Week 17 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Highlighting Matchups to Exploit and Avoid

Even in Week 17, matchups reign supreme when it comes to start 'em, sit 'em decisions. 

Owners either have championships at stake or wish to learn for future contention if on the hunt for fantasy advice late in the week. In a season ruled by rookies such as Odell Beckham Jr. and Jeremy Hill, each decision deserves more attention than usual.

For example, those who dug deep in Week 16 knew that Detroit Lions running back Reggie Bush was in for a major day. Those who took the gamble got top-10 production at the position.

Lessons learned, right? Some of the best and worst of Week 17 follows. 

Start 'Em

Position	Player	Opponent
QB	Cam Newton, CAR	at ATL
RB	Jeremy Hill, CIN	at PIT
WR	Kelvin Benjamin, CAR	at ATL
TE	Jason Witten, DAL	at WAS
D/ST	Texans	vs. JAC
K	Blair Walsh, MIN	vs. CHI

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton scares owners. Rightfully so, too, a few weeks removed from a scary car accident that caused him to miss a game.

Newton is back in full force, though, as 22 points last week shows. He now has 20 or more points in two consecutive games, good for his best stretch of the season.

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

It gets better, too. Newton next gets the Atlanta Falcons, a team he posted 18 points on earlier in the season. Safe from the elements in the Georgia Dome, Newton has a matchup that is difficult to pass on at a tough position.

Cincinnati Bengals rookie back Hill got a shout-out in the intro due to his elite production this year. The LSU product ranks among the top 10 scorers at the position and has a minimum of 18 points over the course of his last two games.

Many will point out that the Pittsburgh Steelers rank great against backs and held Hill to six points in Week 14, but ponder this—Cincinnati rushed him just eight times in this matchup, which gained 46 yards.

The Cincinnati staff will not make the same mistake twice.

Feel free to roll with Newton's top target, rookie wideout Kelvin Benjamin, too. The former Florida State star has just one double-digit outing in his past four attempts, but a Week 11 matchup with Atlanta produced 16 points.

The Falcons still surrender the sixth-most points to wideouts, so Benjamin seems a lock to produce at a high level against a defense that already surrendered his career-high in receptions.

Tim Sharp/Associated Press

At first, it sounds silly to even mention Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten. His reputation speaks for itself, but understand that his 15-point outburst in Week 16 was just his second trip to double digits this season.

Expect it to become two in a row, though. Per Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News, the Cowboys will use starters to close the season:

Now for the capper—Witten gets a Washington defense that allowed his first of two double-digit performances this season.

Washington allows the third-most points to tight ends on the season. Witten will only ride the trend to help owners in need.

Sit 'Em

Position	Player	Opponent
QB	Ben Roethlisberger, PIT	vs. CIN
RB	Eddie Lacy, GB	vs. DET
WR	Josh Gordon, CLE	at BAL
TE	Larry Donnell, NYG	vs. PHI
D/ST	Panthers	at ATL
K	Greg Zuerlein, STL	at SEA

Owners can either decide that Ben Roethlisberger's 28-point showing against Cincinnati in Week 14 was a strong sign or a fluke.

The advisable route is the latter.

Big Ben is the owner of diminishing returns ever since, scoring 14 and 12 points in his last two contests. Now a Cincinnati defense that just held Peyton Manning to 12 points comes to town for a fantasy matchup that suggests Big Ben needs to ride the pine in all leagues.

As the focal point of the Detroit Lions' approach to Week 17, Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy must ride the bench, too.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

“It’s no secret we have to stop the run. That’s what we plan on doing,’’ safety James Ihedigbo said, per Paula Pasche of the Oakland Press. “We have the top run defense in the league, we plan on playing that way come Sunday."

The Lions did just that back in Week 3 when Lacy rushed for just 36 yards on 11 carries, good for a single fantasy point overall. Detroit still surrenders the fourth-fewest points to backs this year. Despite back-to-back allowances of double digits, it is unwise to go against the Lions run defense in Week 17.

Now is not the time to put a lot of faith in Cleveland Browns wideout Josh Gordon, either.

Gordon owns just one double-digit performance since his return. Even worse, he will finish the season with undrafted rookie Connor Shaw under center, per 92.3 The Fan's Daryl Ruiter:

Now, the Baltimore Ravens do surrender the fourth-most points to wideouts. Those numbers are inflated by a few major allowances, though, as the unit has given up just 16, 15 and 11 points in its last three games.

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

Remember Larry Donnell? Neither do New York Giants fans since the emergence of the aforementioned Beckham.

Donnell has not scored in double digits since Week 11 and now lines up against a Philadelphia Eagles defense that held him to one catch for six yards in Week 6. The Eagles allow the third-fewest points to tight ends on the year and have posted a pair of goose eggs against the position in their last four outings.

All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as are points-against info and ownership stats as of Dec. 23 at 12 a.m. ET. Statistics courtesy of ESPN.