We’re finally here. Fantasy championship week (at least for many of us) and now only two teams are left standing. If you’re one of those two teams you may need help knowing who to thrust into your lineup. Even if you failed to make it to the championship, depending on your league, you may have something to play for this week. If you’re in the rare league that still has matchups next week then this week will determine if you’re in the championship, bringing even more importance to your decisions. With several key players injured and potentially unavailable, finding replacements who could outproduce their projections is key. It’s never easy to know who those players will be, but by this point making an educated guess becomes easier. As with anything, these are my opinions and another writer may see things differently. But for my money, these are a few of the players who could help or hurt you this week. Here are my Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em Week 17 recommendations.
WEEK 17 STARTS
Start Stat %, Via Sleeper
BO NIX (QB)
DENVER BRONCOS @ CIN (25% START)
Bo Nix came through for his managers in Week 15 with 21 fantasy points against the Chargers. This week he will face a Bengals defense that has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing signal callers. Nix did not start the season off well, but since Week 5 has put up low-end QB1 numbers. This week he should put anyone who owns him in a position to win a championship. Nix has 12 passing touchdowns in his last five games and at least 263 passing yards in four of those games. I like Nix as a top-10 option this week. If you’ve been underwhelmed by your usual starter or are looking for a quarterback with a solid floor and decent upside, then Nix is your guy. He may not signal-handedly win you the week, but he should be able to be a good anchor to your squad and allow you to remain competitive in the most important week of the season. Play him as a mid-to-low QB1 with the upside for more if things fall right.
ZACH CHARBONNET (RB)
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS @ CHI (20% START)
Starting running back Kenneth Walker has found it difficult to stay healthy and it looks like he is a long shot to play this coming Thursday against the Chicago Bears as he deals with an ankle injury. If he is sidelined that means Zach Charbonnet would once again find himself in a featured role. We’ve seen this movie before. Each time Charbonnet has been the primary ball carrier this season he has finished inside the top-12 at the position, including a No. 1 overall finish in Week 14. The Bears are not an intimidating matchup for running backs. Chicago gives up the fourth-most fantasy points to the position and if Charbonnet gets anywhere close to the 20+ touches he’s had without Walker then he should be able to produce. Charbonnet has the type of league-winning upside you look for at this point in the season.
ADAM THIELEN (WR)
CAROLINA PANTHERS @ TB (44% START)
Adam Thielen is currently the oldest wide receiver in the league at 34 years old. But he is one of the most consistent contributors on the Panthers’ offense and a trusted, veteran option for Bryce Young. Thielen’s stats don’t exactly scream must start. With just 38 receptions, 461 yards, and three touchdowns he has likely spent more time on your bench than in your lineup. Still, a matchup against the Buccaneers should make you reconsider. Tampa Bay ranks 26th against opposing wide receivers, giving up over 36 fantasy points per game to the position. Young has also taken a step forward since returning to the lineup and is playing the best football of his career. In a game that could see the Buccaneers put up a lot of points, Young should be called on to air it out, and Thielen will be a major beneficiary. Young will look Thielen’s way early and often, making him a flex play with a solid floor.
HUNTER HENRY (TE)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS VS. LAC (25% START)
Hunter Henry has quietly put together a solid fantasy season. He is currently TE9 in PPR and has scored double-digit points in three of his last five games. The matchup against the Chargers may not look favorable, but Henry has been a favorite target of rookie Drake Maye since the first-year signal caller took over the offense. Henry has seen eight targets in four of his last five games and we all love the narrative of a revenge game, making Henry an even more enticing option. Henry may not enjoy top-three status, but he is a solid, if unexciting, TE1 who can give you a floor of 7+ targets and 8+ fantasy points. That’s good production at a position where consistency is hard to come by. The running game may find it difficult to get much of anything going, forcing Maye to pass the ball. If that happens, expect Maye to rely on his safety blanket, Henry. Henry is a top-10 option this week, with the potential for more if he finds the end zone.
WEEK 17 SITS
SAM DARNOLD (QB)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS VS. GB (50% START)
Sam Darnold has had a career renaissance of sorts this season. He is currently the QB8 and playing some of the best football of his career. While he has had a few down games, he has also had multiple touchdown passes in five of his last six. However, this week, Darnold will face a Green Bay team that has improved their pass defense over the past several weeks. They give up the fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks and are coming off a game where they dominated the New Orleans Saints, completely shutting them out. If you have no other option then you probably have to start Darnold. He has been good most of the season and could put together a few productive drives. But the chances are that if you have Darnold you have another option. I’d much rather play Bo Nix, Baker Mayfield, Anthony Richardson, and Jordan Love.
RICO DOWDLE (RB)
DALLAS COWBOYS @ PHI (68% START)
After four straight double-digit games and three straight top-15 performances, Rick Dowdle crashed back down to Earth with just 7.9 fantasy points in a win over the Buccaneers. While it may be tempting to view that as an outlier, I’d be looking for other options this week when he takes on the Philadelphia Eagles. Philadelphia allows the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs, so plugging Dowdle into your lineup comes with risk. Dowdle’s three biggest games all came against generous run defenses. But before that, he was underwhelming, providing low-end RB2 numbers at best. If you have to play him this week, then hope and pray he falls into the end zone. But if you have any other options with more upside, don’t hesitate to throw them into your lineup.
MARVIN HARRISON JR. (WR)
ARIZONA CARDINALS @ LAR (69% START)
Coming into the season, I expected big things for Marvin Harrison Jr. But as the WR35 this season, Harrison Jr. has been a major disappointment. Whatever the reason, Harrison Jr. has not been able to put it together this season and is coming off a three-game stretch of single-digit fantasy points. His average of 10.9 points per game this season is not what you were hoping for from an early-mid second-round pick. The one bright side to all this is that back in Week 2 (against this same Rams defense) Harrison Jr. hauled in four of eight targets for 130 yards and two touchdowns, while finishing as the overall WR1. Still, I wouldn’t count on lightning striking twice, making it very difficult to trust Harrison Jr. with everything on the line this week.
