Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 17: Examining Fringe Fantasy Football Flex Starters

We're now counting down the days to the final Sunday of the 2016 NFL season. By Monday morning, the NFL postseason will be set, and the fantasy playoffs will be a thing of the past.

Some of you, no doubt, are in the final stage of your fantasy runs this week. Congratulations are certainly in order, but some frustrated hair-pulling might also come out of this week. This is because it can be difficult to predict which teams are going to play their stars in Week 17.

Guys like Le'Veon Bell, Odell Beckham Jr. and Ezekiel Elliott probably got you to this point in the fantasy postseason, but there's a strong chance they'll only see limited action in the season finale.

From here, we need to turn to fringe fantasy stars who will be active in Week 17. Teams like the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs still have reasons to win in Week 17—as do teams whose seasons will be over by Sunday night.

We're going to scour these rosters for some fringe stars worth starting in Week 17. We're talking about guys who have only been occasional standouts this season or who are filling in for the final week. We'll also examine some you might want to avoid. We'll be basing our choices on points-per-reception scoring and on factors like past performances, projected role and pending matchups.

Good luck!

Start 'Em: Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers

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Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was a legitimate fantasy stud in 2015, but he's been a lot more hit-and-miss this season. He has passed for fewer than 3,300 yards, has rushed for just 353 yards and has 23 combined touchdowns to go with 14 turnovers.

Yet we kind of like Newton's chances of producing a solid fantasy outing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week. Tampa is clinging onto slim playoff hopes, and Newton would likely love to play spoiler.

He'll be going up against a Buccaneers defense that has shown improvement but is still flawed. For the season, the Buccaneers allow an average of 253.7 passing yards per game, 10th-most in the NFL. New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees gashed the Buccaneers for 299 yards last week.

Against the run, Pro Football Focus rates Tampa just 31st in the NFL.

Sit 'Em: Matt McGloin, QB, Oakland Raiders

With starting quarterback Derek Carr out for the year with a broken fibula, the Oakland Raiders will be relying on backup Matt McGloin from here on out.

There are a couple of reasons to believe McGloin could have some decent production in Week 17. One is the fact that the Raiders have something to play for—they can take the AFC's No. 1 seed with a win and a loss by the Patriots. The other is that Oakland may want to get McGloin a lot of action before heading into the postseason.

However, we have to look at the reality of the situation here. The Raiders will be in Denver and playing a Broncos team looking for revenge for an earlier loss in Oakland. That Denver team boasts a defense rated second overall by Pro Football Focus.

As much as the Raiders may want to get McGloin some work, they also need to ensure he leaves the game healthy. We expect a run-oriented approach in Week 17.

Start 'Em: DeAngelo Williams, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers won the AFC North in Week 16, and by doing so, they locked themselves into the AFC's No. 3 seed. With nothing at all to play for this week, there's a good chance that Pittsburgh's stars won't play.

"There are several guys that I will look hard at preserving and protecting as we get into the playoff round with the understanding that we are the three seed," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin explained, per Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

If the team's top stars aren't playing against the Cleveland Browns, it could mean good fantasy production for backups like running back DeAngelo Williams.

Williams returned from injury in Week 16 and will be facing a Browns team that is pretty darn putrid against the run. In fact, only the San Francisco 49ers allow more than the 147.6 yards per game the Browns surrender.

Sit 'Em: Rex Burkhead, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals running back Rex Burkhead has been a decent fill-in in recent weeks, as Cincinnati tries to use him as a replacement for the injured Giovani Bernard. Last week, for example, he rushed for 42 yards and caught four passes for 25 more.

In most PPR formats, that made Burkhead good for roughly 10 points.

In a different week, we might consider Burkhead a solid flex option, but the Bengals are playing the Baltimore Ravens and have nothing to earn but pride.

Unfortunately, we're not sure Cincinnati has much interest in earning pride in Week 17. The team has already announced guys like Tyler Eifert and Clint Boling are out for Week 17, according to Jay Morrison of Cox Media Group. If anything, it seems like the Bengals are ready to pack it in.

In addition, that Ravens defense has been solid against the run. Only the Dallas Cowboys have allowed fewer than the 85.1 rushing yards per game the Ravens have allowed.

Start 'Em: Nelson Agholor, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Nelson Agholor has been a frustrating fantasy option this season. He'll have games like he did two weeks ago against the Ravens (one reception, nine yards) and then produce like he did against the New York Giants last week.

Against the Giants, Agholor caught two passes for 47 yards and a touchdown.

Don't be surprised if Agholor has a similar day this week against the Cowboys, who may rest a number of defensive starters for a portion of the game in anticipation of the playoffs. Even with starters on the field, the Cowboys give up the sixth-most passing yards per game at 262.3.

The Eagles should focus on trying to get Agholor the ball in an effort to see if he is worth continuing to develop.

As shocking as it might seem, Agholor could be a decent flex play for two weeks in a row.

Sit 'Em: Robert Woods, WR, Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills appear ready to call it a season. The team recently parted ways with head coach Rex Ryan and has announced that starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor will be sitting out the season finale against the New York Jets, per ESPN's Adam Schefter:

This means that EJ Manuel will start in Week 17 for the first time since last season. We're not sure this means good things for speedy boom-or-bust receiver Robert Woods, who has been dealing with a knee issue.

Woods caught three passes for 43 yards last week but has just five receptions over his last three games combined.