It’s time for weekly bold predictions. The point here is that if you follow the consensus, you’re probably going to have a good team. But in order to go from good to great, you have to take some chances. You have to do your homework and figure out where you can zig when the rest of your league (or at least your opponent this week) zags. In short, you need to know how and when to be bold.

We asked our analysts to provide a bold prediction for Week 17. Their answers and justifications are below.

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Fantasy Football Week 17 Bold Predictions

Q: What is one bold fantasy prediction (player-related) for the upcoming week, and why could it happen?

Saquon Barkley (RB – NYG)

“Saquon Barkley will be a massive bust in Week 17, costing fantasy championships. The superstar had a top-10 performance last week with 17.9 half-point PPR fantasy points. Yet, almost half of his fantasy production came from a rushing touchdown and a two-point conversion. Furthermore, Barkley has averaged only 3.8 yards per touch over the past four games. More importantly, he faces a Los Angeles Rams defense that has shut down opposing running backs lately. Over the past three weeks, they have surrendered 48 rushing yards and nine fantasy points per game to running backs, allowing zero rushing scores. Benching Barkley might be difficult, but it’s the right move.”
– Mike Fanelli (FantasyPros)

Brandin Cooks (WR – DAL)

“Brandin Cooks blows up with 125 and two scores in Week 17. Since Week 11, the Lions have the 12th-highest rate of single-high (56%, per Fantasy Points Data). Since Week 8, against single-high, Cooks has crushed with a 15.9% target share, 2.37 YPRR, four end-zone targets, and a 16.1% first-read share. Since Week 10, Detroit has allowed the most PPR points per target to perimeter wide receivers. Cooks will cook the Lions in Week 17. ”
– Derek Brown (FantasyPros)

D’Andre Swift (RB – PHI)

“D’Andre Swift carries fantasy managers to a championship. Sure, Jalen Hurts has been known to vulture goalline touchdowns regularly, but in a matchup with an Arizona Cardinals run defense that has been the best matchup for running backs, he simply won’t have to. The Eagles are likely to be on cruise control for much of this game, and they have little reason to risk injury by Tush Pushing Jalen Hurts against a far inferior opponent. Look for Philadelphia to ride Swift to a season-high in carries and allow him the most goalline work he has seen all season. The Eagles will save Hurts for more important games, allowing Swift a two-touchdown performance when you need him the most. ”
– Aaron St Denis (The League Winners)

“D’Andre Swift will be a top 5 running back and win fantasy championships! Over the last two weeks, Swift has been the bell-cow running back for the Eagles, averaging 19 carries/game. This week he will face the 25th ranked Arizona Cardinals defense that is dead last in rushing defense, allowing 147 yards/game. Expect the Eagles to feed Swift early and often and for his day to end with 100+ rushing yards and a touchdown (or more) to reward owners who stuck with him this year!”
– Adam Dove (The Fantasy Couriers)

Sam LaPorta (TE – DET)

“Sam LaPorta has been a gem this year, and odds are if you drafted him, you are probably in a championship right now, so congratulations to you. LaPorta not only has a tasty matchup against Dallas in a game that should provide a ton of points, LaPorta has just been outstanding for fantasy managers all year long. Dallas is reeling after two, quite frankly, horrific losses where the defense has gone silent. LaPorta is going to win you a championship this week, as he scores once, maybe twice, against Dallas.”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)

Gerald Everett (TE – LAC)

“Gerald Everett finishes as a Top-3 TE in Week 17. Everett has earned 8 targets in 3 straight games. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are OUT, and Josh Palmer is Questionable this week. The Denver Broncos allow the most fantasy points to TEs on the season, and Everett just went 5-39 on 8 targets, including a Red Zone target, the last time they squared off. Fire up Gerald Everett as a must-start TE this week.”
– Bradley Stalder (Player Profiler)

Noah Brown (WR – HOU)

“Noah Brown finishes this week as a Top 10 WR with eight receptions, 170 yards and a TD. It sounds like C.J. Stroud has a good chance of playing this week, which boosts the entire Texans’ passing attack, including Brown. Brown is fast enough to burn the Titans’ vulnerable pass defense for some big plays. If this call hits, I think Noah should change his name to Yeah Brown for single-handedly winning people a bunch of fantasy titles haha! Not to worry, folks, it might be a new year, but it’s still the same terrible Mark Ringo jokes. The bad fantasy calls I make are kind of like a bonus, sort of a buy one, get one free type of deal haha!”
– Mark Ringo (Sleepers and Busts)

George Pickens (WR – PIT)

“George Pickens crashes to earth with two catches and 25 or fewer yards. Pickens detonated last week against the Bengals, racking up 195 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. He did it on only six targets and four catches. Target volume is frequently an issue for Pickens whenever he has to share a field with Diontae Johnson. Before the explosion vs. the Bengals, Pickens had averaged 5.4 targets and 39.3 receiving yards over his previous eight games. And do we really trust Mason Rudolph (or Kenny Pickett if he’s cleared to play) to keep finding Pickens for big gains? I’m expecting a quiet game for Pickens against the Seahawks in Seattle.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)

Jaren Hall (QB – MIN)

“Jaren Hall finishes as a QB1 in Week 17. We saw precisely one drive from Hall in Week 9 against Atlanta, and he looked good enough to throw for 312 yards and two touchdowns, which is what Green Bay just surrendered to Bryce Young in Week 16. Hall has the additional benefit of throwing to a healthy Justin Jefferson. Near the end of last week, Kevin O’Connell looked like he might have finally landed on an offensive strategy that could work: Throw the ball high and far and see if JJ can win against a DB. Really, this prediction is hardly even bold, considering nothing has ever gone wrong when a rookie QB starts for the second time against his team’s biggest rival in a must-win game on primetime.”
– Kelly Kirby (FantasyPros)

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