Start 'Em, Sit 'Em wide receivers: Week 17 fantasy football

Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em wide receivers: Week 17 fantasy football

Admin December 25, 2024

It all comes down to this.

Week 17 is fantasy football championship week in most leagues, and that means every roster decision is of paramount importance. Starting the right player in fantasy football could be enough to win a matchup – just look at what running back Jonathan Taylor did last week.

The wide receiver roster decisions, in particular, have plenty of variance thanks to the relative unpredictability of target shares. Making those decisions doesn’t get any easier this late in the year, as injuries continue to decimate the quality options at the position seemingly every week.

Here are which wide receivers to start and which to avoid in Week 17:

Fantasy football start ’em: Week 17 wide receivers

Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers (@ New England Patriots)

Last week, McConkey did something no rookie wide receiver since Odell Beckham Jr. has accomplished: record 50-plus receiving yards in eight straight games. He’s been the clear No. 1 target for quarterback Justin Herbert in the Chargers’ passing offense and is consistently a producer in fantasy football.

This week, he gets a Patriots passing defense that’s in the bottom 10 of all teams in dropback success rate allowed.

Garrett Wilson, New York Jets (@ Buffalo Bills)

Their record might not reflect it, but the Jets have actually been sneaky good at passing the ball in recent weeks. That bodes well for Wilson, even despite being a secondary option for targets behind Davante Adams. He’s surpassed 50 yards in each of the last three weeks and has at least five catches in three of his last four games. In the one game with fewer than five catches, he caught a touchdown.

Across the field is a team that has been bad at defending against the pass recently. The Bills rank second-to-last in the NFL in dropback EPA and success rate allowed since Week 12, and they’ve allowed the most fantasy points to wideouts in the last four weeks.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks (@ Chicago Bears)

Smith-Njigba is on a heater. He’s recorded at least 70 receiving yards in every game since Week 9 and has five touchdowns in that span. The second-year receiver has also caught at least five passes in all but one game since Week 8 and has seen 12 targets in each of his last two games.

In Week 17, Smith-Njigba and the Seahawks face a team rivaling the Bills’ poor numbers against the pass over the last five weeks. The Bears have allowed the highest dropback success rate and the third-highest dropback EPA in that span.

Fantasy football sit ’em: Week 17 wide receivers

Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals (vs. Denver Broncos)

Higgins has been on a solid stretch since his return from injury in Week 11 with four touchdowns in his last five games.

However, it’s a stretch not likely to continue against a sturdy passing defense. The Broncos have allowed just one touchdown to wide receivers in the last four weeks and the third-fewest EPA on dropbacks since Week 12. Denver is also trying to hold off Cincinnati for a playoff spot, so it will be looking to do all it can to shut down the Bengals’ passing attack.

D.J. Moore, Chicago Bears (vs. Seattle Seahawks)

Moore is a risky option to start in Week 17, particularly in standard scoring leagues. Moore has surpassed 50 yards just once in the last three weeks and doesn’t have a touchdown since Week 13. In addition, he’s getting out-targeted by teammate Keenan Allen in recent weeks and has a lower average depth of target as well.

Moore might have an OK floor in PPR leagues, but he faces a Seattle defense that has been able to limit production from opponents’ secondary pass-catching options in recent weeks.

Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings (vs. Green Bay Packers)

Like Moore, Addison’s solid receptions total week-to-week give him a decent floor in PPR leagues, but he’s more volatile in standard scoring leagues. Last week against the Seahawks, he had just 35 yards on five catches. His fantasy production was boosted significantly by a touchdown catch.

In Week 17, he faces another strong passing defense. The Packers have allowed the fifth-fewest EPA on dropbacks and just 12 touchdowns to wide receivers all season. In Week 16, they held D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett to a combined 50 yards on four catches.

Fantasy football start ’em, sit ’ems, Week 17

Looking for more fantasy football advice? USA TODAY Sports has you covered:

→ Need an edge under center? Here are the best quarterback options to start and to sit in Week 17.

→ A good running back makes all the difference. A bad running back can cost you a lot of points. Here’s who to start and who to sit in Week 17.

→ Kickers are people, too. Here are the most clutch kickers to start, and some to sit, for Week 17.

→ Tight ends can be the perfect X-factor for any fantasy team. Here’s who you should start and sit in Week 17.

→ A good defense can shut down your fantasy opponent’s offense. Here are some D/ST options to start and sit for Week 17.