Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em Week 17

The 2021 fantasy playoffs are just around the corner.  Benjamin (@FFRabbitDad) and Brendan (@obryanbren) are back with more players to take a look at when setting your fantasy football lineups. Check it all out here in our unique Start or Sit Faceoff, for this week with Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em Week 17.

Benjamin: Well, that was a bit of a train wreck for me. At least Ronald Jones played well! I guess the moral of the story here is if I tell you to bench a stud quarterback, he’s probably going to go nuclear that week. (see also Justin Herbert in Week 11) In any case, it’s championship week! Everything you’ve been dreaming of, building for, and hoping to do, all comes down to this one week. Unless you’re playing the fantasy football championship in Week 18. Hey, if you like going into the biggest game of the season without a third of your team, I won’t judge, much. Now it’s time to get to some hot picks!

Brendan: Woah Benjamin, that Josh Allen pick last week? Ballsy…I won’t say anything more. I do believe for most leagues, this is the championship week. So you have probably 3 classes of people still collecting information on who to play in their lineup. The first are the ones playing for the championship. The second would be the ones playing for the 3rd place spot and potentially still getting a payday. The final group is the ones that are still competing for the final ranking in order to have some sort of bragging rights all off-season. Whatever your situation is this week, we have some good advice for you.

Quarterbacks

Start: Jalen Hurts – Trey Lance

Brendan: The Eagles in general have been quite the enigma all season. On paper, they look like they have to be a top-five or top 10 NFL team this year, but in reality? Jalen Hurts is pretty much the face of this. He’s a top fantasy quarterback this season with a third-ranked Consistency Score of 9.55 and has been a top 12 fantasy quarterback in 78.6% of his games played. He had one of his best games of this year against the Washington Football Team. The same Washington Football Team that is allowing the most amount of fantasy points to quarterbacks this season. Hurts is a league winner this year.

Benjamin: Do you want to go with a pick that you can brag about for years? Trey Lance is your guy. He’s got the running floor like Hurts. He’s got the potential of Burrow. He’s got great weapons in Samuel and Aiyuk. He’s got a wonderful matchup against Houston. What he doesn’t have is much of a history. He had a great showing in platoon work back in Week 4 followed by a pedestrian Week 5, his first NFL start. That’s about all we know. Oh, and Houston has surrendered the second-most rushing yards and touchdowns on the year. Lance could be a bust or he could be the #1 quarterback on the week. I’d start him over Russell Wilson or Tyler Huntley this week.

Sit: Ryan Tannehill – Tua Tagovailoa

Benjamin: Things have not been going well for Ryan Tannehill and the Titans as of late. They’ve been slowly losing their grasp on the division crown with the Colts nipping at their heels. Tannehill has thrown only five touchdowns in the last seven games with less than 210 passing yards in each of his last four. Miami’s defense doesn’t make it any easier, allowing just three passing scores in their last seven contests while the last four quarterbacks to face them have failed to get to 190 passing yards. Even with A.J. Brown back, I can’t see a good day for Tannehill and I’ll be benching him for Taysom Hill or Carson Wentz (if he plays).

Brendan: Going back to my old stand-by with Tagovailoa this week. I have picked him as a sit so many times this season I have actually learned how to spell his name! He’s been good over the last few weeks, and the Dolphins have been winning. However, they are facing the Titans defense this week who is giving up 17.76 points to opposing quarterbacks this season, however, only one quarterback has scored more than 18 points since Week 10 on the Titans. Not a good matchup for Tagovailoa.

Running Backs

Start: Sony Michel – D’Andre Swift

Benjamin: When you’re hot, you’re hot, and Sony Michel is torching his opponents. Across his last four games, Michel is averaging 105.8 rushing yards per game and 4.75 YPC. With Darrell Henderson out and Cam Akers in nothing more than a bit role, it’s going to be the ‘Sony show’ one more time. Even with a daunting D-PAC score of 7.82, the Ravens defense will still allow enough groundwork to the Rams. I’m putting Michel into as many lineups as I can ahead of guys like Damien Harris and Josh Jacobs this week.

Brendan: It is looking quite promising that D’Andre Swift is going to start this weekend against the Seahawks. Swift was putting together a really solid season before a string of injuries put him out for a few weeks. He gets to return to play this Seahawks team that has been giving up nearly 30 points per game to opposing running backs. Swift is going to come back in a big way this week.

Sit: James Conner – Saquon Barkley

Benjamin: He’s probably one of the guys that got you here but it’s time to pivot. James Conner missed a lot of practice this week before getting a limited session on Friday. If he suits up, he likely sees a far diminished role to Chase Edmonds this week. Dallas isn’t a pretty matchup for running backs either, as they have allowed one runner to surpass 50 rushing yards since Week 12. I’d take a shot on Jaret Patterson or Rex Burkhead, if you’re that desperate.

Brendan: For those of you who have been holding out hope, it’s time to give up the ghost. Barkley is 100 percent sit-able at this point. Not quite sure if it’s just the Giants’ offense is horrible, Barkley is still a little injured, or he’s starting to bust, but this is starting to look bad. Time to bench Barkley and think about what value you might be able to get for him if you are in a dynasty league.

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Wide Receivers

Start: Odell Beckham Jr – DeVonta Smith

Brendan: It is starting to look like Odell Beckham Jr is finding his role in this Rams offense. He has started to have some consistent production and is a solid starting fantasy wide receiver this week. This week the Rams are facing the Ravens who have a not-so-great passing defense giving up a whopping 37.82 points per game to opposing wide receivers. There will be enough targets for Odell to eat this week.

Benjamin: If you’ve reached this point in the season, you’re probably just going to “go with your guys,” and that’s not a horrible idea. However, some of you may have a potential gem buried on your bench. With limited passing work, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert are the only two pass catchers getting enough chances to even mention here. Smith just went for 80 yards and a score last week and he could find paydirt again this week against Washington, who receivers to pass 80 and score just last week. He’ll be a great WR3 or Flex play in Week 17.

Sit: Marquez Valdes-Scantling – Terry McLaurin

Benjamin: Ladies and gentlemen, the reigning most inconsistent man in football: Marquez Valdes-Scantling. He could get four catches for 123 yards and a score or he could get you literally nothing. That’s scary enough without the horribly cold weather slated for Sunday (and I’m Minnesotan) there’s no way I can tell you it’s alright to start MVS this week. I’d go with Laquon Treadwell or Courtland Sutton instead.

Brendan: I like Terry McLaurin. I really do, I like him a lot. I really liked him at the beginning of the season before Ryan Fitzpatrick went down. I’ll like him at the beginning of next season as well. But this week and the rest of this season? No way. Can not wrap my head around starting him. Washington’s quarterback situation isn’t exactly desirable, and they are playing an Eagles defense that has only allowed 1 top-30 wide receiver in the last seven games. They are also the fourth-ranked defense against wide receivers with a 12.33 consistency score and allowing 27.75 points per game. I would find a way to sit McLaurin this week.

Tight Ends

Start: Gerald Everett – Hunter Henry

Benjamin: Gerald Everett has been a fantasy savior over the last number of weeks. If we take away his four catches and seven yards from Week 13, he has 26 catches at 10.8 yards per reception since his Week 9 bye. He’s also hauled in at least four balls in four of his last five games, scoring three times. Everett is a starting fantasy tight end now. I like him over Pat Freiermuth and Dalton Schultz in Week 17.

Brendan: Hunter Henry has been having a pretty solid second half of the season, until last week against the Bills where he had one reception for nine yards. I would put this mostly on how well the Bills defense has been against opposing tight ends, rather than on Henry. Buffalo is only giving up 7.77 points per game to tight ends this season (which will lead to my pick for the sit this week). The Patriots are playing the Jaguars this, which does not have anyone to cover Henry. In a bounce-back game, I see Henry having a few receptions and a touchdown.

Sit: Kyle Pitts – C.J. Uzomah

Brendan: Not surprisingly, Kyle Pitts has had a very good rookie season as he is creeping up on 1,000 yards receiving. This week, however, they are traveling to Buffalo to face this top-ranked Bills defense against opposing tight ends, with a second-ranked D-PAC score of 2.82. Add in some wind, snow, and whatever the hell other weather conditions we will see in Buffalo on Sunday, and this just is not a good week for Pitts.

Benjamin: C.J. Uzomah might have helped you get here with a couple of fine fantasy days in the last few weeks or maybe you were Hoping for Darren Waller or Jared Cook. Sorry, best to look elsewhere. The Kansas City defense is stingier than originally believed. They haven’t allowed a tight end to score since Week 8 and just one tight end has eclipsed 33 receiving yards since Week 6. If you’re in dire need at the position, Brevin Jordan or Josiah Deguara would be a better bet.

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