The fantasy football playoffs are in full swing and no Christmas present would be better than another win. Let's get to the Week 17 fantasy football rankings, sleepers, game previews and fun with the best (and worst) Christmas stuff to spread the cheer.
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WEEK 17 FANTASY FOOTBALL PREVIEW
NOTE: ALL of the statistics are SINCE WEEK 10 – Unless known. This is because it makes sense to compare current performance to that throughout the year in terms of defense, etc., as things can change with in-season adjustments.
Acronyms
- RBTouch% – RB Touch Percentage – Percentage of the team's total RB touches this player had
- TmTGT% – Team Goals Percentage – Percentage of the team's total goals that go to this player
- YPRR – Yards per Route Run – pretty valuable indicator
- APA – Adjust Allowed Points (table link above)
Jets at Browns, TNF
- Breece Hall averages 2.0 more YPC when the Jets are a touchdown ahead than when they are 7+ points behind, and the Browns are 7.0 point favorites.
- Since Joe Flacco took over, he is ninth in FPPG (19.6) and is tied for first with 10 touchdown passes. The Browns have won their last three passes, with Flacco averaging 351 passing yards.
Lions at Cowboys, Saturday, 8:15 p.m
- The Cowboys have allowed three rushing and two receiving RB touchdowns in their last four games (SEA, PHI, BUF, MIA), after just five and one, respectively, in their first 11 games.
- The Broncos are the only team since the Lions' bye that hasn't posted a wideout score of at least 11.9 against them, something nine receivers have done in those six other games.
Patriots at Bills, 1 p.m
- If Rhamondre Stevenson returns, he's a middle RB2 with upside and risk, while Ezekiel Elliott would be a RB3 with Stevenson and RB2 without.
- When Hunter Henry plays, he has been Bailey Zappe's most consistent option with Demario Douglas behind him – although last week only Henry other than Mike Gesicki found the end zone (three touchdowns).
Falcons at Bears, 1 p.m
- When D'Onta Foreman plays, the backcourt is a mess to avoid. If he stays out (personally), Khalil Herbert is a high risk/reward RB2/3.
- Drake London has a TmTGT% of 7.1 with Taylor Heinicke as opposed to 24.5 with Desmond Ridder.
Raiders at Colts, 1 p.m
- If Josh Jacobs comes back, he'll be a top 20 running back, and if not, Zamir White will essentially take his place.
- If Zack Moss plays, Jonathan Taylor is still an RB1, but Moss is the league's big hope for a touchdown and/or a handful of touches in the RB4 group.
Rams at Giants, 1 p.m
- Demarcus Robinson has caught a touchdown in four straight games. Only eight wideouts can say the same thing this year.
- Since Christian McCaffrey (19.5 in Week 2) and Joe Mixon (13.0 in Week 3), only four running backs have scored in double figures against the Rams.
Cardinals at Eagles, 1 p.m
- Regardless of whether Marquise Brown returns or not, Greg Dortch is a good player in the WR4/5 group.
- The Cardinals have given up eight RB games with more than 100 rushing yards – the closest is the Broncos with five.
Saints at Buccaneers, 1 p.m
- Chris Olave has the eight most expected receiving yards (1,162) with 1,041 actual, and the Buccaneers have allowed 2,916 (the most) this year.
- Baker Mayfield has only five games under 16 points this year and the Saints are no longer a worrisome matchup.
49ers at Commanders, 1 p.m
- No Brock Purdy would add risk to the 49ers players, but it would also bring Sam Darnold into play as a high QB2 with a lot of risk of his own.
- In his limited action, Jacoby Brissett is easily posting 9.7 YD/ATT and 12.4 YD/Comp, both career highs (7.3 and 11.8 previous highs).
Panthers at Jaguars, 1 p.m
- Zay Jones is probably out, but when he returns, consider him a boom/bust WR4. If it weren't for Jones, I wouldn't risk Jaguars getting options outside of Calvin Ridley and Evan Engram.
- Chuba Hubbard scored double-digit points with at least 17 touches in each of his last five games – ranking eighth in RBTouch% and 13th in FPPG.
Dolphins at Ravens, 1 p.m
- De'Von Achane has 20.6 RBTouch% and 6.0 TmTGT% with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle on the field, compared to 27.6% and 8.7% when either is off the field.
- Since taking over for Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely has been TE5 in FPPG (11.4), despite ranking just 13th among tight ends in TmTGT% (18.1).
Titans at Texans, 1 p.m
- Assuming CJ Stroud is back, he's back in the QB1 group, with Nico Collins as the solid WR2 and Noah Brown in play in most leagues.
- Weird stat: Derrick Henry has 10 of 11 rushing touchdowns when the Titans are losing or with a lead of less than a touchdown, compared to just one with a lead of more than 7 points.
Steelers at Seahawks, 4 p.m
- Over the last two games, Kenneth Walker had an 83.0 RBTouch% while Zach Charbonnet had just six rushes and one reception on three targets.
- Week 16 was George Pickens' first 100-yard game since Week 7, and the Seahawks have only had CeeDee Lamb, Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel rush for 90 yards since Week 3.
Chargers at Broncos, 4 p.m
- If Courtland Sutton can't go, Jerry Jeudy is a good WR3, but Marvin Mims will be an interesting Hail Mary that could involve Brandon Johnson in deep leagues.
- Austin Ekeler was once again the clear leader with an 81.8 RBTouch%, and the Broncos only have three wins in which their points margin was +8 or greater.
Bengals at Chiefs, 4 p.m
- With Isiah Pacheco out, Clyde Edwards-Helaire is a must, but if Pacheco is out, he's an RB1 with CEH and a roll of the dice RB3/4.
- There were only three running backs (Kyren Williams in Week 3, James Cook in Week 9, and Zack Moss in Week 14) who failed to score 12+ points against the Bengals, and Moss was recalled for a touchdown.
Packer at Vikings, SNF
- The Packers' wideout situation is a mess. If Christian Watson returns, he is the highest-rated option, followed by Jayden Reed, who could be the first choice without Watson.
- The Packers have had six double-digit wideout scores in the last three games (NYG, TB, CAR) and have conceded an average of 20.6 QB points in the last six.
FUN WITH RANKINGS!
Pat Mayo – a friend for a few years after I started – and I have been talking about the positions for years. This season he created amazing thumbnails for his YouTube show. I originally wanted to rank them in my typical “Fun with Ranks” fashion, but then I had a hard time picking the best one (Darkwing, Suits, TMNT, etc.). It's your turn now! That's right…here are the 14 thumbnails and a poll to make your opinion win!
MAYO RANKING GRAPHIC
VOTE HERE!
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And if you ever want to watch how awesome Pat and I are arguing (and laughing) over the ranks together, watch this.
WEEK 17 FANTASY FOOTBALL PROJECTIONS
🚨 HEADS UP 🚨 These may differ from my rankings and mine Ranks are the order in which I would start players outside of additional context, such as “Need the highest upside potential, even if it's risky.” Also based on 4 point TDs for QB, 6 point break and half PPR
Projections download link
WEEK 17 FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS
🚨 HEADS UP 🚨
- Unfortunately, there is still no perfect widget. I know many see this on your phone, but 1) use the rankings widget on a PC/laptop etc if possible, or 2) open in your phone's browser, especially for Android users, for scrolling to work properly .
- ECR = “Expert” consensus ranking (which not everyone updates regularly, so use with caution).
- Will be updated regularly. Please find out about the blocking of the lineups.
(Photo credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports)