Fantasy Football Week 17 WR Waiver Wire: How to replace Jaylen Waddle for 2023 playoffs

Week 17 of the 2023 fantasy football season marks the final matchup of the year for many leagues. Most formats choose to host their league championships to avoid the uncertainty of Week 18. Some NFL teams with nothing left to play for choose to sit starters in the final week of the season, creating a dreaded situation where some fantasy stars may be forced out of weekly lineups.

Regardless of which round of the 2023 fantasy football playoffs that managers are participating in this week, they will all want to continue producing the best possible lineup to earn a victory. Stashing players has become relatively useless at this point in the year, as the sole focus should be on setting the best starting lineup to advance in the postseason.

This concept plays a major role in the strategy for approaching the Week 17 waiver wire. Managers should only be looking to add options that may have potential upside for this week alone, rather than building a strong bench of players who may be useful later in the season. No time remains for speculative long-term upside, but only weekly projections as the 2023 fantasy football season comes to a close.

Wide receivers are always among the most popular waiver wire targets each week because the depth of this position is completely unmatched. New relevant options emerge every week based on increases in their usual offensive roles. Production can sometimes be boosted by their own developments, but also when relevant injuries occur that change their individual situations.

Injuries are also a huge factor when finalizing fantasy football lineups in any week, but especially during the playoffs. For wide receivers, several are worth mentioning as Week 17 quickly approaches. The most notable is Jaylen Waddle after the Miami Dolphins recently announced that he has been diagnosed with a high ankle sprain.

This type of injury can be challenging to overcome, especially for skill-position players, putting Waddle's availability in serious jeopardy. Other lineup staples, such as Courtland Sutton and Ja'Marr Chase, are considered questionable to play in Week 17. Managers should monitor these situations closely before finalizing their lineups this week.

Replacing any of these fantasy football stars will be difficult, but the waiver wire is pretty much the only way to do so. The trade deadline has already passed, so managers have limited options. Here are the best players to target who could have useful fantasy production in a critical Week 17 of the 2023 fantasy football season.

Top Fantasy Football WR Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 17

Week 17 waivers

#1, - Rashid Shaheed

The New Orleans Saints will be without Michael Thomas for Week 17 as he continues to battle injuries. This means that Rashid Shaheed should continue being in the starting lineup and playing an expanded role in their offensive system. This gives him a significant amount of upside, especially considering the upside he has flashed in his limited opportunities this season.

Shaheed has finished among the top 20 wide receivers in three different weeks, with two of them ranking as the WR5 or better. He has done so despite only recording five or more receptions just twice this season. This demonstrates his big-play abilities as a true home run threat who is capable of posting massive fantasy football numbers in the right situations.

Week 17 is one of of those scenarios for Shaheed against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While they have been excellent against fantasy football running backs, they struggle in defending the pass and have allowed a ton of big plays to wide receivers. This seems to play into Shaheed's strengths, and paired with the Buccaneers allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game to his position, he is one of the best wide receivers to target on the waiver wire this week.

#2, Noah Brown

The Houston Texans are hoping to get rookie sensation C.J. Stroud back for Week 17 as they make their push toward the playoffs. The quarterback's return could also give a major boost to Noah Brown in fantasy football, who already comes with a ton of upside. He has excelled in his limited opportunities at extended playing time, and with Tank Dell out for the season, Brown will be a Week 17 starter.

Brown has exceeded six targets in his four starts this season and recorded a touchdown in two of them. He also has three finishes among the top nine fantasy football wide receivers in three of those weeks, including two with Stroud in the lineup, when Brown finished as WR3 and WR6 in PPR leagues. He is capable of monstrous fantasy football games and is worth adding for Week 17.

Even if Stroud is unable to play this week, Brown still makes for a decent option in fantasy football lineups. He has recorded 11 receptions on 18 targets in his past two games without Stroud. This includes a strong WR9 finish against the Tennessee Titans two weeks ago, whom he will face again in Week 17, and possibly with a huge upgrade at quarterback.

#3, Marvin Mims

The Denver Broncos may be without Courtland Sutton in Week 17 as he was placed into the NFL's official concussion protocols following Sunday's game. This often results in at least one missed game, so they could be missing their best wide receiver this season by far. Marvin Mims is the most likely candidate to see an extended role if Sutton is unavailable.

Mims has flashed upside with his proven big-play abilities, including catching five of his 21 receptions for more than 40 yards this season. Despite his low volume, he has still finished among the top 12 fantasy football wide receivers twice. Additional volume could unlock his potential and result in big fantasy football performance in an offense in desperate need of play-makers.

If he is named a starter in Week 17, Mims has an ideal matchup that should benefit his skill set. The Los Angeles Chargers are allowing the third-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers and have been particularly poor in defending deep passes. This is where Mims thrives, making him a solid addition off of the waiver wire for managers in need of a wide receiver replacement.