Week 17 NFL Fantasy Football Championship Advice: RB2 Decisions

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Week 17 Fantasy Football Advice Mailbag (2024)

Who Would You Play at RB2 in Your Fantasy Football Championship? Ameer Abdullah or Tyjae Spears? — @Dadbod35

First and foremost, congratulations on reaching the final true week of the fantasy football season (I have my thoughts on Week 18 for another day)! Be proud of yourself. This fantasy football season was sort of loopy. And to those whose title games are in Week 18, well, you are built differently. I’ll let y’all decide that.

Until then, let’s get into it. We are in our running back era.

Ameer Abdullah‘s Week 17 Fantasy Football Outlook

In what seemed like a tank job in Sin City, the Las Vegas Raiders took a turn when they beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 19-14 in Week 16. Ameer Abdullah finished with 19.5 Points Per Reception (PPR) fantasy points after scoring 19.6 against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 15.

Against Jacksonville, Abdullah rushed seven times for 38 yards and a touchdown while adding five catches off six targets for 47 receiving yards. He’s the Raiders’ receiving back, while Alexander Mattison is the lead rusher depth chart-wise. Losing Sincere McCormick and Zamir White to Injured Reserve (IR) has elevated the Mattison-Abdullah duo. The Saints’ defense has allowed around 4.5 Yards Per Carry (YPC), nine touchdowns and the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing backs since Week 9. Therefore, this is a favorable matchup.

As a Raiders fan, I do not want the team to win. They need a quarterback. But I want people to win in fantasy, so this isn’t about me (I fade my team all season anyway). However, in this case, Abdullah is something to keep an eye on. The issue is the silver and black are splitting carries and targets to both Abdullah and Mattison. I don’t trust the Raiders entirely with their wishy-washiness, so only consider Abdullah as a FLEX if you have no other options or if you had any Seattle Seahawks or Chicago Bears in your lineup.

Tyjae Spears‘ Week 17 Fantasy Football Outlook

Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears has been on fire the past two weeks, scoring 44.3 total fantasy points against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 15 and the Indianapolis Colts in Week 17. He saw a 29% target share against the Colts – more than Tony Pollard – and had eight targets in the end zone the past two weeks. Spears also carried the ball 10 times for 27 yards and two touchdowns while adding three catches for 39 yards.

The Titans are facing a Jaguars’ run defense ranked 31st in the league, so Spears is another solid option at RB2. Ideally, I would have him as an RB3, but it’s been a weird year in fantasy football. You do what you have to do.

It is also worth noting that Tony Pollard was not seen at the Titans’ practice earlier today and has been marked as a Did Not Practice (DNP) all week. He did play against the Colts despite logging three DNPs before their Week 16 matchup. However, Pollard only had a 39% snap share, a clear signal he wasn’t at 100%.

This indicates that Spears is the favorite to take the load again, regardless of Pollard’s status. He has scored four touchdowns in two games, so Tennessee should be riding the Spears wave even if Pollard was healthy.

The Verdict

This is tough, but I’m starting Spears over Abdullah as my RB2 in fantasy football championships. Overall, I’m still bullish on a Raiders running back having a good fantasy-scoring day; I just don’t know whether it’ll be Abdullah or Mattison.

I would put Spears at RB2, not just for his hot-scoring production, but simply because I don’t trust the Raiders’ offense enough. This is despite facing a defeated and depleted New Orleans Saints team on the road. LAs Vegas’s offense has been wishy-washy at best. While the Titans are also likely seeking their quarterback of the future, they are playing an AFC South opponent that struggles against the run.

With a championship on the line, I am a go-for-the-hottest-player-on-the-board kind of girl. For me, it’s Spears, but having Abdullah isn’t a bust, either.

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*Photo Credit: Steve Roberts – USA TODAY Sports*

Nicolette Rojo

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Week 17 Fantasy Football Advice Mailbag: Championship RB2 Decisions (2024)