December 27, 2012

Fantasy Football Report: Week 17

By - Tim Swift

Week 17 might be the trickiest week of all in Fantasy Football. Some stars will be resting for the postseason, and some might be sitting because their team is well out of contention.

Be sure to watch the injury report even closer this week. Also, you should not overthink your starters. Just play the guys that got you to this point.

1st Level Quarterbacks:

1. Tony Romo vs. Washington -- Romo lands here based on his 416 yard, 4 score performance on Sunday. Plus, he lit up the Redskins for 441 yards on Thanksgiving Day.

Photo by: Getty Images
2. Peyton Manning vs. Kansas City -- The Broncos are still chasing a bye, which means you should see Manning throw for at least 300 yards against the worst team in football.

3. Aaron Rodgers vs. Minnesota -- Rodgers has impressed over the last few weeks with 6 touchdowns and 633 yards. Also, the Packers are playing for the 2-seed, so there's no reason to think Rodgers won't be airing it out.

Rest of the 1st Level Quarterbacks:

1. Drew Brees vs. Carolina
2. Robert Griffin III vs. Dallas
3. Tom Brady vs. Miami
4. Cam Newton vs. New Orleans

2nd Level Quarterbacks:

1. Matt Schaub vs. Indianapolis
2. Eli Manning vs. Philadelphia
3. Russell Wilson vs. St. Louis

1st Level Running Backs:

1. Marshawn Lynch vs. St. Louis -- Lynch tallied 118 yards and a TD the first time these teams met, and he has gone over 100 yards in each of the last 3 games.

2. Jamaal Charles vs. Denver -- Charles continues to produce despite a pass offense that has had only 8 scores this year. He embarrassed the Colts in Week 16, rushing for 226 yards.

3. Alfred Morris vs. Dallas -- Morris has 4 TDs over the last 3 weeks, and this time of year, you have to ride the hot hand. Doesn't hurt that he had 113 yards in the last meeting with the Cowboys, either.

Rest of the 1st Level Running Backs:

1. Adrian Peterson vs. Green Bay
2. Arian Foster vs. Indianapolis (if cleared medically)
3. C.J. Spiller vs. New York Jets
4. Reggie Bush vs. New England

2nd Level Running Backs:

1. BenJarvus Green-Ellis vs. Pittsburgh
2. Ray Rice vs. Cincinnati
3. LeSean McCoy vs. New York Giants
4. Frank Gore vs. Arizona
5. Shonn Greene vs. Buffalo

1st Level Wide Receivers:

1. Calvin Johnson vs. Chicago -- Another tough matchup for Megatron, but the Lions will still find ways to get the record-breaking receiver the ball.

2. Dez Bryant vs. Washington -- Impressive numbers for Bryant last week, and he should see the ball plenty in the Sunday night showdown against the Redskins with the division title hanging in the balance.

3. Vincent Jackson vs. Atlanta -- Jackson is finishing the year hot, averaging 107 yards per game over the last 3 weeks. He should see several targets against the Falcons, who aren't really playing for anything.

Rest of the 1st Level Wide Receivers:

1. Marques Colston vs. Carolina
2. Wes Welker vs. Miami
3. A.J. Green vs. Baltimore
4. Antonio Brown vs. Cleveland
5. Andre Johnson vs. Indianapolis

2nd Level Wide Receivers:

1. Brandon Marshall vs. Detroit
2. Reggie Wayne vs. Houston
3. James Jones vs. Minnesota
4. Pierre Garcon vs. Dallas

1st Level Tight Ends:

1. Jason Witten vs. Washington -- The tight end position is a mess for Week 17, and Witten might be the only sure thing. You should expect 12-15 targets for him.

2. Greg Olsen vs. New Orleans -- Olsen has gone for double-digits 4-straight weeks, so that makes him a pretty safe play this week.

3. Jimmy Graham vs. Carolina -- Graham had one of his best days of the season back in Week 2 against the Panthers, and he has scored double-digits in the last 3 games.

Rest of the 1st Level Tight Ends:

1. Jermaine Gresham vs. Baltimore
2. Aaron Hernandez vs. Miami
3. Tony Gonzalez vs. Tampa Bay

2nd Level Tight Ends:

1. Owen Daniels vs. Indianapolis
2. Jermichael Finley vs. Minnesota
3. Rob Gronkowski vs. Miami (if cleared)
4. Antonio Gates vs. Oakland
5. Lance Kendricks vs. Seattle

1st Level Defense and Special Teams:

1. San Francisco D/ST vs. Arizona -- The 49ers will look to take out all their frustrations on the Cardinals this week, after being destroyed by the Seahawks last Sunday night.

2. Denver D/ST vs. Kansas City -- The Broncos might give up a few big plays to Jamaal Charles, but expect this defense to force at least 3 turnovers and hold the Chiefs to under 14 points.

3. Seattle D/ST vs. St. Louis -- The Seahawks earned right around 20 points in most leagues against the 49ers on Sunday, and they should approach that number again versus the Rams.

Rest of the 1st Level Defense and Special Teams:

1. San Diego D/ST vs. Oakland
2. Houston D/ST vs. Indianapolis
3. New England D/ST vs. Miami

2nd Level Defense and Special Teams:

1. Chicago D/ST vs. Detroit
2. Pittsburgh D/ST vs. Cleveland
3. Buffalo D/ST vs. New York Jets

*Catch me on Fantasy Football Live every Sunday morning from 8:00-9:00, and on the Thom Abraham Show every Wednesday afternoon starting at 3:40 for even more Fantasy Football talk on Sports Radio 560 WNSR Nashville.

2 comments:

  1. Is Vincent Jackson or Andre Johnson a safer flex play? I'm in a tight one and need every point I can get.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Johnson is going to be a bit safer, cause of the increase in targets over the last month. Also though the yardage is similar Johnson has 31 more catches this year.

    ReplyDelete