Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em Week 17

start-em-sit-em-week-17-2023

Welcome back to another edition of our weekly fantasy football Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em. If you’re reading this, your fantasy football championship is probably happening this week. Needless to say, you can’t make any mistakes anymore. Nailing every single one of your players for the week is crucial and wrong picks can cost you a fantasy championship. With that, it’s time to take a look at Week 17 of the 2023 NFL and fantasy football season.

Furthermore, these players will be those “less-obvious” players that you’re on the fence about starting as your WR3 or Flex type of options. Nobody needs to tell you to start Patrick Mahomes or Christian McCaffrey.

Week 17 Starts

Kyler Murray (QB)

Arizona Cardinals @ Philadelphia Eagles

First up is Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals. This week, the Cardinals go on the road to face off against Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s no surprise at this point that the Eagles defense has been much less than we anticipated before the season started. On the season, they are giving up the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks.

Since returning from injury in Week 10, Murray has played in six games. During that time, he’s been a top-12 quarterback in half of those games and a top-9 quarterback twice. Needless to say, he’s slowly returning to form and has done well in the matchups that have been good on paper. In two of those six games, he’s faced the Steelers and the 49ers, both teams that are tough matchups against opposing quarterbacks. Additionally, he finished as the QB19 and QB18 in those games.

With solid offensive weapons around him such as James Conner and Trey McBride, Murray has plenty to work with. Not to mention, he could potentially be getting Marquise Brown back this week who has missed a couple of games now with a heel injury. Start Murray in the good matchups and you can expect around 20 fantasy points. Don’t be concerned that he popped up on the injury report on Wednesday with an illness. All in all, Murray could end up with a top-10 finish this week.

Najee Harris (RB)

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Seattle Seahawks

One of the most disappointing players in fantasy football this year has certainly got to be Najee Harris. Not to mention, Kenny Pickett and this entire Steelers offense. Currently, Harris is the RB30 in PPR leagues and just is extremely difficult to trust every week. However, this week he has a very nice matchup against the Seahawks. So far, Seattle gives up the third-most fantasy points to opposing running backs.

Despite being tough to trust and with Jayeln Warren getting more and more work, I’d be fine with starting Harris as a Flex option. Despite being tough to trust, Harris does have four top-12 PPR finishes this year. Coming off a week with 19 carries, over 4 YPC, and a touchdown, a positive matchup makes Harris a decent play for Week 17.

Tee Higgins (WR)

Cincinnati Bengals @ Kansas City Chiefs

After a slow start, dealing with injuries, and missing four full games this year, Tee Higgins is back. In his last two games, he’s racked up over 200 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Notably, he’s been a WR8 and WR9 in PPR scoring in those two games. Yes, this can partly be due to Ja’Marr Chase missing time with a shoulder injury. Additionally, he may end up sitting in Week 17 as well.

This week, the Bengals face off against the Kansas City Chiefs, which is still a tough matchup, despite their recent struggles. Notably, a loss to the Raiders. However, look for Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and this entire Chiefs team to bounce back. A win this week for the Chiefs would secure them a spot in the playoffs. For the Bengals, they need to win their last two games, which will be tough. They get the Chiefs this week and the Browns in Week 18.

Furthermore, Jake Browning has stepped in for the injured Joe Burrow just fine. In the past four games, he has had three games with 324 or more passing yards. Additionally, he’s thrown for 7 touchdowns since Week 12 when he was the starter. Overall, Higgins has secured a solid role and should lead the team in receiving again with Chase likely sitting again.

Evan Engram (TE)

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Carolina Panthers

Quietly putting together another solid fantasy football season, Evan Engram is the TE5 in PPR leagues. After signing with the Jaguars a year ago, he finished as the TE5 overall last year in PPR leagues. Joining Trevor Lawrence has been great, giving Engram a nice resurgence in fantasy value.

This week, Engram faces off against the Carolina Panthers, who aren’t exactly an easy matchup for TEs on paper. However, Engram has become someone you need to start every single week. With a 4.41 Consistency Score, Engram has been the second-most consistent fantasy tight end, behind just Travis Kelce. Regardless of the matchup, you’re starting Engram every week with confidence.

Week 17 Sits

Tua Tagovailoa (QB)

Miami Dolphins @ Baltimore Ravens

Coming off yet another dud performance, Tua Tagovailoa might be someone you leave on your bench in your fantasy football championship. It’s tough to sit a player such as Tagovailoa, considering he may be the only quarterback you have on your roster. However, this week he gets the Ravens who have been the toughest matchup for opposing quarterbacks in the NFL this year for fantasy.

Furthermore, Tagovailoa is coming off three weeks in a row where he’s finished outside the top 20 for fantasy quarterbacks. Despite being questionable to play, star wide receiver Tyreek Hill still finished last week with 9 catches on 14 targets for 99 yards. On the other side, Jaylen Waddle has been dealing with a high ankle injury and caught just one of 4 passes for a huge 50-yard gain. I wouldn’t count on Waddle playing and while Hill may be healthy, it’s still a very difficult matchup and Tagovailoa has just been cold as of late. It’s tough to sit him, but if you have better options, there may be more upside this week elsewhere.

De’Von Achane (RB)

Miami Dolphins @ Baltimore Ravens

Next up is another Miami Dolphins, this time rookie De’Von Achane. One of the most pleasant surprises and simply electric players on the field, Achane has been great and should be the future of this Miami backfield. However, Raheem Mostert just continues to produce and leads all running backs with a whopping 18 total rushing touchdowns on the year. More importantly, he’s the RB2 in PPR and was a fantastic value in fantasy drafts.

This week, the Dolphins have a tough road matchup against one of the best rushing defenses in the league. Look for Lamar Jackson and this talented Ravens defense to put it to the Dolphins, coming off a great road victory over the 49ers. Even Mostert might be tough to trust this week, but has the best shot at finding the end zone in this backfield. Achane is coming off three straight weeks as an RB3 or worse and might be better off on your bench with Tagovailoa this week.

Davante Adams (WR)

Las Vegas Raiders @ Indianapolis Colts

Another player that has been frustrating to roster in fantasy football this year is none other than Davante Adams. For where you had to draft him, Adams has been fairly unreliable, struggling on a week-to-week basis, according to our free fantasy football tool, the Consistency Score. Notably, he has two games this year where he caught just one pass. Right now, he’s the WR17 in PPR scoring.

Furthermore, Adams will face off against the Indianapolis Colts this week, who have been one of the toughest matchups for opposing wide receivers. Last week, the Chiefs, who are also a very tough matchup for WRs on paper, held Adams to just one catch for four yards. Furthermore, Adams had a streak of 7 straight games without a touchdown this year. More importantly, he has just 5 touchdowns this year, good for 33rd for all wide receivers. It’s tough, but you might be better off leaving Adams on your bench this week.

Pat Freiermuth (TE)

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Seattle Seahawks

Since returning from his injury in Week 11 against the Browns, Pat Freiermuth has shown some signs of life. Notably, a Week 12 performance where he caught 9 of 11 passes for 120 yards. However, outside of that, he’s been very unreliable and honestly might be on the waiver wire. If you’re streaming this week, don’t buy into the solid matchup against the Seahawks. There’s no reason to trust someone like Freiermuth right now.

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Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em Week 17