Welcome to Fantasy Football Championship Week! First off, congratulations on making it this far. Some of you might be regulars when it comes to playing for the top prize. For others, perhaps this is your first attempt at capturing the ultimate glory. No matter what side of the fence you find yourself on, our fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em articles are here to help put you in the best position possible to win it all!
Of course, some players are must-start every single week due to where you drafted them, such as Amon-Ra St. Brown, Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb. However, the WR2 and WR3 positions are a bit more fluid, causing some tough decisions to be made. To help you through these tough decisions, check out our weekly fantasy football rankings and read on for our Week 17 fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em analysis at RB.
Running Backs — Week 17 Fantasy Football Start/Sit
Tight Ends — Week 17 Fantasy Football Start/Sit
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Fantasy Football Start ’em, Sit ’em: Week 17 WRs
Start: Adam Thielen Fantasy Outlook vs Jaguars
Look, I understand that rolling out players from the lowly Carolina Panthers with a fantasy football title on the line may not be super appealing. That said, no one can deny the consistency with which Adam Thielen has performed this season. The fact that he has done so whilst playing for the worst team in football and catching passes from a QB who needs to stand on his tippy toes just to reach into the cereal cupboard is all the more impressive.
In recent weeks, Thielen’s production has not come close to matching his torrid first few weeks. This is partially due to the Panthers resorting to a more run-heavy approach. Even so, he has still seen seven targets or more in each of the last three games. He produced double-digit PPR point totals in two of those games despite never catching a touchdown.
Thielen will look to follow up his 94-yard showing from a week ago against a very vulnerable Jacksonville Jaguars secondary. The Jags have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts on a per-game basis this season. Thielen belongs in your Week 17 lineups.
Start: Terry McLaurin Fantasy Outlook vs 49ers
Who wants to get nuts with fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em in championship week? We do! This call may make me look really stupid when it’s all said and done, but there is at least a window of opportunity for Terry McLaurin to have a solid outing in Week 17.
The Washington Commanders have officially benched Sam Howell in favor of Jacoby Brissett. This plus a friendly opponent is enough onus for McLaurin to make the good side of this list. Now, most may not perceive a pissed-off San Francisco 49ers team to be a very friendly opponent. However, the Niners have actually allowed the tenth-most PPR points to opposing wideouts this season.
The key here is the battle in the trenches. The Commanders’ offensive line is a complete joke. The 49ers’ pass rush is one of the best in football. That said, if Brissett can navigate the rush and have enough time to throw, San Fran is very beatable on the back end. With the expectation being that Washington will be trailing in this game, McLaurin figures to see more than his fair share of targets.
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Sit: Diontae Johnson Fantasy Outlook vs Seahawks
Is there any team in football as maddening as the Pittsburgh Steelers this season? Many expressed tidings of joy when the team fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada. Then, Kenny Pickett got hurt. With or without Pickett, it’s anyone’s guess as to how the offense will perform on a week-to-week basis. Poor quarterback play and an inconsistent rushing attack have essentially led to all fantasy assets in this offense being average at best.
Average production may be fine during bye week chaos in the middle of the season, but it’s not exactly ideal when making fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em decisions during championship week. Over the past month, Diontae Johnson has been the definition of average. His target share has consistently stayed between 5-7 per game. Last week he bottomed out, finishing with just 15 yards on two receptions.
If not for finding the end zone in each of the three weeks prior, Johnson’s overall numbers and market perception would no doubt be much worse. A Week 17 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks isn’t exactly intimidating, but trusting Johnson to deliver above-average production on a given Sunday is damn near impossible.
Sit: Drake London Fantasy Outlook vs Bears
Drake London is supposed to be the top receiver in the Atlanta Falcons offense. Knowing this, what does it say about the team’s passing attack if he has less than five receptions in four of the last six games? Yeah, the Falcons’ offense is just not very good. The switch back to Taylor Heinicke at quarterback didn’t help London’s production much last week.
Aside from a Week 14 outburst, London has been held under seven PPR fantasy points in three of the last four games. With fantasy championships on the line, he and the Falcons will be taking on a Chicago Bears defense that has been playing significantly better since acquiring Montez Sweat in the middle of the season.
Sure, the Bears can be had through the air. You could say the same thing for a lot of other teams that the Falcons’ offense has looked pitiful against this season. Check out our fantasy football rankings to see if you have a better option available.
