Week 17 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Advice for Fringe Flex Fantasy Football Starters
Choosing the right players to start and sit in any fantasy week is the difference between victory and defeat for managers.
That importance is amplified in the playoffs, with bragging rights and league championships at stake.
Entering the penultimate week of NFL action, find out which superstars are worth a start in favorable match-ups and who to sit with this preview.
Start Em: Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos
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Nix has quietly turned in a strong rookie season in fantasy, finishing in the top 20 among quarterbacks in 11 of his 16 games.
Against a Cincinnati Bengals defense ranked 27th against opposing quarterbacks, he will have an opportunity to finish in the top 10 for the sixth time this year.
The Bengals have allowed the third-most passing touchdowns in the league this year at 26 and there is no reason to believe the Oregon product will not be able to take advantage of the leaky pass defense in Week 17.
A 20-plus-point performance is not out of the question, especially for a Denver team that needs to keep pace in a suddenly tightening AFC Wild Card race.
Sit Em: Russell Wilson, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
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Wilson has posted mediocre numbers since Week 11, finishing as a top 10 quarterback in fantasy just once, against the Bengals' poor pass defense.
In Week 17, he faces a Kansas City Chiefs defense that has been the best against opposing quarterbacks over the last four weeks, conceding just 12.64 points per game.
In cold weather, on a short week, Wilson is a sketchy start at best, even with star wide receiver George Pickens off the injury report and slated to start for the Steelers.
It is an unfavorable matchup for a quarterback who has not consistently shined in fantasy, and it is not one that managers in playoff matchups can afford to make. Sit Wilson this week.
Start Em: Chig Okonkwo, TE, Tennessee Titans
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Against Indianapolis in Week 16, Okonkwo broke out, posting the fourth-best day by a tight end in standard leagues and the second in PPR. He caught nine balls for 81 yards and finished with double-digit points for the third time in five weeks.
It was also his second game with double-digit targets, suggesting that regardless of who the Titans quarterback is, they are developing trust with their tight end.
Okonkwo is a worthwhile start for the third consecutive week with a trip to Jacksonville on the docket.
The Jaguars rank 20th against opposing tight ends and give up 12.98 points per game to the position. With the team suffering through one of its worst seasons in years, looking to play out the stretch, and fielding one of its worst defenses in recent memory, the Titans offense should have one of its better days, with the 25-year-old Maryland product leading the way.
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Sit Em: Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions
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Don't let Williams' five-catch, 143-yard, one-touchdown day against Chicago fool you into thinking he is a must-start in Week 17.
The second-year player scorched the Bears but had finished well outside the top 20 at his position in six of his last eight games.
He is not a justifiable start for managers against a San Francisco 49ers team that is ranked second against wide receivers over the last four weeks and giving up just 24.25 points to the position per game.
That he has crossed 20 points just three times since the beginning of the season indicates how streaky he has been. Given fantasy playoffs are underway, managers would be better off grabbing Jalen McMillan of Tampa Bay off the waiver wire for his match-up against Carolina than risk a "down" day from the speedster.
All stats from FantasyPros unless otherwise noted.
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