Giants QB Tyrod Taylor will start this weekend's game vs. the Rams, HC Brian Daboll said. Taylor played reasonably well in relief of QB Tommy DeVito in Philadelphia on Monday, throwing for 133 yards, one TD, and one INT in the second half. He completed 64% of his passes at 7.4 yards per attempt with two TDs and 0 INTs in starts against the Bills and Commanders earlier this season. Taylor is just a low-end QB2 for Week 17, but he should bring more stability to the offense than DeVito.
The Commanders named QB Jacoby Brissett the Week 17 starter. Brissett has provided a spark over the past two weeks, totaling 224 yards and 3 TDs on a 78.3% completion rate. We’re not excited about the former Colt as a fantasy starter – especially against the 49ers. But Brissett raises the outlook for Washington’s WR corps, most notably Terry McLaurin. See where he and Brissett sit in our updated Week 17 rankings.
The Buccaneers started LB K.J. Britt in place of Devin White once again Sunday against the Jaguars. But Britt played just 3 snaps for the team while White took the other 63. That followed three straight inactive games for White and two weeks of at least 90% playing time for Britt. The down stretch for White started with an injury but then included the LB reportedly telling the team he couldn't go in Week 15 after being told Britt would keep getting playing time. Back in his old role against Jacksonville, White delivered cross-category production. He tallied a meager 4 tackles (2 solos) but added a half-sack among 2 QB hits, plus an INT among 2 passes defensed. According to FOX Sports' Greg Auman, co-DC Kacy Rodgers said before the game that White and Britt would both play "big roles" in the game. That it only proved true for White and he delivered a nice performance should mean a similar role in Week 17. You'll find White back in our LB rankings this week.
Monday night’s game vs. the 49ers gave fantasy managers a chance to see how the Ravens would split their RB workload after rookie Keaton Mitchell sustained a season-ending ACL injury in Week 15. Baltimore ended up favoring Justice Hill, who saw a team-high 13 touches and logged his second-highest snap share (62%) of the season. Teammate Gus Edwards was also involved (70 total yards, 1 rushing TD) and saw all three of the Ravens’ RB touches from inside the five-yard line on Monday night, per PFF. Managers looking ahead to Week 17 can feel good about starting both Hill and Edwards as RB3/flex options, though it’d be better to lean toward Edwards if you’re picking between them. They’ll be set to face a Dolphins defense that ranks as the sixth-toughest matchup per our adjusted fantasy points allowed, though Miami is tied for seventh-most red zone rushing TDs allowed (14) this season. Banking on Edwards, the goal-line option, is the more optimal play.
Eagles TE Dallas Goedert roped in 7 of 9 targets for 71 receiving yards vs. the Cowboys in Week 16. Monday evening’s contest marks the second game in a row that he’s seen 9 targets in a game. Since returning from a broken forearm in Week 14, Goedert ranks second on the Eagles in target share (23.4%) and will look to ride this momentum into Week 17 vs. the Cardinals. Though Arizona ranks as the fifth-toughest TE matchup per our adjusted fantasy points allowed this season, Goedert has seen a hefty amount of involvement in the Eagles’ passing game of late. He should be able to find his way into low-end TE1 status based on volume, but just be sure to temper expectations.
Eagles RB D’Andre Swift is continuing to trend upward. He tallied 20 carries for 92 yards and a TD in Monday night’s victory vs. the Giants. While he saw no work in the passing game for the second time this season, Swift’s usage is ramping up much closer to his season average of 16.9 touches per game. He’d seen a pair of flop games between Week 13-14 in which he received 21 touches combined, but those were blowout losses in which the Eagles’ offense operated within heavily negative game scripts. The team’s last two contests have produced much closer outcomes and have rewarded Swift as a result. This will be important to remember ahead of their Week 17 matchup vs. the Cardinals. Arizona ranks as the second-best RB matchup per our adjusted fantasy points allowed and 31st in run defense DVOA in 2023. This is the kind of spot where Swift should be able to post borderline RB1 numbers for managers in fantasy championships. Don’t hesitate to fire him up in your lineup.
The Texans have claimed S Kareem Jackson off waivers from the Broncos. Denver dumped the twice-suspended veteran, opting to continue with P.J. Locke next to S Justin Simmons. Jackson could see immediate time for a Houston defense that lost Jimmie Ward to a quad injury against the Browns. It's not yet clear how long Ward will be out. We'll watch for specifics on Jackson's Week 17 role.
On Tuesday, ESPN's Adam Schefter confirmed that Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson tore his right ACL and MCL in Sunday's loss vs. the Lions. That ends Hockenson's phenomenal season. The veteran pass-catcher posted a position-leading 127 targets and 219 PPR points (a career-best) through Week 16. We'll see about his chances of making it back for the start of 2024. But his long-term dynasty value should still largely remain intact. Be sure to keep up with us throughout the offseason as more information becomes available. Hockenson's injury likely means more playing time for TEs Josh Oliver and Johnny Mundt. They saw near-identical playing time against the Lions, with Mundt getting the edge in snaps (23-21) and targets (3-2). The presence of both makes neither especially attractive for fantasy purposes. WR K.J. Osborn probably gains the most fantasy relevance.
Jets QB Zach Wilson (concussion) is out for Thursday night's game vs. the Browns. QB Trevor Siemian will get the start. He mustered just 4.4 yards per pass attempt against the Commanders' league-worst pass defense last week and is not a viable Week 17 starter even in Superflex leagues.
Jaguars HC Doug Pederson said Tuesday that QB Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) is "progressing" but "sore," per insider Mia O'Brien. "We'll see where he's at tomorrow," Pederson added. It sounds like there's a chance that Lawrence is able to play vs. the Panthers this weekend, although he'd be very tough to trust in fantasy lineups. We'll track his status the rest of the week.
Steelers HC Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that QB Mason Rudolph is "scheduled" to start in Week 17 He added that the team will see where QB Kenny Pickett's mobility is at the end of the week. So it sounds like Pickett has a chance to return but that the team isn't expecting him to be ready. Rudolph threw for 290 yards and 2 TDs Saturday in his first start of the season. Pittsburgh will visit Seattle this Sunday. We'll bet on Rudolph falling short of his Week 16 numbers, but the Seahawks present a similarly generous defense. They rank 24th in total DVOA, 24th against the pass, and 22nd against the run.
RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire looks likely to lead the Chiefs' Week 17 backfield against the Bengals. Isiah Pacheco left Monday's loss to the Raiders with a concussion, and Jerick McKinnon landed on IR ahead of that game. CEH managed just 6 yards on 4 carries against the Raiders, just to make sure you remember his limitations. But he did post 42 receiving yards in catching all three of his targets. CEH will be worth a pickup where available this week because K.C. faces a soft Bengals defense. Cincinnati allowed 397 yards to the Steelers and 424 to the Vikings the past two weeks. The Bengals have allowed seven opponents to reach 400 total yards this season and yielded 24+ points in five of their past seven games.
WR Rashee Rice posted unspectacular numbers Monday, in a game that saw the entire Chiefs offense disappoint vs. the Raiders. But his 6 receptions for 57 yards didn't kill your fantasy lineup. And Rice's 12 targets marked a season high as well as 27.3% of QB Patrick Mahomes' total pass attempts for the game. Rice has now seen 9+ targets in five straight games, earning a 26.2% target share over that span while averaging 7.6 catches and 78.2 yards per contest. Rice should remain glued to your lineup for a high-upside matchup with the Bengals in Week 17. He'll get another positive spot against the Chargers in Week 18, if your league plays that week.
Commanders RB Chris Rodriguez racked up 58 yards and 2 TDs on 10 carries in Sunday's loss to the Jets. After the game, though, he had a boot on his right foot. ESPN's John Keim says Rodriguez "rolled" that ankle, but we haven't seen any other details on the injury or his Week 17 outlook. We'll watch the whole backfield -- including whether Brian Robinson Jr. will be ready -- throughout the practice week. Whoever's playing will get a challenging matchup with the 49ers.
Raiders WR Davante Adams let you down big time with just 1 reception for 4 yards in Monday's loss to the Chiefs. His 6 targets marked the fewest he'd seen in a game since Week 6 and his third-lowest total of the season. But if your team survived that performance and advanced anyway, don't overrate Adams' rough day in making your Week 17 lineup decisions. The bad game came just a week after Adams delivered an 8-101-1 receiving line against the Chargers and marked the first time since Week 9 that he finished a game with fewer than 5 receptions. The Chiefs have been the fifth-toughest scoring matchup for WRs this season, by our adjusted fantasy points allowed. And the defense has been legitimately tough against the pass, ranking fifth in DVOA. Adams gets a more favorable matchup with the Colts in Week 17. Indy has also been a negative scoring matchup for WRs (ninth-toughest) but ranks just 14th in pass DVOA. Expect Adams to settle in WR2 territory of our Week 17 rankings.
Raiders RB Zamir White racked up 145 yards on 22 carries in Monday's win over the Chiefs. He had just seven rushes for 33 yards at halftime but loaded up in the fourth quarter, as Vegas ran out the clock. White tallied 64 of his yards on just his final three runs to get to the 2-minute warning. That followed his solid 17-69-1 effort (plus 3 receptions for 16 yards) in the Week 15 beatdown of the Chargers. But RB Josh Jacobs seems likely to be ready for Week 17. He was officially questionable for the K.C. game, though it didn't sound like he actually got close to playing. Jacobs managed just one limited practice for Week 16, sandwiched between two missed days. White belongs on a fantasy roster heading into Week 17, but don't expect him to be usable unless Jacobs remains out. White's past two weeks have made his dynasty outlook much more interesting, after he had basically done nothing through nearly his first two seasons. Consider White more of a "hold" than a "buy," though. He's no lock to take over the backfield even if Jacobs leaves in free agency.
Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker handled 16 of 19 team carries in Sunday's win over Tennessee. That’s strong volume, considering Walker's missed practices and questionable status (ankle) entering the weekend. Still, he managed just 3.4 YPC while matching Zach Charbonnet in targets (2). Walker’s now caught exactly 1 pass in five of his past seven matchups. Week 17 turns up a Steelers matchup that’s slightly favorable.
49ers QB Brock Purdy suffered a stinger in the fourth quarter of Monday night's game vs. the Ravens. He's been cleared to return, according to ESPN's Lisa Salters, but Purdy has remained on the sidelines with San Francisco trailing by 14. We'll look for more info on Purdy's status, but it sounds like we should expect him to be available for Week 17's game vs. the Commanders.
Ravens WR Zay Flowers (foot) is active for tonight's game vs. the 49ers. He put in full practices on Friday and Saturday, so we’re not expecting the foot to be a significant factor.
Giants QB Tommy DeVito was benched at halftime of Monday's game vs. the Eagles. He produced just three points and 55 passing yards in the game's first 30 minutes. After a few surprisingly competent starts, DeVito has bottomed out the past two weeks. QB Tyrod Taylor will play the second half vs. Philadelphia and figures to start the final two games of the season. He should bring a bit more stability to the Giants' offense.
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