Welcome to the Fantasy Football Waiver Wire for Week 17, and an early Merry Christmas to all. If you’re reading this, you’re probably in a Championship game this coming weekend. Congrats on getting to the precipice, but your work isn’t done. With so many injuries the last two weeks, hitting the waiver wire — either to plug a hole or to block your opponent from doing so — could be the difference between spiking the football and eight months of “what if”. So, let’s open some presents.
This is my final waivers column of the 2025 season. Thanks for taking this ride with me! I hope the advice given here has been useful.
The Process: Each week, I try to identify the top Waiver Wire targets and evaluate the short- and long-term prospects of those players. I also do my best to reveal which players who are coming off a big week are fool’s gold. Finally, I look at streamers who might help you in a pinch.
Needless to say, the sole focus now is players who might be able to help you this week, and this week only.
Note that I’m writing this column BEFORE the Week 16 Monday night game (SF @ IND).
Some players discussed won’t be available in your league. I try to list players who are available in more than 50% of leagues. But what does that even mean? A 10-team league with six bench spots will have a much larger Free Agent pool than a 14-team league with eight. Most leagues fall somewhere in between. This isn’t “one size fits all.” By way of example, I won’t list Trevor Lawrence, Rhamondre Stevenson, Blake Corum, Michael Carter, or Chris Rodriguez, among others who probably aren’t available in any of your leagues.
WEEK 17 BYES: NONE
Week 17 Waiver Wire
Quarterback:
Quarterback availability varies widely between 1-QB and Superflex/2-QB leagues.
Quarterback is getting very dicey in the final weeks of the season, with multiple teams (NYJ, MIA, CLE, MIN, WAS, KC, and BAL) potentially starting second and third-stringers who you absolutely can’t consider for fantasy (Tyler Huntley is the one exception to this – you can consider him (@GB) if you’re stuck, given his experience and rushing upside). Still, there are a few QBs who might be able to help you this week, if you need a streamer or second quarterback in a Superflex. Maybe you lost Jordan Love this week, but somehow still won. Stranger things have happened.
Tyler Shough and the Saints have won three straight contests, with Shough playing well and putting up solid fantasy totals. He has at least 17 fantasy points in four straight contests, and gets the Titans in a road matchup this coming weekend. Tennessee’s defense is coming off a great game against KC’s backups, but on the season they’re a Bottom-10 unit in allowing fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.
In the same game, I think you can consider Cam Ward if you’re stuck. He’s coming off a nice 2-TD game against the Chiefs and is playing much better the last month. The Saints haven’t been an easy matchup recently, and Ward is a somewhat risky play.
Malik Willis was terrific in relief of Jordan Love on Saturday night. He’s electric as a runner and offers true dual-threat upside. The Packers host the Ravens in Week 17, in what could be a battle of backup QBs. Love if iffy at best to get through the concussion protocol before Saturday’s game.
The Raiders host the Giants this week in the 2025 NFL Toilet Bowl. Both teams are 2-13 and the loser will be in pole position for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft. I don’t believe NFL teams do much tanking, and I think you can play Geno Smith against New York’s leaky defense. The Giants have allowed the fourth most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.
If Marcus Mariota (hand) is able to play this week, he’ll face the NFL’s worst pass defense in the Dallas Cowboys. They’ve allowed the most fantasy points and TD passes to opposing quarterbacks. He’d be a pretty attractive option if he plays.
Is there an echo in here? If J.J. McCarthy (hand) can return this week, he’ll face a Lions’ defense that’s been very vulnerable to opposing quarterbacks (fifth-most fantasy points allowed to the position). He’s mistake-prone and hard to trust, though.
Let’s talk about some QBs who are less likely to be available.
I don’t especially like either Sam Darnold or Bryce Young in the SEA @CAR clash this week, C.J. Stroud at the Chargers, or Aaron Rodgers (who might be without D.K. Metcalf) at Cleveland, but at least you know more or less what you’re getting with all four, and you know they’re playing. None of these matchups are favorable.
Running Back:
There are some viable options at running back in Week 17. Go figure.
Kenneth Gainwell continues to be in play as a low-end RB2 or Flex. He’s getting plenty of touches and Aaron Rodgers loves throwing to him. If D.K. Metcalf is suspended for the Steelers’ Week 17 game, Gainwell is even more attractive.
Emmanuel Wilson outpaced Josh Jacobs in the wild Saturday night game, and ran well in the process (14-82). Jacobs’s knee ailment is clearly hampering him, and Wilson should continue to get meaningful touches for the Pack this week.
Raheim “Rocket” Sanders could be the next man up for Cleveland, and the undrafted rookie free agent looked decent against the Bills’ weak run defense (11 carries for 42 yards plus one short reception). He should see plenty of volume against the Steelers unless Dylan Sampson (calf) can get back this week. Both are worth adding if you need a body at running back.
Tyjae Spears hasn’t emerged like some thought he would this season, but the Titans are starting to play better on offense and this week he went over 100 yards on the strength of five catches for 53 yards. He also punched in a rushing TD. Tennessee hosts the Saints in Week 17.
It has to be pretty bad for you to consider Sean Tucker, but he keeps vulturing TDs. If you’re truly desperate and nobody else is available, Tucker at least has a shot at scoring and especially against a Miami team that has folded up its tent and just gave up 45 points at home to the Bengals.
Wide Receiver
There continues to be very little useful depth at receiver. It’s a position where it’s really hard to find anyone reliable after the first 20-25 names. Remember what I said before about all the teams starting terrible second and third-string quarterbacks? Well, that helps explain it.
If you need help at wide receiver, you can consider: Parker Washington, Malik Washington, Pat Bryant, Jalen Coker, Rashid Shaheed, Mack Hollins, Josh Downs, Tre Tucker, and Chimere Dike. All are dart throws.
Tight End:
Most fantasy teams that have made it this far are probably set at this position, but if you’re stuck this week, there continue to be good options to target on waivers.
Taysom Hill is a cheat code at tight end, so get in on it before your opponent does. He isn’t a tight end in any way, shape, or form. But that’s how he’s listed on most platforms. His 12 carries on Sunday were more than double the number of any other Saint, and he also caught four balls and threw a TD pass in garbage time. It was as Swiss Army Knife of a performance as it gets. If Alvin Kamara comes back this week then Hill would be a dicey play, but I wouldn’t count on that.
Brenton Strange, Dalton Schultz, and Juwan Johnson are three players I’ve listed for multiple weeks running. One or more are still available in lots of leagues. All three put up Top-10 performances at the position in Week 16, pending the Monday night game.
Finally, if you need to dig deeper, A.J. Barner and Mike Gesicki can be considered. Gesicki has the better matchup of the two (vs. ARI).
PK and D/ST Streamers, Week 16: (ranked outside the Top-14 for the week):
PK: J. Slye (vs. NO), A. Borregales (@NYJ), C. Smyth (@TEN), C. Santos (@SF).
D/ST: NYG (@LV), TB (@MIA; they’re higher ranked this week, but available in lots of leagues), NO (@TEN).
Good luck with your waiver claims!
***This column appears each Monday right here at Big Blue View. Each Thursday, my weekly fantasy preview with my rides, fades and sleepers (start/sit) appears here, and on Fridays you can find my weekly Giants Props of the week, also right here. ***
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