Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 17

December 23, 2019

Justin Carter's fantasy football wide receiver waiver wire pickups for Week 17 of the 2019 NFL season. These are free agent WRs to add, stream and stash.

Oh, hi there! I thought this room was empty, but it turns out there's still a few of you on the couch, watching football and stressing about your fantasy team in Week 17.

This is the most difficult week of the season to predict for fantasy owners, because it's a week where a lot of players don't wind up playing. That's why so many people stopped playing Week 17, but hey -- sometimes you really just want every week of the NFL season to matter.

Let's look at some guys you might be interested in this week. 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 here for a complete list of our Waiver Wire Adds for Week 17 for help at all the skill positions. All players on this list here are around 30% owned or below.

Free Agents WRs To Consider Adding

Chris Conley, Jacksonville Jaguars - 23% owned

He caught a touchdown, but he also only caught two passes. He's got three touchdowns in two weeks and looks like he's really gained Gardner Minshew's trust, so I'm definitely interested in him as a flex option in deeper leagues.

Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers - 15% owned

At least five targets in five straight games. At least 60 yards in three straight games. Two touchdowns in the last three games. A Week 17 meeting with the Ravens, who have the one-seed locked up and should rest some key players. All signs point towards Johnson being a guy who trends way up heading into the final week of the season.

John Ross, Cincinnati Bengals - 13% owned

Remember when Ross was turning into a very good receiver before a foot injury knocked him out for most of the year? Well, he was targeted 13 times against Miami, catching six passes for 84 yards, and gets a matchup with a Browns team that's got nothing to play for coming up. In what's likely the final game of the Andy Dalton era, expect the Red Rifle to go down firing, which makes Ross a sneaky play in deeper leagues.

Greg Ward, Philadelphia Eagles - 9% owned

Huge game coming up for the Eagles and their beat-up receiving group. Ward's come on strong the last couple of weeks, and against Dallas he caught four passes for 71 yards. He gets the Giants this week. Ward should see plenty of targets in this one and has a lot of fantasy appeal in most formats.

Justin Watson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 6% owned

Last week, it was Breshad Perriman who led everyone's wide receiver waiver lists. Perriman is still the guy to own in this receiving corps, but he's also no longer on waivers in your leagues. If you want an upside play in Tampa Bay's reckless, throw-it-all offense, Watson had five catches for 43 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets. He's not the downfield threat Perriman is, but he's capable of racking up some short yardage plays and returning value.

Hunter Renfrow, Oakland Raiders - 5% owned

We hadn't seen Renfrow since Week 12 and didn't know what he'd look like in his return from a rib injury, but he looked like seven catches for 107 yards and a score, which is a good way to show back up in the NFL. The rookie should get more chances in Week 17 to show that he's a future piece for the Raiders.

Daesean Hamilton, Denver Broncos - 4% owned

Oh, yeah! DaeSean Hamilton! Picked by many to be a breakout candidate this year, Hamilton found the end zone for the first time in Week 16. He's getting targeted more now that Drew Lock is the quarterback, and while I don't love him as a Week 17 option, the target increase is worth noticing.

Albert Wilson, Miami Dolphins - 1% owned

The Dolphins play a Patriots team that needs a win to get that first round bye, so maybe don't start Wilson or any other Dolphins skill position player. I really just wanted a chance to celebrate Wilson having a big game -- seven catches for 79 yards -- because I'm a big fan of Wilson's game. Definitely worth rostering in dynasty leagues, if any dynasty people are reading this.

Steven Sims Jr., Washington Redskins - 1% owned

Sims was targeted 10 times, catching six passes for 64 yards and two touchdowns. With Dwayne Haskins injured and Case Keenum likely getting the start, Sims might not be used as much in Week 17, but in deeper leagues he may be worth the risk due to his upside. He's led the team in targets for two weeks in a row.

Tajae Sharpe, Tennessee Titans - 0% owned

Five catches for 69 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the veteran(?) wide receiver in Week 16.

Sharpe gets an interesting matchup this week. The Texans will know by game time if they've got a shot at the three seed or not, and if not, it would make sense for Houston to take it a little easy. That could leave their secondary thin and allow a player like Sharpe to put up some solid stats, unless Texans coach Bill O'Brien mismanages some things.

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Advice