Is Julio Jones healthy enough to produce Week 17?

Here are five burning questions for Week 17.

Get Start/Sit & Waiver Advice with My Playbook

What will offenses look like with their backup quarterbacks?

Several teams will feature offenses run by their backup quarterback for the first time in Week 17, most notable of which are the Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Titans, and Buffalo Bills. Matt Cassell has already proven himself to be a capable backup throughout his NFL career, while Matt McGloin has shown some promise but also moments where he has looked overwhelmed. E.J. Manuel has looked overwhelmed the majority of the snaps he’s seen but will get a chance to show improvement this week.

It’s unclear just what kind of effort each of these teams will put in during Week 17, but high-end receiving options such as Michael Crabtree, Amari Cooper, and Rishard Matthews may be affected. Meanwhile, the already volatile Sammy Watkins is left with little floor (but still plenty of ceiling) due to the quarterback change. Other situations to consider where the starting quarterback will miss either the entire game or a large portion of it include the Steelers, Giants, and Cowboys.

What impact will defenses resting players have on this week’s games?

Fantasy football revolves around offensive playmakers, so it only makes sense that fantasy analysis would do the same. That said, things will be a little different this week because many of the same teams that are going to rest their offensive playmakers will do the same with their defensive playmakers. Not only will this send you to the waiver wire to find a new team defense, but it will also make opposing offenses more appealing. For example, DeSean Jackson could enter must-start territory because the Giants are resting their defensive studs, and others like Terrelle Pryor could see enough of a bump to be fantasy relevant. It may be hard to predict, but playing a hunch as to who will benefit from opponents’ resting their defensive starters could land you a fantasy championship.

Will Jacquizz Rodgers capitalize on a thin Buccaneers’ backfield?

Rodgers has produced each time he’s been given the majority of the carries out of the Buccaneers’ backfield. Though in NFL terms October is a distant memory, Rodgers was one of the hottest waiver wire pickups and delivered instrumental performances for fantasy owners to reach their playoffs. This week, he should get a similar chance with Doug Martin’s suspension and Charles Sims’ injury. It would be a fitting way for him to end a roller coaster season, and he should have the chance to do it against a Panthers’ team that could be ready to pack its bag for the season and head to the golf course.

Will coaches push for player milestones?

For much of the season, one of the most popular narratives was Antonio Gates passing Tony Gonzalez for the most career touchdowns among tight ends. That narrative is still alive, though with the recent rumor that Gates will be back next season, it may not be as pressing. Other milestones have emerged, however, including Mark Ingram reaching the 1,000-yard rushing plateau. Given his clear displeasure with his role a few weeks ago, Sean Payton could be hyper sensitive to getting him to the 1,000-yard mark. Meanwhile, David Johnson needs 159 receiving yards to record both a 1,000-yard rushing and receiving season. That is much more unrealistic, and Johnson is a must-start season-long option regardless, but it’s still an interesting narrative to follow. Finally, Kirk Cousins is 370 yards away from 5,000 passing yards on the season. However, unlike the rest of the players and teams mentioned above, Washington is still in contention for a playoff spot so the No. 1 priority will be to win the game. He has topped 370 yards three times this season, so 5,000 yards isn’t out of the question. Each of these players could have a little bit of extra motivation on Sunday.

How healthy is Julio Jones?

There has been a lot of talk each of the past two weeks about Jones and his health. Last week was a stellar matchup for him, one he had capitalized on earlier in the season, yet he walked away with just four catches for 60 yards. This week once again presents a matchup that Jones should be able to take advantage of, but it’s unclear he is healthy enough to do so.

Daniel Marcus is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Daniel, check out his archive, visit fantasy-phenoms.com, or follow him @danmarcus3.