Fantasy Football Week 17 Rankings: Examining Lineup Options After Injury Reports

We're heading into the final weekend of the 2020 NFL season. While 18 teams are alive for the playoffs, we're likely to see several squads sit their top stars on Sunday. The Kansas City Chiefs, for example, have already clinched the AFC's No. 1 seed and have announced that Patrick Mahomes won't get the start.

Injuries are also likely to be a major fantasy factor in Week 17, as teams with little to play for have no reason to test players who aren't close to 100 percent. While we're not likely to see a preseason level of backups from any team, many managers will still be scrambling to find replacements on the waiver wire.

Here, we'll dive into the latest injury news and examine the top plays at quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end. We'll also examine some potential injury replacements who should still be available on the wire.

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

Week 17 Injury Roundup and Waiver-Wire Rankings

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Arguably the most notable absence this week will be that of Minnesota Vikings running back and fantasy superstar Dalvin Cook. According to ESPN's Courtney Cronin, Cook will miss Minnesota's finale following the death of his father.

New Orleans Saints star running back Alvin Kamara will also be out after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

The Vikings won't face Detroit Lions wideout Kenny Golladay, who has again been ruled out with a hamstring injury. So too has Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones.

New England Patriots running back Damien Harris has been ruled out with an ankle injury, while Buffalo Bills wideout Cole Beasley is out with a knee ailment. Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver DJ Chark Jr. is out with a shin injury.

The San Francisco 49ers will be without wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk this week. Samuel is out with a hamstring injury, while Aiyuk is dealing with an ankle issue. The Chiefs won't start Mahomes at quarterback. Tyreek Hill, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Sammy Watkins have also been ruled out.

Jared Goff won't be available for the Los Angeles Rams after undergoing thumb surgery earlier this week.

The Pittsburgh Steelers plan to sit quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, center Maurkice Pouncey, linebacker T.J. Watt and defensive end Cam Heyward. While Pittsburgh hasn't announced the sitting of other fantasy-relevant players, managers should approach the Steelers with caution.

The full injury report can be found at NFL.com.

Quarterback

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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

Waiver-Wire Target: Philip Rivers, QB, Indianapolis Colts

Managers needing a replacement for Mahomes, Roethlisberger or Goff this week should consider Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers. While Rivers hasn't been a consistent fantasy stud this season, he's been a fine streamer for most of the year.

Two weeks ago against the Houston Texans, for example, Rivers threw for a solid 228 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Rivers should have another serviceable, efficient outing this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Colts need a win and some help to reach the postseason, and the Jaguars represent one of the best matchups of the week.

Jacksonville has allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in 2020. Rivers is rostered in 41 percent of Yahoo leagues and 16 percent of ESPN leagues.

Running Back

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1. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans

2. Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers

3. David Montgomery, Chicago Bears

4. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers

5. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts

6. Jeff Wilson Jr., San Francisco 49ers

7. Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles

8. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns

9. Melvin Gordon III, Denver Broncos

10. David Johnson, Houston Texans

11. Myles Gaskin, Miami Dolphins

12. Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks

13. Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders

14. J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens

15. Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns

Waiver-Wire Target: Malcolm Brown, RB, Los Angeles Rams

Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers is questionable, while fellow back Darrell Henderson has landed on injured reserve. With Goff out and the Rams set to lean on untested quarterback John Wolford, Malcolm Brown becomes an excellent option.

Presumably, the Rams will look to lean on the run in order to ease Wolford into the game. That should lead to plenty of early opportunities for Brown, even if Akers is able to play.

This isn't a juicy matchup for Brown, but it's still a favorable one, as the Cardinals have allowed the 11th-most fantasy points to opposing running backs. Last week against the 49ers, Arizona was gashed for 227 yards on the ground.

Brown is rostered in 20 percent of Yahoo leagues and 30 percent of ESPN leagues.

Wide Receiver

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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

Waiver-Wire Target: Rashard Higgins, WR, Cleveland Browns

With at least a few defensive starters out for Pittsburgh, Cleveland Browns wideout Rashard Higgins should be a solid play for Week 17. He missed Week 16 on the reserve/COVID-19 list but was activated earlier this week.

Higgins has come on strong since the season-ending loss of Odell Beckham Jr.—thanks in large part to his developing chemistry with quarterback Baker Mayfield.

"I feel like we're very honed in on details, doing the little things," Higgins said, per Andrew Gribble of the team's official website.

Higgins had four receptions for 76 yards the last time he was on the field. He is rostered in 23 percent of Yahoo leagues and 14 percent of ESPN leagues.  

Tight End

Butch Dill/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

Waiver-Wire Target: Irv Smith Jr., TE, Minnesota Vikings

With Cook out, the Vikings are likely to lean on the pass against the Detroit Lions. This could lead to a big day for tight end Irv Smith Jr., who shined during last week's loss to the Saints. Smith finished that game with six receptions, 53 yards and two touchdowns.

Fellow tight end Kyle Rudolph was recently placed on injured reserve, which means that Smith will be the go-to tight end for quarterback Kirk Cousins.

This is a relatively average matchup for Smith, as the Lions have allowed the 14th-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends. Opportunities and target share will determine his ceiling for Week 17, though the floor should be solid.

Smith is rostered in 15 percent of Yahoo leagues and 11 percent of ESPN leagues.

*Fantasy points allowed and roster percentages from FantasyPros.