If you’re still alive in the fantasy football playoffs, good luck making it to the championship game. We’ve entered Week 17 – the final week of the fantasy season for most leagues. There are still a lot of injuries and teams to play in such an important game, plus we have the schedule to think about. There are three games on Christmas Day on Thursday and two more on Saturday, which will force some early lineup decisions.
Let’s take a look back at the early picks to consider on the fantasy football waiver wire heading into Week 17.
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Dylan Sampson/Raheim Sanders, running back, Browns (11%/0% roster on Yahoo)
Cleveland lost rookie wide receiver Quinshon Judkins in the first half of Sunday’s game against the Bills. Things looked bad as Judkins was carried off the field. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters after the game that the rookie suffered a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle.
Sampson has missed the past two games with hand and calf injuries, but if he can return against the Steelers on Sunday, he should be able to handle much of the work in the backfield. If Sampson is unable to return to health, Sanders will have the biggest workload after Judkins’ injury, completing 11 carries for 42 yards and one catch for 4 yards. We also saw Trayveon Williams take snaps and serve as pass defender, finishing with 4 catches for 38 yards (3 carries for 17 yards). If you can’t catch Sampson, Sanders may become a deeper target.
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Blake Corum, RB, Rams (41% played)
Week 16 began with the Rams losing to the Seahawks in a huge TNF game. Los Angeles continues to provide offensive volume to support its two running backs. Even though leading back Kyren Williams touched the ball 26 times, Corum was able to convert 15 of his touches into 61 yards and a score. He didn’t get much help in the passing game, but Colum has caught 37 passes for 247 yards and four touchdowns in the past three games. It feels like we’ve been begging you to add Corum since Week 13, and yet, he’s still in high demand heading into the championship game in the Yahoo League.
If you’re in a shallow league (8-10 teams) and are dealing with RB injury issues (see Judkins above), Corum is a great player to target. He’ll have flexible appeal when the Rams take on the Falcons in Week 17, with the NFC’s top seed still within reach.
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Tyjae Spears, running back, Titans (25% roster)
We’ll give you another RB, but sometimes it’s your choice. We saw Spears perform well in three games in December late last season. Could history repeat itself? Spears still trails Tony Pollard in touches, 21-19, but put in a big effort in the passing game, hauling in five catches for 53 yards. Spears finished with 104 yards and 19 scores. Tennessee will have another game in Week 17 that will set up a good scoring environment against the Saints. Spears are an interesting addition to the PPR format that provide safe flexibility if you need a plug-and-play option.
