Fantasy Football Week 17: Rankings, Projections and Waiver-Wire Tips

As everyone predicted, Ryan Tannehill, Frank Gore, Matt Asiata and Riley Cooper were key factors in fantasy championships around the globe by the time all but one Week 16 contest went final.

Fantasy football is a cruel mistress, to say the least.

Week 17 is now on the horizon. For those still alive, congratulations. For those reading for fun, understand that the final week of the season can offer key hints toward the future that should help craft early draft strategies.

Those with championships on the line in Week 17, saddle up. As the past week and change have shown, nothing is a given and preparation is key.

Week 17 NFL Schedule

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

Fantasy Football Week 17 Rankings and Projections: QB

Rank	Player	Projected Points
1	Tony Romo, DAL	28
2	Andrew Luck, IND	24
3	Aaron Rodgers, GB	23
4	Peyton Manning, DEN	22
5	Tom Brady, NE	22
6	Matt Ryan, ATL	21
7	Ben Roethlisberger, PIT	20
8	Russell Wilson, SEA	19
9	Drew Brees, NO	18
10	Eli Manning, NYG	17
11	Philip Rivers, SD	17
12	Ryan Tannehill, MIA	16
13	Derek Carr, OAK	15
14	Jimmy Clausen CHI	14
15	Matthew Stafford, DET	14
16	Cam Newton, CAR	14
17	Alex Smith, KC	12
18	Colin Kaepernick, SF	12
19	Teddy Bridgewater, MIN	12
20	Joe Flacco, BAL	11

Top Dog: Tony Romo, DAL (at WSH)

Too easy.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is back and healthy, as three weeks of 20 or more points in each outing shows.

Next up is a date in Washington. Observant owners will be quick to point out that Jay Gruden's defense held Romo to 12 points in Week 8, but recall that's the game that kicked off a whirlwind of injury issues.

Those are now things of the past. Washington continues to surrender the most points to quarterbacks this year and just let Mark Sanchez post 20 points.

Sleeper: Teddy Bridgewater, MIN (vs. CHI)

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Rookies are scary commodities, sure. 

Minnesota Vikings rookie Teddy Bridgewater has a minimum of 15 points in his last three outings, though, with a cool 17 coming in Week 16 against a tough Miami Dolphins defense.

Three of the Chicago Bears' last four opponents have scored a minimum of 20 points, so the consistent first-year player seems ready for a nice finish to the season at home against a defense with nothing to gain.

Beware: Joe Flacco, BAL (vs. CLE)

A season-ending showdown against the Cleveland Browns for Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is not a good sign.

Flacco posted just nine points in Houston this past weekend. In his first contest against the Browns this year, things were much of the same, as he found just 10 points.

Cleveland entered Week 16 allowing the third-fewest points to quarterbacks on average. Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers hurts that rank a bit thanks to a rushing touchdown, but Flacco will not do much damage with his legs against a unit that had previously held two of its last three quarterbacks encountered to double-digit production. 

Fantasy Football Week 17 Rankings and Projections: RB

Rank	Player	Projected Points
1	Arian Foster, HOU	24
2	Le'Veon Bell, PIT	22
3	Marshawn Lynch, SEA	21
4	Justin Forsett, BAL	20
5	DeMarco Murray, DAL	18
6	Eddie Lacy, GB	17
7	Jamaal Charles, KC	16
8	Matt Forte, CHI	15
9	Jeremy Hill, CIN	15
10	Alfred Morris, WSH	14
11	Joique Bell, DET	14
12	Mark Ingram, NO	13
13	LeSean McCoy, PHI	12
14	Lamar Miller, MIA	11
15	C.J. Anderson, DEN	10
16	Jonathan Stewart, CAR	10
17	Chris Ivory, NYJ	9
18	Fred Jackson, BUF	9
19	Matt Asiata, MIN	8
20	Tre Mason, STL	8
21	Knile Davis, KC	8
22	Darren Sproles, PHI	7
23	Isaiah Crowell, CLE	7
24	Shane Vereen, NE	7
25	Steven Jackson, ATL	6
26	Giovani Bernard, CIN	6
27	Frank Gore, SF	6
28	Andre Williams, NYG	6
29	Trent Richardson, IND	6
30	Terrance West, CLE	6

Top Dog: Arian Foster, HOU (vs. JAC)

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Owners know how this goes—Arian Foster against the Jacksonville Jaguars is money.

The Houston Texans starter torched the Jaguars for 20 points back in Week 16 and just posted 15 on Baltimore to make it four games in a row in double digits.

Jacksonville continues to rank among the top 10 worst teams against backs this year from an average standpoint, so Foster will post huge numbers to close the season.

Sleeper: Jonathan Stewart, CAR (at ATL)

Keep riding that Jonathan Stewart train, folks.

Carolina's current starter now has double digits in three of his last four outings. A notable 18 came just last weekend against Cleveland, which sets up a showdown with the Atlanta Falcons for the NFC South crown.

Expect a major game from Stewart. Not only is he healthy and hot at the right time, the Falcons entered Week 16 allowing the most points to backs on average.

Beware: Frank Gore, SF (vs. ARI)

Look, Frank Gore was downright outstanding in Week 16 with 158 yards and a score, which translated to 21 points.

Keep in mind that he next gets the Arizona Cardinals, a team that held him to one point back in Week 3.

Elite performances are rare for the veteran this season, as last Saturday was just his fifth trip to double digits this season. The Cardinals remain one of the best fantasy defenses against backs, so best to avoid Gore the rest of the way.

Fantasy Football Week 17 Rankings and Projections: WR

Rank	Player	Projected Points
1	Dez Bryant, DAL	20
2	Demaryius Thomas, DEN	20
3	Mike Evans, TB	17
4	Antonio Brown, PIT	16
5	Emmanuel Sanders, DEN	16
6	Calvin Johnson, DET	15
7	Julio Jones, ATL	15
8	Jeremy Maclin, PHI	14
9	Randall Cobb, GB	14
10	A.J. Green, CIN	13
11	Alshon Jeffery, CHI	13
12	Odell Beckham Jr., NYG	13
13	DeAndre Hopkins, HOU	12
14	Golden Tate, DET	12
15	Kelvin Benjamin, CAR	12
16	Julian Edelman, NE	11
17	DeSean Jackson, WSH	11
18	T.Y. Hilton, IND	11
19	Steve Smith, BAL	11
20	Mike Wallace, MIA	10
21	Jordy Nelson, GB	10
22	Brandon LaFell, NE	10
23	Roddy White, ATL	9
24	Mohamed Sanu, CIN	9
25	Anquan Boldin, SF	9
26	Torrey Smith, BAL	9
27	Sammy Watkins, BUF	8
28	Jordan Matthews, PHI	8
29	Malcom Floyd, SD	8
30	Vincent Jackson, TB	7
31	Marques Colston, NO	7
32	Allen Hurns, JAC	7
33	Eric Decker, NYJ	6
34	Kendall Wright, TEN	6
35	Kenny Stills, NO	6
36	Eddie Royal, SD	5
37	Greg Jennings, MIN	5
38	Martavis Bryant, PIT	5
39	James Jones, OAK	5
40	Josh Gordon, CLE	5

Top Dog: Dez Bryant, DAL (vs. WSH)

Feel free to ride the Cowboys against Washington to close the season.

Gruden's defense also happens to be one of the worst on average against wideouts, which is nothing but good news for Dez Bryant.

Arguably the best wideout in the league, Bryant has 29 and 13 points in his last two outings. Even the aforementioned injury scare to Romo the first time out against Washington this season still saw Bryant find the end zone.

Look for Bryant to go record hunting in Week 17, as ESPN Stats & Info illustrates:

Trust Bryant above all else.

Sleeper: Josh Gordon, CLE (at BAL)

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Cleveland wideout Josh Gordon is now at sleeper status.

Gordon has single digits in four of his five games this year, including a pair of four-point outings in consecutive games.

Things take a turn for the better in Week 17 against the Ravens, though. Baltimore's leaky secondary entered last weekend allowing the most points to wideouts and do not have a defensive back who can line up with Gordon on each down.

Beware: Jordy Nelson, GB (vs. DET)

Green Bay Packers wideout Jordy Nelson is one of those players who will burn plenty of owners in championship games next weekend. 

Nelson is downright elite, as 17 points in Week 16 show. Look back at Week 3, though, when the Detroit Lions held him to five points. 

The Detroit secondary continues to do that to the best of the best. Nelson is far from a safe start, big name or not.

Fantasy Football Week 17 Rankings and Projections: TE

Rank	Player	Projected Points
1	Jason Witten, DAL	15
2	Antonio Gates, SD	14
3	Greg Olsen, CAR	13
4	Jimmy Graham, NO	12
5	Rob Gronkowski, NE	11
6	Martellus Bennett, CHI	10
7	Delanie Walker, TEN	10
8	Travis Kelce, KC	9
9	Julius Thomas, DEN	9
10	Coby Fleener, IND	8
11	Dwayne Allen, IND	7
12	Larry Donnell, NYG	7
13	Heath Miller, PIT	6
14	Jared Cook, STL	6
15	Mychal Rivera, OAK	5

Top Dog: Jason Witten, DAL (at WSH)

Call it almost a clean sweep for the Cowboys.

Jason Witten enters Week 17 off a 15-point outburst in a favorable matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.

Things look even better with a contest against Washington. The defense also struggles against tight ends, having allowed 11 touchdowns to the position entering last weekend.

Sleeper: Delanie Walker, TEN (vs. IND)

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Speaking of that Colts defense, Week 17 is yet another good time to take advantage of the unit at the tight end position.

Some already have considering Delanie Walker of the Tennessee Titans posted 14 points against the Colts back in Week 4.

As Witten's above numbers show, little has changed since then. Indianapolis still struggles in this regard and Walker is relatively consistent considering the wealth of changes under center this season.

Beware: Rob Gronkowski, NE (vs. BUF)

Nobody wants to hear this, but New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is not a good play in Week 17 against the Buffalo Bills.

While he posted nine points against the Bills earlier in the season, Buffalo continues to lock down opposing tight ends. In fact, the team has allowed just two touchdowns and as many trips to double digits for the position this year.

It is hard to go away from Gronkowski, but the decision might just win a championship.

Fantasy Football Week 17 Rankings and Projections: D/ST

Rank	Team	Opponent	Projected Points
1	Houston Texans	JAC	14
2	Seattle Seahawks	STL	13
3	Philadelphia Eagles	at NYG	12
4	Miami Dolphins	NYJ	11
5	Green Bay Packers	DET	10
6	Baltimore Ravens	CLE	10
7	Arizona Cardinals	at SF	10
8	Buffalo Bills	at NE	9
9	New England Patriots	BUF	8
10	St. Louis Rams	at SEA	7
11	Detroit Lions	GB	7
12	Minnesota Vikings	CHI	6
13	San Francisco 49ers	ARI	6
14	Cleveland Browns	at BAL	5
15	Denver Broncos	OAK	5

Top Dog: Houston Texans (vs. JAC)

Houston continues to produce at an elite fantasy level.

Make it four consecutive games in double digits for J.J. Watt and Co., with things only sure to get better against Jacksonville.

The unit already posted 11 points against the Jaguars this season, so expect more good things.

Sleeper: New Orleans Saints (at TB)

Rob Ryan's defense in New Orleans has seven negative outings this year, but a matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is not something to ignore.

The Buccaneers entered last weekend allowing the second-most points to fantasy defenses on the year. That trend only figures to continue as the team uses loads of younger players to get them valuable live experience.

Beware: Buffalo Bills (at NE)

Buffalo has been great to owners this season with eight double-digit outings.

Great, but the team's only trip to negatives this year came against the Patriots. Tom Brady and Co. are on fire as of late, so a road trip to Foxborough means owners need to sit the Bills on the bench, no questions asked.

Fantasy Football Week 17 Rankings and Projections: K

Rank	Player	Projected Points
1	Cody Parkey, PHI	14
2	Stephen Gostkowski, NE	13
3	Adam Vinatieri, IND	12
4	Dan Carpenter, BUF	12
5	Chandler Catanzaro, ARI	11
6	Steven Hauschka, SEA	11
7	Matt Bryant, ATL	10
8	Justin Tucker, BAL	9
9	Dan Bailey, DAL	9
10	Shaun Suisham, PIT	9
11	Caleb Sturgis, MIA	8
12	Blair Walsh, MIN	8
13	Mason Crosby, GB	8
14	Graham Gano, CAR	7
15	Nick Folk, NYJ	6

Top Dog: Cody Parkey, PHI (at NYG)

Philadelphia Eagles kicker Cody Parkey has been a machine right up there with Stephen Gostkowski this season.

He has nine double-digit outings to date, one of which came against the New York Giants earlier in the season. 

Now Parkey gets a chance to bump that number to 10 via a second encounter with the Giants.

Sleeper: Blair Walsh, MIN (vs. CHI)

Cliff McBride/Getty Images

Vikings kicker Blair Walsh enters Week 17 after a nine-point outing the week prior and four total double digits to his name.

It seems a fifth is in the cards, too, thanks to a season-ending matchup with the Bears.

Chicago entered last weekend allowing the most points to kickers this season, so the math adds up.

Beware: Mason Crosby, GB (vs. DET)

Mason Crosby has been a rock this season for his owners.

The lone exception came back in Week 3 against the Lions, when he posted just a single point. Now, Crosby is much better at home than on the road this year, but with so much at stake this late in the season, why risk it?

Waiver-Wire Advice

The list below is comprised of players owned in less than 50 percent of ESPN.com standard-scoring leagues and could improve the depth of your roster.

Player	Pos.	Ownership Percentage
Ryan Tannehill, MIA	QB	48.8
Eli Manning, NYG	QB	34.3
Matt Asiata, MIN	RB	47.4
Jordan Todman, JAC	RB	0.4
Devonta Freeman, ATL	RB	1.9
Rueben Randle, NYG	WR	15.0
Riley Cooper, PHI	WR	4.1
Terrance Williams, DAL	WR	28.8
Luke Willson, SEA	TE	2.5
Zach Ertz, PHI	TE	33.6

Add Right Away: Reggie Bush, DET (30.4 percent owned)

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This cannot be stressed enough—owners with everything on the line need to gobble up Reggie Bush right now.

Owned in just 30.4 percent of leagues thanks to injury and inefficiency issues, Bush exploded back onto the scene this past weekend with 15 points.

It really writes itself—Bush's only other trip to double digits this year saw him score 15 points. That tally came against Green Bay, his Week 17 opponent.

Now that Bush is healthy and viable on the ground and through the air, look for the Lions to lean on their veteran back with so much at stake.

Keeper Grab of Note: Bruce Ellington, SF (0.1 percent owned)

Again, there is plenty to learn for the future in the waning weeks of an NFL season. 

In re-draft leagues, it makes sense to grab San Francisco 49ers wideout Bruce Ellington in the late rounds of drafts next year. In keeper leagues, he needs to be added right now.

The 49ers got creative in Week 16 with their versatile weapon. The result was a touchdown through the air and on the ground, a strong sign of what may be to come for the explosive weapon.

Eventually the depth chart in front of Ellington will clear. Until then, the staff certainly has an idea as to how it wants to use him moving forward.

Player	Pos.	Ownership Percentage
Matthew Stafford, DET	QB	89.5
Chris Ivory, NYJ	RB	68.1
Isaiah Crowell, CLE	RB	68.1
Shane Vereen, NE	RB	56.3
Anquan Boldin, SF	WR	71.0
Andre Johnson, HOU	WR	69.2
Larry Donnell, NYG	TE	62.1

Top Drop of the Week: Steven Jackson (78.5 percent owned)

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A trio of double-digit outings recently saw the ownership percentage on Steven Jackson skyrocket. 

Now, though, Jackson has scored a total of six points over the course of his last two outings. Even worse, he suffered a quad injury last weekend in New Orleans, although ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure expects him to be good to play in Week 17.

Not only is Jackson back to his plodding ways and hurt, he now plays a Carolina defense that held him to four points in Week 11.

Time to trim the fat with titles on the line.

All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as is points-against info and ownership stats as of 10 p.m. ET on December 21. Statistics courtesy of ESPN.