• The San Francisco 49ers may lose badly to the Lions, however Brock Purdy remains to be an important begin in Week 17: Despite latest poor play from Purdy, he has nonetheless scored over 20 fantasy factors in two of the final three weeks. Purdy shouldn’t have any points placing up an enormous fantasy day on Monday night time towards an injury-riddled Detroit Lions protection.
• Terry McLaurin is eyeing the franchise file: McLaurin needs yet one more landing to interrupt the Washington Commanders‘ single-season receiving TD file. He has an important likelihood to seek out the tip zone at the least as soon as this Sunday towards the Atlanta Falcons protection, which has allowed essentially the most touchdowns to the WR place this yr.
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Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes
Are you struggling to set your championship fantasy lineup? Maybe I may help… Below yow will discover my prime fireplace (growth) and ice (bust) gamers at every place for Week 17. I additionally embody my sleeper of the week at every place in case you might be in a deeper league or in want of a substitute for an ice participant.
Don’t miss my Fire & Ice chart on the backside of this web page. There, I’ve listed out all of my fireplace, good, sleeper and ice performs for Week 17 of the 2024 fantasy soccer season.
Quarterbacks
Fire QB Start of the Week: Brock Purdy (vs. DET)
The 2024 San Francisco 49ers offense has been an total huge disappointment, and Brock Purdy has been struggling to guide his group to many factors as of late, however that hasn’t stopped him from placing up 21 and 22 fantasy factors in two of the final three weeks. If the climate is bearable, Purdy is an efficient fantasy asset. In his earlier seven video games that he has not performed in both a blizzard or downpour, he has averaged 22 fantasy factors per recreation.
Purdy should throw a ton on this matchup to maintain up with the Detroit Lions’ high-flying offense. I count on a 300-plus-yard and multiple-touchdown efficiency from him on Monday night time.
Sleeper QB of the Week: Anthony Richardson (at NYG)
Anthony Richardson has scored at the least 20 fantasy factors in three of his 5 video games since being “un-benched.” He has scored 5 dashing touchdowns throughout that span with a season-high 70 rush yards in Week 16.
The New York Giants have allowed three totally different quarterbacks to place up 50-plus rush yards of their matchup towards them this season – Geno Smith had a career-high 72 rush yards towards them in Week 5, Joe Burrow had a season-high 55 rush yards and his solely rush TD of the season towards them in Week 6, and Lamar Jackson put up his typical 65 rush yards towards them in Week 15,
Ice QB Start of the Week: Aaron Rodgers (at BUF)
Rodgers had a giant recreation towards the Jacksonville Jaguars‘ porous protection in Week 15 however got here proper again right down to life in Week 16 towards the Los Angeles Rams. His 30-point efficiency towards the Jaguars was simply his third fantasy efficiency with 18-plus factors this season. The Bills haven’t allowed a quarterback to hit 18 fantasy factors towards them in Buffalo this season.
Running Backs
Fire RB Start of the Week: Bucky Irving (vs. CAR)
Last weekend, Bucky Irving performed on 57% of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ snaps in Week 16, his most in a recreation since Week 6, and had 16 carries, whereas no different Tampa Bay operating again had greater than three. Irving will get an important matchup in championship weekend towards the Carolina Panthers protection that has allowed essentially the most dashing yards and fantasy factors to the operating again place in 2024. In the Buccaneers’ first matchup towards the Panthers this season (Week 13), Irving led the offense with 25 carries, 152 rush yards and a dashing landing. He scored 26 factors in that recreation and completed as the highest fantasy RB that week.
Sleeper RB of the Week: Tyjae Spears (at JAX)
Tyjae Spears has sneakily been a fantasy beast, scoring 49 fantasy factors over the past two weeks. He performed on a season-high 61% of the Tennesee Titans offensive snaps in Week 16 whereas out-snapping Tony Pollard 36-23 along with getting every of the group’s 4 crimson zone carries and each goal-line makes an attempt within the recreation.
Spears ought to have his third straight huge fantasy efficiency this weekend towards the Jaguars who’ve allowed the second-most fantasy factors to operating backs this yr, behind solely the Carolina Panthers. Even the Las Vegas Raiders‘ underwhelming RB duo of Ameer Abdullah and Alexander Mattison every put up over 15 fantasy factors a bit towards the Jaguars in Week 16.
Ice RB Start of the Week: Rico Dowdle (at PHI)
Rico Dowdle ought to solely be trusted in fantasy lineups when he has a good matchup — he’s not the kind of again that can overcome powerful run defenses. Last week, towards the Buccaneers’ top-five run protection, Dowdle averaged simply 1.8 yards per carry whereas scoring solely 8.1 fantasy factors. He will get one other onerous matchup towards the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend, who’ve allowed the second-fewest fantasy factors to operating backs this yr.
Dowdle has scored only one dashing landing this complete season and can have to be closely concerned within the passing recreation to have a very good fantasy day in Philadephia. Unfortunately, he has had three or fewer targets in every of his final 5 video games.
Wide Receivers
Fire WR Start of the Week: Terry McLaurin (vs. ATL)
Ja’Marr Chase (16) is the one participant within the NFL with extra receiving touchdowns than Terry McLaurin (12) this season. McLaurin wants only one extra landing to interrupt the Commanders’ single-season receiving landing file, and he could have a incredible alternative this Sunday to do it. No protection has allowed extra receiving touchdowns to huge receivers than the Atlanta Falcons in 2024. I’m predicting a 100-plus yards and multi-touchdown efficiency from McLaurin this week.
Sleeper WR Start of the Week: Jauan Jennings (vs. DET)
Outside of his huge Week 14 efficiency, it has been a tough stretch for Jauan Jennings since Week 12. But to provide that stretch context … Brandon Allen began at QB for the 49ers in Lambeau in Week 12, Jennings performed in a blizzard in Week 13 in Buffalo, after which torrential downpour in Week 15, and lastly needed to see a ton of Jalen Ramsey in protection final weekend.
Jennings has averaged 10 targets, 91 receiving yards and 23 fantasy factors per recreation over his final three matchups that he wasn’t both taking part in with a backup QB, taking part in in horrible climate, or being shadowed by Jalen Ramsey.
Ice WR Start of the Week: DeVonta Smith (vs. DAL)
With Jalen Hurts nonetheless in concussion protocol and Kenny Pickett coping with a rib damage, the Philadelphia Eagles might have to show to Ian Book, who they only signed to their energetic roster, as their beginning QB in Week 17. Either method, whether it is Pickett or Book below middle, I don’t really feel assured that DeVonta Smith will likely be productive towards the Dallas Cowboys‘ powerful cornerback duo. Smith has had 51 or fewer receiving yards in 4 of the final 5 weeks, together with a recreation towards the Cowboys by which he scored simply 3.4 fantasy factors on two receptions for 14 yards.
Tight Ends
Fire TE Start of the Week: George Kittle (vs. DET)
I don’t want to speak anybody into beginning George Kittle — he has been a beast all season and has over 100 yards in two of the final three weeks. But … he’s on a four-game drought with out a receiving landing, and I’m right here to say that can finish this weekend.
The Detroit Lions have allowed each Green Bay Packers tight finish Tucker Kraft and Chicago Bears tight finish Cole Kmet to seek out the tip zone towards them since Week 14. This recreation needs to be a really high-scoring affair, and I count on Brock Purdy to throw a number of touchdowns — Kittle will come down with at the least a kind of.
Sleeper TE of the Week: Chig Okonkwo (vs. JAX)
Despite Mason Rudolph beginning simply 4 video games and Will Levis beginning 11, Chig Okonkwo has seen extra targets (33) and receptions (24) from Rudolph than Levis this season. Okonkwo has 21 targets and 33 fantasy factors over the past two weeks whereas recording season highs in targets (11), receptions (9), and receiving yards (81) in Week 16. Yes, he was dealing with defenses that struggles to cowl the tight finish place in each of these video games (CIN and IND), however he will get one other favorable matchup this Sunday. The Jacksonville Jaguars have allowed the seventh-most fantasy factors to tight ends in 2024.
Ice TE Start of the Week: Zach Ertz (vs. ATL)
Zach Ertz has been an OK fantasy producer in video games he scores a landing, however when he doesn’t discover the tip zone, his fantasy managers have been extremely dissatisfied. He has averaged simply 6.9 fantasy factors within the 11 video games he had zero touchdowns this yr. Ertz has not been placing up many receiving yards, with fewer than 40 in every of his final 4 video games. This will not be a good matchup for TD-dependent tight ends because the Atlanta Falcons have allowed simply three touchdowns to tight ends all season lengthy.
Fire & Ice Fantasy Football Plays
Here, I categorize each related fantasy participant into 5 totally different buckets: (1) fireplace begins (greatest begins of the week); (2) thumbs up (good begins); (3) Risky gamers with upside (sleepers); (4) Ice begins (predicting unhealthy efficiency from good participant); (5) Stop (should sits).
Note: If a participant/protection will not be listed, I’m not contemplating beginning them in your Week 17 fantasy championship lineups. 7. Also, I didn’t embody Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, or Houston Texans gamers as they already performed on Christmas Day.
Fire 🔥
- QB: Josh Allen, Jayden Daniels, Joe Burrow, Brock Purdy, Jalen Hurts (if he performs),
- RB: Saquon Barkley, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jonathan Taylor, Bijan Robinson, Kyren Williams, Bucky Irving
- WR: Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Terry McLaurin, Puka Nacua, Brian Thomas Jr., Tee Higgins, Keenan Allen
- TE: George Kittle, Brock Bowers, Jonnu Smith, Trey McBride
- DEF: Colts, Dolphins, Chargers
Thumbs Up 👍
- QB: Jared Goff, Baker Mayfield, Bo Nix, Sam Darnold
- RB: Zach Charbonnet, De’Von Achane, Chase Brown, Josh Jacobs, James Cook, Chuba Hubbard, Jerome Ford, Aaron Jones
- WR: Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown, CeeDee Lamb, Davante Adams, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Courtland Sutton, Ladd McConkey, Jordan Addison, Malik Nabers, Mike Evans, Tyreek Hill, Cooper Kupp, Garrett Wilson, Jauan Jennings, Adam Thielen
- TE: Sam LaPorta, T.J. Hockenson, Tucker Kraft
- DEF: Vikings, Raiders, Bills, Seahawks, Eagles, Cowboys (if Hurts is out)
Upside 📈
- QB Anthony Richardson, Jordan Love, Caleb Williams, Bryce Young
- RB: Breece Hall, Tyjae Spears, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Brian Robinson Jr., Tank Bigsby, J.Ok. Dobbins (if he performs), Rachaad White
- WR: Calvin Ridley, Deebo Samuel, DJ Moore, Jameson Williams, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Jakobi Meyers, Darnell Mooney, Jalen McMillan, Josh Downs
- TE: Chig Okonkwo, David Njoku (if he performs), Payne Durham, Hunter Henry, Brenton Strange
- DEF: Packers, Jaguars, Titans, Commanders, Rams, Buccaneers
Ice 🥶
- QB: Kyler Murray, Matthew Stafford, Justin Herbert, Aaron Rodgers, Geno Smith
- RB: Raiders RBs, Rhamondre Stevenson, Tony Pollard, Travis Etienne
- WR: DeVonta Smith, DK Metcalf, Drake London, Khalil Shakir, Marvin Harrison Jr.
- TE: Zach Ertz, Dalton Kincaid, Cole Kmet, Jake Ferguson
- DEF: Bears, Broncos, Falcons, Saints, Browns, Giants
Stop 🚫
- QB: Drake Maye, Tua Tagovailoa, Cooper Rush
- RB: Broncos RBs, D’Andre Swift, Kendre Miller
- WR: Jerry Jeudy, Elijah Moore, Amari Cooper, Michael Pittman Jr., Quentin Johnston, DeMario Douglas
- TE: Kyle Pitts, Tyler Higbee
- DEF: 49ers, Lions, Bengals, Jets