Entering Week 17, let’s take a look at the top quarterbacks to target on the waiver wire in your fantasy football league. All players listed below are rostered in less than 50% of Yahoo, ESPN, and/or Sleeper leagues.
Note that I have eliminated FAAB recommendations this year, as there are too many variables to account for. Instead, I replaced them with my opinion on how aggressive fantasy managers should be in pursuing the player on a scale of 1-10.
Looking for other players? Check out our Week 17 Waiver Wire article, which covers a plethora of players from all positions.
Geno Smith | SEA
Rostered: 53%
What a performance by Geno Smith in a losing effort. The Seattle Seahawks QB battled through a knee injury to throw for 314 yards and three touchdowns. He did throw two interceptions, but fantasy managers will hardly complain.
We just saw Jared Goff absolutely torch the Chicago Bears’ defense for 336 yards and three touchdowns. Smith hasn’t been particularly good for fantasy lately, with this being his first usable outing since Week 11. However, if you’re in need of a streamer — perhaps you lost Jalen Hurts and he doesn’t clear concussion protocol — you can use Smith.
Russell Wilson | PIT
Rostered: 46%
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a good defense, but they are susceptible to giving up points to good offenses. That could result in a negative game script, forcing Russell Wilson to throw.
To Wilson’s credit, he’s looked very good this season. He threw for 217 yards and two touchdowns against the Baltimore Ravens. Wilson has 16+ points in three of his last four, and the Kansas City Chiefs are a pass-funnel defense. You can stream Wilson if necessary.
Bryce Young | CAR
Rostered: 7%
Bryce Young only threw for 158 yards against the Arizona Cardinals. Yet, it was his best fantasy effort of the season, scoring 27 points. How did he do it? Rushing.
Not exactly known for his wheels, Young has been scrambling a lot more lately. This past week, he ran the ball five times for 68 yards and a touchdown. If Young is going to make this a regular part of his repertoire, he can be a viable fantasy starter.
Young gets the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week. When they last met, he had what was previously his best fantasy outing of the season, scoring 23 points. You can definitely look to Young as a viable streamer in Week 17.
Drake Maye | NE
Rostered: 14%
The Week 17 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers is not exactly a favorable one. However, Drake Maye has been playing really solid football lately. He’s scored 18+ fantasy points in three straight, including against two bottom-third pass defenses.
The Chargers are decidedly average against quarterbacks. That’s good enough to stream Maye if you need to.