Here we are, Christmas day and heading into Week 17 of the fantasy football season. For most leagues, this is championship week. My gift to you (and my editors) is to keep this short, sweet and to the point.
Players found under the ‘stash’ portion of the article this week will only apply to those of you sickos that have a Week 18 championship. Let’s get it.
As always, the players below are rostered in fewer than 50% of ESPN leagues.
Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Week 17 Pickups (2023)
(Rostership percentages courtesy of ESPN)
Priority Adds
Romeo Doubs (WR, Green Bay Packers) | 40% Rostered
With teammates Christian Watson and Jayden Reed sidelined in Week 16, Romeo Doubs took advantage and once again found the end zone. Doubs now has eight touchdowns on the season. DraftKings Sportsbook currently has the Packers’ Week 17 contest against the Vikings total set at 45.5 points. With both NFC North foes clinging to their playoff lives, this could be a back-and-forth affair. Doubs is the Packers’ touchdown leader, and touchdowns win fantasy championships.
Khalil Herbert (RB, Chicago Bears) | 48% Rostered
Khalil Herbert finally looked healthy in Week 16, amassing 21 total opportunities for 121 scrimmage yards and a touchdown. Context is important now because the Bears took on the Cardinals, and Arizona has been punished by RBs all season. Still, Herbert’s 20 carries are the most by a Bears RB in over a month.
Chicago takes on the Atlanta Falcons in Week 17. The Falcons have actually been formidable against RBs in 2023, so volume will be key here for Herbert. In the two games in which Herbert has had 20+ opportunities, he has averaged just over 20 Points Per Reception (PPR) points per game.
Plug-Ins
Joe Flacco (QB, Cleveland Browns) | 13% Rostered
Backed into a corner in a superflex league, I started Joe Flacco in Week 16. The former Super Bowl MVP rewarded my team with nearly 25 fantasy points and a birth to championship weekend. Believe me when I say I was terrified to put him into my lineup. The passing volume for Flacco, though, has been off the charts, as he’s had over 40 attempts in each of his four starts this season. In addition, Flacco has thrown for over 300 yards and multiple touchdowns in his last three starts. Look, I don’t know what bizarro world we’re in right now, but Flacco has turned back the clock and is playing out of his mind.
The drawback to Flacco in championship week is that the Browns play one of his old teams, the New York Jets, and that the game comes on Thursday night. “Thursday Night Football” is notorious for putting up dud games. The Jets haven’t given up multiple passing touchdowns since Nov. 19 against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. This is truly a gut call, but I believe Flacco continues to sling it and wins fantasy football championships.
Demarcus Robinson (WR, Los Angeles Rams) | 2% Rostered
In the absence of Tutu Atwell, Demarcus Robinson has carved out a significant role with the Rams. Robinson has had double-digit PPR points in four straight contests. He’s officially en fuego. The former Florida Gator had a touchdown in each of those games, as well. If you’re swinging for upside (and in championship week, you should be), Robinson and the Rams roll into New York as 6.5-point favorites against the Giants. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Rams have an implied points total of over 24 points, so there are points to be had here.
Chig Okonkwo (TE, Tennessee Titans) | 31% Rostered
Chig Okonkwo, a preseason fantasy football darling to many (self-included), has picked up some steam over the last month with at least nine PPR points in three of his last four games. It’s not gaudy numbers by any stretch, but finding TE production isn’t always easy. That said, TE, almost more than any other position, can be streamed based on matchup and the Titans take on the Houston Texans in week 17. The Texans have given up the second-most receptions and the fifth-most yards to opposing TEs to date. Okonkwo is a great plug-and-play option in championship week.
Stashes
Elijah Mitchell (RB, San Fransisco 49ers) | 12% Rostered
If the San Fransisco 49ers have locked in their playoff seeding headed into Week 18, there’s a real chance they rest superstar Christian McCaffrey. Should that be the case, Elijah Mitchell is likely to see the bulk of RB touches. As we’ve learned, the run game produces regardless of who is on the field for the 49ers. The 49ers take on the Rams in Week 18, who have been stingy against RB of late. Still, the opportunity is the focus here, and Mitchell could have that in abundance if McCaffrey sits.
Chase Brown (RB, Cincinnati Bengals) | 10% Rostered
Chase Brown finds himself in a similar boat as Mitchell; Simply awaiting an opportunity. Brown’s path is a bit less certain, as the Bengals are on the outside looking in at the playoffs. Should the Bengals be eliminated from playoff contention in Week 17, they may want to find out more about what they have in the Illinois product. The Bengals take on the Browns in Week 18, who are giving up just shy of 20 fantasy points per game to the RB over the last month. While that isn’t an ideal matchup, Brown may find himself with an opportunity share that could be fruitful for fantasy.
Thanks for reading my favorite fantasy football waiver wire Week 17 pickups. Looking for more fantasy football advice? Follow me on Twitter @ThatMattKelley.
*Photo Credit: Jerome Miron – USA TODAY Sports*