RADIO
Michael Florio's fantasy football sneaky starts, pivot plays, and post-waiver waiver pickups for Week 17 of 2024. Start 'em as under-the-radar fantasy sleepers.
In the infamous words on NSYNC, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I hope you get to celebrate in whatever way you want, with whoever you choose to do so! If you are reading this, you are likely competing for something that not even Santa Claus could put under your tree: a fantasy championship.
Congrats if you are - just making it this far is an honor that everyone in your league but one wishes they had. But, as I said last week, in the words of the late, great Kobe Bryant, “jobs not finished.”
Truth be told, you should not be looking to dive deep or get cute this week. You should only look for sneaky starts if you need to replace an injured player, have been streaming, or are finally sick of getting little production from a player. If that describes your situation, here are some players that can help you take home gold this week. Let's dive in!
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Sneaky Starts and Pivot Options
If you need a QB…
Bryce Young is coming off his best game of the season where he scored 27 fantasy points. He threw two touchdowns, but more impressively, ran for 68 yards and a score. He has a rushing touchdown in three of his last four games. He faces the Bucs, who he threw for 298 yards against in Week 13. He threw a touchdown, ran for one, and finished with 23.6 fantasy points. The Bucs have allowed the second-most fantasy PPG to QBs. Young is a strong streaming option this week.
Bryce Young is the highest graded QB of week 16 😌 pic.twitter.com/PxTuwINrsX
— For Panthers Fans Only (Podcast) (@FPFO_Podcast) December 23, 2024
Anthony Richardson is finally running like we wanted him to. He has over 45 rushing yards in four straight, two of which he topped 60 yards. He has a rushing touchdown in three straight games. He faces the Giants this week who have been torched on the ground. We have seen QBs put up big numbers against them. The floor is low, but there is certainly a lot of upside for those who have been streaming QBs.
Drake Maye has only topped 20 fantasy points once, so the ceiling is not super high. The floor is very sturdy though. He has scored over 17 fantasy points in three straight and four of his last five games. He adds value with his legs and has a big arm, so a long touchdown is always a possibility. If you prefer a higher upside option, Richardson is your bet. If you are looking for a safer option, you can go with Maye.
If you need an RB…
Jerome Ford dominated volume in the Browns' backfield yesterday. He saw 11 of the 15 RB carries, had five targets, and finished with over 100 yards and a touchdown for a second straight game. He is averaging over 20 fantasy PPG in that span. He faces the Dolphins, who are middle of the pack against backs. Volume and big play ability win out though.
Trey Benson would be the move if he can return to action and James Conner is out. Michael Carter comes into play if both Conner and Benson are out this week. I prefer Benson of the two and would trust him more as a plug-and-play option over Carter.
Still, you are not playing either over a weekly starter. This is more for those managers trying to replace an injured, or if you went zero RB and have been streaming this season. There is certainly upside, as you have seen what Conner has done as the Cards lead back this season. But there is way more risk here as well.
Ameer Abdullah and Alexander Mattison are in play this week. Last week, Mattison led the way with 12 carries and seven targets. Abdullah saw seven carries and six targets but finished with more rushing and receiving yards. Both scored a touchdown.
Abdullah had 19.5 fantasy points, while Mattison finished with 15.6. I prefer the more explosive Abdullah, but both are in play against a Saints team that has struggled against the run and allowed a lot of rushing touchdowns. This is a rare game where game script could be in their favor, like last week.
Hate to say this, but Ameer Abdullah is approaching "league winner" status
Week 15 - 19.6 fantasy points
Week 16 - 19.5 fantasy points
Week 17 - Saints defense is the #6 matchup for RBs— Josh Larky (@jlarkytweets) December 24, 2024
Tyjae Spears has played more the last two weeks with Tony Pollard dealing with an ankle injury. He played 56 and 61 percent of the snaps in those and has four touchdowns in those two games. Spears has handled more of the passing game work, as well as the goal line touches since Pollard hurt his ankle.
Last week he even had more carries. He is more volatile, as his value is tied to Pollard’s health, but the usage as of late has him in play for those diving a bit deeper.
If you need a WR…
Jalen McMillan is shooting up rankings as of late. He’s seen between six and seven targets in each of his last three games. He has averaged 19 fantasy PPG in his last three games with four touchdowns. It could have been even better as he had a long touchdown ripped out of his hands against the Cowboys last week.
McMillan is thriving in the number two role behind Mike Evans. He could prove to be a league winner this week against the Panthers.
Adam Thielen should be elevated to starting lineups in championship week. He has averaged 17.1 fantasy PPG in his last four games, with double digits in each of those. He faces the Bucs this week, who he went for 99 yards, a touchdown, and 23.9 fantasy points in Week 13. He is the Panthers top receiver in a game they could have to throw. It is also a great matchup that he has had success against. Start him!
Marquise Brown returned last week and ran 14 routes. Yet he was targeted eight times! He caught five of them for 45 yards, finishing with 9.5 fantasy points. Not bad for his first football of the season! There is a risk since he ran such few routes and now has to play on a short week.
But there is upside, as he is a great deep threat in an offense searching for downfield play. He is a boom-or-bust option for those in deeper leagues.
Marquise Brown's Snap Count Will Continue To Increase https://t.co/zJogIPggR7
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) December 23, 2024
Kayshon Boutte is another deep league, boom-or-bust option. He did go boom last week when he led the Patriots in routes (34), targets (seven), catches (five), and yards (95) while scoring one of their two receiving touchdowns. He scored over 20 fantasy points for the first time. He has chemistry with Maye. The floor may be low, but there is upside for those in need in deep leagues.
If you need a TE…
Dalton Schultz saw eight targets and caught a touchdown last week. Last season, when either Nico Collins or Tank Dell missed time, Schultz averaged double-digit fantasy PPG. He should be the number two target in what could be a high-scoring game or one where the Texans are chasing points.
Plus, while the Ravens have been tougher on tight ends as of late, they are still in the top eight in yards allowed to the position this season.
Hunter Henry is a favorite of Maye, especially when they get in the red zone. He has averaged 11.1 fantasy PPG since Maye took over in Week 6. He has just two games under nine fantasy points in that stretch, showing that he brings a safe floor. He also saw four endzone targets on a single drive last week. Henry brings a safe floor at a position where not many offer that.
Chigoziem Okonkwo has 21 targets, 17 catches, and 140 yards in his last two games combined. He scored 13.9 and 19.1 fantasy points in those and was a top seven fantasy tight end each week. Last week he was the first read on 32 percent of the Titans dropbacks, per Fantasy Points Data. Now he faces the Jags, who are in the top eight in yards, touchdowns, and fantasy points allowed to tight ends.
Is the Chig Okonkwo breakout finally happening ⁉️
1️⃣0️⃣ Targets last week
Elite athleticism and opportunity.
The colts allow 1️⃣7️⃣‼️ PPG to TEs in weeks 13-15. pic.twitter.com/9IFb1xzAD6
— PlayerProfiler NFL (@Profiler_NFL) December 20, 2024
Make sure to follow Michael on X, @MichaelFFlorio.
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