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It’s almost time for championship week! We are done looking forward; Instead, we are looking at which players can help us. right now. The last few weeks have brought great reps from several unsung heroes, but are we bold enough to call on them during championship week?
Let’s take a look at some unlikely playoff heroes and whether they’ll really save the day when it matters most in Week 17.
Keenan Allen, WR, Chicago Bears
No superstar entered 2024 more maligned than Keenan Allen. The odds were not in favor of a 32-year-old who spent his career in California heading to Chicago to join a rookie quarterback, an established wide receiver in DJ Moore and one of the draft’s flashiest receivers in Rome Odunze. The season started shaky and many expected Allen to be removed from the offense as the year progressed.
However, the second half of the season has been extremely kind to Allen. Heading into this week, Allen ranks as the WR8 and WR13 overall in medium PPR formats, averaging 15.7 fantasy points per game with three top-15 finishes in the last four games. It’s understandably been difficult for fantasy managers to trust him given the overall volatility of Chicago’s offense. Still, these performances have come in tough matchups with Allen serving as a real target.
Pulse check: Has Allen moved into territory where he needs to start?
This week, Allen delivered once again with nine receptions on 13 targets for 141 yards and a touchdown. Chicago faces Seattle in Week 17. The matchup isn’t particularly favorable through the air and the Seahawks tend to limit passing volume (although both Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison had big days against them in Week 16), which could work against Allen. Additionally, Seattle’s offense has been inconsistent, suggesting this will likely be a closer game than fantasy managers would like. We prefer Caleb Williams chasing points. Still, Allen has been reliable and should continue his hot streak, potentially delivering a championship to fantasy managers. It’s a strong play in Week 17.
Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions
Keenan Allen wasn’t the only standout in today’s Detroit-Chicago game. Jameson Williams had his best performance of the season, making five receptions on seven targets for 143 yards and a touchdown. It was a somewhat surprising performance given the game being played in Chicago and Jared Goff’s outdoor issues.
Williams is often labeled as a boom or bust player and while there have definitely been some flop games, the second half of his season has been generally stable. That being said, we were waiting for one of those signature games from Jameson Williams, and in Week 16, he finally delivered.
Pulse control: Can Williams be trusted in Week 17?
I won’t mince words: Week 17 is worrying for Williams. The matchup is against a San Francisco defense that is playing for pride and dealing with injuries across the board. Despite those injuries, the 49ers have remained strong against the pass, even limiting Tyreek Hill without Waddle to just 10.4 fantasy points today. They remain one of the toughest matchups for opposing wide receivers, allowing the sixth-fewest fantasy points for the position.
Williams is definitely the type of player worth taking a chance on, but beware: this game is absolutely shaping up to be a potential bust week.
Jerome Ford, running back, Cleveland Browns
I wrote about Jerome Ford in this week’s “Make or Break” article. While Ford was expected to take over as the clear leader, there were concerns about how productive the Browns offense would be with the quarterback change to Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Despite this, I recommended taking a leap of faith, expecting at least a low-end RB2 floor given the excellent matchup against the Bengals and the lack of recent involvement of D’Onta Foreman and Pierre Strong.
The results were exactly what I expected. Dorian Thompson-Robinson struggled, but it didn’t matter because Ford is a big-play machine. He had 92 yards on just 11 carries, scored a touchdown and added five receptions for 39 yards. Neither Strong nor Foreman posed any threat to his workload. This backfield clearly belongs to Jerome Ford.
pulse control: Will we run it again with Ford in week 17?
While the Week 17 matchup against Miami isn’t as enticing as Cincinnati, Ford’s explosive receiving and playmaking ability once again make him a solid option. He will be ranked among the top 24 and we must start with confidence.
Tyjae Spears, RB, Tennessee Titans
Spears’ performance in Week 16 was a bit surprising. In fact, we talked about Spears in last week’s pulse check, noting that he scored a goal-line touchdown early in the game before Tony Pollard was injured, indicating the Titans’ willingness to potentially split the game. series and use both runners at the goal line.
On Sunday, Spears finished with two rushing touchdowns, both in the red zone: one from 11 yards out and another at the goal line late in the game as the Titans tried to catch up. Pollard was still handling the majority of the game’s early work and this performance could be another case of the Titans falling behind, as the game script favors Spears more than Pollard.
Heading into Week 17’s matchup, this game against Jacksonville looks like it could go in countless directions. Neither team is particularly strong. The Jaguars have been operating more competently with Mac Jones at quarterback over the past two weeks, but it’s still shaping up to be a fairly close matchup.
pulse control: Is Spears back to start at Tennessee?
This is the second matchup between the Titans and Jags this season. When we look back at their Week 14 matchup, with Will Levis at quarterback, it was a low-scoring game that significantly favored Pollard. It’s hard to predict how much has changed in three weeks, especially since Pollard hasn’t played poorly. Spears is a flexible and risky option that fantasy managers should approach with caution. While his last two strong performances may create a sense of confidence, there is a real risk of a low-volume, flop game in Week 17 if the game remains competitive.
Chig Okonkwo, TE, Tennessee Titans
It’s fitting that multiple “unlikely heroes” come from the Titans because they truly have been one of the messiest teams in the league. It’s been a disappointing year for Okonkwo, but he’s been on fire in the last two games with 17 receptions on 21 targets. While the lack of touchdowns limits their overall lead, the volume has been enough to sustain it. Okonkwo finished as TE7 last week and is currently TE3 this week until the afternoon games.
Earlier in the season, Okonkwo’s top 10 performances depended on the touchdown, as volume had been a major issue. Before Week 15, he had never surpassed four receptions in a game. Their recent success could be attributed to favorable matchups, but the switch to Mason Rudolph at quarterback may also be a factor.
pulse control: Is the quick attack on Rudolph enough to make Okonkwo a must-start?
The Titans face a generous Jacksonville defense this week. However, in his last matchup against the Jaguars, Okonkwo had just three receptions for eight yards, but that was with Will Levis at quarterback. The Jaguars allow the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends, and with Rudolph under center, Okonkwo could have the right setup for another solid fantasy performance.
While there is risk due to his lack of proven long-term success, tight end floors are incredibly low this season. Okonkwo is worth the risk as long as Rudolph remains the quarterback.
Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers
Let’s finish with my favorite player on this list: Bryce Young.
Heading into the season, I predicted Young would take a leap in his second year under Dave Canales, but that prediction looked shaky from the start when Young was benched. However, since returning to the starting lineup, he looks like a completely different quarterback.
Turnovers remain a concern, although some have not been their fault due to a disappointing receiving corps and a difficult schedule. Despite these challenges, Young has shown significant improvement in accuracy and overall proficiency, with the added benefit of running upfield. He’s always been a mobile quarterback rather than a true running back and the increased volume of rushing has been a wonderful surprise to his fantasy production. Young has scored a rushing touchdown in three of his last four games.
Pulse check: Is Young staying hot in Week 17?
Good news! Young’s hot streak included a matchup against Tampa Bay, and although you might not know it, Week 17 offers another great opportunity against the Bucs. Tampa has been one of the most generous defenses to opposing quarterbacks, and Young took advantage of that in Week 13 with a QB8 performance, throwing for a season-high 298 yards.
Coming off a big win and three-touchdown performance against a tough Arizona defense, Young is primed to be a solid streaming option in Week 17. It may seem awkward, but deep leagues dealing with injuries and bad matchups can turn to Young to gain advantages. in the league’s most advantageous QB matchup.