Week 17 Waiver Wire Pickups and Free Agent Adds – All Positions

Welcome to Championship Week, ladies and gentlemen! What a long season it's been. When you think about all the time that's been spent all the way back in draft season to all the start and sit internal debates and all of the waiver wire choices, it all comes down to this. One week for all the glory. One caveat of this week's waiver wire article – with just one week to play for, there are going to be slightly fewer options, as we're looking specifically for possible starters. The time to stash has passed.

So often, fantasy football championships are won by unexpected faces. Whether this is due to injuries or a desperate streaming play – looking at you Cam Akers – winning the championship takes a certain element of luck involved. Now, don't get me wrong, the race to the playoffs, that's got a whole bunch of skill baked into it. Playing the odds and the probability for 15 weeks is sure to separate the haves from the have-nots, but here in the playoffs, in win-or-go-home matchups, a higher element of luck lurks about, looking to destroy or extend anyone's fantasy season.

Let's look at the top Week 17 waiver wire pickups and free agent adds for all positions. In general, we're searching for running backs and wide receivers with a rostership rate below 55% on Yahoo! For quarterbacks, tight ends, and defenses, the cut-off is a bit higher since teams only start one of them, so we're looking at players below 65%. Be sure to check out all of our fantasy football waiver wire advice, and our free new Who Should I Pickup? Waiver Wire player comparison tool to get an edge on the competition! Let's get to who the best waiver wire additions are this week. As always, the players will appear in the order in which they should be prioritized.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024 fantasy football drafts:

• Fantasy football draft rankings (all positions)
• Quarterback fantasy football rankings
• Running back fantasy football rankings
• Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
• Tight end fantasy football rankings
• Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
• Fantasy football rookie rankings
• Best ball fantasy football rankings
• Superflex fantasy football rankings
• Dynasty fantasy football rankings
• IDP fantasy football rankings

 

Running Backs – Waiver Wire Options

Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons – 49% Rostered

Tyler Allgeier has officially taken over the Atlanta Falcons backfield. He played 42 snaps to Cordarrelle Patterson's 26, which is the largest snap advantage Allgeier has held over Patterson all season. He's played more than Patterson in a few of the last couple of weeks, but it hasn't been this substantial. Allgeier also was given 18 carries to Patterson's 8. More important, however, was their role in the passing game.

Week 16 RB Fantasy Usage

1 Leonard Fournette (21.5 exp HPPR)
2 Cam Akers (21.1)
3 Tyler Allgeier (19.8)
4 Joe Mixon (19.4)
5 Travis Etienne (19.2)
6 Brian Robinson (18.0)
7 Rhamondre (18.0)
8 Najee Harris (17.5)
9 Tony Pollard (17.2)
10 Saquon (17.1)
11 Miles Sanders (16.5)

— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) December 26, 2022

Allgeier ran more routes (20 to 15) and earned more targets (5 to 1), which gives Allgeier another avenue to acquiring fantasy points. Allgeier is the best waiver wire prize heading into Week 17. The Falcons will go up against the Cardinals in Week 17, who have given up the 11th-most points to running backs this season.

Zack Moss, Indianapolis Colts – 44% Rostered

Unfortunately with the Monday Night game, we haven't had a chance to see how this backfield is going to play out, now that Jonathan Taylor is on IR. While most fantasy managers would have expected Deon Jackson to have taken the lead role after his earlier audition for the job when Taylor missed time before, it was actually Zack Moss who led the charge. Could this have been due to the one-sided score? It's possible, but based on what we saw on Saturday, it sure looks like Moss should be the priority add here.

#Colts RB Usage with no Jonathan Taylor yesterday.

- Zack Moss: 67% snaps, 24 carries, 1 target (81 yards)
- Deon Jackson: 32% snaps, 13 carries, 1 target (56 yards, TD)

— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) December 18, 2022

Based on how they were used last week, it seems like Moss will get the first chance at the primary role, but head coach Jeff Saturday said they'd use both of them and this could very quickly turn into a hot-hand approach, which might just favor Deon Jackson who has been efficient in limited opportunities this season. Still, Moss is one of the few running backs on the waiver wire who could legitimately be put into a starting lineup for Week 17.

Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers – 38% Rostered

Chubar Hubbard has seen 12 or more touches in three of the team's last four weeks and if you're in need of a potential starter at running back, Hubbard is a possible option in Week 17. The Panthers will go up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who have been one of the worst matchups for running backs this season. They're giving up just 15.9 half-PPR points per game, which is the second-fewest in the league. That's certainly not ideal, however, what Hubbard does have working in his favor is his role in the passing game.

Take that with a grain of salt because Hubbard didn't have any targets in Week 16, but he has consistently been running more routes than teammate D'Onta Foreman the past couple of weeks. Hubbard is more of a desperate start in Week 17, but we know the Panthers want to run the football, and Hubbard's recent number of touches keeps him in play as a potential flex option.

Others to Consider: James Cook, Buffalo Bills – 52% Rostered

 

Wide Receivers – Waiver Wire Options

Brandin Cooks, Houston Texans – 54% Rostered

Brandin Cooks' three-game absence has caused many fantasy managers to lose faith in him and send him to the waiver wire. He returned in Week 16 and immediately paced the team in targets with nine. He finished with just four receptions, and 34 yards, but did find the end zone, which helped him to 11.4 half-PPR points. Cooks has been underwhelming this season, but he does have at least seven targets in six out of 11 games played this season. That kind of volume will keep him in play as a potential flex option for Week 17.

His Week 17 opponent, the Jaguars, has been one of the most fantasy-friendly matchups all seasons for receivers. They've allowed the 13th-most fantasy points to this positional group all season with 28.1 points per game. With Nico Collins on IR, Cooks should have no problem earning eight or more targets this upcoming weekend. The Jaguars' offense has been on fire as of late and will likely put the Texans in a position where they're playing catch-up on the scoreboard, a positive game script for Cooks. It shouldn't be surprising if he sneaks into the WR2 conversation for Week 17.

Jahan Dotson, Washington Commanders – 23% Rostered

Jahan Dotson has had a really good rookie season and he continues to add to it. Last week, he led the team in targets with nine and finished with six receptions, 76 yards, and a touchdown. He has three straight weeks of games with at least 13 half-PPR points. A lot of that has been due to the fact that he's found the end zone in three straight weeks, but it hasn't just been touchdown or bust.

He's had 24 targets in the past three weeks with nine in two of the contests. He has 50 or more yards in all three games and over 75 yards in two of them. He has secured at least four catches in each game. Even without the touchdowns, fantasy managers would have had 7.9, 12.5, and 10.6 half-PPR points. We all love touchdowns, but Dotson is scoring and performing really well even without them. The touchdowns are just the cherry on top.

Washington plays the Browns in Week 17, who have allowed just 25.3 half-PPR points to receivers this season. They've been a tough matchup for opposing passing attacks and have been a run-funnel defense all season. Despite the poor matchup, Dotson is in the WR3 conversation heading into championship week.

Hunter Renfrow, Las Vegas Raiders – 22% Rostered

Hunter Renfrow has had a 2022 season to forget, but he showed some life in Week 16 when he finished with seven targets, four receptions, 42 yards, and a touchdown. This 12.2 half-PPR performance was the best game of the season for him. This past weekend against the Steelers, Renfrow was second on the team in targets behind only Davante Adams.

While many look at the 49ers' matchup in Week 17 as one to avoid, interestingly, the 49ers have given up the sixth-most points to opposing wide receivers this season. This is largely due to the fact that the 49ers cannot be run on so teams are forced to have to throw on them. However, much like Cooks above, it's like the Raiders' offense will be forced to try to keep up with the high-scoring 49ers' offense. This could also help Renfrow's fantasy value in Week 17. He's still best viewed as a WR4, but in any PPR scoring league, there's a realistic avenue to a WR3 finish.

Demarcus Robinson, Baltimore Ravens – 19% Rostered

Demarcus Robinson has become the WR1 for the Baltimore Ravens. I know that isn't saying much, but Robinson has five games of six or more targets in six of the team's last eight games. He has scored at least seven half-PPR points in five of their last eight contests. That's not anything to get super excited about, but the volume is viable and the production has somewhat been there. Hopefully, Robinson and fantasy managers will get Lamar Jackson back under center, which would be a positive for Robinson's fantasy value.

The Ravens play the Steelers in Week 17 who have given up the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season. The matchup is one of the best in the NFL and the likely return of Lamar Jackson could make Robinson a sneaky start in deeper leagues.

Richie James, New York Giants – 17% Rostered

Isaiah Hodgins, New York Giants – 2% Rostered

The New York Giants do not have a high-flying passing attack, which makes it difficult to figure out which receiver fantasy managers should be prioritizing. However, Richie James and Isaiah Hodgins should be players fantasy managers could be eyeing up for Week 17.

Hodgins has three touchdowns in the past four weeks and seems to have somewhat displaced Darius Slayton as the primary outside receiver for the Giants. He is coming off a game where he had 11 targets, 8 eight receptions, 89 yards, and one touchdown. He has scored double-digit points in three out of four games. He has four receptions or more in each of their last four games.

Richie James had 12 targets, 8 receptions, and 90 scoreless yards. He has at least 40 yards in five of his last six games and has scored touchdowns in three of the six. James has operated as the team's primary slot receiver, which has allowed him to secure at least four receptions in five of his previous six contests.

Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans Saints – 8% Rostered

Rashid Shaheed, despite abysmal conditions in Week 16, still finished with four receptions and 41 yards. I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but considering the weather, it's fairly impressive. While the target volume for Shaheed hasn't been there – he has just 16 targets in the past four weeks – but he has shown to be a big-play option.

Despite the minimal target totals, Shaheed has games of 53, 75, and 95 yards in the three weeks prior to Week 16, despite having just nine total catches. Shaheed could become even more appealing to fantasy managers in Week 17 if Chris Olave remains out. While the upcoming matchup against the Eagles is not ideal, the Saints will likely be in a position where they'll need to score to keep up, which could help increase Shaheed's target volume, especially if Olave remains out. Shaheed is a bit of a dart throw, but his big-play potential could flip matchups.

Others to Consider in Order: D.J. Chark, Detroit Lions – 51% Rostered, Greg Dortch, Arizona Cardinals – 2% Rostered Russell Gage, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 15% Rostered

 

Tight Ends – Waiver Wire Options

Greg Dulcich, Denver Broncos – 50% Rostered

As awful as the Denver Broncos offense has been this entire season, fantasy managers simply do not have a lot of choices at tight end, which keeps Greg Dulcich in play as a potential streamer. The selling point for Dulcich is easy – he's a full-time player and he runs a bunch of routes. Sadly, that's not something that can be said about most tight ends and so that level of opportunity keeps him in play as a streamer any given week. The other selling point for Dulcich is any given week he could legitimately be a top-two target for his offense. That's also not something that can be said about most tight ends.

However, the duo of Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton has largely disappointed this season. Sutton himself is still getting over a hamstring injury and didn't appear to be himself this past weekend. Dulcich has eight targets in three of his last four contests and that's volume fantasy managers simply cannot find at this position.

The best part, Dulcich has done pretty well with it, all things considered. In this circumstance, all things equal the disastrous play of Russell Wilson. Still, he's managed to score double-digits in half-PPR scoring in four of his ten games this season. Getting at least 10 points from your tight end 40% of the time is a pretty good rate and fantasy managers should be okay with rolling the dice on his upside.

Dulcich has two games with more than 80 yards receiving and while that may not sound like a lot, it's pretty rare as far as tight ends go. Typically, these guys are touchdown or bust, but two of his four double-digit performances came without scoring a touchdown. His Week 17 matchup is also a fairly appealing one. The Chiefs have allowed the 13th-most points to tight ends this season at 10 half-PPR PPG. Fantasy managers can also count on the Chiefs destroying the Broncos, which will put their offense in catch-up mode. That's a great script for Denver's pass-catchers.

Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints – 31% Rostered

Don't take too much from Juwan Johnson's 1.4 half-PPR performance in Week 16. The Saints were practically playing in a tornado. Okay, I admit, that's a slight exaggeration, but the conditions were brutal. Andy Dalton had 92 passing yards and the two quarterbacks combined threw for just 227 yards. The Saints, playing with a lead most of the game, only had to pass the ball 15 times, which all but eliminated volume from the passing offense.

The Saints won't have that luxury in Week 17. They'll be playing against Philadelphia and whether it's Jalen Hurts or Gardner Minshew under center, fantasy managers should be expecting the Saints to be chasing points. That should make for a much better game script for Johnson to provide for fantasy managers. The Eagles have allowed just the seventh-fewest points to tight ends this season, which makes it an unappealing matchup from that standpoint.

However, Chris Olave and Jarvis Landry both missed Week 16. Landry won't be back in Week 17 and it seems like Olave's availability is at least, somewhat up in the air. Hamstring injuries are tricky like that. If both remain out, Johnson will likely continue to be a focal point of the team's passing offense. Prior to Week 16, Johnson had four straight games with at least 11 half-PPR points. He's scored in double-digits in five of his last six. Now, while a lot of that scoring has come via touchdowns, it's still plenty impressive all the same.

With the Saints likely to be put in a position where they'll be forced to throw the football and with the possibility that Olave is out again, Johnson is a volume-based streamer in Week 17 despite the poor matchup on paper.

Hunter Henry, New England Patriots – 43% Rostered

Hunter Henry is here only because of his matchup. That's it. But here's the reality of the tight end position – sometimes that's all we got. Henry has just four games with five targets or more. That's not going to create too many warm feelings about playing Henry. He has just two double-digit performances this season and wouldn't you know it, two touchdowns. Fancy that?

However, when it comes to streaming tight ends, we know all we're doing, to some extent, is chasing that one touchdown. Henry's Week 17 opponent is the Miami Dolphins. They allow the third-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season at 13 half-PPR points per game. The game script could also be a positive one for the Patriots' pass-catchers.

The Miami offense is the strength of their team and could put the Patriots in a situation where they're playing from behind on the scoreboard. If that should come to pass, Henry could become a viable streaming option. Henry is somewhat of a risky play, however, because his target volume hasn't been there all season. That said, there are very few tight ends with as good a matchup as Henry has.

Others to Consider in Order: Noah Fant, Seattle Seahawks – 24% Rostered, Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 10% Rostered, Logan Thomas, Washington Commanders – 7% Rostered, Daniel Bellinger, New York Giants – 3% Rostered

 

Quarterbacks – Waiver Wire Options

Daniel Jones, New York Giants – 63% Rostered

Somewhat surprisingly, fantasy managers just don't seem to like Daniel Jones. There are five quarterbacks rostered at a higher rate than Daniel Jones, but who also average fewer points than Daniel Jones. That's odd to see, especially at this stage of the season. One of the reasons fantasy managers likely continue to shy away from Jones is the lack of pass-catchers in New York. It's no secret, they're not very good. However, they're playing alright. Isaiah Hodgins, Darius Slayton, and Richie James are playing well for the team.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think their group of pass-catchers is good or even average on a talent level. But we see players outperform their talent level all the time and while it never lasts forever, right now, the Giants' pass-catchers are exceeding their talent level and to that I say, ride the wave. Jones has quietly been fantastic this season. He has just five interceptions and an interception rate of just 1.1%. That is the lowest in the entire NFL. Pretty impressive, am I right?

While his counting passing numbers are unlikely to impress anyone, Jones has over 600 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground this season. He has the fifth-most rushing yards this season and the next closest to him who is still starting this season is roughly 300 rushing yards behind him. This makes him an elite rushing quarterback who is widely available on waiver wires.

How does this all come together for fantasy scoring? Well, Jones has five games with 19 or more points. That's 33% of his games played. He has two games with 24 or more points. This tells us, unlike other streaming options, Jones has a legit fantasy ceiling and while 19-20 points from your quarterback are unlikely to "win" any matchup on its own, it's a good start from a streamer and Jones has provided that type of performance with more regularity than most streamers.

He only has two games with fewer than 12 points, both of which came on the road. Every other game Jones has been between 12–18 points. He has a pretty safe floor. In Week 17, the Giants play host to the Colts, who have been a middle-of-the-road defense against quarterbacks this season. They've allowed the 18th-most points to quarterbacks at 16.4 points per game.

Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers – 36% Rostered

Brock Purdy has put together three quality starts for the 49ers and fantasy managers who have been depending on him the past few weeks. In his three starts, he has strung together performances of 21.7, 16.48, and 15.96. It's worth noting that in the 21.7 game, Purdy did manage to find the end zone on the ground. I mention this because, in three starts, Purdy has just seven carries and seven yards rushing. So while, we'll always take a rushing score from our quarterback, based on his rushing statistics, we shouldn't be expecting anything of the sort. If we take that play away, his 21.7 game becomes a 15.7 one, which is right in line with his two other starts.

I'm sure some readers are thinking, "you can't take that rushing score away, it happened!" and to that I say, you're absolutely right. It totally happened, but this is about predicting what is most likely to happen in the future. Can we expect a rushing touchdown when he's averaging 2.3 carries and 2.3 rushing yards per game in his starts? I'll say no, we cannot and so I don't want my decision-making to be affected by one play that is unlikely to happen again. Alright, moving on...

No matter what, however, Purdy's performances aren't going to lose any fantasy manager his contest. He's been incredibly consistent under center and has provided fantasy managers with at least 15 points in all three of his starts. While he does not have a ceiling, the offensive system he's playing in and the weapons he has at his disposal keeps his floor safe.

While there's no denying he's played well, for fantasy purposes he leaves a bit to be desired. That's because he's averaging just 2.3 carries and just 23 pass attempts per game. His most pass attempts in any one of his three starts is 26. We're simply not getting any volume here. However, he has a great matchup in Week 17 against the Raiders. They've allowed the seventh-most points to quarterbacks this season at 19.2.

Gardner Minshew, Philadelphia Eagles – 27% Rostered

Full disclosure, there are reports that Jalen Hurts could return to action in Week 17. With the Eagles losing against the Cowboys this past weekend and the Eagles still trying to secure their No. 1 seed, it shouldn't be a surprise if this early report holds true. If that's the case, fantasy managers can obviously completely forget about Gardner Minshew. Unfortunately, that puts fantasy managers in a tough spot with adding him because who wants to essentially waste a roster spot, FAAB money, or their waiver priority on a quarterback who might not even start? That's the risk vs reward play. For what it's worth, I expect Hurts to play in Week 17, so take that for it's worth – call it a gut feeling based on the early reports, who Jalen Hurts is, and with the No. 1 seed on the line. However, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention him and embrace the possibility that I might be wrong. Truth be told, that's happened from time to time.

While Minshew was far from perfect this past weekend, he got the job done for fantasy managers. He ended up scoring 22.7 points. He also scored a rushing touchdown, which on four carries and five yards, isn't very predictive, however, he does have a history of being a semi-capable rusher. No one is calling him Lamar Jackson or even Daniel Jones, but when he was a starter for the Jaguars, he could be slotted in with the Patrick Mahomes level of rushing quarterbacks. I bet that had you going, eh? But seriously, he averaged 25 yards rushing per game with the Jaguars in 12 starts in 2019 and 17 yards in eight starts in 2020. Not great, not good, but not totally a nothing-burger here. The point is, if he gets another start, it's possible he could give you a few points on the ground.

The biggest reason Minshew was able to come through for fantasy managers this past weekend was because of volume. He attempted 40 passes, a lot of that was dictated by a shoot-out scenario, which he's absolutely not going to get in Week 17 against the Saints. He finished with 355 yards and two touchdowns. He only completed 24 of his passes, but the Eagles arguably have the best trifecta of pass-catchers in the NFL. Between A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert, Minshew has plenty of weapons to carry him.

The matchup isn't a great one. The Saints have allowed 16.2 points to opposing quarterbacks this season, which is the 19th-most in the NFL. The Eagles are at home and employ one of the best offensive lines in the league, so there are plenty of things working in his favor. If you're looking for a quarterback in Week 17, it might make sense to grab Minshew and someone else in the event Hurts does play. Fantasy managers will need to be cautious of that possibility.

Mac Jones, New England Patriots – 18% Rostered

I'm not going to lie, putting Mac Jones here makes me quite nervous. It is absolutely not for the faint of heart, but call it a gut feeling of sorts. A lot of which has to do with their Week 17 opponent. The Patriots are at home against the Dolphins. Miami has allowed the second-most points to opposing quarterbacks this season at 21.3 points per game. The Dolphins are also on a four-game losing streak where their defense has been playing quite poorly. They've given up 33, 23, 32, and 26 points.

On the season, the Dolphins have allowed the fifth-most passing yards and passing touchdowns. That is pretty much the argument for Jones. It's always concerning when the argument for a player does not include any individual-specific reasons. It's like when you boast about a particular player in the off-season because of his quarterback, his coach, and his new presumed role, but nothing specific to that player. That's a red flag and we're doing exactly that with Jones here.

All of the positives for Jones center around his matchup, so there are plenty of reasons to be cautious. However, if you're in a deep league Jones has the matchup fantasy managers looking for in terms of what it takes to be a quality streamer. Just know, you should tread carefully, however, if you're to the point of actually looking at Jones, you're either in a super-deep league or in trouble at quarterback, and in either situation, options are dire.

Others to Consider in Order: Baker Mayfield, Los Angeles Rams – 9% Rostered, Sam Darnold, Carolina Panthers (7% Rostered)

 

Team Defenses – Waiver Wire Options

Seattle Seahawks – 29% Rostered

The Jets are officially back to being the Jets. It took a little bit, but the Jets of old are back and fantasy managers everywhere should be attacking their current situation. Will Mike White return this week? That is still unknown. Reports didn't make it seem like he was all that close either of the past two weeks. While I have to give credit to White in trying to get back on the field, reports made it seem like he's seen multiple doctors and they've all said he shouldn't be playing. I'm not sure, based on this, how we can reasonably expect White to be back under center this week.

In the event that he's not, it could be Joe Flacco or Chris Steveler. We know it won't be Zach Wilson and from a fantasy defense perspective, that's unfortunate, but this has certainly turned into an offense to attack in recent weeks. Since the Jets' Week 10 bye, the Jets' offense has given up 11 or more points to fantasy defenses in four of their six games.

The Seahawks' defense has averaged just 4.8 points per game this season, so they're not without their own faults. They've scored three or fewer points in seven games this season and unfortunately, in three consecutive games. However, they also have five games with eight or more points scored and a sixth contest where they finished with seven. They have three games where they've scored in double-figures.

Fantasy managers should be wary about using Seattle's defense if Mike White starts, but if it's Flacco or Streveler, Seattle makes for an appealing streamer, although not one without some questions of their own.

Cleveland Browns – 55% Rostered

The Browns are ranked as the 14th-best scoring fantasy defense this season. However, they did score 34.8% of their total points in a contest against the Houston Texans, so we should probably take their ranking with a grain of salt. The available streamers in Week 17 are admittedly, not a good group, so we're trying to make do with what we've got.

Cleveland's Week 17 opponent is the Washington Commanders, who have given up the seventh-most points to opposing defenses this season at 7.7. However, they might be in the midst of a quarterback change. Head coach Ron Rivera went back to Carson Wentz in Week 16, which for fantasy purposes doesn't really matter. Neither Wentz nor Taylor Heinicke are great options and both are plenty capable of throwing a few interceptions.

The Browns have a very good pass defense this season. They've given up the 10th-fewest passing yards and passing touchdowns. Their run defense, however, is a different story entirely, which could be a problem in Week 17 because Washington's rushing attack is fairly good. However, Washington has scored over 20 points in just five games this season so while Washington's strength (running the football) matches up with Cleveland's weakness (defending the run), this is far from an explosive offense.

The Browns make for a decent streaming option with the potential for a quarterback change.

Los Angeles Chargers – 35% Rostered

We'd all feel a lot better about starting the Chargers if the Rams didn't just hang a 51-spot on the Denver Broncos. That's certainly not ideal and not going to make anyone feel better. However, what we need to remember is that the 2022 NFL season is filled with outliers. Week 16's game most certainly fits the criteria for an outlier. Since the team's Week 7 bye, they have had just one game with more than 20 points scored and that was 23. The Rams are 26th in points scored on the season.

Unfortunately, the Chargers haven't been very good themselves. Their defense averages the seventh-fewest points for any fantasy defense this season. Starting the Chargers is fully embracing their Week 17 matchup. The Rams give up the third-most points to fantasy defenses this season at 9.8. However, they've played decent in recent weeks, scoring nine, five, and nine points in their last three matchups. That includes matchups against Tennessee, Miami, and Las Vegas.

The Rams have arguably the worst offensive line in the NFL, one of the worst groups of pass-catchers in the league, and a quarterback who has struggled significantly in 2021 and 2022. That's the selling point for playing the Chargers. The other positive is that the Chargers should beat the Rams, which should give their defense a positive game script where they can seek out sacks and interceptions as the Rams are forced to likely throw (a lot) more than they did against the Russell Wilson-led Broncos.

Miami Dolphins – 25% Rostered

I understand how this looks – I have Mac Jones as a streaming quarterback and here, touting the Dolphins as a potential streaming defense. However, based on the matchups for Jones and the Dolphins' defense, both have positive matchups that a good performance cannot be ruled out for either one. The Dolphins' defense has averaged the 11th-fewest points this season and they've struggled mightily recently. They've scored just 5, 1, 0, and 4 points in their last four matchups, so it's hard to have much confidence in them.

Then again, the Patriots offense is allowing the ninth-most points to fantasy defenses this season. The Dolphins are tied for the most sacks this season, which has been one of the few bright spots on their defense. That could certainly be a big factor in their Week 17 matchup because Jones is incredibly immobile. The Dolphins offense, while it has been struggling as of late, has the potential to turn up the scoreboard and put the Patriots in a game script where they're forced to have to pass the football more than they'd like.

In that event, the Dolphins could use the strength of their pass rush to put up a quality fantasy showing. It's tough to trust Miami's defense with how they've played lately, but a trip to face a Matt Patricia-led offense could be just what the doctor and your Week 17 championship quest ordered.

 

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