Top Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 17: Marvin Jones Jr., K.J. Osborn, Allen Lazard, Isaiah McKenzie

December 28, 2021

Justin Carter's fantasy football wide receiver waiver wire pickups for Week 17 of the 2021 NFL season. His free agent WRs to add, stream and stash off waivers.

It's fantasy playoff time and the NFL is a mess right now due to COVID. Are there any players left on the waiver wire wasteland heading into the final week for most fantasy leagues? Let's find out. Below, you'll find some wide receivers that you should be targeting on the fantasy football waiver wire ahead of Week 17.

Not all of these waiver wire options are the same. Some players may be better in PPR or deeper leagues, so it’s not a one-size-fits-all comparison. Use your best judgment when deciding which of these players is the right fit for your roster.

Be sure to also check out our Waiver Wire Adds for Week 17 for help at all the skill positions. All players on this list here are around 50% rostered or below.

Elijah Moore, New York Jets

55% rostered

Last time we saw Elijah Moore, he had six catches for 77 yards and a touchdown, but suffered a quad injury that landed him on the IR. Then, while on the IR, he landed on the COVID list. But Moore could come off both of those things this week when he faces the Bucs. If he does, his pre-injury volume makes him an intriguing play as a WR4. With the wide receiver pickings slim, if you still have any FAB or waiver wire priority to burn, you might as well use it on Moore in hopes that he plays.

Marvin Jones Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars

51% rostered

Looking to chase targets? Jones had 13 of them, turning that into an eight-catch, 74-yard game. With Laviska Shenault on the COVID list, Jones operated as the WR1 and had his most targets and receptions of the season, as well as his third-most yards. The complete lack of Trevor Lawrence touchdown passes is a concern, but Jones is an intriguing WR4/5 type this week, though Shenault's return would hurt that.

Robby Anderson, Carolina Panthers

37% rostered

The bye week did Anderson some good, as he's had eight or more targets in all three games since. He still isn't delivering the way you'd want someone with his kind of top-end speed to do, but he's fine as a desperation play this week, even if his floor is lower than you ideally want from someone you'd be playing in the fantasy finals.

K.J. Osborn, Minnesota Vikings

34% rostered

Adam Thielen reinjured his ankle, and Osborn delivered with Thielen sidelined, catching five passes for 68 yards and a touchdown. If Thielen is back next week, Osborn should not be in your fantasy lineup, as he'll spend most of the game on the bench. But another Thielen absence would make Osborn a playable WR3/4 option with touchdown upside, as he's found the end zone in three of the last four games.

Allen Lazard, Green Bay Packers

24% rostered

Lazard has been really good in two of his last three games. He also had two catches for 23 yards sandwiched in between. But the Vikings allow more fantasy points per game to opposing receivers than anyone else, so if there's ever a week to bet on Lazard finding the end zone for the third time over his last four games, this will be the week. Unless another receiver takes the No. 2 role beside Davante Adams this week. Who knows. This is a weird receiving corps.

Kadarius Toney, New York Giants

22% rostered

The Giants could do nothing in a 34-10 loss to the Eagles, but the good news was that promising rookie Kadarius Toney was back in the lineup. He was targeted nine times and while that only resulted in four catches for 28 yards, the usage was interesting. He'll be a boom/bust option in Week 17 for those of y'all who are feeling up to the risk.

Josh Palmer, Los Angeles Chargers

5% rostered

If Mike Williams is off the COVID list next week, you probably can't play Palmer with a fantasy title on the line. If Williams remains on it, well...Palmer had six targets this week, catching five passes for 43 yards and a touchdown, his second in the last three games. He'd be an intriguing deep league option, but only if the circumstances leading up to next week don't change.

Laquon Treadwell, Jacksonville Jaguars

4% rostered

We're not at five weeks in a row with at least five targets, four catches and 50 yards for Treadwell. MJJ is the upside guy in Jacksonville, but Treadwell has the higher floor right now and feels like he'd still have value with Shenault back, while Jones would lose a lot of value in that situation. Treadwell's an intriguing deep league play.

Isaiah McKenzie, Buffalo Bills

1% rostered

Everything about McKenzie in Week 17 depends on if Cole Beasley and Gabriel Davis are out of COVID protocols. Both are unvaccinated, so the timing should be such that both miss Week 17, but we'll have to see. With the two out this game, McKenzie delivered. 12 targets — he had just 11 all season — with 11 catches for 125 and a score. This offense could put up points quick against Atlanta this week, so if McKenzie looks like he'll have an expanded if those guys don't play. Consider him a WR4 play with upside if he's the starter and droppable if he isn't.

Zay Jones, Las Vegas Raiders

1% rostered

Last week I mentioned that Zay Jones looked like he was the No. 1 receiver in Vegas now over Hunter Renfrow. This week, he continued to prove that, with eight targets to Renfrow's three. Sure, Renfrow had the better fantasy day because of a touchdown, but it was Jones who saw the most work. He's a WR4 option for the desperate in Week 17.

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