Fantasy Football Big Board: Complete PPR Player Rankings for Week 17

In the vast majority of fantasy football leagues, this is it.

Entering the season, every team in every league had aspirations of winning a championship. But after 16 weeks, all those teams have been whittled down to two. One week from now, a champion will have been crowned.

And if you're reading this, odds are your team is one of those two left. You successfully navigated the draft. Made a few prescient waiver claims. Maybe swung a trade or two. You optimized lineups. Won a couple close games. Got lucky once or twice.

Now, all that stands between you and fantasy glory is one more game. One more win is all that it will take to bring home the title.

The point of this column (and the position-by-position PPR rankings and matchups to exploit and avoid contained within it) is to help you win the ultimate game.

Let's go get that trophy.

Week 16 was a tale of two extremes at the quarterback position. And which extreme fantasy managers found themselves at likely determined whether or not you advanced to Championship Week.

If you had one of the three signal-callers that surpassed 30 fantasy points, things probably went swimmingly. The Bengals' Joe Burrow set a franchise record with 525 passing yards against the Ravens. Dak Prescott of the Cowboys sat out a big chunk of the second half, but not before tossing four touchdown passes. Buffalo's Josh Allen did Josh Allen things, topping 300 passing yards with 64 rushing yards and three scores against the Patriots.

However, at least three more fantasy starters went splat. Philadelphia's Jalen Hurts wasn't awful, but he finished outside the top 12 in fantasy points. Justin Herbert of the Chargers needed garbage time against the Texans to get into low-end QB1 territory. And the Rams' Matthew Stafford imploded, throwing three picks against the Vikings and finishing outside the top 25 at his position.

If you somehow managed to start one of those clunkers and survived, odds are your best bet in Week 17 will be to hope that a rebound is coming and roll them out again.

But it's understandable that the anxiety level involved in doing so has increased exponentially.

GOOD MATCHUPS

Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (vs. KC) [DK DFS VALUE: $6,900]

Burrow is something of a prime candidate to be overdrafted in 2022 by fantasy managers who only remember the big numbers he posted last week and quite possibly will again this week against a Chiefs team giving up the fifth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks.

Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (at WAS) [DK DFS VALUE: $6,600]

Even after last week's disappointment, Hurts is still a top-five fantasy quarterback after 16 weeks. This week, he matches up with a Washington team allowing the most fantasy points to quarterbacks—the same Washington team that Prescott just shredded on Sunday night.

BAD MATCHUPS

Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (vs. DEN) [DK DFS VALUE: $6,800]

Herbert's Week 16 clunker aside, the second-year pro trails only Josh Allen in fantasy points among quarterbacks. But the Chargers' first meeting with the Broncos in Week 12 wasn't one of Herbert's better games; he failed to crack 20 fantasy points and tossed two interceptions.

Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (vs. LAR) [DK DFS VALUE: $7,000]

Jackson isn't even included in the top 30 quarterbacks listed here. There's no guarantee he'll play against the Rams, and he hasn't so much as practiced the past two weeks. But even if does make his return, it's after a substantial layoff on a bad ankle in an unfavorable fantasy matchup.

SLEEPER

Davis Mills, Houston Texans (at SF) [DK DFS VALUE: $5,500]

Frankly, the idea of starting Mills in the fantasy playoffs rather straddles the wrong side of bravery versus stupidity. But if you're looking for a contrarian low-cost DFS play, the rookie has quietly been ninth in fantasy points among quarterbacks over the past three weeks.

WEEK 16 QUARTERBACK RANKINGS

The absolute last thing a fantasy playoff team needs is for a player at the most important position to go down with an injury at the worst possible time.

Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened in Week 16, thanks to the pandemic that has defined so much of the past two years.

Now, the fantasy managers who hit the waiver wire and snatched up Justin Jackson of the Los Angeles Chargers last week were rewarded handsomely. With Austin Ekeler on the COVID-19 list, Jackson tallied 162 total yards and scored twice against the Houston Texans.

Things weren't quite as rosy for the Vikings' Alexander Mattison, although his 70 total yards and a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in Dalvin Cook's stead were enough to land him in high-end fantasy RB2 territory.

Having one of these backs rostered in Week 17 could be a season-saver. Or could mean next to nothing if Ekeler and Cook return ahead of their next game.

Both backs will need to be monitored closely as the week unfolds, but given that Ekeler is vaccinated while Cook is not, the former has a much better chance of being cleared to return in time to take the field once more for fantasy managers.

GOOD MATCHUPS

Ronald Jones II, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at NYJ) [DK DFS VALUE: $6,300]

Jones fared pretty well in his first game as Tampa's lead back last week in Carolina: 22 touches, 81 total yards and a touchdown. That's closer to his floor than his ceiling Sunday against a Jets defense that has been gashed with regularity this season.

Rashaad Penny, Seattle Seahawks (at DET) [DK DFS VALUE: $6,000]

Penny piled up 135 yards and a touchdown last week against the Chicago Bears, the second time in three games that he has topped 130 yards and found the end zone. The Lions head into Week 17 ranked 27th in run defense, allowing an average of 127.3 yards per game on the ground.

BAD MATCHUPS

James Conner, Arizona Cardinals (at DAL) [DK DFS VALUE: $6,100]

Conner's 14 touchdowns on the ground (tops in the NFC) got him into the Pro Bowl and plenty of fantasy managers into the playoffs. But he was a late scratch last week against the Colts and is hard to trust even if active against a Cowboys defense allowing the sixth-fewest fantasy points to running backs.

Alvin Kamara, New Orleans (vs. CAR) [DK DFS VALUE: $7,900]

Kamara is capable of blowing up in any matchup, and if you're still alive in a season-long league where Kamara is on the roster, he's going to be in the lineup. However, in DFS, he's a definite fade with a salary of almost $8,000 and a bottom-two matchup looming with the Panthers.

SLEEPER

Jamaal Williams, Detroit Lions (at SEA) [DK DFS VALUE: $5,100]

There's a possibility that D'Andre Swift could return this week and spoil some of the fun here. But there's really no reason for the Lions to put their young workhorse back out there against a Seahawks team that has allowed the second-most fantasy points to running backs in 2021.

WEEK 17 RUNNING BACK RANKINGS

Given the amount of effort that had already been put into lamenting bad performances at quarterback and injuries at running back, it seems only fair that with the wide receiver position in Week 17, we look at something that actually went right.

Unless he can average 120 receiving yards per game the rest of the way, Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown is going to fail to hit 1,000 yards for the first time in his professional career. On some level, that's understandable; Brown has missed four games this season and was limited in a number of others.

But as Brown showed last week against the San Francisco 49ers, that 1,000-yard season isn't out of the question, either. Serving as the unquestioned No. 1 receiver for the Titans, Brown was targeted a whopping 16 times, reeling in 11 for 145 yards and a score.

For fantasy managers who have holding on to Brown, getting that kind of impact in the fantasy semifinals is the type of massive boost that wins leagues.

For those who grew impatient and cut bait, here's hoping your waiver priority is high.

GOOD MATCHUPS

A.J. Brown, Tennessee Titans (vs. MIA) [DK DFS VALUE: $7,200]

Not to sound like a broken record, but Brown is set up well to post a second consecutive monster line against the Dolphins. The Titans are playing for the AFC South title, and the Dolphins have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season.

Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins (at TEN) [DK DFS VALUE: $6,700]

It didn't take Waddle long to become Tua Tagovailoa's go-to wide receiver and a key component in the winning streak that got the Dolphins back in the playoff chase. There should be targets aplenty for the rookie against a Titans secondary surrendering the most fantasy points in the AFC to wideouts.

BAD MATCHUPS

Russell Gage, Atlanta Falcons (at BUF) [DK DFS VALUE: $5,600]

Gage helped get more than a few teams into the postseason tournament. The fourth-year veteran has been a top-10 PPR option since Week 12. But last week's 4/39/0 line was a letdown, and this week's awful fantasy matchup with the Bills could easily lead to another.

Terry McLaurin, Washington Football Team (vs. PHI) [DK DFS VALUE: $6,200]

Terry McLaurin has 12 catches for 164 yards since the last game in which he scored a touchdown. But the even bigger problem is that touchdown grab came all the way back in Week 11. In Week 15 against the Eagles, McLaurin had just two grabs for 51 yards.

SLEEPER

Isaiah McKenzie, Buffalo Bills (vs. ATL) [DK DFS VALUE: $4,300]

McKenzie had himself a day last week against the Patriots, hauling in 11 passes on 12 targets for 125 yards and a touchdown. Gabriel Davis has already been ruled out for Week 17, and Cole Beasley's return is far from guaranteed.

WEEK 17 WIDE RECEIVER RANKINGS

If Week 15 was the week where elite tight ends saved the day, then Week 16 was the one where those same players got a lot of teams bounced.

C'est du football fantastique.

In Week 15, Kansas City's Travis Kelce, San Francisco's George Kittle and Baltimore's Mark Andrews were among the six tight ends who topped 15 PPR points. They were joined by New England's Hunter Henry, Dalton Schultz of the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Goedert of the Philadelphia Eagles.

If you started one of those tight ends, things likely went well—right up until Week 16.

To be fair, Andrews and Schultz held up their end of the deal. The pair were the two highest scorers at the position last week. But Kelce was sidelined by COVID-19. Henry played against Buffalo but caught all of one pass for nine yards. Kittle caught just two balls for 21 yards, and Goedert managed just two receptions for 28 yards.

It was a week that hammered home how hard it can be to find consistent fantasy production at tight end.

And it moved Andrews into the top spot for the season as a whole by a fair margin.

GOOD MATCHUPS

Noah Fant, Denver Broncos (at LAC) [DK DFS VALUE: $4,400]

It's admittedly not easy to get excited about any of the passing-game options for the Broncos right now. But from a matchup perspective, Fant draws a good one. No team in the AFC has surrendered more fantasy points to tight ends this season than the Chargers.

Rob Gronkowski, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at NYJ) [DK DFS VALUE: $6,200]

Gronkowski has been quiet of late, managing just three grabs for 52 yards over the last two games combined. This week could be a good time for a bounce-back showing. The Jets sit ninth in the league in PPR points given up to tight ends in 2021.

BAD MATCHUPS

Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons (at BUF) [DK DFS VALUE: $5,900]

It has been something of a bumpy road, but at season's end, Pitts is on the verge of locking up a top-five fantasy finish as a rookie. But his last game my be the hardest of the lot. Among AFC teams, only the Patriots have allowed fewer PPR points to tight ends this season than the Bills.

Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys (vs. ARI) [DK DFS VALUE: $5,000]

Schultz has been a godsend for fantasy managers and quite possibly the best value pick at the position this season. But there are valid reasons to be concerned ahead of a matchup with a Cardinals team giving up the fewest fantasy points in the NFC to the position.

SLEEPER

Ricky Seals-Jones, Washington Football Team (vs. PHI) [DK DFS VALUE: $3,300]

This is a matchup play that was just tried recently, and Seals-Jones didn't exactly blow up against the Eagles in Week 15. However, the fifth-year veteran was targeted seven times in that game, catching four passes for 29 yards in the No. 1 fantasy matchup for tight ends.

WEEK 17 TIGHT END RANKINGS

Generally speaking, team defenses and kickers don't much matter in fantasy football. You burn a late pick on one. You swap it out for another a couple times during the season. The positions don't make you or break you. They're just…there.

In Week 16 of the 2021 season, however, it was a different story.

Playing against the Washington Football Team after being crowned the champions of the NFC East, the Dallas Cowboys defense went completely bonkers. Already the No. 1 defense for the season as a whole, the Cowboys exploded for five sacks, two takeaways and a pair of touchdowns—one on defense, and the other on special teams.

It was the third time this season that Dallas topped 20 fantasy points in a game. The single biggest fantasy line by a defense all season long. And in hard-fought, close fantasy playoff games, it was the deciding factor in quite a few.

So, the next time that someone tells you that defense doesn't matter, spin for them the tale of Week 16.

Because one day after Dallas hit 25 fantasy points in Week 16, the Miami Dolphins matched it.

GOOD MATCHUPS

Jason Myers, Seattle Seahawks (vs. DET)

If you are a true believer in the power of matchups where fantasy kickers are concerned, then Myers could be worth a look this week. After 16 weeks, no team in the league has allowed more fantasy points to kickers than the Lions.

New England Patriots Defense (vs. JAX) [DK DFS VALUE: $3,900]

The Patriots were lit up pretty well last week by Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. But the Jacksonville Jaguars are not the Bills. And Trevor Lawrence isn't Josh Allen. Add in the anger factor from back-to-back losses, and this game has blowout written all over it.

BAD MATCHUPS

Daniel Carlson, Las Vegas Raiders (at IND)

Carlson has been a solid fantasy option this season, checking in sixth among all kickers in points for the year. The 26-year-old is a riskier play than normal in Week 17, though. The Colts are dead last in the NFL in fantasy points allowed to kickers.

Dallas Cowboys Defense (vs. ARI) [DK DFS VALUE: $3,200]

There's no way you can sit the Cowboys defense. Not after the season they have had and with their penchant for takeaways and sacks. But that doesn't change the fact that the Redbirds have given up the seventh-fewest fantasy points to defenses this season.

SLEEPER

New York Giants Defense (at CHI) [DK DFS VALUE: $2,800]

Not much has gone right for the Giants in 2021 on either side of the ball. But much the same can be said about a Chicago Bears team that ranks toward the top of the league in sacks allowed and fantasy points surrendered to team defenses.

WEEK 17 KICKER RANKINGS

WEEK 17 DEFENSE RANKINGS

Before we unveil the last edition of the top 100 players overall for Championship Week of the 2021 season (a list that can be of assistance in making "flex" decisions), it's time for the last set of caveats for the year.

The first is the same as always. There are no quarterbacks listed here. If your league contains flex spots that are QB-eligible, then a quarterback will all but certainly be your best bet. There are more than a few "superflex" teams that got this far thanks to household names like Davis Mills and Josh Johnson.

Fantasy football can be weird sometimes.

The second caveat is this. If you have gotten this far, you all but certainly know what you're doing. You don't need a ton of advice.

But it's worth saying this anyway….

This isn't like the other weeks.

Win or lose, this is it. The fantasy season ends (in 90-plus percent of leagues, anyway). There's no tomorrow to worry about. Just today.

Most years I'd tell you this is the time to ditch your backup quarterback and tight end. But most years there aren't dozens of players landing on the COVID-19 list every week. Having a Plan B ready at every position is a good idea. Monitoring the health status of your players is an even better one.

Finally, when you go to set your starting lineup this week, set the one you'll be able to live with win or lose.

Have a gut feeling about a guy? This is the week to play the hunch. Hate a guy's matchup no matter what the "experts" say? The experts won't have to live with your choices all offseason long. Sit the guy.

This is your week.

All you have to do is win one more game.

WEEK 17 TOP 100 PLAYERS OVERALL/"FLEX" RANKINGS

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Fantasy points allowed data courtesy of MyFantasyLeague.

Gary Davenport is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow him on Twitter at @IDPSharks.