Week 16 of the 2022 fantasy football season is nearly in the books! And it’s time to improve our rosters on the Week 16 waiver wire. Let’s take a look at the top Week 17 waiver wire pickups and targets that fantasy managers should consider adding to their rosters, which include Jahan Dotson and D.J. Chark.
Note: All roster percentages are from Yahoo, and players are listed by position in order of priority. There will be no FAAB recommendations this week as this is the final week of the fantasy season, so spend literally every dollar you have left on whoever you need.
Waiver Wire Pickups To Target in Week 17
Gardner Minshew, Philadelphia Eagles (27% Rostered)
What can you say about Gardner Minshew that hasn’t already been said? He was immediately pegged as the top Jalen Hurts replacement. That remains so next week.
Minshew did Minshew things against the Cowboys. He made spectacular plays and spectacular fails. For fantasy, we don’t care about the errors. He threw for 355 yards and two touchdowns, adding a third on a 1-yard QB sneak.
The Eagles have a home date with the Saints next week. They need the game to secure the division and the No. 1 overall seed. I think they get it behind another big-time Minshew performance. He will be a QB1 next week. If you need a quarterback, grab the Shew.
James Cook, Buffalo Bills (52% Rostered)
Devin Singletary remains the lead back, but James Cook continues to get work. He played 40% of the snaps against the Bears, carrying the ball 11 times for 99 yards and a touchdown. Cook added one reception for nine yards on two targets.
The Bills get the Bengals next week in what could be a shootout. Cook might see enough work to be usable. He’s still a volatile start, but at least there’s upside if you need him.
Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers (38% Rostered)
In a wild twist of fate, Chuba Hubbard was purely a runner this week. Typically, he’s the receiving back. Hubbard did lead the Panthers’ backfield in routes run, but it was with nine. He turned 12 carries into an impressive 125 yards, but still trailed D’Onta foreman by one snap and nine carries.
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The Panthers get the Bucs next week. I can’t imagine you’re going to want to use Hubbard in that one. The role is good enough, but there’s no point in picking up any players you’re not using in Week 17. Pass on Hubbard.
Jahan Dotson, Washington Commanders (22% Rostered)
I hope you all listened and picked up Jahan Dotson two weeks ago…or last week. Because he’s going to be expensive now.
Dotson is the truth. I’ve seen enough. The kid is good at football. He saw nine targets against the 49ers, catching six of them for 76 yards and a touchdown. He also had a really impressive 40+ yard catch wiped out due to a penalty.
Dotson has topped 50 yards and scored in three straight. He’s the clear WR2 behind Terry McLaurin but has been outproducing McLaurin for three games. With a matchup against the Browns next week, Dotson is bordering on a must-start. Go get him.
D.J. Chark, Detroit Lions (51% Rostered)
I liked D.J. Chark to bounce back this week. It’s why I recommended his receiving yards higher on Underdog Fantasy.
I chalked up last week’s dud to the Jets’ strong pass defense. Sure enough, Chark was productive once again, catching four of five targets for 108 yards.
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Char was once again second on the team in snaps and targets. Josh Reynolds is playing plenty, but not doing much.
The Lions have a home matchup against the hapless Bears next week. It’s a smash spot for this entire offense. Grab Chark if he’s out there.
Isaiah Hodgins and Richie James, New York Giants (2% Rostered, 17% Rostered)
I guess we need to take Isaiah Hodgins seriously. He caught eight of 11 targets for 89 yards and a touchdown in the Giants’ last-second loss to the Vikings.
Hodgins has now scored in three of his last four. In those three games, he’s posted at least 15 fantasy points.
Hodgins played all but two snaps for the Giants and ran just two fewer routes than WR1 Darius Slayton. He’s the clear WR2 on this team. The Giants get the Colts next week, which isn’t an overly imposing matchup. If you need a wide receiver to start in the fantasy championship (or the third-place game), Hodgins is worth a look.
As for Richie James, he was the clear WR3 and really just got there on volume. He caught eight of 12 targets for 90 yards but actually played quite poorly with some key drops.
The game environment and matchup allowed Daniel Jones to air it out. While the Colts aren’t necessarily imposing, they are not the pass funnel the Vikings are. So, I would not be interested in James off the Week 17 waiver wire.