Staying active on the waiver wire is an important way for season-long fantasy owners to improve their teams and get an edge on the competition. Shifts in opportunities for players due to injuries or performance cause value spikes that owners can take advantage of to fill in roster holes to build a championship lineup.
Each week, we will discuss waiver wire targets at each position to consider for both the week ahead and the rest of the fantasy season.
Week 17 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Adds
* Current roster % in home leagues is noted in parentheses (from Sleeper)
Bryce Young, QB (Carolina Panthers) (14%)
If you are looking for a wild card quarterback option for fantasy championship week to pull the upset, Bryce Young is a viable option against the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay allows the 30th most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks and has allowed at least 22 points in each of the last five games.
Young’s resurgence since being benched early in the season for Andy Dalton has propelled the Panthers out of the NFC cellar and potentially saved his future prospects with the organization. He notched his first top-5 fantasy week of the season against Arizona on Sunday with three total touchdowns and a season-high 68 yards on the ground.
The Buccaneers are in must-win mode to secure a playoff spot, and the Panthers are in nothing-to-lose mode for the final two weeks of the season. This could be a shootout in Tampa Bay, and Young seems to have the ability to get the ball downfield to Adam Thielen in a high-scoring game.
Looking for more fantasy football content? Make sure to check out Sean Koerner’s and Chris Raybon’s weekly fantasy football rankings by subscribing to FantasyLabs’ 2024 fantasy football kit to see how other waiver wire candidates look this week.
Tyjae Spears, RB (Tennessee Titans) (57%)
Second-year tailback Tyjae Spears has earned a larger role out of the backfield the last two weeks for Tennessee and has turned those opportunities into his best two fantasy weeks of the season. Spears has 25 total touches over the last two games and two top-12 fantasy finishes with four total touchdowns.
At 3.4 yards/carry on the season, Spears needs volume in the passing game to boost his fantasy upside. He’s caught nine passes for 126 total yards over the last two games, with a 43-yard long reception.
Without much to play for in the last two weeks, the Titans may look to give Sharpe a bigger workload opposite starter Tony Pollard. Sharpe has seen 56% and 61% target shares in the last two games. If that continues trending upward, he could be an interesting championship game pick-up for a high-upside flex spot against the Jaguars.
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Jalen McMillan, WR (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) (50%)
The oft-overlooked Washington Huskies rookie receiver has blossomed over the last three games with four total touchdown catches. Jalen McMillan has 14 catches for 191 yards in that span, with at least a 28% wide receiver target share each week.
The Buccaneers continue to push the ball down the field, with Baker Mayfield topping 40 passing attempts and 300 yards against Dallas last week. Vegas expects a high-scoring game against the Panthers, and McMillan should continue to see high-value opportunities with opposing secondaries focusing on Mike Evans in the red zone.
Chig Okonkwo, TE (Tennessee Titans) (8%)
A trendy low-end breakout pick at the beginning of the season, Chig Okonwko seems to have found a groove late in 2024 with a pair of double-digit target games over the last two weeks. Okonkwo has 17 catches on 21 targets against the Bengals and Colts.
With eight and nine catches, respectively, in the two games, Okonkwo was held out of the end zone but still amassed 140 receiving yards for two top-10 fantasy finishes. He seems to have a strong connection with Mason Rudolph who has been inserted into the starting role for Will Levis. Any tight end with double-digit target upside is worth a look for the fantasy playoffs.
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Indianapolis Colts, D/ST (38%)
The Colts may have the best matchup for the fantasy championships against a New York Giants team that just allowed two interception returns for touchdowns last week. The Colts tallied three interceptions for the second straight game in their win over Tennessee but allowed 30 points in the process.
With the playoffs still in reach, Indianapolis will have a lot to play for in their road matchup against the lowly Giants. Expect them to improve on their two total sacks over the last two weeks against a New York offensive line that allowed three sacks and constant pressure last week.
