It is fantasy football championship week! Week 17 kicks off early with two games on Christmas Day, so get those lineups set early. Below are the wide receiver rankings, tiers, and analysis for Week 17.
Wide Receivers Rankings for Week 17 Fantasy Football
Tier 1: Alpha Wide Receivers
1. Ja’Marr Chase
2. Justin Jefferson
3. Puka Nacua
4. Amon-Ra St. Brown
5. Nico Collins
6. CeeDee Lamb
Jefferson is on a tear. He caught ten passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns including the game-winner. He was the overall WR1 on the week, and it was the second time in the last three weeks that he scored at least 30 fantasy points. Jefferson is a matchup-proof top-tier wide receiver for Week 17.
Justin Jefferson tonight:
10 catches
144 yards
2 TDpic.twitter.com/rcfPgsSVnR— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) December 22, 2024
Lamb battled through a shoulder injury but still scored 17.5 fantasy points. He caught seven passes for 105 yards. He was on the sideline for most of the second half dealing with a shoulder injury, but he did return to the game late. As long as Lamb is out there, he is in the top tier of the wide receiver rankings for Week 17.
Tier 2: Low-End WR1s to High-End WR2s
7. A.J. Brown
8. Brian Thomas Jr.
9. Davante Adams
10. Ladd McConkey
11. Mike Evans
12. Jaxon Smith-Njigba
13. Tee Higgins
Thomas Jr. is averaging 30 fantasy points in his last two games. He scored 28.2 fantasy points, catching nine passes for 132 yards and a touchdown. It was his second straight top-four weekly finish. Thomas Jr. has surged ahead into the top ten in the wide receiver rankings for Week 17.
Smith-Njigba continues to rise up the wide receiver ranks. He caught eight passes for 95 yards and a touchdown last week. It was the sixth time in the last seven weeks that he has finished as a top-20 wide receiver. JSN is a low-end WR1 for Week 17.
Tier 3: Solid WR2s
14. Terry McLaurin
15. Drake London
16. Garrett Wilson
17. Tyreek Hill
18. Courtland Sutton
19. Malik Nabers
20. DK Metcalf
21. Calvin Ridley
22. Zay Flowers
23. George Pickens*
24. Jordan Addison
Wilson is in a slump, failing to be a top-20 wide receiver in five of the last six weeks. Fellow Jets wide receiver Davante Adams has passed Wilson as Rodgers’ number-one target. Wilson is still producing though, scoring double-digit fantasy points in three straight games. Wilson should be able to get back on track this week against a struggling Bills defense.
Nabers continues to earn a massive target share, receiving 14 targets in back-to-back games. He only caught seven of those passes last week for 68 scoreless yards. His high target share keeps him as a WR2 in the wide receiver rankings for Week 17.
Ridley got back on track with a 16.8 fantasy point day. He only had three catches but had 78 yards and a touchdown. Ridley has a great matchup against the Jaguars in Week 17.
*Pickens has missed three games in a row with a hamstring injury, but head coach Mike Tomlin said Pickens had a real chance to play in the Wednesday game.
Tier 4: WR3s
25. Cooper Kupp
26. Khalil Shakir
27. D.J. Moore
28. Adam Thielen
29. DeVonta Smith
30. Jakobi Meyers
Kupp continues to struggle, scoring less than six fantasy points for the third time in the last four weeks. He at least scored more than zero points in Week 16 but only caught three passes for 24 yards. Quarterback Matthew Stafford is looking Nacua’s way more often. Kupp downgrades to a WR3 and can be benched for better options in the fantasy championship.
Shakir had his worst game since Week 6. He only caught two passes for 22 yards. Quarterback Josh Allen only completed 16 passes as the Bills rushed for 172 yards and only passed for 152. Expect Shakir to get back on track against the Jets in Week 17.
Tier 5: FLEX Plays
31. Jayden Reed
32. Keenan Allen
33. Xavier Worthy
34. Jameson Williams
35. Josh Downs
36. Deebo Samuel
37. Jauan Jennings
38. Darnell Mooney
39. Marvin Harrison Jr
40. Marquise “Hollywood” Brown
41. Jerry Jeudy
Right when most fantasy managers have given up on him, Samuel had his best game of the season. He caught seven passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. Most importantly, he added five rushes for 25 yards. With the 49ers down to their fifth-string running back, they used Samuel in the running game. Samuel gets a great matchup against a struggling Lions defense this week, and he is a risky FLEX play.
Brown played his first game of the season in Week 16 and caught five passes for 45 yards. He was the WR2 on the Chiefs ahead of DeAndre Hopkins. In a tough matchup against the Steelers on Christmas Day, Brown is a low-end FLEX play.
Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson killed the great stretch that Jeudy was having. Jeudy only had four fantasy points after scoring at least 12 fantasy points in seven straight games. Jeudy only had two catches on three targets. He can be left on benches for the fantasy championship.
Main Image: Joe Nicholson – USA Today Sports
