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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 17

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 17

For the vast majority of fantasy football players, Week 16 culminated in a championship game that certainly had some memorable performances from a whacky Sunday of NFL action. If you thought last week was crazy, there are still people out there that have something on the line for Week 17. Believe it or not, some leagues are still going, and to those few, we salute you.

Realizing that another fantasy season is pretty much over can cause people to think that maybe adding Week 17–another fabulous week of fantasy goodness–is a good thing. But with so many key players resting or injured, having something worth playing for in an unpredictable Week 17 isn’t advisable.

Whether you’re in a best ball league that’s still going, a large league with expanded playoffs, or simply just stubbornly want to maximize the all too brief NFL season, waivers might still be open and some still need to know which players are worth bidding on.

So for the final time in this zany 2018 fantasy season, and using ownership data from our friends at Yahoo, here are the waiver wire adds for Week 17.

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Quarterbacks

Nick Foles (PHI) 15% owned
The Eagles will be going all out in an effort to sneak into the NFC playoffs. Foles just lit up the Texans for 471 yards and four scores and went over 330 yards against Tampa in his first start. Foles has been playing like the same player that got hot during Philly’s Super Bowl run last season and should be a great streaming option against a Washington secondary that has been below average all season and just released their starting safety.

Derek Carr (OAK) 23% owned
No team has surrendered more fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks than the Kansas City Chiefs. When the Raiders and Chiefs met up just four weeks ago, Carr completed 29-of-38 passes for 285 yards and three touchdowns. Patrick Mahomes and company still have plenty on the line in this contest, so expect another fast-paced shootout type of game that could present a favorable game script for Carr and the Raiders.

Teddy Bridgewater (NO) 0% owned
The Saints have locked up home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, so Week 17 is looking like a potential rest week for most key staters. That includes Drew Brees, who is unlikely to play more than a series or two if he suits up at all. Bridgewater would likely get most of the reps against Carolina’s weak secondary but the Saints won’t be going with a full playbook. Bridgwater and Taysom Hill could both see plenty of time under center.

Running Backs

C.J. Anderson (LAR) 39% owned
Signed off the street, Anderson trotted right into an explosive Rams’ offense and won countless fantasy leagues with 167 yards and a touchdown starting in place of Todd Gurley. There’s almost no chance that Gurley will play in a meaningless Week 17 tilt, so expect Anderson to get another 20-plus carries as the Rams conclude their season at home against a San Francisco defense that’s ceded the 11th-most fantasy points to the position. Anderson should be the top waiver wire add in every league and is worth every remaining FAAB cent you have.

Brian Hill (ATL) 1% owned
Hill was one of the unsung heroes of Week 16, rushing for 115 yards on only eight carries. Devonta Freeman and Ito Smith are already on IR and now starter Tevin Coleman is hampered by a groin injury that could limit, or keep him out of his final Falcons’ game altogether. Coleman is set to enter free agency and has little to gain playing in a meaningless game. At the very least, Hill is a good bet to garner 10-12 touches as the change-of-pace option, but if Coleman sits, Hill could take on lead role duties, giving him substantial value in Atlanta’s penultimate game.

Darren Sproles (PHI) 8% owned
Sproles comes off of his best game of the season after generating 108 yards of offense and a touchdown on a dozen touches against the Texans. He’s firmly entrenched in a timeshare with Josh Adams and Wendell Smallwood, but Sproles plays just enough of a role in the passing game to warrant flex consideration in deeper PPR formats.

Cameron Artis-Payne (CAR) 0% owned
Panthers head coach Ron Rivera indicated that Christian McCaffrey might not play much in Carolina’s season finale in New Orleans. That would put Artis-Payne in line for a start, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the four-year veteran is a fantasy must-start. The Saints have nothing to play for but have been tough against the run, allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points. Also, Artis-Payne only has four touches this season. Four.

Wide Receivers

Jamison Crowder (WAS) 22% owned
Crowder has returned to his role as Washington’s number one receiver but has been under the radar due to the club’s quarterback woes. Crowder has posted back-to-back outings with four-plus catches and has an excellent shot at putting up another solid day’s work against Philadelphia’s makeshift secondary in Week 17.

Equanimeous St. Brown (GB) 1 % owned, Marquez Valdes-Scantling (GB) 27% owned
Vintage Aaron Rodgers was on display in New York as the future Hall-of-Famer threw for 442 yards and got four different Green Bay wideouts to 65-plus receiving yards. St. Brown was having a huge game before taking a big hit and exiting with a head injury. If he’s cleared to play, ESB would be the top wideout to add for Week 17. Valdes-Scantling filled if for Randall Cobb and caught six passes for 75 yards. Even Jake Kumerow (0% owned) posted a 3/68 line and could be relevant against Detroit if St. Brown and Cobb remain out.

Kendrick Bourne (SF) 1% owned
San Francisco’s receiving corps is really banged up right now. Bourne actually led the group with 52 snaps against the Bears, catching 5-of-7 targets for 73 yards. Bourne has hauled in multiple receptions in the past seven games, so his ascendence to potentially being the 49ers’ number one receiver this week versus the Rams isn’t that far-fetched.

Mike Wallace (PHI) 1% owned
Wallace hasn’t played since Week 2 after breaking his leg but has been activated from the IR list just in time to help the Eagles keep their playoffs hopes alive. Philly hasn’t gotten good production from their second and third wideouts this year so Wallace’s speed could become an immediate factor.

DeAndre Carter (HOU) 0% owned
Houston’s other wideout named DeAndre is suddenly in line for a big increase in targets. Demaryius Thomas suffered a season-ending injury and Carter will not move over into Thomas’ starting spot opposite of Nuk Hopkins. The Texans still have plenty to play for, as a victory over Jacksonville would sew up the AFC South and could potentially lead to a first-round bye if New England somehow loses. Carter won’t have an easy task against the Jaguars’ vaunted secondary, but he should see a solid six or seven targets.

Tight Ends

Chris Herndon (NYJ) 13% owned
Fourth-round rookie TE Chris Herndon had a strong showing in Week 16 versus Green Bay, hauling in 6-of-7 targets for 82 yards and his fourth touchdown reception. Herndon has racked up multiple receptions in five of New York’s past six games and will be a solid streaming option with plus TD potential as the Jets face a Patriots squad that has allowed eight scores to tight ends in 2018, including seven touchdowns in New England’s past 11 games.

C.J. Uzomah (CIN) 32% owned
Cincinnati’s offense has been stuck in neutral with Jeff Driskel under center. One of the few benefactors of the new signal-caller has been Uzomah, who has now recorded three-plus receptions in each of the Bengals’ past six contests, including a 4/49/1 line last week. The Bengals aren’t getting much out of their receiving corps, so Uzomah could easily lead the club in targets in Pittsburgh.

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Jody Smith is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Jody, check out his archive and follow him @JodySmithNFL.

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