NFL Waiver Wire: Week 17 Pickups

NFL Waiver Wire: Week 17 Pickups

This article is part of our NFL Waiver Wire series.

It's fantasy championship week. But sometimes we need help getting over the finish line. Have no fear, we have some great options this week. At this point, there's no need for suggested FAAB bids. If you need a player, go the max.

QUARTERBACK

Brock Purdy, SF - The passing yardage hasn't been great. Purdy has been held to fewer than 220 yards in three of his four games as the starter. However, Purdy Has thrown exactly two touchdown passes each game he's played. He faces a Raiders defense that is solid against the run. That should allow the Purdy to flirt with 30 pass attempts. And with weapons like Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle, the run after the catch potential elevates his scoring floor.

Gardner Minshew, PHI - It shouldn't have been a surprise to see him play so well against the Cowboys last week. Minshew has excellent protection. He also has an amazing trio of receiving options. And the good news this week is that the Saints are strong against the run. That should ensure that the Eagles' coaching staff uses the passing attack to drive the offense. Although Minshew is prone to turnovers, his excellent weapons give him a great combination of floor and ceiling. 

Russell Wilson, DEN - Yes, Wilson has been terrible this year. He only has two multi-touchdown games. But the good news is that one of those games came just a few weeks ago when he faced this same Kansas City defense. In that game, he threw for 247 yards and three scores. Just like in the first matchup, there's a great chance that the Broncos fall behind. He'll also be playing this game of the new coach, which hopefully injects some life into the team. 

RUNNING BACK

Tyler Allgeier, ATL - In the last two weeks, Allgeier has had 35 carries to just 21 for Cordarrelle Patterson. During that span, Patterson has rushed for three yards per carry while Allgeier has gone for over six. And the rookie has posted at least 117 scrimmage yards in each of those games. This week, he'll face an Arizona defense that is in freefall. And there's no game in which Atlanta doesn't want to run the football. Allgeier is actually an outstanding fantasy option this week. 

Zack Moss, IND - In each of his two games since taking over for Jonathan Taylor, Moss has played on 67 percent of the snaps. In his first game, he was unable to rush for four yards per carry against Minnesota's excellent run defense. But then he came back against the Chargers, running for five yards per tote.  He faces a Giants defense that has gotten consistently worse as the season has gone on. And for the most part, the Colts have been competitive. That should allow them to utilize Moss for all four quarters. That should lead to him having a strong floor and the potential for a bigger game as well. 

Chase Edmonds, DEN - If you're really digging deep, Edmonds could be useful this week. In his return from injured reserve last week, he had six carries and two receptions which he turned into 53 yards. Earlier in the season, he was stuck in a terrible system fit in Miami where he was never able to get going. He might fit much better in Denver. Remember, he was generally a productive back whenever given the chance during his days in Arizona.

WIDE RECEIVER 

Jahan Dotson, WAS - Dotson has scored in each of his last three games. He's also posted 54, 105 and 76  yards while averaging five receptions and eight targets during that span. Before getting injured earlier in the season, he had scored four touchdowns in his first four games of the year. He has become a significant part of the Commanders' passing attack. He's also shown to be an emerging star. With the Cleveland secondary likely to be concerned with Terry McLaurin, Dotson has a chance to put together another excellent performance. 

DJ Chark, DET - Chark has quietly posted at least 94 yards in three of his last four games. In the game that he fell short, he was overmatched against the Jets and their elite cornerbacks. He's typically seeing 5-7 targets per game. And this week he faces a Chicago defense that's been decimated by injury. The Bears will be without two of their top three corners. And Jared Goff has been excellent at home all year. Look for Chark to have another strong performance. 

Russell Gage, TB - Julio Jones is fighting through an injury — he missed one game and played limited snaps last week — which has allowed Gage to be an excellent fantasy option. With Tom Brady typically under pressure, getting the ball out quickly is his best friend. And that's where Gage thrives. He has at least 59 yards in each of the last two games while also scoring a pair of touchdowns. It's unlikely that Jones will be at full capacity this week. That makes Gage a good fantasy play. 

TIGHT END

Juwan Johnson, NO - Predictably, Johnson had a terrible game last week. The Saints were playing in sub-zero wind chills with high winds. There was never a chance of the passing game getting going. Other than that game and his matchup against the 49ers, Johnson has been rock solid for more than a month. He's posted at least 42 yards and a touchdown in four of his last six games. He faces an Eagles defense that is soft in the middle. It's also likely that the Saints will need to score points, and those will need to come through the passing game. Johnson should be in for another high floor performance with TD upside. 

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS

Los Angeles Chargers D/ST - The Chargers have been masterful at dialing up pressure lately. Anytime they face an opponent that has a quarterback who struggles to deal with it, they attack relentlessly. Facing Baker Mayfield and the Rams this week looks like a perfect recipe for that pass rush to continue its success. And although Mayfield has looked decent in his short time with the Rams, his history proves otherwise. 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jim Coventry
Coventry was a finalist for the FSWA football writer of the year in 2022. He started playing fantasy football in 1994 and won a national contest in 1996. He also nabbed five top-50 finishes in national contests from 2008 to 2012 before turning his attention to DFS. He's been an industry analyst since 2007, though he joined RotoWire in 2016. A published author, Coventry wrote a book about relationships, "The Secret of Life", in 2013.
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