Fantasy Football Week 17 Wide Receiver Who Should I Start? Tetairoa McMillan, Jakobi Meyers, Michael Wilson, and More
Comparing Tetairoa McMillan to four wide receivers who he has been matched up with often on the FantasySP start/sit tool.
Tetairoa McMillan was drafted eighth overall by the Carolina Panthers to step in and immediately be their top receiver. He hasn't disappointed, leading Carolina's pass catchers in essentially every stat.
The Panthers have a low-level offense and passing game, though, so McMillan's ceiling and floor are often lower than what you would expect for a team's clear WR1. Because of that, fantasy owners are often trying to place him in the fantasy hierarchy, and he shows up on our FantasySP start/sit tool a lot.
Let's look at McMillan and four wide receivers who he has been matched up with often on the start/sit tool. We'll do a head-to-head quick-hit exercise to determine the best starter in each situation. Most stats are from NFL.com.
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Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers vs. Seattle Seahawks
McMillan is averaging 4.3 receptions and 61.6 yards per game with seven touchdowns. He has more than twice as many catches, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns as anyone else on the team.
Heading into Week 17, McMillan was among the top 13 WRs in both standard and PPR scoring. Even with less-than-ideal circumstances around him, McMillan is excelling; the future is bright.
He has a tough matchup this week, as the Seahawks have allowed the fourth-fewest yards per pass attempt and the 10th-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers. WR groups are averaging just over 10 receptions and 120 yards per game with 12 touchdowns in 15 games, slightly below-average numbers.
There's a low floor for McMillan this week given the tough opponent, but there's also intrigue because he is sure to see targets. The problem is that he will have tough defenders around him no matter where he goes on the field, making McMillan a risky player here.
Jakobi Meyers, Jacksonville Jaguars @ Indianapolis Colts
Since joining Jacksonville at the trade deadline, Meyers has averaged 4.4 catches and 57.1 yards per game with three touchdowns. In Weeks 10 through 16 (his time with the Jags), Meyers was among the top 20 fantasy WRs in both standard and PPR, showing he still has plenty left in the tank (he also earned a new extension with Jacksonville).
The Colts have given up the 12th-most yards per pass attempt and the sixth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. WR groups are averaging more than 170 receiving yards per game with 14 touchdowns in 15 games.
Advice: Start Jakobi Meyers over Tetairoa McMillan. McMillan has the higher ceiling, but Meyers has been very good in Jacksonville and has a much better matchup here. When these teams played three weeks ago, Meyers had four catches for 39 yards and a touchdown.
D.J. Moore, Chicago Bears @ San Francisco 49ers
Rome Odunze is out again, leaving D.J. Moore as the top receiver in Chicago for this one. Over the season, Moore is averaging 3.2 receptions and 44.3 yards per game with six touchdowns. In the past three games without Odunze, he averaged 3.3 catches and 54 yards while scoring three times (and that includes just one catch and negative-four yards in Week 14).
San Francisco has been decimated by injuries but still has respectable defensive numbers. They sit right near the middle in both yards per pass attempt allowed and fantasy points given up to wide receivers, presenting a very middling matchup.
Advice: Start D.J. Moore over Tetairoa McMillan. Like with Meyers, McMillan probably has a higher upside than Moore, but the Chicago receiver has a better matchup, and he will be the top option again for Caleb Williams.
Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This should be straightforward: Waddle is the top option on his team and is going up against Tampa Bay, who allows the fifth-most yards per pass attempt. Any professional of fantasy football knows that it's never that easy, though, right?
Waddle's quarterback is Quinn Ewers, a rookie seventh-round pick who was installed after Miami fell out of playoff contention. Ewers did fine against the Bengals last week in a great matchup, but he has a very, very low floor given his draft status (even though he had buzz early in his college career).
The Bucs also sit in the middle in fantasy points given up to wide receivers, allowing around 150 yards per game and 12 touchdowns. Those numbers are OK but not to the level of the worst pass defenses in football.
Advice: Start Tetairoa McMillan over Jaylen Waddle. The matchup makes me want to go the other way, but McMillan is the superior player right now, so I'll give him the slight advantage in this one.
Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals @ Cincinnati Bengals
The matchup here is a bit of a weird one. Cincinnati has allowed the third-most yards per pass attempt, the fifth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, and the most fantasy points per game to both running backs and tight ends. Somehow, among all that chaos, they have given up the third-FEWEST fantasy points to wide receivers.
Wilson has taken advantage of his teammate Marvin Harrison Jr. being out and limited with injury: Over the past six games, Wilson had at least 10 receptions and over 100 yards in three of them. He has scored four touchdowns in the last three games, two of which didn't involve Harrison.
Harrison is questionable this week, but he is expected to play on a limited snap count. That would make Wilson the top option along with Trey McBride, and with how much Jacoby Brissett has thrown the ball (41.6 times per game), there's a good chance to do damage.
Advice: Start Tetairoa McMillan over Michael Wilson. Wilson has competition for targets, and the numbers point toward Cincinnati making it tough on receivers. Though, the safe play is to go with McMillan, I am also intrigued by Wilson's upside against the sieve-like Bengals.
