Week 17 of the 2019 NFL season is here, and although most fantasy football leagues have wrapped up, there are a few who play their postseasons into Week 17, which presents a huge challenge when a bunch of players might sit out or play for limited time because their teams have clinched postseason spots.
As always, we’re here to help with your weekly decisions with our fantasy lineup advice. Each week, we give you the studs (players with plus matchups due to the defense they’re facing or their team situation), duds (players with tougher matchups or who are in muddled roster situations at the moment) and sleepers (a player you might consider starting who could be in for a big week).
Here are the names we’ve got for Week 17, and as we always say, good luck!!
Studs
QB Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles
Even with just one touchdown last week against the Cowboys, he went over the 300-yard mark and didn’t turn the ball over once. Now he gets the Giants, who he shredded for 325 yards and two touchdowns in Week 14.
RB Marlon Mack, Indianapolis Colts
Since returning from injury, he struggled … until last week, when he score once and put together a 95-yard game. The Jaguars are the fifth-worst team against the run, so fire him up.
WR Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos
See below with his quarterback. The Raiders are a great matchup, and even though the production has taken a bit of a hit, the targets (20 in the past two weeks) are still there, which is promising.
TE Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles
If Zach Ertz doesn’t play, he’s immediately a TE1.
Duds
QB Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
He’s been just meh in his past three games — one of which was an exploitable matchup against the Lions — and the Bears could present a problem.
RBs Marshawn Lynch, Travis Homer, Seattle Seahawks
You may be tempted to play Beast Mode in his return to Seattle, but the 49ers are in a must-win for playoff positioning in Week 17, and who knows if Lynch or Homer or even Robert Turbin gets the bulk of the snaps for the Hawks.
WR Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers
He stepped up after the bye and had three straight sold days, but for anyone in a league that had a Week 16 championship game, he had just 51 yards. Now he faces a tough Chiefs defense.
TE Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins
Let this serve as a placeholder for Dolphins players who face the Patriots. New England is looking for a first-round bye, so the defense will be motivated to play its best.
Sleepers
QB Drew Lock, Denver Broncos
He fits the description of “start anyone against the Raiders.”
RB Kenyan Drake, Arizona Cardinals
He might not belong here and in the “studs,” but whatever — he’s thrown together two incredible weeks of production, finding paydirt six times and rushing for over 300 yards. And the Rams aren’t particularly good at stopping the run.
WR Darius Slayton, New York Giants
I like the matchup (the Eagles, as you know, are porous against the pass) and the storyline (the Giants might be motivated to play spoiler against their NFC East rival who are looking to clinch the division). Last week’s goose egg on two targets isn’t helpful, but he was still a favorite target of Daniel Jones before the rookie QB went down with an injury.
TE O.J. Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Since Week 13, he hasn’t had a game with under 46 yards. That’s promising!
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