Fantasy Football Week 17: Flex and PPR Rankings

After the Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals finished Week 16 with a wild Monday night matchup, fantasy football owners are now turning their attention to the Week 17 flex and points-per-reception rankings.

The owners who still care about fantasy football are entering the final week of the championship game or are part of a season-long battle to see which team finishes with the best overall record. Either way, it is imperative to set the perfect lineup this week.

Here are the overall flex and PPR rankings for Week 17. When in doubt, start the higher-ranked player on each list.

Flex Rankings

Rank	Player
1	Arian Foster, HOU, RB
2	Calvin Johnson, DET, WR
3	Jamaal Charles, KC, RB
4	Le'Veon Bell, PIT, RB
5	Odell Beckham, NYG, WR
6	Antonio Brown, PIT, WR
7	DeMarco Murray, DAL, RB
8	LeSean McCoy, PHI, RB
9	Jordy Nelson, GB, WR
10	Rob Gronkowski, NE, TE
11	Demaryius Thomas, DEN, WR
12	Marshawn Lynch, SEA, RB
13	Dez Bryant, DAL, WR
14	Eddie Lacy, GB, RB
15	A.J. Green, CIN, WR
16	C.J. Anderson, DEN, RB
17	Julio Jones, ATL, WR
18	Matt Forte, CHI, RB
19	Mike Evans, TB, WR
20	Jimmy Graham, NO, TE
21	Randall Cobb, GB, WR
22	Jeremy Maclin, PHI, WR
23	Emmanuel Sanders, DEN, WR
24	Justin Forsett, BAL, RB
25	Julius Thomas, DEN, TE
27	Fred Jackson, BUF, RB
28	Jeremy Hill, CIN, RB
29	Frank Gore, SF, RB
30	T.Y. Hilton, IND, WR
31	Kelvin Benjamin, CAR, WR
32	Alfred Morris, WAS, RB
33	Lamar Miller, MIA, RB
34	Alshon Jeffery, CHI, WR
35	Brandon LaFell, NE, WR
36	Mike Wallace, MIA, WR
37	Mark Ingram, NO, RB
38	Jonathan Stewart, CAR, RB
39	Roddy White, ATL, WR
40	Antonio Gates, SD, TE
41	Andre Johnson, HOU, WR
42	Joique Bell, DET, RB
43	DeSean Jackson, WAS, WR
44	DeAndre Hopkins, HOU, WR
45	Sammy Watkins, BUF, WR
46	Tre Mason, StL, RB
47	Latavius Murray, OAK, RB
48	Julian Edelman, NE, WR
49	Vincent Jackson, TB, WR
50	Golden Tate, DET, WR

Fantasy owners looking for viable flex plays in Week 17 should look no further than Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson and Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart.

After missing Week 15 with a concussion, Johnson returned to the Houston lineup and was a major factor in the team’s victory over Baltimore last Sunday. With six receptions on 13 targets, it is clear the Texans have made Johnson a huge part of the team’s game plan upon his return.

Johnson only has two touchdowns all season, but with a favorable matchup in the season finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars, expect Houston to look toward the veteran wide receiver early and often. Six catches for 80 yards and one touchdown is a legitimate possibility.

After reaching 1,000 career receptions in Week 16, Johnson spoke to Deepi Sidhu of HoustonTexans.com about the accomplishment:

"

When it was coming up and people started talking about it, I always said I wanted to do it. You would like to do it and be the fastest person to do it, but I said it would be special to do it at home. It was just special to do it here because we have fans that have been riding with us for a long time.

"

On the other hand, owners looking for a running back should lean on Stewart. With an injury to fellow back DeAngelo Williams, Stewart has taken the starting role and run with it. He is coming off a game in which he racked up 122 rushing yards and one receiving touchdown.

Carolina will play the Atlanta Falcons in Week 17 to decide the NFC South division champion. With Panthers head coach Ron Rivera showing commitment to the rushing attack when he has healthy backs, Stewart should be in store for a hefty workload once again.

Owners should expect 18 carries for 75 yards and one touchdown, plus three receptions for 20 yards and zero touchdowns, from Stewart on Sunday.

PPR Rankings

Rank	Player
1	Le'Veon Bell, PIT, RB
2	Odell Beckham, NYG, WR
3	Jamaal Charles, KC, RB
4	Antonio Brown, PIT, WR
5	Arian Foster, HOU, RB
6	Calvin Johnson, DET, WR
7	LeSean McCoy, PHI, RB
8	Jordy Nelson, GB, WR
9	DeMarco Murray, DAL, RB
10	Matt Forte, CHI, RB
11	Emmanuel Sanders, DEN, WR
12	Fred Jackson, BUF, RB
13	Rob Gronkowski, NE, TE
14	Randall Cobb, GB, WR
15	Julian Edelman, NE, WR
16	Demaryius Thomas, DEN, WR
17	Marshawn Lynch, SEA, RB
18	Dez Bryant, DAL, WR
19	A.J. Green, CIN, WR
20	Golden Tate, DET, WR
21	DeSean Jackson, WAS, WR
22	C.J. Anderson, DEN, RB
23	Eddie Lacy, GB, RB
24	Julio Jones, ATL, WR
25	Josh Gordon, CLE, WR
27	Jeremy Maclin, PHI, WR
28	Justin Forsett, BAL, RB
29	Jimmy Graham, NO, TE
30	Jeremy Hill, CIN, RB
31	T.Y. Hilton, IND, WR
32	Julius Thomas, DEN, TE
33	Joique Bell, DET, RB
34	Frank Gore, SF, RB
35	Reggie Bush, DET, RB
36	DeAndre Hopkins, HOU, WR
37	Latavius Murray, OAK, RB
38	Kelvin Benjamin, CAR, WR
39	Sammy Watkins, BUF, WR
40	Lamar Miller, MIA, RB
41	Alshon Jeffery, CHI, WR
42	Mike Wallace, MIA, WR
43	Marques Colston, NO, WR
44	Brandon LaFell, NE, WR
45	Alfred Morris, WAS, RB
46	Roddy White, ATL, WR
47	Doug Martin, TB
48	Antonio Gates, SD, TE
49	Andre Johnson, HOU, WR
50	Jonathan Stewart, CAR, RB

Winning points-per-reception leagues can be even more difficult than earning a title in a standard-scoring league due to the nuances associated with the format. Two players who are must-starts in Week 17 are DeSean Jackson of the Washington Redskins and Fred Jackson of the Buffalo Bills.

For the owners looking for a wide receiver, Jackson is coming off his sixth 100-yard receiving performance of the season and has momentum and confidence coming into a matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas’ secondary is not its strongest attribute. Thus, Robert Griffin III and Jackson should be able to hook up often and amass six receptions for 100 yards and one touchdown.

If owners are looking for a running back with a high PPR output, look no further than Fred Jackson and his role as the top runner on the Buffalo roster. While Jackson was stifled for only 10 yards rushing last week against Oakland, he also managed to add nine catches for 93 yards.

Jackson has amassed an incredible 65 receptions this season, and against the New England Patriots in Week 17, Buffalo will likely have to throw the ball early and often. Fantasy owners should expect 110 all-purpose yards, seven receptions and one touchdown.

*Stats via NFL.com.

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