Fantasy Football Week 17: Updated Rankings for Sunday's Action

Hey, what are you guys still doing here?

Most fantasy football leagues close up shop in Week 16, hoping to avoid teams resting up for the postseason. Tom Brady owners are thankful for such consideration, and Andrew Luck owners would feel the same way had he not crushed their chances last weekend.

Alas, not everyone operates under the same umbrella. Many formats clash and claw until the very end, deciding the fantasy title during Week 17. Even for those done early, plenty of daily gamers will get their fixes this Sunday.

To all the guys and gals still going, here are the season's final rankings. Good luck. Let's be honest: Even those armed with information still need it. Take it from someone who won his championship because of Alshon Jeffery's meaningless last-minute touchdown to conclude Week 16's Monday night clash.

Quarterback

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Drew Brees	at Tampa Bay
2	Aaron Rodgers	Detroit
3	Tony Romo	at Washington
4	Russell Wilson	St. Louis
5	Peyton Manning	Oakland
6	Matt Ryan	Carolina
7	Cam Newton	at Atlanta
8	Ben Roethlisberger	Cincinnati
9	Eli Manning	Philadelphia
10	Ryan Tannehill	NY Jets
11	Mark Sanchez	at NY Giants
12	Teddy Bridgewater	Chicago
13	Matthew Stafford	at Green Bay
14	Andrew Luck	at Tennessee
15	Philip Rivers	at Kansas City

Remember, the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts have nothing to play for this weekend. Maybe the starters play. Maybe they don't. Luck has a better chance of dominating for a half against the Tennessee Titans, but stay away from Brady against a stout Buffalo Bills defense that leads the league in sacks.

Let's instead focus on someone playing for plenty. The Seattle Seahawks could clinch the No. 1 seed with a win, but they could also squander their newly gained NFC West lead. That makes Russell Wilson an elite play against a defense he burned in October.

When Wilson faced the St. Louis Rams in Week 7, he amassed 313 passing yards, 106 rushing yards and three touchdowns—a nice little Sunday from someone who has scored the third-most ESPN.com fantasy points behind Aaron Rodgers and Luck.

He probably won't snatch another 300 yards through the air, but he's averaging 56.1 rushing yards per game. Against a St. Louis secondary that played horribly against Eli Manning—another nice Week 17 play—Wilson will do enough on both levels to serve as an upper-echelon option.

Running Back

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Le'Veon Bell	Cincinnati
2	Arian Foster	Jacksonville
3	Matt Forte	at Minnesota
4	Jamaal Charles	San Diego
5	C.J. Anderson	Oakland
6	Marshawn Lynch	St. Louis
7	LeSean McCoy	at NY Giants
8	Jonathan Stewart	at Atlanta
9	Jeremy Hill	at Pittsburgh
10	Eddie Lacy	Detroit
11	Mark Ingram	at Tampa Bay
12	Justin Forsett	Cleveland
13	Joique Bell	at Green Bay
14	Alfred Morris	Dallas
15	DeMarco Murray	at Washington
16	Matt Asiata	Chicago
17	Lamar Miller	NY Jets
18	Fred Jackson	at New England
19	Andre Williams	Philadelphia
20	Latavius Murray	at Denver
21	Daniel Herron	at Tennessee
22	Branden Oliver	at Kansas City
23	Frank Gore	Arizona
24	Chris Ivory	at Miami
25	Giovani Bernard	at Pittsburgh

Is Matt Asiata a good running back? Not particularly. But he is a bulldozer who has pummeled his way to nine rushing touchdowns. Melissa Jacobs of TheFootballGirl.com detailed the microscopic list of running backs with more scores on the ground:

He's also averaging a robust 3.3 yards per carry, never once running for more than 80 yards. Yet the third-year pro has received 15 handoffs a game over the past four weeks while quietly becoming an impact pass-catcher with 42 receptions on the year.

Against the Chicago Bears, that's good enough. Teddy Bridgewater will move the ball against Chicago's No. 31 defense, paving the way for Asiata goal-line touches against a unit that surrenders 4.3 yards per carry. 

The Minnesota Vikings also jettisoned his red-zone competition, cutting ties with recently signed Ben Tate. Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:

He's not the prettiest choice, but Asiata will do as a flex play or a low-end No. 2 fantasy back.

Wide Receiver

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Odell Beckham Jr.	Philadelphia
2	Demaryius Thomas	Oakland
3	Antonio Brown	Cincinnati
4	Dez Bryant	at Washington
5	Jordy Nelson	Detroit
6	Julio Jones	Carolina
7	Calvin Johnson	at Green Bay
8	Alshon Jeffery	at Minnesota
9	A.J. Green	at Pittsburgh
10	Randall Cobb	Detroit
11	Mike Evans	New Orleans
12	Kelvin Benjamin	at Atlanta
13	Emmanuel Sanders	Oakland
14	Jeremy Maclin	at NY Giants
15	Mike Wallace	NY Jets
16	Roddy White	Carolina
17	DeSean Jackson	Dallas
18	Torrey Smith	Cleveland
19	Vincent Jackson	New Orleans
20	DeAndre Hopkins	Jacksonville
21	Kenny Stills	at Tampa Bay
22	Andre Johnson	Jacksonville
23	Charles Johnson	Chicago
24	Golden Tate	at Green Bay
25	Jarvis Landry	NY Jets

Anyone who has Antonio Brown is starting him, but let's take a minute to appreciate his awesomeness.

The 5'10" wide receiver leads the NFL with 122 receptions. Demaryius Thomas is second with 103. Those two and Julio Jones (100) are the only three guys who have hit triple digits.

He has a chance to rise up the career leaderboard Sunday, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

His 1,570 yards also situate him atop a crowded group of star receivers. What's better is the rousing consistency with which he compiled that mark. Last week's 72 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs' No. 2 passing defense represented his lowest output of the season.

Center Maurkice Pouncey praised his teammate to USA Today's Jim Corbett.

"It's the craziest thing," Pouncey said. "The catches that he makes in the game, he makes them first on Saturdays. He works harder than any player on this team, motivating everybody.''

Brown hasn't delivered a dud all year. At wide receiver, a position at the mercy of the quarterback, that's outstanding. He'll close out the season against the Cincinnati Bengals, against whom he produced an ordinary nine catches and 114 yards.

In a season dominated by stud wideouts, Brown has by far been the best.

Tight End

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Jimmy Graham	at Tampa Bay
2	Greg Olsen	at Atlanta
3	Martellus Bennett	at Minnesota
4	Antonio Gates	at Kansas City
5	Rob Gronkowski	Buffalo
6	Delanie Walker	Indianapolis
7	Jason Witten	at Washington
8	Travis Kelce	San Diego
9	Julius Thomas	Oakland
10	Charles Clay	NY Jets
11	Zach Ertz	at NY Giants
12	Mychal Rivera	at Denver
13	Coby Fleener	at Tennessee
14	Dwayne Allen	at Tennessee
15	Jordan Cameron	at Baltimore

Per ESPN.com, only the Dallas Cowboys have allowed more receptions (98) to tight ends than the Denver Broncos (93). Mychal Rivera made good on that matchup in Week 6, registering six catches for 64 yards and a touchdown.

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Sure, he tanked owners last week with one five-yard catch, but the Bills are the toughest opponents for tight ends. Such a stark switch in matchups makes all the difference for a fringe fantasy starter at a volatile position.

Besides, the sophomore had 27 targets through the previous three games, inserting himself as one of Derek Carr's favorite options. For daily gamers and standard players in a bind, Rivera is worth one last roll of the dice.

Kicker

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Dan Bailey	at Washington
2	Steven Hauschka	St. Louis
3	Matt Bryant	Carolina
4	Cody Parkey	at NY Giants
5	Mason Crosby	Detroit
6	Connor Barth	Oakland
7	Justin Tucker	Cleveland
8	Randy Bullock	Jacksonville
9	Stephen Gostkowski	Buffalo
10	Adam Vinatieri	at Tennessee

Look, it's Week 17. This Jewish writer has a Christmas to celebrate, and we're all tired at this point. Anyone got a hat handy?

Fine. Roll with Justin Tucker despite last week's one-point debacle. The Cleveland Browns rank No. 23 in total defense, and J.J. Watt doesn't play for them. With their playoff livelihood on the line, the Baltimore Ravens will play better this Sunday, and the reliable Tucker is one of the league's safest bets to capitalize on his opportunities.

Defense

Rank	Team	Opponent
1	Seattle Seahawks	St. Louis
2	Houston Texans	Jacksonville
3	Baltimore Ravens	Cleveland
4	Denver Broncos	Oakland
5	San Francisco 49ers	Arizona
6	Miami Dolphins	NY Jets
7	Minnesota Vikings	Chicago
8	Arizona Cardinals	at San Francisco
9	Buffalo Bills	at New England
10	Green Bay Packers	Detroit

Baltimore gets a second crack at pouncing an injury plug-in under center. The Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot reported on Cleveland's trouble at quarterback, as struggling starters Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel are both hurt:

Connor Shaw has never thrown a pass during a regular-season NFL game. He inherits a deflated Cleveland offense that waited all year for Josh Gordon, only for him to collect 108 yards over the past three weeks.

Can any of Cleveland's running backs throw? Without Arian Foster on the field, the Ravens will thrive against this understudy.