Any given Sunday in the NFL gives us a whole new set of fantasy football trends each week. We have organized some of the big trends here in order to help you answer some of the questions you may have about these top-searched fantasy football trends and players for NFL Week 17.
Should Start Jarrett Stidham in Fantasy? | Fantasy Football Trends
Remember when the NFL started the season saying “You can’t make this stuff up” and they were pretending to read a script? Well, we’ve reached a peak moment this week, as Russell Wilson is being benched, not because of his play, but because of pay, as the Broncos wanted Wilson to remove an injury guarantee to his contract or he will be benched. Wilson did not remove it, and therefore he has been benched. Enter Jarrett Stidham, who has been in the same scenario for two straight years. He was on an AFC West team in Week 16 last year, becoming their starter after the team benched their starting quarterback, not due to an injury, but after a Christmas Eve primetime game on NFL Network.
Let’s reflect on Stidham’s performance in Weeks 17-18 for the Raiders last season. Surprisingly, his averages were impressive, with 334 total yards, two touchdowns, 1.5 interceptions, and 21.4 fantasy points per game. Stidham finished as the QB3 for those final two weeks, trailing only Russell Wilson (I seriously cannot make this up) and Tom Brady. An issue for Stidham this week is that he will be without Courtland Sutton, as he suffered a concussion last week and has been ruled out. Also, comparing Stidham’s receiving options, he had better players to throw to in Las Vegas last year, including Davante Adams and Darren Waller compared to Jerry Jeudy, Marvin Mims, Adam Trautman and Lucas Krull.
This week, Stidham faces a Chargers team that has allowed the third-most points to wide receivers this season. This includes the Chargers giving up over 100 receiving yards and a touchdown to a wide receiver in their last two games. Although he will be missing his WR1, I do believe Stidham will play solidly this week, and in deeper or 2QB leagues, I would not mind taking a stab at him if needed.
Is Jaren Hall a Good Fantasy Play in Week 17? | Fantasy Football Trends
We have another backup joining us this week in Jaren Hall! He is stepping in as the starting quarterback for the Vikings after Joshua Dobbs and Nick Mullens both threw four interceptions in a game. Now, Hall previously started in Week 9 against the Falcons. In that game, he amassed 89 total yards before suffering a concussion on the goal line. Now, he finds himself back as the starter, but the offensive landscape has changed significantly since Week 9.
Hall will be without TJ Hockenson, but he still has Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison is trending towards playing. Limited statistics are available for Hall, with only five total drives played. Among those, two resulted in no scoring, one led to a Hall fumble, one resulted in a field goal and the other was a kneel-down.
Although we do have not many statistics on Jaren Hall, there are multiple statistics for the opponent, and an interesting one pops out to me. In the Packers’ last six divisional games, they have not allowed a quarterback to score over 20 fantasy points. Even when Kirk Cousins came close in Week 8 with 19.9 points, no quarterback has surpassed 16.2 points in the other five instances. Given these considerations, I would consider exploring other quarterback options, even if the Packers’ defense has faced challenges lately.
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Terry McLaurin’s Fantasy Value Rises With Jacoby Brissett | Fantasy Football Trends
Continuing on with the fantasy football trends of backup quarterbacks, we have Jacoby Brissett now starting for the Washington Commanders instead of Sam Howell. Ironically, when looking at trending players for fantasy football, it was not Jacoby Brissett, it was Terry McLaurin. Interestingly, McLaurin experienced different outcomes in the two games Brissett entered. Two weeks ago, he had an impressive performance with three receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown, but last week, he managed only one reception for 29 yards with Brissett at the helm.
Analyzing the reception leaders for Brissett in the total past two games, McLaurin stands out with the most receptions, four, and significantly the most yards, 122, as the second-highest was 34 yards. As the Commanders prepare to face the 49ers, there are some intriguing stats to consider. The 49ers have allowed two wide receivers with fewer than four receptions in the past three games to score a touchdown and achieve double-digit PPR fantasy points. With DK Metcalf being the notable wide receiver in this trend. However, since the bye week, no wide receiver with four or fewer receptions has surpassed 52 yards against the 49ers.
A concerning factor is the Commanders are ranked second in sacks allowed leading into Week 17. They now face a team tied with the seventh-highest sack count entering Week 17. Considering these factors, McLaurin may be on pace for an average day on Sunday. For those seeking a safe floor, McLaurin remains a recommended option, given his standout performance among Washington’s receivers with Brissett at quarterback and the 49ers allowing some huge fantasy points to wide receivers in the last few games.
