A slew of primetime games throughout the week leaves only eight games for DFS. Players will have to think outside the box regarding their choices. There are several crucial playoff matchups, so it’s time for some massive performances. These are Week 17 DFS Sleepers.
*All prices are based on a $60,000 budget listed on FanDuel.
Week 17 DFS Sleepers
Quarterback
Joe Flacco
This pick is a risk since Anthony Richardson hasn’t been ruled out yet, but he did not practice this week. That is usually a telling sign that a player will miss the game. If he can’t play, Joe Flacco will start on Sunday. Flacco has started four games for the Colts this season with mixed results.
Flacco is 1-3 in those starts, but he also closed out a win in Week 4 following an injury to Richardson. His best fantasy performance came in a game against the Jags, with 26.6 fantasy points. The Sunday slate is rough for quarterbacks, but Flacco has a great matchup. The Giants have one of the worst defenses in the NFL, and they allow the ninth most fantasy points to quarterbacks.
The Colts are fighting for their playoff lives. Ideally, they need to win both of their remaining games and hope that the Broncos lose both of theirs. The Broncos play the Bengals on the road and the Chiefs at home, so it’s not too farfetched to suggest that the Colts have a decent chance. Flacco could be a bargain at $6,000.
Running back
Jerome Ford
It’s very top-heavy at running back this week. Options such as Saquon Barkley against Dallas are very enticing, but a name with some value a little further down the list is Jerome Ford. Nick Chubb is now on injured reserve, so Ford is the Browns undisputed lead runner.
Ford is coming off his best game of the season against the Bengals. Ford ran for 92 yards and a touchdown and caught five passes for 39 yards. The Browns will have Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback, which means they’ll be running the ball more. Weather will also play a role; the weather will be in the high 40s with a 70% chance of rain.
Considering these factors, the Browns should lean on Ford to carry the offense. He’s not the most exciting pick, but at $6,600, he’s a solid secondary running back this week.
Wide Receiver
Romeo Doubs
The Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings game is the most exciting matchup of Week 17. Two excellent teams and division rivals are fighting for playoff seeding. The Packers have become a power-running team over the last few weeks, but that might have to change this week.
The Vikings have the second-best run defense in the NFL and aren’t nearly as effective against the pass. They rank dead last in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers, and this game has the potential to be a shootout. Doubs has been up and down this season, but he does have two multi-touchdown games.
Christian Watson didn’t practice this week, and given his injury history, it’s unlikely he will play. This means more volume for Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks against a shaky Vikings secondary. Doubs will likely be Jordan Love‘s go-to target, yet he only costs $5,600.
Tight End
Chigoziem Okonkwo
The Tennessee Titans will have Mason Rudolph at quarterback on Sunday. Rudolph is serviceable at best, but one player who benefits from him starting is Chig Okonkwo. Okonkwo has seen elite volume with Rudolph in the last two weeks. He has back-to-back games of eight or more receptions and ten or more targets.
Okonkwo also faces the team with arguably the worst defense in the league, the Jaguars. They allow the most fantasy points to quarterbacks and the seventh most against tight ends. If Okonkwo’s volume persists, he’s a great option this week.
His $5,400 is attractive, considering the lack of options this week.
