Adam Thielen and Elijah Moore could both be "questionable" heading into Week 17, and since this is the final week of the fantasy season and championship round, Week 17 waiver wire pickups will be affected by their statuses. We have both of their potential fantasy outlooks below, and how the outlooks of others could be affected by their presence or absence.
For updates on banged-up QBs Jimmy Garoppolo, Lamar Jackson, and Justin Fields, click here; for the latest on ailing RBs Dalvin Cook, D'Andre Swift, James Conner, and Elijah Mitchell, go here; for more on ailing pass-catchers Travis Kelce, Darren Waller, Mike Evans, and Pat Freiermuth, click here; for updates on more injured RBs, including Clyde Edwards and Jordan Howard, go here. For all the latest fantasy news, follow us on Twitter @SN_Fantasy.
WEEK 17: Best waiver wire pickups
Adam Thielen injury update
Thielen briefly left the Vikings game against the Rams but he briefly returned in the third quarter before exiting again for good. Prior his injury, he caught all three of his targets for 40 yards and looked primed for a solid game, so we'll have to see how he's doing later in the week.
Minnesota is set to face Green Bay, which has one of the strongest defenses against fantasy WRs. If active, Thielen isn't a must-start due to his injury, but he'd still certainly carry a lot of appeal. For now, Thielen should be viewed as a mid-tier WR3, but his upside is obviously higher if he is at least somewhat healthy. If he can't play, K.J. Osborn will be ranked as a WR4, but if Kirk Cousins is a high-volume passer in this spot, he could be in line for another touchdown and a few deep targets.
WEEK 17 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Elijah Moore injury update
Moore (quad) is expected to return from IR for the Jets' final two games of the season. This could be a massive lift for Moore fantasy owners that are still alive, as he was the overall WR2 from Weeks 9 to 13 before he suffered his injury. He was quietly an elite fantasy WR, putting up 20.1 PPR points per game during that span. When you consider the fact New York matchup up with the Buccaneers in Week 17, he could be in for a monster game.
WEEK 17 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Tampa Bay actually ranks as a strong team against fantasy WRs on paper, but this will be a pass-first and perhaps a pass-only game script for the Jets. Moore has shown he can deliver on deep shots and get it done with volume, so there are a few ways he can go about being a nice contributor to your fantasy team. We rank Moore as a mid-tier WR2, but obviously, his ceiling is much higher. On the flip side, his floor is lower, too, since the Jets' offense is one of the worst in the leagues and its offensive line could be destroyed by the fierce Tampa front-seven. Ultimately, we're all about chasing upside at the end of the year, so we like the dice roll with Moore. Very few guys have the upside he does.
If Moore remains out, either Jamison Crowder (calf) or Braxton Berrios will pick up the slack and have moderate PPR value.