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By Scotty P. - SPM Staff
Welcome to Week 17 of what has been the craziest National Football League season thanks to an unwelcome guest who goes by the name COVID-19. They made it. We made it. And for all the ups and downs – and although it’s been different and maybe not quite the same level of play to which we have become accustomed – the season has not failed to deliver the drama and excitement that makes the NFL the most popular professional league in America.
The good news is that no fewer than 15 teams truly have something tangible to play for, with a few others able to change their overall standing but maybe not willing to risk their top players to do so. The bad news is that leaves half the league either playing out the string or resting its key personnel for the playoffs. But that means more players than usual will have the opportunity to put something on tape that may get then a better job next season.
There are some potentially hidden gems on the slate today for sure.
There are many strategies for how to approach Week 17. What we have tried to do is remove the players who might be very tempting because of their matchup or lower price than usual from consideration if there is any question as to if or how much they will play. That means we won’t see a some of the usual names we’ve come to expect on our top-value lists this week.
We have done the same for cases in which we believe that a change in quarterbacks or a team’s philosophy might dictate that players who would normally have value are question marks. That means you won’t see many of the regulars from the Chiefs, Steelers, Buccaneers and Bills. We know that Kansas City and Pittsburgh are resting key players and can only assume that Buffalo and Tampa will do the same at some point.
This can get tricky, though, because you can only play so many players, so some regulars will play more than others and there definitely will be big opportunities for players who normally only get a few snaps and touches.
There are several strategies when it comes to building your Week 17 lineup:
· Only use players from teams with something to play for or in must-win situations.
· Use a heavy dose of players with good matchups who are playing in a totally meaningless game with little or no pressure.
· Take a chance on players who will be assuming a bigger role for well-coached teams with potent offenses such as the Chiefs and perhaps the Bills.
· Look for players on playoff-bound teams who have been out, are fresh and healthy now and are looking to get on track for the postseason.
· Pay as much as you can for your top four or five players and then surround them with super-value players who play on teams with good matchups and will be receiving much more playing time than usual.
Our approach includes a little of each of those. But first, before you look at our value analysis, core players and lineup suggestions below, make sure to check out our article from yesterday to help you narrow your options.
Our weekly analysis is below. Check it out. Good luck and thanks for playing along with us this year! We hope you’ve had as much success as we have.
Week 17 Top-Value QBs DraftKings
1) Kirk Cousins
2) Ryan Tannehill
3) Jusitn Herbert
Week 17 Top-Value QBs FanDuel
1) Ryan Tannehill
2) Kirk Cousins
3) Justin Herbert
Week 17 Super-Value QBs DK & FD
1) Mitch Trubisky
2) Andy Dalton
3) Drew Lock
4) Chad Henne
Week 17 Top-Value RB 1 DraftKings
1) Jonathan Taylor
2) Josh Jacobs
3) David Johnson
4) D’Andre Swift
Week 17 Top-Value RB 1 FanDuel
1) David Montgomery
2) Jonathan Taylor
3) Josh Jacobs
4) Austin Ekeler
5) D’Andre Swift
6) David Johnson
Week 17 Top-Value RB2 DraftKings
1) Melvin Gordon
2) Jeff Wilson Jr.
3) Alexander Mattison
4) Kenyan Drake
5) Giovanni Bernard
6) Kareem Hunt
Week 17 Top-Value RB2 FanDuel
1) Melvin Gordon
2) Myles Gaskin
3) JK Dobbins
4) Alexander Mattison
5) Kenyan Drake
6) Giovanni Bernard
7) Kareem Hunt
Week 17 Super-Value Flex RBs DK & FD
1) Ty Montgomery
2) Darrell Williams
3) Ty Johnson
4) Nyheim Hines
5) Gus Edwards
Week 17 Top-Value WR1 DraftKings
1) AJ Brown
2) Justin Jefferson
3) Adam Thielen
4) Brandin Cooks
Week 17 Top-Value WR1 FanDuel
1) AJ Brown
2) Justin Jefferson
3) Adam Thielen
4) Brandin Cooks
5) DK Metcalf
Week 17 Top-Value WR2 DraftKings
1) Corey Davis
2) DJ Moore
3) TY Hilton
4) Robby Anderson
5) Antonio Brown
Week 17 Top-Value WR2 FanDuel
1) Corey Davis
2) DJ Moore
3) TY Hilton
4) Robby Anderson
5) Jarvis Landry
Week 17 Top-Value WR3/Flex DK & FD
1) Marvin Jones Jr.
2) Curtis Samuel
3) Marquise Brown – FD only
4) Antonio Brown
5) CeeDee Lamb/Michael Gallup
Week 17 Super-Value WR Flex DK & FD
1) Darius Slayton
2) Tim Patrick
3) John Brown
4) Allen Lazard
5) Keelan Cole
6) James Washington
7) Mecole Hardman
Week 17 Top-Value TE DraftKings & FanDuel
1) Robert Tonyan
2) TJ Hockenson
3) Mike Gesicki
4) Rob Gronkowski
Week 17 Super-Value TE DK & FD
1) Evan Engram – DK only
2) Hayden Hurst – DK only
3) Dalton Schultz – DK & FD
DraftKings Core Lineup Selections – Consider in every lineup
RB - Melvin Gordon, WR – AJ Brown, TE – TJ Hockenson, D - Browns
FanDuel Core Lineup Selections – Consider in every lineup
RB – Jonathan Taylor, WR – Justin Jefferson, Flex – Alexander Mattison, D – Chargers
DraftKings Value Lineup
QB – Ryan Tannehill
RB – Alexander Mattison
RB – Melvin Gordeon
WR – AJ Brown
WR – Justin Jefferson
WR – Marvin Jones Jr.
TE – TJ Hockenson
Flex – Darius Slayton
D – Browns
FanDuel Value Lineup
QB – Ryan Tannehill
RB – Jonathan Taylor
RB – David Montgomery
WR – AJ Brown
WR – Brandin Cooks
WR – Darius Slayton
TE – TJ Hockenson
Flex – Alexander Mattison
D – Chargers
DraftKings Tier 1 Lineup
QB – Lamar Jackson
RB – Jonathan Taylor
RB – Melvin Gordon
WR – Corey Davis
WR – Brandin Cooks
WR – Marvin Jones Jr.
TE – Evan Engram
Flex – Ty Johnson
D – Browns
FanDuel Tier 1/Stacked Lineup
QB – Lamar Jackson
RB – Derrick Henry
RB – Myles Gaskin
WR – Darius Slayton
WR – Brandin Cooks
WR – Marvin Jones Jr.
TE – Mark Andrews
Flex – Alexander Mattison
D – Chargers