December 27, 2016

Tony Peters identifies deeper 2016 fantasy football PPR sleepers & Week 17 NFL waiver wire pickups. These PPR RBs, WRs & TEs should be added off the waiver wire as fantasy football sleepers.

It's playoff time, RotoBallers. Below is my deeper PPR league sleepers column for Week 17 of the NFL season.

In this weekly article, we are going to take a look at some deeper waiver wire options for PPR leagues and target players who could help out your team in the upcoming week.

The following waiver wire suggestions for Week 17 of the NFL season are all owned in 18% or less of Fleaflicker leagues.

Editor's Note: Once you're done here, be sure to read about even more Week 17 waiver wire recommendations, for all fantasy-relevant positions. Just click on any link: ALL - RB - WR - TE - QB - DEF

PPR Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Adds

Rod Streater (WR, SF) - 0% Owned & Jeremy Kerley (WR, SF) - 9% Owned

With Torrey Smith lost for the season when he was placed on the injured reserve, the meat and potatoes of the 49ers' passing game now consists of a lot more Rod Streater and Jermey Kerley. Streater is the hotter of the two hands, with the veteran now on a two-game touchdown streak after hauling in 6-of-7 targets Week 16 for 63 yards and a score. Kerley has seen increased attention lately, averaging eight targets per game over the past three weeks. Normally, a game against the Seahawks makes for a poor matchup when it comes to wide receivers, but they have been lit up recently, allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to the position over the past four weeks. Kerley is the safer bet with this being a PPR column, but Streater's touchdown potential gives him the slight nod on my list.

Paul Richardson (WR, SEA) - 0% Owned & Jermaine Kearse (WR, SEA) - 4% Owned

On the other side of the 49ers' Week 17 game, the Seahawks will be dealing with a similar issue: how to fill the shoes of the now very injured Tyler Lockett. Neither Paul Richardson nor Jermaine Kearse are going to suddenly vault into the fantasy golden land being the third wide receiver on a team that can struggle mightily with the pass. But after seeing both reel in touchdown passes Week 16, there's hope one of them can step up for a week. Richardson has seen less work this season, but is more explosive and will likely continue to pick up kickoff returns (if your league rewards you for those yards) but is fairly untested. Kearse is going to get more looks, but struggles to catch what is thrown to him as well as separate himself from defenders. With the 'Hawks already a lock for the postseason and likely to rest their most important starters in this game, I foresee Richardson getting a real chance to shine here. Maybe Kearse comes for the ride, maybe he keeps catching less than half his passes and making fantasy owners cry.

Kenny Stills (WR, MIA) - 12% Owned

Veteran Kenny Stills (aka Old Faithful) has been the go-to in PPR this season. No matter how productive he's been for a not great Dolphins team, his fantasy ownership continues to still barely break into the double digits. Despite a tough matchup against the Bills in Week 16, he was able to push his touchdown streak to three straight games. Stills has another rough task ahead of him when the Dolphins travel to New England to finish out the season, but after seeing what he managed against the Bills and having already scored a touchdown against the Pats back in Week 2, the flame of potential continues to burn.

Eli Rogers (WR, PIT) - 9% Owned

Rogers, an undrafted rookie, has looked like a future star at times, and like a present day dud (and not even a milk one) other times. He was well on his way to finishing out the season with a whimper before a jump in targets and production the past two weeks. After failing to top 36 yards in Weeks 11-14, Rogers has 159 over his past two games, including his first touchdown since Week 10. Pittsburgh's Week 17 opponents are the Browns, a team whose pass defense hasn't been too shabby as of late, but are still ranked 11th overall in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers this season.

Victor Cruz (WR, NYG) - 12% Owned

There's a reason why the "Salsa Man" pulls up dead last on the wide receiver list this week: he's the blindfolded dart throw of the week. Before his Week 16 outburst of 84 yards on eight catches, Victor Cruz hadn't had more than a single reception in a game since Week 7. But the wily veteran pulled a miracle out of somewhere, giving way to hope that he can find one last victory dance in him during the season's finale against the Redskins. Eli Manning has yet to stop throwing the ball like a hot potato, racking up an absurd 63 attempts last week. The chance of Cruz coming up empty-handed is still decently high, but maybe all that resting he's done over the second half was just what he needed to salsa his way back into our hearts.

PPR Running Back Waiver Wire Adds

Alfred Blue (RB, HOU) - 8% Owned

The injury bug was biting as many people as it could find Week 16, bringing down with it the Texans' starting running back, Lamar Miller. This led to Houston relying on an old friend, Arian Foster's old backup, Alfred Blue. Against the Bengals, he rushed 21 times for 73 yards and his first touchdown of the year, while also catching all four of his targets for 17 yards. Blue has a rough matchup against the Titans, who are extremely tough to run against, to close out the season. But with the Texans' offensive line and his pass-catching ability, he should be able to put up middle-of-the-road PPR numbers.

DeAndre Washington (RB, OAK) - 9% Owned & Jalen Richard (RB, OAK) - 13% Owned

After their already-hobbled quarterback go down with a broken leg in Week 16, all the Raiders' running backs had a field day as this pass-first team went heavy on that run gravy. This gave DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard chances to run, over starter Latavius Murray, and run wild they did. Washington's 99-yard, two-touchdown performance seems destined to be an outlier this season, as both are season and career highs. But there's no denying that the fourth-round rookie looked great -- far more exciting than much of Richard's 2016 work -- and plays on a team with a cemented playoff spot and a lead back who has dealt with injuries. The Raiders are expected to keep running and running and running Week 17 against a so-so Denver run defense, giving both players deep-league value this week. Washington is a wild card at this point, but his youth and ability currently make for a much more enticing meal.

PPR Tight End Waiver Wire Adds

Charles Clay (TE, BUF) - 18% Owned

It only took Charles Clay most of the season to do it, but has he ever done it. Catch passes, that is. A real world and fantasy fizzle this season, he's come alive since Week 14, catching 18-of-23 targets for 209 yards and four touchdowns. With the Bills traveling to play the pitiful Jets to close out the season, Clay was seemingly given the chance of going out on a high note for a Christmas present. The Jets have allowed the most fantasy points to tight ends over the past four weeks, including a NFL-leading five touchdowns, making this a fantastic matchup. As he has shown all season, there are no guarantees in fantasy football. But maybe, just maybe, Clay can show us that there really is some Christmas magic left in this post-Dec. 25 world.