Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 17: Last-Minute Fantasy Football Advice for Sunday

If your fantasy football league is still ongoing, you've likely driven yourself and your family visiting for the holidays insane.  Several key stars have been ruled out of Sunday's action, and many of those in play may not stay in the game long enough to justify their place in your lineup.

Playing time concerns aren't the only issue, of course, as the all-division Week 17 slate makes for more unpredictable football.  Simply by the nature of familiarity, plenty of games this Sunday will not unfold as expected, since much of the matchups on paper don't play out as expected among teams that know each other's tendencies so well.

So who can you actually depend on to carry your team through the championship weekend to fantasy glory?  Taking a look at each of the positions, let's separate the trustworthy players from those who could wreck your lineup at the worst possible time.

Start 'Em 

Position	Player	Opponent
QB	Eli Manning, NYG	vs. Eagles
RB	Alfred Morris, WSH	vs. Cowboys
WR	Kelvin Benjamin, CAR	@ Falcons
TE	Delanie Walker, TEN	vs. Colts
D/ST	San Francisco 49ers	vs. Cardinals
K	Matt Bryant, ATL	vs. Panthers

It's surprising that Eli Manning has not made a larger dent among fantasy owners this season.  Despite ranking 11th among quarterbacks in total points, indicating a borderline standard league, the younger Manning is owned in just 29.2 percent of leagues.  In spite of some occasional clunkers this year, Manning is on pace for one of the best seasons of his career:

Much of that is due to Odell Beckham's Jr.'s historic rookie season, of course, but fantasy owners won't mind a coattail-rider if it results in increased production.  This week, Manning should finish his season with a bang against a Philadelphia Eagles defense that has the fourth-most points to opposing quarterbacks this season.  Start Eli with confidence in all formats.

AJ Mast/Associated Press

At running back, Alfred Morris has gone under appreciated, both this season and throughout his career.  Morris ranks 10th among running backs in points this year, but with five outings of five or fewer points, he's been more volatile than most of the other top backs.  

This Sunday, expect the good Morris to show up.  The third-year back had 73 yards and a touchdown in his first meeting against the Dallas Cowboys, who have allowed at least one rushing touchdown in seven of their past eight games.  If the Cowboys rest their defensive personnel at all, Morris suddenly looks like a clear No. 1 RB option this week.

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

Among receivers, Kelvin Benjamin's absurd 140-target total has made him an unusually safe option for a rookie.  However, considering that Benjamin has not eclipsed 10 points since Carolina's Week 10 bye, some owners might be concerned about the Florida State product slowing down amid a heavy workload.

Still, it's virtually impossible to bench Benjamin against an Atlanta Falcons defense that has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season.  It would help if the Panthers shifted their rookie around to avoid budding second-year star corner Desmond Trufant, who plays tethered to the defense's left.  If Benjamin receives a steady number of matchups against Robert McClain or Josh Wilson, that should spell a big day for him.

Among Tennessee Titans skill position players, Delanie Walker has arguably been the only player to live up to expectations.  The Indianapolis Colts have conceded the second-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends, and Walker put up five catches for 84 yards and a touchdown in the first meeting.  With Walker likely to set career highs in receptions and receiving yards, many feel as if he should have earned more acclaim this season:

That likely holds true in fantasy as well, where he is owned in just 64.8 percent of leagues despite being a clear top-five option.  If Walker is on your roster or somehow on waivers, plug him into your lineup immediately.

The 49ers represent a sound defensive investment against Ryan Lindley, who conceded four sacks and an interception to the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday.  Now at Levi's Stadium, it's difficult to imagine Lindley leading Arizona to more than a small handful of points, meaning that a San Francisco defense that has created four turnovers the past two weeks should excel.

Matt Bryant has been among the steadiest fantasy kickers all season, with at least eight points in each of the past seven games.  At the Georgia Dome, Bryant has had fewer than seven points just once this season, making him arguably the safest kicking option of the week.

Sit 'Em

Position	Player	Opponent
QB	Joe Flacco, BAL	vs. Browns
RB	Frank Gore, SF	vs. Cardinals
WR	Sammy Watkins, BUF	@ Patriots
TE	Martellus Bennett, CHI	@ Vikings
D/ST	St. Louis Rams	@ Seahawks
K	Matt Prater, DET	@ Packers

Like the recommended quarterback Eli, Joe Flacco has been a roller-coaster in fantasy this season, with five outings of 10 or fewer points and four of 23 or more.  Coming off last week's stinker, where junk-time yardage padded some of his final numbers, some might be tempted to start the Baltimore Ravens signal-caller against a Cleveland Browns secondary that might be missing Joe Haden.

Scott Halleran/Getty Images

Regardless of whether or not Haden does play, however, the Browns have still allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, and limited Andy Dalton to a grand total of two points two weeks ago.  In a must-win game, Baltimore might be more inclined to lean on Justin Forsett and the running game, as the Browns rank dead last against the run based on Football Outsiders' DVOA metrics.

At running back, Frank Gore might be facing his San Francisco swan song, but don't expect the longtime Niners back to go out on a high note.  Gore is facing an Arizona Cardinals defense that ranks fifth-toughest against opposing running backs, and until last week's 26-carry, 158-yard outing, Gore appeared increasingly phased out of the San Francisco offense:

Before that Saturday night breakthrough, Gore had exceeded 80 yards just twice over the previous nine games.  Considering that he rushed for a season-low 10 yards against Arizona in the first meeting, don't expect much from the veteran.

On the other end of the experience spectrum, rookie Sammy Watkins has cooled off considerably the second half of the season, though he did notch his first touchdown since Week 8 last Sunday.  However, he's facing a matchup against Darrelle Revis, who held Watkins to two catches for 27 yards the first time.  Watkins is dangerous in the open field, but against Revis' impeccable press technique, he was targeted a season-low three times:

There's a chance Watkins might not have to face the All-Pro corner, but the Patriots have yet to suggest that Revis specifically will get much rest.  Even if he plays only a half, that could be enough to sufficiently suppress Watkins' value to make him a risky lineup play.

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Among tight ends, Martellus Bennett has been one of the few reliable sources of targets, with a minimum of four catches in all but two games this season.  However, amid a collapsing Chicago Bears offense, Bennett must now face a Minnesota Vikings defense that has allowed just four touchdowns to opposing tight ends all year.  Given that Bennett has reached the end zone once since Week 8, it's probably safe to bench the Chicago tight end in favor of a waiver-wire sleeper like Scott Chandler or Charles Clay.

The St. Louis Rams defense has been one of fantasy's hottest units in the second half of the year, with four double-digit outings since Week 9.  However, in that span, the Seahawks are also averaging 5.9 yards per play, the fourth-highest mark in the league, per Pro-Football-Reference.com.  With the game at Century Link Field and Seattle clicking, it's difficult to imagine the Rams emerging with any real fantasy value.

Wrapping up at kicker, Matt Prater would seemingly be a nice bet, as he has received at least two field-goal attempts in each of the Detroit Lions' past eight games.  However, in horribly adverse kicking conditions at Lambeau Field, Prater is a solid bet to miss at least once, depressing his value on Sunday.

*All points against and ownership percentages based on ESPN standard scoring.