If you’re searching for fantasy football sleepers, check out these five WRs who could see increased opportunities in Week 17.
Week 17 is the second-to-last massive Sunday of football we’ll have this season, and the final Sunday of 2025. Nine games are on tap for Sunday afternoon as the regular season approaches its finish line. Even with fewer options than on last week’s massive slate, some strong plays for fantasy football sleepers are still on the board at wide receiver this week.
In this post, we’ll look at the top options available at a bargain salary. Finding the top fantasy football sleeper plays at wide receiver who are set up to make a huge difference in your DFS fantasy football lineups is key to climbing the leaderboard on Sunday.
The options highlighted each week as football sleeper plays for DFS can also translate into sneaky plays in your season-long league, since they are in line to exceed expectations, and many are still on the waiver wire. Earlier this week, I highlighted my top-30 starters at wide receiver, which can help you make all your start and sit decisions at the position.
In this post, we’ll look at a few players outside those 30 who still bring a high ceiling. Here’s who I am looking at this week and how last week’s picks fared:
Week 17 Fantasy Football Sleeper WR picks (full analysis below)
Chimere Dike, Tennessee Titans ($4,100)
Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders ($3,800)
Mason Tipton, New Orleans Saints ($3,500)
Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings ($3,400)
Kyle Williams, New England Patriots ($3,300)
Week 16 Results:
Chimere Dike, Tennessee Titans ($4,200; 13 FPTS)
Hollywood Brown, Kansas City Chiefs ($3,900; 5.2 FPTS)
Pat Bryant, Denver Broncos ($3,700; 9.2 FPTS)
Jalen Nailor, Minnesota Vikings ($3,500; 0.0 FPTS)
Kevin Austin Jr., New Orleans Saints ($3,100; 3.8 FPTS)
Whether you’re looking for value plays in your DFS contests like the NFL $2.25M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st] or a last-minute addition from the waiver wire in season-long formats, here are my top-five fantasy football sleeper wide receivers for Week 17 of the 2025 season:
Chimere Dike, Tennessee Titans ($4,100)
We’ve all aboard the “Dike on DK” train this season, and he continues to deliver excellent value. He’s emerged as the Titans’ top pass-catching threat and worked very well with his fellow rookie Cam Ward at QB.
Last week, he caught three passes for 40 yards and another touchdown for 13 fantasy points.
Dike has at least 13 fantasy points in three of his last five games and five of his last nine. He has at least four targets in five straight weeks and averages 5.8 targets per contest. He has at least three catches in each of the last three weeks as well, and that kind of volume is enough to make him worth a look this week.
Adding on to his targets and catches, Dike can break any touch he gets for a long touchdown. He brings a very high ceiling in this matchup with the Saints, even though they have done a decent job against receivers.
It’s unusual to find a team’s top receiver at this price point, although this week, there are several strong options lined up for good targets. Still, Dike remains one of the best fantasy football sleeper options at receiver.
Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders ($3,800)
The Raiders are at home against the Giants, and Tucker will have a high ceiling at a bargain rate as Vegas’ presumed top receiver. He has 50 catches for 617 receiving yards for five touchdowns and an average of 10 fantasy points per game this season. Tucker has also logged multiple catches in all but one game this year. His lone donut? The Kenny Pickett game in Philadelphia.
With Geno Smith back under center in Week 16 against the Texans, Tucker caught four of five passes for 43 yards and also took two carries for 11 yards.
Tucker flashed his extremely high ceiling with a monster Week 3 against the Commanders, finishing as the top fantasy player for the entire week:
Tucker could be set up for another monster game this week, since he has a very favorable game script cued up. Brock Bowers (knee) is on IR, and Jack Bech (back) is questionable, leaving him as the one — and only? — option that Smith can truly lean on as a receiver.
With at least five targets in four of his last five games with Smith, Tucker should have the rapport and opportunities to go off. He also gets a favorable matchup against the Giants, who have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season.
Mason Tipton, New Orleans Saints ($3,500)
On the other side of the Saints-Titans clash, Tipton has strong upside as he takes on Chimere Dike and the Titans. Tipton is questionable with a groin injury, but he participated in limited practices all week. His fellow receiver Chris Olave (back) is also questionable, so it’s definitely a situation to monitor leading up to kickoff to see who Tyler Shough’s targets are in a battle with fellow rookie QB Cam Ward.
With Devaughn Vele (shoulder) on IR and Rashid Shaheed traded away, Tipton is lined up to be the team’s second receiver if both he and Olave are healthy this week. Kevin Austin Jr. ($3,200) would step up if either of the top two options are sidelined.
Last week in that same role, Tipton caught four of five targets for 29 yards and took a 12-yard carry as well to finish with a solid 8.1 fantasy points.
Tipton is a little like Dike in that he can make plays in space, as he showed earlier this season on kickoff returns.
If Tipton is the top target or even just second behind Olave, he could be a great value option at this salary. He brings big-play potential to an offense that seems to be gathering momentum under a rookie QB and first-year head coach Kellen Moore.
Adam Thielen, Pittsburgh Steelers ($3,400)
Let’s go with a throwback option for the fourth receiver in this list of fantasy football sleeper plays. Adam Thielen was a top fantasy contributor a few seasons ago, but he seems to be in the twilight of his career.
He was traded from the Panthers to the Vikings just before the season, but the Vikings released him, and he wound up with the Pittsburgh Steelers. This week, he has a strong chance to be the Steelers’ top receiver with DK Metcalf suspended for his altercation with a fan in Detroit.
Thielen has played about half of the snaps in each of his three games in Pittsburgh, and he had four catches for 49 yards last week against the Lions.
Massive 3rd & 11 conversion here to Thielen on the final Steelers offensive drive before the half.
This is exactly what has been missing from the Steelers passing offense this season. A bigger bodied, shifty route runner that can create separate vs. man with straight up route… pic.twitter.com/0hFXB8oLao
— Jack Sperry (@jack_sperry) December 22, 2025
Thielen should have a chance to step up with Metcalf sidelined. Even if he doesn’t break out for big plays, he should at least be able to produce PPR value at under $3,500 on Sunday.
Kyle Williams, New England Patriots ($3,300)
If you’re looking to go extremely cheap, Williams is set for a larger role this week as the Patriots take on the Jets, looking to secure the AFC East and a favorable playoff seed.
The Patriots ruled out Kayshon Boutte (concussion) and placed Mack Hollins (abdomen) on IR on Saturday, while DeMario Douglas (hamstring) is questionable. So many absences should swing open the door of opportunity for Kyle Williams. While the rookie only has seven catches this season, he has made some big plays with 189 yards, three touchdowns, and three games of double-digit fantasy points in his last six contests.
He scored last week against the Ravens and hauled in two of his three passes for 46 yards.
Williams has made the most of his limited opportunities, and the third-rounder out of Washington State could make a big impact this week. Drake Maye has been so good at spreading the ball around, and Williams has proven he can go up and get it. He could end up being one of the key fantasy football sleeper plays at wide receiver this week, where there are several strong value options.