NFL Waiver Wire: Week 17 Deep Dive

Congrats to all who have made to either their finals or semifinals matchups. With so few teams still alive, it's likely rosters are in good shape given the lack of byes, but injuries and poor performance still occur so it's important not to get complacent on the waiver wire. As always, we'll take a deep dive looking for the best options - just keep in mind the traditional waiver wire article lists plenty of targets (found at the above) who won't be repeated here.

Quarterback

Mason Rudolph at SEA (one percent ESPN, one percent FFPC)

Rudolph lit up the Bengals' secondary in Pittsburgh on Saturday to wake up a dormant Steelers offense. It'll be different on the road in Seattle, though he's trending toward getting another start.

Nick Mullens vs. GB (13 percent ESPN, 13 percent FFPC)
Jaren Hall vs. GB (zero percent ESPN, two percent FFPC)
Joshua Dobbs vs. GB (27 percent ESPN, 37 percent FFPC)

We won't know who Minnesota's starting quarterback will be until some point on Wednesday. I'd say Hall, but that's just a guess. Even without T.J. Hockenson (knee), the Vikings offer talented skill-position players and should be able to move the ball, which will benefit whoever is under center.

Jacoby Brissett  vs. SF (zero percent ESPN, 21 percent FFPC)

Washington represents another ambiguous QB situation. But if the Commanders want to win, it'll be Brissett under center. This isn't the matchup to play him in, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

C.J. Beathard vs. CAR (one percent ESPN, two percent FFPC)

Yet another one with unknown QB details. Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) has consistently bounced back from injuries this season and throughout his career, though the turnaround may be too quick this time. Carolina is a tough matchup on paper, but Jordan Love just lit them up. Beathard isn't Love, though he has some solid pass-catching weapons to distribute the ball to if called upon.

Running Back

Chris Rodriguez vs. SF (three percent ESPN, 17 percent FFPC)
Derrick Gore vs. SF (zero percent ESPN, zero percent FFPC)

Rodriguez is battling an ankle injury and is set to go undergo an MRI. That's a decent sign he'll miss this weekend. Next up in the backfield would likely be Gore, who should be projected to take over as the lead back on the ground if Rodriguez can't go. The Commanders have proven they don't want Antonio Gibson to fill that role and there's not much reason to expect that to change.

Zamir White at IND (13 percent ESPN, 85 percent FFPC)

White filled in admirably as the Raiders' lead back on Monday against the Chiefs where he racked up 145 total yards. It's unclear if Josh Jacobs (quad) will be set to go, but it's worth picking up White in the meantime.  

Justice Hill vs. MIA (13 percent ESPN, 32 percent FFPC)

Hill out-touched Gus Edwards in Monday's impressive win over the 49ers. Edwards will keep the goal-line role, though Hill should be the more prominent pass catcher. That's not enough to make Hill the more valuable back, but it does give him a decent role and make him a noteworthy option on a lot of fantasy wires.

Wide Receiver

Dontayvion Wicks at MIN (five percent ESPN, 26 percent FFPC)
Bo Melton at MIN (zero percent ESPN, zero percent FFPC)

The Green Bay receiving corps is decimated by injuries with Christian Watson (hamstring), Jayden Reed (toe) and Wicks (chest) all battling injuries. If Watson and Reed are both out, it'll open opportunity for Wicks and potentially Melton. This isn't a rush out to grab either, but it's worth trying to guess as the practice participation becomes clear.

Marvin Mims vs. LAC (three percent ESPN, 86 percent FFPC)

Mims got involved and made big plays (and mistakes) in Saturday's loss to the Patriots. More importantly, he saw his highest target total since Week 3. Courtland Sutton (concussion) could very well be forced to miss the matchup against the Chargers, which would provide Mims more work.

Darius Slayton vs. LAR (three percent ESPN, 52 percent FFPC)

Slayton produced one of his better games this season last week, which admittedly isn't saying that much and came primarily on a single play. The positive is that one play came with Tyrod Taylor at QB, the likely starter for Sunday.  

Demarcus Robinson at NYG (two percent ESPN, four percent FFPC)

Robinson has gotten it done as the big-play threat in the Rams' offense, but on limited volume. That makes his current level of production unsustainable, though all fantasy managers need is for it to last one more week. The Giants are a favorable matchup for opposing quarterbacks, and this could be an under-the-radar shootout.

Justin Watson vs. CIN (two percent ESPN, 17 percent FFPC)

We know the KC offense isn't what it once was and that no reliable pass catchers have emerged outside of Travis Kelce and more recently Rashee Rice. The case for Watson is that Kadarius Toney (hip) and Jerick McKinnon (groin) were out Monday and Watson immediately saw his targets jump to six – his highest mark since Week 11 and the second-most this season.

Andrei Iosivas at KC (zero percent ESPN, one percent FFPC)

Iosivas is entering desperation range, yet he doubled Trenton Irwin in targets in Ja'Marr Chase's (shoulder) absence. It's a tough matchup against the Chiefs, though Iosivas is a true deep pickup who should be widely available. Prior to doing so, make sure Chase isn't ready to return.  

Tight End

Tucker Kraft at MIN (eight percent ESPN, 35 percent FFPC)

Kraft has done nothing but produce since Luke Musgrave (abdomen) went down. Musgrave has been designated to return from injured reserve. But until he actually returns, Kraft is the obvious waiver option at the position.

Johnny Mundt vs. GB (zero percent ESPN, zero percent FFPC)
Josh Oliver vs. GB (zero percent ESPN, one percent FFPC)

T.J. Hockenson (knee) is out for the season and potentially the start of 2024. That leaves us with two potential choices to take his place. The problem is that each split work after Hockenson's absence, which could mean we end up with no valuable fantasy producers.