Replacements: Week 17

The weekly list of preemptive additions before their fantasy emergence and candidates who could contribute due to unexpected late-week events.

Matt Waldman's Replacements: Week 17 Matt Waldman Published 12/27/2024

© Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images replacements

The Way This Works...

To see this article's purpose, please refer to the intro from Week 2.

If you are reading this and don't see recommendations for a player pictured above, you haven't signed up to be a Footballguys Insider with your email making that part of the article cut off from you. All you need to do is provide your email for free access to excellent news, analysis, and strategic advice.

The Running List of Past Recommendations

I'll update this throughout the season, so you have a wealth of considerations beyond my weekly recommendations. I change their standing as developments occur.

Scroll past these running lists for new suggestions.

Add Nows 

Most of these players will not be available, but you'll get a sense of who has been recommended and who to snap up if they become available. 

Preemptive

These players may not give you production this weekend, but they are worth considering because there's potential for them to deliver due to injuries or personnel changes. 

Preemptive/Monitor

You can probably wait until a compelling event creates a potential need for these players. 

Monitor

These players have the talent to contribute to your lineup immediately if elevated to a starting role. If you can't find any talent with playing opportunities to have at the end of your roster, it's worth adding 1-2 of these options in case injury strikes, and you can beat the demand on the waiver wire. 

Forget (For Now...)

They have too many players ahead of them on their depth charts to earn an impact anytime soon. Or they suffered an injury. 

Add Now: TE Chig Okonkwo, Titans

The Skinny on Okonkwo: The third-year NFL veteran began his career as a promising receiver only to see his career trajectory as a high-volume, big-play option sour into a hybrid utility player. For the past two years, Okonkwo has only earned fantasy value every 4-6 weeks from a schemed play that caught the opposing defense with its pants down. 

Platooning with second-year option Josh Whyle, who has the build of an every-down tight end, Okonkwo has earned his share of second-team practice reps with veteran Mason Rudolph. Over the past two weeks with Rudolph in the lineup, Okonkwo has earned 21 targets, 17 catches, and 140 receiving yards. 

Although Brian Callahan has been noncommittal about starting Rudolph again in Week 17 against the Jaguars, ESPN's beat reporter Turron Davenport believes Rudolph will remain under center. If that's the case, Okonkwo will remain a viable start for fantasy teams. 

Recommendation: The Jaguars are the 8th-most generous defense to tight ends, giving up 79 catches, 855 yards, and 7 touchdowns this year. Only four teams have given up more touchdowns to tight ends this year. 

Okonkwo could serve as a viable alternative to a mid-to-low-end TE1 starter with a bad matchup. 

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