Fantasy Football is all about the matchups. Even though you drafted your team with certain hopes and intentions, your weekly lineup decisions shouldn’t be determined by the order you picked your players in. You need to check who your players play and make sure you’ve got the right guys in — and the wrong guys out.
It’s too early to be absolutely sure which matchups will be easy and which ones will be tough, but we can take some educated guesses based on healthy personnel, defensive schemes, track records, and key details of offenses. The things we know can help us minimize the impact of the things we don’t know. This should lead to better decisions being made.
We’ll go through every game and highlight the players who aren’t obvious starts and sits (because you don’t need to be told to start Derrick Henry). You should feel more comfortable starting or sitting players based on the information given, and feeling comfortable with your Fantasy lineup before the games start is the best feeling in the world.
More Week 17 content:
Kansas City’s offense has a lot of solid players who are deserving of playing time, but it’s been Xavier Worthy who has produced the most Fantasy points (16.6 PPR per game) and landed the most touches among non-RBs (8.3 per game) over the past three weeks. Notably, Worthy’s average depth of throw (ADOT) has dropped under 9.0 yards in each of his past three games, making him an easier target closer to the line of scrimmage. That’s lowered his explosive catches, but he’s still a solid yards after catch threat with more red-zone and end-zone targets than (gulp) Travis Kelce. He’ll take on the same Steelers defense that struggled to keep up with shifty receiver Zay Flowers last Saturday and DeVonta Smith in Week 15. You should be encouraged by Worthy’s season-long target per route run rate of 24.2% against man-to-man coverage, which the Steelers defense has leaned on in seven games since their bye week. I wouldn’t be shy about leaning on Worthy as a flex play this week in any format.
OBVIOUS STARTS: Travis Kelce
STARTS: Patrick Mahomes (low-end starter), George Pickens (No. 2 WR), Chiefs DST
FLEX: Xavier Worthy, Jaylen Warren (PPR), Najee Harris
SITS: Russell Wilson, Marquise Brown, DeAndre Hopkins, Pat Freiermuth, Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt, Samaje Perine, Calvin Austin, Steelers DST
Losing veteran guard Shaq Mason is another significant issue for a Texans O-line that has been a weakness for the team all season. It’s even impacted how C.J. Stroud operates — last year he was defiant against pass rushes, this year he’s a little more tentative and it shows in his 47% completion rate and 74.9 QB rating when he’s pressured. Mason’s absence will also be felt in the run game, which has been a mess for the Texans ever since Joe Mixon hurt his ankle. This is just in time for a nightmarish matchup against the Ravens, who boast a 3.5 rushing average against and 5.7% rate of allowing 10-plus rush yard plays on the season. They also have a ferocious pass rush that’s landed 19 sacks on a 37.9% pass rush pressure rate in its past six games. Tack on Tank Dell’s season-ending injury, and it’s hard to be really excited for any Texans players outside of Nico Collins.
OBVIOUS STARTS: Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Nico Collins
STARTS: Joe Mixon (No. 2 RB), Mark Andrews, Ravens DST, Dalton Schultz (low-end starter)
FLEX: Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman
SITS: C.J. Stroud, John Metchie, Isaiah Likely, Robert Woods, Dare Ogunbowale, newest Texan Diontae Johnson, Texans DST
STARTS: Caleb Williams, Geno Smith (borderline starter), Zach Charbonnet (as long as Ken Walker is out), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (top-15 WR), Keenan Allen, D.J. Moore (No. 2 PPR WR), D’Andre Swift, Seahawks DST
FLEX: DK Metcalf
SITS: Rome Odunze, Tyler Lockett, Cole Kmet, A.J. Barner, Bears DST
STARTS: Justin Herbert (low-end starter), Ladd McConkey (No. 2 WR), Hunter Henry (low-end TE), Chargers DST (low-end starter)
FLEX: Rhamondre Stevenson
SITS: Drake Maye, Gus Edwards (desperation RB), Quentin Johnston (desperation WR), Stone Smartt, Kayshon Boutte, Austin Hooper, Demario Douglas, Kendrick Bourne, Antonio Gibson, Kimani Vidal, Patriots DST
OBVIOUS STARTS: Joe Burrow, Chase Brown, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins
STARTS: Bo Nix, Courtland Sutton (No. 1 WR)
SITS: Javonte Williams (desperation RB), Audric Estime, Adam Trautman, Andrei Iosivas, Devaughn Vele, Mike Gesicki, Bengals DST (borderline DST), Broncos DST
OBVIOUS STARTS: Kyren Williams, Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp (No. 2 WR), Trey McBride
STARTS: Rams DST
SITS: Kyler Murray, Matthew Stafford, Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Carter, Demarcus Robinson, Michael Wilson, Tyler Higbee, Cardinals DST
OBVIOUS STARTS: Josh Allen, Davante Adams
STARTS: James Cook, Breece Hall (No. 2 RB), Garrett Wilson, Bills DST
FLEX: Khalil Shakir
SITS: Aaron Rodgers, Dalton Kincaid (borderline No. 1/No. 2 TE), Tyler Conklin, Allen Lazard, Ty Johnson (desperation PPR RB), Keon Coleman, Amari Cooper, Braelon Allen, Mack Hollins, Jets DST
STARTS: Brian Thomas Jr., Tony Pollard, Chig Okonkwo
FLEX: Calvin Ridley, Travis Etienne, Tyjae Spears (PPR)
SITS: Mason Rudolph, Mac Jones, Tank Bigsby, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Parker Washington, Brenton Strange, Titans DST, Jaguars DST
OBVIOUS STARTS: Justin Jefferson, Josh Jacobs, Jordan Addison
STARTS: Sam Darnold, Aaron Jones, Tucker Kraft
FLEX: Romeo Doubs (PPR)
SITS: Jordan Love, Jayden Reed (low-end flex), Dontayvion Wicks, T.J. Hockenson, Cam Akers, Vikings DST (low-end starter), Packers DST
OBVIOUS STARTS: Brock Bowers
STARTS: Jakobi Meyers (low-end No. 2 WR), Alexander Mattison (low-end No. 2 RB), Ameer Abdullah (low-end No. 2 PPR RB)
SITS: Aidan O’Connell, Spencer Rattler, Kendre Miller, Foster Moreau, Juwan Johnson, Raiders DST (desperation DST), Saints DST
OBVIOUS STARTS: Malik Nabers (No. 2 WR)
STARTS: Tyrone Tracy Jr. (No. 2 RB)
SITS: Drew Lock, Darius Slayton, Wan’Dale Robinson, Devin Singletary, Dan Bellinger, Giants DST
OBVIOUS STARTS: Mike Evans, Chuba Hubbard
STARTS: Baker Mayfield, Bucky Irving
FLEX: Adam Thielen (borderline No. 2 PPR WR), Jalen McMillan, Rachaad White
SITS: Bryce Young, Jalen Coker, Payne Durham, Ja’Tavion Sanders, Buccaneers DST, Panthers DST
OBVIOUS STARTS: De’Von Achane, Tyreek Hill (No. 2 WR)
STARTS: Jerome Ford (No. 2 RB), Jonnu Smith, David Njoku, Dolphins DST
SITS: Tua Tagovailoa (borderline starter), Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Jerry Jeudy, Malik Washington, Elijah Moore, Raheem Mostert, D’Onta Foreman, Browns DST
OBVIOUS STARTS: Saquon Barkley, CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown
STARTS: Rico Dowdle (low-end No. 2 RB), Eagles DST
FLEX: DeVonta Smith
SITS: Kenny Pickett, Cooper Rush, Jake Ferguson (low-end PPR TE), Brandin Cooks, Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys DST
OBVIOUS STARTS: Bijan Robinson
STARTS: Jayden Daniels, Terry McLaurin, Drake London, Brian Robinson Jr., Commanders DST
FLEX: Darnell Mooney
SITS: Michael Penix Jr., Olamide Zaccheaus, Zach Ertz, Kyle Pitts, Ray-Ray McCloud, Tyler Allgeier, Jeremy McNichols, Falcons DST
OBVIOUS STARTS: Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, George Kittle
STARTS: Jared Goff, Sam LaPorta, Lions DST
FLEX: Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings
SITS: Brock Purdy, Patrick Taylor, Tim Patrick, Craig Reynolds, 49ers DST
