Fantasy Football: Week 17 Streamers to Consider
So your team survived this crazy Christmas weekend and made it to championship week. That’s awesome! Now it’s time to keep your eyes on the prize and get only one more win. That’s all it takes. One more itty-bitty win to reach fantasy glory.
Last week, streaming played a big role in many fantasy semifinals, with big-time performances from players like Baker Mayfield, Joe Flacco, Cameron Dicker, and Chase Mclaughlin. If you rolled with one of these one-week rentals, your bravery was well rewarded. Now it’s time to take a look at potential league-winning streamers you can plug into your lineup to squeeze as many points as possible from the QB, K, and D/ST positions in Week 17. As always, if you need any further guidance, you can always check Andy, Mike, and Jason’s weekly rankings and the Start/Sit Tool.
Quarterbacks
Kyler Murray – Arizona Cardinals (73% rostered)
He might not be available enough to be called a streamer, but last week Kyler Murray was only started in 25% of leagues and there’s a chance he could be a league-winning quarterback. Yes, he has been far from great since he got back from injury, but his performance has been kind of predictable: good in favorable matchups such as against the Texans, Rams, and most recently the Bears, and bad against tough defenses like the Steelers and 49ers. He is still missing his top wideout Marquise Brown, but TE Trey McBride’s breakout has helped Kyler move the ball around. This week the Cardinals will face the Philadelphia Eagles, who have been the best matchup for opposing QBs all season. Hollywood Brown might even be back for this one, so Kyler should be in streaming consideration.
Nick Mullens – Minnesota Vikings (15% rostered)
After a very solid season debut in Week 15, Nick Mullens threw four interceptions against the Detroit Lions last week. Still, he managed to salvage the day for fantasy and that’s what counts here. He completed 22 of 36 attempts for 411 yards and two touchdowns and had a QB1 finish. This week he’ll play against the Packers in a divisional matchup that should let him score a decent amount of fantasy points. Green Bay has allowed the fourth-most passing yards during the past four weeks. Mullens has thrown two TDs in consecutive games and has been a much more reliable QB for the Vikings than Joshua Dobbs. I would stream him over most of the other backup QBs this week.
Derek Carr – New Orleans Saints (38% rostered)
Derek Carr has had his ups and downs this season, but he’s been more than OK the past two weeks. Last Thursday night he almost led the Saints to an amazing comeback against the Rams, passing for 319 yards and three touchdowns. New Orleans might once again need to throw the ball a lot this week to keep up with the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay has been great on offense, but at the same time has allowed the fifth-most passing yards over the past four weeks. With a healthy Chris Olave on the field, Derek Carr might have another streaming-worthy performance this week.
Russell Wilson – Denver Broncos (65% rostered)
Who would’ve thought that someone would be writing about streaming Russell Wilson on championship week? He has played a much better season than last one and he has been OK for fantasy in the right matchups. This week the Broncos are playing the Chargers, who have been struggling offensively since Justin Herbert got injured, and defensively since the very beginning of the season. They have allowed 4,190 yards in 15 games. Russell Wilson’s top weapon Courtland Sutton suffered a concussion last week, so you might want to monitor his status during the following days. But even without Sutton, the Broncos need to be aggressive and win this game to keep their playoff hopes alive, so Wilson should be a fine streamer.
Kickers
Michael Badgley – Detroit Lions (9% rostered)
Kickers in high-scoring offenses should be rostered and started, but not many people pay attention to kicker news. That’s why Riley Patterson – who was released by the Lions two weeks ago – is still owned in 25% of leagues. Meanwhile, the Lions’ actual starting kicker Michael Badgley is widely available and has nailed every opportunity he’s had in two weeks. If that’s not enough, his matchup against the Cowboys is projected to be the week’s highest-scoring game. Unless you have an elite kicker in an excellent matchup, please consider Michael Badgley.
Jake Moody – San Francisco 49ers (53% rostered)
I’ve been banging the rookie kicker’s drum all season. Both Brandon Aubrey and Jake Moody landed in high-powered offensive teams, but the latter is still available in almost half of the leagues. Moody has been almost perfect all season and the 49ers’ offense has been constantly providing him with attempts. This week they are 13.5-point favorites against the Washington Commanders in a game with a 48.5 over/under line. He is an absolute green-light kicker for me this week.
Jason Sanders – Miami Dolphins (79% rostered)
Jason Sanders’ roster percentage has diminished a little during the past few weeks, but this will change after his performance against the Cowboys, in which he scored five field goals and an extra point, finishing as the week’s number-one kicker. Check if he is available in your league since the Dolphins might find themselves in a similar game script this week, trying to score against the Ravens’ tough defense in what projects to be another of this week’s highest-scoring affairs.
Ka’imi Fairbairn – Houston Texans (4% rostered)
This is another talented yet widely available kicker that the fantasy community has not paid attention to recently. Ka’imi Fairbairn has been perfect since he came back from injury two weeks ago. He had a monster week and then a very quiet one, but it wasn’t his fault. If C.J. Stroud returns this week from concussion protocol, the offense should get in field goal range more frequently and Ka’imi Fairbairn should be a viable streamer.
Defense & Special Teams
Los Angeles Rams (17% rostered)
Last week the Rams’ defense was having a decent game before they allowed Derek Carr to transform into a comeback machine and score several touchdowns. This week they’ll have a much easier matchup against the New York Giants, who have been terrible. Their offensive line is still leading the NFL in sacks allowed by a wide margin. If you’re looking to stream a D/ST to win a championship, the Rams might be the way to go.
Jacksonville Jaguars (36% rostered)
Last week, the Packers allowed Bryce Young to have the first 300-yard game of his career. But the Panthers are still among the NFL’s worst offenses, and the defenses playing against them should be started in fantasy. That’s why if you need a D/ST this week, the Jaguars might be a good option. Their fantasy numbers have been declining during the second half of the season mainly because of tough matchups. But at this point of the season, Carolina is one of the most favorable ones, so I expect the Jaguars’ defense to bounce back this week.
Houston Texans (33% rostered)
The Texans’ defense has been good this season. They have scored less than six fantasy points only twice and they’ve had their share of big-time performances. This week they’ll face the Tennessee Titans, who have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to opposing D/ST over the past month. I’d start the Texans over many other defenses this week as a high-floor and high-ceiling play.
Denver Broncos (78% rostered)
The Broncos are a much less available option after being a popular pickup last week but don’t forget to check if they’re up for grabs in your league. This week they’ll play against the Los Angeles Chargers, who weren’t as easy on the Bills last Saturday but still have allowed 15.2 fantasy points on average to the position over the past four weeks.