It’s Week 17, folks. This one is for all the marbles. With top receivers such as Amari Cooper, Keenan Allen, Jordan Addison, Jaylen Waddle, and others already declared out, or likely out, the search for the top fantasy football Week 17 WR streamer is upon us to help lift your league’s trophy.
Look no further than KJ Osborn to satisfy your WR3 or Flex spot.
With Addison suffering an ankle injury and not getting a full practice in through Thursday and Hockenson suffering a season-ending ACL tear, it appears Osborn will climb to the second spot on the Vikings’ target totem pole behind Justin Jefferson.
When given the chance, Osborn is always good for a few blow-up games each season. He dropped 21 fantasy points on a 21% target share in Week 16 against the Lions. The target share was surprising, as he’s typically deployed as a deep threat, but that’s a similar target share that he could see with Addison and Hockenson out of the lineup.
On the flip side, the Vikings benched Nick Mullens in favor of rookie Jaren Hall. Mullens is no Kirk Cousins, but he takes chances and can help boost fantasy weapons. We don’t know much about Hall since he left his only start in Week 9 against the Falcons when he suffered a concussion in the first quarter. He did complete 5-of-6 passes for 78 yards before exiting.
“I think I’ve gotten better in every area since I first got here, but there’s obviously a lot to still prove,” Hall said after being named the starter.
Overall, the opportunity is there for Osborn to score double-digits and be a solid Week 17 streamer.
THE MATCHUP VS PACKERS
The matchup is as juicy as it gets against a Packers defense that has gotten smashed by the Bucs and the Panthers over the last two weeks — highlighted by Bryce Young passing for a career-high 313 yards last week.
To make matters worse for the Packers, the team suspended All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander after he named himself captain and walked out for the coin toss last week. No, I’m not joking.
Over the last two weeks, Chris Godwin (15), David Moore (11), Mike Evans (10), DJ Chark (21), Ihmir Smith-Marsette (10), and Adam Thielen (10) all exceeded ten fantasy points against the Pack.
With Jefferson looking like his old self and Alexander out, Osborn has a chance to feast on the Packers’ third cornerback. This matchup, plus the Sunday night hope with it being the final game of the week, makes Osborn an enticing play.
SUMMARY
Benching gunslinger Mullens in favor of rookie Hall makes it a little more difficult to trust KJ Osborn. However, the target share and snap share should be there for Osborn, which makes him a very intriguing Week 17 WR streamer.
When Addison exited Week 16, he saw a 20% increase in usage. Subtract Hockenson’s massive target share, and the opportunity is even greater for the receiver — who is available on the Waiver Wire in 74% of Yahoo leagues.
If you’re knocked out of your fantasy league, but still want to be invested in Osborn, his Anytime Touchdown has some value at +1600 on DraftKings. At the same time, his reception and yardage totals will not be posted until Addison is declared out.
Osborn checks in at WR43 (+2 vs ECR), in the same tier as Elijah Moore, Romeo Doubs, and Curtis Samuel on The Wolf’s Week 17 Rankings.
