Week 17 QB/TE Waiver Wire Targets: Chig Okonkwo, Anthony Richardson, Dalton Schultz, Bryce Young, Pat Freiermuth and More

Just one more fantasy football week remains (at least for a lot of you using week 17 for the championships).

If you are playing for a fantasy title, it probably means you aren’t worrying about the waiver wire too much. But at the quarterback and tight end positions, fantasy owners can stream options all season and still find success. 

Let’s look at some options for week 17!

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Quarterback Options

C.J. Stroud, Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Anthony Richardson, Mason Rudolph and Bryce Young are the quarterbacks I want to mention.

Stroud is rostered in all but 15% of leagues, and is the most notable fantasy QB in this short list. He had a good showing against the Chiefs this week and has a favorable matchup against the Ravens in week 17.

If he’s available in your league, Stroud is definitely the top waiver wire option I’d go after. The rest of the quarterbacks are more of the true “weekly streaming options.”

Williams had a nice fantasy showing in week 16, but it took 40 pass attempts to get there. The Bears are a mess right now, but lopsided scores make Williams an intriguing fantasy option every week. 

A week 17 matchup against the Seahawks is just average for Williams, but given his offenses’ current status, Williams is definitely a streaming option for the upcoming week.

Maye had a pretty solid fantasy outing this week, and has been near that mark in three straight now. His consistency of late is what helps him appear on my streaming list for week 17.

Maye has a test against the Chargers. It’s a pretty average matchup as well, but the game flow and his recent numbers make Maye look like a fantasy performer with a pretty decent floor and high ceiling.

Richardson was a 20-point fantasy scorer in week 16, and his dual-threat ability gives him a chance to replicate those numbers every week. Turnovers keep hurting him, but he keeps delivering solid results every few weeks, and that’s hard to ignore.

He’s got an above-average fantasy matchup against the Giants in week 17. The Colts are still alive for a postseason spot, so expect the young QB to be locked in and Indy to not mess around - I think that helps Richardson to a big fantasy showing.

Rudolph started for the Titans this week and ended up with an average fantasy showing. He posted similar numbers in week 15.

He makes this article because of an incredible matchup against the Jaguars in week 17. They were the best fantasy matchup for a QB coming into week 16. Rudolph did not play in the team’s first meeting of the season.

Young is currently fantasy QB2 this week after guiding the Panthers to a big upset win over the Cardinals. Young has been a better QB (both in real life and fantasy) since regaining the starting job.

A week 17 matchup with the Buccaneers definitely works in Young’s favor, as Tampa Bay was the No. 2 easiest matchup coming into week 16. The teams met a couple weeks ago, and Young had 298 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions, while rushing for 17 yards and another touchdown to deliver his best fantasy score of the season (to that point).

You already know I like Stroud the most among these quarterbacks, but let me rank every other option before moving on to the tight ends.

Richardson and Young are very close for the No. 2 spot in my book, but I’d give Young the slight edge. I like him more because he’s already delivered against the Bucs this season, and he’s less turnover prone than Richardson (at least on a weekly basis).

Williams, Maye and Rudolph are all close to me too. This might surprise some, but I’d take the most favorable matchup and try Rudolph over the other two. I think Williams has a higher ceiling than Maye, but I like Maye’s floor more, so I’d give him the slightest edge for week 17. 

Tight End Options

Cade Otton, Pat Freiermuth, Juwan Johnson, Chig Okonkwo, Noah Fant and Dalton Schultz are a few tight ends worth discussing.

Otton was out with a knee injury in week 16, so his status will need to be watched going into week 17. His fantasy production has dipped of late, but the defensive matchup he has puts him back on the streaming list.

Carolina is the second-most favorable defensive matchup for a fantasy tight end, and that makes Otton a streaming option in all leagues for next week. He had 20 yards on four catches and seven targets the last time he played the Panthers.

Freiermuth didn’t catch a touchdown this week, marking the first time he failed to do so in a game since week 12. He plays on Christmas against the Chiefs.

The Chiefs are a bottom-five defense when it comes to slowing opposing fantasy TEs. His poor showing in week 16 makes him a riskier option in the upcoming game, but if George Pickens is out again, I still like the idea of playing Freiermuth.

Johnson plays on Monday night, and he’ll be a much bigger waiver option if he has a nice game. Foster Moreau also could be swapped for Johnson if he steps up.

The Saints face the Raiders next week, and Las Vegas is another bottom-five defense against fantasy TEs. The matchup is right for either Johnson or Moreau to step up.

Okonkwo has the second-best PPR fantasy performance for a TE in week 16, trailing only Brock Bowers. Okonkwo delivered his big fantasy outing without a touchdown.

A week 17 clash with the Jaguars is a pretty favorable one for Okonkwo, and coming off the big game, a lot of fantasy owners will be more willing to start him for week 17. He had just eight yards on three catches and four targets in the team’s first meeting this season.

Fant had three catches for 50 yards across six targets this week. In week 17, he takes on the Bears, who are another bottom-10 defense against fantasy TEs.

Fant has been involved enough over the past month to give some serious starting consideration to, but he’s a much safer play in deeper leagues with no monster outings over that span.

Schultz is currently fantasy TE4 in PPR formats for the week. He’s likely to be even more involved in week 17 with Tank Dell likely to miss the game.

He hasn’t been the most consistent fantasy performer this season, but a couple nice outings over the past three weeks and a more positive fantasy outlook makes him an intriguing option for week 17. Baltimore is more of an average matchup for him, but given the circumstances, I like Schultz quite a bit for a streaming start.

In terms of how I’d rank them, I think I’d want Schultz first. There’s just not a lot of proven pass catchers remaining in Houston, and this game is likely going to see the Texans passing a ton, and that should work in Schultz’s favor.

Freiermuth and Okonkwo are close in my book, but I trust Freiermuth a bit more given his season numbers. I think Freiermuth will bounce back in week 17. I think Okonkwo will fare better in his second clash with the Jaguars, but not be quite as good a fantasy performer as Schultz or Freiermuth. 

Otton comes next for me, as long as he’s not limited (or out, of course). He’s involved enough of late to take over Johnson and Fant, and the matchup is one I’d take advantage of if my top-three options are taken.

Johnson, or Moreau, and Fant are pretty close in my book. Johnson and Moreau would have more upside in their offense given the Saints’ lack of proven pass catchers, but I also trust the Seahawks more. I’d rank them Johnson, Fant, Moreau without knowing how the two Saints performed on Monday night.