Congratulations on your season-long fantasy football championship (if you lost, replace “championship” with “season”)! What better way to spend your winnings than a DFS contest where you can increase those earnings! Week 17 is chalked full of matchups we can exploit. Playoff spots and divisional titles are on the line, with others pride is the driving factor. Either way, we have the rankings set for you. Now, on to the Week 17 rankings…
Quarterback
1. Tom Brady, Patriots (vs. Jets)
2. Russell Wilson, Seahawks (vs. Cardinals)
3. Cam Newton, Panthers (@ Falcons)
4. Matthew Stafford, Lions (vs. Packers)
5. Kirk Cousins, Redskins (@ Giants)
6. Drew Brees, Saints (@ Buccaneers)
7. Philip Rivers, Chargers (vs. Raiders)
8. Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers (@ Rams)
9. Matt Ryan, Falcons (vs. Panthers)
10. Jameis Winston, Buccaneers (vs. Saints)
Week 17 is tough for DFS players, too. We are all prognosticators when it comes to playing time for starters. Best guess for Week 17: choose players on teams that need to win.
If New England wins, they get the No. 1 seed in the AFC. While Tom Brady might only play in the first half against the Jets, that could be enough to get him the No. 1 overall ranking among quarterbacks.
Carolina and Seattle also have playoff implications with their matchup. The Panthers can win the NFC South, and host a playoff game, with a win and a Saints loss. There is even a chance Carolina gets a first-round bye. So, Cam Newton should be in consideration for your quarterback selection.
Running Back
1. Alvin Kamara, Saints (@ Buccaneers)
2. LeSean McCoy, Bills (@ Dolphins)
3. Mark Ingram, Saints (@ Buccaneers)
4. Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys (@ Eagles)
5. Devonta Freeman, Falcons (vs. Panthers)
6. Kenyan Drake, Dolphins (vs. Bills)
7. Melvin Gordon, Chargers (vs. Raiders)
8. Christian McCaffrey, Panthers (@ Falcons)
9. Derrick Henry, Titans (vs. Jaguars)
10. Carlos Hyde, 49ers (@ Rams)
11. Jamaal Williams, Packers (@ Lions)
12. Dion Lewis, Patriots (vs. Jets)
13. Alex Collins, Ravens (vs. Bengals)
14. Marshawn Lynch, Raiders (@ Chargers)
15. C.J. Anderson, Broncos (vs. Chiefs)
16. Jordan Howard, Bears (@ Vikings)
17. Latavius Murray, Vikings (vs. Bears)
18. Giovani Bernard, Bengals (@ Ravens)
19. Jerick McKinnon, Vikings (vs. Bears)
20. Frank Gore, Colts (vs. Texans)
A pair of Saints own two of the top three spots for Week 17. In their last meeting, Week 9, Alvin Kamara scored two TDs. He caught six passes for 84 yards and rushed for 68 yards. Mark Ingram added 77 yards on the ground. That tandem will look to wreak havoc on Carolina in the final regular season game of 2017.
Buffalo has allowed the most points to opposing running backs this season and they’ll face a young RB who has made a name for himself this season. Kenyan Drake is averaging 4.8 yards per carry and has scored three TDs this season (two in the past four weeks). The Dolphins just played the Bills in Week 15. Drake tallied 78 rushing yards and a TD in that outing.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
1. Michael Thomas, Saints (@ Buccaneers)
2. Julio Jones, Falcons (vs. Panthers)
3. Keenan Allen, Chargers (vs. Raiders)
4. A.J. Green, Bengals (@ Ravens)
5. Adam Thielen, Vikings (vs. Bears)
6. Mike Evans, Buccaneers (vs. Saints)
7. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (@ Seahawks)
8. Doug Baldwin, Seahawks (vs. Cardinals)
9. Jarvis Landry, Dolphins (vs. Bills)
10. Marvin Jones Jr., Lions (vs. Packers)
11. Rob Gronkowski, Patriots (vs. Jets)
12. Brandin Cooks, Patriots (vs. Jets)
13. Golden Tate, Lions (vs. Packers)
14. T.Y. Hilton, Colts (vs. Texans)
15. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Steelers (vs. Browns)
16. Demaryius Thomas, Broncos (vs. Chiefs)
17. Stefon Diggs, Vikings (vs. Bears)
18. Jamison Crowder, Redskins (@ Giants)
19. Devin Funchess, Panthers (@ Falcons)
20. Greg Olsen, Panthers (@ Falcons)
The Panthers may be playing for playoff positioning, but the Falcons are playing for their playoff lives. They need to win (or Seahawks loss) to get in the postseason. Carolina has allowed the fifth-most points to opposing wide receivers. In the Week 9 meeting, Julio Jones notched six catches for 118 yards against the Panthers.
Adam Thielen is playing for some bonus cash this weekend. He needs five catches to earn his full $1 million bonus. The Vikings can clinch a first-round bye with a win (among other ways). Thielen caught five passes against the Bears in Week 5, earlier this season. He could take one of those to the house this week.
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Adam Meyer is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Adam, check out his archive and follow him @CharlieSideHstl.
