If you're reading this, congratulations! There's a good chance you are playing for the fantasy championship this week. It took determination, grit, savvy and at least a little luck to make it this far. Don't let a title slip away by overlooking what's available on the waiver wire, and don't miss an opportunity to block your opponent from filling a need, if you can.
With that in mind, here are my suggestions for Week 17, starting with my top 15 players to prioritize on the waiver wire, regardless of position.
The only rule here: Players must be rostered in less than 60 percent of NFL.com leagues to be eligible for the list.
| Waiver Wire Priority Rankings | Next Opponent |
|---|---|
| 1) QB Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars | at Colts |
| 2) QB Jacoby Brissett, Cardinals | at Bengals |
| 3) RB Michael Carter, Cardinals | at Bengals |
| 4) RB Emanuel Wilson, Packers | vs. Ravens |
| 5) RB Chris Rodriguez Jr., Commanders | vs. Cowboys |
| 6) RB Blake Corum, Rams | at Falcons |
| 7) RB Raheim Sanders, Browns | vs. Steelers |
| 8) TE Taysom Hill, Saints | at Titans |
| 9) WR Parker Washington, Jaguars | at Colts |
| 10) QB Tyler Shough, Saints | at Titans |
| 11) TE Colston Loveland, Bears | at 49ers |
| 12) WR Mack Hollins, Patriots | at Jets |
| 13) WR Adonai Mitchell, Jets | vs. Patriots |
| 14) RB Tyler Allgeier, Falcons | vs. Rams |
| 15) RB Jawhar Jordan, Texans | at Chargers |
And now, here are my top five waiver priorities by position:
QUARTERBACKS
ROSTERED: 52%
ROSTERED: 47%
ROSTERED: 3%
ROSTERED: 36%
ROSTERED: 2%
Takeaways:
- Trevor Lawrence is carrying fantasy teams to a title. He's been the fantasy QB1 in each of the last two weeks, scoring a whopping 75.46 points in that span. Lawrence has two or more touchdowns and no giveaways in four straight games, the longest such streak of his career. I'd continue to ride the hot hand this week with the Jaguars heading to Indianapolis, where the Colts will be looking to play spoiler.
- After a majestic run of nine consecutive games with at least 18 points, Jacoby Brissett's fiery run was finally extinguished by the Falcons. He was held to a season-low 10.62 points on Sunday, but I'm not ready to count him out for those of you streaming QBs. Brissett is a strong bounce-back candidate with a matchup against the Bengals' porous defense in Week 17.
RUNNING BACKS
ROSTERED: 23%
ROSTERED: 18%
ROSTERED: 20%
ROSTERED: 20%
ROSTERED: 0%
Takeaways:
- We didn't see a Michael Carter bump in Week 16, with the Cardinals giving him just 50% of the RB carries even though he started the game. It's going to be hard to trust him as a fantasy starter with that kind of volume, but if you're feeling desperate at the position, he does have a favorable matchup. Arizona will visit the Bengals, who have been the most generous defense to RBs this season.
- There is a lot of uncertainty for the Packers' offense this week, with Jordan Love, Malik Willis and Josh Jacobs among the players dealing with injuries. If Jacobs doesn't play against the Ravens, Emanuel Wilson has RB2 value. If Jacobs plays, Wilson might still have flex value in deeper leagues, but he'll be a much tougher sell in that scenario. He led the team with 82 yards on 14 carries in Week 16, with Green Bay leaning on him after Jacobs' third-quarter fumble.
- The Browns' backfield is one to watch in the days ahead, but it's not a position group to be particularly excited about, given its depleted state and the ho-hum status of the team's offense as a whole. With Quinshon Judkins suffering a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle on Sunday, Raheim Sanders ended up leading Cleveland RBs with 11 carries for 42 yards. Dylan Sampson figures to be at the top of the team's pecking order if he returns from his own injury to play against the Steelers in Week 17. I just hope you don't need to start a Browns back with a fantasy championship on the line.
WIDE RECEIVERS
ROSTERED: 9%
ROSTERED: 3%
ROSTERED: 6%
ROSTERED: 2%
ROSTERED: 3%
Takeaways:
- Parker Washington deserves a spot here after his career day in the Jaguars' massive win over the Broncos. He led the team with 10 targets, making six grabs for 145 yards and a TD. I'm just not sure we can bank on a repeat performance this week. Washington has scored 10-plus points in six of 14 games this season, but the outbursts have been sporadic. The way the red-hot Trevor Lawrence is rolling right now, though, I'd at least consider Washington as a flex in deeper leagues.
- If I knew Kayshon Boutte were set to play this week, he'd be my Patriots receiver to target on the wire. However, with his status uncertain after leaving Sunday night's game due to a head injury, I'm turning to Mack Hollins, who has a team-high 17 targets in the last two weeks. Hollins made seven catches against the Ravens, and he should see his share of opportunities against a wilting Jets defense.
- I know Luther Burden III missed Week 16 with an ankle injury and his status for this week is not yet clear. I still like his upside and matchup (at 49ers) enough to stash him if it looks like he has a chance to play. You would have the option to put him in your lineup (if you don't have a clear flex answer) or block your opponent from doing the same. Burden did post double-digit fantasy points in back-to-back games prior to suffering the injury.
TIGHT ENDS
ROSTERED: 0.4%
ROSTERED: 46%
ROSTERED: 26%
ROSTERED: 44%
ROSTERED: 16%
Takeaways:
- Taysom Hill went full Swiss Army knife mode against the Jets. He was the Saints' de facto RB1 on Sunday with Alvin Kamara and Devin Neal both sidelined. The ninth-year veteran led New Orleans with 12 carries for 42 yards, but he also threw a TD pass and caught four passes for 36 yards. He finished with a season-high 15.32 fantasy points. If you're looking for an upside play at tight end, it's tough to beat Hill right now, given his usage. The floor is low, though.
- Yes, I'm mentioning another Jaguar. Brenton Strange ranks seventh among tight ends in receiving yards since returning from injury in Week 12 (230). He's averaged 10.4 fantasy PPG in that span. That's solid, if unspectacular, production at a position where solid can be hard to come by.
DEFENSES
ROSTERED: 53%
ROSTERED: 24%
ROSTERED: 51%
ROSTERED: 3%
ROSTERED: 53%
Takeaways:
- I know it's been a few years since the Steelers beat the Browns in Cleveland, but there's no defense I'd rather be streaming this week than Pittsburgh's. The Browns remain second-to-last in scoring offense, and they just lost their promising rookie RB, Quinshon Judkins, to injury. The Steelers played tough against the high-octane Lions on Sunday, even though they were without two of their best defenders (T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig). Double-digit fantasy points are well within reach for Pittsburgh's D in Week 17.
- I need to offer a disclaimer on the inclusion of the Detroit defense. I'm only streaming the Lions if Max Brosmer starts against them this week, which seems like a possibility, given J.J. McCarthy exited Sunday's game with a hand injury. Detroit looked worn down for much of its loss to the Steelers, but Brosmer is the gift that keeps on giving to opposing defenses.
