Nobody panic, but the NFL regular season is coming to an end. If your fantasy league plays in week 17 then you have a bit more football to go. To that end, check out the waiver wire pickups for the week and then read on to the running back rankings for the week. Also, keep in mind that after this week is over there will still be plenty more fantasy football news and analysis on fantasyknuckleheads.com.
Notable Injuries: Jonathan Stewart CAR Questionable, Matt Forte CHI Questionable, C.J. Spiller NO Questionable, Shaun Draughn SF Questionable, Matt Jones WSH Questionable
Week 17 Waiver Wire Picks: Quarterback And Tight End / Running Back / Wide Receiver
Elite Tier - Must Starts
1. DeAngelo Williams PIT @CLE
2. Todd Gurley STL @SF
3. Adrian Peterson MIN @GB
4. Devonta Freeman ATL vs. NO
Williams dominated last week and now he is licking his chops looking at the awful Cleveland run defense. Gurley has a similarly enticing matchup, but he has been less effective in the latter part of this season. Adrian Peterson is up against the rival Packers and should be at his best. Freeman gets the Saints at home and should put up multiple scores.
Strong Plays - Reliable, But A Notch Below
5. Charcandrick West KC vs. OAK
6. Eddie Lacy GB vs. MIN
7. Doug Martin TB @CAR
8. David Johnson ARI vs. SEA
9. Ryan Mathews PHI @NYG
West has all of the ability that a coach could ask for and plays in a system that makes running backs stars. Lacy has come on to an extent and he should be pumped up versus the Vikings. Martin has a tough task facing the Panthers but they have nothing left to prove in the regular season and may phone it in. Johnson gets the Seahawks at home and may find little room to run, but he is too good to sit. Mathews is ranked in the top ten based on how ridiculously putrid the Giants defense is.
Risk/Reward - Potentially Shaky
10. Tim Hightower NO @ATL
11. Latavius Murray OAK @KC
12. Darren McFadden DAL vs. WSH
13. James White NE @MIA
14. Frank Gore IND vs. TEN
15. Danny Woodhead SD @DEN
The Saints are on the road and the Falcons defense has improved as the season progressed; Hightower is not quite a sure thing to produce. Murray faces a tough defense but he can break a big play at any time. McFadden is probably going to be glad to see this season come to a close, but he should be good for one more decent score. White is the most likely Pats back to make himself useful this week. Gore always sees a fair volume even if he is a pedestrian runner at this point. Woodhead is so versatile that he usually finds a way to put up some points.
Question Marks - RB2 Upside
16. Chris Ivory NYJ @BUF
17. Javorius Allen BAL @CIN
18. Jeremy Hill CIN vs. BAL
19. Rashad Jennings NYG vs. PHI
20. Karlos Williams BUF vs. NYJ
21. C.J. Anderson DEN vs. SD
Ivory looks to put the Jets into the playoffs this week against an up and down Buffalo defense. Allen is coming off a nice game and facing a division opponent; he should be primed to close out the season on a high note. Hill is not a great back but he gets plenty of cracks at the end zone. Jennings has come on of late and should rack up some yardage at home versus the Eagles. Williams will find limited running room with the Jets coming to town but he should be good for a score. Anderson looked decent last week and will likely be useful again in week 17.
Flex Appeal - Usable In A Pinch
22. Denard Robinson JAC @HOU
23. Matt Forte CHI vs. DET Questionable
24. Lamar Miller MIA vs. NE
25. Bilal Powell NYJ @BUF
26. Jeremy Langford CHI vs. DET
27. Cameron Artis-Payne CAR vs. TB
28. Ameer Abdullah DET @CHI
Robinson has big play ability but the Texans D has been good lately. Forte should put up numbers against Detroit if he is healthy enough to play. Miller has been disappointing lately and the Pats will look to see that the trend continues. Powell has been making plays for the Jets and it would not be surprising to see more of the same in Buffalo. Langford will be much more attractive if Forte sits, but either way he should see some touches. Artis-Payne struggled last week but Tampa should be an easier matchup. Abdullah gets the soft Bears defense and he might put up around 60 yards with a score.
29. Christine Michael SEA @ARI
30. Giovani Bernard CIN vs. BAL
31. Alfred Blue HOU vs. JAC
32. Darren Sproles PHI @NYG
33. Ronnie Hillman DEN vs. SD
34. DeMarco Murray PHI @NYG
35. James Starks GB vs. MIN
36. Mike Gillislee BUF vs. NYJ
37. Theo Riddick DET @CHI
38. Spencer Ware KC vs. OAK
39. Brandon Bolden NE @MIA
40. Charles Sims TB @CAR
41. DuJuan Harris SF vs. STL
42. Chris Thompson WSH @DAL
43. Jerick McKinnon MIN @GB
44. Alfred Morris WSH @DAL
45. Bryce Brown SEA @ARI
46. Joique Bell DET @CHI
47. Jay Ajayi MIA vs. NE
48. Isiah Crowell CLE vs. PIT
49. Donald Brown SD @DEN
50. Duke Johnson Jr. CLE vs. PIT
