Fantasy Football Week 17 Rankings: Projections for Players with Matchups We Love

This is for all the marbles, folks. This is what separates the men from the boys. Big-time fantasy owners make big-time plays in big-time games.

You can pick whatever cliche you want to get pumped up. The point is, for owners with their championships in Week 17, it all comes down to this (oh look, another cliche). This is the week when starting the right player can vault you to a championship and sitting him will leave you sadly in second.

Below, I've highlighted the players I think have the potential to absolutely blow up this week based on a tasty matchup, along with my full rankings. Because winning isn't everything, folks, it's the only thing.

Schedule

Sunday, December 28	Time (ET)	TV
Philadelphia at NY Giants	1 p.m.	FOX
Carolina at Atlanta	1 p.m.	FOX
Cleveland at Baltimore	1 p.m.	CBS
Dallas at Washington	1 p.m.	FOX
Indianapolis at Tennessee	1 p.m.	CBS
Jacksonville at Houston	1 p.m.	CBS
San Diego at Kansas City	1 p.m.	CBS
NY Jets at Miami	1 p.m.	CBS
Chicago at Minnesota	1 p.m.	FOX
Buffalo at New England	1 p.m.	CBS
New Orleans at Tampa Bay	1 p.m.	FOX
Detroit at Green Bay	4:25 p.m.	FOX
Oakland at Denver	4:25 p.m.	CBS
Arizona at San Francisco	4:25 p.m.	FOX
St. Louis at Seattle	4:25 p.m.	FOX
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh	8:30 p.m.	NBC

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Projected Points
1	Peyton Manning	25
2	Drew Brees	23
3	Andrew Luck	22
4	Aaron Rodgers	20
5	Tony Romo	19
6	Eli Manning	18
7	Russell Wilson	17
8	Ryan Tannehill	16
9	Matt Ryan	15
10	Cam Newton	15
11	Tom Brady	14
12	Mark Sanchez	14
13	Matt Stafford	13
14	Philip Rivers	13
15	Ben Roethlisberger	12

Really, the only thing you probably need to know before starting Tony Romo this week is that his opponent, Washington, just allowed Mark Sanchez to post 20 fantasy points. If Sanchez can post that type of production on Washington, just imagine what Romo can do.

It helps that Washington is giving up 20.1 fantasy points per week to opposing quarterbacks, worst in the NFL, or that it has given up 20 or more fantasy points to three of its last four opposing quarterbacks.

But it also helps that Romo has heated up of late, with 20 or more fantasy points himself in three straight starts. And with the possibility, however slight, that the Dallas Cowboys could still end up with a first-round bye, the Cowboys will probably make sure their starters are out there.

Any way you slice it, Romo seems like a pretty good bet to have a big game on Sunday.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Projected Points
1	Le'Veon Bell	20
2	Arian Foster	19
3	Matt Forte	18
4	C.J. Anderson	17
5	Jamaal Charles	17
6	Marshawn Lynch	16
7	LeSean McCoy	16
8	DeMarco Murray	15
9	Mark Ingram	14
10	Justin Forsett	14
11	Alfred Morris	13
12	Jonathan Stewart	12
13	Dan Herron	12
14	Eddie Lacy	11
15	Jeremy Hill	11
16	Andre Williams	10
17	Joique Bell	10
18	Matt Asiata	9
19	Trent Richardson	8
20	Fred Jackson	8
21	Lamar Miller	8
22	Ryan Mathews*	7
23	Giovani Bernard	7
24	Steven Jackson	7
25	Doug Martin	6
26	Chris Ivory	6
27	Isaiah Crowell	6
28	Tre Mason	6
29	Latavius Murray	6
30	Frank Gore	6

C.J. Anderson is the undisputed waiver-wire MVP this season, but he also could be a key figure in Week 17 championship matchups. You're obviously starting him since he's averaging 18.5 fantasy points per game since Week 10, but he also has an amazing matchup against the anemic Oakland Raiders defense.

Donald Miralle/Getty Images

Oakland is giving up 21.3 fantasy points to opposing running backs per week, 30th in the NFL, and the 19 total touchdowns it has given up to opposing backs is also 30th in the league. Plus, Anderson's run of dominance began in Oakland in Week 10, when he torched the Raiders for 163 yards from scrimmage and a score.

Anderson is virtually guaranteed to have a huge regular-season finale, in other words.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Projected Points
1	Dez Bryant	20
2	Odell Beckham Jr.	20
3	Jordy Nelson	17
4	A.J. Green	15
5	Julio Jones*	15
6	Calvin Johnson	14
7	Demaryius Thomas	14
8	Randall Cobb	12
9	Mike Evans	12
10	T.Y. Hilton*	12
11	Kelvin Benjamin	12
12	Antonio Brown	12
13	Emmanuel Sanders	10
14	Josh Gordon	9
15	Jeremy Maclin	9
16	Vincent Jackson	9
17	Golden Tate	8
18	Roddy White	8
19	Marques Colston	8
20	Mike Wallace	8
21	DeAndre Hopkins	7
22	Torrey Smith	7
23	Greg Jennings	6
24	Brandon LaFell	6
25	DeSean Jackson	6
26	Anquan Boldin	6
27	Steve Smith	6
28	Malcom Floyd	6
29	Eric Decker	6
30	Sammy Watkins	6

This is the easiest pick of the lot.

The Philadelphia Eagles have a dreadful secondary. Just dreadful. They couldn't cover a baby with a blanket. Bradley Fletcher's nickname should be "The Roast," because all he does is get burned. And now they're going to try to deal with Odell Beckham Jr., the hottest receiver in the NFL?

Lawd have mercy.

Beckham has six touchdowns in his last three games. Oh, lawd. He has nine or more fantasy points in 10 of his last 11 games. Lawd, lawd, lawd. He's made some of the most spectacular catches I've ever seen. Lawd have mercy.

And now the hapless Eagles secondary, one I've watched all season and feel completely justified in canning, is going to try to stop this force of nature? This dynamo? This electrifying rookie phenomenon? 

I think not. Beckham is going to explode this week, folks. Absolutely explode. Look out below.

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Projected Points
1	Julius Thomas	15
2	Rob Gronkowski	15
3	Jimmy Graham	13
4	Greg Olsen	12
5	Jason Witten	10
6	Antonio Gates	9
7	Delanie Walker	9
8	Martellus Bennett	8
9	Dwayne Allen*	8
10	Coby Fleener	7
11	Heath Miller	6
12	Travis Kelce	6

If there is one area the Tennessee Titans can look back on after the season is over and grade out positively, it's the play of tight end Delanie Walker. If there's one area on defense the Indianapolis Colts have really struggled this year, it's been defending tight ends. 

Walker continues to be the lone bright spot for this Tennessee team on offense, and this week faces a Colts defense that is giving up 9.6 fantasy points to opposing tight ends per week, 31st in the NFL. Plus, he torched the Colts for five receptions, 84 yards and a score in Week 4.

Walker has been a solid TE1 this season, and he'll end on a high note.

Defense/Special Teams

Rank	Team	Projected Points
1	Houston Texans	15
2	Seattle Seahawks	14
3	New England Patriots	12
4	Miami Dolphins	11
5	Arizona Cardinals	10
6	Minnesota Vikings	10
7	Denver Broncos	9
8	Baltimore Ravens	8
9	San Francisco 49ers	8
10	Dallas Cowboys	7

Oh, let's see.

The Houston Texans defense is third in fantasy points scored per game, while the Jacksonville Jaguars allow the most fantasy points to opposing defenses in the NFL. I mean, this one really shouldn't be hard to figure out folks. After all, I've been picking the defense facing the Jags all season long.

Why change now? Especially when the Texans defense has been great for fantasy owners anyway?

Kickers

Rank	Player	Projected Points
1	Adam Vinatieri	15
2	Mason Crosby	14
3	Stephen Gostkowski	13
4	Randy Bullock	12
5	Cody Parkey	11
6	Matt Bryant	10
7	Justin Tucker	10
8	Dan Carpenter	9
9	Steven Hauschka	9
10	Shaun Suisham	8

Speaking of Tennessee, it isn't very good. I wouldn't be surprised to see Andrew Luck and Co. get out to a fast start, fueled by last week's embarrassing showing against the Cowboys, quickly put the Titans away and rest their starters after that.

I could also see Adam Vinatieri getting a few opportunities in garbage time once Luck has been pulled. But mostly, I just see a consistent kicker getting a matchup against a poor defense.

All point totals and points-against statistics via ESPN standard scoring leagues.