This is it. Week 17 is the championship round in the majority of Fantasy leagues, and you made it. Congratulations.
There's not much that I can tell you at this point in the season about strategy. You know what to do, and you know what works best for your Fantasy team.
Hopefully, your lineup is healthy and your players have great matchups. But we know that's not the case for everyone. Many of you have questions and concerns about players, and we'll help you with those final decisions.
This is the moment you've been waiting for, and you deserve to be in the championship. Now, go earn your trophy. Good luck.
Start of the Week
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D'Andre Swift has been tough to trust in the second half of the season. He's hurt more than helped Fantasy managers heading into Week 17, but he has the chance for a big game in the championship round against Arizona. I like Swift as a No. 1 running back in all leagues, and he's my Start of the Week.
Let's start with the flaws for Swift. He comes into Week 17 with only two games with more than 9.5 PPR points since Week 10. He has only two receptions for 1 yard in his past three games. And he loses every short-yardage touchdown opportunity to Jalen Hurts because of the tush push.
But last week Swift took advantage of a good matchup against the Giants with 20 carries for 92 yards and a touchdown. He also had 18 carries for 74 yards at Seattle in Week 15, along with the two catches on three targets, and the Eagles are trying to make more of an effort to run the ball. It only makes sense to take pressure off Hurts.
This week, Swift should go off against Arizona. The Cardinals are No. 1 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. There have been 16 running backs with at least 12.7 PPR points against Arizona this season, including four with at least 19.1 PPR points in the past five games.
The Cardinals are playing back-to-back road games in Week 17 and have to travel to the East Coast for a 1 p.m. start. This should be a tired defense facing a motivated offense in the Eagles, who are still in the hunt for the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Swift has the chance to help Fantasy managers win a championship in Week 17. He's going to have one of his best games of the season against the Cardinals this week.
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START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Quarterbacks
QBs to Start
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Purdy probably lost the NFL MVP award in Week 16 against Baltimore when he threw four interceptions in a 33-19 loss, and he scored a season-low 2.4 Fantasy points. He should rebound this week against the Commanders, who are No. 1 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. Five of the past six quarterbacks against Washington have scored at least 22.5 Fantasy points, and Purdy scored 25.4 Fantasy points in three games prior to Week 16, including two on the road at Philadelphia in Week 13 and at Arizona in Week 15. He should have another dominant road outing here.
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Fields got back on track in Week 16 against Arizona with 26.5 Fantasy points, and he did it with his legs with 97 rushing yards and a touchdown. The Falcons faced two rushing quarterbacks this season in Joshua Dobbs and Kyler Murray, and both scored at least 12.6 Fantasy points with just their rushing production alone. Fields is also averaging 26.4 Fantasy points in four home games this season.
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The last time Stafford went to the East Coast he scored 29.7 Fantasy points at Baltimore. Stafford has scored at least 22.5 Fantasy points in five games in a row, and he should stay hot against the Giants. The Giants have allowed Derek Carr and Jalen Hurts to each score at least 25.4 Fantasy points in the past two games.
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Mayfield is hot right now with 84.9 Fantasy points in his past three games against Atlanta, Green Bay and Jacksonville, and he scored at least 23.8 Fantasy points in each outing. Mayfield scored 28.9 Fantasy points in Week 4 at New Orleans with 246 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception, along with 31 rushing yards. It would be great for Mayfield to repeat that kind of performance in the rematch, and the Saints just allowed Matthew Stafford to score 24.7 Fantasy points in Week 16. Mayfield should be considered a top-10 Fantasy quarterback in all leagues.
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Stroud is expected to return in Week 17 against the Titans after missing the past two games with a concussion. He missed the first game against Tennessee in Week 15, but Stroud should do well here. The Titans have allowed two of the past four opposing quarterbacks to score at least 21.3 Fantasy points, and Stroud has been excellent at home this season. He's averaging 27.7 Fantasy points in seven games in Houston, including four games with at least 25.5 points, and he hasn't scored less than 18.1 points at home this year.
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Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Murray had a surprising game in Week 16 at Chicago with 24.4 Fantasy points. He snapped a two-game streak where he scored fewer than 16 Fantasy points, and we'll see how he does in back-to-back road games at the Eagles. Philadelphia has limited the past two opposing quarterbacks to under 15 Fantasy points against Seattle and the Giants, but the Eagles are still No. 2 in most Fantasy points allowed to the position. I don't mind taking a chance on Murray this week as a low-end starter in all leagues.
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The last time Taylor started a game was Week 7 against Washington, and he scored 25.7 Fantasy points with 279 passing yards and two touchdowns, along with 25 rushing yards. He looked good in relief of Tommy DeVito in Week 16 at Philadelphia with 133 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception, along with 21 rushing yards, and he has a great matchup in Week 17 against the Rams. Five quarterbacks in a row have scored at least 20.2 Fantasy points against the Rams, and Taylor is a good desperation play at quarterback in this matchup.
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Carr has caught fire in the past two games against the Giants and Rams with a combined 57.2 Fantasy points over that span, and he scored at least 26.3 points in each outing. This week, he has a favorable matchup against the Buccaneers, who are No. 8 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. Three quarterbacks in a row have scored at least 21.5 Fantasy points against Tampa Bay, and hopefully Carr can follow suit in Week 17.
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QBs to Sit
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Jaylen Waddle (ankle) is out in Week 17 at Baltimore, and that's just one of several flaws for Tagovailoa in this matchup. He comes into Week 17 with three games in a row scoring 17.5 Fantasy points or less, and the Ravens just had four interceptions against Brock Purdy in Week 16. For the season, Baltimore is No. 2 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and Tagovailoa should only be started in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues.
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Smith has done well in his past two games against Dallas and Tennessee with at least 21.3 Fantasy points in each outing, but the Steelers defense appeared to get back on track in Week 16 against the Bengals. Pittsburgh intercepted Jake Browning three times and sacked him three times as well. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (knee) could return in Week 17, and Smith was struggling against the Titans before scoring 11 Fantasy points on his final drive. I would only start Smith in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues in Week 17.
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Minshew had a rough game in Week 16 at Atlanta with Michael Pittman (concussion) out, and we'll see if Pittman can return in Week 17 against Las Vegas. With Pittman, Minshew has been inconsistent, and he only has two games with more than 16.1 Fantasy points in his past seven outings. This isn't an easy matchup against the Raiders, who have allowed just three quarterbacks to score at least 21.6 Fantasy points in their past 11 games. Minshew is barely a starter in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues in Week 17.
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START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Running Backs
RBs to Start
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Ekeler was better than expected in Week 16 against Buffalo with 15 carries for 65 yards and three catches for 21 yards on four targets. His 11.6 PPR points were his second-best total in his past six games. His best total over that span was Week 14 against Denver when he scored 21 PPR points, and he loves beating up on the Broncos. Ekeler, who went to high school (Eaton) and college (Western Colorado) in Colorado, has scored at least 15.8 PPR points in seven of his past eight games against Denver. And the Broncos are No. 2 in most Fantasy points allowed to running backs this year.
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I'm done doubting Conner, and he's proved me wrong for three games in a row. He scored 22.5 PPR points at Pittsburgh in Week 13, 17.9 PPR points against San Francisco in Week 15 and 22.2 PPR points at Chicago in Week 16, and he's excelled in tough matchups. This should be a tough matchup at Philadelphia since the Eagles are No. 4 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, but they haven't stopped anyone recently. In their past five games, six running backs have scored at least 12.2 PPR points against Philadelphia, and Conner should love going back to Pennsylvania since he's from Erie. He's a solid No. 2 running back in all leagues.
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Miles Sanders (toe) is hurt, which means Hubbard could get even more work in Week 17 at Jacksonville. Hubbard has at least 17 total touches in five games in a row, and he's scored at least 11.6 PPR points in each outing over that span, including two games with at least 20.2 PPR points. This week, Hubbard is facing a Jacksonville defense that has allowed a running back to score at least 13.2 PPR points in five games in a row. Hubbard only has 10 catches in his past five games, but he should get more involved in the passing game this week since the Jaguars are No. 1 in most receptions allowed to running backs in 2023.
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Jones had his best game of the season on the ground in Week 16 at Carolina with 21 carries for 127 yards, and he added one catch for 8 yards on three targets. He's back to being the featured running back for the Packers with at least 17 total touches in consecutive games, and hopefully he can find the end zone again since he hasn't scored since Week 9. This week, Jones is facing a Vikings defense that has allowed three running backs to score at least 14.9 PPR points in the past two games, and Minnesota just lost defensive lineman D.J. Wonnum (quadriceps) for the season in Week 16. Jones has also scored at least 13.3 PPR points in three of his past five games against the Vikings, and he's worth starting as a No. 2 running back in all leagues.
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Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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As I said last week about Harris, he'll be tough to trust, but this is a good matchup against the Seahawks in Week 17. Seattle has allowed four running backs to score at least 14.3 PPR points in four of the past five games, with five rushing touchdowns over that span. Harris had 19 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown last week against the Bengals, and he will hopefully score against Seattle in Week 17. Without a touchdown, Harris could be awful since he hasn't had a catch in his past two games. But I like his potential to score in this matchup. Jaylen Warren is also worth using as a flex in Week 17, and he has at least 10.4 PPR points in each of his past two games against Indianapolis and Cincinnati.
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Even with Alexander Mattison back in Week 16 against Detroit following a one-game absence with an ankle injury, Chandler still played 65 percent of the snaps compared to just 9 percent for Mattison. Now, Chandler struggled against the Lions with eight carries for 17 yards and a touchdown and no catches, but he should rebound this week against Green Bay. The Packers have allowed a running back to score at least 12.1 PPR points in five games in a row, with six total touchdowns over that span, and Chandler should be considered a flex option in all leagues.
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Ford has scored fewer than 9.5 PPR points in each of his past two games against Chicago and Houston, but he should get back on track this week against the Jets. They have allowed eight rushing touchdowns to running backs in their past five games, and six running backs have scored at least 12.5 PPR points against New York since Week 11. Kareem Hunt is also a potential flex option in Week 17 since he's scored a touchdown in two of his past three games, but Ford has the higher ceiling and is a borderline starter in all leagues.
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RBs to Sit
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Henry already faced this Texans run defense once in Week 15 at home, and Houston shut him down completely with 16 carries for 9 yards and four catches for 1 yard on four targets. The Texans haven't allowed a running back to rush for more than 56 yards in their past five games, including meetings with Travis Etienne, Javonte Williams, Breece Hall, Henry and Jerome Ford. And only Ford and Kareem Hunt scored touchdowns over that span. It's tough to bench Henry, but if he doesn't score this week then his stat line will be minimal. And Henry is averaging just 10.1 PPR points per game in seven road outings this year.
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D'Onta Foreman is back in Week 17 after missing Week 16 with a personal matter, and now we have a three-headed backfield again in Chicago with Foreman, Herbert and Roschon Johnson. With Foreman out in Week 16 against Arizona, Herbert was a star with 20 carries for 112 yards and a touchdown and one catch for 9 yards on two targets. That was an easy matchup against the Cardinals, but now the Bears have to face a tough defense for Atlanta. The Falcons are No. 2 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and Jonathan Taylor in Week 16 is the lone running back to rush for a touchdown against Atlanta this year. With Foreman back, I would avoid the Bears backfield completely in Week 17.
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The only way Edwards will help your Fantasy team in Week 17 will be if he scores a touchdown, and he's scored in each of the past two games against Jacksonville and San Francisco. Without the touchdowns, Edwards had 69 total yards against the Jaguars with one catch and 70 total yards against the 49ers with one reception. This is a tough matchup in Week 17 against the Dolphins, who are No. 6 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. No running back has run for more than 53 yards against Miami since Week 10, including matchups with Josh Jacobs, Breece Hall twice, Derrick Henry and Tony Pollard. And only Henry scored a touchdown against the Dolphins over that span. Edwards has 11 touchdowns in his past nine games, but if he doesn't score then his stat line will be minimal.
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Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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It's difficult to bench Barkley in the majority of leagues, but it's also difficult to use a running back against the Rams lately. For the season, the Rams are No. 2 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, but they are No. 1 against the position in the past five games, including matchups with James Conner (7.2 PPR points in Week 12) and Alvin Kamara (8.5 PPR points) over that stretch. They have allowed just six total touchdowns to running backs all season and are No. 2 in fewest receiving yards allowed to running backs. If you plan to start Barkley in Week 17 then lower your expectations, and keep in mind that Barkley has scored 6.2 PPR points or less in two of his past four games.
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START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Wide Receivers
WRs to Start
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We got a little lucky with Collins in Week 16 against Cleveland since he scored a touchdown and caught a two-point conversion, which helped him score 13.8 PPR points. But he only had four catches for 18 yards on six targets with the combination of Case Keenum and Davis Mills at quarterback in a tough matchup. This week, C.J. Stroud is back from his two-game absence with a concussion, and Stroud should lean on Collins against the Titans. In four games prior to Collins hurting his calf in Week 14 at the Jets, he had scored at least 13.5 PPR points in each outing, including two games with at least 23.4 PPR points. Collins is also averaging 21.8 PPR points in eight games at home this season.
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Rice only scored 11.7 PPR points in Week 16 against the Raiders, which was his lowest total in his past five games. Still, he had his highest target total against Las Vegas with 12, and he now has at least nine targets in five games in a row. He should have the chance for a big game in Week 17 against the Bengals, who have been abused by wide receivers of late. In their past four games, six receivers have scored at least 12.8 PPR points against Cincinnati, including Michael Pittman (17.5 PPR points), Jordan Addison (29.1 PPR points), Justin Jefferson (15.4 PPR points) and George Pickens (35.5 PPR points). Rice could have his best game of the season in Week 17.
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Godwin, finally, has become a go-to guy for Baker Mayfield with at least 11 targets in three games in a row. Godwin has responded with at least 13.9 PPR points in each of his past two outings against the Packers and Jaguars, and he should have another productive performance against the Saints in Week 17. One of Godwin's best games of the season actually came at New Orleans in Week 4 when he had eight catches for 114 yards on 11 targets for 19.4 PPR points, but Mike Evans left that game with a hamstring injury. Godwin also has scored at least 14.3 PPR points against the Saints in three of his past four meetings.
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In four games without Mark Andrews (ankle), Flowers has three games with at least eight targets, and he's scored at least 20 PPR points in those three outings. He's coming off a solid game in Week 16 at San Francisco with nine catches for 72 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, and he should be heavily involved again in Week 17 against Miami. The Dolphins are tough to run on, so look for Lamar Jackson to carry the offense in this matchup, and four No. 1 receivers in the past six games against Miami (Davante Adams in Week 11, Garrett Wilson in Week 12, DeAndre Hopkins in Week 14 and CeeDee Lamb in Week 16) have all scored at least 17.4 PPR points. Flowers should be considered a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues.
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Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Christian Watson (hamstring) and Dontayvion Wicks (chest) seem unlikely to play in Week 17 at Minnesota after both didn't practice all week. Watson is listed as doubtful and Wicks is questionable, but Reed is full go after missing Week 16 at Carolina with a toe injury. I like Reed as a high-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues at Minnesota in Week 17. Prior to missing Week 16, Reed had scored at least 15 PPR points in five of his past six games. He had three receiving touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns over that span, and he was being used as Green Bay's version of Deebo Samuel. That should remain the case at the Vikings, who are No. 8 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers. At least one receiver has scored at least 12.3 PPR points against Minnesota in each of the past six games, with five receivers scoring at least 16.6 PPR points over that span. Romeo Doubs can also be considered a No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week, and he caught four passes for 79 yards and a touchdown on five targets against the Panthers last week when everyone was injured.
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Shaheed is worth using as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver against Tampa Bay in Week 17 in the majority of leagues. He's coming off a solid game in Week 16 at the Rams with five catches for 70 yards and a touchdown on nine targets, and he should remain heavily involved in the passing game against the Buccaneers, who are No. 4 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers. He only had three catches for 33 yards on seven targets against Tampa Bay in Week 4, but this game should be a shootout, with Derek Carr looking to Shaheed quite often in the rematch.
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Chark seems to enjoy the revenge game narrative. In 2022 with the Lions, he faced the Jaguars in Week 13 and caught five passes for 98 yards on six targets. Then this season, in Week 5 at Detroit, Chark had three catches for 42 yards and a touchdown on six targets. Let's see if he can keep this up as he faces Jacksonville again in Week 17, and he's coming off a big game in Week 16 against Green Bay with six catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns on eight targets. It helps that the Jaguars are No. 9 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, and I'm willing to take a chance on Chark as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues.
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Marquise Brown (heel) was placed on injured reserve, so he will miss Week 17 at Philadelphia, and I like Dortch as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in the majority of leagues. He just had two catches for 45 yards and a touchdown on five targets in Week 16 at Chicago, and four targets is the magic number for Dortch. Going back to last year, he now has 10 games with at least four targets, and he's scored at least 11.7 PPR points in eight of those outings. This week, he's facing an Eagles defense that is No. 1 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, and Dortch should see a decent amount of targets with Brown out once again.
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WRs to Sit
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Wilson is more of a bust alert than a must-sit receiver in Week 17, but this could be a tough game for him at Cleveland. The past three No. 1 receivers against the Browns -- Calvin Ridley, D.J. Moore and Nico Collins -- combined for 12 catches for 123 yards and one touchdown on 27 targets, and Wilson still has quarterback concerns with Trevor Siemian starting again for the Jets. Wilson also has scored eight PPR points or less in two of his past four games, and he combined for 6.8 PPR points in his past two road outings at Buffalo in Week 11 and at Miami in Week 15. He also has just one touchdown since Week 2.
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I was all in on London in Week 16 against the Colts since he played at home, which is where he's typically dominated. But he flopped with just three catches for 39 yards on four targets, and hopefully he doesn't have a problem connecting with Taylor Heinicke. On the road, London is averaging just 7.4 PPR points in seven games away from Atlanta, and he's combined for 6.2 PPR points in his past two road outings at the Jets in Week 13 and at Carolina in Week 15. London also hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 4, and this could be another down game for him on the road at Chicago.
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