Waiver Wire Workout, Week 17

Because league formats vary, one size doesn't fit all when it comes to your waiver wire. That's why I break possible free agent adds into three categories. Follow me on Twitter for the latest on possible additions to your fantasy roster.

Addable In All Leagues

Bilal Powell, RB, Jets (29% owned). Let's be clear: your fantasy league really shouldn't play in Week 17! If you play on ESPN next season, go into your commissioner settings and change this. Playing Week 17 is a disaster, because some squads may rest their stars, and an already unfathomable equation of playing time becomes impenetrable. But! If you're playing Week 17 this year, I guess you could take a shot on Powell, who has outperformed his more talented teammate Chris Ivory four weeks running. There have been good explanations why Powell keeps finishing ahead of Ivory—Powell lucked into some touchdowns, Ivory sat out much of Sunday's game with a knee injury—but the fact remains that the Jets will go hard trying to keep their playoff spot next week against the Bills, and Powell has been a pretty safe source of yardage throughout December.

Colts Defense (17% owned). After watching the minimal resistance the Titans offense mustered in week 16, I'll take a piece of Indy's defense, which still (barely) has something to play for. Zach Mettenberger just isn't an NFL-caliber starting quarterback, and in the back of their minds, the Titans must know that a loss here guarantees them the first pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Players listed in previous weeks who are still addable in all leagues: Christine Michael, RB, Seahawks (39%); Bryce Brown, RB, Seahawks (28%); Mike Gillislee, RB, Bills (10%); Cameron Artis-Payne, RB, Panthers (43%); Charles Sims, RB, TB (29%); Duke Johnson, RB, CLE (40%); Theo Riddick, RB, DET (29%); Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, TEN (23%); DeVante Parker, WR, MIA (33%); Zach Miller, TE, Bears (37%).

Speculative Adds

Isaiah Crowell, RB, Browns (28% owned). Crowell isn't a particularly special runner, and he routinely loses more than half of Cleveland's snaps to Duke Johnson. But the results have been there for Crowell in two of his past three games, a span during which he has 272 scrimmage yards and three TDs. I'll tell you right now: that's probably a fluke. I think I'd rather start Johnson. But I acknowledge Crowell has some upside Week 17 against the Steelers.

Donald Brown, RB, Chargers (3% owned). Danny Woodhead racked up 108 scrimmage yards on Christmas Eve, which makes it easy to overlook the fact that Brown played 12 snaps in the first half compared to 15 for Woodhead. Brown also stole a one-yard touchdown after Woody was stuffed at the goal line. I'm not trying to tell you Brown is a great option Sunday against the Broncos. I'm just saying he could rack up double-digit touches.

Pierre Thomas, RB, Washington (1% owned). Washington is locked in as the NFC's four-seed and has nothing to play for Sunday against the Cowboys. That leads me to believe we're not going to see much of Kirk Cousins, Alfred Morris, Matt Jones, Jordan Reed or DeSean Jackson, and I'll speculate that Thomas—who played pretty well in limited action Saturday night in Philly—could run out the clock as Washington's main man in the backfield.

Jamison Crowder, WR, Washington (9% owned). And if Washington sits a bunch of starters, the rookie Crowder could see a lot of work. If I had to go to Vegas right now and place a bet on which Washington pass catcher would lead the team in Week 17 targets, I'd take Crowder.

Spencer Ware, RB, Chiefs (44% owned). The Chiefs can still win the AFC West if they win and the Broncos lose, so my suspicion is that Charcandrick West (and most of KC's other starters) will play. But there's a chance that Andy Reid waves the white flag assuming Denver will win, and rests West. If that happens, Ware could wind up with a bunch of carries; even if it doesn't happen, Ware has a decent chance of banging in a short touchdown.

Alex Smith, QB, Chiefs (36% owned). Along those same lines, if the Chiefs are "going for it," Smith should be a safe repository of baseline points against the Raiders Sunday. He rarely exceeds 20 fantasy points (four times in 15 starts), but he's only failed to get double-digit points once all season.

Players listed in previous weeks who are still speculative adds: Jay Cutler, QB, CHI (40%); Jameis Winston, QB, TB (44%); Brock Osweiler, QB, DEN (20%); Jay Ajayi, RB, MIA (12%); Joique Bell, RB, DET (26%); Jerick McKinnon, RB, Vikings (10%); Dontrelle Inman, WR, SD (8%); Jermaine Kearse, WR, Seahawks (15%); Markus Wheaton, WR, Steelers (43%); Keshawn Martin, WR, Patriots (7%); Heath Miller, TE, PIT (33%).

Deep-League Adds

DuJuan Harris and Jarryd Hayne, RBs, 49ers (4% and 0% owned, respectively). Harris popped two long runs on the exact same play Sunday against the Lions: an inside-zone run where he was fully untouched at the line. So he stands out in the box score, but Hayne actually played 33 offensive snaps compared to 15 for Harris. So please don't assume there's a clear margin for Harris as the starter. You'd obviously rather start neither guy Week 17 against the Rams, but my guess is that I'll have Hayne rated higher.

Brian Hoyer, QB, Texans (15% owned). Here come a few potential fill-ins if you're desperate in a two-QB league. It sounds like Hoyer has a decent chance to return from his concussion and play in a Week 17 game against the Jaguars. If the Texans win they take the AFC South. Guys who throw to DeAndre Hopkins tend to produce pretty safe fantasy floors.

Johnny Manziel, QB, Browns (5% owned). Manziel didn't do much with his arm Sunday in a tough spot against the Chiefs, but he was dynamic with his feet, racking up 108 yards on 11 carries and doing a good impression of the guy Heisman voters fell in love with at Texas A&M. Manziel doesn't offer you much if he doesn't run, but at least he's got a high ceiling.

Ryan Mallett, QB, Ravens (1% owned). Mallett was Week 16's most improbably good quarterback. He led long drives, didn't make mistakes, drilled intermediate throws into tight windows, and engineered one of the season's biggest upsets over the Steelers. This is all the more remarkable because the Ravens really don't have much left on offense that isn't injured.

Players listed in previous weeks who are still addable in deep leagues: A.J. McCarron, QB, CIN (7%); Steven Jackson, RB, Patriots (3%); Fred Jackson, RB, SEA (7%); Terrance West, RB, BAL (1%); Jonathan Grimes, RB, HOU (2%); Chris Polk, RB, HOU (4%); Fitzgerald Toussaint, RB, PIT (0%); Jordan Todman, RB, PIT (0%); Will Tye, TE, NYG (20%); Vance McDonald, TE, SF (6%).

Christopher Harris (@HarrisFootball) is a six-time Fantasy Sports Writing Association award winner. He hosts the Harris Football Podcast every weekday. Find it on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn and most other podcast apps, as well as at www.HarrisFootball.com.