Week 17 Rankings

The NFL did us a favor by back-loading division games this season. There are fewer meaningless Week 17 games than usual, even with all but three playoff spots accounted for. Here's a quick look at what teams are resting players and what playoff teams aren't in the season finale.

AFC

1. Patriots: Bill Belichick has generally played to win in similar situations, especially when he has a bye week coming up. With such a young defense, my feeling is that Tom Brady will stay in the game until the Patriots have a big lead in the second half. Wes Welker is a guy I'd be afraid to use, but only minor downgrades otherwise.

2. Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Indianapolis: They all have plenty to play for. The Steelers are hardly a lock to win in Cleveland, so there's no scenario where the Ravens scoreboard watch and sit guys early.

3. Jets: The one AFC team I'd stay the hell away from. It sounds like Mark Sanchez will barely play, if at all. That makes LaDainian Tomlinson, Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards, and even Shonn Greene extremely risky to use. Once the quarterback goes, other top shelf guys follow.

NFC

1. Falcons, Saints: The only way the Falcons rest anyone is if they are up 30 points. So you'll want your Falcons in the lineup. The Saints could be scoreboard watching, but don't figure to pull anyone unless the Falcons have a huge lead in the second half. New Orleans still has a chance to win the division. I'd stick with Brees and be a tad more cautious with Pierre Thomas than normal.

2. Bears: Just a gut feeling they will play to win, even if the Falcons clinch the No. 1 seed earlier in the day. (Lovie Smith said they will play starters throughout, although coaches aren't usually reliable sources.) They have no injuries, a week off coming up, and would love to knock their rival Packers out.

3. Eagles: The one NFC team to stay away from. The Eagles have nothing to play for, and figure to be conservative with Michael Vick, LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, and Jeremy Maclin. Vick probably won't play at all.

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Week 17 Quarterbacks

Rank	Player Name	Opponent	Notes
1	Peyton Manning	vs. TEN	-
2	Philip Rivers	at DEN	-
3	Aaron Rodgers	vs. CHI	-
4	Drew Brees	vs. TB	-
5	Matt Schaub	vs. JAC	-
6	Ben Roethlisberger	at CLE	-
7	Eli Manning	at WAS	-
8	Tom Brady	vs. MIA	-
9	Kevin Kolb	vs. DAL	-
10	Joe Flacco	vs. CIN	-
11	Josh Freeman	at NO	-
12	Jay Cutler	at GB	-
13	Tim Tebow	vs. SD	-
14	Matt Ryan	vs. CAR	-
15	Matt Cassel	vs. OAK	-
16	Sam Bradford	at SEA	-
17	Shaun Hill	vs. MIN	Probable(finger)
18	Carson Palmer	at BAL	-
19	Joe Webb	at DET	-
20	Ryan Fitzpatrick	at NYJ	-
21	Trent Edwards	at HOU	-
22	Rex Grossman	vs. NYG	-
23	Alex Smith	vs. ARZ	-
24	Jason Campbell	at KC	-
25	Chad Henne	at NE	-
26	Charlie Whitehurst	vs. STL	-
27	Stephen McGee	at PHI	-
28	Kerry Collins	at IND	-
29	Colt McCoy	vs. PIT	-
30	Mark Brunell	vs. BUF	-
31	John Skelton	at SF	-
32	Mark Sanchez	vs. BUF	Probable(arm)
33	Jimmy Clausen	at ATL	-

Editor's Note: Just wanted to say good luck to everyone still playing and thank you guys so much for reading all year. We got a lot of nice emails and tweets thanking us for helping you win titles. Don't get carried away though – you made the calls that did it. We're glad to have helped along the way.

I also want to spend a special thanks to Chris Wesseling for his help on these rankings all year. We combined on the rankings for the first time this year and it led to more well-rounded, balanced rankings. He's got a great eye for value.

Evan Silva also deserves a major shout out for the best matchup column on the web. (And it's not close.) Silva spearheads all our news coverage, which is still what Rotoworld is all about. He leads the best fantasy football crew anywhere, with Wesseling, Adam Levitan, L.J. Rader, Ryan Boyer, and Sam Kline all making us look good.

On to the notes ...

QB Notes: Peyton Manning put some ridiculous throws on the Raiders last week. Tennessee's pash rush has thinned out and isn't built for turf. Look for a lot of points from Indianapolis. … Philip Rivers' "slump" is concerning, but 15 weeks of evidence says the Broncos defense is among the very worst in the league. Don't sweat the slump. … Aaron Rodgers may have played better against the Bears in Week 3 than he did last week against the Giants. That should ease any concerns about a tough matchup.

This rankings assumes Kevin Kolb will start. Even without DeSean Jackson, I wouldn't hesitate to use him against the Cowboys. It's the system. … Jay Cutler's ranking isn't conservative because of the Bears could rest people. I think he'll play, but the Packers defense creates a lot of problems confusing opposing quarterbacks. … Tim Tebow's running skills makes him a borderline QB1 even in a tough matchup.

You could make the argument Sam Bradford should be ranked higher because he's playing the Seahawks. Seattle is the ultimate slumpbuster for struggling quarterbacks. Ask Josh Freeman or Alex Smith. … Joe Webb is a nice wide receiver play, but there are too many safer options to use in front of him at quarterback. … I don't trust Rex Grossman at all with the Redskins line trying to protect him against the Giants. … Even the Texans defense doesn't make me comfortable enough to use Trent Edwards.

The NFL did us a favor by back-loading division games this season. There are fewer meaningless Week 17 games than usual, even with all but three playoff spots accounted for. Here's a quick look at what teams are resting players and what playoff teams aren't in the season finale.

AFC

1. Patriots: Bill Belichick has generally played to win in similar situations, especially when he has a bye week coming up. With such a young defense, my feeling is that Tom Brady will stay in the game until the Patriots have a big lead in the second half. Wes Welker is a guy I'd be afraid to use, but only minor downgrades otherwise.

2. Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Indianapolis: They all have plenty to play for. The Steelers are hardly a lock to win in Cleveland, so there's no scenario where the Ravens scoreboard watch and sit guys early.

3. Jets: The one AFC team I'd stay the hell away from. It sounds like Mark Sanchez will barely play, if at all. That makes LaDainian Tomlinson, Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards, and even Shonn Greene extremely risky to use. Once the quarterback goes, other top shelf guys follow.

NFC

1. Falcons, Saints: The only way the Falcons rest anyone is if they are up 30 points. So you'll want your Falcons in the lineup. The Saints could be scoreboard watching, but don't figure to pull anyone unless the Falcons have a huge lead in the second half. New Orleans still has a chance to win the division. I'd stick with Brees and be a tad more cautious with Pierre Thomas than normal.

2. Bears: Just a gut feeling they will play to win, even if the Falcons clinch the No. 1 seed earlier in the day. (Lovie Smith said they will play starters throughout, although coaches aren't usually reliable sources.) They have no injuries, a week off coming up, and would love to knock their rival Packers out.

3. Eagles: The one NFC team to stay away from. The Eagles have nothing to play for, and figure to be conservative with Michael Vick, LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, and Jeremy Maclin. Vick probably won't play at all.

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Week 17 Quarterbacks

Rank	Player Name	Opponent	Notes
1	Peyton Manning	vs. TEN	-
2	Philip Rivers	at DEN	-
3	Aaron Rodgers	vs. CHI	-
4	Drew Brees	vs. TB	-
5	Matt Schaub	vs. JAC	-
6	Ben Roethlisberger	at CLE	-
7	Eli Manning	at WAS	-
8	Tom Brady	vs. MIA	-
9	Kevin Kolb	vs. DAL	-
10	Joe Flacco	vs. CIN	-
11	Josh Freeman	at NO	-
12	Jay Cutler	at GB	-
13	Tim Tebow	vs. SD	-
14	Matt Ryan	vs. CAR	-
15	Matt Cassel	vs. OAK	-
16	Sam Bradford	at SEA	-
17	Shaun Hill	vs. MIN	Probable(finger)
18	Carson Palmer	at BAL	-
19	Joe Webb	at DET	-
20	Ryan Fitzpatrick	at NYJ	-
21	Trent Edwards	at HOU	-
22	Rex Grossman	vs. NYG	-
23	Alex Smith	vs. ARZ	-
24	Jason Campbell	at KC	-
25	Chad Henne	at NE	-
26	Charlie Whitehurst	vs. STL	-
27	Stephen McGee	at PHI	-
28	Kerry Collins	at IND	-
29	Colt McCoy	vs. PIT	-
30	Mark Brunell	vs. BUF	-
31	John Skelton	at SF	-
32	Mark Sanchez	vs. BUF	Probable(arm)
33	Jimmy Clausen	at ATL	-

Editor's Note: Just wanted to say good luck to everyone still playing and thank you guys so much for reading all year. We got a lot of nice emails and tweets thanking us for helping you win titles. Don't get carried away though – you made the calls that did it. We're glad to have helped along the way.

I also want to spend a special thanks to Chris Wesseling for his help on these rankings all year. We combined on the rankings for the first time this year and it led to more well-rounded, balanced rankings. He's got a great eye for value.

Evan Silva also deserves a major shout out for the best matchup column on the web. (And it's not close.) Silva spearheads all our news coverage, which is still what Rotoworld is all about. He leads the best fantasy football crew anywhere, with Wesseling, Adam Levitan, L.J. Rader, Ryan Boyer, and Sam Kline all making us look good.

On to the notes ...

QB Notes: Peyton Manning put some ridiculous throws on the Raiders last week. Tennessee's pash rush has thinned out and isn't built for turf. Look for a lot of points from Indianapolis. … Philip Rivers' "slump" is concerning, but 15 weeks of evidence says the Broncos defense is among the very worst in the league. Don't sweat the slump. … Aaron Rodgers may have played better against the Bears in Week 3 than he did last week against the Giants. That should ease any concerns about a tough matchup.

This rankings assumes Kevin Kolb will start. Even without DeSean Jackson, I wouldn't hesitate to use him against the Cowboys. It's the system. … Jay Cutler's ranking isn't conservative because of the Bears could rest people. I think he'll play, but the Packers defense creates a lot of problems confusing opposing quarterbacks. … Tim Tebow's running skills makes him a borderline QB1 even in a tough matchup.

You could make the argument Sam Bradford should be ranked higher because he's playing the Seahawks. Seattle is the ultimate slumpbuster for struggling quarterbacks. Ask Josh Freeman or Alex Smith. … Joe Webb is a nice wide receiver play, but there are too many safer options to use in front of him at quarterback. … I don't trust Rex Grossman at all with the Redskins line trying to protect him against the Giants. … Even the Texans defense doesn't make me comfortable enough to use Trent Edwards.


Week 17 Running Backs

Rank	Player Name	Opponent	Notes
1	Arian Foster	vs. JAC	-
2	Jamaal Charles	vs. OAK	-
3	Adrian Peterson	at DET	-
4	Chris Johnson	at IND	-
5	Michael Turner	vs. CAR	-
6	Steven Jackson	at SEA	-
7	Ray Rice	vs. CIN	-
8	Jonathan Stewart	at ATL	Questionable(foot)
9	Ryan Mathews	at DEN	-
10	Darren McFadden	at KC	Questionable (ankle)
11	Rashard Mendenhall	at CLE	-
12	LeGarrette Blount	at NO	-
13	Ahmad Bradshaw	at WAS	Probable(ankle)
14	Rashad Jennings	at HOU	-
15	Felix Jones	at PHI	-
16	Matt Forte	at GB	-
17	Fred Jackson	at NYJ	-
18	Ryan Torain	vs. NYG	-
19	Knowshon Moreno	vs. SD	Questionable (ribs)
20	Peyton Hillis	vs. PIT	-
21	BenJarvus Green-Ellis	vs. MIA	-
22	Cedric Benson	at BAL	-
23	Brandon Jacobs	at WAS	-
24	Pierre Thomas	vs. TB	-
25	Brian Westbrook	vs. ARZ	-
26	Marshawn Lynch	vs. STL	-
27	Ronnie Brown	at NE	-
28	LeSean McCoy	vs. DAL	-
29	Joseph Addai	vs. TEN	-
30	Danny Woodhead	vs. MIA	-
31	Brandon Jackson	vs. CHI	-
32	Michael Bush	at KC	-
33	Thomas Jones	vs. OAK	-
34	Shonn Greene	vs. BUF	-
35	Ricky Williams	at NE	-
36	Tashard Choice	at PHI	-
37	Anthony Dixon	vs. ARZ	-
38	Tim Hightower	at SF	-
39	Maurice Morris	vs. MIN	-
40	Jahvid Best	vs. MIN	-
41	Chris Ivory	vs. TB	Questionable(hamstring)
42	John Kuhn	vs. CHI	-
43	Dominic Rhodes	vs. TEN	-
44	Darren Sproles	at DEN	-
45	Beanie Wells	at SF	-
46	Mike Goodson	at ATL	-
47	Marion Barber	at PHI	-
48	Jerome Harrison	vs. DAL	-
49	Toby Gerhart	at DET	-
50	Correll Buckhalter	vs. SD	-
51	Reggie Bush	vs. TB	-
52	LaDainian Tomlinson	vs. BUF	-
53	Cadillac Williams	at NO	-
54	Donald Brown	vs. TEN	-
55	C.J. Spiller	at NYJ	-
56	Joe McKnight	vs. BUF	-
57	Mike Bell	vs. PIT	-
58	Derrick Ward	vs. JAC	-
59	Willis McGahee	vs. CIN	-
60	Bernard Scott	at BAL	-
61	Jason Snelling	vs. CAR	-
62	Dimitri Nance	vs. CHI	Sidelined(concussion)
63	Chester Taylor	at GB	-
64	Deji Karim	at HOU	-
65	Lance Ball	vs. SD	-
66	Keiland Williams	vs. NYG	-
67	Justin Forsett	vs. STL	-

RB Notes: Keep an eye on Jonathan Stewart, Darren McFadden, and Knowshon Moreno's practice availability all week. These rankings are very subject to change. We'll have Season Pass updated by Friday evening and bring you updates for free on Sunday. … Moreno could especially take a big hit because his injury looks painful. … Ahmad Bradshaw will be ready to roll this week and I expect the Giants to play with the lead throughout.

The Chargers want to see what they have with Ryan Mathews. I was very impressed with his running last week, like I have really all season whenever he's healthy enough to play. He won't help in the passing game, but he makes people miss and breaks tackles. Nice power-speed combo. He could have a huge Week 17 and should be in almost all lineups. … Fred Jackson could be playing against some backup Jets defenders by the end of the Sunday's game and it wouldn't be surprising to see the Bills playing with a lead. Buffalo also wants to get Jackson to 1,000 rushing yards. He's 108 yards away.

Hard to really trust any of the Colts running backs. They should all get a taste. … The Eagles will probably be very careful with LeSean McCoy this week; we'd stay away. … Michael Bush could be a sneaky play depending on Darren McFadden's practice availability. Same goes for Mike Goodson and Jonathan Stewart's chances to play. … Cedric Benson appeared worn down after his 31-carry performance in Week 15. He's a risky play, but one of the rare guys who should safely get 20 carries.

Week 17 Wide Receivers

Rank	Player Name	Opponent	Notes
1	Reggie Wayne	vs. TEN	-
2	Andre Johnson	vs. JAC	Questionable(ankle)
3	Roddy White	vs. CAR	Probable(knee)
4	Greg Jennings	vs. CHI	-
5	Calvin Johnson	vs. MIN	Sidelined(ankle)
6	Vincent Jackson	at DEN	-
7	Brandon Lloyd	vs. SD	-
8	Kenny Britt	at IND	-
9	Brandon Marshall	at NE	-
10	Mario Manningham	at WAS	-
11	Marques Colston	vs. TB	-
12	Mike Wallace	at CLE	-
13	Larry Fitzgerald	at SF	-
14	Dwayne Bowe	vs. OAK	-
15	Mike Williams	at NO	-
16	Miles Austin	at PHI	-
17	Pierre Garcon	vs. TEN	-
18	Santana Moss	vs. NYG	-
19	Steve Johnson	at NYJ	-
20	Santonio Holmes	vs. BUF	-
21	Johnny Knox	at GB	-
22	Jeremy Maclin	vs. DAL	-
23	Mike Thomas	at HOU	-
24	Michael Crabtree	vs. ARZ	-
25	Mike Williams	vs. STL	-
26	Jacoby Jones	vs. JAC	-
27	Sidney Rice	at DET	Sidelined(concussion)
28	Percy Harvin	at DET	-
29	Davone Bess	at NE	-
30	Anquan Boldin	vs. CIN	-
31	Hines Ward	at CLE	-
32	Deion Branch	vs. MIA	Probable(knee)
33	James Jones	vs. CHI	-
34	Jason Hill	at HOU	-
35	Jason Avant	vs. DAL	-
36	Wes Welker	vs. MIA	-
37	Danario Alexander	at SEA	-
38	Jerome Simpson	at BAL	-
39	Braylon Edwards	vs. BUF	-
40	Derrick Mason	vs. CIN	-
41	Andre Caldwell	at BAL	-
42	DeSean Jackson	vs. DAL	Questionable(foot)
43	Steve Smith	at ATL	-
44	Blair White	vs. TEN	-
45	Kevin Walter	vs. JAC	-
46	Anthony Armstrong	vs. NYG	-
47	Donald Driver	vs. CHI	-
48	Danny Amendola	at SEA	-
49	Jacoby Ford	at KC	-
50	Robert Meachem	vs. TB	-
51	Nate Burleson	vs. MIN	-
52	Louis Murphy	at KC	-
53	Earl Bennett	at GB	-
54	Lance Moore	vs. TB	-
55	Mike Sims-Walker	at HOU	-
56	Riley Cooper	vs. DAL	-
57	Emmanuel Sanders	at CLE	-
58	Jabar Gaffney	vs. SD	-
59	Jordan Shipley	at BAL	-
60	Josh Morgan	vs. ARZ	-
61	Steve Breaston	at SF	Probable(knee)
62	Jerricho Cotchery	vs. BUF	-
63	Eddie Royal	vs. SD	-
64	Nate Washington	at IND	-
65	Kelley Washington	at DEN	-
66	Jordy Nelson	vs. CHI	-
67	Brandon Gibson	at SEA	-
68	Roy Williams	at PHI	-
69	Ben Obomanu	vs. STL	-
70	Andre Roberts	at SF	-
71	Naaman Roosevelt	at NYJ	-
72	Devery Henderson	vs. TB	-
73	Laurent Robinson	at SEA	-
74	Mohamed Massaquoi	vs. PIT	-
75	Dexter McCluster	vs. OAK	-

WR Notes: Brandon Lloyd is surviving Tim Tebow just fine. The strong Chargers secondary showed some cracks of late and can be beaten deep. The Broncos aren't afraid to just throw it up to Lloyd. … Brandon Marshall vs. Devin McCourty will be fun to watch when Marshall is on the same side of the field. Marshall vs. Kyle Arrigton or Darius Butler will be fun for Marshall's fantasy owners to watch when he's on the other side of the field. … With Hakeem Nicks out, Mario Manningham is almost a must start.

Pierre Garcon has gone from drop easy passes to making spectacular catches. … Keep an eye on Larry Fitzgerald's status throughout the week. Same goes for Calvin Johnson and Andre Johnson. As always, we rank guys as if they are starting just in case. … If the Johnson's are out, Nate Burleson and Jacoby Jones become a lot more attractive. … Michael Crabtree finally rewarded any owners that had some faith left in the kid last week. With the right matchup, we'd use him again.

Sidney Rice's status may not be known until later in the week. Considering his contractual status, Rice could play it safe and sit out. … I wouldn't fault you at all for sitting Boldin. This stretch has been tough to stomach. … Among my favorite sneaky plays this week: Danario Alexander, Jerome Simpson, Jason Avant, and Jason Hill. … Davone Bess always gives the Patriots problems and New England will do what they can to limit Brandon Marshall's damage.


Week 17 Tight Ends

Rank	Player Name	Opponent	Notes
1	Jason Witten	at PHI	-
2	Vernon Davis	vs. ARZ	-
3	Jacob Tamme	vs. TEN	-
4	Owen Daniels	vs. JAC	-
5	Marcedes Lewis	at HOU	-
6	Zach Miller	at KC	-
7	Chris Cooley	vs. NYG	-
8	Kellen Winslow	at NO	-
9	Tony Gonzalez	vs. CAR	-
10	Brandon Pettigrew	vs. MIN	-
11	Rob Gronkowski	vs. MIA	-
12	Brent Celek	vs. DAL	-
13	Jimmy Graham	vs. TB	-
14	Jared Cook	at IND	-
15	Dustin Keller	vs. BUF	-
16	Ben Watson	vs. PIT	-
17	Heath Miller	at CLE	-
18	Tony Moeaki	vs. OAK	-
19	Kevin Boss	at WAS	-
20	Jermaine Gresham	at BAL	-
21	Todd Heap	vs. CIN	Sidelined(hamstring)
22	Jeremy Shockey	vs. TB	-
23	Visanthe Shiancoe	at DET	-
24	Randy McMichael	at DEN	-
25	Greg Olsen	at GB	-
26	Aaron Hernandez	vs. MIA	Questionable(hip)
27	Anthony Fasano	at NE	-
28	Andrew Quarless	vs. CHI	-

Week 17 Team Defense

Rank	Player Name	Opponent	Notes
1	Giants Def/Spec Team	at WAS	-
2	Steelers Def/Spec Team	at CLE	-
3	Falcons Def/Spec Team	vs. CAR	-
4	Eagles Def/Spec Team	vs. DAL	-
5	Ravens Def/Spec Team	vs. CIN	-
6	Rams Def/Spec Team	at SEA	-
7	Patriots Def/Spec Team	vs. MIA	-
8	Chargers Def/Spec Team	at DEN	-
9	Fortyniners Def/Spec Team	vs. ARZ	-
10	Packers Def/Spec Team	vs. CHI	-
11	Jets Def/Spec Team	vs. BUF	-
12	Colts Def/Spec Team	vs. TEN	-
13	Bears Def/Spec Team	at GB	-
14	Chiefs Def/Spec Team	vs. OAK	-
15	Cardinals Def/Spec Team	at SF	-
16	Lions Def/Spec Team	vs. MIN	-
17	Saints Def/Spec Team	vs. TB	-
18	Vikings Def/Spec Team	at DET	-
19	Bills Def/Spec Team	at NYJ	-
20	Cowboys Def/Spec Team	at PHI	-
21	Texans Def/Spec Team	vs. JAC	-
22	Browns Def/Spec Team	vs. PIT	-
23	Seahawks Def/Spec Team	vs. STL	-
24	Raiders Def/Spec Team	at KC	-
25	Dolphins Def/Spec Team	at NE	-
26	Bengals Def/Spec Team	at BAL	-
27	Redskins Def/Spec Team	vs. NYG	-
28	Titans Def/Spec Team	at IND	-
29	Buccaneers Def/Spec Team	at NO	-
30	Jaguars Def/Spec Team	at HOU	-
31	Broncos Def/Spec Team	vs. SD	-
32	Panthers Def/Spec Team	at ATL	-

Week 17 Kickers

Rank	Player Name	Opponent	Notes
1	Garrett Hartley	vs. TB	-
2	Adam Vinatieri	vs. TEN	-
3	Matt Bryant	vs. CAR	-
4	Nate Kaeding	at DEN	-
5	David Akers	vs. DAL	-
6	Neil Rackers	vs. JAC	-
7	Josh Scobee	at HOU	-
8	Sebastian Janikowski	at KC	-
9	Rob Bironas	at IND	-
10	Shayne Graham	vs. MIA	-
11	David Buehler	at PHI	-
12	Jay Feely	at SF	-
13	Robbie Gould	at GB	-
14	Mason Crosby	vs. CHI	-
15	Jeff Reed	vs. ARZ	-
16	Lawrence Tynes	at WAS	-
17	Ryan Succop	vs. OAK	-
18	Shaun Suisham	at CLE	-
19	Josh Brown	at SEA	-
20	Billy Cundiff	vs. CIN	-
21	Connor Barth	at NO	-
22	Nick Folk	vs. BUF	-
23	Olindo Mare	vs. STL	-
24	Dan Carpenter	at NE	-
25	Ryan Longwell	at DET	-
26	Rian Lindell	at NYJ	-
27	Phil Dawson	vs. PIT	-
28	Graham Gano	vs. NYG	-
29	Dave Rayner	vs. MIN	-
30	Steven Hauschka	vs. SD	-
31	Clint Stitser	at BAL	-
32	John Kasay	at ATL	-