Fantasy Football Week 17: Waiver-Wire Pickups, Rankings, Box Score Stat Projections

Week 16 of the 2024 NFL season isn't quite finished, but its impact on fantasy football playoff clashes has already been profound.

Jayden Daniels (five passing touchdowns and 81 rushing yards) and Jonathan Taylor (29 carries for 218 yards and three scores) were good enough to decide matchups on their own.

Conversely, some ill-timed no-shows from Isiah Pacheco (25 scrimmage yards), Cooper Kupp (three catches for 24 yards) and Trey McBride (three receptions for 20 yards) may have determined outcomes in the opposite manner.

Things are plenty chaotic in the fantasy realm at this time of year, but since the show always goes on, we're doing the same by shifting focus ahead to Week 17 with early rankings at the marquee positions and rundowns of two early waiver-wire targets.

Quarterback

1. Lamar Jackson, BAL (at HOU)

2. Josh Allen, BUF (vs. NYJ)

3. Jayden Daniels, WAS (vs. ATL)

4. Joe Burrow, CIN (vs. DEN)

5. Matthew Stafford, LAR (vs. ARI)

6. Jared Goff, DET (at SF)

7. Bo Nix, DEN (at CIN)

8. Jalen Hurts, PHI (vs. DAL)

9. Baker Mayfield, TB (vs. CAR)

10. Sam Darnold, MIN (vs. GB)

Running Back

1. Saquon Barkley, PHI (vs. DAL)

2. Bijan Robinson, ATL (at WAS)

3. Jahmyr Gibbs, DET (at SF)

4. Jonathan Taylor, IND (at NYG)

5. Josh Jacobs, GB (at MIN)

6. Derrick Henry, BAL (at HOU)

7. De'Von Achane, MIA (at CLE)

8. Joe Mixon, HOU (vs. BAL)

9. Kyren Williams, LAR (vs. ARI)

10. Chase Brown, CIN (vs. DEN)

Wide Receiver

1. Justin Jefferson, MIN (vs. GB)

2. Ja'Marr Chase, CIN (vs. DEN)

3. Puka Nacua, LAR (vs. ARI)

4. Nico Collins, HOU (vs. BAL)

5. Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET (at SF)

6. A.J. Brown, PHI (vs. DAL)

7. Davante Adams, NYJ (at BUF)

8. Courtland Sutton, DEN (at CIN)

9. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, SEA (at CHI)

10. Mike Evans, TB (vs. CAR)

Some might avoid the Broncos backfield out of principle, since it's never clear which backs will be featured that particular week. However, there is plenty of production to be found in this running game should you happen to tab the correct ball-carrier.

Here's to hoping Audric Estime just positioned himself to be that ball-carrier in Week 17.

The rookie fifth-rounder handled nine carries on Thursday (his second-most of the season) and converted them into 48 yards and his first career touchdown. He didn't rip off any huge runs—his longest carry spanned nine yards—but that makes his 5.3 yards per rush more impressive, since it shows how he was consistently delivering solid runs.

Now, his ceiling isn't sky-high. He's still trapped in a timeshare backfield, and his yards will never erupt (his season-high is 53 from scrimmage). However, there's a chance his strong showing could earn him a similar or even increased role his next time out, and that would give him a shot at posting rock-solid RB2 production.

Projected stats: 13 carries for 59 yards and one touchdown

Admittedly, the prospect of streaming a quarterback this late into the fantasy season is terrifying. But major injuries or underperformances have left you with no choice.

If you find yourself in the market for a signal-caller, then Michael Penix Jr. might be the most intriguing option on the board.

The rookie first-rounder hardly lit it up during his first career start (202 passing yards with no touchdowns and one interception), but he did complete 66.7 percent of his passes while steering his squad to a 34-7 win. His numbers would've looked better without a couple drops, too, including one in which Kyle Pitts lost it into the hands of a defender for Penix's only pick.

This is a speculative pickup, but those sometimes prove the most profitable. Penix's first start felt like it laid the foundation for better days ahead, and maybe those days will arrive already this week.

Projected stats: 20-of-29 passing for 246 yards and two touchdowns