Las Vegas Raiders RB Zamir White filled in nicely in place of the injured Josh Jacobs in Week 15, and he did the same thing in Week 16 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Should managers pick up the second-year RB for their fantasy football playoff matchup in Week 17?
Should Zamir White Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 17?
The Raiders went into their Week 16 matchup against the Chiefs fresh off a 63-21 victory against the Los Angeles Chargers. However, Las Vegas took another step forward in this game, knocking off the defending Super Bowl champions to keep their playoff chances alive for another week.
White ended up having a great day, as he rushed the ball 22 times for 145 yards in the win. He wasn’t involved in the passing game at all, but that wasn’t his fault. The Raiders didn’t complete a single pass in the final three quarters and were still able to get the win.
White was able to get a lot of those yards on the final drive of the game, as they were running the clock out. Regardless, he had a huge game and made the plays late when the offense really couldn’t get anything going.
White, a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, has been called upon because of the injury to the starter, Jacobs, and he is delivering. Remarkably, White had just 20 carries before Thursday night’s matchup against the Chargers.
This is where it gets tough for fantasy managers. He has been so good that it definitely could warrant having White in your lineup. However, the injury status of Jacobs is going to determine what White’s value is for this next week.
If Jacobs is back, then White just doesn’t figure to get the ball enough to warrant having on your team. However, if Jacobs is out, then White could absolutely be worth the flier in the final week.
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White is well worth a waiver pickup and should have been picked up by everyone when the news of Jacobs being inactive first came out last week. Managers with Jacobs in the playoffs would have been wise to stash White as a handcuff toward the end of the fantasy regular season.
All in all, it is worth adding White at this point of the year. Worst-case scenario, he doesn’t play in your lineup in the championship. If Jacobs is out another week, then White is going to get the ball a lot against an Indianapolis Colts defense that is ranked 28th in stopping the run (130.7 yards allowed per contest).
There will be an opportunity if he plays to have another strong performance against the Colts. Also, if you can add White, that means that your opponent isn’t able to make the same move. The last thing you are going to want to have happen is to see White in your opponent’s lineup, see him have a big game, and ultimately defeat you in the championship.
If Jacobs is playing, White isn’t startable. However, if there is no Jacobs and White is the guy, then White should be in your Flex spot in your lineup. That’s a worthy waiver claim in most leagues.
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