Week 17 Fantasy Football Projections: Final Stat Predictions for Top 100 Players

Most fantasy football leagues ended in Week 16, but there are plenty that hold their "Super Bowl" matchups in Week 17.

Congratulations if you are still alive in your league. If so, you have probably used some shrewd roster management, have a knack for finding free agents and mixed in a little bit of luck to make it this far.

It could take all of that to win the championship, so here is a guide on which players may have good weeks in the final games of the season to help you decide on how to set your lineup.

Quarterback 

Rank	Player	Opponenet	Projection
1	Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	24
2	Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks	Arizona Cardinals	23
3	Tom Brady, New England Patriots	Miami Dolphins	23
4	Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers	Cleveland Browns	21
5	Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals	Seattle Seahawks	21
6	Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons	New Orleans Saints	19
7	Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars	Houston Texans	19
8	Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers	Minnesota Vikings	17
9	Ryan Fitzpatrick, New York Jets	Buffalo Bills	16
10	Eli Manning, New York Giants	Philadelphia Eagles	15

Cam Newton, Russell Wilson and Tom Brady all had down games in Week 16, which makes the likelihood of them having a bad game in Week 17 low.

Brady has the best matchup, according to ESPN.com, as the Miami Dolphins allow the ninth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks.

If you have any of the trio on your roster make sure to start them. If you are looking for someone lower on the list to possibly break out, it could be Blake Bortles. He's thrown 13 touchdowns the past four weeks but faces a stiff Houston Texans defense that is fighting for its playoff life with the AFC South on the line.

Running Back

Rank	Player	Opponent	Projection
1	Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons	New Orleans Saints	19
2	DeAngelo Williams, Pittsburgh Steelers	Cleveland Browns	17
3	Todd Gurley, St. Louis Rams	San Francisco 49ers	17
4	Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings	Green Bay Packers	16
5	David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals	Seattle Seahawks	16
6	Tim Hightower, New Orleans Saints	Atlanta Falcons	15
7	Darren McFadden, Dallas Cowboys	Washington	14
8	Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	14
9	Matt Forte, Chicago Bears	Detroit Lions	14
10	Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals	Baltimore Ravens	12
11	Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Seattle Seahawks	12
12	Frank Gore, Indianapolis Colts	Tennessee Titans	12
13	Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers	Minnesota Vikings	12
14	Jeremy Langford, Chicago Bears	Detroit Lions	11
15	Charcandrick West, Kansas City Chiefs	Oakland Raiders	11
16	Chris Ivory, New York Jets	Buffalo Bills	10
17	Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals	Baltimore Ravens	10
18	Denard Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars	Houston Texans	10
19	C.J. Anderson, Denver Broncos	San Diego Chargers	9
20	Lamar Miller, Miami Dolphins	New England Patriots	9
21	Rashad Jennings, New York Giants	Philadelphia Eagles	8
22	Ronnie Hillman, Denver Broncos	San Diego Chargers	7
23	Latavius Murray, Oakland Raiders	Kansas City Chiefs	7
24	Spencer Ware, Kansas City Chiefs	Oakland Raiders	7
25	Darren Sproles, Philadelphia Eagles	New York Giants	6
26	Danny Woodhead, San Diego Chargers	Denver Broncos	5
27	Alfred Blue, Houston Texans	Jacksonville Jaguars	5
28	Alfred Morris, Washington	Dallas Cowboys	4
29	Javorius Allen, Baltimore Ravens	Cincinnati Bengals	4
30	Antonio Andrews, Tennessee Titans	Indianapolis Colts	2

The NFL running back position hasn't been dominated by any one player, but Devonta Freeman was leading the way early in the season after he scored nine touchdowns his first six games.

He then had a six-game scoreless streak before punching in two scores the past two weeks. He now has 980 yards, 11 touchdowns and the luxury of facing the worst fantasy defense against running backs, per ESPN.com, in the Saints.

He's also not scared of the previously unbeaten Carolina Panthers' defense, per the NFL:

If that's the case, the Saints sure aren't going to strike any kind of fear into him. Teams lucky enough to have Freeman on their rosters can hopefully ride his resurgence to the championship.

Wide Receiver

Rank	Player	Opponent	Projection
1	Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants	Philadelphia Eagles	17
2	Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers	Cleveland Browns	16
3	DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans	Jacksonville Jaguars	16
4	Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons	New Orleans Saints	15
5	Brandon Marshall, New York Jets	Buffalo Bills	15
6	Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Carolina Panthers	14
7	Martavis Bryant, Pittsburgh Steelers	Cleveland Browns	14
8	Eric Decker, New York Jets	Buffalo Bills	14
9	Doug Baldwin, Seattle Seahawks	Arizona Cardinals	13
10	Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins	New England Patriots	13
11	Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals	Seattle Seahawks	12
12	Sammy Watkins, Buffalo Bills	New York Jets	12
13	Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions	Chicago Bears	12
14	Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos	San Diego Chargers	12
15	Jeremy Maclin, Kansas City Chiefs	Oakland Raiders	11
16	Michael Floyd, Arizona Cardinals	Seattle Seahawks	10
17	Michael Crabtree, Oakland Raiders	Kansas City Chiefs	10
18	Emmanuel Sanders, Denver Broncos	San Diego Chargers	10
19	Brandin Cooks, New Orleans Saints	Atlanta Falcons	9
20	Allen Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars	Houston Texans	9
21	A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals	Baltimore Ravens	8
22	Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers	Minnesota Vikings	8
23	John Brown, Arizona Cardinals	Seattle Seahawks	7
24	Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders	Kansas City Chiefs	7
25	Golden Tate, Detroit Lions	Chicago Bears	7
26	Kamar Aiken, Baltimore Ravens	Cincinnati Bengals	6
27	Jordan Matthews, Philadelphia Eagles	New York Giants	6
28	Rueben Randle, New York Giants	Philadelphia Eagles	5
29	Travis Benjamin, Cleveland Browns	Pittsburgh Steelers	4
30	Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks	Arizona Cardinals	4

Odell Beckham Jr. is back from his one-game suspension and, with his talent, is most likely back to remind everyone he is the hottest young receiver in the game.

Prior to his suspension, Beckham had scored in five straight games and broken 100 yards in six of his past seven contests. Now he is facing the second-worst team against fantasy wide receivers, per ESPN.com, which is great news for his fantasy owners and about the worst news possible for those playing against him.

With the Giants out of the playoffs, and nothing to lose, Eli Manning may be dropping back and throwing to Beckham 15-plus times in Week 17. Count on him being the top wideout during the final week of the regular season.

Tight End

Rank	Player	Opponent	Projection
1	Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	11
2	Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots	Miami Dolphins	10
3	Jordan Reed, Washington	Dallas Cowboys	10
4	Gary Barnidge, Cleveland Browns	Pittsburgh Steelers	9
5	Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans	Indianapolis Colts	9
6	Benjamin Watson, New Orleans Saints	Atlanta Falcons	8
7	Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers	Denver Broncos	7
8	Julius Thomas, Jacksonville Jaguars	Houston Texans	6
9	Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs	Oakland Raiders	6
10	Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles	New York Jets	5

It's hard to go wrong with any of the top-tier tight ends this season. Six have at least seven touchdowns, while another nine have at least 60 receptions.

The game is seeing leaner, more athletic players at the position, which is resulting in more fantasy points. 

Benjamin Watson has the best matchup, according to ESPN.com when he faces the Atlanta Falcons, but he has not been consistent enough to rely on. Any of the top five projected players should have a good week, while Greg Olsen could be the benefactor of a bounce-back game from Newton.

Kicker

Rank	Player	Opponent	Projection
1	Brandon McManus, Denver Broncos	San Diego Chargers	16
2	Chandler Catanzaro, Arizona Cardinals	Seattle Seahawks	14
3	Stephen Gostkowski, New England Patriiots	Miami Dolphins	13
4	Shayne Graham, Atlanta Falcons	New Orleans Saints	12
5	Nick Novak, Houston Texans	Jacksonville Jaguars	11
6	Caleb Sturgis, Philadelphia Eagles	New York Giants	10
7	Mason Crosby, Green Bay Packers	Minnesota Vikings	10
8	Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens	Cincinnati Bengals	9
9	Dustin Hopkins, Washington	Dallas Cowboys	9
10	Dan Bailey, Dallas Cowboys	Washington	9

When it comes to kickers and fantasy football, nearly anything can happen. Cairo Santos kicked seven field goals for the Kansas City Chiefs in a Week 4 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, then turned around and kicked just one the next week.

The Denver Broncos' Brandon McManus gets the nod as the top kicker because of his team's failure to put together drives that result in touchdowns as they face a shaky San Diego defense.

The Broncos may not score a lot, but they've been moving the ball enough to get into scoring range for a kicker who has nailed nearly 87 percent of his attempts this season.

Defense 

Rank	Defense	Opponent	Projection
1	Carolina Panthers	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	18
2	Denver Broncos	San Diego Chargers	16
3	Pittsburgh Steelers	Cleveland Browns	15
4	Cincinnati Bengals	Baltimore Ravens	14
5	Kansas City Chiefs	Oakland Raiders	14
6	St. Louis Rams	San Francisco 49ers	13
7	Indianapolis Colts	Tennessee Titans	11
8	New England Patriots	Miami Dolphins	10
9	Green Bay Packers	Minnesota Vikings	9
10	Washington	Dallas Cowboys	9

It's the wrong time to play the Panthers.

After being burned for some big plays in their first loss of the season in Week 16, the Panthers should be able to clamp down on a Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense that scores just 22 points per game.

Cornerback Josh Norman and Co. are a prideful bunch and don't want to be embarrassed two weeks in a row, especially coming off a game two weeks ago where they allowed 28 points in the second half to the New York Giants.

For as well as quarterback Jameis Winston has played for Tampa Bay, he's turned the ball over 14 times in 15 games. Look for the Panthers to pressure the rookie into at least two turnovers, possibly resulting in a defensive touchdown.