Week 17 Fantasy Football: Waiver Wire Adds Guide

Wading through the waiver wire each week can be a daunting task, no matter what kind of league you’re in. Do you play in an eight-teamer with small starting lineups? Then there’s a plethora of options and it’s hard to figure out which to grab. Maybe you play in a 16-teamer with 12 starting spots; then it’s hard to figure out which flier is on the verge of breaking out.

Each week, I’ll help you find potential players to add off the waiver wire who will provide additional value to your fantasy football team. We’ll limit ourselves to players rostered in 40% of Yahoo! leagues or less, meaning these are players that should be available in most leagues.

Don’t force yourself to pick through the player pile alone; I can be your help in winning from the wire. Which players are must-adds, interesting options, and deeper sleepers for Week 17’s waivers?

Must-Adds

RB Dare Ogunbowale, JAX (3% rostered)
After James Robinson tore his Achilles’ tendon in the first half of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Week 16 game, Dare Ogunbowale stepped in and racked up a strong 19 touches, totaling 72 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown for 14.2 half-PPR points. With Robinson, Carlos Hyde, and Travis Etienne all out for the season, there is little-to-no meaningful competition for backfield touches on the Jaguars’ roster, meaning Ogunbowale should see plenty of work in Week 17 as the Jags look to salvage some pride from a lost season and give their depth players some chances to flash in game situations. Their opponents — the New England Patriots — also give up the 15th-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed (aFPA) to running backs, and Ogunbowale has upside as a pass-catcher that was barely displayed last week.

Interesting Options

RB Jordan Howard, PHI (17% rostered)
RB Boston Scott, PHI (16% rostered)
With lead back Miles Sanders officially out already for Week 17 due to a broken hand, the still in-the-hunt Philadelphia Eagles will need their backfield depth to step up this week to cover for him. Typically, the top billing would first fall to power back Jordan Howard, but he suffered a neck injury last week that puts him to a questionable tag for now. Howard’s MRI reportedly went well, so he’s got to be presumed the starter for the time being. If he can’t go also, however, Boston Scott will expand his role from passing-down specialist to every-down workhorse. The opposing Washington Football Team is stingy to running backs, but one of these players could end up an RB3/FLEX in spite of the tough matchup.

RB Rex Burkhead, HOU (14% rostered)
It remains difficult to trust any Houston Texans running backs, but veteran Rex Burkhead has now earned 15 opportunities (carries plus targets) in five of the Texans’ six games since their Week 10 bye. This past week, the multi-purpose Burkhead romped for 149 yards and two touchdowns on 22 rushing attempts, partly due to the absence of main competitor David Johnson. Even if Johnson returns this week, however, Burkhead has proven himself worth the workload investment and should take top billing for the Texans in Week 17 as a low-end RB3/FLEX.

WR Rashod Bateman, BAL (37% rostered)
Baltimore Ravens rookie wide receiver Rashod Bateman comes in this high due solely to his rostership rate; don’t think he’s the most useful wide receiver pickup of the week. Bateman has averaged 5 targets per game over his past three appearances but has averaged just 44.7 receiving yards in that span of time. With a game on tap against a tough Los Angeles Rams squad allowing a bottom-12 aFPA to wide receivers, Bateman is a low-floor, high-upside fantasy option for championship week. He’s no higher than a fantasy WR6 even if Sammy Watkins remains out, but the wide receiver group is a bit dire this time of year.

WR Allen Lazard, GB (24% rostered)
With the Minnesota Vikings presenting the second-most aFPA to wide receivers, Green Bay Packers wideout Allen Lazard makes for a very intriguing Week 17 waiver pick. Lazard has commanded 5.5 targets per game over the Packers’ last four, but his yardage totals have wavered from 13 to 75 in that span of time. Fortunately, he also has two touchdowns in recent days, so Green Bay is clearly using him where it counts. A fairly decent floor due to the matchup and passing prowess of his offense plus a sky-high upside if the touchdown fairy grants him some luck, Lazard projects as an upside WR4 for Week 17.

WR Kadarius Toney, NYG (22% rostered)
The New York Giants have had quite a bit of trouble distributing the ball with Mike Glennon and Jake Fromm under center in recent weeks. That said, if you’re looking for desperation upside, you could do worse than slot receiver Kadarius Toney this week. The rookie out of Florida is 11th in yards after the catch per reception among 83 receivers to see 50 or more targets this year, meaning that — in spite of poor quarterback play — he has a chance to break off a big play at any time. Don’t count on Toney as anything more than a WR6 this week, but he’s as good a dart throw as any.

WR Isaiah McKenzie, BUF (2% rostered)
By far our top wide receiver recommendation for the week is slot man Isaiah McKenzie for the Buffalo Bills. In lieu of Cole Beasley (who hit COVID-IR in Week 16), McKenzie saw an absurd 12 targets, catching 11 of them for 125 yards and a touchdown — 23.9 half-PPR points in fantasy football. Beasley could end up returning for Week 17, but (as he is unvaccinated) he’ll need to clear much more stringent protocols than a vaccinated NFL player. If McKenzie draws the start, he’s a low-end WR2/high-end WR3 for Week 17 against a sieve-like secondary in the Atlanta Falcons. If Beasley is back, McKenzie should likely be considered more of a WR4/5. Regardless, the upside in his profile makes him our top wide receiver waiver recommendation for Week 17.

Deeper Sleepers and Streaming Options

QB Tua Tagovailoa, MIA at TEN (41% rostered)
QB Jared Goff, DET at SEA (7% rostered)
RB Jaret Patterson, WAS (7% rostered)
RB Derrick Gore, KC (2% rostered)
WR Rondale Moore, ARZ (23% rostered)
WR Deonte Harris, NO (9% rostered)
TE Cole Kmet, CHI vs. NYG (33% rostered)
TE C.J. Uzomah, CIN vs. KC (23% rostered)