In Week 17 with fantasy football championships on the line, owners in need must hinge everything on…Mike Gillislee?
It sounds funny, but owners who have made it this far know that’s just how it goes in the world of fantasy football, where Blake Bortles scores more points than Aaron Rodgers and week-to-week performance on the waiver wire can make up for a poor initial draft.
Below, let’s detail the best waiver-wire pickups of Week 17. The area, especially if an owner has a need, certainly has the talent to overcome any potential issues with fantasy championships or consolation brackets on the line.
Week 17 Waiver-Wire Pickup Targets
Jameis Winston, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (41.3 percent owned)
Look, leaning on a rookie in a fantasy championship might sound like a scary proposition, but Jameis Winston of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has the talent and weapons around him to make it work.
Winston’s scored 18 or more points in three of his past four games and has never failed to hit double digits. His output has become even more consistent with big-bodied tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins back in the lineup.
As ESPN Stats & Info details, the rookie continues to make history while leaning on his supporting cast:
Owners might shy away from Winston because he next gets the Carolina Panthers, and back in Week 4, he threw four interceptions while totaling just 12 points against the unit.
But Winston’s a long way from four-interception contests as an inexperienced rookie, and tossing two scores against a Josh Norman-led defense isn’t anything to sniff at. With Tampa Bay wanting to play spoiler, Winston should provide a solid outing.
Mike Gillislee, RB, Buffalo Bills (8.9 percent owned)
About Gillislee.
The Buffalo Bills have a bit of a committee going on right now with LeSean McCoy out of the picture, and it might be Gillislee benefiting the most.
Gillislee carried the ball nine times this past weekend and racked up 93 yards and a score, good for 16 points. The thing is, he’d be talked about more if he had posted another touchdown, but officials ruled him down at the 1-yard line.
While he might not see more carries than Karlos Williams down the stretch, it’s clear Gillislee continues to earn himself more looks and can be quite effective when given the chance.
On one hand, owners might find it risky to lean on a change-of-pace option, but Gillislee continues to cut himself a bigger part of the pie and now has a touchdown in three consecutive games.
At some point, the pendulum of owner opinion has to swing in the other direction.
DeVante Parker, WR, Miami Dolphins (30.6 percent owned)
This wasn’t too hard to see coming.
This time of year, down-and-out teams such as the Miami Dolphins do whatever it takes to get talented young players involved and help build for the future.
Thus is the case with the Dolphins and wideout DeVante Parker. The offense fed him 10 targets this past weekend, of which he caught four for 93 yards and nine points, meaning he’s scored nine or more points in three of his last five games.
Parker has 14- and 12-point showings this year as the season winds down. Given he’s seeing almost as many targets as one of the league’s top target hogs, Jarvis Landry, owners cannot afford to miss out on the talented rookie against the New England Patriots.
In what should be a shootout, there’s going to be plenty of chances for Parker to give owners in need a solid outing.
Vance McDonald, TE, San Francisco 49ers (3.1 percent owned)
Given how the tight end position unfolds each year, owners shouldn’t be shocked to see a name such as Vance McDonald of the San Francisco 49ers pop up.
With Blaine Gabbert under center, McDonald’s seen decent usage and morphed into a quality streaming start if the matchup is right.
It was this past weekend against the Detroit Lions when McDonald caught five passes for 61 yards and a score, good for 12 points. When in a good matchup over his past six outings, he has a minimum of 12 points three times.
McDonald finishes the season in a good situation against the St. Louis Rams. The defense let up two touchdowns to tight ends in Week 15 before allowing unknown Cooper Helfet to post four points this past week.
Given the sound matchup and necessary prerequisites, McDonald looks like one of the top championship-week streamers.
All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as are points-against info and ownership stats as of December 28. Statistics courtesy of ESPN.com.
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