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If you’re reading this article, you’ve likely made it into your fantasy championship. Congratulations on drafting a strong team and playing the waiver wire the right way throughout the season. However, the job is not done yet.
For most, Week 17 will be the end of the fantasy season. There is no more reason to hold back and fantasy managers need to do whatever they can to secure that final victory. That means shooting for upside, especially at the quarterback position to try and manifest a crucial boom week.
In this article, I will be focusing on players under 65% rostered in fantasy leagues while adding a couple of deep sleepers for two-quarterback leagues (less than 25% rostered). Let’s look at who you should consider picking up in Week 17 below.
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Single-QB League Waiver Wire Options
Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
Yahoo: 39% rostered
After many weeks of underwhelming play, Derek Carr has seemingly acclimated to his surroundings in New Orleans and is performing well. After four straight games with fewer than 11.0 fantasy points from Weeks 10 to 14, Carr has now put up consecutive 20+ point performances.
The veteran quarterback didn’t lead his team to a victory in Week 16 against the Rams but had arguably his best performance of the season. Carr completed 27 of 40 pass attempts for 319 yards and three touchdowns with just one interception. It was his second game with three touchdown passes.
Carr is fantasy viable against a Buccaneers secondary that has struggled against opposing passing attacks all season. This game could shoot out, leading to another game with Carr having 40 or more passing attempts. The NFC South is on the line, which means both teams will be playing hard and pulling out all the stops.
Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns
Yahoo: 33% rostered
Joe Flacco continues to provide fantasy goodness as he continues to push the Cleveland Browns closer and closer to a playoff berth.
The veteran quarterback once again attempted over 40 passes in a game and used the volume to produce both NFL and fantasy value. Flacco completed 27 of 42 passes for 368 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions, finishing the game with 26.8 fantasy points. It marked the fourth straight game Flacco threw at least two touchdowns and his third straight performance with over 300 yards).
Yes, Flacco will have a challenge against the Jets' defense in Week 17, but the team’s passing volume with him at the helm is just too good to ignore. Even in a difficult matchup, Flacco should attempt enough throws to remain fantasy-relevant and have streaming upside.
Two-QB League Waiver Wire Options and Stashes
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Yahoo: 12% rostered
It has been a rough rookie season for Bryce Young behind a porous offensive line throwing the ball to wide receivers that have struggled with separation. The good news for Panthers fans is that for at least one week, everything came together, resulting in the rookie’s best game of the season.
Young completed 23 of 36 passes for 312 yards and two touchdowns in a shootout loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 16. It was the rookie's first 300-yard passing game of his career. Young hit several deep shots in the game and showed that there may be hope for him to become a solid NFL quarterback despite an underwhelming rookie season.
The Panthers will have a chance to build upon that success in Week 17 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. There is a considerable risk in trusting Young after we have seen him throw for under 200 passing yards in nine of his starts this season. But the matchup is there and the Panthers need to let the rookie air it out to build confidence going forward.
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