I want to wish each and every one of you a Happy New Year!
The end of the NFL regular season is coming fast. That means the playoffs are coming. If you did not know I run a playoff challenge for Ride Hard Breathe Easy. This organization does a lot of good helping to alleviate the suffering of lung cancer patients.
If you are interested in playing, please feel free to reach out to me on X @MikeReedyFF
With that said I hope you all enjoy the Holidays with family and friends and raise a cup of cheer for me. Now let us get to the Money Makers and the Heartbreakers for Week 17.
Here is a brief definition of each of my terms for anyone that might be new:
💰 Money Maker – This player will perform better than expectations
💔 Heart Breaker – This player will perform lower than expectations
Week 17 Money Makers💰
Quarterbacks
Bryce Young
In Week 13 the Panthers played the Buccaneers and Young passed for 298 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for another 17 yards and a touchdown in that game. He gets to play the Buccaneers again in Week 17. This is a great spot to plug him in as the Buccaneers give up the second-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. The first time around there was no fluke, quarterbacks tear up the Buccaneers defense weekly.
$5,600 on DraftKings
$7,100 on FanDuel
Baker Mayfield
In the same game, Mayfield gets to play the Panthers’ defense that gives up the sixth most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. Mayfield has surpassed 280 yards with multiple touchdowns in each of the last three games. He is the overall QB5 on the season in a great match-up. The Butcher, the Baker, the fantasy points maker, Baker Mayfield will get it going again this week
$6,900 on DraftKings
$8,200 on FanDuel
Jalen Hurts
I know Hurts is questionable with a concussion. The Eagles play the Cowboys in Week 17. The last time these two teams met, Hurts scored 4 touchdowns. Four touchdowns in one game Peg, Four! So if Hurts is playing, plug him in, The Cowboys give up the third most fantasy points to quarterbacks. If Hurts is out Kenny Pickett becomes a nice GPP play. If Hurts is in, I am not afraid to start him.
$5,200 on DraftKings
$8,300 on FanDuel
Other Quarterback DFS Picks for Week 17
Mason Rudolph
$5,000 on DraftKings
$6,00 on FanDuel
Jordan Love
$6,200 on DraftKings
$7,800 on FanDuel
Mac Jones
$5,200 on DraftKings
$6,600 on FanDuel
Running Backs
Bucky Irving
In Week 13 the Bucky had 185 yards and a touchdown against the Panthers. In Week 17 He gets to play the same Panthers defense. Bucky has scored 12 or more fantasy points in five out of the last six games. The Panthers give up the most fantasy points to running backs. Very movable object meets revolving door defense. It is physics!
$6,700 on DraftKings
$8,000 on FanDuel
Tyjae Spears
The Jaguars give up the second most fantasy points to running backs. Tony Pollard is nursing his ankle. Spears led Tennessee in running back snaps in Week 16 with 61%. Spears led the Titans in carries with 10 in Week 16 and had two touchdowns. This is a smash spot for him to produce. Tyjae should poke in another touchdown in week 17
$5,400 on DraftKings
$5,800 on FanDuel
Jonathan Taylor
I hate you Jonathan Taylor with all my heart, I hate you. 218 yards and three touchdowns in Week 16. After dropping the ball at the goal line in Week 15. I hate you. But the Colts play the Giants in Week 17. The Giants give up the sixth most fantasy points to running backs. Running backs average 114 yards and a touchdown rushing against the Giants weekly. Taylor should surpass that this week.
$7,900 on DraftKings
$8,400 on FanDuel
Other Running Back DFS Picks for Week 17
Breece Hall
$6,300 on DraftKings
$7,900 on FanDuel
Ameer Abdullah
$5,100 on DraftKings
$5,600 on FanDuel
Saquon Barkley
$8,600 on DraftKings
$9,600 on FanDuel
Wide Receivers
Jayden Reed
The Packers play the Vikings in Week 17. The Vikings give up the most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. 22 different wide receivers have scored double-digit fantasy points against the Vikings. One of them was Reed in Week 4. He had 77 receptions, 139 yards, and a touchdown that week. You can look for Reed and Dontayvion Wicks to produce this week against the Vikings.
$5,900 on DraftKings
$6,700 on FanDuel
Tyreek Hill
Hill has scored touchdowns in three out of the last four games. In Week 17, against the Browns, he plays against a defense that gives up the third most fantasy points to wide receivers. My only fear here is that the Browns turn the ball over so many times that the field is short the entire game for the Dolphins.
$6,900 on DraftKings
$7,400 on FanDuel
Jakobi Meyers
Jakobi struggled a little last week against the Dolphins defense. This week he gets to play against a Saints defense that gives up the eighth-most fantasy points to wide receivers. This is a nice match-up play for DFS. Meyers should see 9-12 targets and produce on volume in Week 17.
$6,000 on DraftKings
$6,600 on FanDuel
Other Wide Receiver DFS Picks for Week 17
Calvin Ridley
$5,500 on DraftKings
$6,300 on FanDuel
Adam Theilen
$5,700 on DraftKings
$6,200 on FanDuel
AJ Brown (Cowboys)
$7,800 on DraftKings
$8,800 on FanDuel
Tight Ends
Chig Okonkwo
In the last two games, Okonkwo has seen 21 targets. He had 10 targets in Week 15 and 11 targets in Week 16. Okonkwo has turned that into 17 receptions and 140 yards over those two games. The Titans play the Jaguars in Week 17. The Jaguars give up the seventh most fantasy points to tight ends. All of his production has been since Mason Rudolph took over. Mason Rudolph is starting in Week 17.
$3,600 on DraftKings
$5,400 on FanDuel
Jonnu Smith
Smith has double-digit fantasy scores in five out of the last six games. In the one game he did not surpass 10 points, he had 9. He is producing against everyone. The Browns give up the 8th most fantasy points to tight ends. He has an 84% catch rate over this six-game span as well. The volume will be there, he will catch the majority of it as well.
$5,700 on DraftKings
$6,800 on FanDuel
Other Tight End DFS Picks for Week 17
TJ Hockenson
$4,500 on DraftKings
$5,700 on FanDuel
David Njoku
$4,700 on DraftKings
$6,200 on FanDuel
DEF
Dolphins
The Dolphins will play the Browns in Week 17. In the last four weeks, the Browns have given up a total of 69 fantasy points. That is an average of 17.25 per game. This four-game stretch moved the Browns into the team that gives up the most fantasy points to opposing defenses this season. Teams have had 16 sacks and 11 interceptions against the Browns over that span.
$3,200 on DraftKings
$4,700 on FanDuel
Raiders
The Raiders will play the Saints in Week 17. The Saints are playing second and third-string players across the board on offense. If you are looking for a team with upside at a low price the Raiders are a good one. The opportunity is there.
$2,600 on DraftKings
$3,200 on FanDuel
Colts
The Colts get to play the Giants in Week 17. The Giants give up the third most fantasy points to opposing defenses. In the last four games they have been almost as bad as the Browns, giving up 52 fantasy points to defenses over that span. The Colts defense isn’t great but the Giants will try very hard to make them look great.
$3,500 on DraftKings
$4,900 on FanDuel
💔Heart Breakers
Quarterbacks
Sam Darnold
Sam has had his best season as a pro. The last time he played the Packers he threw for 3 touchdowns. He has great wide receivers catching the ball. The Vikings play the Packers this week and the Packers give up the second least amount of fantasy points to quarterbacks. I am playing Darnold in season-long formats for Championship Week, but not in DFS.
Joe Burrow
It’s Joe Burrow, so you can probably play him if you really want to. He will produce something. He has 3 or more passing touchdowns in seven straight games. The Denver defense is tough. While I admit he will probably still get you 20 fantasy points that could be the ceiling this week for him.
Running Backs
Rico Dowdle
The Cowboys play the Eagles in Week 17. The Cowboys also played the Eagles in Week 10. Dowdle had 56 total yards in Week 10. That is because the Eagles are the second-toughest team against the run. I am not dowdling around in DFS Week 17.
Chuba Hubbard
Hubbard has been awesome this year. Since Week 3 he has had one horrible game. That was Week 13 against the Buccaneers. In Week 17 he gets to play the Buccaneers again. They are very tough against the run. I would expect the Buccaneers to work hard on defense to stop Hubbard again this week.
De’Von Achane
I will start with that this is Achane we are talking about. While I expect him to produce less than his projections that could still be 15 points. The Browns are a top-10 defense against the run. Only one running back this season has scored over 20 fantasy points against the Browns this season.
Wide Receivers
Justin Jefferson
This will be quick. In season-long play Jefferson. In DFS do not pay up for him. The Vikings play the Packers, and the Packers give up the least amount of fantasy points to opposing wide receivers.
Brian Thomas Jr.
Thomas is the overall WR6 on the season. In Week 14 against the Titans, he had 8 receptions for 86 yards. He may replicate that this week against the Titans again. The Titans give up the second fewest amount of fantasy points to wide receivers. Might be because you can run on them, and they stink.
Khalil Shakir
The Bills play the Jets in Week 17. The Jets give up the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. Smells like James Cook goes nuts again to me.
Tight Ends
Hunter Henry
The Patriots will play against the Chargers in Week 17. The Chargers give up the fifth fewest fantasy points to tight ends. Henry really needs a touchdown to produce this week. That is something he doesn’t have many of this season. He got his first one of the season last week. This is 4 receptions for 40 yards type of week for Henry.
Brenton Strange
Look it is Brenton Strange the savior of your fantasy season. Well if the 2 receptions for 22 yards he had in a good match up last week saved your season, good for you. This week he gets a Titans defense that is top 10 at defending tight ends. People don’t really pass that much on the Titans because they don’t have to.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 17 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!