Every week, I’ll be writing a comprehensive primer on every NFL matchup and all of the relevant players, matchups, pace and playcalling notes, and injuries. It covers everything you need to know when setting your lineups. But since that article is massive and requires a full pot of coffee, we’re also going to offer these more focused matchup overviews to help you prepare for Thursday Night Football: Jets vs. Browns.

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Thursday Night Football Primer & Start/Sit Advice

New York Jets vs. Cleveland Browns

• CLE -7, O/U 36
• Jets vs. Browns Player Prop Bets via BettingPros

Pace and playcalling notes

• With Joe Flacco under center, the Browns have ranked 13th in neutral pace and fifth in neutral passing rate.
• Last week, the Jets were second in neutral pace and first in neutral passing rate. Does it make any sense? No, but here we are.

Quarterbacks

NYJ QBs: I will not trust any Jets quarterback in a fantasy lineup in the year 2023. It has worked out pretty well through 16 weeks of football. There’s no reason to deviate now.

Joe Flacco: Well, an elite player continues to play at an elite level. Yes, I’m kidding, but seriously Flacco has been really damn good in fantasy. Since Week 13, he has been the QB5 in fantasy points per game, with individual weekly scoring finishes as the QB13, QB10, QB9, and QB1. He ranks first in passing yards per game, ninth in yards per attempt, and 13th in fantasy points per dropback this season. His accuracy metrics have been more of an adventure. Among 46 qualifying quarterbacks, he has ranked 43rd in CPOE and 26th in highly accurate throw rate. The Jets continue to lockdown quarterbacks as an elite pass defense. Since Week 11, they have allowed the eighth-lowest yards per attempt, the second-lowest passing yards per game, and the third-lowest CPOE. Flacco will still see a ton of volume, but considering the matchup, it’s impossible to see him as anything more than a QB2. Week 17 Positional Value: QB2

Running Backs

Breece Hall: If you had Hall on your rosters and roll into Championship week on a high note, congrats. Hall had a gawd-mode game, playing 77% of the snaps with 32 touches and 191 total yards (two touchdowns). A truly monstrous stat line when it was needed for Fantasy GMs. Overall, Hall is the RB9 in fantasy points per game, ranking 17th in opportunity share and ninth in weighted opportunities. He has blossomed as a receiving back this season, ranking fourth in target share, second in receptions, and first in receiving yards. Hall ranks 12th in missed tackles forced per attempt and sixth in yards after contact per attempt. The Browns’ run defense has been a roller coaster unit this season that has flashed the ability to slow down opponents but has also shown the ability to dissolve at any moment. Since Week 11, they are 16th in rushing yards per game while allowing the ninth-lowest missed tackles per attempt, but they have also given up the ninth-highest yards after contact per attempt, the highest explosive run rate, and the seventh-highest yards per carry to gap runs (4.88). 46.2% of Hall’s carries have come on gap runs. Week 17 Positional Value: RB1/2

Jerome Ford: Since Week 13, Ford has averaged 14.3 touches and 47.1 total yards while losing out on red zone work to Kareem Hunt (seven vs. Hunt’s 12 red zone opportunities). Ford ranks 17th in missed tackles forced per attempt and 22nd in yards after contact per attempt. Hunt has been a volume vulture, but Ford hasn’t been incredibly efficient with his touches either. He hasn’t cleared 70 rushing yards in any game since Week 10. That was also the last time that he had more than 85 total yards in a game. New York has improved overall as a run defense as the season has moved along, but they still have some flaws in the armor. Since Week 11, they have allowed the fifth-highest missed tackles per attempt and the seventh-highest rushing touchdown rate but have also held backs to the seventh-lowest explosive run rate, the eighth-lowest yards before contact per attempt, and the 14th-fewest rushing yards per game. Ford is a shaky flex this week, but we could see the Browns run the ball more in Week 17, considering the tough passing matchup. Week 17 Positional Value: RB3

Wide Receivers

Garrett Wilson: Wilson has slipped to WR28 in fantasy points per game as the Jets’ quarterback play has failed him. Wilson still ranks seventh in deep targets, and 16th in red zone looks. Volume isn’t a problem for Wilson with his 27.6% target share, his 45.7% air-yard share, and 37.6% first-read share. Wilson has at least ten targets in seven of his last ten games. Wilson is a volume play in a horrendous matchup. Since Week 11, Cleveland has allowed the sixth-fewest receiving yards per game and the lowest PPR points per target to perimeter wide receivers. Week 17 Positional Value: WR3

Amari Cooper: Cooper is the WR16 in fantasy after his legendary outing in Week 16, where he secured 11 of his 15 targets with 265 receiving yards and 51.5 PPR points. Cooper single-handedly carried some fantasy squads to championship week. With Flacco, he has had a 23.6% target share, a 37.4% air-yard share, 3.54 YPRR, and a 30.8% first-read share. He sadly falls into the same volume-driven bucket this week as Garrett Wilson because the matchup with the Jets’ secondary is brutal. Since Week 11, New York has allowed the second-fewest receiving yards per game and the seventh-lowest PPR points per target to perimeter wide receivers. Week 17 Positional Value: WR2/3

Elijah Moore: Sit Moore this week. With Flacco, he has only seen a 14.0% target share with a 16.2% first-read share, producing 40.3 receiving yards per game and 1.14 YPRR. Since Week 11, New York has allowed the second-fewest receiving yards per game and the seventh-lowest PPR points per target to perimeter wide receivers. Week 17 Positional Value: Sit

Tight Ends

David Njoku: Since Week 7, Njoku has been the TE3 in fantasy points per game. Across his last ten games, Njoku has commanded a 22.7% target share, a 23.9% first-read share, and a whopping ten end zone targets. The talented 27-year-old physical phenom is having the best season of his career. He’s on pace for 85 receptions, 848 receiving yards, and seven scores. The Jets have been an easy matchup for tight ends this season, allowing the 12th-most fantasy points per game and the second-most receiving touchdowns. Week 17 Positional Value: TE1

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*All data utilized in this article is courtesy of Fantasy Points Data, PFF, ESPN analytics, The Edge from the 33rd Team, FTN, and Playerprofiler.com unless otherwise specified.*