Week 17 NFL DFS: Money Makers and Heart Breakers

It’s Christmas Day, and yes, I am working. Before we get into the numbers, let me start where it matters most.

Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays.

And yes, I mean both. Because wishing someone Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays is the same thing at its core: hoping people you don’t even know experience joy, peace, health, and happiness during a stretch of the calendar that can be stressful, emotional, and meaningful all at once. There’s nothing political or controversial about it. It’s simply goodwill.

So, pour another drink, hug your people, enjoy the holiday, and then let’s talk about who might make you money… and who will definitely break your heart.

More Week 17 Fantasy Football Fun!: | Sneaky Starts | Fantasy Football Waiver Wire | Weekly Sleepers & Streamers | Starts & Sits | Skrip’s Week Winners | NFL DFS | NFL Player Props | IDP Analysis | Bold Predictions | Survivor Picks | NFL Injury Report | Dynasty Trade Targets | Weekly Rankings | Dynasty Risers and Fallers

Money Makers and Heart Breakers for Week 17 NFL DFS

Here is a brief definition of each of my terms for anyone who might be new:

💰 Money Maker – This player will perform better than expectations

💔 Heart Breaker – This player will perform lower than expectations

💰 Money Makers

Quarterbacks

Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals

Jacoby Brissett, how do I love thee? Last week, the Falcons became the first team in ten games to hold you below multiple touchdowns and or 300 yards. In Week 17, the Cardinals will face the Bengals’ defense that gives up the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing teams’ quarterbacks. The Bengals have been better at defending the pass lately, but this is a bounce-back spot for Brissett. Brissett will pass the ball 35 times, and that volume will bring him numbers to keep this game going. Vegas has this game at 53.5, the highest on the slate.

• DraftKings – $5700
• FanDuel – $7600

Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

In Week 14, the Jaguars played the Colts, and Lawrence passed for 244 yards and two touchdowns. The Colts are up again in Week 17. The Colts also have a banged-up secondary, with Daniel Scott sent to injured reserve and Sauce Gardner questionable at best. This is a delicious match-up for Lawrence, who has passed for multiple touchdowns in five straight games. Lawrence is going to bust up the Colts in Week 17.

• DraftKings – $6100
• FanDuel – $8000

Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints

Aw, Shucks, Reedy is at it again, recommending some rookie that plays for a crappy team. The Saints will play the Titans in Week 17. The Titans give up the eighth most fantasy points to quarterbacks. In the last five games, four different quarterbacks have had multiple touchdown games against the Titans. This is the defense Shedeur Sanders blew up in Week 14. Meanwhile, Shough has been playing fantastically over the past four weeks and is the overall QB7 in that time frame. Start Shough with confidence in Week 17.

• DraftKings – $5200
• FanDuel – $7300

Other Quarterback DFS Picks for Week 17

Drake Maye, New England Patriots

• DraftKings – $6800
• FanDuel – $8400

Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• DraftKings – $5600
• FanDuel – $7800

Philip Rivers, Indianapolis Colts

• DraftKings – $4700
• FanDuel – $6300

Running Backs

Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders will play the Giants in Week 17. Giants are third in most fantasy points to opposing teams’ running backs. Jeanty is also coming off a game where he had 25 total touches, 188 total yards, and two touchdowns. Remember, kids, it is not chasing last week’s points when the matchup is even better this week. Look for Jeanty to be heavily involved in the offense at home in Week 17.

• DraftKings – $6100
• FanDuel – $7500

Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals

Chase is working on nine straight weeks of double-digit fantasy scores. He is coming in hot, like your 16-year-old pulling your car into the driveway. Brown scored three touchdowns in Week 16. He is involved in both running and catching the ball. That all sounds great. But wait, there is more. The Cardinals, you see, give up the second-most fantasy points to opposing teams’ running backs. Put him in your lineup, and you might be saying ShamWow.

• DraftKings – $7400
• FanDuel – $8000

Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots

The Patriots will play the Jets in Week 17. The Jets do not do many things well. One thing they do well is they get out of the way and let other teams run the football on them. Running backs average a total of 132 yards and 1.5 touchdowns per week against the Jets. If Treveon Henderson is out, and right now it looks like he will be, Stevenson will get some serious volume against the Jets. He is an easy plug-and-play.

• DraftKings – $5900
• FanDuel – $6400

Other Running Back DFS Picks for Week 17

James Cook, Buffalo Bills

• DraftKings – $8000
• FanDuel – $9000

Michael Carter, Arizona Cardinals

• DraftKings – $5200
• FanDuel – $6500

Kenneth Walker, Seattle Seahawks

• DraftKings – $5800
• FanDuel – $6700

Wide Receivers

Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints

Over the past two games, Olave has seen 25 targets. He has turned those into 16 receptions, 253 yards, and three touchdowns. This week, he gets to play against the Titans, who only looked like they could defend the pass in Week 16 because no one on Kansas City could throw the ball. You will be singing Olave, Oh, oh, like you are Dean Martin. (Look up Volare kids, it is even older than me)

• DraftKings – $7200
• FanDuel – $8100

Jakobi Meyers, Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars played the Colts in Week 14. In those games, Meyers saw 10 targets, which he turned into four receptions, 39 yards, and a touchdown. They are up again in Week 17; they now give up the third most fantasy points to wide receivers. The Colts give up the second-most yards per game to wide receivers at 170 yards per game. Meyers has been Trevor Lawrence’s favorite target overall since he arrived in Jacksonville. I expect the Jaguars to air it out in this one as they have a lot on the line.

• DraftKings – $5300
• FanDuel – $6800

Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts

As you already know, the Colts play the Jaguars in Week 17. You might want to run it back with Pierce. In Week 14, Pierce had five receptions for 80 yards against this Jaguars defense, which can be beaten on the outside and has been throughout the season. Courtland Sutton and Adonai Mitchell have done it the past two games. Pierce has the opportunity to break out in Week 17.

• DraftKings – $4700
  • FanDuel – $5800

Other Wide Receiver DFS Picks for Week 17

 Wan’Dale Robinson, New York Giants

• DraftKings – $5700
• FanDuel – $6100

Stefon Diggs, New England Patriots

• DraftKings – $5800
• FanDuel – $6500

Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders

• DraftKings – $3800
• FanDuel – $5400

Tight Ends

Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals

McBride is putting up unreal numbers this season since Jacoby Brissett has taken over at quarterback. This week, he gets the tastiest matchup possible, playing against a Bengals defense that gives up the most fantasy points to tight ends. Tight ends average seven receptions, 91 yards, and a touchdown against the Bengals. We have the best tight end in the game against the defense that defends the position the worst. This should be a big one for McBride.

• DraftKings – $7500
• FanDuel – $8000

Harold Fannin, Cleveland Browns

We all want someone to look at us the way Shedeur Sanders looks at Harold Fannin (That is my best Matthew Berry impersonation). Sanders targets Fannin roughly 8 times per game. Fannin has three touchdowns over the past four games. This week, the Browns play the Steelers, and the Steelers give up the third-most fantasy points to tight ends. Did you pick up what I just put down here?

• DraftKings – $5000
• FanDuel – $6500

Other Tight End DFS Picks for Week 17

Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints

• DraftKings – $2700
• FanDuel – $6800

Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals

• DraftKings – $3500
• FanDuel – $5100

Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars

• DraftKings – $4000
• FanDuel – $5600

Defense

New England Patriots

The Patriots will play the Jets in Week 17. The Jets have been incredibly friendly to opposing teams’ defenses for the past three weeks. Fantasy defenses have averaged 15 points per week over that span. The Jets you see have given up 17 sacks and seven interceptions over this span. It completely coincided with Brady Cook starting at quarterback.

• DraftKings – $3900
• FanDuel – $5000

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers play the Browns in Week 17. The Browns give up the third most fantasy points to opposing teams’ defenses. For the season, teams average 10 fantasy points per week against the Browns. For the six games with Sanders at quarterback, team defenses average 9.7 fantasy points against the Browns. The change may have helped give a perception of improvement, but it isn’t much.

• DraftKings – $3300
• FanDuel – $4400

New York Giants

In Week 16, the Giants’ defense managed 15 fantasy points against the Vikings. They filled up the stat sheet with four sacks, an interception, a fumble recovery, and a defensive touchdown. This week, they play the Raiders, who give up the most fantasy points to defense. Teams have averaged 12 fantasy points per game against the Raiders over the past three games. The Raiders give up the most sacks per game (3.8) and score the fewest points on offense (14 per game). The Giants are a sneaky good start in all fantasy formats.

• DraftKings – $2900
• FanDuel – $3700

💔Heart Breakers

Quarter Backs

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Josh Allen will play an Eagles team that has shut down the passing game for four weeks in a row. I know they were not playing against Allen. I expect this game to be very run-heavy by both teams. If you have Allen in season-long, you are playing him, but don’t pay up for him this week in DFS.

Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

If you didn’t know, the Bills also defend the pass well. Look for Saquon to get mixed in a lot in Week 17, as you can really run on the Bills. Hurts, you see, is another player I would play in season-long but not in DFS. This is a potential game script call.

Running Backs

Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts

The Jaguars are up in Week 17. They give up the second fewest fantasy points to running backs. In Week 14, Taylor managed 74 yards and a touchdown against this Jaguars team. That is not bad, but that is a floor game for Taylor and not something you would pay up for in DFS.

Breece Hall, New York Jets

The Patriots give up the third fewest fantasy points to opposing teams’ running backs. I know Hall is a great running back, one of the best in the league, but the Pats’ defense is really good at stopping the run, and the Jets offense has been absolutely pathetic the past three games. Look elsewhere in DFS.

Wide Receiver

Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions

The Sun God is going to get his. My calling him a heartbreaker here is more about how bad this match-up is, and not wanting him as a play in DFS. He should still crack 10 fantasy points; he almost always does. You can run him out there if you like, but just know this again is more of the low end of fantasy points for St. Brown.

DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles

The Bills are easy on the run and tough on the pass. With that said, I do not like the second option in the Eagles’ passing game at all this week. The focus has been on AJ Brown since he complained five weeks ago, not on Smith. This one was easy, and if you read this article, you know sometimes I like an easy one.

Tight Ends

Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders

The Giants give up the fourth fewest fantasy points to tight ends. The Raiders play the Giants in Week 17. Brock Bowers is out in Week 17. So obviously, you are playing with him. Do not play Michael Mayer either. The matchup stinks.

Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles

Did I mention the Bills are a run funnel defense and tough on the pass? Well, they defend tight ends exceptionally well. They actually give up the second fewest fantasy points to the position. So if you were hoping Dallas Goedert would be good this week, you have just learned that hope truly is not a strategy.

Make sure to check out all of our Week 17 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!