Erik BeastonDecember 25, 2024
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- Kyren Williams is one superstar running back who figures to have a big game in Week 17 as the Los Angeles Rams seek to wrap up the NFC West. He is a must-start for managers and a top option for his position.
- Who else joins him at the most significant positions on the field as managers look to earn fantasy playoff victories and inch closer to a league championship?
- Find out in this preview.
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- Quarterback rankings for Week 17 are as follows:
- Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans
- Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders vs. Atlanta Falcons
- Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Denver Broncos
- Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets
- Jared Goff, Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers
- Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
- Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts at New York Giants
- Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Carolina Panthers
- Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers vs. Detroit Lions
- Bo Nix, Denver Broncos at Cincinnati Bengals
- Sleeper: Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears vs. Seattle Seahawks
- The No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft has had a hit-or-miss season both on the field and in fantasy football, but he has finished in the top 10 at his position in three of his last five outings and should find success in Week 17 against Seattle.
- The Seahawks rank 22nd against opposing quarterbacks over the last four weeks, conceding 18.12 points per game.
- Seattle has allowed 24 passing touchdowns in 2024 and an average of 213.9 yards per game. Fresh off a 334-yard, two-touchdown performance, Williams should be able to exploit the Seattle pass defense to his advantage and provide managers in need of an upgrade at the quarterback position a quality start.
- Beware of fumbles, though. His eight have been problematic for a Bears offense that has struggled at times.
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- Running backs rankings for Week 17 are as follows:
- Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys
- Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons at Washington Commanders
- Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts at New York Giants
- Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams vs. Arizona Cardinals
- Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers
- Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Carolina Panthers
- Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Denver Broncos
- De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins at Cleveland Browns
- Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
- Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Sleeper: Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers
- The Packers have struggled against the run all season and in their last four games, the team ranks 20th against opposing running backs, giving up 24.55 points to the position per outing.
- Aaron Jones has either boomed or underwhelmed for the Vikings this season but in Week 4 against his former team, he had one of the better games of his season, rushing 22 times for 93 yards and catching four passes for 46 yards.
- A similar performance should not be counted out in Week 17.
- While the veteran back is coming off a 25th-place finish against Seattle, the added motivation of sticking it to his former squad makes him an intriguing start for managers in deeper leagues or with the 30-year-old on their bench.
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- Wide receiver rankings for Week 17 are as follows:
- Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams vs. Arizona Cardinals
- Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers
- Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Denver Broncos
- Nico Collins, Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens
- Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Carolina Panthers
- Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers
- AJ Brown, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys
- Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders vs. Atlanta Falcons
- Davante Adams, New York Jets at Buffalo Bills
- CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
- Sleeper: Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers
- Worthy has been a top-20 finisher in each of his last two weeks in both standard and PPR leagues. The rookie has also seen his targets increase, with 22 over that period. He caught 13 of them for 111 yards and a touchdown while adding 40 yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown.
- In Pittsburgh, he will have the opportunity to build on that momentum.
- The Steelers defense ranks 25th against opposing wide receivers over the last two weeks, giving up 38.88 points to the position per game. Given the team’s aggressive play, Worthy’s speed could be key to another strong performance and the Chiefs finding offensive success on a short week and in cold weather.
- Managers needing a different option at the position or reeling from under-performing receivers should consider Worthy, who is excelling at the right time and could be a surprising piece of a championship puzzle.
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- Tight end rankings for Week 17 are as follows:
- Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders at New Orleans Saints
- Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams
- George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers vs. Detroit Lions
- David Njoku, Cleveland Browns vs. Miami Dolphins
- Jonnu Smith, Miami Dolphins at Cleveland Browns
- Hunter Henry, New England Patriots vs. Los Angeles Chargers
- Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers
- TJ Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers
- Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
- Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers
- Sleeper: Noah Fant, Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears
- Fant has not been a consistent fantasy threat this season and has not finished higher than 19th in standard or PPR leagues since Week 8. Still, there is a reason to be cautiously optimistic that he could contribute to managers’ lineups in Week 17.
- The Bears rank 28th against opposing tight ends over the last four weeks, giving up 16.23 points per game to the position. They have also allowed three passing touchdowns to tight ends during that stretch.
- Fant has not seen more than seven targets all season long but considering the clear weakness the Bears have when it comes to stopping tight ends, there will be plenty of opportunities for a playoff-hungry Seahawks team to feed him the ball and reap the rewards.
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- Defense/special teams rankings for Week 17 are as follows:
- Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys
- Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots
- Indianapolis Colts at New York Giants
- Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
- Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans
- Cleveland Browns vs. Miami Dolphins
- Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers
- Washington Commanders vs. Atlanta Falcons
- Las Vegas Raiders at New Orleans Saints
- Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears
- Kicker rankings for Week 17 are as follows:
- Chris Boswell, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
- Jake Bates, Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers
- Chase McLaughlin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Carolina Panthers
- Ka’imi Fairbairn, Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens
- Cameron Dicker, Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots
- Tyler Bass, Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets
- Brandon Aubrey, Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
- Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans
- Brandon McManus, Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
- Harrison Butker, Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers
- All stats via FantasyPros unless otherwise denoted.