Fantasy Football: Players to drop for your Week 17 waiver wire pickups
By Jennifer Eakins, 4for4
Special to Yahoo Sports
How we approach fantasy drops takes a slight or not-so-slight shift in Week 17. It’s time to eliminate anyone who doesn’t have the potential to start, but you certainly don’t want to let anyone go who can be used against you, either.
Check out your opponent’s roster and load up on anyone you think they might want to add, sending bench riders to the waiver wire for good. Let’s look at some players who may have made it this far on your squads but can be dropped before that sweet, sweet championship game.
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Jamaal Williams, RB, Lions (91 percent rostered on Yahoo)
There have been some juicy fantasy heroics from Jamaal Williams in 2022, but his time on rosters has come to an end. While the 27-year-old may have had a role in getting you this far at some point in the season, let's hope you have better options at RB in Week 17. Williams’ usage and output are trending down, as he hasn't topped 37 yards since Week 12 and crossed the pylon since Week 13. His touches have also decreased in each of the last three contests, going from 16 to 13 to nine from Weeks 14-16.
The Lions do get a better matchup for their backfield this week with the Bears, who sit 26th in RB schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed, and chances of the RBs getting game-scripted out of production like last week are smaller. However, with D'Andre Swift back in the mix and Williams dealing with a leg injury, we’re at the point of hoping Williams slides in for a touchdown, and that type of dependency isn’t ideal for a fantasy championship. If your opponent is truly RB needy and you think Williams could be used against you, then push him to the end of your bench, but chances are if they’re in the final game they have better choices at the position and so do you.
Cordarelle Patterson, RB, Falcons (85% rostered)
There are 85% of Yahoo managers still rostering Cordarelle Patterson, and his time in the fantasy sun ended early this year. Rookie Tyler Allgeier has out-touched the 31-year-old 40-24 since their Week 14 bye. To make matters worse, Patterson’s usual work in the receiving game has been minimal, with just two catches for 14 yards since the bye and only 13 receptions for 79 yards on the season, a stark change from the 52-548-5 line via the air last season.
On paper, this week looks like a wonderful matchup against the Cardinals, who sit dead last in RB aFPA, but the Falcons will most likely give the bulk of the work to Allgeier in this one, to assess the future of the Atlanta backfield. Patterson is highly touchdown-dependent heading into Week 17, and similar to Williams above, that’s not ideal for Championship Week.
Derek Carr, QB, Raiders (70% rostered)
Chances are you are not in your league’s title game with Derek Carr as your QB, but stranger things have happened, especially in 2022. The ninth-year QB is coming off a season-high three-interception game and is averaging a brutal 11.4 fantasy points per game over the last three weeks.
To make things worse, Carr gets a tough task in Week 17 against a stout 49ers defense, a unit that hasn’t allowed any QB to score over 15.3 fantasy points since Matthew Stafford’s 17.4 back in Week 8. Carr is better off on the waiver wire to end the season with hopes of a fresh start in 2023. If you’re in need of QB help in your championship, look to Daniel Jones or Brock Purdy.
Antonio Gibson, RB, Commanders (83% rostered)
It’s been four contests since Antonio Gibson has led the Washington backfield in touches, with Brian Robinson seeing 78 opportunities to Gibson’s 37 since Week 12, and Jonathan Williams is now in the mix for backup duties with five touches last week to Gibson’s seven. The third-year back seems to have fallen out of favor with Ron Rivera and the Commanders' coaching staff, and it’s tough to count on him for any viable fantasy production this week.
Let’s hope the 83% of you who are rostering Gibson have some better options to consider in his place, and if not, there are some decent players on the waiver wire like Tyler Allgeier, Zack Moss, or Chuba Hubbard.
Treylon Burks, WR, Titans (45% rostered)
You’ve held onto the rookie this long, so it may be tough to say goodbye, but it really shouldn’t be too painful to drop Treylon Burks this week. Back from concussion protocol, Burks didn’t catch either of his targets and had one rush for 15 yards against the Texans.
The talent is there, and he has a bright future, but this season was not meant to be as Burks dealt with various health issues and now the loss of Ryan Tannehill due to an ankle injury. With Dallas on tap in Week 17 and rookie Malik Willis under center, Burks is not recommended to crack any starting fantasy lineup. Move on and grab someone else that at least has a shot of having their number called if necessary.
Say Goodbye to These Injured Players
Here are some drop-worthy guys who are either not suiting up for Week 17, or if they do, aren’t worth hanging onto anymore:
Ryan Tannehill, QB, Titans
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Dolphins (keep an eye on him this week, but it doesn’t look good)
Chris Olave, WR, Saints
Hunter Henry, TE, Patriots
Tyler Boyd, WR, Bengals
Jonathan Taylor, RB, Colts
Dameon Pierce, RB, Texans
Nico Collins, WR, Texans
This list could go on and on, but it’s kind of tough to gauge all of your unique rosters heading into this final week. This column was once again a blast to write this season, and it was my pleasure to have assisted you all in any way along your fantasy football journey in 2022.
Feel free to hit me up with any lingering questions on Twitter @JenEakinsNFL.
This article was originally published on 4for4.com
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A proud alumna of the UGA Grady College of Journalism, Jennifer Eakins has been working in the sports industry for well over a decade. She has had stints with CNN Sports, the Atlanta Hawks and the Colorado Rockies. Her first fantasy football draft took place in 1996 where she selected Ricky Watters with the first overall pick, and she has been a fantasy degenerate ever since.
