Fantasy Football Start Em, Sit Em



Fantasy Football: Start Em, Sit Em: Week 17

Rather than quickly listing start em and sit em players on my Week 17 NFL Picks page, I thought I’d devote a new page for this. Follow @walterfootball for updates.




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Dallas Cowboys (9-6) at New York Giants (5-10)

Start Em:
  • Obvious Starts:
    DAL: None.
    NYG: RB Saquon Barkley, WR Odell Beckham Jr. (if he plays).

    Sit Em:
  • All Cowboys
    Dallas may sit its starters. A classic case of why all fantasy championships should be in Week 16.

  • Sterling Shepard, WR, Giants
    Sterling Shepard finally had a big game. I don’t expect it to happen again.

    Check out Weekly NFL Fantasy Football Rankings for more analysis






    Carolina Panthers (6-9) at New Orleans Saints (13-2)

    Start Em:
  • Ian Thomas, TE, Panthers
    Ian Thomas is playing well and can be used versus a rested defense.

  • Obvious Starts:
    CAR: RB Christian McCaffrey (if he plays).
    NO: None.

    Sit Em:
  • All Cowboys
    New Orleans may sit its starters. A classic case of why all fantasy championships should be in Week 16.

    Check out Weekly NFL Fantasy Football Rankings for more analysis






    New York Jets (4-11) at New England Patriots (10-5)

    Start Em:
  • Robby Anderson, WR, Jets
    Robby Anderson’s outlook is more promising now with Sam Darnold making strides.

  • Obvious Starts:
    NYJ: None.
    NE: RB Sony Michel, RB James White (PPR), WR Julian Edelman.

    Sit Em:
  • No one of note




    Detroit Lions (5-10) at Green Bay Packers (6-8-1)

    Start Em:
  • Kenny Golladay, WR, Lions
    Kenny Golladay is the Lions’ lone healthy, viable receiver, and he has a great matchup.

  • Jamaal Williams, RB, Packers
    Aaron Jones is out, so Jamaal Williams is handling the entire workload.

  • Obvious Starts:
    DET: RB Theo Riddick (PPR).
    GB: QB Aaron Rodgers, WR Davante Adams.

    Sit Em:
  • No one of note




    Jacksonville Jaguars (5-10) at Houston Texans (10-5)

    Start Em:
  • Obvious Starts:
    JAX: RB Leonard Fournette, Jaguars Defense.
    HOU: QB Deshaun Watson, WR DeAndre Hopkins, Texans Defense.

    Sit Em:
  • Texans Running Backs
    Lamar Miller is banged up. D’Onta Foreman doesn’t look 100 percent either.

    Check out Weekly NFL Fantasy Football Rankings for more analysis






    Atlanta Falcons (6-9) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-10)

    Start Em:
  • Falcons Starting Running Back
    Tevin Coleman is day to day. He should be started if he’s active. If not, put Brian Hill in your lineup.

  • Obvious Starts:
    ATL: QB Matt Ryan, WR Julio Jones.
    TB: WR Mike Evans, TE Cameron Brate.

    Sit Em:
  • Peyton Barber, RB, Buccaneers
    Peyton Barber has a tough matchup versus a run defense that has improved with Deion Jones back.

    Check out Weekly NFL Fantasy Football Rankings for more analysis




    Miami Dolphins (7-8) at Buffalo Bills (5-10)

    Start Em:
  • Obvious Starts:
    MIA: Dolphins Defense.
    BUF: Bills Defense.

    Sit Em:
  • Dolphins Running Backs
    Kalen Ballage and Kenyan Drake are splitting touches evenly.

  • LeSean McCoy, RB, Bills
    LeSean McCoy isn’t seeing the entire workload, so I don’t think he can take advantage of this positive matchup.

    Check out Weekly NFL Fantasy Football Rankings for more analysis




    Oakland Raiders (4-11) at Kansas City Chiefs (11-4)

    Start Em:
  • Obvious Starts:
    OAK: TE Jared Cook (if he plays).
    KC: QB Patrick Mahomes, RB Damien Williams (if Spencer Ware is out), WR Tyreek Hill (if he plays), TE Travis Kelce.

    Sit Em:
  • Raiders Running Backs
    None of these guys are appealing despite the matchup. I don’t expect Doug Martin to duplicate what he did Monday night.

    Check out Weekly NFL Fantasy Football Rankings for more analysis




    Philadelphia Eagles (8-7) at Washington Redskins (7-8)

    Start Em:
  • Obvious Starts:
    PHI: WR Alshon Jeffery, TE Zach Ertz.
    WAS: RB Adrian Peterson.

    Sit Em:
  • Eagles Running Backs
    Which of these guys will score or get the most touches? No one knows!

    Check out Weekly NFL Fantasy Football Rankings for more analysis




    Cleveland Browns (7-7-1) at Baltimore Ravens (9-6)

    Start Em:
  • Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens
    Lamar Jackson can be started because of his great rushing ability.

  • Gus Edwards, RB, Ravens
    Gus Edwards, who has taken over as Baltimore’s starting running back, has a nice matchup against a middling Browns run defense.

  • Obvious Starts:
    CLE: RB Nick Chubb, TE David Njoku.
    BAL: Ravens Defense.

    Sit Em:
  • Baker Mayfield, QB, Browns
    Baker Mayfield had a rough outing the last time he played a great defense on the road.

  • Ravens Receivers
    I would not use Baltimore’s receivers with Lamar Jackson starting at quarterback.

    Check out Weekly NFL Fantasy Football Rankings for more analysis




    Cincinnati Bengals (6-9) at Pittsburgh Steelers (8-6-1)

    Start Em:
  • Vance McDonald, TE, Steelers
    The Bengals are awful against tight ends.

  • Obvious Starts:
    CIN: RB Joe Mixon.
    PIT: QB Ben Roethlisberger, RB James Conner (if he plays), RB Jaylen Samuels (if James Conner is out), WR Antonio Brown, WR JuJu Smith-Schuster.

    Sit Em:
  • Bengals Receivers
    With A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd hurt, no Bengal receiver is worth starting.

    Check out Weekly NFL Fantasy Football Rankings for more analysis


    Chicago Bears (11-4) at Minnesota Vikings (8-6-1)

    Start Em:
  • Obvious Starts:
    CHI: RB Tarik Cohen (PPR), Bears Defense.
    MIN: RB Dalvin Cook, WR Adam Thielen, WR Stefon Diggs, Vikings Defense.

    Sit Em:
  • Trey Burton, TE, Bears
    Trey Burton has mostly been invisible.

  • Kyle Rudolph, TE, Vikings
    Kyle Rudolph just had a big game, but I can’t trust him at all.

    Check out Weekly NFL Fantasy Football Rankings for more analysis




    Los Angeles Chargers (11-4) at Denver Broncos (6-9)

    Start Em:
  • Mike Williams, WR, Chargers
    Mike Williams should be able to bounce back in an easy matchup.

  • DaeSean Hamilton, WR, Broncos (PPR)
    DaeSean Hamilton has become Case Keenum’s favorite receiver.

  • Obvious Starts:
    LAC: QB Philip Rivers, RB Melvin Gordon, WR Keenan Allen, Chargers Defense.
    DEN: RB Phillip Lindsay (if he plays).

    Sit Em:
  • Courtland Sutton, WR, Broncos
    The banged-up Courtland Sutton has not been very productive.

    Check out Weekly NFL Fantasy Football Rankings for more analysis




    Arizona Cardinals (3-12) at Seattle Seahawks (9-6)

    Start Em:
  • All Seahawks
    Pete Carroll has a history of playing his starters, and he may want the No. 5 seed to avoid the Bears or Rams in the first round.

  • Obvious Starts:
    ARZ: None.
    SEA: Seahawks Defense.

    Sit Em:
  • All Cardinals
    Arizona’s offensive line can’t open holes for David Johnson. Larry Fitzgerald will need Mike Glennon to bail him out again.

    Check out Weekly NFL Fantasy Football Rankings for more analysis


    San Francisco 49ers (4-11) at Los Angeles Rams (12-3)

    Start Em:
  • Jeff Wilson Jr., RB, 49ers
    Matt Breida is out, so Jeff Wilson can be started in a pinch.

  • Obvious Starts:
    SF: TE George Kittle.
    LAR: QB Jared Goff, RB Todd Gurley (if he plays), RB WR Brandin Cooks, WR Robert Woods, Rams Defense.

    Sit Em:
  • No one of note

    Check out Weekly NFL Fantasy Football Rankings for more analysis


    Indianapolis Colts (9-6) at Tennessee Titans (9-6)

    Start Em:
  • Obvious Starts:
    IND: QB Andrew Luck, RB Marlon Mack, WR T.Y. Hilton, TE Eric Ebron (if he plays), Colts Defense (if Blaine Gabbert starts).
    TEN: RB Derrick Henry.

    Sit Em:
  • No one of note

    Check out Weekly NFL Fantasy Football Rankings for more analysis





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