Fantasy Football Week 17 Rankings: Examining Lineup Options After Injury Reports

Amid a playoff push for his Jacksonville Jaguars, star quarterback and former No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence will miss Week 17 with a right shoulder injury.

It is the first time since high school that Lawrence has missed a start, which is an impressive feat for any player who has competed at the levels that he has. It is also potentially damning for fantasy managers who may have been relying on him to cash their ticket to their league's postseason or give them an outright league victory.

In the wake of the revelation that Lawrence will not play, and the rest of the injury report, these are the rankings for Week 17's flex options and two players worth adding to your roster amid injury designations.

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All stats via FantasyPros unless otherwise stated.

Week 17 Flex Rankings

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SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 25: Christian McCaffrey #23 of the San Francisco 49ers carries the ball against the Baltimore Ravens during the second quarter of an NFL football game at Levi's Stadium on December 25, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Rankings for Week 17 flex players are:

1. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
2. Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
3. Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
5. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
6. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
7. James Cook, Buffalo Bills
8. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
9. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
10. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
11. Travis Eitienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
12. AJ Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
13. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
14. Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers
15. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams

Quarterback Option: Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints

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INGLEWOOD, CA - DECEMBER 21: New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) looks for an open receiver during an NFL regular season game between the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Rams on December 21, 2023, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Derek Carr has sneakily had the two best games of his season in Weeks 15 and 16, with six touchdowns to one interception and consecutive 20-plus point performances.

Against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense giving up 19.2 to opposing quarterbacks, and 32.3 to opposing wide receivers, the Saints signal caller will have an opportunity to feast in Week 17.

Carr finished as the third-best quarterback a week ago, thanks to some big, down-the-field throws to Chris Olave and Rasheed Shahid, including one to the latter that found the end zone.

He will have the opportunity to replicate that performance against a leaky Buccaneers pass defense that will be without starting cornerback Carlton Davis.

In a week when Trevor Lawrence was ruled out due to a right shoulder injury, Carr is a fantastic pickup for fantasy managers in need of a difference-maker at the position.

He is currently available in 53 percent of Yahoo and 75 percent of ESPN leagues.

Wide Receiver Option: Noah Brown, Houston Texans

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HOUSTON, TX - DECEMBER 24: Noah Brown #85 of the Houston Texans runs across the field during an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns at NRG Stadium on December 24, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Noah Brown struggled in Week 16 against an exceptional Browns defense but in the wake of the Miami ruling Jaylen Waddle out for Sunday's showdown with Baltimore, he is a worthwhile addition for fantasy managers struggling to replace the dynamic Dolphins wideout.

With Nico Collins in the lineup for the Texans, and against a Tennessee Titans defense that gives up the seventh-most points to opposing wide receivers per game, Brown will have more opportunities to get open and contribute significantly in the passing game.

CJ Stroud returns from concussion protocol and Brown will look to connect with his Rookie of the Year candidate quarterback. The explosive wideout is averaging 17.5 yards per reception, with his longest being a 75 bomb.

He has scored just twice this year as Stroud has favored Nico Collins and Tank Dell in the revamped Texans defense, but he will have shots at scorching the same, bad Titans secondary that he caught eight of 11 passes against, for 82 yards, and a touchdown just two weeks earlier.

With Dell out for the rest of the year, Stroud will look Brown's way and managers wily enough to add him to their roster ahead of Sunday's game will benefit.