2024 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 17: Bryce Young, Jalen McMillan, More

Congratulations - you made it to championship week! That is, assuming you have a traditional league where the fantasy football championship is Week 17. We’ll have one last waiver article next week for the maniacs who play in Week 18.

But our focus right now is on the biggest fantasy football week of the year. The matchup worth all the marbles. This Week 17 fantasy football waiver wire article has the last few players to add to put your name on that trophy and the money in your pocket.

Speaking of “money in your pocket”, you cannot take your FAAB (free agent auction budget) with you. This is the last stop. So you will notice that the recommendations below will be juiced compared to past weeks.

The reality though is that, if you need to add someone that will go directly into your lineup, you should look at what your opponent has and simply spend more. There has never been a week where it is more important to “get your guy”. And the percentage recommendations are out the window, to some degree. 

2024 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 17 Top Targets

We usually split this into three different articles - the best waiver picks, the streamers, and the stashes. But the time for stashing guys is done. And there’s no point in really using the “streamers” label if it’s one last game for all the marbles.

As we mentioned, we’ll stick with you for one last week in case your championship is Week 18, for some reason. But we’re just doing one singular FREE article in each of these last two weeks. So let’s dig into the Week 17 fantasy football waiver wire. 

NFL Week 17 Waiver Wire Quarterbacks

Bryce Young - Carolina Panthers, Yahoo: 7% | ESPN: 5% | Sleeper: 14%  

A lot of folks were ready to write off Bryce Young, even as a fairly young prospect in a tumultuous situation. But, lately, he and his Carolina Panthers have played a lot better. They took the Chiefs, Buccaneers, and Eagles to the wire. And, despite not throwing a touchdown pass until Week 8, he’s thrown at least one in each of his last 8 games.

Even more importantly, he’s added a rushing touchdown in three of his last four games. He gets the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week which have been one of the easiest teams to throw on. Last time Bryce Young faced them he threw for 298 yards en route to 23.62 fantasy points. The Panthers play at the same time as the Eagles on Sunday so, if you are waiting on Jalen Hurts news, this gives you a reasonable pivot.

• Waiver Priority: Low or Free Add
• FAAB: 0-5% (more if he’d start for you right away)

Drake Maye - New England Patriots, Yahoo: 14% | ESPN: 21% | Sleeper: 25%

We talked about this one last week. Outside of the two games where Drake Maye either came in late or left early with an injury, Maye has averaged 17 points per game. That’s right there with guys like Bo Nix and ahead of Patrick Mahomes, Tua Tagovailoa, Kyler Murry etc. Over his last three games he’s had 20.42, 18.48, and 18.44 fantasy points. He always runs a little and the team often ends up down, forcing him to have to throw.

The matchup this week is not a great one. The Los Angeles Chargers have, at times, slowed the game down and kept the points low. Over the past two weeks, however, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (40 points) and Denver Broncos (27 points) were able to make things happen against them. So Maye is on the table in deeper leagues. 

• Waiver Priority: Low or Free Add
• FAAB: 0-5% (more if he starts for you right away)

Honorable Mention or Deep League Options: Cooper Rush vs. PHI, Mason Rudolph vs. JAX, Russell Wilson vs. KC, Aidan O’Connell vs. NO

NFL Week 17 Waiver Wire Running Backs

Trey Benson - Arizona Cardinals, Yahoo: 18% | ESPN: 18% | Sleeper: 24%

If they didn’t get added last week, you might want to play it safe and go for guys like Jerome Ford (79%), Kendre Miller (47%), or Alexander Mattison (48%). Tyjae Spears (56%) should be mentioned as well. Because this one comes with a couple of caveats. James Conner suffered a knee injury last week and didn’t return. We presume he will be out but we don’t know definitively.

The question on top of that is whether Trey Benson himself will be back as he’s dealing with an ankle issue. Whoever the starting running back is will inherit a good role with a solid matchup with the Rams. If James Conner is okay, it won’t matter. If Trey Benson is healthy, he would be the guy. If he’s not, Michael Carter is the guy.

He got five targets and all the carries last week after Conner went down. We’ll try to keep this situation updated for you until the very last minute but it could be a situation where we roll the dice. There aren’t many other options out there rostered in less than 50% of leagues. Benson is available in a lot of leagues and Michael Carter is virtually unrostered outside of deep dynasty. 

• Waiver Priority: High or first priority
• FAAB: 25-50%

Patrick Taylor - San Francisco 49ers, Yahoo: 44% | ESPN: 32% | Sleeper: 57%

Of the other readily available options, I like the idea of Patrick Taylor getting the start again. The San Francisco 49ers are already eliminated from the playoffs so there’s really no reason to rush Isaac Guerendo back for the game this week. And Taylor got an 80% snap share this week which is that typical Kyle Shanahan bellcow running back role.

The only problem with this one is that the 49ers play the Detroit Lions. And, though I’m sure they would love to play spoiler, the 49ers are pretty banged up. Just like there is no reason to rush back Isaac Guerendo, there’s really no reason to rush back star left tackle Trent Williams. So Taylor is still a “break glass in case of emergency” play. 

• Waiver Priority: Medium to Late
• FAAB: 5-10%

Kenny McIntosh - Seattle Seahawks, Yahoo: 1% | ESPN: 1% | Sleeper: 0%

We wanted to do a quick write-up here on McIntosh for the real deep league sickos. Kenneth Walker was already dealing with a calf issue. Then he left this game with an ankle injury. Zach Charbonnett has also been banged up. That led to our guy Kenny Applesauce splitting snaps with Zach Charbonnett down the stretch.

If Kenneth Walker is out, McIntosh in super deep league or DFS dart throw territory. If Walker and Charbs are BOTH out, now he’s a legitimate option at the flex if you need him.

• Waiver Priority: Late or Free Add
• FAAB: 0-5%

Honorable Mention or Deep League Options: Alexander Mattison vs. ARI, Ameer Abdullah vs. AR, Audric Estime vs. CIN, Antonio Gibson vs. LAC, Rasheen Ali vs. HOU

NFL Week 17 Waiver Wire Wide Receivers

Jalen McMillan - Tampa Bay Buccaneers Yahoo: 45% | ESPN: 33% | Sleeper: 50%

Jalen McMillan was one of our top plays in the Stashes article for the first half of the year. Then he became one of our top pays in these articles. So you hopefully already added him. He’s not out there in a ton of leagues in general so would need to be a shallower league for him to be available.

If he is available, he’s checking every box right now. It often takes time for rookies to get the opportunity we need, and, in many cases, they need injuries. The Buccaneers lost Chris Godwin and now Cade Otton and Sterling Shepard are banged up. 

McMillan has been playing a full-time role opposite Mike Evans lately. He just matched his highest snap share of the season at 83%. He’s gotten 6 or 7 targets in each of the last three games. Oh yeah, and he’s scored four touchdowns over that span. You won’t find a better late season WR waiver add. 

• Waiver Priority: Top Priority
• FAAB: 50%+

Wan'Dale Robinson - New York Giants, Yahoo: 31% | ESPN: 37% | Sleeper: 42%

This one is simple. There is no substitute for targets. You need an opportunity to make anything happen. Wan'Dale Robinson hasn’t really been “making things happen” outside of full PPR leagues.

But he’s gotten 11, 9, and 12 targets over the last three games. Now he gets the Indianapolis Colts in championship week. This is a full PPR only play given what we’ve seen from him so far this year. 

• Waiver Priority: Medium to late priority
• FAAB: 10-15%

Hollywood Brown - Kansas City Chiefs, Yahoo: 32% | ESPN: 29% | Sleeper: 34%

I thought this was going to be a “too little, too late” situation. And for many teams that have their lineups squared away for championship week, it probably is. But this situation isn’t like having a guy that just joined the team that needs to learn the plays - Brown has been with them all season. He just got hurt on the very first play of preseason so hasn’t been active.

In his first game back he actually only played 20 snaps which is about 27% of the game. But what is promising is he got 8 targets on those snaps. They clearly had a plan to get him the football and get him acclimated. There really isn’t any other opportunity out there on the wire that has that kind of upside so, if you need a plug-and-play, this is probably one of the better options in deeper leagues. 

• Waiver Priority: Medium to late priority
• FAAB: 10-15%

Malik Washington - Miami Dolphins, Yahoo: 3% | ESPN: 1% | Sleeper: 9%

This one is predicated on Jaylen Waddle being out once again. And the Dolphins are technically not eliminated from the playoffs, though they could certainly use some help. With Waddle out, the rookie was asked to step directly into his shoes playing a full-time snap share. In fact, his 58 snaps were slightly more than the 56 Tyreek Hill played.

The reason this role can often be great for fantasy is how much this team uses the fullback and blocking tight ends. Guys like Alec Ingold (37% snap share), Julian Hill (46%), and Durham Smythe (36%) don’t soak up a lot of targets. But they do soak up a lot of snaps. That takes the WR3 out of the game plan and highly consolidates the targets among the two WRs, TE, and RB. We see the same thing in San Francisco. 

• Waiver Priority: Mid to late priority
• FAAB: 5-10%

Honorable Mention or Deep League Options: Brandin Cooks vs. PHI, Olamide Zaccheaus vs. ATL, Ray-Ray McCloud vs. WAS, Jalen Coker vs. TB, Kayshone Boutte vs. LAC, Rashod Bateman vs. HOU

NFL Week 17 Waiver Tight Ends

Chig Okonkwo - Tennessee Titans, Yahoo: 7% | ESPN: 7% | Sleeper: 8%

This is a player we’ve always been fond of. Unlike most of the tight ends out there, Chig has the athleticism to actually break off big plays. In fact, over the last half decade or so, there have only been three tight ends to break off three or more 40+ yard plays in one season. George Kittle, Kyle Pitts, and Chig Okonkwo.

He hadn’t been heavily featured in the game plan with Will Levis under center. But, so far, Mason Rudolph is loving his tight ends. In Week 15, when Levis was pulled, Josh Whyle played additional snaps when they pulled the starters. 

Okonkwo played 63% of the snaps and got 10 targets while Whyle played 26% and got 5 targets. This week Chig played 85% of the snaps and got 11 targets while Whyle played only 9 snaps and got zero. The Titans gets the Jaguars this week, so Chig is our best bet right now if you are adding someone.

• Waiver Priority: Mid to high
• FAAB: 15-20% 

Dalton Schultz - Houston Texans, Yahoo: 57% | ESPN: 44% | Sleeper: 55%

There was a very specific stat that led us NOT to draft Dalton Schultz. In games where Nico Collins and Tank Dell were both active last year, he was only averaging ~4 targets a game. In games where one of them was out, he was averaging ~7 targets a game. That’s when he did most of his damage. So, with the addition of Stefon Diggs on top of those two, we were out.

Well guess what? Stefon Diggs was already out for the season. And now, after suffering a gruesome injury this week, Tank Dell is too. So now conditions are back to where they were last year in the games where Dalton Schultz was serviceable. So he’s back on our radar. 

• Waiver Priority: Late or free add
• FAAB: 15-20% 

**Check the bottom of the article for free rest of season half PPR tight end rankings**

NFL Week 17 Waiver Wire DST

Miami Dolphins DST, Yahoo: 48% | ESPN: 46% | Sleeper: 33%

They are rostered in a good chunk of leagues, but I’d consider adding and starting them if they are out there. The move to Dorian Thompson-Robinson over Jameis Winston has not made them any less of a turnover factory. And there is a chance that Bailey Zappe starts this week. 

Las Vegas Raiders DST, Yahoo: 10% | ESPN: 4% | Sleeper: 9%

Starting the Raiders defense feels pretty gross. But we just saw on Monday night that the Saints offense is completely depleted. No Derek Carr, Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, Taysom Hill etc. Any defense against them is probably a decent option.

Honorable Mention or Deep League Options: Colts vs. NYG, Seahawks vs. CHI, Jaguars vs. TEN

NFL Week 17 Waiver Wire Kickers

Zane Gonzalez - Washington Commanders, K, Yahoo: 9% | ESPN: 3% | Sleeper: 7%

If kicker was a problem for you, you’ve been granted a gift. The kicker for the Washington Commanders is widely available. And he has a good matchup against Atlanta. It’s even on Sunday Night Football which is even more fun for your championship matchup sweat.

Cade York - Cincinnati Bengals, K, Yahoo: 5% | ESPN: 4% | Sleeper: 29%

Is Cade York the most talented kicker? Probably not considering how he has bounced around. But he’s the kicker for the Cincinnati Bengals, who are technically still clinging to deep playoff hopes. Denver is a tough matchup, but Joe Burrow’s kicker is never a terrible play. 

Honorable Mention or Deep League Options: Matt Gay vs. NYG, Joshua Karty vs. ARI, Will Reichard vs. GB

Week 17 Rest Of Season Tight End Rankings