Fantasy Football Week 17: Priority waiver wire pickups for Championship Week

Welcome everyone to Championship Week. We did it. Let’s win a ring.

If you need a final waiver wire boost, we’re here to help. Each week, we prioritize the top potential acquisitions available in at least 50% of Yahoo leagues. It’s time to empty your FAB wallet, friends, because those resources won’t carry over to 2025. Spend whatever it takes to acquire what you need.

runners

Kendre Miller, New Orleans Saints (46%)

Miller heads into Monday night’s matchup against Green Bay as New Orleans’ clear featured running back, with Alvin Kamara sidelined with a groin injury. Of course being the clear highlight. anything For the Saints these days it doesn’t guarantee fantasy production, because that team relies on backups at every offensive skill point. The last few weeks will be complicated for this team.

Most of Miller’s appeal is in his projected role, but he’s actually looked solid since being released from the remote, hostile island where former head coach Dennis Allen had sent him to live in exile. Miller ran for 78 yards on 19 carries in Weeks 14-15, with an impressive pile landing including. He’s a potential flex in the upcoming home matchup against the Raiders.

Alexander Mattison and Ameer Abdullah, Las Vegas Raiders (48% and 23%)

Mattison ran for head of the Raiders’ backfield committee on Sunday, and Abdullah wasn’t far behind. Mattison finished with 56 total yards on 16 touches, working his way into the end zone (with help) at the beginning of the game. Abdullah gained 85 yards from scrimmage on 12 touches, scoring a walk-off touchdown in the fourth quarter. Neither player has much flair, but both are capable of receiving useful threats and runners.

Las Vegas is headed into a showdown with New Orleans, a game that should be both messy and gloriously chaotic. With Sincere McCormick and Zamir White now on IR, Mattison and Abdullah will continue as the primary running backs for an offense that is flawed but still fun.

Several other RBs add:

• Gus Edwards He’s pretty much the definition of a touchdown-or-bust player, but he’s been a frequent visitor to the end zone in recent weeks. He made a pair of house calls Thursday night while gaining 71 yards on a season-high 15 touches. However, JK Dobbins is eligible to return in Week 17 at New England, so let’s not assume Edwards will continue to see double-digit touches.

• michael carter was forced into a major role on Sunday after James Conner’s unfortunate injury-related departure. Arizona’s backfield is basically out of good ideas, with Conner (knee), Trey Benson (ankle) and Emari Demercado (back-IR) all sore. We can’t yet say exactly which running backs might be available Saturday against the Rams, but Carter will be among them. One of the remaining teams in his league’s consolation bracket final could probably use him, but he’s obviously not an ideal starter for teams competing for the title.

Wide receivers and tight ends

Jalen McMillan, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (45%)

McMillan took us on a wild ride Sunday night, catching five passes for 57 yards and a score, but also leaving some fantasy points on the field.

Imagine starting Baker Mayfield in the semifinals and losing because this potential deep score turned into an interception:

It’s not ideal.

Despite that unfortunate sequence, McMillan still managed to record his fifth touchdown reception of the season and fourth in his last three games. He’s the clear No. 2 target in Tampa Bay’s passing game right now, likely headed for another 7-10 opportunities in the must-win matchup against Carolina. Sterling Shepard went out with a hamstring issue on Sunday and Cade Otton missed the game with a knee injury, so McMillan is likely to be a featured receiver in Week 17.

Hollywood Brown, Kansas City Chiefs (32%)

Hey, welcome to the 2024 fantasy season, Hollywood. Better late than never.

Kansas City desperately needed a reliable spacer and vertical threat, and they managed to add one of the game’s best to the receiver room in late December. Brown caught five passes for 45 yards on eight targets against Houston on Saturday, immediately converting in critical third- and fourth-down situations. Let’s remember that he is returning from a shoulder injury, not a knee or leg problem, so there is no concern about a loss of explosiveness.

Brown is a 27-year-old wide receiver who already has a 90-catch, 1,000-yard season on his NFL resume, and is now linked to a passing attack led by Patrick Mahomes. Deserves WR3/flex consideration in the upcoming matchup in Pittsburgh.

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Chig Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans (6%)

Young fantasy managers, ask your parents about Jared Cook, a gentleman who used to play tight end for the Titans. Early in his career, Cook made a habit of closing each season with a series of useful, sneaky games, which of course would lead to a preseason hype the following year. We were stuck in a cycle of surge, sleep, crash, surge for several seasons with Cook.

Today, Tennessee’s offense has another tight end who is closing out the season with a bang. Okonkwo has hit double-digit targets in consecutive weeks and finished with eight receptions for 81 yards and a 2-point conversion in Sunday’s wild loss. It’s hard to ignore any player who sees this type of volume, particularly at tight end. If he’s been struggling at the position all year, perhaps it’s time to give Okonkwo a test drive in an attractive matchup in Jacksonville.

Additional WR and TE to consider:

• Romeo Doubs He’s a reasonable flyer any week and his team heads into a likely shootout with Minnesota on Sunday. Any available Packers receiver deserves consideration.

• Nick Westbrook-Ikhine He made a triumphant return to the end zone on Sunday after a rare two-week absence, so he now has nine touchdown catches on the season with just 25 receptions. He’ll face the Jaguars in Week 17, so there’s a good chance he’s about to make his 10th home visit in 2024.

• Rashod Bateman He’s another member of the all-cat touchdown club, and he recently scored for the eighth time this year on 39 catches. It doesn’t feel terribly strange with Bateman, of course, because he’s a big-play receiver laced with an aggressive, explosive passing game. He will face the Texans this week on Christmas.

• hunter henry he saw nine targets in Sunday’s narrow loss, hauling in four for 39 yards and a score. He has received 39 pass attempts in his last five games, a considerable workload by the standards of his position. Henry heads into a showdown Saturday with the Chargers, his former employer.

Field Marshals

Drake Maye, New England Patriots (13%)

Let’s take a moment to absolutely appreciate this. disgusting Maye shot:

His best plays this season have been outrageous. Dynasty managers, you are certainly allowed to dream a little about Maye’s potential in his second season, assuming an improved reception room.

Maye finished with 261 passing yards and 30 rushing yards Sunday in Buffalo, scoring two touchdowns. His dual-threat ability keeps him on the fantasy radar regardless of the opponent. They head into a Championship Week matchup at home against the Chargers, a team that has allowed a ridiculous 67 points and 861 total yards in their last two games. Maye is fully approved for use in deep leagues.

Additional QB options:

• Russell Wilson He is coming off a difficult loss as a visitor to Baltimore, with a brutal pick-six included. However, he has thrown multiple touchdown passes in three of his last four games, so he remains a playable option in the deep league. Pittsburgh’s offense obviously needs George Pickens (hamstring) back in the worst way.

• young bryce He’s clearly playing the best football of his NFL career and has topped 25 fantasy points in two of his last four games, including Sunday’s win over Arizona. We don’t normally think of him as a dual-threat quarterback, but he has scored three times in his last four games. Young is certainly a playable super flex/deep league option in Tampa Bay in Week 17.

• Michael Penix Jr. He’s not someone we should include in lineups this week against Washington, but it’s worth mentioning the fact that he passed the eye test on Sunday, completing 18 of 27 attempts for 202 yards against the Giants. His interception was entirely the fault of intended receiver Kyle Pitts, so please don’t hold that against Penix. He’s throwing with the kind of velocity we haven’t seen from Kirk Cousins ​​in recent games. We can certainly feel better about Atlanta’s receiving corps with Penix at the controls.

Defense

Miami Dolphins (47%)

The Dolphins defense has been relatively playful this season, ranking in the top 10 against both the run and the pass. This group held the Niners to 17 points, sacking Brock Purdy three times and forcing a pick. In the next week, Miami travels to Cleveland to face a doomed Browns offense led by Dorian Thompson-Robinson, a man coming off a five-sack, two-interception performance against Cincinnati. DTR has thrown one touchdown pass and nine interceptions in 13 career regular season appearances, completing just 52.8% of his throws. If the Dolphins D are still available in their league, they could be the highest priority addition of the week.

Kicker

Will Reichard, Minnesota Vikings (8%)

Look, not everyone can have Brandon Aubrey on the team. Reichard is probably the best option at his position and is available in over 90% of Yahoo’s fantasy universe. He’s a near-perfect kicking machine with a weapon-friendly leg, coupled with an offense that’s averaging 30.4 points per game over the past five weeks. Reichard will play indoors this week, free of weather concerns, in a game with one of the highest totals on the board.

If you play in a sophisticated league that still uses kickers (the only legitimate way to play fantasy football), Reichard should definitely be on the list.