Start 'Em Up: Week 17 Starts and Sleepers

Quarterbacks
Start: Trevor Lawrence (vs. Colts) is, dare I say, in the MVP conversation. This week, he has a juicy matchup with the Colts, a team that could not force a single punt against the Niners. In Week 16, Lawrence scored over 30 fantasy points against the Broncos on the road. Duvall’s QB has the potential to win fantasy championships.
Start: Jacoby Brissett (vs. Bengals) is one of WalterPicks’ favorite QBs this week. Coming off a weak performance, he has a matchup with the Bengals that he can take full advantage of. This game has a massive O/U, and the Cardinals QB is very safe in this meaningless, but AWESOME, matchup.
Sleeper: Tyler Shough (vs. Jets) is in a fantastic spot this week. Tennessee will keep this game competitive, and the rookie QB will have the opportunity to rush A LOT. He has been consistent, and he is someone you can start whether you are in the toilet bowl or the fantasy championship.
Running Backs

Start: Ashton Jeanty (vs. Giants) just had an incredible performance against the Texans, and now he is facing what could literally be the polar opposite of the Texans defense. In a game that is immensely important for both team’s futures, Jeanty has one of the best ceiling/floor combinations of the week.
Start: Rhamondre Stevenson (vs. Jets) is taking on the Jets, and TreVeyon Henderson is expected to be out for this game. Stevenson has the opportunity to go nuclear, while also maintaining one of the safest floors of the week.
Sleeper: Tyrone Tracy Jr. (vs. Raiders) has been one of the most underrated RBs this season, and now he has a great matchup with the Raiders. With his workload, he may get the opportunity to score multiple touchdowns.
Wide Receivers

Start: Jakobi Meyers (vs. Colts) has a fantastic floor/ceiling combination at WR. The Jaguars offense is likely to demolish the Colts injured defense, and Meyers is going to be a big part of that. He is one of WalterPicks’ favorite plays of the week, projecting as a bona fide starter for fantasy purposes.
Start: Mike Evans (vs. Dolphins) is Baker Mayfield’s favorite target, and it isn’t particularly close. In a matchup with the Dolphins, Mike Evans is someone that you can play with the utmost confidence. Miami was just annihilated by the Bengals offense, and the Bucs will be desperate for an offensive bounce-back.
Sleeper: Mack Hollins (vs. Jets) has been a reliable option at WR recently. He plays tons of snaps, and runs a high percentage of routes. With a matchup against the Jets and Kayshon Boutte in concussion protocol, Hollins can be played with a surprising level of confidence this week.
Tight Ends
Start: Brenton Strange (vs. Colts) is a good play against the Colts, a team that just allowed one of George Kittle’s best performances of his career. He has a safe floor, and he projects well in the WalterPicks app in Week 17.
Sleeper: Taysom Hill (vs. Titans) has the opportunity to finish this season very strong. With all the Saints RB injuries, Hill is expected to see a substantial workload, reminiscent to the one he had in Week 16. It sounds wild, but Taysom Hill can be started in the fantasy championship.
Things to Watch Closely for Fantasy this Week

The backfield split between Emmanuel Wilson and Josh Jacobs
Can Brian Thomas Jr. put a great game together against the Colts?
Harold Fannin Jr. against the Steelers as the Browns ONLY consistent weapon
Can the Bucs’ offense get-right against the Dolphins?
The Bills weapons against the Eagles defense in a potential Super Bowl preview
Will any Chicago weapons make their mark against the Niners iffy defense?
Can Kenneth Gainwell continue to be the best pass-catching RB in NFL history?
DFS Favorites

These are some of the players Walter recommends prioritizing in your FanDuel and DraftKings lineups.
QB: Jacoby Brissett, FD price: $7,600 DK Price: $5,700, is coming off a weak performance, but he has a matchup with the Bengals that he can take full advantage of. This game has a massive O/U, and the Cardinals QB is very affordable in DFS. He is also stackable.
RB: James Cook, FD Price: $9,000 DK Price: $8,000, is in line for a huge workload against the Eagles. With Josh Allen banged up, Cook is projected to see lots of opportunities, and perform well with them. Additionally, the Eagles have struggled against opposing RB fantasy points (in the bottom third of the league in the last month). He is one of the better studs on the Week 17 slate.
WR: Brian Thomas Jr., FD Price: $6,300 DK Price: $5,200, is taking on the Colts this week, a team that cannot stop anybody right now. They did not force a single punt against the Niners, and now Thomas has the opportunity to have a ceiling game for the red hot Jags. He is the prototypical DFS play in Week 17.
TE: Elijah Higgins, FD Price: $4,800 DK Price: $2,500, saw the same amount of targets as Trey McBride in Week 16. Now, Arizona is taking on a historically bad defense against opposing TEs. Higgins is incredibly viable in this spot as a DFS option.
My Favorite Upset Pick of Week 17

Titans to cover the 3 point spread at home against the Saints
Odds: -118
Spread: NO -3
Reasoning: Now that Cam Ward is not going against the toughest schedule ever, he is showcasing why he was the first overall pick. He has all the potential in the world to score points in this matchup. This game is obviously going to be close, and I think these two teams have been playing well. I have a feeling Cam Ward is going to continue making the Titans draft pick worse.



