While the WR player pool is relatively healthy for this time of year, we didn't see Tyler Lockett, Chris Olave, Deebo Samuel, and Chase Claypool suit up last week. All four wideouts carry fantasy relevance, and staying up to date on their injury statuses is crucial ahead of your Week 17 fantasy start 'em, sit 'em decisions.
Below, we'll give you the latest news on these wideouts and break down how their injuries could potentially affect the Week 17 fantasy landscape. For updates on Jamaal Williams and Christian Watson, go here; for the latest in banged-up QBs Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, and Tua Tagovailoa, click here.
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WEEK 17 FANTASY: Top waiver pickups | FAAB planner
Tyler Lockett injury update, Week 17 fantasy outlook
Lockett (finger) missed Seattle's 24-10 loss to Kansas City in Week 16 after undergoing hand surgery, but there's a chance he returns this Sunday in a crucial contest against the Jets. Regarding Lockett's status for Week 17, head coach Pete Caroll said, "I know what he wants to do, he wants to play, so we'll see… He needs to find out, is he comfortable with being able to catch the football and hang onto it and all that kind of stuff?"
It's likely we won't have a good feel for his Week 17 prospects until later in the week. If Lockett's able to go, he still profiles as a startable WR2 despite a tough matchup against a Jets defense allowing the second-fewest fantasy points to WRs. If Lockett's unable to go, DK Metcalf likely garners another big target share and is the lone Seattle WR worth starting in championship week.
WEEK 17 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Chris Olave injury update, Week 17 fantasy outlook
Olave (hamstring) didn't play in New Orleans' Week 16 win over Cleveland after failing to practice all week.
We'll see if Olave's able to return to practice in some capacity this week, but there's a chance the rookie wideout misses his second straight game. If Olave can't go, expect fellow rookie Rashid Shaheed to see a respectable target share along with TE Juwan Johnson. If Olave's able to return, he draws a tough matchup against an Eagles' defense ranking third in EPA/drop-back. With Olave sporting an impressive 14.4 aDOT (sixth among WRs) he's still worthy of a start, as it takes just one big play for him to post a solid fantasy point showing.
WEEK 17 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Deebo Samuel injury update, Week 17 fantasy outlook
Samuel (ankle, knee) missed his second straight game in Week 16, but head coach Kyle Shanahan did say Samuel is making "really good progress."
Even if Samuel is able to return to practice this week, it's tough to imagine the 49ers running him out if he's not close to 100 percent. With the 49ers amid an eight-game winning streak and already locking up the NFC West, they've proved they can still play at an elite level without some of their key pieces. We'll see if Samuel ends up returning to regular season action, but if he doesn't, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle remain the team's go-to options in the passing game.
WEEK 17 DFS LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
Chase Claypool injury update, Week 17 fantasy outlook
Claypool (knee) didn't suit up in Chicago's Week 16 loss to Buffalo, missing his second straight contest. It's taken time for Claypool to adjust to a new scheme in Chicago, as he's yet to post a double-digit PPR fantasy showing through five games as a Bear.
Even if Claypool's able to suit up this week against Detroit, he's a risky start in all formats. Expect the Bears to rely on their run game against a Lions defense that just surrendered 320 rushing yards to the Panthers in Week 16. If Claypool can't go for a third-straight week, look for Cole Kmet, Dante Pettis, Byron Pringle, and Velus Jones Jr. to assume the majority of the passing game workload, but only Kmet is worth considering.
