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

Week 17 Waiver Wire Pickups Overview: Zach Ertz, Bilal Powell, Ryan Fitzpatrick

Playoff Waiver Wire Adds for Week Seventeen

Week 16 of the NFL season is through, and for most folks reading this it means your fantasy football championships are over. For the few of you remaining in week 17 leagues, we're here for you.

Week 16 saw Cam Newton turn in one of his worst performances to date while Kirk Cousins obliterated the Eagles (and won me my championship), Tim Hightower continue a trend of has-beens returning to make significant impact, a fantastic end to week 16 for many budding young WRs like Allen Robinson and Brandin Cooks, and another top TE week from the Pro-Bowl snubbed Jordan Reed.

Below are some waiver wire pickups and sleepers for Week 17 who can have a potential impact for your teams. My piece won't cover all waiver wire adds and targets each week, as there are just too many with all the league types out there, but I'll be highlighting and prioritizing the biggest impact players. Additionally, be sure to check out many more great RotoBaller articles and waiver wire analysis pieces at each position throughout the week, including risers/fallers, deeper league sleepers, rankings and more.

 

Week 17 Quarterback Waiver Wire Pickups

Ryan Fitzpatrick (QB, NYJ)

48% Owned on Fleaflicker

One of the important things for the week 17 championships is having players that are still playing for something. Well, Ryan Fitzpatrick still has to win in week 17 in order to clinch a playoff spot. Unfortunately, it'll be on the road where Fitzpatrick has been far worse than normal this year but it'll still likely be one of the better floors you'll find.

Kirk Cousins (QB, WAS)

46% Owned on Fleaflicker

The Redskins don't have a lot to play for, making Cousin's a risky fantasy start, but I doubt that they'll bench him or even let him off early. They'll want to make sure their offense is clicking and running on full steam as they'll be heavy underdogs in the playoffs and are still one win away from a winning season. They may rest their starters, so stay tuned for further news throughout the week.

Other Quarterback Options: 

  • CLE QB Johnny Manziel - 16% owned - One of the guys with a lot to play for in week 17, Manziel will be pushing to prove that he's worth investing into for the Cleveland Browns when he faces the Steelers at home. This is assuming he actually plays, as news was released that he was caught partying again (at the dismay of his coaches). The Steelers will be playing this game incredibly competitively as they attempt to make it into the playoffs themselves but the Manziel-led Browns will be scrapping their way through this game as they attempt to play spoiler. Manziel already had a 16 point game against the Steelers earlier in the season, and might be able to put up his season best this week.
  • DEN QB Brock Osweiler - 28% owned - Win or lose in week 16, the Broncos will be trying to get Osweiler as much time as possible in order to build momentum in the playoffs for the youngster.

More Options: Case Keenum

 

Week 17 Running Back Waiver Wire Pickups

Tim Hightower (RB, NO)

48% owned on Fleaflicker

Hightower will continue to get usage in week 17 since the Saints have no real investment in him after this year. He'll be seeing a cake matchup against the Falcons while continuing to make people question whether Mark Ingram was just another guy.

Bilal Powell (RB, NYJ)

39% owned on Fleaflicker

The Jets still have to win in order to get a playoff berth, and one of their most valuable players during this final stretch has been Bilal Powell who's somehow managed to outplay Chris Ivory handedly in the second half of the season. Powell's shown that even on limited touches he can put up valuable points.

Mike Gillislee (RB, BUF)

6% owned on Fleaflicker

Partner in crime Karlos Williams won't make it onto the list because he's far too highly owned but just like Powell, Gillislee has shown that he can find value off of limited touches with three touchdowns in three straight weeks. The Bills, despite being out of the playoffs, have no investment in Gillislee- who will likely be playing as hard as he can to make a good case for his approaching free agency.

Other Running Back Options: 

  • MIA RB Jay Ajayi29% owned - With nothing left to play for, the Dolphins might turn some attention to Ajayi for the final week of the year.
  • DET RB Theo Riddick29% owned - Riddick's just an every week feature here at this point, continuing to show PPR value even in weeks where his yardage is weak. He's a low-end RB2 in PPR leagues, and should be owned in all of them.
  • NE RB Brandon Bolden34% owned - Bolden saw 14 touches against the Jets but struggled to get value against a difficult defense. The Dolphins will be far easier to run against than the Jets and he should be able to show some FLEX appeal.

More Options: Jonathan Grimes, Pierre Thomas

 

Week 17 Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups

Kamar Aiken (WR, BAL)

44% Owned on Fleaflicker

The Ravens have nothing to play for outside of pride at this point, but both Ryan Mallett and Kamar Aiken are going to want to show that they're worth trusting next year for whatever team looks at them. For Aiken, he already has a home in Baltimore and he's going to try to put together another his final strong game this year to give him more breathing room for next year when Breshad Perriman returns.

DeVante Parker (WR, MIA)

25% Owned on Fleaflicker

The Dolphins will be trying to save their lost season by trying to get the most out of their young players like DeVante Parker. He'll likely continue to see the field for the entire game and might even have many passes forced his way as they try to force development out of him.

Brice Butler (WR, DAL)

1% Owned on Fleaflicker

With the Cowboys season over, they've turned to their younger players to see what they have on their roster. Butler had the most targets out of any Cowboys WRs in week 16 and should be the most talented player they have left to throw to in week 17. He'll be pushing for a strong showing too in order to overtake Terrance Williams on the roster next year.

Other Wide Receiver Options: 

  • BAL WR Jeremy Butler1% owned - A personal favorite, Butler's a guy I compare to a mini-Brandon Marshall. He's nowhere near as valuable - but his role has been growing in this offense every week, and the team does what it can to give him the opportunity to be in space and get YAC. He's a PPR option, mainly.
  • SEA WR Tyler Lockett - 47% owned - Lockett might've been in the above section if the Seahawks hadn't already clinched their playoff spot. With no chance to move up from the wildcard, who knows how the usage shakes out in week 17. As a rookie, Lockett has a chance to see extended playing time though.

More Options: Keshawn Martin, Nate Washington

 

Week 17 Tight End Waiver Wire Pickups

Zach Miller (TE, CHI)

25% owned on Fleaflicker

There's little left to play for in Chicago outside of pride, but it's doubtful in his first year as HC of the Bears that John Fox gives up on the final week of the season. Miller's been reliable for the nearly the entire second half of the season and should continue to be in week 17.

Zach Ertz (TE, PHI)

40% owned on Fleaflicker

Kelly's last stand in 2015 might play some factor in whether or not he's brought back in 2016 and Ertz will likely have a huge role in that. Ertz has been a different player in December as he's put up anywhere from 7 to 13 points every week. He'll be a trustworthy TE1.

Other Tight End Options: 

  • NYG TE Will Tye - 13% owned - Coughlin has too much pride to sit out the final game of the season. Although the game may end for many of the starters early, I don't imagine Tye will be one of those guys. Other than a bad game against a great Vikings team, Tye's been valuable throughout the year.

More Options: Maxx Williams, Eric Ebron

 

Week 17 Defense (D/ST) Waiver Wire Pickups

Indianapolis Colts

13% Owned on Fleaflicker

The Colts will still be playing for the final playoff spot in week 17 and will be doing so against an awful Titans team that is starting Zach Mettenberger. Metteneberger hasn't been able to put together a drive with any consistency since taking over for Marcus Mariota and a Titans team with little motivation and playing mostly for development of their young players is not going to put up much of a fight. Expect the Colts defense to put in plenty of work in order to try and take the Texans spot in the AFC playoffs.

 

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]

 


Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!




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

Caleb Williams1 hour ago

Bears Reiterate That Caleb Williams Will Start In Week 11
Mikko Rantanen2 hours ago

Grabs Four Points Against Kings
Aliaksei Protas2 hours ago

Enjoys Multi-Point Outing Versus Maple Leafs
Patrick Kane2 hours ago

Notches Two Points In Overtime Win
Blake Lizotte3 hours ago

Suffers Another Injury
Pyotr Kochetkov3 hours ago

Suffers Injury Versus Utah
Caleb Jones3 hours ago

Hurt On Wednesday
Darcy Kuemper3 hours ago

Exits With Injury Wednesday
LeBron James3 hours ago

Makes History With Third Consecutive Triple-Double
Jaxson Hayes3 hours ago

To Be Re-Evaluated In 1-2 Weeks
Walker Kessler3 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Thursday
P.J. Washington4 hours ago

Considered Doubtful For Thursday
Luka Doncic4 hours ago

Expected To Remain In The Lineup Thursday
DeMar DeRozan4 hours ago

Exits Win With Back Problem
Aaron Rodgers4 hours ago

Leaning Toward Return In 2025
Grayson Allen16 hours ago

Ruled Out Versus Kings
D'Angelo Russell16 hours ago

Suiting Up On Wednesday
Bradley Beal16 hours ago

Unavailable Wednesday
DK Metcalf18 hours ago

Puts In Full Practice On Wednesday
Henrik Norlander18 hours ago

Needs Strong Showing At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Michael Kim18 hours ago

Playing Well Down The Stretch
Nick Taylor18 hours ago

Returns To Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Jhonattan Vegas18 hours ago

Playing Well Heading To Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Matthias Schmid18 hours ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Patrick Rodgers18 hours ago

Heads To Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Mackenzie Hughes18 hours ago

Debuts At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Maverick McNealy18 hours ago

Seeking Back-To-Back Top-10 Finishes In Bermuda
Lucas Glover18 hours ago

In A Groove Ahead Of Bermuda Championship
Andrew Putnam18 hours ago

A Player To Watch In Bermuda
PGA18 hours ago

Nico Echavarria In Top Form Heading To Bermuda
Jusuf Nurkic19 hours ago

Back On Wednesday Night
Anfernee Simons19 hours ago

Won't Suit Up Against The Timberwolves
Robert Williams III19 hours ago

Resting In Rematch With Minnesota
Deandre Ayton19 hours ago

Out Again On Wednesday
Andre Drummond19 hours ago

Out Sick On Wednesday
Paul George19 hours ago

Won't Play Versus Cleveland
Joel Embiid19 hours ago

Sitting On Wednesday
Tage Thompson19 hours ago

Labeled As Day-To-Day
Mattias Samuelsson19 hours ago

Out Indefinitely
Gabriel Landeskog20 hours ago

Remains Without A Timeline
Jonas Brodin20 hours ago

Considered Questionable For Thursday
Tank Bigsby20 hours ago

Listed As DNP On Wednesday
Andre Drummond20 hours ago

Listed As Questionable On Wednesday
Tyreek Hill20 hours ago

Misses Wednesday's Practice
Hampus Lindholm20 hours ago

Expected To Miss "Weeks"
Jani Hakanpaa20 hours ago

Available On Wednesday
Tee Higgins20 hours ago

Officially Limited On Wednesday
Marcus Smart20 hours ago

Set To Play Wednesday
Seth Jarvis20 hours ago

Set To Miss A Second Consecutive Game
Michael Pittman Jr.20 hours ago

Practicing In Full
Brian Thomas Jr.20 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
Josh Jacobs21 hours ago

Limited During Wednesday's Practice
Mike Conley21 hours ago

Resting Wednesday Versus Portland
Kirk Cousins21 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
Najee Harris21 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Wednesday
Christian McCaffrey21 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
George Kittle21 hours ago

Not Practicing On Wednesday
Brian Robinson Jr.21 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
DK Metcalf22 hours ago

To Be Limited In Wednesday's Practice
Sam LaPorta22 hours ago

Misses Practice, Remains Day-To-Day
J.J. McCarthy23 hours ago

Undergoes Second Knee Surgery
Gardner Minshew II23 hours ago

Will Start In Week 11
Tee Higgins24 hours ago

Won't Practice But Bengals Encouraged With His Progress
Isiah Pacheco1 day ago

Unlikely To Return In Week 11
Younghoe Koo1 day ago

Falcons Sticking With Younghoe Koo As Their Kicker
Nick Hardy1 day ago

Looks To Find Consistency On The Greens In Bermuda
Carson Young1 day ago

Hopes To Carry Recent Form To Bermuda
Brandon Clarke1 day ago

Questionable For Wednesday's Action
Kevin Yu1 day ago

A Name To Watch At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Marcus Smart1 day ago

Picks Up Questionable Tag Ahead Of Wednesday
Connor McDavid1 day ago

Leads Oilers To Victory With Four-Point Effort
Neal Pionk1 day ago

Records Three Assists In Historic Win
Linus Ullmark1 day ago

Records First Shutout As Senator
Hampus Lindholm1 day ago

Taken Out By A Lower-Body Injury
Sam Bennett1 day ago

Battling An Upper-Body Injury
Lars Eller1 day ago

Returns To Washington
Shohei Ohtani2 days ago

Among NL Silver Slugger Winners
Aaron Judge2 days ago

Headlines AL Silver Slugger Winners
Dante Fabbro2 days ago

Makes Blue Jackets Debut Tuesday
Wander Franco2 days ago

Now Facing Weapons Charges
Travis d'Arnaud2 days ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Angels
Brendon Todd2 days ago

A Hard Sell At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Greyson Sigg2 days ago

May Surprise In Bermuda
Jacob Bridgeman2 days ago

In For Adventure At Port Royal Golf Course
Mark Hubbard2 days ago

Plays Solid In Bermuda
Andrew Novak2 days ago

Tries To Build Off ZOZO Championship
Daniel Berger2 days ago

Looks To Continue His Consistent Run At Port Royal Golf Course
Justin Lower2 days ago

Looks To Continue His Hot Play At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
2 days ago

Blue Jays, Red Sox To Meet With Juan Soto
Jasson Domínguez3 days ago

Yankees Expect Jasson Dominguez To Have A Big Role In 2025
Carlos Correa3 days ago

Progressing
Carlos Prates3 days ago

Gets Higlight-Reel Knockout Win At UFC Vegas 100
Neil Magny3 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 100
Cortavious Romious3 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 100
Gaston Bolaños3 days ago

Gaston Bolanos Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Joey Logano3 days ago

Holds On At Phoenix To Win His Third Cup Series Championship
Los Angeles Dodgers3 days ago

Dodgers Considered Favorites For Roki Sasaki
Ryan Blaney3 days ago

Falls Short Of The 2024 Cup Series Title At Phoenix
Dusko Todorovic3 days ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC Vegas 100
Wander Franco3 days ago

Arrested On Monday After Altercation
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Lacks Speed Of Other Championship 4 Contenders But Drives Well
William Byron3 days ago

Finishes Third In Phoenix Race And Championship
Miami Marlins4 days ago

Marlins Hire Clayton McCullough As New Skipper
Mansur Abdul-Malik4 days ago

Gets First-Round Finish At UFC Vegas 100
Luana Pinheiro4 days ago

Falls Short At UFC Vegas 100
Gillian Robertson4 days ago

Extends Win Streak At UFC Vegas 100
Gerald Meerschaert4 days ago

Gets Finished At UFC Vegas 100
MMA4 days ago

Reinier de Ridder Gets Submission Win In UFC Debut
4 days ago

Rays Have Interest In Juan Soto
NASCAR4 days ago

Bubba Wallace Is A Top DFS Recommendation With Upside For Phoenix
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Is Expected To Compete For The Title At Phoenix
Joey Logano4 days ago

Is One Of The Favorites To Win At Phoenix
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Could Be A Favorable DFS Option For Phoenix Lineups
Corey Lajoie4 days ago

Corey LaJoie Will Start 20th At Phoenix
Brad Keselowski4 days ago

Is A Solid Recommendation For Phoenix DFS Lineups
Erik Jones4 days ago

Will Start 19th At Phoenix This Week
Carson Hocevar4 days ago

Will Compete For A Top-10 Finish At Phoenix
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Should DFS Players Fade Ty Gibbs At Phoenix?
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Is Chase Elliott A Solid DFS Pick For Phoenix Lineups?
Ryan Blaney4 days ago

The Championship Favorite Despite Qualifying Blunder
William Byron4 days ago

Will Be Strong In Fight For Championship
Austin Cindric4 days ago

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Is Great At Phoenix
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Looking To Go Back-To-Back At Phoenix After Championship Snub
Chase Briscoe4 days ago

Can Be Worth Rostering In Tournaments At Phoenix
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Could Contend At Phoenix
5 days ago

Nick Martinez Expected To Accept Qualifying Offer
MLB5 days ago

Roki Sasaki Will Be Posted, Opens Door For 2025 MLB Debut
Nolan Arenado6 days ago

Could Be On The Trade Block
Zach Neto6 days ago

Undergoes Shoulder Surgery, Could Miss Start Of 2025

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Houston Texans Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Derek Stingley Fantasy Football IDP

D/ST Strength of Schedule Analysis - Fantasy Football Defense/Special Teams Matchups (2024)

Ahh, the good old Defense/Special Teams (DST) position in fantasy football. It is a controversial inclusion in fantasy lineups for some fantasy players, but strategizing around DSTs is one of my favorite aspects of the in-season fantasy football experience. In the article below, I will present the strength of schedule (SOS) for the fantasy Defense/Special […]


Russell Wilson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Sneaky Starts, Pivot Plays, and Post-Waiver Pickups for Week 11 - Russell Wilson, Audric Estime, Dawson Knox, and more

There are just four weeks left of the fantasy football regular season. Enjoy it while it lasts because before you know it, it’ll be gone. It also means you have four weeks to get your team into the playoffs. In many of my leagues, the last playoff spot is around .500. In some, a team […]


Tyreek Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

2024 Fantasy Football Rankings (Weekly Rankings)

Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.


dawson knox fantasy football rankings NFL DFS lineup picks

Tight Ends Fantasy Football Start 'Em and Sit 'Em For Week 11

The tight-end position has never been easy to navigate. This year was supposed to be where tight ends returned to glory, with a deep group of players ready to take the position to new heights. Unfortunately, that didn't come to pass, and fantasy managers have been left with one of the more depressing groups in […]


Ja'Marr Chase - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS and Betting Picks

Wide Receiver Sleepers, Risers, Breakouts for Fantasy Football - Targets, Air Yards, Snaps Trends for Week 11 (2024)

Wide Receiver Sleepers, Risers, Fantasy Football Breakouts - Targets, Air Yards, Snaps Trends Analysis For Week 11 by Kevin Tompkins Targets are paramount when it comes to evaluating pass-catchers for fantasy football. There are no air yards, receiving yards, receptions, or touchdowns without first earning a target. There’s a reason the biggest and most consistent […]


Jordan Love - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Targets, NFL Injury News

High-Powered Offenses: Players to Target in Week 11 Lineups Including Jordan Love, Demarcus Robinson, Patrick Mahomes, Tucker Kraft, DeAndre Hopkins, More

Hello, RotoBallers, and welcome to our column High-Powered Offenses for Week 11 of the 2024 fantasy football season. Below, you’ll find a recap of the last week's offenses to target, a sneak peek of the offenses to target, a breakdown of the methodology, a snapshot of each metric in a data table, a few key […]


Amon-Ra St. Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Survivor Pool Picks: Week 11 Targets and Avoids (2024)

Welcome to our NFL Survivor Pool Picks for Week 11 of the 2024 NFL season! There are so many different pools, fantasy leagues, weekly bets, and futures bets that it's hard to decide what to do with these choices. But survivor pools are the oldest and simplest leagues out there. All you have to do is […]


David Montgomery - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Pick'em Pool Picks (Week 11) - Targets, Avoids, Predictions for Pick'em Contests (2024)

The Cardinals, Buccaneers, Panthers, and Giants will all be on a bye during Week 11. There are still some great matchups on the board, including when the Steelers host the Ravens. Each week of the NFL season, I’ll share my picks for each game and rank their selections for those who play in a format […]


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Fantasy Football Matchups We Love - Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 11 Include Drake London, Justin Herbert, Joe Mixon, George Pickens, Chase Brown

Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson lit the world on fire on Thursday Night Football to send fantasy managers into a love/hate frenzy heading into the weekend. Unfortunately, the weekend did not deliver the same level of goodness that fantasy managers were hoping for. There were several duds from players fantasy managers have come to expect […]


Russell Wilson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 11 Fantasy Football Sleepers - Alexander Mattison, Russell Wilson, Elijah Moore, Jonnu Smith

Zeroing in on the right sleepers each week can be the secret to fantasy football success. Some players come out of nowhere, ready to save your lineup when you least expect it. It could be a quarterback with a soft matchup, a running back stepping in, or a receiver getting extra looks. The challenge? Deciding […]


Tampa Bay Bucs Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Vita Vea Fantasy Football IDP

Top Fantasy Football D/ST Rankings (Weeks 11, 12, 13, 14) - Defense Streamers and Starts

Welcome, RotoBallers, to our fantasy football D/ST streamers and starts for Weeks 11, 12, 13, and 14 -- looking at the next four weeks and identifying the best D/ST matchups. Streaming defenses each week is a strategy that some fantasy managers have adopted over the years, and looking ahead weeks in advance could give you an […]


Austin Ekeler - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL News

High-Value Touches and Opportunities - Fantasy Football Underperformers, Overperformers (Week 11)

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to my weekly series, "High-Value Touches and Opportunities" for Week 11 of the 2024 fantasy football season. We're nearly a month before the fantasy football playoffs begin, depending on if leagues go through Week 17 or 18. It's crunch time, and we'll want to pay attention to the news, noise, and trends, […]


Houston Texans Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Derek Stingley Fantasy Football IDP

Week 11 Defense (DEF) Streamers and Starts - 2024 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our Week 11 fantasy football defense streamers and D/ST rankings for the 2024 fantasy football season. Every week, I'll go through the best and worst fantasy defenses. There are four more teams on bye this week (Cardinals, Panthers, Giants, and Buccaneers), so I'll be ranking defenses from No. 1 to No. 28.  There's […]