Here are my fantasy football rankings, tiers and outlook for notable players Week 17.
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Fantasy Football Rankings, Tiers & Start/Sit Lineup Advice: Week 17
Quarterbacks Rankings & Tiers
Fantasy Football Start/Sit Lineup Advice: Quarterbacks
Tyler Shough has scored 17 or more fantasy points in four straight games. He’s QB9 in fantasy scoring over that stretch, and now Shough gets a matchup against the Titans, who have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to QBs. Would you have ever believed that Tyler Shough would be startable in fantasy championship week? Believe it. I’m ranking Shough as a low-end QB1.
Since Week 10, Caleb Williams has completed 53.8% of his passes and averaged 6.3 yards per pass attempt. He’s averaged 212 passing yards a game over that stretch. I do like Williams’ matchup with the 49ers this week, and I like that he adds rushing value. I just can’t give a QB1 ranking to a guy who’s been pretty mediocre as a passer over the last month and a half. I’m regarding Williams as a high-end QB2.
Justin Herbert had a great game against the Cowboys last week, with 300 passing yards, two TD passes and a TD run. But in the five games before the explosion against Dallas, Herbert averaged 160 passing yards and had thrown five TD passes while enduring constant pressure thanks to a bad offensive line. And now he’s going from a matchup against the Cowboys, who have given up the most fantasy points to QBs, to a matchup with the Texans, who have allowed the fewest. Fade Herbert this week. I’m considering him a midrange QB2.
Running Backs Rankings & Tiers
Fantasy Football Start/Sit Lineup Advice: Running Backs
Kenneth Walker III had a couple of big plays against the Rams last week and scored 23.9 half-point PPR fantasy points. In the 10 games before that, Walker had averaged 7.9 half-point PPR fantasy points and had hit double-digit points in only two of those contests. Walker has had 11 or fewer carries eight times this year. He gets pulled at the goal line. His passing-game usage is erratic. I don’t dislike the matchup against the Panthers, but Walker shouldn’t be regarded as anything more than a low-end RB2.
Michael Carter is clearly Arizona’s lead back in the wake of the ankle injury Bam Knight sustained in Week 15. Carter has been playing significantly more snaps than backfield mate Emari Demercado the last two games. Carter had 11-65-0 rushing with no targets last week against the Falcons. He was effective as a runner, but the game script went sideways on him as the Cardinals fell behind. But now, Carter gets a favorable Week 17 matchup against a bad Bengals defense that has allowed a league-high 1,924 rushing yards to RBs. Just know that the Cardinals’ offensive line has been pretty banged up, which could limit the effectiveness of the running game. I think Carter is playable as a low-end RB2 or high-end RB3.
We’ve seen three straight 100-yard rushing games for Tony Pollard. The Titans’ running game is suddenly working. (Tyjae Spears had a nice game last week too, with the Titans running all over the Chiefs.) Pollard gets a $250,000 bonus if he runs for 1,100 yards, and now he’s only 151 rushing yards away with two games to play. He has a Week 17 date with the Saints, who have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to RBs. I’m well above consensus on Pollard this week, ranking him as a midrange RB2.
The Steelers won’t have the suspended D.K. Metcalf for Week 17, and Calvin Austin is hurt. The Steelers are going to run their offense through their running backs this week against the Browns. Cleveland’s run defense has completely fallen apart in recent weeks – ask Tony Pollard or James Cook, who have both torched Cleveland in recent weeks. Gainwell has been making major contributions in the passing game. Over his last six games, Gainwell has 33 catches for 287 yards and three touchdowns. He’s had five or more catches in five of his last six games. I consider Gainwell a low-end RB2 this week.
In Brady Cook‘s two starts for the Jets, Breece Hall has averaged 50 yards from scrimmage and hasn’t scored a touchdown. He’s been RB47 and RB40 in fantasy scoring the last two weeks. I don’t want to use him against the Patriots this week, even though the Patriots have lost several key run stoppers to injuries, and am ranking Hall as a midrange RB3.
Wide Receivers Rankings & Tiers
Fantasy Football Start/Sit Lineup Advice: Wide Receivers
Zay Flowers has posted his three highest fantasy point totals of the season in his last three games. He’s been WR8, WR17 and WR10 in half-point PPR scoring the last three weeks. Flowers has at least five catches in 14 of 15 games this season, and he’s had at least 60 receiving yards in 11 of 15 games (and one of the misses was a 58-yard game). The floor is sturdy, and Flowers been showing us the ceiling lately. If Lamar Jackson is able to play through a back injury this week, I’ll have Flowers ranked as a midrange WR2 against the Packers. If Jackson is out and Tyler Huntley starts against the Packers, I’ll rank Flowers as a WR3.
Ranking Terry McLaurin as a high-end WR3, I’m working under the assumption that Josh Johnson is going to start at quarterback for the Commanders. Marcus Mariota has a hand injury and a quad injury. If Mariota is able to play, I’ll move up McLaurin. But Johnson has a career completion rate of 58%. He’s thrown more interceptions than touchdown passes. He’s only started four games since 2018. He threw for 34 yards and two touchdowns in one of them, but in the other three he had 153 or fewer passing yards and a combined two TD passes. I don’t care that McLaurin’s matchup against Dallas looks good on paper; I don’t want to start a receiver tied to Josh Johnson if I can help it.
DJ Moore has been WR5 and WR7 in half-point PPR scoring the least two weeks. Rome Odunze is going to be out, and Luther Burden could very well miss a second straight game, so Moore figures to be Caleb Williams‘ No. 1 target against a 49ers pass defense that doesn’t put much pressure on QBs and can be leaky in the back end. The Niners don’t give up a lot of big plays in the passing game, but they’ve allowed the fourth-most completions in the league, and they’ve given up 27 touchdown catches. I consider Moore a low-end WR2 or high-end WR3 this week.
Marvin Harrison Jr. played only 51% of Arizona’s offensive snaps last week in his first game back from a heel injury. He had one catch for 14 yards on three targets. Harrison probably isn’t fully healthy. And while the Bengals might seem like a favorable matchup for MHJ, I’m not sure they are. The Bengals have allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to WRs. They’ve allowed the most fantasy points to TEs by a mile. Where do you think the ball is going this week? It’s going to Trey McBride, and there might be some spillover targets for No. 2 tight end Elijah Higgins. Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr. are going to fight for the table scraps, and I’m betting on Wilson to get more of those table scraps than Harrison. Consider Harrison a low-end WR3.
Emeka Egbuka ran fewer routes than Jalen McMillan last week. And obviously, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are getting plenty of work for Tampa Bay. Egbuka’s 56% snap share last week was his second-lowest of the season. Baker Mayfield hasn’t played that well over the last two months, so it’s hard to see him supporting four wide receivers. I consider Egbuka a low-end WR3 or high-end WR4 this week.
Tight Ends Rankings & Tiers
Fantasy Football Start/Sit Lineup Advice: Tight Ends
Dallas Goedert has a tough Week 17 matchup against Buffalo. The Bills have only given up 42 catches to TEs this season. No other team has allowed fewer than 58 catches to TEs. Only the Eagles have allowed fewer fantasy points to tight ends than the Bills this season. But the targets are pretty concentrated for Philly, with AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith and Goedert accounting for an enormous share of the targets. And the Eagles love those little shovel passes to Goedert near the goal line. He has 10 touchdowns this season, and a bunch of them have come on those shovel passes. While this doesn’t set up as a smash week for Goedert, I think he’s usable as a midrange to low-end TE1.
The Saints have lost RBs Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller and Devin Neal to injuries. There’s a chance Kamara comes back before the end of the regular season, although the Saints have little incentive to rush him back into action. Rather than turn the rushing duties over to young journeymen Audric Estime and Evan Hull last week, the Saints just gave Taysom Hill the most work he’s had all season. Hill had 12 carries for 42 yards, four catches for 36 yards, and one completed pass for a 38-yard touchdown Sunday against the Jets. I think Hill is a playable TE option this week and am ranking him as a high-end TE2 with upside.
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