Fantasy Football Week 17 Rankings: Final Season Position-by-Position Review

It is the final week of the 2017 regular season, and there is as much at stake for fantasy owners as there is for the NFL teams seeking a trip to the playoffs.

The possibility that some of the top stars in the league will sit out Week 17, though, creates issues with crafting a team capable of victory.

The Los Angeles Rams are one of the most prolific fantasy teams in all of football, but will be resting stars Jared Goff and Todd Gurley Sunday. Who can you grab to fill their spot in hopes of riding them to victory and which regular starters should remain in-place on your roster to ensure bragging rights among friends, family and opponents? 

Let me help you, using stats from Yahoo.

Quarterbacks

1. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons

2. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

3. Tom Brady, New England Patriots vs. New York Jets

4. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles

5. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers

6. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals

7. Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Oakland Raiders

8. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers

9. Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins at New York Giants

10. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos

Bill Feig/Associated Press

The game between the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons will determine whether the 2016 NFC champions return to the postseason. It could also feature the two highest-scoring quarterbacks of the week.

Newton will be looking to win the NFC South title and earn a home playoff game for his Panthers, while Ryan will fight for his team's spot in the playoffs.

The Atlanta defense gives up the 14th-most points to opposing quarterbacks. Newton is a threat to pick up yards and touchdowns on the ground, though, and is the third-best fantasy quarterback over the last four weeks.

Ryan will not have it quite as easy.

The Panthers defense gives up the 10th-fewest points to opposing quarterbacks. Factor in the last quarter of the season, where Ryan has ranked behind the likes of Mitchell Trubisky, Jay Cutler and Jacoby Brissett, and you have reason doubt his chances at a top-10 day.

With the Falcons' playoff lives on the line, expect Ryan to sling the ball all over the field and put up numbers that make him a valuable option at quarterback this week.

Running Backs

1. LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins

2. Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Oakland Raiders 

3. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

4. Alex Collins, Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals

5. Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

6. Dion Lewis, New England Patriots vs. New York Jets

7. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons

8. Kenyan Drake, Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills

9. Frank Gore, Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans

10. Carlos Hyde, San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams

11. Marshawn Lynch, Oakland Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers

12. Malcolm Brown, Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers

13. Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons

14. Tevin Coleman, Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers

15. Bilal Powell, New York Jets at New England Patriots

Bill Feig/Associated Press

Be cautious when starting Kamara or Ingram this week. Yes, they are fantasy studs in a favorable matchup against a Buccaneers defense that could not stop you or your friends from gaining a few yards.

Still, if the game gets out of hand and the Saints are cruising to a victory, do not be surprised if the team opts to pull them. At the very least, they could feature less prominently in the gameplan ahead of the playoffs.

Alex Collins of Baltimore is a player worth starting.

He is the ninth-ranked running back over the last four weeks, amassing just over 56 points. Against a Cincinnati Bengals defense that gives up the third-most fantasy points to running backs, he could have a field day on the ground and as a receiver.

Wide Receivers

1. Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2. Keelan Cole, Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans

3. Nelson Agholor, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys

4. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks

5. Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers

6. Marvin Jones, Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers

7. Will Fuller V, Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts

8. Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Oakland Raiders

9. Robert Woods, Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers

10. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns

11. Martavis Bryant, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns

12. Doug Baldwin, Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals

13. Stefon Diggs, Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears

14. Dede Westbrook, Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans

15. Sammy Watkins, Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

Michael Thomas has been quietly consistent in 2017 and thus gets the nod at the top spot, but the Jacksonville Jaguars' Keelan Cole has been on fire over the last four weeks.

The rookie wideout has become quarterback Blake Bortles' favorite target, and his play has rewarded fantasy owners to this point. Owned in only 52 percent of Yahoo leagues, he is a superb playmaker who has amassed 62.2 points over the last quarter of the season.

Against a Titans defense that gives up the 10th-most fantasy points to wideouts, he should have a field day. The Jaguars will look to put the embarrassing loss to San Francisco last week in the rearview mirror and eliminate the rival Titans from playoff contention.

Tight Ends

1. Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears

2. Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots vs. New York Jets

3. Evan Engram, New York Giants vs. Washington Redskins

4. Garrett Celek, San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams

5. Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

6. Benjamin Watson, Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals

7. Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Oakland Raiders

8. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams

9. Jack Doyle, Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans

10. Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

There is never, ever a bad time to roster Rob Gronkowski.

An elite fantasy option, he plays a New York Jets team that has been horrendous against tight ends, giving up the eighth-most points. As the Patriots look to lock in the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, he will be a key contributor to an offense that has never really felt as in-tune as it did throughout last season.

Look for Gronk to get into the end zone at least once as the Pats look to put away their division foes and ensure the road to the Super Bowl runs through Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Both Garrett Celek and George Kittle have been solid options for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo over the last four games. Their status as safety blankets of sorts makes them intriguing, especially as he looks for big, reliable targets in the red zone. Neither will put up the dazzling numbers of a Gronk or Travis Kelce, but either is a solid option.

Defense

1. Minnesota Vikings

2. Seattle Seahawks

3. Washington Redskins

4. New England Patriots

5. Kansas City Chiefs

6. Pittsburgh Steelers

7. Buffalo Bills

8. Detroit Lions

9. New Orleans Saints

10. Los Angeles Rams

Kickers

1. Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens

2. Stephen Gostkowski, New England Patriots

3. Chris Boswell, Pittsburgh Steelers

4. Harrison Butker, Kansas City Chiefs

5. Josh Lambo, Jacksonville Jaguars

6. Jake Elliott, Philadelphia Eagles

7. Matt Bryant, Atlanta Falcons

8. Phil Dawson, Arizona Cardinals

9. Dan Bailey, Dallas Cowboys

10. Wil Lutz, New Orleans Saints