Fantasy Football Week 17 Rankings: Matchups and Projections for Players We Love

It's the final week of the 2020 NFL regular season. which means fantasy managers will have one last shot at a somewhat full player pool. Whether you're closing out a season-long league or playing daily fantasy sports (DFS), this is your last shot at a full 16-game slate until the start of next season.

Of course, not all players will be available, as some teams have little to play for and will rest starters. The Kansas City Chiefs, for example, have already announced that Chad Henne will start in place of quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The Minnesota Vikings have ruled out starting running back Dalvin Cook.

According to ESPN's Courtney Cronin, Cook will miss the finale following the death of his father.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, meanwhile, are expected to rest multiple starters, though head coach Mike Tomlin has stated that the "vast majority of guys that have been playing will be playing," according to Nick Shook of NFL.com.

Managers will have to dig a bit deeper to find the top fantasy plays here in Week 17, but we're here to help. We're going to run down the top plays at each key position and examine some of the best matchups of the week.

Rankings and picks are based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

Quarterback

Sam Craft/Associated Press

1. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

2. Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans

3. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

4. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

5. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans

6. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

7. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

8. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

9. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks

10. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Matchup to Love: Deshaun Watson at Tennessee Titans

While the Houston Texans have struggled in 2020, quarterback Deshaun Watson has mostly been reliable in fantasy. In last week's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, for example, he threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns while adding 38 yards on the ground.

Houston has a chance to play spoiler against the rival Tennessee Titans in Week 17, and Watson could again shine. Tennessee has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in 2020 and just got torched by Green Bay Packers signal-caller Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers threw for 231 yards with four touchdowns and an interception last Sunday night.

Watson threw for four scores of his own to go with 335 passing yards the last time he faced Tennessee. Don't be shocked if he has another huge stat line in the rematch.

Projection: 325 passing yards, 3 TDs, 45 rushing yards

Running Back

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1. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans

2. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

3. Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers

4. David Montgomery, Chicago Bears

5. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers

6. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts

7. Jeff Wilson Jr., San Francisco 49ers

8. Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles

9. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns

10. Melvin Gordon III, Denver Broncos

11. David Johnson, Houston Texans

12. Myles Gaskin, Miami Dolphins

13. Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks

14. Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders

15. Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns

Matchup to Love: Derrick Henry vs. Houston Texans

While Watson and the Texans will be looking to play spoiler, the Titans will be hoping to lock up the AFC South. With a win, Tennessee will be in and hosting a playoff game during the wild-card round.

Presumably, the Titans will lean heavily on running back Derrick Henry in this one, both to move the ball and to keep Watson and Co. off the field. This should create an ideal situation for Henry managers, as Houston has allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing running backs.

The last time these two AFC South foes squared off, Henry rumbled to the tune of 212 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He also caught a pair of passes for 52 more yards.

While Henry may not top 250 scrimmage yards in the rematch, managers should expect big things from the reigning NFL rushing champion.

Projection: 178 rushing yards, 2 TDs, 2 receptions, 22 receiving yards

Wide Receiver

Bruce Kluckhohn/Associated Press

1. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

2. Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers

3. Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons

4. DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona Cardinals

5. A.J. Brown, Tennessee Titans

6. Allen Robinson II, Chicago Bears

7. Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills

8. DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks

9. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

10. Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings

11. Brandin Cooks, Houston Texans

12. Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

13. DJ Moore, Carolina Panthers

14. Corey Davis, Tennessee Titans

15. Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys

16. Robert Woods, Los Angeles Rams

17. Emmanuel Sanders, New Orleans Saints

18. Marvin Jones Jr., Detroit Lions

19. Jarvis Landry, Cleveland Browns

20. Robby Anderson, Carolina Panthers

Matchup to Love: Justin Jefferson at Detroit Lions

With Cook out, the Vikings may lean even more heavily on Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson and the passing game this week. However, that's not the only reason why Jefferson may be a huge piece of the game plan.

The LSU product is just 47 receiving yards away from breaking Randy Moss' franchise rookie record. It would be a surprise if the Vikings don't make a concerted effort to help him get it against the rival Detroit Lions.

Detroit has also allowed the most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season.

Expect the Vikings to target Jefferson early and often in this matchup and for the rookie pass-catcher to take full advantage. This should be one of the single best fantasy matchups of the week.

Projection: 8 receptions, 156 yards, 2 TDs

Tight End

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

1. Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders

2. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens

3. George Kittle, San Francisc0 49ers

4. Robert Tonyan, Green Bay Packers

5. Rob Gronkowski, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

6. T.J. Hockenson, Detroit Lions

7. Logan Thomas, Washington Football Team

8. Noah Fant, Denver Broncos

9. Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins

10. Austin Hooper, Cleveland Browns

Matchup to Love: Rob Gronkowski vs. Atlanta Falcons

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are locked into a wild-card slot, but they'll be playing to win in Week 17.

"We're gonna play everybody," Bucs coach Bruce Arians told SiriusXM NFL Radio. "We wanna be 11-5, and we want that five seed."

This makes tight end Rob Gronkowski a strong play against the Atlanta Falcons. Gronk had a huge game last week against the Detroit Lions, finishing with two receptions, 58 yards and two touchdowns. He could have another big game this week against Atlanta.

Only the New York Jets and the Jaguars have allowed more fantasy points to opposing tight ends than the Falcons.

Projection: 4 receptions, 68 yards, 1 TD