The Fantasy Fooballers Podcast Recap – Week 17
It is the last week of your journey to a FootClan title! Andy, Mike, and Jason are here to get you to that promised land and close out the 2024 fantasy season! Remember to listen to The Fantasy Footballers podcast, available wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Monday – Week 16 Studs and Duds and Championship Prep
Happy Christmas and Championship week! The guys start by getting sophisticated, then jump in.
Ready to Roll
The guys highlight the road and home splits for the RB position. Rhamondre Stevenson has been over six points better at home, making him a flex option this week. D’Andre Swift has been four points better at home, and Rachaad White has also been better at home. Our road warriors include the Seattle RBs, who head to Chicago this week, and Rico Dowdle. Jason brings up Joe Mixon, who has one of the most significant road/home splits of anyone.
News
Tank Dell had a devastating knee injury, with a dislocation and possibly more damage. James Conner did a lot of work on Sunday and then looked to have a hyperextended knee. Andy bets that Conner will miss next week. Ken Walker left with an injury, and Drake London left the game but did not return. George Pickens has a chance to play this week.
Studs
Jayden Daniels excelled in a tough matchup against Philly. Jared Goff got it done again, and Bryce Young was successful against the Cardinals. Sam Darnold is also playing solid football. If dropping the ball last week didn’t kick you out of the playoffs, Jonathan Taylor delivered as the RB1 this week. Chuba Hubbard and De’Von Achane were great, and James Cook keeps getting it done. Jahmyr Gibbs was good but not great, and Jerome Ford took care of business.
Justin Jefferson highlighted the WR studs and Keenan Allen had his third top-10 performance in five weeks. Brian Thomas Jr. is a beast, and Mac Jones loves throwing the ball to him. Jameson Williams had a big day, and another man named Jamison (Crowder) was incredible. No one played Deebo, and JSN scored again. Brock Bowers was the TE1 on the season, and Chig came in second—Andy nailed it. Sam LaPorta scored, and David Njoku was heavily targeted.
Duds
Trey McBride did NOT score a TD, and all he did was run wide-open all game long. T.J. Hockenson and Travis Kelce did not deliver, and many managers felt backed into using them. Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts were the big QB disappointments, and Tua and Matthew Stafford were terrible starts. Looking back to Thursday, Joe Mixon was average against a lousy defense. Perhaps Isiah Pacheco returned too soon, and with Kareem Hunt still being used, he is a tough start. Other duds include Tony Pollard, Brian Robinson Jr., and Rico Dowdle. Travis Etienne might be the biggest bust in fantasy football this season. Cooper Kupp couldn’t bounce back, Khalil Shakir had only two catches, and Jerry Jeudy was invisible. Jauan Jennings is not the late-season hero we all needed.
Good luck if you need a Monday night miracle!
Tuesday – Week 17 Waivers and Christmas Football Preview!
Monday Night Recap
It was a waste of time for everyone and had zero redeemable qualities for anyone on the New Orleans side. Josh Jacobs did enough in the first half, and Christian Watson is held together with Scotch tape and bubble wrap.
Difference Makers
The guys are only looking at the players you can start in your playoff matchup, and thankfully, most of the playoff teams are still highly motivated. This is great for fantasy football. The Chargers and Broncos are holding on for that last playoff spot, and the Colts, Dolphins, and Bengals are hoping things go wrong for other teams. Houston has a minimal chance to move up their seed, so take that motivation into account. The Cardinals, Niners, and Cowboys were eliminated last week in the NFC, so player motivation will be an issue.
News
It is uncertain whether James Conner will play this week, so if you have him, you must have a pivot option, especially because he plays later in the week. The Chargers are opening up the 21-day window for J.K. Dobbins, and he might play this week. The Texans signed Diontae Johnson, and maybe it will work for them. Dorian Thompson-Robinson is battling a calf injury, and Xavier Legette looks to miss another game.
Waiver Wire
Starting with the RBs, Andy is leaning away from the Arizona options if Conner misses, and if you are in a tough position, Michael Carter would be the guy. Jason’s top guys are Tyjae Spears and J.K. Dobbins if he was not dropped. Andy loves Jalen McMillan this week and enjoyed what he saw on film for Marquise Brown. A desperation play is Rashod Bateman against Houston. Chig is your main TE guy, and if you want to go past him, Dalton Schultz is your sneaky pickup. Defenses the guys like include the Colts, the Dolphins, and the Raiders. Jason also likes the Chargers.
Streamers
Andy is streaming Matthew Stafford, Jason is going with Bo Nix, and Mike likes Anthony Richardson.
Fantasy Forecast
Christmas Football (Dot Com) brings us Kansas City and Pittsburgh on Christmas morning. George Pickens should return and is in your lineup, but Najee is on your bench. You should also bench Jaylen Warren. On the Chiefs’ side, Xavier Worthy is still a good start with the return of Hollywood Brown. Andy is scared to play Pacheco, but Kareem Hunt is always a threat for TDs. Baltimore and Houston play next. Lamar is playing incredibly and the Texans have been soft on WRs all season long, which is good for Zay Flowers. Start your studs. We have been let down by CJ. Stroud in fantasy, but that might not be his fault. Joe Mixon is in your lineup, and Dalton Schultz is a sneaky TE start.
Seattle at Chicago is the Thursday night matchup. This is a must-win for the Seahawks, and the Bears cannot seem to win. Keenan Allen has been fantastic, and he is in your lineup. D.J. Moore is forcing his way over 10 fantasy points—you can start him, but it will not be pretty. Kenneth Walker is injured again for Seattle, and Zach Charbonnet only had one carry last week. That backfield makes Andy nervous. Jason would prefer to pivot away from D.K. Metcalf.
Merry Christmas, FootClan!
Thursday – Starts of the Week and Week 17 Breakdown, RAIN alert!
Wednesday Night Recap
The summary of the Christmas games was that the Chiefs manhandled the Steelers. Xavier Worthy had a great outing, but Travis Kelce was a week too late. Spoiler alert: when Kelce is left wide open, he still catches the ball. Baltimore beat the holiday spirit out of the Texans, and Lamar really didn’t have to throw much. He still was a fantastic start, along with Derrick Henry. The Texans were made to look dumb.
News
Ken Walker has been ruled out this week, and James Conner has been limited, so he might push to play. Jalen Hurts did not practice; if you survived somehow, ensure you have a pivot. Chris Olave returned to full practice this week, and Spencer Rattler will play if Derek Carr cannot go.
Starts of the Week
Andy is starting Brock Purdy, Bucky Irving, Tyreek Hill, and Chig. Jason is going with Laser Mayfield, Breece Hall, Keenan Allen, and also Chig! Finally, Mike is starting Bo Nix, Rachaad White, Tee Higgins, and Trey McBride.
Fantasy Forecast
The Chargers head east to play the Patriots, and Los Angeles is on the cusp of grabbing a playoff spot. The team is hoping for J.K. Dobbins‘ return, and the matchup is good for him, so Jason says you can start him. Ladd is an automatic start. On the other side, with Rhamondre’s fumbling issues, Andy is emergency adding Antonio Gibson. The Broncos and Bengals are the next matchup, and the weather is questionable. Keep an eye on it, but don’t bench your big studs here. Both Tee Higgins and Courtland Sutton are back in your lineup.
The Cardinals and Rams play next in a battle of the NFC West. Even though Arizona is out of the playoffs, Andy still believes the team will be motivated. If James Conner is active, the guys are starting him. If he doesn’t play, avoid the other RBs. Cooper Kupp has been irrelevant lately and is a big start/sit decision. The Jets and Bills matchup is next in the battle for New York, and Aaron Rodgers has an MCL injury but said he plans to play. Buffalo is on the cusp of locking it all in, but their defense was questionable last week, giving you some hope in the Jets’ offensive weapons. There should be rain during this matchup. Josh Allen and James Cook are in and perhaps move on.
The Raiders and Saints will play a football game! Alvin Kamara is not practicing, and there is little faith in Kendre Miller after he did not get much usage last week. Brock Bowers is obviously in your lineup, and Jakobi Meyers is a scary start. The Colts play the Giants, who currently have the first pick in next year’s NFL draft. Richardson is streamable, but there is not much faith in his pass-catchers. You can start Tyrone Tracy and Malik Nabers for the Giants.
Enjoy the Thursday Night game!
Friday – Week 17 Matchups and Championship Choices, Weather Worries
Thursday Night Recap
What a snoozer. The Bears’ offense looked similar to Houston’s the other day, and Caleb Williams spent most of the game on the ground. It would be the ultimate league punishment to watch that game again. D.J. Moore was fine, but not one player was great. Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Keenan Allen let you down. One big takeaway is the effect weather can have on a football game.
News
CeeDee Lamb is shut down for the rest of the year, and Mike is tilting. Conversely, it is looking that James Conner will make it on the field this week. Tee Higgins is questionable, and with Gus Edwards ruled out, we could see J.K. Dobbins carrying the load. Anthony Richardson is still not practicing, and we might see Joe Flacco. Jalen Hurts also did not practice. When looking at injured players, make sure you have pivot options that correspond to the multitude of game times this week.
Fantasy Forecast
First up today is Dallas and Philly. The game has a low over/under, and Jason is nervous about Rico Dowdle with that Eagles defense. In a desperation pivot, Brandin Cooks would be the WR. On the other side, you are nervous about the WRs with no Jalen Hurts. Saquon is in your lineup, obviously. Carolina heads to Tampa Bay to take on the Bucs in another weather game. Andy is pro-McMillan but says to remember to track the weather. Bucky and Rachaad White could be the dominators in this game. Adam Thielen is a good start, and Mike Evans should be force-fed the ball. You can even start Bryce Young in SuperFlex.
Tennessee and Jacksonville battle next, and this game could be gross. Chig is in your lineup, and whoever wins this game loses. Brian Thomas Jr. has been great, and if Pollard misses, Tyjae Spears is a fabulous start. Miami heads to Cleveland to play the Browns, and heavy rain is forecast. Start your main Dolphins studs, and on the other side, it is DTR or Bailey Zappe, making any of the offensive weapons nerve-wracking starts. Mike is trying to avoid starting anyone on the Browns.
Green Bay and Minnesota play in the battle of the NFC North. Jordan Love is a good start, and you can slide in the Green Bay WRs with a high ceiling. Aaron Jones and Justin Jefferson are starts, but T.J. Hockenson is a sketchy play. Josh Jacobs has been dominant and is in your lineup, even in a tough matchup. Sunday night brings us Atlanta and Washington in a rookie QB battle. Both teams are highly motivated. Jayden Daniels has been exceptional and is in your lineup with Terry McLaurin. You can return to Brian Robinson Jr. On the Falcons’ side, Bijan should get tons of work, with RBs being a good way to beat the Commanders, and Darnell Mooney can be a flex option.
The final game of the week is Detroit and San Francisco. Injuries have ravaged both teams, but we expect Isaac Guerendo back, and with all the losses to Detroit’s defense, he is a better start than usual. Both QBs are in play, and Jauan Jennings would be the San Francisco WR to go with. Start your Detroit studs.
The guys reveal their DraftKings lineups, and Mike spins the Wheel of Shame. Go bring home a championship FootClan!