Week 17 waiver-wire pickups for IDP leagues

It’s the final week of the regular season, and the last IDP waiver wire of the year. If you’re in a league that is still playing in Week 17, it’s time to sit down your commissioner and have a word – Week 17 fantasy championship games aren’t kosher. Multiple teams have already clinched their spot in the NFL playoffs, and much to our disappointment, they don’t consider your title tilt vital to their plans for the rest of the season. The result is players being benched (saved) for January, and some unexpected names becoming game-winners for their fantasy owners… if they started them.

And therein lies the problem, it’s an extra layer of unpredictability to a game that is rooted in projecting player performance. Having said all that, let’s pick through the numbers and look for some players who look to have big performances awaiting them in IDP leagues in Week 17.

Defensive linemen

Stephon Tuitt, Pittsburgh Steelers

I listed Tuitt last week as a matchup-dependant play, and he rewarded owners with a sack. He has another excellent matchup in Week 17 against the Browns, and the Steelers are still battling New England for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, so I’m expecting Tuitt to still see a significant role in the game plan.

Unable to register an impact in the first meeting between the two teams, suffering an injury after just two snaps, the Steelers themselves feasted, recording eight sacks, two hits and 14 hurries. Tuitt should see 30-plus snaps, which I expect the be enough to register his fourth sack of the season, making him a DL/3 with upside this week.