We have made it all the way to Week 17 of the fantasy football schedule. Congratulations to all those playing for a championship this week!
Our League Winners staff is here to help you with any last-minute decisions you may be facing before you set those championship lineups.
Start
Elijah Mitchell / Jeff Wilson, RB – San Francisco 49’ers (Joe O’Leary)
It’s still unclear if Elijah Mitchell will return this week, but I’m starting whoever the 49ers starting running back this week in my fantasy football league with confidence. Houston allows 28.3 points per game to running backs. 75 percent (21.3) of that is allowed on the ground, and that’s how San Francisco primarily uses their backs. With Trey Lance at the helm, the Niners might not be forced to do a lot in the passing game. Look for Lance and the 49’ers featured running back to handle a substantial workload in Week 17.
Taysom Hill, QB – New Orleans Saints (Jeremy Shulman)
Though Hill missed last week with a positive Covid test, he’s been activated and looking to get back to his old ways in Week 17. In his last game played, Hill faced the defending champion, division-rival Bucs who are known for their run-stopping prowess. Though the Saints won the game, Hill was relegated to game-management work and his stats suffered as a result.
This time out, he will face off against another division foe in the Carolina Panthers, who have never seen Hill behind center for an entire game. That unfamiliarity with a familiar foe is enough for me to bank on Hill this week as a top-10 option with upside. I’m firing him up in my fantasy football championship contests, unless I have a sure-fire top-6 option already.
Ronald Jones, RB – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Keith James)
We have been waiting all year for the RoJo takeover in the Tampa backfield. But like coach Corso would say, Leonard Fournette said not so fast, my friend. Fournette has been a top-5 RB this year. Sounds crazy to say right? But with Fournette hitting the IR last week it was Jones’s turn. He didn’t explode against an exploitable Panthers defense, but he did mange two receptions for over 70 yards, and a touchdown.
Now, RoJo gets to take on the worst run defense in the NFL for championship week. If you were lucky to snag Jones when Fournette went down, congrats. Playing against the Jets, Jones could very well be the fantasy football League Winner we are all looking for.
Gerald Everett, TE, Seattle Seahawks (Thomas Christopher)
Since Seattle’s Week 9 bye, Everett has hit 10 fantasy points in five of the last seven games. It seems like all he needed in order to have success was a healthy Russell Wilson. This week, the Seahawks take on the Lions, who give up the 9th most points to tight ends this year in fantasy football. With Metcalf having some struggles and Tyler Lockett potentially still dealing with residual Covid issues, Everett should be another safe option at the position yet again.
Sit
Derek Carr, QB – Las Vegas Raiders (Joe O’Leary)
It feels like years ago when Derek Carr started the year on an absolute tear. Carr hasn’t exceeded 15 fantasy points since Thanksgiving. He hasn’t thrown multiple touchdowns in seven weeks. When you add it all up, between the matchup at Indianapolis combined with the Raider’s short on weapons, Derek Carr should be sitting on benches championship week in most formats.
Terry Mclaurin, WR – Washington Football Team (Jeremy Shulman)
This one stings, because am I still a huge believer in McLaurin’s talent. With Taylor Heinicke back, he should get a boost from better quarterback play. All that aside, I still can’t bring myself to rely on F1 after five straight weeks of underperformance.
During the unfortunate stretch, McLaurin hasn’t finished better than the PPR WR42 in fantasy football; scoring no touchdowns and posting a high of just 51 yards. The fact is that with no Logan Thomas and only DeAndre Carter doing much of note opposite him, McLaurin is an easy target for defenses in the passing game. With the Eagles on deck, who just shut down Scary Terry two weeks ago, the only thing I’m scared of is having to play McLaurin in my finals this week.
Saquon Barkley, RB – New York Giants (Keith James)
Saquon Barkley has been a disappointment for fantasy football players this season, but it’s not all his fault. With Daniel Jones out, and the wide receiver group vastly underperforming, Barkley has had little to work with. While the workload is there for Barkley, it’s incredible hard to trust him in fantasy. He gets the Bears this week, and that isn’t the greatest matchup, either. Stay clear of Saquon in your fantasy championship.
Kareem Hunt, RB – Cleveland Browns (Thomas Christopher)
Kareem Hunt started off the year strong, until injuries put his season to a grinding halt. Hunt has yet to have more than 10 touches in a game since Week 6. This week, Brown sat out of practice until Friday, where he recorded a limited session. Hunt is still dealing with the ankle that has plagued him all season, and is also coming back from a Covid-19 diagnosis. Even if he is able to play, don’t expect him to provide much points.
