Without much fanfare, Curtis Samuel has closed the season playing at a very high level. And he should have the chance for another quality outing in Week 17 against the Saints. He's one of my favorite sleepers and DFS options this week.
Since Week 7, a span of nine games, Samuel has scored at least 12 PPR points seven times, including four games with at least 20 PPR points. He has two games with at least 100 receiving yards over that span, as well as five total touchdowns. And he's in a great spot in Week 17 against New Orleans.
Christian McCaffrey (thigh) and Mike Davis (ankle) are out, so Samuel should get some additional playing time at running back, along with Rodney Smith. Since Week 7, Samuel has scored at least five Fantasy points three times with just his rushing totals alone.
He also has at least nine targets in three of his past five games. I'm still starting D.J. Moore ahead of Samuel, but I like Samuel ahead of Robby Anderson this week. And all three could be successful if the Saints start to pull starters during the game to rest for the playoffs.
It's been a solid campaign for Samuel in 2020. And he should close the season with another quality performance against New Orleans.
Now, let's look at other sleepers for Week 17, including some DFS lineups to consider on FanDuel and DraftKings.
Editor's Note: Projections are provided by CBS Sports and not Jamey Eisenberg. Projected points are for PPR leagues.
Rivers has scored at least 21 Fantasy points in five of his past six starts, and the Jaguars allow an average of 26.6 Fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. Nine quarterbacks in a row have scored at least 20 Fantasy points against Jacksonville, including three of the past four going over 26 points.
Dalton has scored at least 21 Fantasy points in four of his past six games, and hopefully he can stay hot against the Giants in a must-win game for both teams. The Giants have allowed Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson to each score at least 24 Fantasy points in the past two weeks.
Carr only scored seven Fantasy points against the Broncos in Week 7 with the Raiders having a dominant performance. I'll gamble on Carr playing better in the rematch, and he's scored at least 25 Fantasy points in his past three healthy outings. Denver also has allowed at least 20 Fantasy points to three of its past four opposing quarterbacks.
Dalvin Cook won't play in Week 17 due to the death of his father, and our condolences go out to him and his family. With Cook out, Mattison should get the chance to start against the Lions in a great matchup. The Lions are No. 2 in Fantasy points allowed to running backs, and they lead the NFL with 26 total touchdowns allowed to the position. Cook had 252 total yards and two touchdowns against Detroit in Week 9. Now, Mattison flopped when he started for Cook in Week 6 against Atlanta with three PPR points. But I like Mattison to deliver a big game this week if he starts as expected.
The Jets are without Frank Gore (chest) and Lamical Perine (illness) this week, and Johnson should get the chance to start in a great matchup against the Patriots. I like Johnson as a low-end starter in all leagues. We saw Johnson take over for an injured Gore in Week 13 against the Raiders and finish with 22 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown, as well as two catches for 13 yards and two targets, and hopefully he can replicate that kind of production at New England. A Jets running back has scored at least 11 PPR points in four of their past six games, and the Patriots have allowed a running back to score or gain at least 100 yards in four of their past five games, including three in a row.
Brown should be the lead running back with Darrell Henderson (ankle) and Cam Akers (ankle) hurt, and hopefully Brown takes advantage of this opportunity. There have been seven games this season where a Rams running back had at least 15 carries, and that has translated to at least 16 PPR points five times. Brown did that in Week 1 against Dallas with 21 total touches and scored 25 PPR points, and hopefully he can replicate that this week.
The Cowboys run defense has been better of late, but they have still allowed six touchdowns to running backs in their past five games, including two in a row. Gallman has struggled over the past three weeks with a combined 17 PPR points over that span, but I like him as a flex this week given the matchup. Prior to Week 14, Gallman scored or had over 100 rushing yards in six games in a row.
There have been seven games this season where Shepard and Daniel Jones have started and finished, and Shepard has at least six catches in each outing, while averaging 14.0 PPR points over that span. The Cowboys have allowed six touchdowns to receivers in their past four games, and Shepard is a low-end starter in PPR this week.
Keenan Allen (illness) won't play in Week 17, and Hunter Henry (illness) could also remain out. That should bode well for Williams, who had 10 targets in Week 16 against Denver in that same scenario. He only managed four catches for 54 yards, but I'll gamble on Williams as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver against the Chiefs, who could be resting starters on defense. Jalen Guyton and Tyron Johnson are also sleepers in deeper leagues with Allen out.
Gallup has at least six targets in four of his past five games, and he's scored at least 11 PPR points in three of his past four outings. He had 11 PPR points in Week 5 against the Giants and is worth using as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week in all leagues. I still like Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb better than Gallup, but he's closing the season on a high note.
It's pretty clear the Broncos want to get Jeudy going after he had 15 targets in Week 16 against the Chargers. Now, he only had six catches for 61 yards in that game, but hopefully the volume is there again in this matchup with the Raiders. He had eight targets against the Raiders in Week 10 and finished with four catches for 68 yards, so hopefully he performs better in the rematch. Consider Jeudy a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in deeper leagues.
Sims could be the No. 1 receiver for Washington again in Week 17 against the Eagles if Terry McLaurin (ankle) is out, and it's a great matchup for Sims, who has 17 targets in his past two games. Philadelphia has allowed 76 catches, 1,171 yards and nine touchdowns to receivers on 102 targets in the past five weeks.
He had 12 catches for 169 yards on 14 targets against the Jets in Week 9, and the Jets have allowed five touchdowns to receivers in their past four games. We'll see if Cam Newton remains the starter in Week 17, but hopefully Newton or Jarrett Stidham look for Meyers a lot in this matchup.
In Week 9 against the Packers, with Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Kendrick Bourne and George Kittle all out, James stepped up with nine catches for 184 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets. Maybe something similar happens this week with Samuel and Aiyuk out again. Kittle and Bourne are playing against the Seahawks, but I would take a flier on James in deeper leagues this week given the chance for increased playing time.
There's a strong chance the Steelers could be resting JuJu Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson during this game with Ben Roethlisberger not starting as the playoffs approach. Washington should play a lot, and hopefully his connection with Mason Rudolph shows up this week as both played together at Oklahoma State. The Browns secondary will be without Denzel Ward (illness), and Washington has the chance to score in this matchup.
Ertz has seven targets in each of his past two games, and now Dallas Goedert (calf) could be out. Washington has only allowed one tight end to score in its past five games, but Goedert and Ertz combined for 11 catches, 119 yards and two touchdowns on 16 targets against Washington in Week 1. And Ertz has scored at least 10 PPR points in four of his past five games against Washington.
Hurst has scored in consecutive games coming into Week 17 and has a combined 27 PPR points over that span against Tampa Bay and Kansas City. He had four catches for 21 yards and a touchdown on five targets against the Buccaneers in Week 15, and Tampa Bay has allowed a tight end to score or gain at least 80 receiving yards in three games in a row.
Knox dropped a touchdown in Week 16 at New England, otherwise he would have scored in four of his past five games. He managed to finish the game against the Patriots with three catches for 51 yards on four targets, and his targets could rise with Cole Beasley (leg) out against the Dolphins, even with John Brown back. Knox should be considered a low-end starter in deeper leagues.
I'll stack the Colts in this lineup with Rivers and Hilton, as this is an amazing matchup. The Jaguars have allowed a quarterback to score at least 20 Fantasy points in nine games in a row, and 11 straight No. 1 receivers against Jacksonville have scored at least 14 PPR points.
Henry is 223 yards from a 2,000-yard rushing season, and he had 212 rushing yards and two touchdowns, as well as two catches for 52 yards on five targets, against the Texans in Week 6. He's worth the price. So is Mattison with Cook out.
My other receivers along with Hilton are Thielen and Cooks, and both have the chance to score in their respective matchups. I also like Kittle taking on the Seahawks this week, and I'm excited about this lineup in Week 17.
Wolford qualifies as a sleeper this week in seasonal leagues as well with Jared Goff (thumb) out, and I like that Wolford will make some plays with his legs in this matchup. He's worth the gamble given his price.
I love my running backs this week with Taylor, Gaskin and Johnson, and Taylor should destroy the Jaguars in Week 17. Gaskin also should stay hot against the Bills.
I'll play two Vikings in this lineup with Jefferson and Smith, but I also love the opportunity for Brown to beat up the Texans. And Samuel, as you know, is one of my favorite plays in Week 17 against the Saints.
