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It's time for the wildest week of the NFL season: Week 17.
For those of y'all still playing normal, non-DFS fantasy this week, I just have to say this: good luck. Weird things can happen in the final week of the season as teams rest starters before the playoffs and teams out of contention see what some young guys can do. That leaves you making some unusual lineup decisions.
So, let's talk waiver wire options at wide receiver. Not all 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. Check out our Waiver Wire Adds for Week 17 for help at all the skill positions.
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44% rostered
Dallas faces a must-win game against the Giants this week, and they're going to need a big performance out of Gallup, who now has four touchdown catches in the past four weeks. His floor is still a little low for my liking -- he just recently had two catches for 23 yards against the Bengals -- but coming off of a six-catch, 121-yard, two-touchdown Week 16, I think Andy Dalton will look to get the ball to him on Sunday.
Sterling Shepard, New York Giants
44% rostered
Trusting Shepard isn't the easiest thing in the world, but Sunday he'll face a Cowboys secondary that's (mostly) struggled this year, even if they did pick off Jalen Hurts twice this week. (They also allowed 342 yards from him.) Shepard was targeted 12 times against Baltimore, his highest number of the season, and caught nine passes for 77 yards and a score. Like Gallup, the lows can be very low for Shepard, but he's trending up and the Giants are facing a must-win game.
John Brown, Buffalo Bills
40% rostered
Brown (ankle) is eligible to return from IR and had produced some strong games leading up to his injury, with 19 targets in his last two games. If he's on the field, he can be a game-changer in Week 17 for a fantasy manager with a need at wideout. But, one also has to wonder if the Bills will play it safe with Brown and keep him out until the postseason.
Mecole Hardman, Kansas City Chiefs
28% rostered
The Chiefs have locked up the AFC's first-round bye, so I think it's safe to assume that at least some key players will get some rest, especially wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who dealt with a hamstring issue ahead of Sunday's win over the Falcons. If Hill sees limited snaps, we'd see more of Hardman, who had six targets this week. Hardman's a fast player who can fill a need for whoever the Chiefs put out at QB next week. Of course, he might be too important to this team and get rested too, in which case maybe we'd see a big Demarcus Robinson game?
Russell Gage, Atlanta Falcons
38% rostered
Julio Jones sat out again, and it's really hard to imagine a scenario where Jones plays in a meaningless Week 17 game. Gage had a let-down game against the Chiefs, with four catches for 23 yards, but he's had some strong performances when Jones has been sidelined, catching five passes for 68 yards and a score in Week 15 after catching five for 82 in Week 14. Gage should improve on this week's disappointing numbers in Week 17.
Laviska Shenault Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
16% rostered
Mike Glennon has started four games this season, but in those four games Shenault has 16 receptions for 153 yards and two touchdowns. It's clear Glennon likes to target the rookie more than Gardner Minshew II did, so if Glennon gets the nod once again in Week 17, Shenault has FLEX appeal in 14-team leagues or in 12-teamers that have an additional FLEX spot.
Josh Reynolds, Los Angeles Rams
6% rostered
Where did that come from? Reynolds was targeted 10 times, the first time since Week 10 that he'd been that involved offensively. He caught six passes for 65 yards. Will he keep this up next week, especially with it looking like John Wolford will start at quarterback for the Rams? I guess we'll see. The Rams have to beat the Cardinals and might have a pretty beat-up run game, so expect Wolford to pass it plenty, which should benefit Reynolds.
Cam Sims, Washington Football Team
1% rostered
Washington faces a bad Eagles Defense on Sunday night with a simple task: win the game and the Football Team is in the playoffs. We don't know Terry McLaurin's Week 17 status yet, so Sims is a good speculative add who would have some really nice value if McLaurin is unable to go. Sims has been targeted 17 times in the past two games, and while he hasn't gone off with those targets, he did have a solid Week 16 with three catches for 63 yards.
Alex Erickson, Cincinnati Bengals
0% rostered
Assuming the Bengals don't play Tyler Boyd (concussion) next week, Erickson will see an expanded role again. This week, that expanded role saw him catch six passes for 88 yards. If there's no Boyd, Erickson is FLEXable in a deep league.
DaeSean Hamilton, Denver Broncos
0% rostered
K.J. Hamler played just eight snaps before leaving with a concussion, opening up snaps for Hamilton, who saw a season-high nine targets. He caught five of them for 77 yards. Another player who is worth a deep-league add in case injuries lead to him playing a key role again in Week 17.
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