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The Yahoo Fantasy team gives its predictions on which players can help lead our rosters to a fantasy football league championship in Week 17.
An unexpected TE to the rescue
Find someone who loves you like Mason Rudolph loves TE Chig Okonkwo.
With Rudolph taking over for the Titans the last two weeks, Okonkwo has produced a 17-140-0 line on a whopping 21 targets. Jacksonville’s defense is unlikely to stand in the way of this rising duo, and Okonkwo also offers some goal-line equity; remember he had a 2-point conversion catch last week en route to a TE2 finish. Our game is about numbers, not names. I will start Okonkwo proactively in mid and deep leagues. — Scott Pianoowski
Perfect combination of strong player + good confrontation.
Don’t think too much about Week 17. Lean on the players who got you here and prioritize good matchups. Courtland Sutton is the perfect combination of a strong player in a fantastic matchup. The Bengals defense has been the gift that keeps on giving and Sutton is primed to gift fantasy managers with a top-10 performance this weekend. Cincinnati’s defense has held up fairly well over the past few weeks, but they have faced poor quarterback play from Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Will Levis. Bo Nix is more than prepared to deliver a strong performance and Sutton is primed to bounce back after a poor performance in Week 16 with just 8 fantasy points. Sutton is the clear WR1 for the Broncos and has shown that in pass-friendly matchups, 20+ point performances come easily. Teresa Roberts
Brian Thomas Jr. solidifies himself as a first-round pick next year with a monster close to the season.
Jaguars rookie WR Thomas Jr. has been excellent for most of the season, but his play since the Jaguars’ Week 12 bye has made him a shoo-in candidate to be selected in the second round. or third round of most leagues next year.
Thomas injured his ribs in Week 8 and was clearly hobbled by this injury for the next two weeks. During this time, Jacksonville was adjusting to life without Trevor Lawrence, so the combination of injury and a new quarterback led Thomas to produce just four total receptions for 32 yards in this two-game stretch. But since then, Thomas has averaged 11.2 goals per game and 22 fantasy points per game in five starts. He has been one of the 12 best receivers during this stretch and is coming off a weekly top-five finish at that position.
In Week 17, Thomas has the perfect matchup to help you take home a title. The Jaguars will face the Titans this week. Tennessee has been one of the worst defenses in the league over the past six weeks. In Week 14, Thomas caught eight balls for 86 yards against the Titans. Expect another strong performance this week from the Jaguars’ first-round rookie. — Sal Vetri
Jordan Addison stays hot at the perfect time
Jordan Addison has been having a field day in recent weeks, dragging his fantasy managers into Championship Week. In Minnesota’s last six games, Addison caught 35 balls for 508 yards and six touchdowns on 52 targets. If we stretch that performance over a full season, we’re talking 99 catches for 1,439 yards — that’s Ja’Marr/JJ-level production. This week, Addison faces a Green Bay defense that he has cooked several times in his brief NFL career, including earlier this season (79 total yards, 2 TDs).
It seems unlikely that any of you were talking about Addison as a fantasy starter with a title on the line, but just in case: you have to play him. We need to think about the ceiling in Week 17, and Addison definitely has upside to win the title. — Andy Behrens
More from Love from Jordan this week
Jordan Love has only been QB28 since Week 8 as he has been one of fantasy’s biggest disappointments over the second half of the season. Volume has been the main issue, as Love posted 8.7 YPA but averaged just 25.5 pass attempts over that eight-game span. The Eagles have attempted the fewest passes per game this season with 25.9. Green Bay has the league’s fourth-lowest passing rate above expectations this year, but things should be different Sunday against a Vikings defense that uses passing funnels. Minnesota has allowed the lowest EPA/rush but the most pass attempts (38.3 per game). The Vikings’ opponents have the highest passing rate in the league (64.7%) this season.
While Love’s 6.1 YPA against man coverage is toward the bottom of the league, he ranks third in the NFL with 9.1 YPA against zone coverage (h/t ), which the Vikings have used at the fourth-highest percentage in the league (76.8%). This matchup could be a penalty shootout and is indoors with a total of 48.5 points. Love finishes among the top five QBs this week.— Dalton Del Don
Don’t overlook Adam Thielen if you’re looking for a boring, safe WR3 play
The Buccaneers defense has shown a generous spirit all season. Going against that zone-heavy secondary has been a cash cow for the passing game, as many teams have hit their ceiling in the range of results against Tampa Bay. The Panthers are among that cohort. Thielen has provided a steady five-catch floor for more than a month, but enjoyed one of his biggest statistical games against Tampa Bay with 10 targets in Week 13. Since returning to the lineup in Week 12, Thielen leads the team with a 22% target share when the Panthers see zone coverage, according to Fantasy Points Data. Expect to see Thielen get attacked in this game. — Matt Harmon