Fantasy Football Week 17 Wide Receiver Rankings

The 2021-22 NFL season has only two weeks left. Bye weeks are over and a majority of leagues are in their fantasy championship. This time of year COVID-19 is running rampant which makes it important to have backup options on your fantasy roster. On top of that injuries are continuing to mount up. It is always a great idea to evaluate backup options so that way fantasy managers are prepared if star players miss time. Here are the Fantasy Football Week 17 wide receiver rankings.

*Ratings are subject to change due to injury reports or possible move to reserve/COVID-19 list*

(Check out the section below for details on players already rumored to possibly miss this week and how their replacement options rank for the week)

Key:

Must Start- a player who is in your lineup regardless of the matchup or most circumstances. They will likely finish near the top of the league in points that week and in most weeks.

Starting WR1- a player who makes fantasy owners comfortable starting week after week. Regardless of the matchup, this player has a high floor.

High WR2- a player who may isn’t likely to carry a lineup that week, but has the ability to have a breakout game and is teetering between WR1 and WR2 category.

Starting WR2- a player who should be started in most lineups and should reach their point projection. This player is started is because of their consistency and moderately high floor

Low WR2- a player who may not be a lock to start for a team every week, but will start more times than not. Their production may not be pretty or win a person their lineup but the production is consistent enough to make a fantasy owner comfortable starting them.

Flex- a player who could float around the territory of being benched, but is started due to the potential to play better than their point projection. However, this player has the potential to flop and causes a fantasy team to lose if he has a bad game.

Deeper League Flex- a player who has starting value in deeper leagues. There are enough reasons to leave this player on the bench, but their upside makes them an attractive option. Desperate times may call for a player like this to be inserted into starting lineups.

Upside Player- a player who is boom or bust. This player can exceed expectations in a given week or could flop and be the reason why someone lost their fantasy matchup.

Leave on the Bench- a player who should be avoided in all lineups that week. Many times this player could even be left on waivers.

Category	Name	Opponent	Ranking
Must Start	Cooper Kupp	vs Baltimore Ravens	WR1
Must Start	Davante Adams	vs Minnesota Vikings	WR2
Must Start	Justin Jefferson	vs Green Bay Packers	WR3
Must Start	Deebo Samuel	vs Houston Texans	WR4
Starting WR1	Tyreek Hill	vs Cincinnati Bengals	WR5
Starting WR1	CeeDee Lamb	vs Arizona Cardinals	WR6
Starting WR1	Jaylen Waddle	vs Tennessee Titans	WR7
Starting WR1	Stefon Diggs	vs Atlanta Falcons	WR8
Starting WR1	Mike Evans*	vs New York Jets	WR9
High WR2	Keenan Allen	vs Denver Broncos	WR10
High WR2	Diontae Johnson	vs Cleveland Browns	WR11
High WR2	Antonio Brown	vs New York Jets	WR12
High WR2	Tee Higgins	vs Kansas City Chiefs	WR13
High WR2	Brandin Cooks	vs San Francisco 49ers	WR14
High WR2	Odell Beckham Jr.	vs Baltimore Ravens	WR15
Starting WR2	A.J. Brown	vs Miami Dolphins	WR16
Starting WR2	Ja’Marr Chase	vs Kansas City Chiefs	WR17
Starting WR2	Amon-Ra St. Brown	vs Seattle Seahawks	WR18
Starting WR2	Van Jefferson	vs Baltimore Ravens	WR19
Starting WR2	Tyler Lockett	vs Detriot Lions	WR20
Starting WR2	Hunter Renfrow	vs Indianapolis Colts	WR21
Low WR2	Marquise “Hollywood” Brown	vs Los Angeles Rams	WR22
Low WR2	D.J. Moore	vs New Orleans Saints	WR23
Low WR2	Amari Cooper	vs Arizona Cardinals	WR24
Low WR2	D.K. Metcalf	vs Detroit Lions	WR25
Flex	Devante Parker	vs Tennessee Titans	WR26
Flex	Michael Pittman Jr.	vs Las Vegas Raiders	WR27
Flex	Jarvis Landry	vs Pittsburgh Steelers	WR28
Flex	Tyler Boyd	vs Kansas City Chiefs	WR29
Flex	Christian Kirk	vs Dallas Cowboys	WR30
Flex	Darnell Mooney	vs New York Giants	WR31
Flex	Brandon Aiyuk	vs Houston Texans	WR32
Flex	Jakobi Meyers*	vs Jacksonville Jaguars	WR33
Flex	Gabriel Davis	vs Atlanta Falcons	WR34
Flex	K.J. Osborn	vs Green Bay Packers	WR35
Flex	Elijah Moore*	vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers	WR36
Deep League Flex	Terry McLaurin	vs Philadelphia Eagles	WR37
Deep League Flex	DeVonta Smith	vs Washington Football Team	WR38
Deep League Flex	Cole Beasley	vs Atlanta Falcons	WR39
Deep League Flex	Kadarius Toney	vs Chicago Bears	WR40
Deep Leauge Flex	Russell Gage	vs Buffalo Bills	WR41
Deep League Flex	Zay Jones	vs Indianapolis Colts	WR42
Deep League Flex	Michael Gallup	vs Arizona Cardinals	WR43
Upside Player	Marquez Valdes-Scantling	vs Minnesota Vikings	WR44
Upside Player	Chase Claypool	vs Cleveland Browns	WR45
Upside Player	Josh Reynolds*	vs Seattle Seahawks	WR46
Upside Player	Jalen Guyton	vs Denver Broncos	WR47
Upside Player	Allen Lazard	vs Minnesota Vikings	WR48
Upside Player	Kendrick Bourne	vs Jacksonville Jaguars	WR49
Upside Player	Robby Anderson	vs New Orleans Saints	WR50
Upside Player	Donovan Peoples-Jones	vs Pittsburgh Steelers	WR51
Upside Player	Julio Jones*	vs Miami Dolphins	WR52
Upside Player	Byron Pringle	vs Cincinnati Bengals	WR53
Upside Player	Kenny Golladay	vs Chicago Bears	WR54
Upside Player	Jamison Crowder*	vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers	WR55
Upside Player	Joshua Palmer	vs Denver Broncos	WR56
Upside Player	Rashod Bateman	vs Los Angeles Rams	WR57
Upside Player	A.J. Green	vs Dallas Cowboys	WR58
Upside Player	Jerry Jeudy	vs Los Angeles Chargers	WR59
Upside Player	Marquez Callaway	vs Carolina Panthers	WR60
Upside Player	Laquon Treadwell	vs New England Patriots	WR61
Upside Player	Nico Collins	vs San Francisco 49ers	WR62
Upside Player	Allen Robinson	vs New York Giants	WR63
Upside Player	Emmanuel Sanders	vs Atlanta Falcons	WR64
Upside Player	T.Y. Hilton	vs Las Vegas Raiders	WR65
Leave on the Bench	Marvin Jones Jr.	vs New England Patriots	WR66
Leave on the Bench	Courtland Sutton	vs Los Angeles Chargers	WR67
Leave on the Bench	Rondale Moore*	vs Dallas Cowboys	WR68
Leave on the Bench	Deonte Harris*	vs Carolina Panthers	WR69
Leave on the Bench	Laviska Shenault Jr.*	vs New England Patriots	WR70
Leave on the Bench	Braxton Berrios	vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers	WR71
Leave on the Bench	Tre’Quan Smith*	vs Carolina Panthers	WR72
Leave on the Bench	Kalif Raymond	vs Seattle Seahawks	WR73
Leave on the Bench	Nelson Agholor*	vs Jacksonville Jaguars	WR74
Leave on the Bench	Tim Patrick*	Los Angeles Chargers	WR75
Leave on the Bench	Antoine Wesley	vs Dallas Cowboys	WR76
Leave on the Bench	Breshad Perriman	vs New York Jets	WR77
Leave on the Bench	Isaiah Mckenzie	vs Atlanta Falcons	WR78
Leave on the Bench	Bryan Edwards*	vs Indianapolis Colts	WR79
Leave on the Bench	Tyler Johnson	vs New York Jets	WR80
Leave on the Bench	Rashard Higgins	vs Pittsburgh Steelers	WR81
Leave on the Bench	Tavon Austin	vs New England Patriots	WR82
Leave on the Bench	Cyril Grayson	vs New York Jets	WR83

Possible Changes that can occur before Sunday

WR9 Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Mike Evans has been considered week to week with a hamstring injury. He was also placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. If Evans does not play then Antonio Brown would move up to WR10 between Keenan Allen and Diontae Johnson. Following Brown on the depth chart should be Breshad Perriman, Tyler Johnson, Cyril Grayson, and Scotty Miller. It is hard to trust any of them without knowing what their defined roles will be with Evans out of the lineup.

New England Patriots Wide Receivers: WR33 Jakobi Meyers & WR74 Nelson Agholor

Jakobi Meyers was limited in practice Wednesday because of a thigh injury. Nelson Agholor missed last week’s game because of a concussion. If both are out for this week’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars then Kendrick Bourne would move up to WR35 between K.J. Osborn and Gabriel Davis. N’Keal Harry would move up to WR66 between T.Y. Hilton and Marvin Jones Jr.

If Meyers is out and Agholor plays then Kendrick Bourne moves up to WR36 between Elijah Moore and Terry McLaurin. Nelson Agholor would move to WR66 between T.Y. Hilton and Marvin Jones Jr. Then N’Keal Harry would join the list at WR76 between Tim Patrick and Antoine Wesley.

If Meyers plays and Agholor is inactive then Meyers will retain his ranking. Nelson Agholor would move to WR66 between T.Y. Hilton and Marin Jones Jr. Then N’Keal Harry would join the list at WR76 between Tim Patrick and Antoine Wesley.

New York Jets Wide Receivers: WR36 Elijah Moore & WR55 Jamison Crowder

Elijah Moore is on the Reserve/COVID-19 list and Injured Reserve for a quad injury. Jamison Crowder missed last week’s game with a calf injury. According to Robert Saleh, both have a 50-50 shot of playing this weekend. But if both don’t play this weekend against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers then Braxton Berrios would move up to WR45 between Josh Reynolds and Jalen Guyton. Keelan Cole would join the list at WR53 between Byron Pringle and Kenny Golladay.

If Moore is inactive while Crowder plays this weekend then Crowder’s ranking does not change. Braxton Berrios would move up to WR64 between Emmanuel Sanders and T.Y. Hilton. Keelan Cole would join the list at WR76 between Tim Patrick and Antoine Wesley.

If Moore plays and Crowder is inactive this weekend then Moore’s ranking does not change. Braxton Berrios would move up to WR64 between Emmanuel Sanders and T.Y. Hilton. Keelan Cole would join the list at WR76 between Tim Patrick and Antoine Wesley.

WR40 Kadarius Toney, New York Giants

Kadarius Toney missed practice Wednesday with a shoulder injury. This is another injury to the long list of injuries Toney has had to deal with this season. It is unclear if this will hold him out for this week’s game against the Chicago Bears. If Toney doesn’t play Kenny Golladay retains his ranking and Darius Slayton would join the list at WR67 between Marvin Jones Jr. and Courtland Sutton.

WR46 Josh Reynolds, Detroit Lions

Josh Reynolds was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. If he isn’t activated in time for Detroit’s game against the Seattle Seahawks then Kalif Raymond moves up to WR62 between Nico Collins and Allen Robinson.

WR52 Julio Jones, Tennessee Titans

Julio Jones was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. If he is inactive for this week’s game against the Miami Dolphins then Chester Rodgers would join the list at WR69 between Deonte Harris and Laviska Shenault Jr.

WR68 Rondale Moore, Arizona Cardinals

Rondale Moore missed last week’s game with an ankle injury. He also missed practice Wednesday because of his ankle injury. If Moore does not play then Antoine Wesley would move up to WR72 between Tre’Quan Smith and Kalif Raymond.

New Orleans Saints Wide Receivers: WR69 Deonte Harris & WR72 Tre’Quan Smith

Deonte Harris has returned from his suspension but he is still on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Tre’Quan Smith missed practice Wednesday with a chest injury. If both are out this week Lil’Jordan Humphrey joins the list at WR72 between Braxton Berrios and Kalif Raymond.

If Deonte Harris is out this week and Tre’Quan Smith plays then Smith will jump up to Harris’ WR72 slot.

If Deonte Harris plays this week and Tre’Quan Smith doesn’t play this week and Deonte Harris does there is a limited impact on the Saints wide receiver rankings.

WR70 Laviska Shenault Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars

Lavisha Shenault Jr. was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. If he misses this week against the New England Patriots then Tavon Austin would move up to WR68 between Courtland Sutton and Rondale Moore.

WR75 Tim Patrick, Denver Broncos

Tim Patrick was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. If he misses this week against the Los Angeles Chargers then Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton will retain their rankings. Kendall Hinton would be the next man up in the Broncos’ receiver group.

WR79 Bryan Edwards, Las Vegas Raiders

Bryan Edwards was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. If he misses this week against Indianapolis Colts then DeSean Jackson or Tyron Johnson would step up to play opposite Zay Jones.