10 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets Heading Into Week 17

Congratulations! If you're reading this column it's likely because you're playing for a fantasy football championship. If not...thank you for being a loyal reader.

Championship week changes a few things about the way we do things. First, we're not thinking about the future anymore. If they're not helping you this week, they're not helping you. As a result, roster stashes are a lot less valuable than they typically are.

Blocking players from your opponent is also more worthwhile than normal. Did your opponent lose James Robinson last week? Maybe go get those Jacksonville Jaguars running backs whether you plan on playing them or not. Is your opponent hurting at quarterback? Maybe go block them on a few of the best streaming options.

As wide receivers and tight ends have largely been locked in, quarterbacks and running backs will be the heavier focus this week.

I'll try to keep any players listed here to those rostered in 50% or fewer of Yahoo leagues.

Quarterback
Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints

Roster Percentage: 42%

Taysom Hill will be out on Monday night while on the COVID list. If he was dropped as a result, his rushing upside is just too great to overlook.

Hill carried the ball exactly 11 times in each of his three starts. That's a Lamar Jackson-esque number of quarterback carries. The passing efficiency has been hit or miss, but if he's running the ball that much it really doesn't matter.

Go grab Hill if you can; his roster percentage indicates he was dropped in a lot of leagues.

A matchup with the Carolina Panthers is not one to avoid with Hill.

Carson Wentz, Indianapolis Colts

Roster Percentage: 48%

If you're looking for a more traditional streamer, look no further than Carson Wentz.

Not only are the Indianapolis Colts looking at a 26.5-point implied point total this week via FanDuel Sportsbook, but they're also facing a pretty extreme pass-funnel defense in the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Raiders have the second-best defense according to our Adjusted Defensive Rushing Net Expected Points (NEP) per play metric but are 28th against the pass.

The Colts may score a higher percentage of points through the air than typical of the Jonathan Taylor era.

Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers

Roster Percentage: 38%

If nothing else and if you're desperate, the San Francisco 49ers have an implied total of 29.75. The Niners will do their best to run their way to the majority of those points, but if the Houston Texans can put up a fight in a similar manner as they did against the Los Angeles Chargers, this game offers some shootout potential.

Garoppolo has also been one of the more effective passers in the league at 0.22 Passing NEP per dropback, more than doubling up the NFL average of 0.09.

Others to Consider:
Tua Tagovailoa (41%; at Tennessee Titans), Justin Fields (23%; vs New York Giants), Tyler Huntley (13%; vs Los Angeles Rams)

Running Backs
Duke Johnson, Miami Dolphins

Roster Percentage: 11%

After leading the column last week, it's surprising Duke Johnson finds himself on just 11% of Yahoo rosters.

He's shown spurts of efficiency and has pass-catching ability, and the Miami Dolphins have shown some willingness to go with just a single feature back.

We'll see exactly what Johnson's role is conclusively after the Monday night game. However, in Week 15, Johnson handled 22 carries and a target for 127 total yards and 2 touchdowns while playing on 58.0% of the team's snaps.

Dare Ogunbowale, Jacksonville Jaguars

Roster Percentage: 0%

Dare Ogunbowale led the Jaguars backfield after James Robinson's injury.

He's about as unexciting as a running back could possibly get, yet he has historically been a pass-catcher -- so he at least offers some upside there.

Granted, the Jags have just a 13.5 implied point total next week, so play any Jag at your own peril.

The workload for Ogunbowale (17 carries and 4 targets on an 82.9% snap rate) is a bit hard to pass up. Or at least good enough not to let your opponent add him.

Boston Scott and Jordan Howard, Philadelphia Eagles

Roster Percentage: 15% and 16%

With Miles Sanders likely out long-term (or at least, very likely in Week 17) due to a hand injury, it's not entirely clear who will lead the Philadelphia Eagles' backfield.

In Week 16, Boston Scott did lead the Eagles in carries with 12. He has more receiving chops than Jordan Howard (who drew nine carries of his own) and is the more explosive of the two.

As far as snap counts go, Howard did have a slight edge (35.0% to 31.7%), but the versatility for Scott puts him ahead in terms of priority.

The Eagles once again face the Washington Football Team, so the matchup sets up nicely.

Rex Burkhead, Houston Texans

Roster Percentage: 14%

Rex Burkhead had a featured role in the Houston Texans' offense in Week 16.

He handled 22 carries and 2 targets for 149 total yards and 2 touchdowns. He had 5 of 7 red zone carries and played on 64.1% of the team's snaps.

If David Johnson misses again next week, or if Burkhead is given the keys to the starting position, he could be a league-winning type of addition.

The Texans play at the 49ers in Week 17.

Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams

Roster Percentage: 16%

There's a good chance Cam Akers doesn't suit up until playoff time (if even then).

There's also a good chance he isn't given a full workload until next year. Still, it's better for Akers to be on your roster than your opponent's. In this spirit, he should be added.

I wouldn't recommend playing him, but I would play keep away here.

Others to Consider:
Zack Moss (36%), Ke'Shawn Vaughn (1%), Jeremy McNichols (7%)

Wide Receivers
Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cleveland Browns

Roster Percentage: 13%

Ultimately, few if any receivers are in great enough spots to add with the intentions of starting them in Week 17. We have much better situations at running back than at receiver.

Donovan Peoples-Jones is a worthwhile candidate, however.

Peoples-Jones caught just one pass in Week 16 but did see another 6 targets while running a route on 87.8% of team drop backs, tied for a team-high.

With the Cleveland Browns having a depleted receiving corps, Peoples-Jones should continue to see opportunity.

Peoples-Jones also has game-breaking, big-play ability, so he can give you both volume and single-play opportunities.

Others to Consider:
Emmanuel Sanders (50%), Robby Anderson (37%), Marquez Valdes-Scantling (40%), Allen Lazard (24%), Josh Palmer (5%), Isaiah McKenzie (0%)

Tight Ends
Gerald Everett, Seattle Seahawks

Roster Percentage: 42%

Gerald Everett was the receiving leader for the Seattle Seahawks yet again in Week 16 when he pulled in 4 of 5 targets for 68 yards.

Any tight end getting this much volume from Russell Wilson is going to be worth a look, even if Wilson isn't exactly at his best. Especially in a matchup against the Detroit Lions.

Others to Consider:
Cole Kmet (34%), Foster Moreau (22%)