RADIO
Nick Mariano's Week 17 fantasy football rankings analysis for the 2018 NFL season. ECR comparison for running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, quarterbacks.
Hello, you faithful Week 17 readers, and welcome to the final (unofficial) edition of my weekly rankings article where I stump for myself against the Expert Consensus Rankings. My hope is to help you understand why I’m significantly higher or lower on players than the crowd, but Week 17 is a bit different.
Since the ECR will fluctuate more than my weight around the holidays, I’m going to touch on those obnoxious resting scenarios and hopefully you can see within the tables who I'd prefer. That said, there are still some notable risers and fallers against the crowd. I'll be examining my own ranks against the ECR on a position-by-position basis, focusing here on QB, RB, WR and TE.
Below you will find my rankings and analysis, separated by position. If anything strikes a chord, I’m always available for questions via Twitter: @NMariano53. But enough intro, let’s get to it.
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Week 17 Quarterbacks - Rankings Analysis
Those in serious danger of not playing are Drew Brees and Dak Prescott, though I can’t advocate for playing Teddy Bridgewater or ____ at this time. The ripple effect for the Saints are obviously greater since they have more fantasy playmakers. You can only bench so many people, but it’s safe to say that no matter what, Brees cannot be relied upon. Prescott has stronger chances since Jerry Jones claims the Cowboys are going all-out against the Giants, who should appreciate being defeated for the higher draft pick.
Otherwise, I have Jameis Winston at No. 4 compared to an ECR of 11 as the Bucs host the Falcons in one of the two games Vegas has pegged for 50+ points. ATL-TB opened with a total of 49.5 and has bumped up to 51 at some books while OAK-KC opened at 54 but has fallen to 52 at several books. Even though Winston has dialed down the aggression and Peyton Barber has improved, Winston’s still a mobile QB with a subpar rushing attack. Since Winston regained the starting role in Week 12, Tampa Bay ranks 11th in both total plays run (316) and passing percentage (61%). Throw in Atlanta’s vulnerable secondary and we’ve got something.
The ECR loves Andrew Luck (My Rank: 9, ECR: 5) but I’m wary of propping up guys facing Tennessee’s defense, who have yielded just 18 passing TDs against 10 INTs. I also have Philip Rivers (16 vs. 10) and Baker Mayfield (21 vs. 17) well outside of QB1 territory, as all three of these guys face top-10 defenses re: fantasy points allowed to QBs. The Chargers have to travel into Denver, which typically isn’t great for anyone, but Denver’s offense is also terrible and is now down Phillip Lindsay. Yikes, I can see why the Vegas total is staying at 41.5.
Meanwhile, Mayfield traveling to Baltimore where that defense has playoff aspirations on the line is a horrific spot, and Vegas has Cleveland scoring just 17 points. The Ravens D continues to swarm and has allowed just 3,275 passing yards this season -- the third-fewest total -- and while Cleveland’s on the upswing, they’re still a young team that I can’t trust to overcome these odds.
| Rank | Player Name | Team | Position | ECR | vs. ECR |
| 1 | Patrick Mahomes | KC | QB | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | Ben Roethlisberger | PIT | QB | 2 | 0 |
| 3 | Aaron Rodgers | GB | QB | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | Jameis Winston | TB | QB | 11 | 7 |
| 5 | Matt Ryan | ATL | QB | 4 | -1 |
| 6 | Deshaun Watson | HOU | QB | 7 | 1 |
| 7 | Jared Goff | LAR | QB | 8 | 1 |
| 8 | Russell Wilson | SEA | QB | 6 | -2 |
| 9 | Andrew Luck | IND | QB | 5 | -4 |
| 10 | Lamar Jackson | BAL | QB | 9 | -1 |
| 11 | Nick Foles | PHI | QB | 12 | 1 |
| 12 | Tom Brady | NE | QB | 13 | 1 |
| 13 | Josh Allen | BUF | QB | 14 | 1 |
| 14 | Sam Darnold | NYJ | QB | 16 | 2 |
| 15 | Kirk Cousins | MIN | QB | 15 | 0 |
| 16 | Philip Rivers | LAC | QB | 10 | -6 |
| 17 | Mitch Trubisky | CHI | QB | 18 | 1 |
| 18 | Derek Carr | OAK | QB | 19 | 1 |
| 19 | Drew Brees | NO | QB | 26 | 7 |
| 20 | Eli Manning | NYG | QB | 22 | 2 |
| 21 | Baker Mayfield | CLE | QB | 17 | -4 |
| 22 | Josh Johnson | WAS | QB | 21 | -1 |
| 23 | Dak Prescott | DAL | QB | 23 | 0 |
| 24 | Blake Bortles | JAC | QB | 28 | 4 |
| 25 | Matthew Stafford | DET | QB | 20 | -5 |
| 26 | Case Keenum | DEN | QB | 24 | -2 |
| 27 | Teddy Bridgewater | NO | QB | 30 | 3 |
| 28 | Nick Mullens | SF | QB | 25 | -3 |
| 29 | Jeff Driskel | CIN | QB | 29 | 0 |
| 30 | Blaine Gabbert | TEN | QB | 34 | 4 |
| 31 | Ryan Tannehill | MIA | QB | 27 | -4 |
| 32 | Kyle Allen | CAR | QB | 33 | 1 |
| 33 | Josh Rosen | ARI | QB | 32 | -1 |
| 34 | Taysom Hill | NO | QB | 36 | 2 |
Week 17 Running Backs - Rankings Analysis
With James Conner practicing in full on Wednesday, I’m going to line him up as Pittsburgh’s starter in my ranks at No. 11. The Chiefs appear to have Spencer Ware (32 vs. 60) returning, and I imagine he picks up ~35% of the snaps alongside Damien Williams (16 vs. 7) and a smattering of Darrel Williams and Charcandrick West (neither are playable). As you can see, I still prefer Damien Williams and the crowd might feel Ware isn’t going to play, though I’d think KC wants Ware to see game action before the playoffs.
The Texans report Lamar Miller (33 vs. 44) will play in Week 17, which will help balance their offense since Alfred Blue just isn’t good and D’Onta Foreman can’t handle that many touches in his second game back. Miller’s a reinjury risk with perhaps 50% of the RB work as seven-point favorites over Jacksonville with a lousy 40-point total.
Then there’s New Orleans again, who may see Dwayne Washington be their leading rusher over Alvin Kamara or Mark Ingram. None of them are viable options. I’ll understand if you want to believe the aforementioned Jerry Jones, but Ezekiel Elliott (30 vs. 16) is going to sit in “barely flexible” territory from me. He’s a stud, but unless we hear something definitive from the coaches and players closer to the game then both Zeke and Rod Smith are DFS tourney plays only.
And while Elijah McGuire (24 vs. 15) helped many fantasy owners to a Week 16 win, I have a hard time buying into the Jets ground game since they’re 13.5-point underdogs and the Jets only run the ball 33% of the time when down by seven points or more. Luckily, McGuire is involved in the passing game as well, but New England held he and Isaiah Crowell to just 86 total yards in Week 12.
Further down the ranking tables, you’ll find Darren Sproles (47 vs. 37), who turned 12 touches into 108 yards and a touchdown in Week 16 and seems to have caught everyone’s attention too. The thing is, Sproles is the hurry-up receiving back that matched the crazy shootout that Philly was engaged in against the Texans, but a date against Washington should be much different. The Eagles are favored by a touchdown despite being on the road, which should lend itself more to Josh Adams as they power over a broken Washington squad.
| Rank | Player Name | Team | Position | ECR | vs. ECR |
| 1 | Saquon Barkley | NYG | RB | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | Melvin Gordon | LAC | RB | 2 | 0 |
| 3 | Chris Carson | SEA | RB | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | Derrick Henry | TEN | RB | 4 | 0 |
| 5 | Sony Michel | NE | RB | 6 | 1 |
| 6 | Joe Mixon | CIN | RB | 5 | -1 |
| 7 | Nick Chubb | CLE | RB | 10 | 3 |
| 8 | Jamaal Williams | GB | RB | 7 | -1 |
| 9 | Dalvin Cook | MIN | RB | 9 | 0 |
| 10 | C.J. Anderson | LAR | RB | 12 | 2 |
| 11 | James Conner | PIT | RB | 44 | 33 |
| 12 | Marlon Mack | IND | RB | 11 | -1 |
| 13 | David Johnson | ARI | RB | 14 | 1 |
| 14 | Christian McCaffrey | CAR | RB | 26 | 12 |
| 15 | Gus Edwards | BAL | RB | 13 | -2 |
| 16 | Damien Williams | KC | RB | 8 | -8 |
| 17 | Jeff Wilson | SF | RB | 16 | -1 |
| 18 | Peyton Barber | TB | RB | 19 | 1 |
| 19 | Royce Freeman | DEN | RB | 22 | 3 |
| 20 | Adrian Peterson | WAS | RB | 17 | -3 |
| 21 | Tarik Cohen | CHI | RB | 21 | 0 |
| 22 | Leonard Fournette | JAC | RB | 20 | -2 |
| 23 | Jordan Howard | CHI | RB | 27 | 4 |
| 24 | Elijah McGuire | NYJ | RB | 15 | -9 |
| 25 | Tevin Coleman | ATL | RB | 30 | 5 |
| 26 | Josh Adams | PHI | RB | 28 | 2 |
| 27 | Doug Martin | OAK | RB | 24 | -3 |
| 28 | LeSean McCoy | BUF | RB | 29 | 1 |
| 29 | Alvin Kamara | NO | RB | 39 | 10 |
| 30 | Ezekiel Elliott | DAL | RB | 25 | -5 |
| 31 | James White | NE | RB | 23 | -8 |
| 32 | Spencer Ware | KC | RB | 59 | 27 |
| 33 | Lamar Miller | HOU | RB | 52 | 19 |
| 34 | Kenyan Drake | MIA | RB | 31 | -3 |
| 35 | Mark Ingram | NO | RB | 49 | 14 |
| 36 | Kalen Ballage | MIA | RB | 33 | -3 |
| 37 | Jalen Richard | OAK | RB | 37 | 0 |
| 38 | Mike Davis | SEA | RB | 40 | 2 |
| 39 | Jaylen Samuels | PIT | RB | 18 | -21 |
| 40 | Zach Zenner | DET | RB | 34 | -6 |
| 41 | Kenneth Dixon | BAL | RB | 32 | -9 |
| 42 | Dion Lewis | TEN | RB | 38 | -4 |
| 43 | Brian Hill | ATL | RB | 35 | -8 |
| 44 | John Kelly | LAR | RB | 48 | 4 |
| 45 | Rod Smith | DAL | RB | 58 | 13 |
| 46 | Nyheim Hines | IND | RB | 43 | -3 |
| 47 | Darren Sproles | PHI | RB | 36 | -11 |
| 48 | Theo Riddick | DET | RB | 42 | -6 |
| 49 | Rex Burkhead | NE | RB | 54 | 5 |
| 50 | Latavius Murray | MIN | RB | 45 | -5 |
| 51 | Wendell Smallwood | PHI | RB | 50 | -1 |
| 52 | Justin Jackson | LAC | RB | 47 | -5 |
| 53 | LeGarrette Blount | DET | RB | 51 | -2 |
| 54 | Rashaad Penny | SEA | RB | 57 | 3 |
| 55 | Duke Johnson | CLE | RB | 53 | -2 |
| 56 | D'Onta Foreman | HOU | RB | 56 | 0 |
| 57 | Devontae Booker | DEN | RB | 55 | -2 |
| 58 | Austin Ekeler | LAC | RB | 46 | -12 |
| 59 | Alfred Blue | HOU | RB | 41 | -18 |
| 60 | Chris Thompson | WAS | RB | 60 | 0 |
| 61 | Cameron Artis-Payne | CAR | RB | 61 | 0 |
| 62 | Jacquizz Rodgers | TB | RB | 62 | 0 |
| 63 | Trenton Cannon | NYJ | RB | 64 | 1 |
| 64 | Dwayne Washington | NO | RB | 68 | 4 |
| 65 | Carlos Hyde | JAC | RB | 65 | 0 |
| 66 | Giovani Bernard | CIN | RB | 63 | -3 |
| 67 | Keith Ford | BUF | RB | 67 | 0 |
| 68 | Charcandrick West | KC | RB | 73 | 5 |
| 69 | Brandon Bolden | MIA | RB | 76 | 7 |
| 70 | Chase Edmonds | ARI | RB | 66 | -4 |
| 71 | Cordarrelle Patterson | NE | WR | 93 | 22 |
| 72 | David Williams | JAC | RB | 83 | 11 |
| 73 | Kyle Juszczyk | SF | RB | 77 | 4 |
| 74 | Stevan Ridley | PIT | RB | 69 | -5 |
| 75 | Wayne Gallman | NYG | RB | 75 | 0 |
| 76 | Darrel Williams | KC | RB | 79 | 3 |
| 77 | Zach Line | NO | RB | 89 | 12 |
| 78 | James Develin | NE | RB | 82 | 4 |
| 79 | Kapri Bibbs | GB | RB | 80 | 1 |
| 80 | Ronald Jones II | TB | RB | 71 | -9 |
| 81 | Byron Marshall | WAS | RB | 95 | 14 |
| 82 | Elijhaa Penny | NYG | RB | 96 | 14 |
| 83 | Alfred Morris | SF | RB | 70 | -13 |
| 84 | Jordan Wilkins | IND | RB | 72 | -12 |
| 85 | Ty Montgomery | BAL | RB | 85 | 0 |
| 86 | J.D. McKissic | SEA | RB | 98 | 12 |
| 87 | Mark Walton | CIN | RB | 88 | 1 |
| 88 | Ameer Abdullah | MIN | RB | 97 | 9 |
| 89 | T.J. Yeldon | JAC | RB | 74 | -15 |
| 90 | Justin Davis | LAR | RB | 99 | 9 |
| 91 | Javorius Allen | BAL | RB | 87 | -4 |
| 92 | Trey Edmunds | PIT | RB | 92 | 0 |
| 93 | Detrez Newsome | LAC | RB | 84 | -9 |
| 94 | Anthony Sherman | KC | RB | 94 | 0 |
| 95 | Benny Cunningham | CHI | RB | 90 | -5 |
| 96 | Andy Janovich | DEN | RB | 91 | -5 |
| 97 | Deandre Washington | OAK | RB | 81 | -16 |
| 98 | Taquan Mizzell | CHI | RB | 86 | -12 |
| 99 | Tommy Bohanon | JAC | RB | 101 | 2 |
| 100 | Alex Armah | CAR | RB | 100 | 0 |
| 101 | CJ Ham | MIN | RB | 110 | 9 |
| 102 | Roosevelt Nix | PIT | RB | 114 | 12 |
| 103 | Matthew Dayes | SF | RB | 103 | 0 |
| 104 | Jamize Olawale | DAL | RB | 116 | 12 |
Week 17 Wide Receivers - Rankings Analysis
I’ve put Michael Thomas, Amari Cooper and Odell Beckham Jr. in a cluster around WR40-42 but once again, they’re not trustworthy -- and if you must trust one, it’s Cooper against the Giants. Players that are lesser thought of such as Jordy Nelson (25 vs. 31), Mohamed Sanu (26 vs. 35), Jamison Crowder (31 vs. 39) and even Ted Ginn (33 vs. 81) are preferable. Nelson, Sanu and Crowder are all going against defenses worth attacking, but Ginn is the most noticeable beneficiary of the Saints benching studs after he slid right into eight targets after being activated from the IR last week. He easily overtook Tre’Quan Smith and company in the passing game and still has an incredible ceiling thanks to his speed.
I’m surprised to see everyone else so high on Broncos receivers. I have Courtland Sutton (34 vs. 28), Daesean Hamilton (35 vs. 25) and Tim Patrick (48 vs. 41) all considerably lower, as Vegas pegs this as a 24-17 road victory for the Chargers and Denver is coming off of an embarrassing loss to Oakland. No Lindsay hamstrings the rushing attack and decreases their chances at hitting the red zone, but also these guys haven’t performed against D’s such as LAC’s.
Denver’s faced Cincinnati, San Francisco, Cleveland and Oakland over their last four games. FootballOutsiders’ DVOA pass defense ranking for each team is respectively 28th, 23rd, 11th and 30th. The Chargers are seventh. Sutton hung 4-85-1 on CIN and 6-65-1 against OAK, but posted an ugly 2-14-0 at San Fran and 5-42-0 versus CLE. Hamilton found paydirt against SF and OAK, but the 7-46-0 line against CLE is more likely in this spot and he’s yet to top 50 yards in a game. But at least both get targeted in the red zone, as Patrick has only seen one RZ opportunity and that came back in Week 2.
| Rank | Player Name | Team | Position | ECR | vs. ECR |
| 1 | Antonio Brown | PIT | WR | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | Julio Jones | ATL | WR | 3 | 1 |
| 3 | Davante Adams | GB | WR | 2 | -1 |
| 4 | Tyreek Hill | KC | WR | 4 | 0 |
| 5 | DeAndre Hopkins | HOU | WR | 5 | 0 |
| 6 | JuJu Smith-Schuster | PIT | WR | 6 | 0 |
| 7 | Robert Woods | LAR | WR | 8 | 1 |
| 8 | Mike Evans | TB | WR | 9 | 1 |
| 9 | T.Y. Hilton | IND | WR | 7 | -2 |
| 10 | Julian Edelman | NE | WR | 10 | 0 |
| 11 | Adam Thielen | MIN | WR | 12 | 1 |
| 12 | Brandin Cooks | LAR | WR | 15 | 3 |
| 13 | Keenan Allen | LAC | WR | 11 | -2 |
| 14 | Stefon Diggs | MIN | WR | 13 | -1 |
| 15 | Alshon Jeffery | PHI | WR | 16 | 1 |
| 16 | Kenny Golladay | DET | WR | 14 | -2 |
| 17 | Tyler Lockett | SEA | WR | 18 | 1 |
| 18 | Doug Baldwin | SEA | WR | 19 | 1 |
| 19 | Robby Anderson | NYJ | WR | 17 | -2 |
| 20 | Calvin Ridley | ATL | WR | 21 | 1 |
| 21 | Allen Robinson | CHI | WR | 22 | 1 |
| 22 | Corey Davis | TEN | WR | 23 | 1 |
| 23 | Robert Foster | BUF | WR | 20 | -3 |
| 24 | Josh Reynolds | LAR | WR | 30 | 6 |
| 25 | Jordy Nelson | OAK | WR | 29 | 4 |
| 26 | Mohamed Sanu | ATL | WR | 34 | 8 |
| 27 | Sterling Shepard | NYG | WR | 26 | -1 |
| 28 | Adam Humphries | TB | WR | 27 | -1 |
| 29 | Jarvis Landry | CLE | WR | 24 | -5 |
| 30 | Dede Westbrook | JAC | WR | 33 | 3 |
| 31 | Jamison Crowder | WAS | WR | 37 | 6 |
| 32 | Mike Williams | LAC | WR | 31 | -1 |
| 33 | Ted Ginn | NO | WR | 77 | 44 |
| 34 | Courtland Sutton | DEN | WR | 28 | -6 |
| 35 | DaeSean Hamilton | DEN | WR | 25 | -10 |
| 36 | D.J. Moore | CAR | WR | 42 | 6 |
| 37 | Larry Fitzgerald | ARI | WR | 32 | -5 |
| 38 | Chris Godwin | TB | WR | 35 | -3 |
| 39 | Curtis Samuel | CAR | WR | 43 | 4 |
| 40 | Michael Thomas | NO | WR | 44 | 4 |
| 41 | Amari Cooper | DAL | WR | 40 | -1 |
| 42 | Odell Beckham Jr. | NYG | WR | 94 | 52 |
| 43 | John Ross | CIN | WR | 39 | -4 |
| 44 | Golden Tate | PHI | WR | 48 | 4 |
| 45 | Marquise Goodwin | SF | WR | 62 | 17 |
| 46 | Taywan Taylor | TEN | WR | 56 | 10 |
| 47 | Zay Jones | BUF | WR | 36 | -11 |
| 48 | Tim Patrick | DEN | WR | 38 | -10 |
| 49 | Kenny Stills | MIA | WR | 53 | 4 |
| 50 | Kendrick Bourne | SF | WR | 65 | 15 |
| 51 | Chris Conley | KC | WR | 45 | -6 |
| 52 | Donte Moncrief | JAC | WR | 47 | -5 |
| 53 | Isaiah McKenzie | BUF | WR | 74 | 21 |
| 54 | Taylor Gabriel | CHI | WR | 49 | -5 |
| 55 | Nelson Agholor | PHI | WR | 41 | -14 |
| 56 | Michael Gallup | DAL | WR | 57 | 1 |
| 57 | Tyrell Williams | LAC | WR | 55 | -2 |
| 58 | Deandre Carter | HOU | WR | 71 | 13 |
| 59 | DeSean Jackson | TB | WR | 70 | 11 |
| 60 | Josh Doctson | WAS | WR | 66 | 6 |
| 61 | Chris Hogan | NE | WR | 46 | -15 |
| 62 | Equanimeous St. Brown | GB | WR | 67 | 5 |
| 63 | David Moore | SEA | WR | 61 | -2 |
| 64 | Seth Roberts | OAK | WR | 64 | 0 |
| 65 | Marcell Ateman | OAK | WR | 68 | 3 |
| 66 | Antonio Callaway | CLE | WR | 52 | -14 |
| 67 | Michael Crabtree | BAL | WR | 60 | -7 |
| 68 | John Brown | BAL | WR | 50 | -18 |
| 69 | Trent Sherfield | ARI | WR | 81 | 12 |
| 70 | Marquez Valdes-Scantling | GB | WR | 54 | -16 |
| 71 | Willie Snead | BAL | WR | 63 | -8 |
| 72 | Danny Amendola | MIA | WR | 75 | 3 |
| 73 | Chester Rogers | IND | WR | 58 | -15 |
| 74 | Anthony Miller | CHI | WR | 51 | -23 |
| 75 | Rashard Higgins | CLE | WR | 59 | -16 |
| 76 | Keith Kirkwood | NO | WR | 69 | -7 |
| 77 | Cole Beasley | DAL | WR | 78 | 1 |
| 78 | Jermaine Kearse | NYJ | WR | 79 | 1 |
| 79 | Devante Parker | MIA | WR | 73 | -6 |
| 80 | Cody Core | CIN | WR | 99 | 19 |
| 81 | Dontrelle Inman | IND | WR | 85 | 4 |
| 82 | Michael Floyd | WAS | WR | 95 | 13 |
| 83 | Devin Funchess | CAR | WR | 76 | -7 |
| 84 | Mike Wallace | PHI | WR | 112 | 28 |
| 85 | Breshad Perriman | CLE | WR | 86 | 1 |
| 86 | Tre'Quan Smith | NO | WR | 72 | -14 |
| 87 | Travis Benjamin | LAC | WR | 88 | 1 |
| 88 | Cordarrelle Patterson | NE | WR | 82 | -6 |
| 89 | Brice Butler | MIA | WR | 103 | 14 |
| 90 | Alex Erickson | CIN | WR | 109 | 19 |
| 91 | Aldrick Robinson | MIN | WR | 84 | -7 |
| 92 | Jaron Brown | SEA | WR | 100 | 8 |
| 93 | Jake Kumerow | GB | WR | 87 | -6 |
| 94 | Trent Taylor | SF | WR | 92 | -2 |
| 95 | Kelvin Benjamin | KC | WR | 93 | -2 |
| 96 | Ryan Switzer | PIT | WR | 105 | 9 |
| 97 | Randall Cobb | GB | WR | 110 | 13 |
| 98 | Jordan Matthews | PHI | WR | 97 | -1 |
| 99 | Zach Pascal | IND | WR | 113 | 14 |
| 100 | Phillip Dorsett | NE | WR | 104 | 4 |
| 101 | Bennie Fowler | NYG | WR | 106 | 5 |
| 102 | Ryan Grant | IND | WR | 101 | -1 |
| 103 | James Washington | PIT | WR | 98 | -5 |
| 104 | Keelan Cole | JAC | WR | 91 | -13 |
| 105 | Andy Jones | DET | WR | 118 | 13 |
| 106 | TJ Jones | DET | WR | 90 | -16 |
| 107 | Cody Latimer | NYG | WR | 124 | 17 |
| 108 | Chad Williams | ARI | WR | 119 | 11 |
| 109 | Torrey Smith | CAR | WR | 128 | 19 |
| 110 | Tajae Sharpe | TEN | WR | 89 | -21 |
| 111 | Jarius Wright | CAR | WR | 96 | -15 |
| 112 | Andre Roberts | NYJ | WR | 116 | 4 |
| 113 | Allen Hurns | DAL | WR | 102 | -11 |
| 114 | Eli Rogers | PIT | WR | 107 | -7 |
| 115 | Russell Shepard | NYG | WR | 130 | 15 |
| 116 | J.J. Nelson | ARI | WR | 125 | 9 |
| 117 | Keke Coutee | HOU | WR | 83 | -34 |
| 118 | Kevin White | CHI | WR | 132 | 14 |
| 119 | Deonte Thompson | BUF | WR | 122 | 3 |
| 120 | Chris Moore | BAL | WR | 121 | 1 |
| 121 | Justin Hardy | ATL | WR | 117 | -4 |
| 122 | Vyncint Smith | HOU | WR | 114 | -8 |
| 123 | Corey Coleman | NYG | WR | 111 | -12 |
| 124 | Josh Bellamy | CHI | WR | 123 | -1 |
| 125 | Darius Jennings | TEN | WR | 120 | -5 |
| 126 | Laquon Treadwell | MIN | WR | 138 | 12 |
| 127 | Tommylee Lewis | NO | WR | 136 | 9 |
| 128 | Pharoh Cooper | ARI | WR | 140 | 12 |
| 129 | Leonte Carroo | MIA | WR | 115 | -14 |
| 130 | Josh Malone | CIN | WR | 126 | -4 |
| 131 | Demarcus Robinson | KC | WR | 80 | -51 |
| 132 | Cam Batson | TEN | WR | 144 | 12 |
| 133 | Austin Carr | NO | WR | 108 | -25 |
| 134 | J'mon Moore | GB | WR | 146 | 12 |
| 135 | Richie James | SF | WR | 127 | -8 |
| 136 | Auden Tate | CIN | WR | 147 | 11 |
| 137 | Khadarel Hodge | LAR | WR | 149 | 12 |
Week 17 Tight Ends - Rankings Analysis
Tight ends outside of Travis Kelce and Zach Ertz have been fickle all season long, and it won’t get easier in Week 17. Eric Ebron has been a red-zone machine but will need to clear concussion protocol in order to play. Evan Engram gets hammered with targets when Odell Beckham Jr. misses time, making him a top-six option. Jaylen Samuels becomes nearly impossible to trust if James Conner is active.
Looks like the Packers aren’t going down without a fight, and while Jimmy Graham (13 vs. 18) wasn’t a part of Week 16’s fun, he’s garnered 24 targets over his last four games and Green Bay stand as eight-point favorites over Detroit. While I love siding with Aaron Rodgers, I may wind up ranking Gerald Everett (14 vs. 17) over him by game time. The Rams could go up big early against the 49ers and Everett has turned into Jared Goff’s safety blanket, catching five passes in Week 16 (for only 28 yards) in his third straight week of six or more targets. Looks like that in an offense with this potential is worth a lot!
| Rank | Player Name | Team | Position | ECR | vs. ECR |
| 1 | Travis Kelce | KC | TE | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | Zach Ertz | PHI | TE | 2 | 0 |
| 3 | George Kittle | SF | TE | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | Eric Ebron | IND | TE | 14 | 10 |
| 5 | Rob Gronkowski | NE | TE | 6 | 1 |
| 6 | Evan Engram | NYG | TE | 4 | -2 |
| 7 | Jaylen Samuels | PIT | RB | 21 | 14 |
| 8 | Jared Cook | OAK | TE | 5 | -3 |
| 9 | Vance McDonald | PIT | TE | 9 | 0 |
| 10 | Cameron Brate | TB | TE | 7 | -3 |
| 11 | Chris Herndon IV | NYJ | TE | 10 | -1 |
| 12 | Austin Hooper | ATL | TE | 11 | -1 |
| 13 | Jimmy Graham | GB | TE | 18 | 5 |
| 14 | Gerald Everett | LAR | TE | 17 | 3 |
| 15 | David Njoku | CLE | TE | 8 | -7 |
| 16 | Trey Burton | CHI | TE | 13 | -3 |
| 17 | Kyle Rudolph | MIN | TE | 12 | -5 |
| 18 | Ian Thomas | CAR | TE | 15 | -3 |
| 19 | C.J. Uzomah | CIN | TE | 16 | -3 |
| 20 | Dallas Goedert | PHI | TE | 20 | 0 |
| 21 | Jeremy Sprinkle | WAS | TE | 36 | 15 |
| 22 | Blake Jarwin | DAL | TE | 31 | 9 |
| 23 | Mark Andrews | BAL | TE | 19 | -4 |
| 24 | Benjamin Watson | NO | TE | 25 | 1 |
| 25 | Antonio Gates | LAC | TE | 22 | -3 |
| 26 | Levine Toilolo | DET | TE | 37 | 11 |
| 27 | Ed Dickson | SEA | TE | 29 | 2 |
| 28 | Jason Croom | BUF | TE | 38 | 10 |
| 29 | Jordan Thomas | HOU | TE | 27 | -2 |
| 30 | Matt LaCosse | DEN | TE | 32 | 2 |
| 31 | Nick Vannett | SEA | TE | 23 | -8 |
| 32 | Anthony Firkser | TEN | TE | 24 | -8 |
| 33 | Ryan Griffin | HOU | TE | 39 | 6 |
| 34 | Tyler Higbee | LAR | TE | 26 | -8 |
| 35 | James O'Shaughnessy | JAC | TE | 33 | -2 |
| 36 | Jesse James | PIT | TE | 30 | -6 |
| 37 | Mo Alie-Cox | IND | TE | 34 | -3 |
| 38 | Josh Hill | NO | TE | 41 | 3 |
| 39 | Ricky Seals-Jones | ARI | TE | 28 | -11 |
| 40 | Luke Willson | DET | TE | 51 | 11 |
| 41 | Rhett Ellison | NYG | TE | 50 | 9 |
| 42 | Demetrius Harris | KC | TE | 46 | 4 |
| 43 | MyCole Pruitt | TEN | TE | 42 | -1 |
| 44 | Brian Parker | DEN | TE | 47 | 3 |
| 45 | Virgil Green | LAC | TE | 45 | 0 |
| 46 | Lance Kendricks | GB | TE | 43 | -3 |
| 47 | Darren Waller | OAK | TE | 49 | 2 |
| 48 | Adam Shaheen | CHI | TE | 52 | 4 |
| 49 | Jermaine Gresham | ARI | TE | 53 | 4 |
| 50 | Logan Thomas | BUF | TE | 48 | -2 |
| 51 | Lee Smith | OAK | TE | 62 | 11 |
| 52 | Mike Gesicki | MIA | TE | 40 | -12 |
| 53 | Darren Fells | CLE | TE | 60 | 7 |
| 54 | Scott Simonson | NYG | TE | 65 | 11 |
| 55 | Luke Stocker | TEN | TE | 59 | 4 |
| 56 | Jordan Leggett | NYJ | TE | 58 | 2 |
| 57 | Maxx Williams | BAL | TE | 64 | 7 |
| 58 | Jordan Akins | HOU | TE | 54 | -4 |
| 59 | Hayden Hurst | BAL | TE | 35 | -24 |
| 60 | Xavier Grimble | PIT | TE | 69 | 9 |
| 61 | Nick Boyle | BAL | TE | 56 | -5 |
| 62 | Dalton Schultz | DAL | TE | 63 | 1 |
| 63 | Nick O'Leary | MIA | TE | 67 | 4 |
| 64 | Blake Bell | JAC | TE | 61 | -3 |
| 65 | Chris Manhertz | CAR | TE | 72 | 7 |
| 66 | Antony Auclair | TB | TE | 66 | 0 |
| 67 | Eric Tomlinson | NYJ | TE | 71 | 4 |
| 68 | Seth DeValve | CLE | TE | 73 | 5 |
| 69 | Matt Lengel | CIN | TE | 76 | 7 |
| 70 | Robert Tonyan | GB | TE | 75 | 5 |
More Fantasy Football Analysis
Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.
