Week 17
Games through December 29

• Tweet

• Tweet

START

QB:

Donovan McNabb, Phi: The Eagles are in a must-win situation, and McNabb has to step up. Philly will look to him to lead the team to a victory over the Skins, not only with his arm but on the ground as well.

Brad Johnson, TB: Yes, the Buccaneers are out of the playoffs and might not play with full motivation here. Still, it should be enough for Johnson to post good overall numbers as he might have to throw a lot.

Others to start:
Drew Bledsoe, Buf
Brett Favre, GB
Jeff Garcia, SF
Matt Hasselbeck, Sea

No-brainers:
Marc Bulger, StL
Trent Green, KC
Jon Kitna, Cin
Peyton Manning, Ind
Daunte Culpepper, Min
Steve McNair, Ten

RB:

Rudi Johnson, Cin: The Bengals need to win this game, while Cleveland has given up. Still, it’s a gamble to know which of the two Bengals running backs will get the majority of the carries this week. We think that Rudi Johnson will probably be the man. Even if he doesn’t get the most carries, he might still get the most yards, as he has a lot of breakaway speed and could burn the Browns for at least one big run (see Jamal Lewis last week).

Anthony Thomas, Chi: Otis Smith ran over the Chiefs last week, and it could be no different with Thomas this week. In order to compete against the Chiefs, Chicago will need to give Thomas plenty of opportunities.

Others to start:
Tiki Barber, NYG
Deuce McAllister, NO
Onterrio Smith, Min
Corell Buckhalter, Phi
Mike Anderson, Den
Domanick Davis, Hou

No-brainers:
Jamal Lewis, Bal
Ahman Green, GB
LaDainan Tomlinson, SD
Ricky Williams, Mia
Shaun Alexander, Sea
Priest Holmes, KC
Marshall Faulk, StL
Edgerrin James, Ind
Tyrone Wheatley, Oak
Fred Taylor, Jax
Kevan Barlow, SF

WR:

Jimmy Smith, Jax: Chances are high that you have already been kicked out of the playoffs after Jimmy had a real bad outing last week. But if you are still in the title chase, we nevertheless urge you to trust in him. The Jaguars simply ran, ran and ran last week, but this should change this week, as it won’t be that easy against the Falcons. Further, it’s much easier to throw against Atlanta, so consider taking a chance on Jimmy.

Tai Streets, SF: With Owens out of the game, Tai is the number 1 receiver in San Francisco. The Niners haven’t given up so far, and really play some great football at home. Taken together, the chances for Streets are really good to post some nice fantasy numbers.

Others to start:
Rod Smith, Den
Chris Chambers, Mia
Laveranues Coles, Was
David Boston, SD
Donald Driver, GB
Darrell Jackson, Sea
Keenan McCardell, TB

No-brainers:
Randy Moss, Min
Chad Johnson, Cin
Santana Moss, NYJ
Anquan Boldin, Ari
Marvin Harrison, Ind
Torry Holt, StL
Hines Ward, Pit

TE/K/D:

Antonio Gates, TE, SD: The young TE is getting more and more confident with the Chargers’ offense, being the second best option behind Tomlinson on his team. With the TE position not very deep, you should play Gates this week against the Raiders.

Seth Marler, Jax: The game is in a dome and it is against the Falcons… Marler should have a very busy day this week, and might be a good start if your routine kicker has a bad matchup or might play in bad weather condidtions.

St.Louis: The Rams are known primarily for their offense, but their defense is also solid, especially their pass rush. Combine that with the Lions’ offensive woes and you have a pretty nice start here.

 
BENCH

QB:

Tommy Maddox, Pit: He had the expected great game last week, but chances are high that he will return to mediocrity this week. The Ravens have a lot at stake if Cincinnati beats the Browns earlier on Sunday, so expect them to attempt to hurry Maddox all night.

Tom Brady, NE: The Bills are playing for pride while the Patriots play for a chance to stay at their cold, snowy home throughout the playoffs. So far, so good, but the Bills still won’t be defeated easily by their division rivals. And as they have been especially tough against the pass, better not take the risk with Brady.

RB:

Travis Henry, Buf: New England has the 4th best rushing defense of the league, and keeping the opposing RBs down was key for their victories so far. It might not be any different this week, as they will try to shut down Henry in order to gain homefield advantage thorughout the playoffs.

Thomas Jones, TB: The Titans are the number one rushing defense of the NFL, and Tampa Bay might let down after last week’s loss, so Jones should not be in your fantasy team this week.

WR:

Todd Pinkston, Phi: We said a little bit earlier that McNabb should do pretty well, but that does not necessarily mean good numbers from Pinkston. He had a great game last week, but the way McNabb is spreading the ball this season, you never know who will be at the receiving end any given week.

Steve Smith, Car: This is not an easy call, benching Smith against NY the way the Giants were playing recently. But the Panthers are locked into their playoff spot and only want to keep their rhythm and avoid any injuries. So playing anyone on such a squad is a risk, as you never know how such a game will turn out, especially when playing on the road.

TE/K/D:

Mikhael Ricks, TE, Det: Ricks has not been involved in the Lions passing game a lot recently, and that should not change this week. The way the Detroit offense is playing overall is another reason not to rely on him, even if St. Louis might be a tempting opponent to start him against.

John Carney, K, NO: Well, that missed extra point is not the reason we have Carney on this list, but it still might play a role in how he will be involved in the game. After such a heartbreaking loss, the Saints might not be on top of their game at all this week, and against the strong Cowboys defense, this could mean few scoring opportunities.

Cleveland: The Bengals need a win here, and the way the Browns played against Baltimore, they seem like a very risky play this week. This unit has given up, so don’t expect much from them.

 
Fantasy Football Cafe’s Start & Sit lists are suggestions intended to give fantasy football players an edge in their weekly matchups. Savvy owners will see these lists not as an absolute ranking, but as an indication of possible outcomes of a given week, and use them together with their own opinions and hunches to field the lineup that will give their team the greatest odds of winning. The Start & Sit lists are compiled by Dan Spazierer (not Madame Zelda). For more insights and additional fine-tuning, visit our Who to Start/Bench forum section.