Fantasy Football News: Week 17 | Trends & Injuries to Monitor

As you lay down to sleep tonight nestled all snug in your beds while visions of oblong sugarplums dance in your heads, try to contain your excitement. I’m not talking about delicately wrapped presents waiting to be ripped open or even lottery scratchers as stocking stuffers. Not the food (ham again?) or even rushing to the windows seeking a thick covering of snowflakes on the ground and tree branches. No, interrupting sleep tonight is the promise of a season’s worth of fantasy football news put to good use. This is the money shot.

As the sun crests the hills, you’ll rush to the window. Flinging it open and recognizing a passing child, you cry, “Boy! You there! What day is today?!” The boy, somewhat confused, smiles and says, “Today? Why it’s Fantasy Football Championship Day, sir!” With the thrill of – well, of a little kid on Christmas morning – your anticipation begins to boil over as you switch on Netflix (hey, not every story is perfect) in time to catch the pregame NFL action.

It’s Week 17, fellow degenerates. Whether you’re playing for the ‘chip or consolation, there’s something for everyone. Because, dammit, it’s football, and we’ve got a ton of it in the next five out of six days. That’s not to mention College Bowl games, the College Football Playoffs and marquee basketball matchups. It’s a sports-lover’s dream, and it all comes to a head with likely your final matchup of the 2024 fantasy football season.

With candy canes and silver lanes aglow, we board the sleigh departing to the crisp winter sky and look down upon everything we need to know heading into the final matchups of the fantasy landscape. Ho, Ho, Ho, Mofos!

Fantasy Football News & Notes for Week 17

Fantasy Football News

We Can Have a Normal Christmas… Right?

Not long after favorites were devastated in these fantasy playoffs by a Week 15 loaded with subpar performances and injuries, it appeared Week 16 had something different to offer. We turned the corner towards a sense of relaxation for teams that survived an odd slate.

Week 16 brought with it some returns to normalcy. Derrick Henry (182 all-purpose yards) returned to his old tricks. So, too, did MVP candidate Saquon Barkley with his 150 yards rushing and two touchdowns after a down performance the week before. Patrick Mahomes shrugged off the “ankle injury” he incurred in Week 15 to lead the Chiefs to another win, this time over the playoff-bound Houston Texans.

It was beginning to look a lot like championship Christmas for managers rostering Chuba Hubbard, Jonathan Taylor and Jared Goff. Justin Jefferson, Jayden Daniels and Kyren Williams might as well have been the three wise men bearing gifts of fantasy riches.

Scrooge Me Twice, Shame on Me

Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson all finished outside of the top-12 FF QBs in Week Sixteen.

That’s the first time that’s happened this season.

— Ryan McDowell (@RyanMc23) December 23, 2024

Just when you think all is right with the world, you walk out the front door, and an enormous snow drift drops from above. Championships were lost when Jalen Hurts left the Philadelphia game with a concussion and was replaced by Kenny Pickett (QB27). Thanks to three timely touchdowns, managers barely skated by with Lamar Jackson (QB12). The MVP incumbent lost some breathing room as Josh Allen (QB24) stumbled to a 67.3 rating. Did you gamble on Michael Penix Jr. as your savior? He was QB30, so start planning a vacation.

But is that a bright red nose you spy through this foggy Christmas Eve? All three of those quarterbacks are still currently perched in prime playoff positions but still have something to play for. Playoff positioning will thankfully not affect the players you see on the field in Championship Week. The Baltimore Ravens are in a tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Philadelphia Eagles are a few bounces from the NFC’s top seed. The Kansas City Chiefs are looking to hold off the Buffalo Bills.

Except for Hurts (whose concussion status is up in the air), you’ll see teams running out to represent your squads at (mostly) full strength. Aside from the frontrunners, the bottom of the standings features teams desperately jockeying for position and pulling out all the stops to go over the river and through the woods to the fantasy Championship.

Jack Daniels Slushies

You’ve wrapped your presents and have been resisting the urge to drop hints to little Timmy (or Jimmy… what’s his name again?) about what Santa might be bringing him. As you stand around with “loved ones” that you only see once a year, feasting on salami roll-ups, drinking frozen alcohol (in winter?) and making jokes about chicken liver pate, the conversation will undoubtedly hit a lull.

“Oh fuuuuuuudge,” you think because you’re fresh out of “A Christmas Story” quotes. But you didn’t think “fudge,” did you? You wrack your brain for something… anything to talk about. Still, all that’s left up there in that slightly inebriated noggin’ (pun intended) are facts about fantasy football bouncing around like Kevin McCallister left home alone to their own devices.

Well, this is the last time you’ll get to use them, so start blurting them out to seem knowledgeable. You’re going to press on, and you’ll have the hap-hap-happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny-fucking-Kaye!

Your Guide to Safe-Starters

Trey McBride had some choice words after Arizona’s loss 🫨 pic.twitter.com/Urq1CQkkd4

— FantasyPros (@FantasyPros) December 23, 2024

- You can’t fault Trey McBride for expressing his frustration. In the wake of the Cardinals losing 36-30 to the Carolina Panthers and eliminating them from contention, who can help but not reflect? There was still hope for Arizona three weeks ago. There was a 71% chance at the postseason if they beat the Seahawks to now this. It was less like Christmas and more like Groundhog Day for a team that has made the playoffs just six times in 36 seasons.
- What exactly did Cleveland expect? Did Kevin Stefanski really need another scapegoat? The final line for Dorian Thompson-Robinson (DTR) was a 58% completion rate, 157 passing yards, three turnovers and five sacks. That was good for QB28, which, to be fair, ranked higher than Matthew Stafford.
- Can we all agree to just leave the Houston Texans home for the playoffs? Poor Tank Dell was lost for the season again after major structural damage to his knee. The team went out and signed batshit-crazy Diontae Johnson to replace him, and it won’t even matter because C.J. Stroud is tossing picks more haphazardly than the way you break apart “Peppermint Bark” for your party.
- In an NFL world where players were leaving green and red Amber Heard piles under the tree at the most inopportune of times, there were also moments of “Christmas Crack” ecstasy (follow me for more holiday recipes). Jonathan Taylor awakened from slumber just long enough to take watchful eyes off of Anthony Richardson for once, illuminating the evergreen with 218 yards rushing and three touchdowns. “It’s beautiful, Clark!”

What to Watch for Around the NFL in Week 17

The Heroes You Didn’t Know You Needed

Joe Burrow got tired of everyone calling Josh Allen Superman https://t.co/my7AZdklgv

— John Talks (@j_t_starwars) December 23, 2024

I wrote last week that any number of Bengals players could take their fantasy managers to the playoffs, and they turned around and put a neat little bow on that comment for me. Tee Higgins and Chase Brown showed out for their respective squads. The defense also scored a boatload of fantasy points. Ja’Marr Chase continued his assault on winning the receiving “triple crown,” where he leads all players in catches, yards and receiving touchdowns. And then there’s “Superman” Joe Burrow, who had a multitude of zigs and zags to escape pressure on Sunday and deliver dots and darts to paydirt.

Burrow became the first player in NFL history to throw for 250-plus yards and three touchdowns in seven straight games. Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen have never accomplished this feat, nor have Tom Brady or Drew Brees, who had six each. Peyton Manning, Steve Young or Dan Marino also all capped out at five in a row.

The Bengals might not be walking into a real-life winter wonderland of NFL Playoffs (but they could). Still, no one in fantasy circles can deny that having any one of the Cincinnati studs on your fantasy football roster has reaped the benefits. Next up for the Bengals is a battle with the Denver Broncos, where each team must win to keep their 2024 aspirations alive. Cincinnati gets the home benefit and is a three-point favorite against the upstarts. More importantly, the total for this game is already set at 50 points. Suffice it to say, if your opponent has players on either side of this matchup, cross your fingers and toes for the Championship.

You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out

That’s what’s likely on the minds of the Steelers, Chiefs and Ravens tomorrow. No one can afford a misstep and the ramifications it could have. The safest is Red Rider-led Kansas City. With only one loss to their credit, they are playing with house money. The real intrigue comes from the AFC North teams (doesn’t it always?), with Baltimore holding a decided advantage over Pittsburgh.

The two rivals find themselves tied atop the division, and both desperately want a cushion going into the season’s close after the new year. The Steelers (10-5) have a tall order; Beat the Chiefs to put the pressure on Baltimore (10-5), who will play the Houston Texans immediately following the first game. The Ravens are pushing a near seven-point advantage on the road and should not have issues with Houston. Pittsburgh knows this and will give Kansas City all they can handle at Acrisure Stadium (formerly Heinz Field).

Fantasy football managers will also want players from these two meaningful games in their lineups. That includes the much-anticipated return of George Pickens to the Steelers’ lineup. The result of these games will depend on who is most protective with their Carbine-action 200-shot Range Model Air Rifle under center.

There are no major awards for losing this week, in fantasy or reality. Try not to scratch your own eyes out over the sure-to-be unparalleled Netflix coverage. For some, though… It’s time for a trip down Santa Claus Lane to get some figgy pudding!

Fantasy Football Quick Hits for Week 17

Adam Thielen bustin out the Griddy after a game winning TD 😭 pic.twitter.com/YYT9Xf2UVi

— Jason Harmon (@_jason_777) December 2, 2024

If you somehow survived losing Jalen Hurts just four pass attempts into your semifinal matchup, reward yourself with some hot apple cider! Of course, you’ll probably need a backup plan and some whiskey to survive the final.
Who’s the league-winner? Did we talk it to death and keep imagining breakout performances that never came to fruition? Or was it the one right in front of us the whole time (insert Hallmark music here)? We love you, Adam Thielen.
The San Francisco debacle of 2024 has mercifully come to an end, save for two unimportant games. They’ll look like a shell of themselves come 2025. But hey, Brandon Aiyuk! Right? Right?!
Unless you suffered a quarterback injury, I’m not so sure there’s even a reason to look at waivers. Who’s it going to be? Rashod Bateman? Kendrick Bourne? Kimani Vidal? Maybe. But if you’re in a position to need those sorts of replacements, you’re better off running the same dudes out that got you there.
Friendly yearly reminder that if the pot is big enough and projections close enough, there is nothing wrong with entering an agreement to split the spoils. Aside from being a wuss, that is.
“Die Hard” is a Christmas movie.
After several weeks of so-so results, Jonathan Taylor will show several teams why they drafted him if they didn’t already get the memo last week.
Fantasy punishment idea: Build wooden toys with wooden hammers and wooden nails in the North Pole for 24 hours. Oh! How about spending 24 hours in a Walmart? Eeeeek!
Christmas Day on Netflix: The Kansas City Chiefs at the Pittsburgh Steelers kicks off at 1 p.m. ET, and the Baltimore Ravens at the Houston Texans gets going at 4:30 p.m. ET.
“Thursday Night Football” on Prime Video offers the Seattle Seahawks at the Chicago Bears, getting underway at 8:15 p.m. ET.
Saturday football on NFL Network gives us the Los Angeles Chargers at the New England Patriots at 1:00 p.m. ET, the Denver Broncos at the Cincinnati Bengals at 4:00 p.m. ET and the Arizona Cardinals at the Los Angeles Rams at 8:00 p.m. ET
Everybody else will play on Sunday and Monday.

“O Come, All Ye Faithful”

Remember to pray for the Grinch this Holiday season. As he suffers from Cardiomegaly. 😉 pic.twitter.com/JtS7KztmlK

— YPC (@mjestew) December 23, 2024

This is it. It’s the crowning moment of one of the most trying fantasy football seasons in recent memory. Whether you are playing for the coveted title in your home league or still in the running for a giant tournament for charity like the Scott Fish Bowl (SFB), good luck! You’ve made it this far, probably overcoming some obstacles but also getting a little lucky along the way.

Stop tinkering and act like you’ve been there before! Be confident in the team you’ve assembled, and know that your gut (pre-Christmas dip) is your greatest asset. Have Mom or Dad put together and unbox toys for little Janie, Miller and Grace because you have a game face to put on! Talk some trash, live on the edge of your seat (though you paid for the whole thing) and embrace when this opportunity coincides with a festive holiday season.

If you need last-minute help, I’ll see you on Twitter/X from 10 a.m. ET until the games start on Sunday to answer your start/sit questions, or Friday night at 9 p.m. ET for “Sleepers and Streamers,” where we’ll be taking questions from the chat! You can also find me here at In-Between Media (IBT) again on Friday with player prop bets for Sunday’s games!

Hey, you’ve got a snowball in your left hand and a snowball in your right hand. What have you got? Frosty the Snowman’s full attention. Yippee-Ki-Yay, motherfuckers… let’s bring home some championships. Oh, and Happy Hollandaise.

Check out all of our Week 17 fantasy football content:

Thanks for checking out my Week 17 fantasy football news and notes! Track me down on Twitter/X @BuyAndSellYou for more redraft and dynasty fantasy football content.

*Photo Credit: Eric Canha – USA TODAY Sports*

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Fantasy Football Whiplash! | Week 17 News & Notes (2024)

Championship Week!