Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Early Must-Adds for Week 17
For fantasy football managers who are still playing for something in Week 17, here are some early must-adds off the waiver wire.
Week 16 of the 2024 NFL regular season schedule is winding down, with just the Sunday and Monday night games to be completed. The season for a lot of fantasy football managers is either over or winding down now too.
But if it’s a championship game, a third place game, a consolation bracket or simply an effort to avoid last place, we’re here for you with waiver wire adds for Week 17. Remember there are two games on Wednesday, Christmas Day, this week (Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans).
Here are your early must-adds off the fantasy football waiver wire for Week 17.
Note: Yahoo! scoring is the scoring cited unless otherwise noted.
Tyjae Spears, RB, Tennessee Titans
Spears had 10 carries for 27 yards and two touchdowns, along with three catches for 39 yards, on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts. He has multiple touchdowns in back-to-back games, and on Sunday he had more carries than Tony Pollard (eight). The Titans trailing like they were (38-7 at one point) and Pollard’s ankle pushed the snap share toward Spears.
Week 17 brings a great matchup for Tennessee’s running backs, as the Jacksonville Jaguars entered Week 16 allowing the third-most fantasy points to the position. Spears set to split work with Pollard again, and the second-year man is looking like the better fantasy play right now.
If Pollard were to be out against the Jaguars, or further injured in-game, Spears would be in line for a massive week. At minimum he’s lined up to be a viable flex play in Week 17, and fantasy managers with anything at stake have to check his availability.
ESPN Ownership: 48.2%
Yahoo! Ownership: 56%
Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots
Maye went 22-for-36 for 261 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, along with 30 rushing yards, against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. He has accounted for multiple touchdowns in back-to-back games, with over 18 fantasy points in three straight and four of his last five.
Week 17 brings a middle of the road matchup for Maye against the Los Angeles Chargers. But the Chargers allowed multiple passing touchdowns in five of their last seven games, with over 260 yards and multiple passing touchdowns allowed in back-to-back games. They have also been somewhat susceptible to quarterbacks who can run.
Maye is setting the stage to be a fantasy sleeper in 2025. But he is viable now, with legit streaming appeal for Week 17.
ESPN Ownership: 20.5%
Yahoo! Ownership: 14%
Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers
Young went 17-for-26 for 158 yards and two touchdowns against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, along with 68 rushing yards and a score on the ground. He has run for a touchdown and accounted for multiple touchdowns in three of his last four games.
In Week 17 Young will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who entered Week 16 allowing the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks. Against them back in Week 13, Young threw for 298 yards and had two total touchdowns (one passing, one rushing).
Young is a viable streaming option in Week 17, with a strong tilt toward deep one-quarterback and superflex/two-quarterback leagues.
ESPN Ownership: 4.9%
Yahoo! Ownership: 7%
Caleb Williams, QB, Chicago Bears
Williams went 26-for-40 for 334 yards and two touchdowns, with 34 rushing yards, against the Detroit Lions on Sunday. He has multiple passing touchdowns in four of his last five games, with more than 250 passing yards in three of those (over 330 yards twice).
The Bears now have a short week before taking on the Seattle Seahawks Thursday night in Week 17. Seattle is a mid-pack fantasy defense against quarterbacks this season, but they have allowed multiple passing touchdowns in four straight games.
The Bears’ nine-game losing streak has obscured what Williams is doing. Fantasy managers who need a quarterback option in Week 17 can do a lot worse, and he’s available in plenty of leagues.
ESPN Ownership: 44%
Yahoo! Ownership: 60%
Chig Okonkwo, TE, Tennessee Titans
Okonkwo had a team-high nine catches for 81 yards (on 11 targets) against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, along with a two-point conversion. He has 17 receptions and 21 targets over the last two games, with Mason Rudolph under center, with more than 55 yards in both.
In Week 17 Okonkwo gets a nice matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who entered Week 16 allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to tight ends before allowing 11 catches for 99 yards to Brock Bowers on Sunday.
Double-digit targets in back-to-back weeks and a nice Week 17 matchup easily puts Okonkwo on the waiver wire radar this week. The tight end landscape also aids his appeal for those who have a need.
ESPN Ownership: 6.4%
Yahoo! Ownership: 6%
Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Bateman was active for Week 16 against the Pittsburgh Steelers despite a foot injury, and his one catch in the game went for a touchdown. He has three touchdowns over the last two games, and he has scored in each of the last three games he has finished healthy.
Week 17 brings a favorable matchup against the Houston Texans, who are in the bottom-10 of the league in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers this season. If Nelson Agholor (concussion) remains out on a short week before the Christmas Day contest, Bateman’s role would remain notable (50 of 62 snaps against the Steelers, according to Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus).
Bateman is about as touchdown-dependent, boom-or-bust as it gets. But in deeper leagues, he has viability as a WR3 or flex in a nice Week 17 matchup.
ESPN Ownership: 22.3%
Yahoo! Ownership: 27%
Tank Bigsby, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Bigsby had 12 carries for 50 yards and a touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, with one catch and a lost fumble. He has scored in two of the last three games, with 41 carries over that three-game stretch. Travis Etienne wasn’t as effective as a runner (nine carries for 22 yards), as has been the case all season, but he played almost twice as many snaps as Bigsby (35, to 19, according to Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus).
In Week 17 the Jaguars will take on the Tennessee Titans, who entered Week 16 just barely in the bottom half of the league in fantasy points allowed to running backs. That was before Jonathan Taylor ran all over them on Sunday (218 yards and three touchdowns).
A workload split with Etienne is annoying, especially since Bigsby has been the better runner all season. Maybe Bigsby seizes a bigger snap share again in Week 17, but even if he doesn’t he’s on the radar as a flex play in leagues with 12 or more teams.
ESPN Ownership: 46.9%
Yahoo! Ownership: 52%
