Staying active on the waiver wire is an important way for season-long fantasy owners to improve their teams and get an edge on the competition. Shifts in opportunities for players due to injuries or performance cause value spikes that owners can take advantage of to fill in roster holes to build a championship lineup.
Each week, we will discuss waiver wire targets at each position to consider for both the week ahead and the rest of the fantasy season.
Week 17 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Adds
* Current roster % in home leagues is noted in parentheses (from FantasyPros)
Tyler Shough, QB (New Orleans Saints) (15%)
His last name will continue to spawn more and more creative mottos if rookie Tyler Shough continues to play well this weekend in a plus matchup against the Tennessee Titans. It would be crazy to think at the beginning of the season that fantasy owners could consider Shough as a championship week starter, but his passing volume dictates some thinking.
Shough set career highs with 32 completions and 49 pass attempts in their 29-6 win over the lowly New York Jets. He finished with 308 passing yards and a touchdown as he continues to build a rapport with star receiver Chris Olave. Olave caught 10 passes for 148 yards and two scores; unfortunately, one of those came from the arm of Taysom Hill, vulturing fantasy points from Shough.
The Titans are 24th against fantasy quarterbacks this season, and Shough is still looking to ace his tryout to keep the starting role for 2026. Expect another high-volume passing attack from New Orleans and a potential fantasy championship-winning performance.
Looking for more fantasy football content? Make sure to check out Sean Koerner’s and Chris Raybon’s weekly fantasy football rankings by subscribing to FantasyLabs’ 2025 fantasy football kit.
Emanuel Wilson, RB (Green Bay Packers) (40%)
Fantasy teams playing this week likely made it to championship week on the back of some running back success. That said, the most likely plug-and-play option this week is Emanuel Wilson in Green Bay if Josh Jacobs misses their game on Saturday night.
Wilson got the bulk of the carries against the Bears last week and found success with 82 yards on 14 carries. Unfortunately, his ceiling is capped without much of a pass-catching role. He has 13 catches on the season compared to 104 carries in relief appearances and doesn’t have a catch in the last four games.
Wilson is worth a defensive pickup as well to limit potential running back options for championship opponents. If he gets the start, he is a high-floor, low-ceiling proposition that shouldn’t tank your chances at bringing home a trophy.
Mack Hollins, WR (New England Patriots) (3%)
If you are looking for a high-upside lottery ticket receiver for a championship upset attempt, Mack Hollins may be the best waiver wire option. He is trending up over the last few weeks with 17 targets over the last two weeks and a tasty matchup against the Jets’ secondary in Week 17.
Hollins caught seven passes for 69 yards against Baltimore and nearly had a touchdown that would have made his fantasy day look much brighter. The touchdowns have been tough to come by for Hollins, with just two scores that came in the first four games of 2025. His targets have significantly increased over the second half of the year.
Maybe the touchdown breakout comes this week against a Jets defense that allowed a season-high in fantasy points to wide receivers last week against the Saints. Drake Maye does have a slew of receiving options in Stefon Diggs, Hunter Henry, and others, but Hollins seems to have a big game coming at some point before season’s end.
Colby Parkinson, TE (Los Angeles Rams) (20%)
Fantasy owners pinning championship hopes on the tight end waiver wire this week are likely doomed from the start. If you are looking for a dart throw option, Colby Parkinson does have three touchdown catches over his last three games, including the first multi-score game in his six-year career.
The Rams should put up points against Atlanta in an important game for playoff seeding. Parkinson saw three red zone targets in both Week 14 and 15 but failed to garner one last week when the Rams put up 37 points.
Without a score, Parkinson has topped five catches and 50 yards just once this season. He is a close-your-eyes-and-hope proposition for a tight-end-needy championship lineup.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, D/ST (42%)
The New England Patriots are the obvious defensive start this week against the Jets. If they are not available on the waiver wire, the Buccaneers are another solid option as they take on Quinn Ewers and the Dolphins in a game Tampa Bay must win to make the playoffs.
Ewers threw two interceptions last week in his first NFL start but did manage to not take a sack against the Bengals. The Buccaneers have struggled this season to affect passers with just 2.2 sacks/game and 0.8 interceptions/game on the season, but they should be extremely motivated this week to pressure the rookie.
Pictured: Emanuel Wilson
Photo Credit: Imagn
