red zone targets once again.
FAAB Recommendation: 5-10% of your budget
Chigoziem Okonkwo, TE, Tennessee Titans (6% Rostered)
Chigoziem “Chig” Okonkwo has been getting peppered with targets in recent weeks. He’s now seen 21 targets in the last two weeks, racking up 17 receptions and 33 PPR points in these games. Okonkwo is settling in as Mason Rudolph’s safety blanket, and a high-volume role allows him to be a legitimate TE1 option.
FAAB Recommendation: 5-10% of your budget
Who are the top quarterback waiver wire targets?
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers (7% Rostered)
It’s been a rocky month or so for Bryce Young. He’s played the best football of his career in some games while turning the ball over four times in another. He’s coming off one of his stronger performances last week against the Cardinals, throwing for two touchdowns while tacking on 68 yards and a score on the ground. He’s an intriguing streamer with the porous Tampa Bay defense on the schedule this week.
FAAB Recommendation: 2-5% of your budget
Who are the other top running back waiver wire targets?
Gus Edwards, Los Angeles Chargers (48% Rostered)
Gus Edwards may have ripped off a 43-yard run last week, but it’s still quite clear that his fantasy value is almost exclusively driven by his role as the Chargers’ goal line back. Luckily for Edwards, Justin Herbert is playing at an incredibly high level and just picked apart the Broncos, one of the league’s most talented defenses. There’s a very real possibility that Edwards will be provided with multiple goal line carries again this week.
FAAB Recommendation: 10-15% of your budget
Kendre Miller, New Orleans Saints (46% Rostered)
Alvin Kamara missed Week 16, and it wouldn’t be shocking if he’s shut down for the rest of the season. If that’s the case, Kendre Miller will handle the majority of touches for the Saints this week. Miller would be an RB2 option against a feast-or-famine Raiders defense. The game will likely be ugly, but Miller can certainly deliver a top-24 performance if he’s given a large enough workload.
FAAB Recommendation: 20-25% of your budget
Who are the other top wide receiver waiver wire targets?
Kayshon Boutte, New England Patriots (3% Rostered)
Along with Hunter Henry, Kayshon Boutte has emerged as one of the top pass catchers in the New England offense. He’s now earned 6-plus targets in six of his last eight games. Boutte’s consistent role is now translating into fantast production, and he posted a season-high 20.5 PPR points last week. If he can draw downfield targets from Drake Maye, Boutte could deliver yet another big day.
FAAB Recommendation: 2-5% of your budget
Robert Woods, Houston Texans (0% Rostered)
After Tank Dell suffered a frightening knee injury, Robert Woods stepped up for the Texans, drawing four targets while running 58 percent of the routes. If John Metchie remains sidelined, Woods will likely hold a full-time role alongside Nico Collins and Xavier Hutchinson. Woods will offer a reasonable floor in a favorable matchup against the Ravens.
FAAB Recommendation: 2-5% of your budget
Andrei Iosivas, Cincinnati Bengals (3% Rostered)
Andrei Iosivas has operated as the Bengals’ WR3 throughout the year, but when you’re on the field with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, earning targets can be tough. Iosivas’s biggest impact has come in the red zone, where his 6’3″ frame has been put to use by Joe Burrow fairly often. He’ll require a touchdown to deliver fantasy-relevant production this week, but that’s always possible in this offense.
FAAB Recommendation: 2-5% of your budget
Who are the other top tight end waiver wire targets?
Dalton Schultz, TE, Houston Texans (56% Rostered)
The injury to Tank Dell opened the door for Dalton Schultz to take on a significant role in the Houston offense last week against the Chiefs. He drew eight targets (his highest mark of the season) and hauled in a touchdown to bring his fantasy scoring total to 15.5 points. The Ravens have been vulnerable through the air all year, and we could easily see C.J. Stroud have his best game of the season while getting Schultz heavily involved.
FAAB Recommendation: 5-10% of your budget
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots (49% Rostered)
Hunter Henry is one of the tight ends who absolutely needs to be rostered due to his weekly target projection. The Patriots’ passing attack flows through Henry, and he has led the Patriots in targets in four of the last five weeks. When a tight end can see 25-30 percent of the targets in any given week, they are worthy of being in starting lineups in larger leagues.
FAAB Recommendation: 2-5% of your budget
Who are the top defense waiver wire targets and streamers?
Indianapolis Colts (47% Rostered)
Colts vs. Giants in Week 17 is setting up to be a battle between the stoppable force and the moveable object. The Colts have struggled on defense all year, but the Giants under Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito have somehow looked even worse. Fresh off a game with three turnovers and three sacks, the Giants’ offense is a clear target for defensive streamers.
FAAB Recommendation: 1-2% of your budget
Las Vegas Raiders (10% Rostered)
The Giants and Saints are currently in a battle for who can have the worst offensive roster in the NFL. The Saints are putting together a compelling case, with an offense highlighted by Spencer Rattler, Kendre Miller, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. This offensive “firepower” lifts the Raiders into streaming consideration this week.
FAAB Recommendation: 1-2% of your budget
