This marks the final week of the regular season! It’s a borderline miracle that we got to this point, and it’s crazy to think that the season is over already. That’s what happens when you’re having fun, though, and there’s nothing more enjoyable than an NFL Sunday. I want to thank all of you for reading throughout the season, and I’m glad to say that I’ll keep providing content in the playoffs and for the NBA season. So, without further ado, let’s get into the Week 17 slate!
Keep in mind that this is Week 17, and anything can happen in terms of resting players! Lineups are going to be crazy, so keep an eye on information all week long!
If you have any comments or questions, reach me on Twitter @Bartilottajoel.
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Quarterback of the Week
Lamar Jackson (BAL): $8,000 at CIN
We really want to ride a quarterback who’s playing for something on this volatile Week 17 slate, and L-Jax is certainly one of those guys. Baltimore is one of many teams in the AFC fighting for a playoff spot, and that should make him for another big game. He’s been posting big numbers a lot recently, as he’s scored at least 22 DraftKings points in four straight games while averaging nearly 30 fantasy points per game in that span. That’s the stud we saw throughout most of last season, and it directly correlates with him running the ball more. We love that against a Bengals defense that sits 22nd in total yardage surrendered.
Cash Game Running Back
Derrick Henry (TEN): $9,400 at HOU
If you’re not using Henry this week, you really shouldn’t be playing DFS. Henry is the best play on the board, and he legitimately has 40-point upside in this game. Let’s start by talking about the matchup — Houston has allowed the most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season. In fact, they’ve allowed nearly 200 total yards per game to opposing backs over their last five fixtures, surrendering huge games to guys like Giovani Bernard, Kerryon Johnson, and Samaje Perine. Henry is significantly better than all of those guys, and he leads the NFL with 1,777 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. Don’t count out the fact that he only needs 223 more rushing yards to reach the coveted 2,000-yard mark, too, because he can do that against this horrific run defense. In their last meeting, Henry ran for 212 yards and provided a season-best 43.4 DK points.
GPP Running Back
Malcolm Brown (LAR): $4,300 vs. ARI
With Jared Goff, Darrell Henderson, and Cam Akers all missing this game, it looks like Brown should be the focal point of the offense. While he’s yet to handle a big workload, he’s shown the ability to run the ball well and catch the ball out of the backfield. That’s evident by his 4.1 yards per carry and 5.2 yards per target in limited work. That might not sound special, but it’s solid for a guy who’s seen limited touches this season. This is still a must-win game for the Rams, too, and if Henderson and Akers are both out, 20 carries and five targets is definitely a possibility for Brown. That would equate to 82 rushing yards, 26 receiving yards, and all the goal-line work, making Brown the best value of the week. Also, Arizona ranks 26th in yards per carry allowed to opposing running backs.
Cash Game Wide Receiver
Davante Adams (GB): $9,200 at CHI
Much like Henry, it’s tough to fade Adams right now. Green Bay will do everything possible to secure the top seed in the NFC, which means they’re going to feed their beast yet again. That’s certainly what they’ve been doing recently, as Adams has recorded at least six catches in all but one game this season. What’s even crazier is that he has 17 touchdowns on the year despite playing in just 13 games. That means six catches and a touchdown is a near guarantee at this point, and that makes him the easiest cash-game play of the day.
GPP Wide Receiver
Marquise Brown (BAL): $5,900 at CIN
If we love Jackson as our go-to quarterback, we have to love Brown as his top target. Jackson’s good games directly correlate with Brown’s success, and they’re both coming into this matchup in the midst of a four-game hot streak. In fact, Downtown Brown has as least 12.5 DK points in all five of those games en route to a 14-point average. That’s the stud we’ve been waiting for, and it’s clear that DraftKings is slow to adjust his price to where it needs to be. We’re certainly not worried about a Cincy secondary that owns a 21st OPRK against opposing wide receivers, either.
Tight End of the Week
Jared Cook (NO): $4,700 at CAR
New Orleans is battling for the top seed in the NFC, which means they need someone to target. Losing Michael Thomas is obviously brutal, but it leaves about 30 percent of the team’s targets up in the air. Cook is perfectly capable of taking on some of that workload, as he’s recorded at least 11 DraftKings points in three of his last four games. There simply aren’t many tight ends doing that right now, especially when you consider that he has at least four targets in all of those games, too. The matchup is the icing on the cake, as Carolina ranks 27th in points per game allowed to opposing tight ends.
D/ST of the Week
Cleveland Browns D/ST: $2,500 vs. PIT
It feels strange to recommend Cleveland’s defense against the Steelers, but weird things happen in Week 17. Pittsburgh has already announced that Mason Rudolph will start for the resting Ben Roethlisberger, which makes Cleveland the D/ST of the week. This was an offense that was struggling with Ben Ben, so imagine how bad they’ll be behind a guy who posted a 36.2 QBR in 12 starts last season. Motivation is also a huge factor, as Cleveland is competing for a playoff berth while Pittsburgh has nothing to play for. Don’t forget about how hungry Myles Garrett and this defense will be after their little skirmish last season, too.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
