Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 17: Philip Rivers, AJ Dillon Could Help You Win It All
(CBS)--The final week of the regular season is here.
Heading into Week 17, there are still numerous teams in both conferences fighting for a spot in the postseason. And if you're still checking your fantasy lineup going into the league's final weekend, that means your league's championship is still up for grabs.
Waiver wire recommendations are here to help you get over the final hump and secure your league's fantasy crown.
No need for small talk, let's get right into it. Here are the top waiver wire adds for Week 17.
QB Philip Rivers, Indianapolis Colts- Rivers was far from stellar in the Colts' Week 16 loss to the Steelers. The veteran threw for 270 yards, one touchdown and one interception and lost a fumble in Indy's disappointing loss in Pittsburgh. However, in the five games prior to this past Sunday, Rivers had thrown for multiple touchdowns in five straight games, with 11 touchdowns compared to just two interceptions. The Colts are playing for their season in Week 17, and you couldn't ask for a better matchup than the league's worst Jacksonville Jaguars. Rivers is the top streaming QB option in the final week of the season.
QB Alex Smith, Washington Football Team- You have to be careful with this one. While early reports indicate Smith is expected to play in Washington's win-or-go-home battle against the Eagles on Sunday night, he will still have to make it through a week of practice before we know for sure whether or not he'll be able to suit up. If he does play, Smith is another solid streaming option. In his last full game, Smith threw for almost 300 yards and a touchdown against Pittsburgh's tough defense. Philadelphia's defense is nothing to be scared about, especially if Fletcher Cox is unable to play. You could do worse than Smith in Week 17.
RB A.J. Dillon, Green Bay Packers- Dillion had a potential league-winning performance against the Titans on Sunday night. It's too bad that almost nobody had him in their lineup… With Jamaal Williams sidelined, Dillon saw easily his biggest workload of his rookie season, handling 24 carries for an impressive 124 yards (5.9 yards per carry) and two touchdowns. The Packers will look to secure the NFC's No. 1 seed against the Bears in Week 17, and if Williams misses another game, Dillon is close to a must-start.
RB Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens- Mark Ingram no longer seems to be part of the equation in Baltimore, making Edwards and J.K. Dobbins the clear-cut 1-2 punch in the Ravens' backfield. While Dobbins has been playing well in recent weeks, the rookie suffered a chest injury against the Giants in Week 16. While he returned to the field, Baltimore could lean on Edwards in the regular season finale against the Bengals. Against the Giants, Edwards took 15 carries for 85 yards, adding two receptions for 37 yards. Lamar Jackson is always a threat to steal goal line carries, but I still like Edwards' chances of finding the end zone against Cincinnati this weekend.
RB Malcolm Brown, Los Angeles Rams- We have officially come full circle in the Rams' backfield. After beginning the season as Los Angeles' starting running back, Brown saw the lead back duties fall to Darrell Henderson early in the year. Then Sean McVay handed the reigns over to rookie Cam Akers, who shined for several weeks before suffering a high ankle sprain. With Akers and Henderson both likely out, Brown will carry the load for the Rams in their must-win Week 17 contest against the Cardinals. 49ers RB Jeff Wilson just ran wild on Arizona this past weekend, highlighting Arizona's weakness against the run. The Rams may struggle to move the ball with Jared Goff possibly missing the final game, but I'll take my chances on a running back looking at a full workload.
WR Nelson Agholor, Las Vegas Raiders- The Raiders' last-minute collapse against the Dolphins on Saturday night cost them a shot at the postseason. But Jon Gruden is not one to just take the final week of the season off. Las Vegas will look to end their season on a high note against the Broncos and their struggling defense. Agholor went off for five receptions for 155 yards and a touchdown against Miami, which surprisingly helped him crack the top 20 in fantasy points for wide receivers. Agholor has reached the 100-yard receiving mark in two of the last three games, and he should have no problem reaching that again in the season finale.
WR Emmanuel Sanders, New Orleans Saints- Sanders has no business still sitting on the waiver wire, but if he is, do not hesitate to snag him. Sanders has been serving as the Saints' top wide receiver since Michael Thomas was placed on injured reserve a couple weeks ago. Since that happened, Sanders has caught eight passes for 159 yards, with a 12-yard rush attempt, helping him average double-digit fantasy points in those two games. New Orleans still has a shot at the No. 1 seed, but they will have to take care of business against the Panthers in Week 17, which is hardly a daunting defense. Go get Sanders if he's somehow still available.
WR Zach Pascal, Indianapolis Colts- T.Y. Hilton made a late-season surge towards fantasy relevance with several strong games in a row, but it's Pascal that's been operating as the Colts' top wide receiver over the last two weeks. After catching five passes for 79 yards and two touchdowns against the Texans in Week 15, Pascal followed that up by reeling in three passes for 64 yards and another touchdown against the Steelers this past Sunday. With a matchup against the Jaguars on deck, I would throw both Pascal and Hilton in my lineup. But since Hilton is probably already rostered, I'm turning my attention towards Pascal, who is most likely sitting there on the waiver wire.
TE Irv Smith Jr., Minnesota Vikings- Smith has been great with fellow Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph missing time. Smith has three touchdowns in three games without Rudolph on the field, and against the Saints on Christmas, the young tight end caught six passes for 53 yards and two touchdowns. The Vikings have nothing to play for in Week 17 other than pride, but with nothing on the line, there is no reason to rush Rudolph back into the lineup. This should allow Smith another chance to shine against a lowly Lions defense. As long as Rudolph remains out this weekend, Smith should once again be the top streaming tight end.
TE Jimmy Graham, Chicago Bears- For a few weeks there, it appeared as if the honor of the Bears' top tight end was shifting towards the direction of Cole Kmet. However, the veteran Graham has come back to catch three touchdowns over the last three weeks, including two touchdown grabs to go with 69 yards against the Jaguars in Week 16. The Bears have a tough matchup this weekend, as they will take on the Packers in Chicago. But Graham appears to be Mitch Trubisky's favorite target when the Bears get near the end zone. Graham has a low floor, but he has a good chance of scoring a touchdown for the fourth time in four weeks.
Bonus: DEF Tennessee Titans- The Titans face a must-win game this weekend, as a loss and a Colts win over Jacksonville could lead to Tennessee missing the postseason. The Titans will face off against the Texans, who have nothing to play for. To make matters worse for Houston, Deshaun Watson may miss the game with an elbow injury. If Watson sits out, then the Titans are a no-brainer option to start as your defense this week. But even if Watson suits up, he may not go the full 60 minutes. The Titans are likely the best streaming option still available on the waiver wire this week.