Fantasy Football Warning Signals for Week 17: Tua Tagovailoa, Ezekiel Elliott, and Drake London

December 29, 2023

Kev‘s fantasy football warning signals and lineup sit 'ems for Week 17 (2023). Who should I start instead of these players worth benching, sitting, and avoiding?

Week 17 of the fantasy football season is underway and while we may have drafted certain players at a premium, it is okay to consider benching them despite their name value, especially now in the fantasy football championship round. We often hear the phrase "start your studs" and it is a tried and true method, especially earlier in the season. When injuries, tough matchups, and/or questionable team situations arise, we must adjust. Today, I'll be looking at Tua Tagovailoa, Ezekiel Elliott, and Drake London.

It may be difficult to stomach benching a player drafted within the top 100 for a possible free-agent acquisition, but sometimes such measures must be taken to ensure victory throughout the fantasy football season.

Here is a look at some fantasy football players who have shown warning signals recently, and you should think twice about putting them in your lineup in Week 17. Will they bounce back or continue to underperform? For any issues and/or concerns, contact @RotoSurgeon on X.

Quarterback Concerns - Sit 'Em for Week 17?

Tua Tagovailoa - Miami Dolphins at Baltimore Ravens

Tagovailoa already faced an uphill battle to perform in fantasy this week given the Dolphins' matchup against a stout Baltimore defense but injuries have created a much foggier path. Star WR Jaylen Waddle (ankle) is likely out and starting RB Raheem Mostert (ankle) may be limited.

This is coming weeks after losing center Connor Williams for the season and a gimpy Tyreek Hill, who has performed modestly since his ankle sprain. If Tagovailoa possessed more rushing ability, the losses on offense would not be as severe to his upside, but given that he has very little to rely on aside from Hill, the margin for error is slim. At QB18 in PPG this season, this is not a ridiculous option to bench despite the ceiling in a potentially high-scoring game.

Who To Start Instead?

C.J. Stroud - Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans

Stroud is officially cleared from concussion protocol and ready to start Week 17 at home against one of the NFL's worst pass defenses. Tennessee has ranked as one of the 10 worst teams against the pass in both the first and second half of the season (via DVOA). Even Case Keenum had moderate success in Week 15 against them despite the absence of breakout WR Nico Collins.

CJ Stroud has officially cleared concussion protocol and is 'on track' to start Sunday vs. Titans pic.twitter.com/c1QPCQESwE

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) December 28, 2023

This week, Stroud has nearly all of his receiving weapons healthy -- sans Tank Dell, who is out for the year -- and a revitalized run game led by offseason signing Devin Singletary. In fantasy PPG, Stroud ranks as the QB7 this season and stands as a borderline must-start in this matchup.

Running Back Concerns - Sit 'Em for Week 17?

Ezekiel Elliott - New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills

Yes, Ezekiel Elliott has been a fantastic fantasy back as the lead since Rhamondre Stevenson's ankle injury, but he has benefited from absurd touch volume, which may be limited by the emergence of younger back Kevin Harris. As the year sets on a confounding Patriots roster, snap shares may become more precarious for veterans like Elliott, who hold no place in their future. Harris may be in a position for evaluation in-game with more work as his snaps grew in recent games and Elliott's have somewhat dwindled.

Harris scored in his first active game of the season in Week 15 and earned more touches the next week. Whether that "trend" continues into Week 17 is yet to be seen, but if so, it will come at the cost to the plodding Elliott. Touchdowns and receptions in recent weeks are carrying the load for Elliott as his yardage production on 21.8 touches/game this past month is meager. In a matchup against Buffalo's top-10 second-half defense, betting on Elliott is unwise.

Who To Start Instead?

Clyde Edwards-Helaire - Kansas City Chiefs vs. Cincinnati Bengals

This start depends not only on Isiah Pacheco's (concussion) status but CEH's (illness) as well. Of course, missing another practice on Friday would set his trend further backward, but an appearance and clearance are all that is needed to place his wheels up for this matchup. Cincinnati's run defense ranks bottom-five in the league this season and CEH appears revitalized in the short spurts we have seen of late.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire breaks a tackle and turns it into a huge gain

📺: #LVvsKC on CBS/NICK
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/2Mgsj0ajbL pic.twitter.com/D94Tk0UIPx

— NFL (@NFL) December 25, 2023

While the former first-round pick is nowhere close to reaching the once-high expectations, he could be a league-average running back now filling the void for one of the league's few bell-cows that may be out. The addition of weight appears to be helping him play through contact (and potentially stay healthy). With Jerick McKinnon (groin) on IR, the pathway to massive volume in a plus matchup is there for CEH, who has 32 starts under his belt.

Wide Receiver Concerns - Sit 'Em for Week 17?

Drake London - Atlanta Falcons at Chicago Bears

Whether it is due to London or re-starting starter Taylor Heinicke, there is a poor connection between the duo as London's target share with Washington's former starter is poor. Only 13% of Heinicke's targets in the three games (on and off due to injury) they have played have gone to London. London's target share on the season is a hefty 22% and he is the type of receiver a backup QB should love given the size and catch radius but alas, they are not on the same page.

This matchup in Chicago does not make matters better as the Bears' pass defense has been top-five since Week 10 and Atlanta will not have the typical benefit of a dome for their passing offense. Despite the small sample of Heinicke's play with London, he is best left on the bench for better options in the fantasy championships, especially considering his typical inconsistency.

Who To Start Instead?

Jerry Jeudy - Denver Broncos vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Much like CEH, Jerry Jeudy is a maligned former first-round pick whose 2023 season cannot be saved. However, with Courtland Sutton (concussion) possibly out and Russell Wilson out of a starting job, there may be hope for the Alabama product. Jeudy's target share of 19.4% would be playable in general if not for Sutton siphoning the touchdowns on offense (10 to Jeudy's one), but that is neither here nor there.

Sean Payton was livid and chewed out Russell Wilson on the sidelinepic.twitter.com/3NY1C8ptTP

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) December 17, 2023

Jeudy may find a better connection with backup Jarrett Stidham, who is likely to release the football faster than the slow-paced Wilson, whose tendency to hold onto balls and take sacks frustrated Sean Payton to his boiling point mid-game. While Russell Wilson's success downfield did carry over this season with some herculean deep shots to Sutton, Jeudy's game develops quicker given his route-running prowess and ability to get open midfield. If the connection with Stidham is there, this could be a very fruitful week against the Chargers' 29th-ranked pass defense.

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