Parker Washington, Pair Of Patriots Lead Week 17 Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups

With fantasy championship week approaching, Parker Washington headlines a list of high-upside Week 17 wide receiver waiver wire targets, joined by two Patriots and other sneaky adds.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington (11) makes a catch against the Denver Broncos during the second half at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Week 16 is now in our rearview, and it's time to start preparing for fantasy football championship week. As always, that begins with us hitting the waiver wire. We are going to try to hit on some potential big-game wide receivers here. The wideouts have been tricky, whether it be injuries, matchups, or quarterback issues. This position has been difficult to figure out. These are the top wide receiver waiver wire pickups for Week 17. 

Parker Washington, Jacksonville Jaguars

Washington had a huge game in Week 16. He led the team both in receiving and in targets. In their big Week 16 win against a brutal Denver Broncos pass defense, he caught six of 10 targets for 145 yards and a touchdown. With that WR corps very much in flux and the volume being up in the air from week to week, Washington is a potential high-upside option you can snag off the waiver wire heading to your fantasy championships. 

Kayshon Boutte, New England Patriots

New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (9) races after scoring a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins in the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Pats have an outstanding matchup against the New York Jets in Week 17. New York is a team that has given up and can't stop anybody from doing anything. If you want to take a high-upside swing in this game, you should scoop Boutte off your waiver wire. While he lacks consistency and comes with a low floor, he has also proven to have big-play ability and has six touchdowns in 13 games this season.

Mack Hollins, New England Patriots

If you want to go with the option with the safer floor in that same game, Hollins is the option you should go with. In Week 16, he caught seven of nine targets for 69 yards. He has topped 40 yards six times in his past nine games and has seen at least four targets in seven of those nine games. In four of those games, he topped 60 yards. If you plug Hollins into your lineup, he probably won't kill you, but he also probably won't win you your week.  

Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (2) makes a catch Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, during a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The play was called back on a penalty. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In Philip Rivers' first game at quarterback, Downs caught his only touchdown pass and was tied for the lead at wide receiver with five targets. The production wasn't there as he totaled just 13 yards; however, it does appear that he will be a big part of the passing attack, and his skillset seems to mesh well with Rivers'. He should be viewed as a low-ceiling option with PPR upside heading into championship week.  

Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders

After putting up a goose egg in Week 15, there is a good chance he was cast to the waiver wires and left there. In Week 16, he bounced back, catching four of five targets for 43 yards. While we aren't banking on another 145-yard and three touchdown game as we got earlier in the season, he has seen 80 targets this season. You can bank on him to see about five targets each week. Because of that offense, that doesn't always work out for fantasy owners, but you know he'll be out there and getting looks. That's all you need in a matchup against a terrible Giants defense.