Raheim Sanders and the Best Week 17 Fantasy Football Waiver-Wire Pickups

The fantasy football version of the Super Bowl is fast approaching with Week 17 of the 2025 NFL season upon us.

Congrats to those of you who successfully navigated to a championship game, but it isn't time to rest on your laurels. There are still moves to be made that can provide a sizable boost to your chances of winning it all.

Since this will be the last time you work the waiver wire in 2025, it's important to make it count. Priority and FAAB management no longer matter. If you lost a key contributor like Quinshon Judkins to injury, spend every last FAAB dollar to land your preferred replacement. If you need a streaming option to fill out a shaky flex or D/ST spot, blow that top priority to fill it.

You should even consider putting in claims to deny top-flight free agents from reaching your opponent's starting lineup.

Be sure to review your upcoming foe's roster and predict where they might plan to direct a waiver claim. If you don't have any holes to fill, pick up any and all talent that has a chance to be deployed against you. Free up space for these players by dropping reserves at a position your opponent won't be able to benefit from.

With that in mind, here's a look at the best possible waiver pickups at every position for Week 17.

Suggestions are available in approximately half or more of all Yahoo! Sports leagues. Fantasy points and rankings courtesy of FantasyPros' PPR data.

Quarterback

AP Photo/Ella Hall

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough

Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints (15 Percent Rostered)

It's time for Shough to show out. After putting up 17.1 or more points for a month straight—including a 22.3-point QB6 finish in Week 14—New Orleans' rookie signal-caller is poised for a big game against the Titans.

Tennessee has struggled to contain opposing QBs, allowing the eighth most fantasy points to the position this year. While the Titans bottled up Kansas City's pair of backups in Gardner Minshew and Chris Oladokun this weekend, they conceded top-five finishes to Shedeur Sanders and Brock Purdy, respectively, in the two games leading up to Week 16.

With neither team having anything meaningful to play for, expect a high-scoring duel between Shough and fellow first-year passer Cam Ward.

Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons (9 Percent Rostered)

Cousins has been doing a fine job auditioning for his next NFL job in recent weeks.

Whether he stays in Atlanta in a similar role or moves on to start elsewhere in 2026 remains to be seen, but back-to-back wins and QB1-tier finishes prove the 37-year-old still has what it takes to succeed at this level.

Although he regressed slightly from a QB3 finish against the Bucs in Week 15, Cousins still came through with a steady QB11 outing versus the Cardinals on Sunday. The performance even included a rare rushing touchdown from the veteran, his first since Week 8 of the 2022 campaign, which also occurred against Arizona.

Expect another borderline QB1 finish from Cousins in Week 17. While the Rams have generally fared well against opposing QBs this year, they've been vulnerable in recent weeks. L.A.'s defense conceded a QB7 finish to Sam Darnold this past week and a QB5 finish to Jared Goff in Week 15.

Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers (29 Percent Rostered)

Rodgers is locking in at the perfect time, leading the Steelers to three consecutive wins. He was firing on all cylinders while overseeing one of Pittsburgh's top performances of the year in a clutch Week 16 win over the Lions.

Although the future Hall of Famer hasn't been putting up huge fantasy numbers, he's scored 15.5 or more points in each of the last three games. He also aired it out a season-high 41 times on Sunday.

If Pittsburgh continues to pass at that rate, Rodgers will be a low-end QB1 for the team's upcoming clash with the rival Browns.

Running Back

AP Photo/Kirk Irwin

Cleveland Browns running back Raheim Sanders

Raheim Sanders, Cleveland Browns (0 Percent Rostered)

The Browns' backfield appears to be cursed. After breaking his leg on Sunday, Quinshon Judkins became the latest in a string of Cleveland running backs who have suffered a significant injury.

With the star rookie on the shelf alongside backups Jerome Ford and Dylan Sampson, Sanders will be the next man up. He projects to see plenty of work by virtue of being one of the only healthy backs remaining on Cleveland's roster.

Although the undrafted rookie had only seen the field for three offensive snaps and never touched the rock prior to Week 16, he saw extensive action after Judkins went down against the Bills.

Sanders finished the day with a promising 46 yards on 12 touches, making him worth an add for any desperate manager seeking to fill their RB2 or flex spot with a high-upside asset during championship week.

Michael Carter, Arizona Cardinals (44 Percent Rostered)

Carter is a good bet to remain Arizona's RB1 for the remainder of this lost season. He's seen significant action since Bam Knight went down with an ankle injury at the start of Week 15 and isn't likely to be pushed down the pecking order over the final two games.

While Carter had a decent RB19 showing against a tough Texans squad the week prior, his Week 16 performance (65 yards on 11 carries, zero catches on two targets), left something to be desired.

Things should get easier against a poor Bengals defense in Week 17. With Cincinnati conceding a league-high 25.9 fantasy points per game to opposing RBs, he will have an opportunity to put up season-high, if not career-best, numbers.

Get him in your lineup if you aren't rock-solid at the RB2 spot.

Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams (43 Percent Rostered)
Corum has been on fire this month, scoring a whopping five touchdowns in the span of just four games. With the backup RB finding paydirt in each of those contests, he's a safe bet for managers who need a low-risk option to round out their championship lineup.

Although the 25-year-old hadn't been contributing much as a receiver prior to Week 16 (catching just one ball for three yards in the three games leading up to it), he did add some PPR value by reeling in one of his two targets for 13 yards against Seattle.

After Corum logged a season-high 14 totes this past week, it's time to fully trust that head coach Sean McVay will be sticking to a two-man platoon approach for the remainder of the campaign.

Corum's steady production (12.1 or more fantasy points in each of the last four games) and knack for scoring make him a fine addition to most lineups.

Emanuel Wilson, Green Bay Packers (41 Percent Rostered)

The Packers have to consider giving Josh Jacobs a week off after an abysmal Week 16 performance. The team tried to use the hobbled starter against the rival Bears but found him inefficient and phased him out in favor of Wilson during the latter portions of the contest.

With Jacobs' status up in the air again, Wilson is worth a speculative claim leading up to Green Bay's pivotal Week 17 clash with the Ravens. The backup was far more effective on Sunday anyway, racking up 82 yards on 14 carries compared to Jacobs' 36 yards on 12 totes. Jacobs also fumbled in the contest, another reason to believe Wilson will get the lion's share of work even if Jacobs can play on Saturday.

Wilson has proved more than competent as Green Bay's lead back, picking up 26.5 fantasy points and an RB3 finish in his lone start back in Week 12. Consider the 26-year-old a low-end flex candidate if Jacobs is active and a must-start RB2 if the starter is sidelined.

Wide Receiver

AP Photo/Jack Dempsey

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington

Parker Washington, Jacksonville Jaguars (23 Percent Rostered)

Washington exploded against the Broncos in Week 16, racking up an eye-popping 26.5 points with a 6/145/1 line on 10 targets. It was an unexpected development given Denver came into the contest allowing the fifth-fewest fantasy points to WRs in 2025.

While the WR3 finish was the best of his season, he's no stranger to WR1-tier performances. He scored 17-plus fantasy points three times during a four-game stretch between Weeks 9-12, proving this latest outing may not be a fluke.

Don't count on Washington putting up those types of numbers on a regular basis, but he's at least on the WR2 radar going into a Week 17 showdown with the Colts.

Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts (43 Percent Rostered)

The Colts are preparing for another game with Philip Rivers running their offense. The veteran QB's debut wasn't bad considering he'd been out of the NFL for a half-decade, but there's plenty of room for improvement when the team takes on the 49ers in Week 17.

The 44-year-old did a solid job spreading the ball around against the Seahawks, with Downs matching Michael Pittman Jr. with five targets in the contest. Downs caught just three of those balls for 13 yards, but did score Indy's lone touchdown to finish with 10.3 fantasy points.

With Downs being Indy's preferred choice in the slot, he should benefit from plenty of quick and short passes from Rivers on Sunday. He's a decent PPR choice for this reason, but he'll likely need to score again to post a top-25 finish.

Kayshon Boutte, New England Patriots (27 Percent Rostered)

Boutte is worth rolling the dice on during a lean week for WR waiver targets.

The Patriots playmaker has been relatively quiet since he exploded for four touchdowns in a three-game span earlier in the season, but there's a good chance he pops off against the rival Jets in Week 17.

While he was bottled up against the Ravens—catching just one of three targets for 16 yards)—his fantasy line could have looked better had he not been tackled on an inexplicable no-call late in the contest.

Better days are surely ahead for the third-year veteran. He was sidelined with injury during New England's first matchup versus New York in 2025, but he should make up for it by scoring at least once against a shaky Gang Green secondary that just allowed Chris Olave to post a 10/148/2 line.

Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders (41 Percent Rostered)

Tucker's best performance in over a month came against the league's best defense. The wideout had four catches on five targets for 43 yards and added 11 yards on a pair of rushes to finish the game against Houston with 9.4 fantasy points.

If the 24-year-old can keep it up, he should have little issue breaching the double-digit scoring mark against a tepid Giants defense that allows the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts.

Although there is upside here, Tucker is not someone you'll want to start in a standard format league. Consider him an emergency option at best and stay away unless you are in a deeper league.

Tight End

AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill

Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints (2 Percent Rostered)

Hill finally showed signs of life in Week 16, an unexpected development during a season in which most fantasy managers wrote him off as a non-factor in head coach Kellen Moore's offense.

The veteran utility player displayed his wide range of skills against the Jets, catching four of six targets for 36 yards, rushing 12 times for 42 yards and even completing a 38-yard touchdown pass to finish the day with a solid 15.3 fantasy points.

With New Orleans' backfield gutted by injury, the 35-year-old should continue to see steady playing time as both a rusher and pass-catcher with upside for gadget play touchdown throws.

There's some risk in starting him against the Titans in Week 17 given his lack of consistency in 2025, but Hill's versatility gives him more upside than any other streaming option.

Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals (6 Percent Rostered)

Gesicki has quietly emerged on the fantasy radar following a quality stretch of play over the past three weeks. In two of those three games, he has finished in the TE1 tier, including a huge 20.6 TE2 outing in Week 14.

The return of Joe Burrow and absence of Noah Fant has opened the door for Gesicki to shine. He capitalized on his uptick in usage and improved QB play by snaring three of the four passes that came his way for 35 yards and a score against the Dolphins in Week 16.

While the 30-year-old isn't getting enough volume to continue thriving once Fant returns, he can be deployed as a high-risk, high-reward TE streamer if his teammate remains sidelined in Week 17.

Colby Parkinson, Los Angeles Rams (32 Percent Rostered)

Parkinson let fantasy managers down in the semifinals by having a badly timed 4.1-point outing against the Seahawks. While he came back down to earth against an elite defense, there's a great chance he returns to his red-hot form when L.A. visits Atlanta in Week 17.

Prior to his Week 16 dud, the 26-year-old scored 9.4 or more fantasy points in five of the last six contests and finished outside the top 11 just once.

Although much of his value is tied to scoring, Parkinson remains on the TE1 radar due to his red-area usage and high potential to punch another in during fantasy's championship week.

D/ST

AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough

New England Patriots defenders

New England Patriots (49 Percent Rostered)

Although New England's D/ST only came away with five points on Sunday night and posted an unsightly negative-two line against the Bills the prior week, this is still a top-tier group that is poised to get back on track in a big way.

The Pats have a juicy fantasy championship matchup with the inept Jets coming up, an opponent that just allowed the middling Saints D/ST to post a season-high 19 points during a Week 16 showdown.

Considering the Pats dipped below 50 percent rostership in most leagues ahead of their recent clash against the Ravens, you just may be lucky enough to scoop this unit on waivers.

If you do manage to land New England's D/ST, you can start it with the utmost confidence in Week 17.

Dallas Cowboys (25 Percent Rostered)

Dallas' D/ST has been an abysmal choice for the past month, scoring just a single point combined over the last four matchups. Despite this, the Cowboys are still a very viable streaming choice with a fantasy championship up for grabs.

Dallas had its best defensive performance of the season when it last squared off with the Commanders in Week 7. The team racked up 15 points in that game and could easily eclipse that mark in the rematch.

With Marcus Mariota banged up, the Commanders are considering starting Josh Johnson—the only other active QB on their roster—in Week 17. Regardless of whether they face an injured Mariota or 39-year-old journeyman Johnson, the Cowboys should find a way to put up top-10 D/ST numbers.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (40 Percent Rostered)

Tampa's D/ST has been reeling in recent weeks, failing to capitalize on a soft schedule that included back-to-back matchups with the Falcons and Panthers during the fantasy playoffs.

With the unit scoring a meager two points in each of those contests, it's tough to trust it with a title on the line.

Risk-taking managers could roll the dice here, though, as there won't be a better opportunity for the Buccaneers to turn things around and jump-start their defense than in Week 17.

The Dolphins will be trotting out rookie seventh-rounder Quinn Ewers, who made a two-pick debut in Week 16 and seems poised to continue racking up turnovers in his second start.