It can be enticing to chase points in fantasy football, but there needs to be a reason and a method to the madness before committing to doing so. Cedrick Wilson posted a solid day in Week 17, but should fantasy managers still playing this week use a waiver wire claim on him?
Cedrick Wilson had a solid week
In a bit of a bizarre Week 17, Wilson finished the day with 6 catches for 35 yards and a TD, registering as the WR16 of the week. That’s a solid fantasy stat line, and if you took a gamble on playing him, it paid off.
It was a weird day for the Cowboys’ offense, with Wilson leading the team in receptions, but no one topped 54 yards. Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb were oddly quiet, and Dallas lost a close game to the Arizona Cardinals. Somehow, despite the low yardage totals, Wilson, Cooper, and Michael Gallup all managed to log receiving touchdowns.
Michael Gallup is out for the year with a knee injury
On his impressive touchdown catch, Gallup landed awkwardly and suffered a season-ending ACL tear. Gallup typically operates as the clear third option in the wide receiver room. Now, it looks like Wilson will be the next man up to operate that role. Gallup typically plays a large percentage of the team snaps — he was on the field for over 80% of the offensive plays in five of the eight games prior to leaving Sunday’s matchup.
Wilson has shown to have a role in this offense when he’s on the field. His opportunity will presumably increase with the news about Gallup. Of Wilson’s 6 receptions on Sunday, 5 of them — including his touchdown catch — came after Gallup left to injury.
Should you claim Wilson off waivers?
As I stated above, don’t chase points unless you have a reason to believe the circumstances have changed. Without Gallup for the last game of the year, and in a contest that might not have any playoff ramifications for the Cowboys, Wilson could see the field a whole bunch.
The Cowboys have won their division and are two games behind the Green Bay Packers for the first seed in the NFC, meaning they mathematically can’t catch them. There’s a good chance Dallas rests their stars at some point during the game. Yet, Wilson likely won’t fall into that category. He is certainly worth a waiver claim and potentially worth starting as a flex in Week 18.