X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

Target Acquired: Surprise Target Grabbers and Possible Breakouts for Week 17

This article is catered to those in leagues heading into a fantasy championship in Week 17, and for daily fantasy players. Week 17 is always tricky considering who is playing for what at this point in the season. This should clear all that up a bit.

Here is a look at the surprise target grabbers from Week 16, and a look at possible wide receiver breakout options for Week 17 based on the usage they are seeing in the passing game. You can ask me more waiver wire and game day questions on Twitter @DemetriRafto.

Editor's Note: New users that sign up on FantasyAces, make a $20 deposit, and enter any game will receive BOTH our full season NFL and NBA Premium Passes for free, a $119.99 value. Just email [email protected] with your new FantasyAces username - and boom, that's it! We will email you with your Premium Passes.

 

Surprise Week 16 Target Grabbers

Doug Baldwin - (WR, SEA)

To start, seeing Doug Baldwin on this list is probably a surprise to some considering how steady his production has been all season. Baldwin producing shouldn't be a surprise. Although, what popped my eyes wide open were his career-high 19 targets in Week 16 against the Arizona Cardinals, 14 coming after Tyler Lockett left the game early. Baldwin reeled in a career-best 13 receptions for 171 yards and a score, turning in his best fantasy showing of the season.

Lockett, although not as consistent as Baldwin throughout the campaign, saw six or more targets in four straight games prior to breaking his leg in Week 16. Despite clinching the division several weeks back, the Seahawks are still fighting for a highly coveted first-round bye, and should be fully equipped against the San Fransisco 49ers. Baldwin makes for a no-brainer play in daily fantasy.

 

Adam Thielen - (WR, MIN)

Adam Thielen's productivity has stayed under the radar all the season. Until last week, that is. In an offensive battle with the Green Bay Packers, Thielen did all he could to keep Minnesota's playoff hopes alive, reeling in 12-of-15 targets for 202 yards and two touchdowns; all career highs. Barely owned in most fantasy leagues, Thielen is now just 40 receiving yards shy of reaching 1,000 in his breakout campaign, and should surpass the immortal millennium mark in Week 17 against the Chicago Bears. His price has likely risen a bit in daily fantasy, but he should be used in all tournaments as well.

 

Cody Core - (WR, CIN) 

In the absences of A.J. Green and Tyler Eifert, Brandon LaFell exploded for 130 yards and a touchdown. Tyler Boyd was lackluster in a matchup that will only be remembered by a missed field goal. Yet, another unlikely name raised some eyebrows on Cincinnati. Cody Core was targeted 14 times in Saturday night's loss to the Houston Texans, and reeled in an impressive eight of them. It was easily his best showing of the season, but he only accumulated 39 yards, while seven of his eight receptions came in the first half. Even with both Green and Eifert likely shut down for the season, Core is a tough guy to trust in both seasonal and daily formats.

 

Possible Week 17 Breakout Options

Jermaine Kearse - (WR, SEA)

With Tyler Lockett out for Week 17's matchup against the Niners, look for Russell Wilson to target Doug Baldwin heavily. Baldwin will be busy, although let's not forget about Jermaine Kearse as he too should benefit from the absence in Seattle's receiving core. After Lockett went down, Kearse turned in his best showing of the season, finishing the day with four catches on nine targets for 37 yards and a touchdown; his first of the year. Kearse regressed a bit this season after his five-touchdown campaign in 2015, but is still a reliable option for a team looking for an oh so important first-round bye.

 

Anquan Boldin - (WR, DET)

The way you beat the Green Bay Packers is the same way they beat you, with the same formula Aaron Rodgers has been using throughout the team's five-game winning streak. Throw, throw, throw. We can expect Matthew Stafford to do just that against a shaky Green Bay secondary in a game that will crown a division champion. Golden Tate and Eric Ebron are both obvious options, but the ageless Anquan Boldin has quietly put together a seven-touchdown season and has been a reliable red zone option for Stafford and the Lions. It also helps that the Packers have allowed the second-most fantasy points to wide receivers on the season.

 

Jared Cook - (TE, GB) 

Cook missed Weeks 5-10 with injury this season, and returned with an exclamation point in Week 11; six catches on 11 targets for 105 yards and a touchdown. That was the best it got for Cook, as the tight end failed to find the end zone in his next five contests, but remained a decent part of a high-powered Green Bay offense. This week against the Detroit Lions, it's do or die for the Cheese Heads, win or go home. Aaron Rodgers will be looking to use all his weapons against a Lions team that was recently torched for 42 points against the Dallas Cowboys. Note: Jason Witten caught a touchdown against Detroit this past Monday night.

 

Other Options: Marqise Lee (WR, JAX) @ IND, Brandon LaFell (WR, CIN) vs BAL, Eric Ebron (TE, DET) vs GB




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

OG Anunoby11 mins ago

Uncertain For Tuesday
Jamal Murray13 mins ago

Active On Monday
Aaron Gordon19 mins ago

Will Play Against Portland
Michael Porter Jr.24 mins ago

Remains Out Monday
Kris Murray31 mins ago

Skips Monday's Action
Josh Hart33 mins ago

Probable For Tuesday
Robert Williams III35 mins ago

Out On Monday
Jakob Poeltl39 mins ago

Out On Tuesday
Jerami Grant41 mins ago

Unavailable Monday
Joel Embiid46 mins ago

Questionable For Tuesday
Anthony Davis48 mins ago

Expected To Miss Multiple Weeks
Dante Exum56 mins ago

Available Monday Night
Stephen Curry1 hour ago

Cleared To Play On Monday
Max Christie1 hour ago

Cleared To Play Against Kings
P.J. Washington1 hour ago

To Miss Monday's Game
Brook Lopez1 hour ago

Cleared To Face The Warriors
Damian Lillard1 hour ago

Good To Go Against Warriors
Moussa Diabate1 hour ago

Starting On Monday
Nick Smith Jr.2 hours ago

Available Monday
Josh Green2 hours ago

Back In Action Monday
Clint Capela2 hours ago

Inactive Versus Magic
Tiger Woods4 hours ago

Withdraws From Genesis Invitational
Spencer Strider6 hours ago

Could Return In Late April
MMA7 hours ago

Weili Zhang Wins Decision In Co-Main Event Of UFC 312
Tatiana Suarez7 hours ago

Takes Decision Loss
Justin Tafa7 hours ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC 312
Xavier Worthy7 hours ago

Scores Twice In Super Bowl Debut
Tallison Teixeira7 hours ago

Gets TKO Win At UFC 312
Patrick Mahomes7 hours ago

Loses His Second Super Bowl
Francisco Prado8 hours ago

Drops Decision At UFC 312
Dallas Cowboys8 hours ago

Cowboys To Consider Trading Micah Parsons?
Derrick Henry9 hours ago

Ravens, Derrick Henry Expected To Begin Extension Talks Early This Offseason
Enrique Hernández13 hours ago

Kike Hernandez Returning To Los Angeles
Jalen Hurts20 hours ago

Displays Dominance In Super Bowl Victory
Saquon Barkley20 hours ago

Contained By Chiefs In Super Bowl Win
Philadelphia Eagles1 day ago

Brandon Graham Active For Super Bowl
Chase Dollander1 day ago

Could Skip Triple-A
Joe Musgrove1 day ago

Could Resume Throwing Midseason
Tanner Scott1 day ago

To See Most Of The Save Opportunities
Jake Matthews1 day ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC 312
Rodolfo Bellato1 day ago

Battles Back To Get A Draw At UFC 312
Jimmy Crute1 day ago

Fights To A Draw In Return At UFC 312
Sean Strickland1 day ago

Suffers Lopsided Decision Loss At UFC 312
Dricus Du Plessis1 day ago

Retains Middleweight Belt At UFC 312
Deebo Samuel Sr.1 day ago

49ers Grant Deebo Samuel Sr. Permission To Seek A Trade
Drew Doughty1 day ago

Joins Team Canada For 4 Nations Face-Off
Aaron Rodgers1 day ago

Jets Unlikely To Move Forward With Aaron Rodgers
Rasmus Ristolainen1 day ago

To Sit Out 4 Nations Face-Off
Jakub Dobes1 day ago

Starts On Sunday
Matias Maccelli1 day ago

Heads Back To Press Box Sunday
Connor Ingram1 day ago

Takes On Capitals Sunday
Logan Thompson1 day ago

Faces Utah On Sunday
Mathew Barzal1 day ago

To Miss Roughly Six Weeks
Alex Bregman2 days ago

Houston Increases Initial Offer To Alex Bregman
Lukas Dostal2 days ago

Stops 43 Shots In Victory
Thomas Harley2 days ago

Tallies Goal, Assist On Saturday
Matt Boldy2 days ago

Tallies Three Points On Saturday
Samuel Ersson2 days ago

Stands Tall Against Pittsburgh
Matthew Tkachuk2 days ago

Tallies Three Points In Victory
Thatcher Demko2 days ago

Exits Early On Saturday
Travis Kelce2 days ago

Undecided On Future
Giancarlo Stanton2 days ago

Will Not Play Every Day
Eury Pérez2 days ago

Eury Perez Throwing Bullpens, Remains On Track For Midseason Return
Igor Shesterkin2 days ago

Out For 1-2 Weeks With An Upper-Body Injury
Pyotr Kochetkov2 days ago

Takes On Utah Saturday
Sam Montembeault2 days ago

Starts On Saturday
Tyler Tucker2 days ago

Misses Third Straight Game Saturday
Mikey Anderson2 days ago

Remains Sidelined Saturday
Dylan Cozens2 days ago

Expected To Play Saturday
Zachary L'Heureux2 days ago

Considered Day-To-Day
Kevin Fiala3 days ago

Extends Scoring Streak On Friday
Tyreek Hill3 days ago

Says He Plans To Return To Dolphins
MMA3 days ago

Weili Zhang Set For Third Title Defense
Tatiana Suarez3 days ago

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Tallison Teixeira3 days ago

Makes His UFC Debut At UFC 312
Justin Tafa3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC 312
Francisco Prado3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Najee Harris3 days ago

Strong Chance Steelers Re-Sign Najee Harris?
Rickie Fowler3 days ago

Withdraws From Waste Management Phoenix Open
Kyle Tucker4 days ago

Cubs Not Expected To Extend Kyle Tucker During The Season
Minnesota Vikings4 days ago

Kevin O'Connell Named Coach Of The Year
Los Angeles Rams4 days ago

Jared Verse Named Defensive Rookie Of The Year
Denver Broncos4 days ago

Patrick Surtain II Named Defensive Player Of The Year
Josh Allen4 days ago

Named MVP
Joe Burrow4 days ago

Named Comeback Player Of The Year
Saquon Barkley4 days ago

Wins Offensive Player Of The Year
Jayden Daniels4 days ago

Named Offensive Rookie Of The Year
Jake Matthews4 days ago

Opens Up UFC 312 Main Card
Rodolfo Bellato4 days ago

Looks To Extend Win Streak At UFC 312
Jimmy Crute4 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC 312
Sean Strickland4 days ago

Looks To Reclaim Middleweight Title At UFC 312
Dricus Du Plessis4 days ago

Puts Middleweight Title On The Line At UFC 312
Adam Thielen4 days ago

Plans To Play In 2025
Tommy Pham4 days ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Pittsburgh
Pete Alonso5 days ago

Returning To Mets On Two-Year Deal
Alex Bregman5 days ago

Cubs Offer Four-Year Deal To Alex Bregman
Sandy Alcantara5 days ago

Expected To Be Ready For Opening Day
Brandon Woodruff5 days ago

Not Expected To Be Ready For Start Of Spring Training
Christian Yelich5 days ago

Not Expected To Be 100% For Start Of Spring Training
Eric Cole5 days ago

Faces Challenges At WM Phoenix Open
Gary Woodland5 days ago

A Strong Value Play At WM Phoenix Open
Lee Hodges5 days ago

Looks To Build On Strong Start At WM Phoenix Open
Ben Griffin5 days ago

Still Searching For Consistency At Scottsdale
Rashee Rice5 days ago

Doing Well In His Injury Recovery
Denny McCarthy5 days ago

A Volatile Option At WM Phoenix Open
Lucas Glover5 days ago

Looks To Build On Strong Pebble Beach Finish
Andrew Novak5 days ago

In Good Form Ahead Of WM Phoenix Open
Keith Mitchell5 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At WM Phoenix Open
Sam Stevens5 days ago

Looking To Stay Hot At WM Phoenix Open
Matt Fitzpatrick5 days ago

Worth Considering At WM Phoenix Open
J.J. Spaun5 days ago

In Great Form Ahead Of WM Phoenix Open
Davis Thompson5 days ago

Is Riding The Struggle Bus To Scottsdale
PGA5 days ago

J.T. Poston Looks To Overcome Putting Woes At WM Phoenix Open
Akshay Bhatia5 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent At WM Phoenix Open
Robert MacIntyre5 days ago

A Solid Option At WM Phoenix Open
Corey Conners5 days ago

A Boom-Or-Bust Option At WM Phoenix Open
Matthieu Pavon5 days ago

Should Be Avoided At All Costs At TPC Scottsdale
Nicolai Hojgaard5 days ago

Will Be Hard To Trust At WM Phoenix Open Debut
PGA5 days ago

Sungjae Im Searching For Consistency At WM Phoenix Open
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF