As the great Kenny Loggins might say, “This is it.”
It’s Week 17, which means the end of yearlong fantasy leagues. Months of predraft prep, roster management and waiver-wire work have come down to this. It’s time to set that final lineup and go claim yourself a fantasy championship—or at least win your consolation bracket.
Setting that winning lineup can be difficult in Week 17, though, as a lot of star players aren’t going to suit up. We already know that Teddy Bridgewater is getting the start over Drew Brees for the New Orleans Saints. Odell Beckham Jr. will sit out for the New York Giants.
Though the Dallas Cowboys are locked into the NFC’s No. 4 seed, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said they will play their starters.
“This idea that you have a whole other team, we’re not going to play the starters, we’re going to play the backups, logistically, you can’t do that,” he said Wednesday, Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com.
We’re going to include Cowboys players in our Week 17 rankings, but play them at your own risk. Dallas doesn’t have any reason to keep them in the game for long. Saints players have been left out.
We’ll rank our top flex players—running back, wide receiver and tight end—based on PPR scoring and take a closer look at our favorite matchups of the week.
Running Backs
1. Joe Mixon at Pittsburgh Steelers: 105 rushing yards, 4 receptions, 40 receiving yards, 2 TDs
2. Melvin Gordon at Denver Broncos: 95 rushing yards, 4 receptions, 40 receiving yards, 1 TD
3. Saquon Barkley vs. Dallas Cowboys: 90 rushing yards, 4 receptions, 35 receiving yards, 1 TD
4. Christian McCaffrey at New Orleans Saints: 80 rushing yards, 4 receptions, 40 receiving yards, 1 TD
5. Chris Carson vs. Arizona Cardinals: 130 rushing yards, 1 reception, 10 receiving yards, 1 TD
6. Ezekiel Elliott at New York Giants: 110 rushing yards, 2 receptions, 20 receiving yards, 1 TD
7. Gus Edwards vs. Cleveland Browns: 110 rushing yards, 2 receptions, 20 receiving yards, 1 TD
8. Damien Williams vs. Oakland Raiders: 90 rushing yards, 3 receptions, 20 receiving yards, 1 TD
9. Jaylen Samuels vs. Cincinnati Bengals: 80 rushing yards, 3 receptions, 30 receiving yards, 1 TD
10. Derrick Henry vs. Indianapolis Colts: 140 rushing yards, 1 TD
11. Nick Chubb at Baltimore Ravens: 85 rushing yards, 3 receptions, 25 receiving yards, 1 TD
12. David Johnson at Seattle Seahawks: 85 rushing yards, 3 receptions, 25 receiving yards, 1 TD
13. Jamaal Williams vs. Detroit Lions: 80 rushing yards, 3 receptions, 30 receiving yards, 1 TD
14. Tarik Cohen at Minnesota Vikings: 40 rushing yards, 5 receptions, 50 receiving yards, 1 TD
15. Leonard Fournette at Houston Texans: 100 rushing yards, 2 receptions, 15 receiving yards, 1 TD
16. James White vs. New York Jets: 20 rushing yards, 5 receptions, 60 receiving yards, 1 TD
17. Tevin Coleman at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 60 rushing yards, 3 receptions, 30 receiving yards, 1 TD
18. Sony Michel vs. New York Jets: 120 rushing yards, 1 TD
19. Duke Johnson at Baltimore Ravens: 20 rushing yards, 6 receptions, 70 receiving yards
20. Peyton Barber vs. Atlanta Falcons: 90 rushing yards, 1 TD
21. Adrian Peterson vs. Philadelphia Eagles: 85 rushing yards, 1 TD
22. Doug Martin at Kansas City Chiefs: 80 rushing yards, 1 TD
23. Royce Freeman vs. Los Angeles Charges: 75 yards rushing, 1 TD
24. Jalen Richard at Kansas City Chiefs: 40 rushing yards, 5 receptions, 50 receiving yards
25. Jordan Howard at Minnesota Vikings: 60 rushing yards, 1 TD
By: Kristopher Knox
