X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Week 17 Waiver Wire Pickups and Adds

Ho, ho, ho and a Merry Christmas to you all. This piece is for the select few of you who are either in two-week championships or somehow got talked into doing a league where Week 17 is the sole week for determining titles. I'll avoid the soapbox for now, but the playing-time chaos that will unfold is not what we think about when testing fantasy football skills.

Let's get you as best prepared as we can because we want to start off 2018 on a winning note! If you own Todd Gurley then you're good -- you don't even have to read, or start anyone other than Gurley, for that matter.

Below are my Week 17 waiver wire pickups, or free agents to consider adding to your fantasy football teams. Only you know how aggressive you'll need to be with FAAB given your leaguemates, so use the recommendations as a proportional springboard. I provide information on players that are owned in roughly 35% of Yahoo leagues or less so that you can make an educated decision about who to add to your squad. At this point, feel free to go to for broke with bids, the percentages are simply for comparative reference now.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Running Backs - Week 17 Waiver Wire

Wayne Gallman (RB, NYG) - 10% owned (20% FAAB in PPR)

Gallman may have only rushed for 18 yards on 10 carries for Big Blue in a terrible 23-0 loss to Arizona in Week 16, but he still did enough to make value for PPR owners thanks to six catches on eight targets for 44 more yards. Orleans Darkwa only touched the ball six times and Shane Vereen was ghosted as Paul Perkins tallied three carries, whereas Gallman has now totaled 24 targets over his last three games!

He hasn’t scored in any of those, yet he’s just so involved in an offense desperate for weapons with a QB who is constantly under pressure and needing to dump it off to his RB. Gallman should continue to be a steady PPR flex option thanks to this floor in Week 17 against Washington.

Mike Gillislee (RB, NE) - 31% owned (20% FAAB)

Gillislee had been a healthy scratch for the past six weeks but rewarded those savvy enough to start him in Week 16 with a touchdown against the Bills. Gilly ended up with just 28 yards and the score on six carries, though he did have a nice 15-yard reception on a screen pass. Rex Burkhead isn’t coming back next week, though James White returning would muddy things a bit. For now, Gillislee remains a solid flex play for Week 17 against a Jets team that could either give New England a fight or completely collapse -- allowing for plenty of ground-and-pound from Mikey G.

Kapri Bibbs (RB, WAS) - 6% owned (18% FAAB)

Unfortunately for Bibbs, Samaje Perine fought through his questionable tag and played in Week 16, albeit ineffectively. Perine would cobble together 74 yards alongside a lost fumble on 20 touches compared to Bibbs’ nine touches for 54 yards. Those of you who math will see that Bibbs’ 6.0 yards per touch outshine Perine’s 3.2 mark.

Normally, this lack of volume would be a death knell, but Perine picked up an Achilles injury in Week 16 and may not be available in Week 17 against the Giants. Banged and bruised, Samaje may sit or be very limited, allowing Bibbs to at least get a 50/50 split against a Giants run defense that has allowed top-10 numbers to RBs.

T.J. Yeldon (RB, JAC) - 11% owned (15% FAAB in PPR)

With Leonard Fournette mysteriously on the sidelines during a red-zone drive, it was Yeldon who punched in a rushing score alongside 13 yards on five totes. It was also Yeldon who corralled a lovely 7-of-10 targets for 64 receiving yards to lift any PPR owners who somehow started him (looking at you, 18-team leagues). With Jacksonville locked into their playoff seed, Fournette may sit or be limited come Week 17’s tilt with the Titans, making Yeldon the most appealing RB on the squad.

Tion Green (RB, DET) - 5% owned (15% FAAB)

Green delivered a solid 43 rushing yards and a touchdown on just seven carries, as he outplayed both Theo Riddick and Ameer Abdullah in Detroit’s rather embarrassing loss to Cincinnati. Green is certainly the bigger, power back compared to Riddick and Abdullah’s more agile profiles, which was no more apparent than when he went through a Bengal en route to his TD on Sunday.

The Lions are eliminated and may want to see what they’ve got in Green against a Packers squad that is realizing its own mortality, it seems. Just as Latavius Murray was the hammer for Minnesota on Saturday night against Green Bay, Green could fill a similar role and find the end zone again.

 

Wide Receivers - Week 17 Waiver Wire

Chris Godwin (WR, TB) - 1% owned (10% FAAB)

Godwin would end up with 98 yards on three catches, due in large part to his 70-yard catch-and-run on a tearing slant route. The rookie was taking the place of the injured DeSean Jackson, who seems unlikely to return in Week 17 against New Orleans with Tampa Bay not playing for anything. Mike Evans and Cameron Brate are still the leading options in the red zone, but it’s worth noting that Godwin was targeted in pay dirt (though he dropped it). With Evans drawing Marshon Lattimore’s shadow next week, Godwin could be a sneaky-solid play.

Roger Lewis (WR, NYG) - 1% owned (10% FAAB)

Lewis may not inspire anyone to move mountains, but he has seen double-digit targets in each of his last three games and may now be thrust into the leading WR role for the Giants with Sterling Shepard nursing a neck injury and Evan Engram with a rib injury. Of course, that could lead to a steady diet of Josh Norman in Week 17, but ideally, NYG would be wise enough to move Lewis around instead of relying on even less experienced WRs like Kalif Raymond or Hunter Sharp. Targets and volume rule the day, as anyone in 0.5 or full PPR leagues will want to at least block Lewis from desperate opponents should the Giants rest Shepard given his migraine history.

Jakeem Grant (WR, MIA) - 0% owned (5% FAAB)

Another big-time speedster, Grant used his wheels to separate on a huge 65-yard touchdown against Kansas City on Sunday. He ended up catching four balls for 107 yards and the score on six total targets, standing as a true WR1 on the week despite being the fourth WR on the depth chart.

Jay Cutler isn’t afraid to throw the deep ball and Grant has now hauled in a long TD in two of Miami’s past three games. A Week 17 spot against Buffalo isn’t ideal -- they’ve held sprinters like Tyreek Hill, T.Y. Hilton and Brandin Cooks to a combined 80 scoreless yards across the past four weeks -- but we know these throws are tough to connect on. Deep-league dart throwers could do worse.

Michael Clark (WR, GB) - 0% owned (5% FAAB)

With Green Bay’s season clearly on course for no playoffs, Davante Adams (concussion) will likely sit out and now Jordy Nelson (shoulder) will probably join him in a beanie instead of a helmet. While Geronimo Allison remains intriguing himself, he would see only three targets (catching one for nine yards) compared to Clark’s nine targets from Brett Hundley.

They were rather errant targets coming from Hundley’s cold hands on that frigid Saturday night, but Clark’s 6’6” frame helps give Brett a big target. Going against Detroit next week in the dome could give Clark a chance to display his talents heading into 2018 for the cheeseheads.

 

Tight Ends - Week 17 Waiver Wire

Antonio Gates (TE, LAC) - 22% owned (25% FAAB)

With Hunter Henry on the IR, Gates popped off against the Jets for a 6-81-1 line, which would make him the No. 1 TE for the championship week pending Monday’s action. He’s been used sparingly so we certainly aren’t worried about conditioning heading into a matchup with Oakland’s shoddy defense to close out the 2017 regular season. Through 14 games, the Raiders D has allowed a tight end to top 70 yards six times and yield the seventh-most fantasy points to the position. Gates is a red-zone favorite of Rivers and will be a TE1 in Week 17.

George Kittle (TE, SF) - 3% owned (5% FAAB)

Kittle caught all three of his Jimmy Garoppolo targets for 42 yards and a touchdown on Sunday against Jacksonville, as we need to recognize this 49ers offense as legitimate. It might be infuriating to yo-yo between Kittle and Garrett Celek, though Kittle is much more athletic and should be used on routes while Celek blocks more (as they did here). Kittle ran a 4.52 40-yard dash compared to Celek’s 4.77 time, though both will have their moments regardless.

San Fran just demolished a Jaguars defense that had hopes for the history books and could end their season on an even higher note with a win over the NFC West-champion Rams in Week 17. The Rams would lose the third seed with a loss and a Saints victory, so there shouldn’t be any giving up here. Kittle could get another chance to shine before the season’s up, and deep-leaguers shouldn’t miss the boat.

Rhett Ellison (RB/TE, NYG) - 0% owned (3% FAAB)

Ellison features a lovely RB/TE hybrid tag on Yahoo, though no one would burn a running back slot on him, it’s still fun. With Evan Engram leaving Week 16’s game early with a rib injury, Ellison ended up with four catches for 60 yards on seven targets against Arizona. The Giants have nothing to play for except pride and stat-padding in Week 17 against Washington, but that could be enough to make Ellison a worthy streamer if Engram cannot go. Washington entered Week 16 having given up the third-most fantasy points to TEs this season and Ellison’s versatility and size could make him their guy toward the red zone.

 

Quarterbacks - Week 17 Streamers

Preferred streamer order (<50% owned guys): Jimmy Garoppolo @LAR (29% owned), Nick Foles vs. DAL (50% owned), Tyrod Taylor @MIA (39% owned), Joe Flacco vs. CIN (21% owned), Jacoby Brissett vs. HOU (13% owned), Jay Cutler vs. BUF (15% owned), T.J. Yates @IND (1% owned), Brett Hundley @DET (8% owned), Andy Dalton @BAL (49% owned).

*Let it be known that Jimmy Garoppolo is basically a demi-god, at the very least, and while I'm sure he will eventually lose a game, I really can't guarantee that it comes before the year 2030. In all seriousness, Jimmy G is playing on a different level right now and I'm not sure if Jacksonville was simply not taking San Fran seriously or what, but the Jags are a defensive unit that just a week ago was on pace to become the first team since the AFL-NFL merger to lead the league in sacks, takeaways and points allowed. They managed one sack and one interception, but allowed a season-high 38 points (we won't count the pick six, of course) as Garoppolo marches toward another likely shootout with the Rams' potent offense in Week 17. He'll be in my top 12 next week as a legit QB1, especially with the run game still very inconsistent.

 

Early Defensive Streaming Candidates

  • WAS (@NYG) - 39% owned
  • HOU (@IND) - 49% owned
  • BUF (@MIA) - 26% owned

 

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Analysis


Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Aaron Jones Sr.

Injures Hamstring During Sunday Night Football
Darren Waller

Not Expected to Play in Week 3
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
Jameson Williams

Records Long Touchdown in Week 2, Still Limited to Downfield Role?
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 in Win
Jayden Daniels

Considered "Day-to-Day" with Knee Injury
Carlos Estévez

Carlos Estevez Exits with Back Tightness
Jonathan Taylor

Tops 200 Yards From Scrimmage in Week 2 Win
Joe Burrow

Could Miss Three Months if he Requires Toe Surgery
Davante Adams

Headlines Rams Receiving Corps Sunday
Wan'Dale Robinson

Explodes for 142 Yards, Touchdown in Overtime Thriller
Joe Flacco

Browns Not Considering Benching Joe Flacco After Week 2
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
Luis Arraez

Takes a Seat on Sunday With Head Injury
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Activated, Starting on Sunday
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
Bryan Woo

Records Career-High 13 Strikeouts
Max Muncy

Exits Early on Saturday
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Salvador Perez

Reaches 300 Home Runs, 1,000 RBI
Jose Altuve

Exits Early With Foot Discomfort
Trey Yesavage

Heading to Big Leagues
Will Smith

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
Tarik Skubal

Avoids Serious Injury, Expected to Make Next Start
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
Tanner Bibee

Fans 10 in Two-Hit Shutout
Zach Neto

Dealing With Wrist Soreness
Masyn Winn

Shut Down for Rest of Season
Tarik Skubal

to Undergo Imaging on Saturday
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Won't Play Against Georgia
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks
CFB

Dylan Edwards Slated to Return on Friday
Adam Lowry

Aims for Early-Season Return
CFB

Ryan Williams Expected to Play Against Wisconsin
CFB

Billy Edwards Jr. Unlikely to Play on Saturday
P.J. Washington

Officially Signs Contract Extension
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Questionable to Make Debut Against Georgia
Lauri Markkanen

Big at Both Ends as Finland Books Place in EuroBasket Semis
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Notches 39 Points in Losing Effort
NBA

Cam Reddish Expected to Move to Europe
NBA

Trey Lyles Joins Real Madrid
Charles Bassey

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Hawks
Sacramento Kings

Terence Davis Waived by Kings
Matthew Knies

Ready for Bigger Role With Maple Leafs
Jack Eichel

Unbothered by Lack of Extension
Sidney Crosby

Not Thinking About Leaving Pittsburgh
SJ

Michael Misa Signs Entry-Level Contract With Sharks
Rutger McGroarty

Nursing an Injury
Cameron Champ

the Ultimate Wild Card at Procore
Cameron Young

Looks to Extend Momentum in Napa
Davis Thompson

Searching for a Spark at Procore
Sahith Theegala

Looking to Reignite Form at Procore
Mackenzie Hughes

Aims for Another Strong Showing at Procore
Luke Clanton

Brings Ball-Striking Upside to Napa
Seamus Power

Looking to Overcome Poor Course History at Procore
Joe Highsmith

Hoping to Find Form in Napa
Kristaps Porzingis

Reportedly Still Not Completely Healthy
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Reportedly on the Trade Block
Andre Drummond

Future in Philadelphia in Doubt
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Helps Greece Reach Semis at EuroBasket
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Posts Historic Triple-Double
Joel Dahmen

Finishes Tied For 15 at Wyndham Championship
Bud Cauley

Finishes Tied for 33rd at BMW Championship
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied for Seventh at Tour Championship
J.J. Spaun

Finishes Tied for 25th at Tour Championship
Collin Morikawa

Finishes Tied for 19th at Tour Championship
Keith Mitchell

Misses Cut at Wyndham Championship
Ben Griffin

Finishes Tied for 10th at Tour Championship
Patrick Cantlay

Finishes Tied for Second at Tour Championship

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP