For most leagues, this is your championship week, and although most teams are probably set and forget at this point, you may have a few start/sit decisions to make.
We have lots of great matchups this week for each position, so hopefully, we can help take some of your anxiety away by gently nudging you in one direction or the other.
Let’s take a look at this week’s Start ‘Em or Sit ‘Em, and good luck to all you championship-bound players!
Starts
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Jared Goff, QB (Detroit Lions)
I thought about throwing Justin Fields in here but decided to go for the opposing Quarterback in what should be a high-scoring affair. Both the Lions and Bears’ defenses are pitiful, and the Lions actually have a shot at making the playoffs, so they will be giving it everything they got.
This game is also in Detroit, where Goff has performed much better than when playing away. Fields should be able to move the ball against Detroit’s defense, so Goff will have to throw.
There should be no reason Goff doesn’t put up 300 yards and throw at least two touchdowns in one of the best matchups of the week.
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Tyler Allgeier, Running Back (Atlanta Falcons)
The Atlanta Falcons welcome the Arizona Cardinals this week, and that bodes well for Tyler Allgeier. Arizona is giving up the fifth-most points to opposing Running Backs, and Allgeier has seen his workload increase over the last few weeks.
Allgeier has carried the ball 17 and 18 times in the past two games, and that number should continue to rise as Allgeier has been dominant. The Falcons are probably just seeing what their young players can do, so he should get plenty of opportunities in a plus matchup.
If you have Allgeier on your bench, he may be worth a flex option this week.
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Romeo Doubs, WR (Green Bay Packers)
Romeo Doubs is getting back in sync with Aaron Rodgers after missing time with injury, and now faces the league’s worst defense in points allowed to Wide Receivers. The Packers’ playoff hopes are still alive, so you know Rodgers will be giving it his all to beat the Vikings.
This game is in Green Bay and the Packers could be without Christian Watson (hip injury), which would open the door for even more targets for Doubs. Doubs has 11 catches over two games after returning from his injury, so look for a big game for the rookie Receiver.
Doubs is a great flex option in probably the best WR matchup you could ask for.
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Cole Kmet, TE (Chicago Bears)
Cole Kmet has averaged six targets in the last three weeks after Justin Fields missed a game with an injury. And now he faces the Detroit Lions, one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL.
As I mentioned above, this game should be relatively high scoring (figuring the defenses play as bad as they have this season), and the Bears legitimately have no one left to throw the ball to.
Being the best target on the field and going against a bad pass defense makes Kmet a solid streamer this week, should you need one at Tight End.
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Harrison Butker, K – (Kansas City Chiefs)
The Chiefs face the Broncos this week in Kansas City, and if it’s anything like the game they played a few weeks ago, Butker is in line for plenty of work.
Butker kicked four extra points and made two field goals against Denver the last time they played. The Broncos still have a great defense, but they do get worn out thanks to Denver’s awful offense.
Patrick Mahomes should be able to move the ball downfield, but the Bronco defense is good enough to keep them out of the endzone a few times and force Butker to kick.
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New York Giants, DST
The Indianapolis Colts are a disaster on offense, only scoring three points against a pretty iffy Los Angeles Chargers defense. Apparently, Nick Foles is not the answer either.
The Colts are currently giving up the most points to opposing defenses, and although the Giants aren’t the best defense in the NFL, they should be good enough to get to the Quarterback and cause a few turnovers. They also probably have one of the best chances to score a defensive touchdown.
If you are streaming defenses, the Giants are probably one of your best options.
Sits
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Geno Smith, QB (Seattle Seahawks)
Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks have cooled off a bit in recent weeks after putting together an amazing season kind of out of nowhere. They were sitting at 6-3 until losing five of their last six games to put their season at risk of ending early.
In that time Smith hasn’t really wowed fantasy players, and this week he gets another tough matchup against a Jets’ defense that has shut down Quarterbacks and Wide Receivers (for the most part).
Tyler Lockett’s status is still in the air, making D.K. Metcalf the only real viable option as a pass catcher. Sauce Gardner has been awesome in his rookie season, so Smith may have to look elsewhere. And so should you.
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Raheem Mostert, RB (Miami Dolphins)
There are a lot of things going against Raheem Mostert and the Dolphins this week that make him a pretty easy sit.
First off, they face the New England Patriots, who are currently giving up the second-fewest points to opposing Running Backs (and this game is in New England).
Second, Jeff Wilson Jr. has returned from injury and basically is splitting the workload. Mostert only carried the ball eight times for 45 yards against a bad Green Bay run defense.
And lastly, the Dolphins will probably be without Tua Tagovailoa, who apparently suffered another concussion (and wasn’t pulled) in their loss to the Packers. That means the Dolphins will probably have to put in Teddy Bridgewater, who won’t be able to move the ball like Tua can.
All three of these things point to a Mostert benching.
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Davante Adams, WR (Las Vegas Raiders)
The golden rule of fantasy football has always been “start your studs”, but if you want to win your fantasy championship you may need to seriously consider sitting Davante Adams this week.
First off, Derek Carr has been benched for Week 17’s matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, and the Raiders will instead start Jarrett Stidham. Stidham has only thrown 61 passes in the NFL, and four of those passes were interceptions.
A young, inexperienced Quarterback going against one of the toughest defenses in the NFL gives Adams little hope for a big game. He may get a bunch of targets, but with the 49er pass rush coming, he may not put up the numbers you need to win.
If you have any other option with a plus matchup, it’s probably time to pivot.
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Darren Waller, TE (Las Vegas Raiders)
I don’t often like putting two players on the same list, but you have to admit Darren Waller is a bad start for all the same reasons I just listed for Davante Adams.
He is facing the 49ers (fifth-fewest points allowed to Tight Ends) and he has Jarrett Stidham throwing the ball.
He only has eight targets over the last two weeks, and a healthy Hunter Renfrow could also limit his catches. If you have other options at TE this week, I’d pivot off Waller.
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Will Lutz, K (New Orleans Saints)
Will Lutz only kicked one field goal last week (they did play in freezing weather), and this week probably won’t be much different even with warmer temperatures.
New Orleans travels to Philadelphia in Week 17, a team giving up the second-fewest points to opposing Kickers. The Philadelphia defense has been one of the best in the league, and New Orleans has not been good offensively.
Will Lutz probably doesn’t get many chances this week.
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Seattle Seahawks, DST
The Seahawks defense had a great stretch in the early part of the season but has been floundering as of late. This week they face the Jets, which at first glance seems like a great matchup.
But that was before the Jets announced Quarterback Mike White should be back as the starter. White has consistently thrown for over 300 yards and multiple touchdowns, so unless some miracle happens and Zach Wilson gets the start, I’d avoid streaming the Seahawk defense.
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