Best fantasy football WR waiver wire pickups for Week 17

Hello! Happy holidays and welcome to the Week 17 waiver wire watch for wide receivers!

This is the end of the line. Championship week is here for most fantasy leagues and whether you’re gunning for the title or trying to avoid the humiliation of finishing last, your fantasy season comes down to one final matchup. So its time to start looking for ways to fortify your rosters for the grand finale.

We’ll go over some performers that you should consider scooping off the waiver wire ahead of Week 17 and as always, we’ll classify a waiver add as someone who is rostered in 60% of leagues at the max. There are three games set for Christmas on Thursday and two games set for Saturday, so make sure to get your lineups situated early this week.

Trevor Lawrence has been in sync with his receiver core for the past month and Washington ended up being his favorite target in the Jaguars’ 34-20 statement victory over the Broncos on Sunday. The third-year wideout was a fireworks factory at Mile High Stadium, posting a career-day by catching six of 10 targets for 145 receiving yards and a first-quarter touchdown that opened the scoring festivities for Jacksonville.

He exited Sunday as a top-three fantasy wideout in all scoring formats for the week and that’s a testament to the role that he’s played in the Jags offense in recent weeks. Momentum is on their side right now and if you need a skill guy to get you over the hump in the final week, then a Jags receiver like Washington would be a solid choice.

Week 17 matchup: @ Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m. ET

Johnston had his most productive game of the season on Sunday as the Chargers moved a step closer to clinching a playoff spot in their 34-17 victory over the Cowboys. The third-year wideout from TCU was hitting home runs with each catch, turning four receptions into 104 receiving yards including a first-quarter touchdown reception that put them on the board.

Johnston has been relatively quiet in the second half of the season after storming out the gate with a strong start in the first month of the campaign. His big-play abilities will come in handy for the Chargers in the coming weeks and he could be a helpful hand in your championship game.

Week 17 matchup: vs. Houston Texans, 4:30 p.m. ET (Saturday afternoon)

The Broncos missed a chance to clinch the AFC West title in a 34-20 loss on Sunday and will have to wait until Christmas night at Arrowhead Stadium to get another crack at it. Franklin will most likely play a role in that matchup like he played a role in Sunday’s game, catching four of six targets for 66 receiving yards in the loss at home.

Franklin has been a solid Flex pick up in deeper leagues for a while now as he’s been a top-25 fantasy wideout in four of his last six outings. He continue to flex his rapport with his college teammate Bo Nix and he may get a chance to bury a Chiefs team that has nothing to play for.

Week 17 matchup: @ Kansas City Chiefs, 8:15 p.m. ET (Thursday night)

The Lions’ playoff hopes are on life support as their 29-24 loss to the Steelers on Sunday eliminated them from NFC North title contention and left them with the faintest of hope to grab the final Wild Card spot in the NFC. Seven different players caught at least three passes for the Lions in this one and Raymond made his mark with four catches for 62 receiving yards and a touchdown.

With their backs against the wall, Dan Campbell may throw everything and the kitchen sink at the Vikings on Christmas. Expect to see a bunch of different pass-catchers get utilized on Thursday and we may see another strong effort out of Raymond.

Week 17 matchup: @ Minnesota Vikings, 4:30 p.m. ET (Thursday afternoon)