In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by Underdog:
Getting to the championship game is a big accomplishment. It’s never easy to win a fantasy football championship. While most rosters should be set for the final game, there are a lot of injuries and players being shut down. In deeper formats, it’s not easy to find replacements.
In case you need to fill a hole, here are some streamers for Week 17 and you can also use our Start/Sit tool to assist in decisions.
QUARTERBACK
Bryce Young (Carolina Panthers)
Most teams in the championship should be set at quarterback. For those in need, consider Young. He has been running more in recent games and had a season-high 68 rushing yards last week with a touchdown. Young has 3 rushing touchdowns in the last four games. The matchup is as good as it gets with the Buccaneers allowing the third-most fantasy points to quarterbacks. Young passed for 298 yards with a touchdown and rushed for a score against the Buccaneers in Week 12.
RUNNING BACK
KenDre Miller (New Orleans Saints)
Ameer Abdullah (Las Vegas Raiders)
Abdullah split the backfield with Alexander Mattison last week with Abdullah getting 12 touches and Mattison 16. Abdullah is the better back and is more involved in the passing game. He had seven carries for 38 yards with a touchdown and caught five passes for 47 yards. The Saints allow the seventh-most fantasy points to running backs and were non-competitive last week against Green Bay.
WIDE RECEIVER
Jalen McMillan (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
McMillan has become the No. 2 target in the passing game for Baker Mayfield. The rookie started the season slowly and has become a key part of the offense. McMillan has 20 targets in the last three games and scored 4 touchdowns. He has produced 21.9, 18.5, and 18.7 points in PPR formats in the last three weeks.
TIGHT END
Chig Okonkwo (Tennessee Titans)
Okonkwo has become a favorite of Mason Rudolph. He has 21 targets in the last two games, catching eight of 10 targets for 59 yards two weeks ago against the Bengals and catching nine of 11 targets for 81 yards last week against the Colts. The Jaguars allow the seventh-most fantasy points to tight ends.
If you need more streamers to consider, remember to check out our start/sit tool to compare options and double down to see how our expert rankers view fringe options this week.
CONSULT OUR START/SIT TOOL FOR WEEK 17
What else is in today’s newsletter?
- Week 17 Injury Report: Updates on James Conner, J.K. Dobbins, and more
- Watercooler: Who’s chasing contract incentives?
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Week 17 Injuries
Get up to speed on the biggest question marks on the Week 17 Injury Report with Chris Allen and Jorge Martin:
It's Week 17. You made it to the title game. Enjoy the view. And hopefully, after three NFL games have been played, your chances of winning your league championship are still good. Now comes the “fun” part of the week—deciphering if players who are injured going into the weekend have a chance to play, or if their play can be impacted.
Here is the latest injury information on fantasy-relevant players going into Week 17. This being championship week, we've narrowed the focus to players who are at the very least under consideration to start in the fantasy championship. So don't expect to see any deep sleepers in here.
Jalen Hurts (concussion): The last time we saw Hurts, he was giving a thumbs-up to a referee after taking a hit. Kenny Pickett had to close out the Eagles' bitter loss to the Commanders. Hurts is yet to practice this week and as of Friday, has officially been ruled out for Week 17. Pickett has to wear extra padding for the rib injury he picked up in Washington. While the quality of throws to Philly's pass catchers will decline, the frequency won't. A.J. Brown (63.0% target share) and DeVonta Smith (29.0%) hoarded the attempts, giving them low-end WR1 and WR2 appeal in Week 17.
James Conner (knee): If you had told me Conner had hyperextended his knee, I'd be waiting for the news the Cardinals put him on IR. But he's making his case to see some action in Week 17. Unfortunately, the practice clips show Conner with a noticeable limp after taking a toss. Meanwhile, Trey Benson (still limited) is trending toward returning to the field after missing Week 16. Should Conner rest (and Emari Demercado is already on injured reserve), Benson will be in an enviable position, as Conner has earned 21 and 19 touches in the last two weeks.
J.K. Dobbins (knee): The Chargers opened Dobbins' practice window earlier in the week and the former Raven got in some limited work before the holiday. After a full practice on Thursday, Dobbins got the Q tag ahead of their game on Saturday. With Gus Edwards already ruled out, a split between Dobbins and rookie Kimani Vidal against the Patriots (allowing 10th-most PPG to RBs) makes sense. However, the threat of Hassan Haskins looms large. Haskins had a 27.0% route rate in Week 16 and snagged 2 targets while playing in two-minute situations. As it'll be Dobbins' first game back and Vidal hasn't been a target earner, the potential for a three-man committee is possible for Week 17.
Drake London (hamstring): London has been limited in practice two days by his hamstring injury, which dropped London’s route rate to 77% in Week 16. Could that hamstring injury slow London down in a matchup against the Commanders that has an over/under of 47.5 points? There is an 87% chance of rain on Sunday night, which could cause uneven footing. Never a good thing for a player battling a leg injury. London is the WR18 by our consensus rankings, so it would be hard to sit him going for a championship if he's active.
The latest analysis and insights from our merry band of football nerds:
🏈 Contract incentive season is here … updates on which players to monitor.
👀 Looking for a fantasy football punishment for your league loser? We’re here to help.
📝 With Bowl season in full swing … let’s peek at an updated 2025 NFL Mock Draft.
🦅 More Jalen Hurts fallout … lineup advice from the Godfather himself.
✋ The top five player props for Week 17—Yes, we’re at the Aidan O’Connell point in the season.
✍️ Fantasy football is timeless … imagine the old days.
🤝 When they score, you score. Week 17 anytime TD bets.
