When it comes to competition, one of the best ways to get an edge on the opposition is through prior preparation. In fantasy football, that way of thinking certainly applies. Here at Bet For The Win, we’re doing the preparation for you.
It is championship week! You’ve waited all year to be a part of this weekend of the fantasy football season, and you can’t afford to mess it up now with silly decisions.
Below are some important names to know ahead of Week 17’s start, including our projected studs, duds and sleepers. Hopefully, these help you make some critical decisions that could ultimately be the difference between you being a winner or a loser.
Studs
QB Dak Prescott – Dallas Cowboys
Behind Prescott, the Cowboys have a great passing game and good offense. On the other side, the Titans are allowing the second-most passing yards and passing touchdowns per game of any team in the NFL. As Tennessee struggles down the stretch of the season, this should be a good game for Prescott.
RB Austin Ekeler – Los Angeles Chargers
Ekeler gets a lot of touches, catches a bunch of passes, and scores many touchdowns. He hasn’t had one bad week yet as far as fantasy football goes, and that won’t change against a banged-up Rams team.
WR Ja’Marr Chase – Cincinnati Bengals
Defenses are paying attention to Ja’Marr Chase in his second year as a pro, which is why his numbers haven’t jumped off the page the same way they did as a rookie (also, he’s dealt with injuries this season). But the Bills aren’t great at stopping opposing teams’ No. 1 wide receivers. Chase could be in a good spot to deliver with all the football world watching on Monday night.
TE George Kittle – San Francisco 49ers
The hot hand will remain hot in Week 17. Kittle has a combined 10 catches for 213 yards and four touchdowns over the past two games. Brock Purdy clearly likes throwing Kittle the ball.
Duds
QB Justin Fields – Chicago Bears
It was a struggle for Fields last week against the Bills and it might not get any better for him this week against a tough Tampa Bay defense that is fighting for its playoff life.
RB Josh Jacobs – Las Vegas Raiders
It’s incredibly difficult to run against the 49ers’ defense. And if Jacobs continues to be ignored in the passing games (no more than 2 catches in a single game over his four outings), he could be in a world of trouble.
WR DeAndre Hopkins – Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are on their third quarterback, who only figured out how to get DeAndre Hopkins one catch for four yards in Week 16. I’d stay away from Hopkins if possible.
TE Mark Andrews – Baltimore Ravens
Andrews hasn’t scored a touchdown since Week 6, and over the last three games, he’s totaled just eight catches for 93 yards. Maybe a Lamar Jackson return would positively change things, but I probably wouldn’t trust that happens.
Sleepers
QB Aaron Rodgers – Green Bay Packers
The Vikings’ defense is no stranger to allowing big quarterback performances — their 281.5 passing yards given up per game are the most in the NFL this season. Rodgers could pick apart the below-average Minnesota defense at Lambeau this weekend with Green Bay needing to win to keep their postseason chances from decreasing.
RB Alvin Kamara – New Orleans Saints
Kamara being stuck on a bad offense has somewhat removed him from star fantasy football player status over recent years. However, he’s still a solid start each week with the potential for explosions. He’s gotten 20 or more carries in back-to-back weeks and delivered good fantasy production. If Kamara can get into the endzone against Philly, he could be a league-winning player this week.
WR Mike Williams – Los Angeles Chargers
Big plays and yards are never hard to come by when the 6-foot-4-inch Williams is on the field for the Chargers. And against a less-than-stellar Rams defense, Williams should see plenty of opportunities to produce.
TE Dallas Goedert – Philadelphia Eagles
Goedert looked like he hadn’t missed a beat in his return from injury (67 receiving yards) and has a high-enough floor for fantasy football this weekend.
