Fantasy Football Week 17: Waiver-Wire Pickups, Rankings and Stat Projections

The fantasy football world never stops.

Not even during the middle of holiday season.

With plenty of fantasy football league titles to be decided during Week 17 of the 2023 NFL season, we're already shifting our focus forward and (hopefully) plotting some championship paths. To make that happen, we're laying out early top-10 rankings at the three marquee positions and spotlighting a pair of waiver-wire targets who could give your roster a lift.

Top-10 Rankings

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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 23: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills drops back to pass in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on December 23, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

Quarterback

1. Jalen Hurts, PHI (vs. ARI)

2. Josh Allen, BUF (vs. NE)

3. Lamar Jackson, BAL (vs. MIA)

4. Patrick Mahomes, KC (vs. CIN)

5. Dak Prescott, DAL (vs. DET)

6. Brock Purdy, SF (at WAS)

7. Justin Fields, CHI (vs. ATL)

8. Tua Tagovailoa, MIA (vs. BAL)

9. Matthew Stafford, LAR (at NYG)

10. Jared Goff, DET (at DAL)

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Running Back

1. Christian McCaffrey, SF (at WAS)

2. Kyren Williams, LAR (at NYG)

3. Jahmyr Gibbs, DET (at DAL)

4. Breece Hall, NYJ (at CLE)

5. Rachaad White, TB (vs. NO)

6. James Cook, BUF (vs. NE)

7. Tony Pollard, DAL (vs. DET)

8. Jonathan Taylor, IND (vs. LV)

9. Isiah Pacheco, KC (vs. CIN)

10. Bijan Robinson, ATL (at CHI)

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Wide Receiver

1. Tyreek Hill, MIA (at BAL)

2. Justin Jefferson, MIN (vs. GB)

3. Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET (at DAL)

4. CeeDee Lamb, DAL (vs. DET)

5. A.J. Brown, PHI (vs. ARI)

6. Cooper Kupp, LAR (at NYG)

7. Deebo Samuel, SF (at WAS)

8. Mike Evans, TB (vs. NO)

9. Rashee Rice, KC (vs. CIN)

10. Stefon Diggs, BUF (vs. NE)

Waiver-wire Target: Derek Carr, QB, New Orleans Saints

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INGLEWOOD, CA - DECEMBER 21: Derek Carr #4 of the New Orleans Saints drops back to pass during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on December 21, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

If you're in the business of streaming quarterbacks, you should get in the business of streaming Derek Carr.

He's been all-caps AWESOME of late, and he has a legitimate chance to be a difference-maker again during championship week.

Between Weeks 15 and 16, he threw for a combined 537 yards and six scores. He was uniquely dominant in both games. In the first, he completed a blistering 82.1 percent of his passes. In the second, he passed for 319 yards, his second-most of the season.

He isn't always this good, obviously, but he might be again next week when he draws a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, per Yahoo.

Projected stats: 28-of-38 for 276 yards, three touchdowns and one interception

Waiver-wire Target: Demarcus Robinson, WR, Los Angeles Rams

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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 21: Demarcus Robinson #15 of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates a touchdown during the third quarter against the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium on December 21, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

The Rams are sprinting through the stretch run, and their passing game is a major reason why. Matthew Stafford has 14 touchdowns against a single interception over his last five outings, and he's completed better than 70 percent of his passes in three of the contests.

Demarcus Robinson isn't the first mouth to feed in this receiving group, but he is securing a more prominent seat at the table.

Robinson, who has seemingly jumped Tutu Atwell as the team's third receiver, has caught a touchdown pass in four consecutive games. He just delivered his best outing of the campaign, snagging all six of his targets for 82 yards and a score.

It's possible his hot streak could cool at any moment, but his momentum and a matchup with a New York Giants defense allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to receivers are too much to ignore.

Projected stats: Five receptions for 67 yards and a touchdown