By Rob Shaw,
FantasyFanatics.com
While the fantasy football season may have ended for many of you last week, there are still some fantasy managers who are active in the final week of the NFL season. I’d recommend that for those who are still competing, you might want to consider changing your playoff schedule for next season. It would be a shame to have your fantasy championships determined in a week that may see many playoff teams resting their starters. Nonetheless, just like any other week in the NFL, there still is plenty of intrigue with the Patriots undefeated and many NFL records in reach, here’s a fantasy preview of week 17 in the NFL.
As a reminder, when you consider who to start or who to bench, there are now four factors that have to be considered:
1) The Player- Recent trends, injury status, statistics
2) The Opposition- Pass defense, rush defense, points allowed
3) The Team- Injuries, offensive line, play-calling
4) The Weather- Will it rain? Will it snow? Stay inside if you can!
Let’s take a look at this week’s match-ups and what to expect:
SATURDAY:
PATRIOTS VS GIANTS:
This is the game that everyone will be talking about. While the logical questions are whether the Patriots can go undefeated and whether Randy Moss and Tom Brady can break some NFL records, the most significant question is whether or not Bill Belichick will keep his starters on the gridiron against a punishing defence. The New York Giants’ defence compares to what the Eagles presented Brady with a few weeks ago. There will be plenty of pressure and perhaps some hard hits that can ruin the Patriots’ Super Bowl aspirations. My guess is that the Patriots starters will play a good amount of this game. That makes Tom Brady, Randy Moss, and Laurence Maroney decent starts. Perhaps more significant is whether the Giants intend to play their starters with their playoff spot already won. A second-string defence can help the Patriots’ cause this weekend.
The Giants’ fantasy stars are in turmoil this weekend. Jeremy Shockey is once again out and Brandon Jacobs is plenty banged up. Eli Manning should not be starting and I expect Plaxico Burress to get plenty of rest this weekend. If you want to roll the dice, expect running back Ahmad Bradshaw to impress. I would advice keeping all of your Giants on the fantasy pine this weekend.
SUNDAY:
PANTHERS VS BUCCANEERS
An unfortunate season for the Carolina Panthers, who saw their off-season pick-up of David Carr prove to be a bust. Steve Smith struggled with Jake Delhomme out and even their defense behind Julius Peppers proved to be abysmal. The picture doesn’t get any prettier when you turn to the backfield either. The recent trend has DeAngelo Williams getting the handoffs, but I would advise avoiding any Panthers tailback. Matt Moore has improved as the team’s fourth-string quarterback and Steve Smith is, therefore, a decent start.
The Buccaneers have plenty of fantasy studs on their roster, but don’t expect any of them to receive extended playing time this weekend. With Earnest Graham enjoying a hard-earned rest, the backfield will be split between tailbacks Michael Pittman and Michael Bennett. Luke McCown will get another chance to run the offense and Jerramy Stevens should once again be a solid start at tight end.
SEAHAWKS VS FALCONS
In a battle of the birds, expect only one of the teams to be high flying. It won’t be the playoff-ready Seahawks. Sure, Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander played a large role in the blowout of the Ravens last week, but this week, expect a heavy dose of Seneca Wallace and Maurice Morris. Touchdown magnet Nate Burleson should be a fine start at wide out against an awful Cardinals defense.
Falcons quarterback Chris Redman is struggling in reality, but thriving in fantasy. He threw for 315 yards and two touchdowns last week against the Arizona Cardinals and should succeed against the Seahawks’ second-string defensive unit. Roddy White makes for another fine fantasy start, but avoid using either Warrick Dunn or Jerious Norwood. Dunn has 65 yards in the last four weeks combined. Norwood has found the end zone once this season.
SAINTS VS BEARS
Reggie Bush will miss out on this weekend and the same might hold true for Aaron Stecker, who is a game time decision. Drew Brees should be strong, but with Marques Colston a bit banged up, you might want to look to David Patten for a receiving presence.
The Bears are in turmoil when it comes to their passing game; however, behind Adrian Peterson, their ground game looks pretty good. Considering how they manhandled the Packers last weekend, you might want to consider the Bears defense as a go this weekend.
49ERS VS BROWNS
There is plenty on the line this weekend, just not for the San Francisco 49ers. Shaun Hill threw three touchdowns last weekend, but any chance of a repeat was ruled out thanks to a bad back. Chris Weinke will start a quarterback, which makes only Frank Gore a decent start this weekend for the 49ers.
The Browns will have to lay it all on the line this weekend. Expect Jamal Lewis to continue his recent stretch of solid play. Derek Anderson should be able to bounce back, but keep an eye on weather conditions to forecast his effectiveness. Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow are both must-starts. To clinch a playoff spot, the Browns will have to defeat a talented young defense plus get some help from a Colts team with very little to play for.
LIONS VS PACKERS
Roy Williams was sidelined first and then the injury-prone Kevin Jones exited stage left. Both of these Lions enjoyed fine games this season, but injuries will keep them out of Week 17. That sounds like a great opportunity to jump on T.J. Duckett. The backup running back racked up 102 rushing yards last week with a touchdown. He should be able to run well against second-stringers for the Packers. I expect to see the Lions play hard this weekend as they look to return to .500. That makes Calvin Johnson and Shaun McDonald decent starts.
The Packers looked awful last weekend, failing to contend for home field advantage throughout the playoffs. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Packers play their starters in the first half to regain some confidence. However, considering the injury woes for their rushing game all season, expect Ryan Grant to be protected in the final week of the season.
JAGUARS VS TEXANS
The Jaguars enjoyed a sensational season and will likely use this final week to rest their stars. Quinn Gray should get more throws than David Garrard. Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew should rest comfortably from the bench. I expect the Texans to win this one with relative ease, thanks to the Jaguars starters resting for their first round match-up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Texans will enter the off-season with optimism as the team showed flashes of brilliance when everyone was healthy. Unfortunately, more often than not, the Texans had to deal with injuries, including Matt Schaub. Sage Rosenfels will be the starter at quarterback in Week 17 and play every down, which makes him a quality fantasy option. Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, and Owen Daniels lead the receiving corps and are each solid starts. At running back, it’s all about Darius Walker. He had all 19 rushes last week for the Texans and compiled 66 rushing yards and 44 receiving yards. The 22 year-old should surpass 100 total yards once again this weekend.
BENGALS VS DOLPHINS
The Bengals have been a colossal disappointment; however against the Dolphins, Carson Palmer should finally catch a break. Weather should also be pleasant, which means plenty of long balls headed towards Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. At running back, Kenny Watson is fresh off 130 yards, which makes him an excellent option this weekend. Rudi Johnson will sit this game out with injury.
The Dolphins will continue to split their backfield with Lorenzo Booker getting the most touches. Cleo Lemon will start; however, there are no obvious picks when it comes to receiving. While Lemon can rack up the yards, touchdowns have been an issue.
BILLS VS EAGLES
The Buffalo Bills have either won or come within a possession of a win or tie in the past four weeks. They enter their final game of the season one win shy of breaking even on the season. You can expect them to play all of their big stars, which includes rookie running back Marshawn Lynch. The Eagles have been gritty against the pass, which makes rookie quarterback Trent Edwards and veteran receiver Lee Evans poor options this weekend, especially with the weather in question.
The Eagles have enjoyed a renaissance behind their injury-prone quarterback Donovan McNabb. He should be a solid start this weekend as the Eagles also look to even their record. There are plenty of fantasy options here including McNabb, Brian Westbrook, Kevin Curtis, and even Reggie Brown.
STEELERS VS RAVENS
Despite last week’s 17-point win over the Rams, things do not look good for the Steelers these days. Their defense has been brutal and on offense, they just lost the leading rusher in the NFL to a season-ending injury. In a meaningless game against Baltimore, look for the Steelers to rest their starters. Najeh Davenport becomes the new lead back for the Steelers, but considering their lack of depth, they’d be nuts to run him more than seven times this weekend. Charlie Batch can be an intriguing option at quarterback as he fills in for Big Ben Roethlisberger against a vulnerable defense. It is not a good weekend to invest in the Steelers.
The Ravens will go with Musa Smith at running back with Willis McGahee out for the season. Against a Steelers defense that will likely be resting, Smith can be a solid start considering how little the Ravens go to the air.
COWBOYS VS REDSKINS
The Cowboys have earned home field advantage throughout the playoffs, which takes away the luster of this match-up. Keep an eye on Terry Glenn; his performance this weekend may tell us what to expect next year. Terrell Owens won’t play due to injury, while Tony Romo will barely play, if he steps onto the field at all.
The Redskins will go full throttle, which makes just about every regular worth starting against the ‘Boys. Clinton Portis should be as good as it gets this weekend at running back. Todd Collins will play catch with Santana Moss and Chris Cooley a bit, but he might be too inconsistent to start.
RAMS VS CARDINALS
The Rams’ offense has been respectable lately. Expect another decent performance from Steven Jackson, while Marc Bulger, Isaac Bruce, and Torry Holt are also worth starting in a game played for pride.
The Cardinals have been a fantasy juggernaut in the second half of the season and it all starts with quarterback Kurt Warner. The veteran enters the finale four touchdowns short of the team record. I would not be surprised if he makes a run for that, along with 300-plus passing yards. Expect big performances by receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. Edgerrin James should be good for 80 yards or more as the Cards are expected to go full throttle to finish the season at a respectable 8-8.
VIKINGS VS BRONCOS
The Vikings have enjoyed a surprisingly strong season as Adrian Peterson has proven to be the best rookie running back in years and Tarvaris Jackson has taken his game to the next level. You can expect to see all of the Vikings play this week with a playoff game still in sight. That means both Peterson and Jackson are must starts. You might want to stay away from the wide outs thanks to their depth and parity at the position.
The Broncos will be playing for pride and perhaps for the players, a job next season. Jay Cutler should bounce back from an uneven performance if his line can hold the blitz. At running back, it will be a fight between Selvin Young and Travis Henry. A likely split down the middle should keep you away from either option. Brandon Marshall is a must start, as is tight end Tony Scheffler. Javon Walker’s managers should leave him on the bench until next season.
CHARGERS VS RAIDERS
The Chargers will rest their superstars in this game, which means LaDainian should play no more than a quarter of football. The same goes for Antonio Gates and Philip Rivers. Expect a healthy dose of Darren Sproles and Michael Turner.
The Oakland Raiders boast one of the best fantasy options this weekend with Dominic Rhodes. The Raiders seem intent to get something out of their off-season acquisition. Last week, Rhodes totaled 27 carries with 115 yards. The fact that JaMarcus Russell will get his first start of his career will only increase the workload for the veteran tailback.
CHIEFS VS JETS
It’s another game that will be played for pride, as Herm Edwards brings the Chiefs into the Big Apple against his former team, the New York Jets. Brodie Croyle will start for the Chiefs, according to Rotoworld, which means you should exercise caution when using Tony Gonzalez and Dwayne Bowe. On the ground, Kolby Smith should be a safe bet for 75 yards against the Jets.
The Jets may once again go with their veteran quarterback Chad Pennington this weekend if Kellen Clemens is unable to start. He should post some fine numbers along with lone wide receiving option Jerricho Cotchery (Laveranues Coles is on Injured Reserve). Thomas Jones will get some carries, but remember he has just one touchdown on the season.
TITANS VS COLTS
The Titans find themselves in a must-win game, which makes LenDale White a star this weekend. Vince Young could also be worth a shot, as he’ll likely go against the Colts backups. Roydell Williams can be a decent start if you are in a bind at wide out.
The Colts threw a surprise at us when they announced that Marvin Harrison will start this weekend. Expect Manning to test him early, before both players head to the bench for some rest. Reggie Wayne could get some looks early, while playing Joseph Addai is too risky for the Colts and should be avoided by fantasy managers. Even Kenton Keith should get some rest this weekend for a team that awaits the playoffs.
