Fantasy Football Week 17 Cheat Sheet: Deep Sleepers to Grab on Waiver Wire
It's championship week in the fantasy football world, and the fact you're reading this is hopefully a great thing.
Well, that or you're simply the type who runs through the tape in anything you do.
Either way, you're looking to put your best foot forward in Week 17 of the 2023 NFL season, and we're here to help make that happen by highlighting our top waiver-wire targets rostered in fewer than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues, per FantasyPros.
Derek Carr, QB, New Orleans Saints (40 Percent Rostered)
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If you've been streaming quarterbacks this season—or forced to adapt to the strategy after an injury—you surely didn't plan on streaming Derek Carr with a championship on the line.
You know what you might have been doing, though? Hoping to stream someone who's tallied 537 passing yards and six touchdowns over his last two outings.
Those are Carr's numbers from Weeks 15 and 16, a stretch during which he's been the fourth-highest fantasy scorer among quarterbacks, per FantasyPros. Did matchups against the Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants help him post those stats? No doubt. But could the schedule-makers have done him another favor in Week 17? Absolutely.
That's when he'll tussle with a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that's given up the most passing yards of any defense (264.1 per game). This is a good matchup, and Carr is on a roll. If your options are limited, don't overthink this.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Kansas City Chiefs (36 Percent Rostered)
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This recommendation hinges largely on the status of Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco. Unfortunately, we don't know what that will be yet.
We do know, however, that Pacheco is in concussion protocol, and he's already racing against the clock with Kansas City on a short week. We also know one of his backups, Jerick McKinnon, is on injured reserve with a groin injury.
So, while we can't say for certain what kind of role Clyde Edwards-Helaire will handle in Week 17, we can all acknowledge the possibility that it could be enormous. Plus, the matchup looks phenomenal, as the Chiefs face a Cincinnati Bengals defense allowing the seventh-most rushing yards per game (127.3).
The opportunity in front of Edwards-Helaire could be tremendous, and that's reason enough to add him even without knowing whether this chance will truly come to fruition.
Noah Brown, WR, Houston Texans (47 Percent Rostered)
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The Texans' injury report did Noah Brown no favors this last week.
Nico Collins returned, cutting into Brown's target shares. C.J. Stroud did not, however, leaving Brown on the receiving end of passes from Davis Mills and Case Keenum. Brown still managed seven targets in the contest, but they only resulted in three receptions for 38 yards and no scores.
So, why should fantasy managers hope to see better from Brown in Week 17? Because Stroud returned to practice Wednesday, potentially setting the stage for his comeback from a two-week absence. Now, Stroud remains in concussion protocol, but he's in "phase four" and has just one more phase to clear, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters.
If Stroud can go, Brown can do damage against a Tennessee Titans defense that's allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to receivers, per Yahoo. These clubs collided just two weeks ago, and Brown had eight receptions for 82 yards and a score in that contest—without Stroud.
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