Week 17 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Fantasy Championship Week

Sports Illustrated

Senior fantasy analyst Michael Fabiano is setting your lineups for Week 17 and the fantasy playoff championships.

Transcript

00:00 Congratulations! You have made it to your Fantasy Championship and we're here to help you bring home that trophy.

00:06 Joining me today, SI's Senior Fantasy Analyst, Michael Fabiano, to help you make all those best start sit decisions.

00:13 Okay, Fabs, this is for all the marbles. You say you're gonna start Dak Prescott and Justin Fields this week.

00:19 Yeah, two very good options. Maybe a little bit of low-hanging fruit, but there's not that many teams left in most Fantasy Leagues right now.

00:28 Dak, his last few games have not been great. He's been much better at home. That's where he plays this week at Jerry World.

00:34 The Lions given up right around 21 Fantasy Points per game to quarterbacks over the last four weeks.

00:39 The Vegas totals well over 50. This is going to be a high-scoring affair.

00:43 Start Dak and start Justin Fields, who we told you to play last week. He had well over 20 Fantasy Points.

00:48 I think you can hit that number again against Atlanta. They've allowed 17 plus points to quarterbacks.

00:54 Seven times this year, including four who've gone over 20. They've also given up the seventh most rushing yards to quarterbacks.

01:01 That's a big deal because we know Fields is such a mobile quarterback. So start Justin Fields.

01:06 It's no secret that the last few weeks have been a little wild in the Fantasy World.

01:11 So you've got some interesting sits here. One, to Itagovailoa, who I assume has to do with the matchup.

01:16 And number two, you're telling us to stick Jake Browning. And like you'd think that's well, duh.

01:20 But actually, Jake Browning's been one of the best quarterbacks across the past few weeks as far as Fantasy Points.

01:26 But you say, maybe not this week.

01:27 Yeah, we'll start off with Tua. Tua has not been great lately. I mean, fewer than 16 Fantasy Points in four of his last five games.

01:36 Now he's got Baltimore. Now Baltimore could let down after a huge road win against the 49ers.

01:42 And remember, the last time these two teams played, Tua went off and Lamar Jackson did too.

01:47 But the bottom line here is that if you follow the process, the process says to fade Tua.

01:51 And yeah, Jake Browning, since week 13, is in the top eight among Fantasy quarterbacks.

01:56 It's crazy to think that. But I'm not going to play him against Kansas City.

02:00 They have allowed just one quarterback to score more than 18.9 points against them at Arrowhead Stadium.

02:06 That is not a great ceiling for Jake Browning. I am keeping him on the Fantasy sidelines,

02:10 especially with the injuries there to Jamar Chase.

02:14 Let's jump over to the running back position. Give me a pair of running backs you're definitely starting this weekend.

02:18 I like DeAndre Swift, and we liked him last week. He finally got into the end zone.

02:24 He had a pretty good game. He's had 20 touches in two straight games. He's got the Cardinals this week.

02:30 Their defense has allowed the third most Fantasy Points to running backs in the last four weeks.

02:34 So Swift is a nice flex starter, and so is Javante Williams. And really, Javante hasn't been great.

02:39 I mean, fewer than 11 Fantasy Points in five of his last six games.

02:42 But that one game was against the Chargers, who, oh by the way, they face this week.

02:47 So keep that in mind. The Chargers, ninth most running back points allowed for the season.

02:53 So Javante Williams should be in your starting lineup.

02:55 Moving over to your sit list. You're definitely starting Dak Prescott,

02:59 and I'm sure you're definitely starting CeeDee Lamb.

03:01 But you say no go with Tony Pollard, who could have been one of the bigger Fantasy busts this season.

03:06 And there's another young stud that you also say use caution with.

03:11 Yeah, both of these players are kind of either starting with caution or temper your expectations.

03:16 And Tony Pollard, I mean, you said it.

03:18 I mean, he's one of the biggest disappointments in Fantasy football this season.

03:21 Single digit points in each of his last couple of games.

03:24 And the Lions have allowed the fewest points to running backs on runs alone.

03:28 They've also allowed the fewest points to running backs overall.

03:32 This is a very tough defense.

03:34 They've given up the fewest rushing yards to running backs of any team in the National Football League.

03:38 So beware Pollard and then A-chan, who is still dinged up.

03:42 And I think that's probably why his numbers have gone down and the volume of touches has gone down

03:46 over the last few weeks.

03:48 His last couple of games have not been great.

03:50 And again, matchup against Baltimore.

03:53 They are very tough at home typically.

03:55 Now this game could go sideways and could end up being a scoreboard scorcher.

03:59 But if you look at the numbers, A-chan's a risky flex at best.

04:03 Moving over to the wide receiver position.

04:07 It looks like CJ Stroud is on track to start Sunday.

04:10 Fingers crossed.

04:11 And if so, you say go ahead and fire up Nico Collins.

04:14 Right, Nico Collins, who last week got into the end zone, didn't have a huge stat line.

04:19 But Nico, when healthy, has been a pretty solid fantasy option.

04:24 And the matchup is right this week, Jen, against the Tennessee Titans.

04:27 They've given up the fourth most receiving yards and the fifth most fantasy points to the perimeter.

04:32 So Nico Collins is a good play.

04:34 And Deebo Samuel as well.

04:36 I know last week he did not have a great game against the Baltimore Ravens.

04:39 But in his previous four games, I mean, he had gone nuclear.

04:42 And this is the Commanders.

04:44 This is a great matchup.

04:45 Brandon Iyuk, Deebo Samuel, both in my top 12 among wide receivers this week.

04:51 Start 'em both.

04:52 I think Deebo could have the bigger game though.

04:54 Both players are excellent options in championship week.

04:57 Now we're moving over to your sit list.

05:00 And you have a pair of players on here who may have gotten you through your matchup last week.

05:05 Or you may have just seen them go off on your bench.

05:08 But you say beware, don't chase those points this week.

05:10 Calvin Ridley had a huge game last week.

05:13 Had a couple of touchdowns.

05:14 We actually told you to get him into your lineup.

05:16 The matchup was right.

05:17 It's not right this week though against the Carolina Panthers.

05:20 They've surrendered the fourth fewest points to opposing perimeter receivers over the last four weeks.

05:25 And Trevor Lawrence is banged up.

05:26 So there's the possibility that we could see CJ Beathard.

05:29 That would not be good for Calvin Ridley.

05:31 And George Pickens.

05:32 Yeah, I mean, he went crazy last week.

05:33 I mean, he went more than nuclear.

05:35 35 and a half fantasy points.

05:37 Almost 200 receiving yards.

05:39 Got in the end zone a couple of times.

05:41 But that was his first big game in about two months.

05:44 In fact, he had failed to score double digits in seven of his previous eight games, Jen.

05:49 So this is not a guy who's very consistent.

05:52 Seattle's only given up four touchdowns to wide receivers in Seattle this season.

05:57 So George Pickens is no lock to be a starter.

05:59 Moving to the tight end position.

06:02 There's quite a few of us out there who lost TJ Hawkinson this week.

06:06 Colcomet's kind of banged up.

06:07 Michael Mayer's banged up.

06:08 The list is long.

06:09 So I think there's going to be a lot of claims on the waiver wire.

06:12 You've got a couple guys you say you should definitely start with confidence this week.

06:15 One of which might even still be on the waiver wire.

06:18 Right.

06:19 We'll start off with Trey McBride.

06:21 Last week, the numbers weren't great.

06:22 He was held under 10 points.

06:24 And we were expecting more.

06:26 I think you'll get more from him this week against the Philadelphia Eagles.

06:29 They've allowed 10 plus points to tight ends seven times,

06:33 including five who've gone over 15.

06:36 So McBride should continue to be in your starting lineup.

06:39 And how about Gerald Everett?

06:40 Eight targets in three straight games.

06:42 The numbers have not been bad.

06:43 I mean, he's not putting up huge Antonio Gates-like numbers, but he's doing very well.

06:48 Certainly, Easton Stick has some confidence in him.

06:52 And you've got the Broncos this week.

06:54 No team has a lot more touchdowns or fantasy points to opposing tight ends.

06:57 So start Gerald Everett if you're in a pinch.

07:00 And as far as who you're sitting, Dalton Kincaid, once a darling for all of us,

07:05 hasn't been as good with Cole Kmet back on the field.

07:07 And you're also not starting Dalton Schultz in Houston.

07:10 It's not a good week to be a Dalton, apparently.

07:14 At the time, Dalton Kincaid is droppable at this point.

07:17 Ever since Dawson Knox has come back, he's disappeared.

07:21 I mean, he has had two games of his last three with fewer than two points in one game.

07:25 He didn't score.

07:27 It's brutal.

07:28 Not only that, the Patriots are very tough on tight ends.

07:30 Only two touchdowns allowed the position.

07:33 So Fade Kincaid, hey, I'm a poet and didn't know it.

07:36 And Dalton Schultz as well.

07:37 I know he had a good game last week, 14 points.

07:39 And if CJ Stroud is back, maybe you play him as a back-end tight end one.

07:43 But the Titans have been really tough on that position.

07:47 In fact, the best numbers that an opposing tight end have scored against Tennessee, 10.9 points.

07:54 That is a very low ceiling for Dalton Schultz.

07:57 You know, not only is Dalton Kincaid disappeared, so has Stefon Diggs.

08:01 Can we put his face on a milk carton?

08:03 Stefon, come on.

08:04 It's our championship week.

08:05 Get it together.

08:06 All right, guys, this is it.

08:08 This is all the marbles.

08:09 We will have all the most up-to-date information for you at si.com/fantasy.

08:14 Who to start, who to sit, who's on the injury watch, who to pick up on the waiver wire.

08:17 Be sure you find it there.

08:18 Good luck this weekend.

08:20 You're gonna win it.

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