Welcome back to Fanduel Picks Week 17, your one-stop-shop for the best FanDuel player picks. Oh, we hot now. And just in time to pay you back for all those stocking stuffers, as well as the copious amounts of alcohol you’ll be guzzling on New Year’s Eve / Day. Blake Bortles (25.38), Dion Lewis (29.8), Julio Jones (18.4), Antonio Gates (17.1), and the Los Angeles Chargers DST (13) all provided excellent games that helped us cash in big time Week 16. Oh, am I forgetting someone. That’s right. Top suggestion of the week Todd Gurley once again went bananaslamma, this time on the Tennessee Titans, scoring a FanDuel high 44.6 points. The only person hotter than us right now is Gurley, who has scored 88.1 FanDuel points over the past two weeks. With all 16 games taking place on Sunday, there will be a lot of options to choose from. Luckily, my favorite week of the FanDuel season is Week 17, when playoff teams rest their starters and unheralded sleepers rule the day. Research will be key, but I’ve got you all covered per usual. Now let’s get to the picks. And to pump us up for the new year, let’s kick it to the greatest band to ever take the stage with one of the best stadium rockers of all time.
UPDATE: December 29th @ 9:00: Well, it looks like DeAndre Hopkins will miss Week 17, making Will Fuller ($5,100) a great low priced option against a horrendous Colts secondary. Other names to think about this week due to inactive are: Malcolm Brown ($4,500), Landry Jones ($6,000 if Mike Tomlin sits Ben Roethlisberger), Marvin Jones ($7,300 now that Hopkins is out, Jones bumps up to that Lock category). I will try and stay as up to date as possible on other breaking news.
Quarterbacks
The Locks
- Philip Rivers, QB, Los Angeles Chargers ($8,300) – Needing a win (and so much more) to secure a playoff spot, the Los Angeles Chargers have something to play for Week 17, which is exactly what we want from our FanDuel starting quarterback. Also, Melvin Gordon is potentially banged up, so the Chargers could turn to Philip Rivers even more on Sunday. The Raiders allow the fourth worst passer rating in the league, so Rivers will have no problem effectively and efficiently carving them up this week.
Sleepers
- Kirk Cousins, QB, Washington Redskins ($7,600) – I love Kirk Cousins this week. I just cannot state it any simpler than that. The Giants allow the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, and have allowed the most passing touchdowns and second most passing yards per game this season. Over the past three weeks, the Giants have allowed an average of 3 passing touchdowns per game. So, in Cousins’ final game before his next (big) contract, he should look extra special.
Running Backs
The Locks
- Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys ($8,700) – The Eagles have nothing to play for Week 17, and I fully expect them to rest most of their starters. So with a defense looking to rest rather than play, look for the fresh Ezekiel Elliott to carve up Philadelphia Sunday for a Cowboys team looking for something to build off for the 2018 season. In his first game back, Elliott had 28 touches for 118 total yards, so the Cowboys will not be shy to utilize him early and often Sunday.
- LeSean McCoy, RB, Buffalo Bills ($8,200) – With the Bills needing a win to secure a Wild Card, look for Buffalo to lean heavily on their only legitimate playmaker, LeSean McCoy, Week 17 against a Miami defense allowing the fifth most fantasy points to opposing running backs. McCoy has at least 22 touches and at least 17.2 FanDuel points in each of his last three games. With that kind of elite volume and usage, we can expect a high floor with the potential for much, much more.
Sleepers
- Dion Lewis, RB, New England Patriots ($7,200) – I am not sure Dion Lewis can even be labeled a Sleeper anymore. But his price does not truly reflect his value to this Patriots team, and has not all year long. With an implied team total of 30 points, the New England Patriots should coast to victory Week 17, locking up the all-important # 1 seed and home field in the AFC (fingers crossed, knock on wood, pats lucky rabbit foot). The ever wary Patriots will likely protect their savior Tom Brady, so expect a heavy dose of the running game in a clock-control, time management exhibition that will likely involve Lewis from start to finish, a la last week at home against the Bills.
Wide Receivers
The Locks
- DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Houston Texans ($9,100) – While the Houston Texans have had nothing to play for for quite a while, do not tell that to DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins continues to be one of the (if not the) most productive and consistent receiver this year as he has recorded double digit FanDuel points in 14/15 games this year, and has either scored a touchdown or generated at least 73 receiving yards in every single game. With such a high floor and consistent volume, Hopkins is the elite wideout play on the board against a Colts secondary allowing big plays week after week.
- Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons ($8,400) – Like I said last week, needing a win the Atlanta Falcons would turn to all-world wideout Julio Jones early and often, regardless of the matchup difficulty. And I was correct. Jones tallied 149 yards on 7 catches and 11 targets against a voracious and high-flying Saints secondary. This week does not get much easier for Julio against the Carolina Panthers, but with the Falcons needing a win to secure a Wild Card spot in the NFC look for Matt Ryan to once again rely on this generational receiver.
Sleepers
- T.Y. Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts ($6,700) – The Houston Texans allow the fourth most points to opposing wide receiver and struggle with speedy wideouts. Hmmm. Sounds like a mixture for disaster against T.Y. Hilton, and in Week 9 it was just that. Hilton totaled 175 receiving yards on just 5 catches, scoring twice and recording 32 FanDuel points. With such boom potential, Hilton could be a sneak play that wins you big money Week 17.
- Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($6,900) – Heating up at just there right time, Mike Evans recorded his first 100 yard game of the season Week 16 after scoring a touchdown in Week 15. With back-to-back solid FanDuel performances, I like his chances Week 17 of putting up another solid game. All of us here at RSJ believe Evans to be one of the most talented wideouts in the game, but Jameis Winston needs a lesson or two in quarterbacking. Priced as a shot-in-the-dark back end WR2, Evans has top price talent that you can buy in at a great discount. Fingers crossed he has that monster game we have been waiting for since Week 1.
Tight End
The Locks
The top three options (Rob Gronkowski, Travis Kelce, and Zach Ertz) all play on teams that have either locked in their playoff positions (Chiefs and Eagles) or play on teams that will likely not utilize the named tight end due to a negative game script / absolute blowout / worried about the player’s fragile nature / PLEASE DO NOT PLAY GRONK A LOT (Patriots). With that in mind, I like the below options even more than these great fantasy performers.
Sleepers
- Antonio Gates, TE, Los Angeles Chargers ($5,700) – The shoo-in Stream Team tight end Week 16 also finds himself leading the charge(rs) Week 17. After leading the team in targets, reception, and yards, and scoring the only receiving touchdown Week 16, Antonio Gates should have a monster Sunday against a Raider team allowing the 5th most fantasy points to opposing tight ends.
- Vernon Davis, TE, Washington Redskins ($5,800) – You read about my love and lust for Cousins this week above. So let’s shimmy down to Vernon Davis Week 17, who has scored a touchdown in 2 of his past 3 games. Davis faces a Giants defens allowing (SPOILER!!!!) the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends. Fire him up confidently.
Kicker
The Locks
- Matt Prater, K, Detroit Lions ($5,200) – Even though the Detroit Lions have been eliminated from playoff contention, the Green Bay Packer defense has been horrendous recently, allowing points in bunches. The Lions will have no problem moving the ball down the field against the Packers, and Matt Prater will likewise have no problem converting his opportunities.
Sleepers
- Adam Vinatieri, K, Indianapolis Colts ($4,600) – The Houston Texans allow the most points per game in the NFL, so, despite his recent struggles, I like Mr. Clutch Adam Vinatieri to find himself in range all afternoon Sunday for a solid FanDuel day.
Defense
The Locks
- Minnesota Vikings DST ($5,400) – Needing a win to secure a first round bye and the #2 seed in the NFC, the Minnesota Vikings DST welcomes a hapless Bears offense with a projected team total under 14 points. The Vikings defense has really turned it up the past two weeks, scoring 15 and 17 FanDuel points and allowing just 7 combined points over that span.
Sleepers
- Dallas Cowboys DST ($4,000) – With the Philadelphia Eagles wrapping up the #1 seed and home field throughout the playoffs in the NFC in Week 16, Head Coach Doug Pederson would not commit to Nick Foles playing Week 17. And the Vegas line reflects such uncertainty with the Eagles projected as a 2.5 point underdog at home, with an implied team total of just over 19 points. So in order to save money and afford those big plays above, let’s take a shot in the dark and ride the Dallas Cowboys DST to victory Week 17 against a team that could be starting Nate Sudfeld most of the afternoon.
And that’s a wrap for Fanduel Week 17 analysis. Remember to always look at the matchups and Vegas totals, which are always telling, and do not be afraid to admit they know more than you, because they usually do. Until next time, good luck and don’t forget to tip me 10% of your earnings. Thanks in advance.
To contact me with any questions or general fantasy football discussion, please email me at redsocker45@gmail.com or tweet me @AJGamballer.
