For some the fantasy football season is over but for others they’re still engaged in a two week knock out, drag out war for their league’s championship title. In the real world week 17 can bring about some sticky situations where players can be benched by their coaches because they don’t want to risk injury, are resting them for the playoffs, or both. Likewise, sometimes you’ll only see the starters for a few quarters before they hit the pine for the rest of the day.
In light of this, fantasy owners still playing have to make several keen strategy adjustments to stay competitive. With that in mind let’s take a look at a few players who you might want to adjust your expectations on based on the fact that this is week 17.
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Safe to Start
Marshawn Lynch – RB – Seattle Seahawks
Lynch is having the best season of his career and coincidentally, it is also his contract year. The Seahawks are officially out of playoff contention, so that leaves only Sunday’s final regular season game for Marshawn to pad his already ridiculous stats before entering free agency. The Skittles Lover is currently 7th in the league in rushing yards (1,118) and 3rd in rushing touchdowns (T-12). He could jump into the Top 5 in rushing yards with a big performance in Seattle’s season-ending clash with Arizona and Coach Pete Carroll has already stated that Seattle will approach this final game just as they would any other. If you’re still playing in Week 17, Lynch is an elite option.
Darren Sproles – RB – New Orleans Saints
Sproles now has a highlight that will be played forever as he was on the receiving end of Drew Brees’s record breaking 9-yard touchdown pass late in last week’s game against Atlanta. Even if New Orleans rests some starters versus Carolina on Sunday (Coach Sean Payton has insisted they won’t), all three of of the Saints’ running backs (Sporles, Chris Ivory, Pierre Thomas) figure to get touches and Sproles is always a big play threat in the running game and the passing game. In the Saints first game against the Panthers this season Darren had five receptions to go along with 91 total yards from scrimmage. If Sproles has gotten you this far, he’s worth sticking with through the end.
If you are desperate for a QB you might try…
Andy Dalton – QB – Cincinnati Bengals
Dalton is available in over 60% of ESPN Leagues and 26% of RTsports money leagues. If you are in any of the following scenarios, Andy Dalton can potentially help you…
A) You’ve got Aaron Rodgers and you know he’s not playing the entire game, if at all.
B) You usually start QB Drew Brees and you don’t believe he will play the whole game.
C) You usually start Big Ben but you’re afraid that even if he does play, he’ll spend the whole game hobbling around the backfield like a one-legged sumo wrestler.
If for whatever reason you’re scanning the waiver wire for a QB, most of you will be seeing the same names – Orton, Grossman, Smith, Hasselbeck, Skelton, McCoy, and on and on. I’d take Dalton this week over any of them, despite the tough matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. What we have in this Ravens/Bengals game on Sunday is an old, tired team that is always a threat to blow a win versus a young, hungry squad that is already over-achieving. It’s true that Dalton struggled mightily in his first game against the Ravens (3 INT) but this game is at home and the playoffs are on the line. The Ravens have plenty to fight for themselves (a 1st Round Bye and a Division Title) but they are a team that loves to lose the games they should win. Dalton has plenty of targets to choose from in this Bengals offense. Rookie wide receiver A.J. Green, wide receiver Jerome Simpson, and tight-end Jermaine Gresham are all having great seasons. He’s worth the flier if you need a QB. He’s certainly a better gamble than any of the other names left on the Waiver Wire.
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