Fantasy Football championship week is upon us! If you are playing for your league championship, hopefully, you don’t need an emergency flex option. Still, it could be worth considering if any available players are poised to outperform the back end of your roster. Or perhaps you want to add these players just so your opponent can’t have them to use against you. At this point in the season, you likely don’t need a handcuff like Tyler Allegier or Blake Corum you’ve been stashing in case of an injury to the starter. Maybe you aren’t playing for the championship at all, and you’re desperately trying to avoid finishing in last place so you don’t have to spend 24 consecutive hours inside a Whataburger. Whatever your circumstance may be, these are guys you should be targeting on the waiver wire:
Chig Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans.
Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo, rostered in less than 10 percent of leagues across platforms, was TE6 overall in Week 15 and TE2 overall in Week 16 (PPR scoring). Yep, it’s the fantasy football playoffs; the time to start asking yourself questions like, "Should I roll the dice on Chig Okonkwo with my entire season on the line?" The answer to that question could depend on head coach Brian Callahan’s Week 17 quarterback decision. Okonkwo has found his fantasy success with Mason Rudolph behind center after Will Levis was benched in the third quarter of the Titans’ Week 15 loss to the Bengals. Rudolph looked to Okonkwo often, targeting Okonkwo six times in the half. In a full game together last Sunday, Okonkwo had nine receptions on 11 targets for 81 yards—all season highs. These two clearly have chemistry together. Rudolph is comfortable dumping the ball off to Okonkwo in the flat or for a short gain if receivers aren’t open downfield, and Chig Okonkwo has demonstrated he can be an effective security blanket for his quarterback.
Despite Rudolph’s success moving the ball, he still threw three interceptions in another loss. However, Callahan has announced that Rudolph will start in Week 17 against the Jaguars. With Rudolph at the helm, Chig Okonkwo is a viable fantasy play.
Jalen McMillan, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jalen McMillan has been balling. Over the last three weeks, the rookie wide receiver has four touchdowns and averaged over 19 fantasy points in PPR scoring. McMillin was a popular waiver wire addition after the Bucs lost wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to injury but couldn’t immediately produce and may have been dropped back to waivers in your league. Now, with Mike Evans back in the lineup, McMillan has thrived as the second option in the Buccaneers’ passing attack. Quarterback Baker Mayfield has been playing with intent all season, pushing the ball downfield, and McMillan has emerged as a field-stretching target capable of reeling in deep digs and crossers.
Jalen McMillan and the Bucs face off against the Carolina Panthers in Week 17. With how he has played, McMillan merits consideration as a flex option.
Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers
Trying to figure out which wide receiver will produce in the Packers’ offense in any given week has been a bit like playing roulette. Take it from me: I was eliminated in my fantasy playoffs when I started Jayden Reed in Week 15, while Romeo Doubs scored two touchdowns on my bench. Those who rewarded Doubs with a start in Week 16 were also burned, as he was held to just two catches for 20 yards on Monday Night Football against the Saints. But sometimes, to win in fantasy football, you just need to give the wheel a spin and hope to get lucky.
The Packers dominated the Saints with a rush-heavy attack, and a heavy dose of Doubs wasn’t needed to win. That could change in Week 17 in a divisional battle against the Vikings, whose pass defense ranks in the bottom five in passing yards allowed per game and fantasy points allowed to wide receivers. Fellow receiver Christian Watson had to leave the game with a knee injury in the second quarter and is listed as questionable against the Vikings. Head coach Matt LaFleur said Watson will undergo further testing, and we will know more about his status later this week. If Watson is unable to suit up on Sunday, Romeo Doubs should see an uptick in targets and usage. Either way, Doubs will be a high-risk, high-reward flex option in Week 17.
To see how these players stack up against other potential wire waiver additions, check out the full Waiver Wire Report from Footballguys.