Fantasy Football Week 17 Waiver Wire: Top Injury Replacements For Championship Week
With Week 17 approaching, most season-long fantasy leagues are entering the championship round. This means that there should be less competition on the waiver wire, though it certainly doesn't decrease the value of finding depth on the wire.
Injury uncertainty remains present, and notable players like Ja'Marr Chase, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis, Josh Jacobs and Marquise Brown missed Week 16, while Trevor Lawrence, T.J. Hockenson, Jordan Addison, Courtland Sutton and others exited during the week.
Several situations will be worth monitoring heading into the most pivotal fantasy slate of the year, and managers will be well-served to have backup plans in place.
While managers won't find many high-end Week 17 plays sitting idle, roster-worthy options are out there. Below, we'll examine five top waiver options to consider adding for the final two weeks of the 2023 season. All options are rostered in 50 percent or less of Yahoo leagues, and all picks are based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.
Fantasy roster and scoring information based on FantasyPros' PPR date.
Joe Flacco, QB, Cleveland Browns (33 Percent Rostered)
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Managers who followed Stroud to the fantasy playoffs have had to turn elsewhere over the last two weeks—though there is "optimism" that he'll return in Week 17, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Lawrence exited on Sunday with a shoulder injury, and while he's never missed an NFL game due to injury, he also leaves managers with some uncertainty heading into championship week.
Quarterback Joe Flacco has helped save the Cleveland Browns' season, and the 38-year-old veteran might just do the same for fantasy managers. He has a daunting matchup this week, as the New York Jets have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing QB. However, Flacco's floor is solid.
Flacco has thrown for at least 300 yards and two touchdowns in each of his past three starts, and while he's good for an interception or two each week, he's become the new centerpiece of the Browns offense.
After watching journeyman Washington Commanders QB Jacoby Brissett step in and go 10-of-13 for 100 yards with a touchdown in limited action against New York, Flacco feels like a fairly safe play. The Browns can clinch a playoff berth at home this Thursday, and they're going to trust their new locker-room leader to turn it loose in the passing game.
Tyler Allgeier, RB, Atlanta Falcons (47 Percent Rostered)
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The Las Vegas Raiders ruled out Jacobs because of a quad injury and an illness, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Managers seeking a running back fill-in won't have many viable options in Week 17, but Tyler Allgeier might be available.
The Atlanta Falcons back tends to play the No. 2 role behind rookie standout Bijan Robinson, but he still sees a significant workload in Atlanta's multi-faceted rushing attack. Against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, he rushed for 69 yards and a touchdown while notching a 19-yard reception.
Allgeier has recorded at least one reception and 50 scrimmage yards in each of his last two games. While his ceiling is somewhat limited, he should carry a solid floor against the Chicago Bears this week.
While Chicago's defense has improved dramatically over the second half of the season, the Bears have still allowed an average of 20.7 fantasy points to opposing running backs in 2023. Arizona Cardinals back James Conner logged 112 scrimmage yards and a touchdown against Chicago in Week 16.
K. J. Osborn, WR, Minnesota Vikings (16 Percent Rostered)
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Minnesota Vikings wideout K.J. Osborn has been a boom-or-bust fantasy play for most of the 2023 season. However, with Addison and Hockenson ailing, he might be a big part of the Vikings' game plan in Week 17.
Addison is considered week-to-week with an ankle sprain, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport.
Osborn finished Week 16 with five catches for 95 yards and a touchdown. If he indeed steps into the No. 2 receiver role to replace Addison this week, he could have similar numbers against the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers defense has slumped in recent weeks, and it just surrendered a season-high 312 passing yards to rookie quarterback Bryce Young. Carolina Panthers receivers Adam Thielen and D.J. Chark Jr. each topped 90 receiving yards against the Packers on Sunday.
The big question here is whether the Vikings will stick with Nick Mullens at quarterback. Mullens tossed four interceptions against the Detroit Lions, but he also threw for 411 yards and two touchdowns.
If Mullens does start, the Vikings will trust him to throw, despite his turnover tendencies. That gives Osborn a very respectable floor for Week 17.
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Rashid Shaheed, WR, New Orleans Saints (44 Percent Rostered)
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New Orleans Saints wideout Rashid Shaheed has lurked as a boom-or-bust fantasy option all season. While quarterback Derek Carr hasn't frequently leaned on Shaheed as a top target, Shaheed's deep-threat ability gives him a reasonably high ceiling in most matchups.
On Thursday, Shaheed cut through the Los Angeles Rams defense for 70 yards and a touchdown on five receptions. He's had five receptions in two of his last four games and has had at least three catches in six of his last seven. While Shaheed's yardage totals haven't regularly been high, his PPR floor is higher than a lot of other unrostered receivers.
Shaheed is worth flex consideration in Week 17 because the Saints face a must-win game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. New Orleans has virtually no shot at the postseason if it cannot outlast Tampa, and attacking the Buccaneers through the air has been a successful strategy.
The Buccaneers rank dead-last in passing yards allowed and have surrendered the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season.
Gerald Everett, TE, Los Angeles Chargers (42 Percent Rostered)
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Finding a serviceable tight end this late in the season is difficult. However, Gerald Everett of the Los Angeles Chargers is available in a majority of Yahoo leagues.
While Everett doesn't carry a high ceiling—he has yet to top 50 yards in a game this season—his floor is solid and hasn't really changed with Easton Stick at quarterback. Whether it's been Stick or Justin Herbert under center, Everett has delivered when healthy this season.
Over his last five games, Everett has recorded no fewer than four receptions and 39 receiving yards. He's had at least five receptions and 41 yards in his two games with Stick at quarterback, and he finished Week 16 with seven receptions and 42 yards.
This week, the Chargers will visit the Denver Broncos, who have struggled against opposing tight ends. No team has surrendered more fantasy points to the position through the first 16 weeks of 2023.
The last time L.A. faced Denver, Everett caught five passes, and that should serve as his PPR baseline for the rematch.
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