Week 17
Games through Jan. 2

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Most leagues wrapped up their playoffs last week, but for some, this Sunday is the most important day of the season. Unfortunately, some teams may be resting key players, so you may have to bring in a benchwarmer or two to replace a superstar. Donovan McNabb’s passing took you all the way to your league championship game? LaDainian Tomlinson led your team to the super bowl in week 17? Then you may be a bit in trouble this week…

After several seasons in which almost all teams had something at stake in week 17, a lot of teams already have their playoff fates sealed this year. It is a perfect example of why your league should have avoided the championship game in week 17. It will be very hard to predict which teams will rest their stars. It looks as if the Patriots, the Steelers and the Colts, for example, will give their players extra rest. The Falcons, the Eagles and the Chargers all may want to win, as nobody wants to enter the playoffs with back-to-back losses, so these teams might play their starters at least as long as they need to. And so the guessing game begins… That’s why we cannot simply recommend the “usual” fantasy studs this week, and we have tried to give you a list of players you can trust, and a few you may wish to avoid in our weekly Start & Sit column.

START

QB:

Jake Plummer, Den: The Broncos control their own playoff fate: regardless of what happens in Sunday’s other contests, they will be in if they beat Indianapolis at home. Not only do the Colts have the third-worst pass defense in the league, they also have nothing to play for anymore. This looks like a great opportunity for Plummer, and you should have him active on Sunday in order to take advantage.

Patrick Ramsey, Was: OK, Ramsey is a not-so-obvious start, but he is one of those dark horses that could wind up giving you more production than several of the star fantasy QBs who might get some rest before the playoffs begin. Yes, Ramsey and the Redskins offense have done practically nothing in the past weeks to warrant fantasy consideration, and it is the matchup alone that puts Ramsey on the Start list. The Vikings have given up 11 TD passes in the past four games and more than 330 yards passing in three straight. He is a high risk, big potential gamble, that could make you look like a genius in your fantasy title game. Or a dunce.

Others to start:
Matt Hasselbeck, Sea
David Carr, Hou
Kerry Collins, Oak
Chad Pennington, NYJ
Marc Bulger, StL

No-brainers:
Daunte Culpepper, Min
Trent Green, KC
Byron Leftwich, Jax
Billy Volek, Ten
Jake Delhomme, Car

RB:

Jamal Lewis, Bal: Lewis has been a big question mark recently due to his ankle injury, but he handled the bulk of the load the past two weeks. The Ravens need a win over Miami to have a chance at the playoffs, so they have to rely on Lewis. And unlike last week, where he faced the top run defense of the league, he faces a soft Dolphins unit that is only 30th in the league vs. the rush.

Michael Pittman, TB: Pittman has struggled in the past five weeks, topping 100 yards only once, and scoring just one TD. He should come back strong this week against a weak Cardinals run defense that gives up more than 136 yards per game on the ground. With a lot of stud RBs not scheduled to play the entire game, Pittman simply has to be active on your team with this tremendous matchup.

Others to start:
Fred Taylor, Jax (if healthy)
Deuce McAllister, NO
LaDainian Tomlinson, SD
Rudi Johnson, Cin
Larry Johnson, KC
Lee Suggs, Cle

No-brainers:
Shaun Alexander, Sea
Curtis Martin, NYJ
Domanick Davis, Hou
Kevin Jones, Det
Julius Jones, Dal
Tiki Barber, NYG
Nick Goings, Car

WR:

Kassim Osgood, WR: With the Chargers playing for nothing anymore, you can bet they will not rush Keenan McCardell back, and they most likely will rest Eric Parker, who was slightly injured last Sunday. That leaves Osgood as the #1 WR for most of the game, and he should get plenty of action against the weak Chiefs pass defense.

Roy Williams, Det: Williams has had a lot ups and downs this season, but chances are good that he will finish the season on a good note. The Titans have looked strong on offense recently, but they have also given up a lot of points. With Kevin Jones fired up on the ground, there will be a lot of room for the Lions passing game, too. Expect Williams to be open a lot.

Others to start:
Lee Evans, Buf
Chad Johnson, Cin
Isaac Bruce, StL
Michael Clayton, TB
Nate Burleson, Min
Ashley Lelie, Den

No-brainers:
Drew Bennett, Ten
Torry Holt, StL
Joe Horn, NO
Randy Moss, Min
Muhsin Muhammad, Car
Andre Johnson, Hou
Eddie Kennison, KC
Jerry Porter, Oak
Jimmy Smith, Jax
Darrell Jackson, Sea
Rod Smith, Den

TE/K/D:

Kyle Brady, TE, Jax: Brady may be a deep sleeper for this week, but the TE position is thin enough that you may want to take a chance on him. Oakland has been extremely vulnerable to tight ends all season, and continued this trend by giving up 124 yards and two TDs to Tony Gonzalez last week. But they can also be hurt by lesser TEs, as Ben Troupe showed with his 79-yard, 1-TD effort. So if you are hurting at TE, take a chance on Brady.

John Kasay, K, Car: Carolina needs a win at home against the Saints, and they have a solid chance of getting it. The Panthers should certainly be able to put up quite a lot of points against one of the worst defenses in the league. This means a lot of work for Kasay, who could be one of this week’s stronger kicker starts.

Houston Defense: After blanking the Jaguars last week, this defense has an even better matchup this Sunday, playing against a woeful Browns offense that has struggled mightily over the past weeks. Even if Kelly Holcomb returns, it may not change the outcome of the game too much: the Texans defense will simply dominate the Browns on Sunday.

 
BENCH

QB:

Aaron Brooks, NO: Of course, the Saints have something to play for next Sunday, but still Brooks is no guarantee for good fantasy production in that game. The Panthers have the fourth best pass defense in the league, and they will try to keep Brooks in check all Sunday.

Tommy Maddox, Pit: Maddox will start in place of Ben Roethlisberger this week, but he might not be a useful fantasy option. The Buffalo defense is playing well and will pose a stiff challenge for Maddox, and he might have quite a bit of trouble in the red zone, in particular. So if you thought about playing Maddox as a replacement this week, forget it.

RB:

Marshall Faulk, StL: Faulk may not only loose carries to Steven Jackson again, but he will also have a tough time against a Jets defense that allows only 101 yards per game on the ground. That being said, it is better to avoid Faulk this week, whose days as an elite fantasy back may be drawing to a close.

Edgerrin James, Ind: The Colts have nothing to play for, and they will most likely rest quite a few starters. Additionally, Denver’s run defense has come up strong again lately, and they are now sixth in the league in yards allowed. So even if James is on the field for one half or a bit more, he might not be able to do much damage. Start him with caution.

WR:

Brandon Stokley, Ind: After struggling a bit recently, in part to to injuries, Stokley finally had a good game again last Sunday. He might not be much of a factor this week, though.. The Colts cannot afford to risk their receiver reinjuring his groin, and in all probability will keep him out of the game for most of the day. Denver has also shown considerable improvement against the pass lately, and they are ranked third in the league right now. They need the win, the Colts do not. you need the win too, so bench Stokley.

Larry Fitzgerald, Ari: Do you really believe that the Arizona passing game behind Josh McCown has finally gotten on track? Think again. Last week’s three TDs came against a struggling Seahawks defense, and things will be a lot different this time, when the Cards face the #2 pass defense of the league. McCown will be under pressure a lot, and he will have trouble finding time to target his receivers effectively. Bench Fitzgerald; he is too risky a pick for your championship game.

TE/K/D:

Jermaine Wiggins, TE, Min: Since the return of Randy Moss, Wiggins? production has dropped severely, as Nate Burleson and Moss are the top targets on Daunte Culpepper’s list right now. To make matters worse, Wiggins faces one of the top defenses in the league, the Redskins, so better avoid this matchup this week.

Jeff Wilkins, K, StL: Wilkins has always been a very nice option playing alongside the consistently high-scoring Rams offense. And even though the Rams struggled at times this year, Wilkins still was good for at least a handful of points. In this last week, however, the Rams face a true test, and scoring could be down as a result. Both the Jets and the Rams need a win here, and therefore it will be a tough encounter. The Jets are looking to rebound from the loss against the Patriots, and will rely on their defense, who have allowed a bit more than one score on average per game since November, if you do not count last weeks game vs. the Pats. The Rams could have trouble scoring, making Wilkins a risky choice.

Pittsburgh Defense: Yes, it may seem hard to believe that the Steelers defense is on the Sit list, but here is why: coach Cowher already indicated that some of his stars will get some rest, and this will certainly not exclude defensive players. The Bills are arguably the hottest team in the league right now, and they are scoring point after point after point. They might not be slowed by a Steelers team that has nothing more to play for, and the usually reliable Pittsburgh D may be a gamble in this final week.

 
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.