Tag: Advice

The Baltimore Ravens will face the Cleveland Browns in Week 18. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding TE Mark Andrews.

Is Mark Andrews Playing in Week 18?

Andrews is not listed on the injury report this week, so barring any unexpected setbacks, he is on track to play this weekend.

We’ll continue to monitor the Ravens’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.

Should You Start or Sit Mark Andrews in Week 18?

Andrews scored 16.4% of his targets this season, a massive surge from his rate over the previous two years (6.3%). I could bore you with the “why this is unsustainable” math, and we will get there this offseason, but realistically, you’re only worried about this week. With that in mind, I have no issue with betting on him.

He and Isaiah Likely caught all nine of their targets (83 yards, TD) in the Week 8 loss in Cleveland, usage that I think is here to stay. Touchdowns generally aren’t sticky, but when an experienced option sees an end-zone target in five straight games for one of the league’s most efficient offenses, it’s not a bad bet.

Andrews is my TE6 this week – it’s been a wild ride from elite option, to drop candidate, and ultimately a lineup lock.

Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 18 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.

Mark Andrews’ Fantasy Points Projection in Week 18

As of Saturday, Andrews is projected to score 12.2 fantasy points in PPR formats. This includes 4.3 receptions for 52.4 yards and 0.4 touchdowns.

Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.

PFN Insight on the Browns’ Defense

The Cleveland Browns were a borderline top-10 unit in Week 17 but still delivered their seventh-lowest grade of the season (77.4, C+) in their home finale against the Dolphins.

Cleveland’s defense has lost a little gas toward the end of the season. That’s not a huge surprise with the playoffs long out of the question and the weight of carrying a dysfunctional offense. Four of the defense’s seven worst games have come since the team returned from bye in Week 11.

Cleveland’s defense has done a tremendous job of generating pressure, recording the highest non-blitz pressure rate this season (39.7%). Myles Garrett made history in Week 17 by becoming the first player to record four consecutive 14+ sack seasons, though 2024 could actually be the first season that he leads the NFL in sacks.

No Browns player has ever led the league in sacks in a season, giving fans something to look for in Week 18. Garrett enters the final week tied with Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals at 14.0 sacks apiece.

For more insight on all other team defenses, head to our PFN Defense+ Metric Analysis. 

Mark Andrews’ Fantasy Ranking

Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 12:45 AM ET on Saturday, January 4. If you’re in a Superflex league, make sure you check out our Week 18 Consensus Superflex Rankings.

Week 18 TE PPR Rankings

1) Brock Bowers | LV (vs. LAC)
2) Sam LaPorta | DET (vs. MIN)
3) Trey McBride | ARI (vs. SF)
4) T.J. Hockenson | MIN (at DET)
5) Mark Andrews | BAL (vs. CLE)
6) Jonnu Smith | MIA (at NYJ)
7) Tucker Kraft | GB (vs. CHI)
8) George Kittle | SF (at ARI)
9) Chigoziem Okonkwo | TEN (vs. HOU)
10) Pat Freiermuth | PIT (vs. CIN)
11) Zach Ertz | WAS (at DAL)
12) Hunter Henry | NE (vs. BUF)
13) Kyle Pitts | ATL (vs. CAR)
14) Isaiah Likely | BAL (vs. CLE)
15) Jake Ferguson | DAL (vs. WAS)
16) Mike Gesicki | CIN (at PIT)
17) Juwan Johnson | NO (at TB)
18) Noah Gray | KC (at DEN)
19) Brenton Strange | JAX (at IND)
20) Dalton Schultz | HOU (at TEN)
21) Dalton Kincaid | BUF (at NE)
22) Cole Kmet | CHI (at GB)
23) Tyler Conklin | NYJ (vs. MIA)
24) Austin Hooper | NE (vs. BUF)
25) Noah Fant | SEA (at LAR)
26) Foster Moreau | NO (at TB)
27) Grant Calcaterra | PHI (vs. NYG)
28) Jordan Akins | CLE (at BAL)
29) Stone Smartt | LAC (at LV)
30) Daniel Bellinger | NYG (at PHI)
31) Ja’Tavion Sanders | CAR (at ATL)
32) Payne Durham | TB (vs. NO)
33) Dawson Knox | BUF (at NE)
34) Michael Mayer | LV (vs. LAC)

Browns at Ravens Trends and Insights

Cleveland Browns

Team: The Browns have won two straight games and three of their past four against the Ravens (they were 3-10 in the previous 13 meetings).

QB: Dorian Thompson-Robinson has thrown 115 passes this season and has zero touchdowns to show for it (six interceptions). He is 0-of-9 with three interceptions when throwing 20+ yards downfield.

Offense: The Browns are averaging 27.2% fewer points per drive this season than they did a year ago.

Defense: Sunday was the fourth time this season in which the Browns allowed under 20 yards per drive – they’ve managed to lose all four of those games.

Fantasy: Jerry Jeudy joined Josh Gordon (2013) and Kellen Winslow (2007) as the only Browns to earn 18 targets in a game (he was also the third Brown to catch 12 passes in a game, interestingly enough, the first to do both).

Betting: Cleveland is just 4-12 ATS in their past 16 road divisional games.

Baltimore Ravens

Team: The 2007 Giants and the 2001 Patriots are the only teams since 2000 to win their conference despite losing the first two games of the season (the Ravens lost to the Chiefs and Raiders to open up the season). Both of those teams went on to win the Super Bowl.

QB: Lamar Jackson‘s average QB+ this season (82.9) is well above what he posted a season ago (77.1).

Offense: The Ravens have picked up over 43 yards per drive in three straight games (they had two such performances through the first 14 weeks of this season).

Defense: After allowing opponents to pick up 46.7% of their third downs through 10 weeks, Baltimore has held strong with a 29.1% conversion rate since.

Fantasy: Mark Andrews has scored on 16.4% of his targets this season, a massive serge from his rate over the two years prior (6.3%).

Betting: Wednesday was the first time the Ravens have covered a game that went under the total since their Week 4 win over the Bills.

The Buffalo Bills will face the New York Jets in Week 17. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding WR Amari Cooper.

Is Amari Cooper Playing in Week 17?

Cooper is not listed on the injury report this week, so barring any setbacks, he is on track to play this weekend.

We’ll continue to monitor the Bills’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.

Should You Start or Sit Amari Cooper in Week 17?

Note to future self: proceed with caution when a very good team makes a trade deadline acquisition.

The Diontae Johnson situation in Baltimore has been an unmitigated disaster. While DeAndre Hopkins going to Kansas City has helped more than Mike Williams in Pittsburgh, I overestimated the impact they’d have across the board.

I think the process of the analysis (and the acquisitions, for that matter) was sound. These players either fit a need or a style of play and have proven capable of producing at this level. But I got over my skis — I apologize.

The cover boy for this is Amari Cooper, a receiver who was theoretically brought in to take this Bills offense to the next level. This is an answer for them moving on from Stefon Diggs this offseason. While it’s true that this offense has looked as good as any since the deal, it has just about as much to do with me as it does Cooper.

Not much.

A wrist injury resulted in some missed time, but in his seven games with the team, he’s reached 8.5 expected PPR points just once. I’d blame it on a learning curve if I could, but the Bills simply aren’t interested in him being featured. His 55.2% snap share on Sunday was his highest since joining the franchise.

Even when he is on the field, his impact is minimal. We all remember the viral clip of Keon Coleman telling him where to run his route while on the line of scrimmage, which resulted in a score in his debut. That was a fun clip, but it’s now a sad reminder of the last time Cooper saw a look in the end zone.

This offense has elevated without his help (one game with 70 air yards), and as they look to round into postseason form, why would we expect that to change in a significant way this week?

It’s possible that Buffalo (and all of these teams with talented receivers doing very little) will unleash a Cooper package in January and make a run through the conference. I’m not ruling it out, as everything I said in a positive light post-trade remains true. That could be huge for a #BillsMafia fan base that is starving for a winner, but in the scope of winning 2024 fantasy titles, I’d be surprised if Cooper was a factor at all.

Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 17 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.

Amari Cooper’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 17

As of Sunday morning, Cooper is projected to score 10.7 fantasy points in PPR formats. This includes 3.5 receptions for 50.1 yards and 0.4 touchdowns.

Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.

PFN Insight on the Jets’ Defense

Since Robert Saleh’s departure, the New York Jets’ defense hasn’t been pretty. At the time of his firing, this was a top-three unit, with two top-five weeks and two others that had ranked seventh through five weeks.

The Jets have now slowly regressed towards league average, with their final ranking likely to drop further as they finish their season against a pair of strong division opponents (Bills, Dolphins).

The Week 16 loss to the Los Angeles Rams resulted in a 70.3 (C-) grade, the team’s fifth-worst of the season. Three of the Jets’ three lowest grades have come in the last three weeks, as the unit plays out the string on a lost season.

Sunday’s grade was brought down by a 44.8% rushing success rate, New York’s worst of the season and the second-worst by any team in Week 16.

This is a frustrating downturn for a unit that Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich had built into a juggernaut together. They inherited a bit of a mess from the Adam Gase regime, and while the first year (2021) was equally bad, the Jets had been a top-five unit in each of the last two seasons. They won’t approach that in 2024 as one of the league’s most disappointing teams overall.

For more insight on all other team defenses, head to our PFN Defense+ Metric Analysis. 

Amari Cooper’s Fantasy Ranking

Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 7:25 AM ET on Sunday, December 29. If you’re in a Superflex league, make sure you check out our Weekly Consensus Superflex Rankings.

Week 17 WR PPR Rankings

1) Ja’Marr Chase | CIN (vs. DEN)
2) Puka Nacua | LAR (vs. ARI)
3) Amon-Ra St. Brown | DET (at SF)
4) Justin Jefferson | MIN (vs. GB)
5) Mike Evans | TB (vs. CAR)
6) Nico Collins | HOU (vs. BAL)
7) Terry McLaurin | WAS (vs. ATL)
8) Davante Adams | NYJ (at BUF)
9) Tyreek Hill | MIA (at CLE)
10) A.J. Brown | PHI (vs. DAL)
11) Tee Higgins | CIN (vs. DEN)
12) Brian Thomas Jr. | JAX (vs. TEN)
13) Courtland Sutton | DEN (at CIN)
14) Ladd McConkey | LAC (at NE)
15) Drake London | ATL (at WAS)
16) Jaxon Smith-Njigba | SEA (at CHI)
17) Malik Nabers | NYG (vs. IND)
18) Cooper Kupp | LAR (vs. ARI)
19) Garrett Wilson | NYJ (at BUF)
20) Jauan Jennings | SF (vs. DET)
21) Zay Flowers | BAL (at HOU)
22) Keenan Allen | CHI (vs. SEA)
23) DJ Moore | CHI (vs. SEA)
24) Jakobi Meyers | LV (at NO)
25) Jordan Addison | MIN (vs. GB)
26) DK Metcalf | SEA (at CHI)
27) George Pickens | PIT (vs. KC)
28) Calvin Ridley | TEN (at JAX)
29) Adam Thielen | CAR (at TB)
30) Khalil Shakir | BUF (vs. NYJ)
31) Jameson Williams | DET (at SF)
32) Josh Downs | IND (at NYG)
33) Deebo Samuel Sr. | SF (vs. DET)
34) Jayden Reed | GB (at MIN)
35) DeVonta Smith | PHI (vs. DAL)
36) DeAndre Hopkins | KC (at PIT)
37) Xavier Worthy | KC (at PIT)
38) Marvin Harrison Jr. | ARI (at LAR)
39) Jalen McMillan | TB (vs. CAR)
40) Jaylen Waddle | MIA (at CLE)
41) Darnell Mooney | ATL (at WAS)
42) Jerry Jeudy | CLE (vs. MIA)
43) Hollywood Brown | KC (at PIT)
44) Rome Odunze | CHI (vs. SEA)
45) Romeo Doubs | GB (at MIN)
46) Michael Pittman Jr. | IND (at NYG)
47) Amari Cooper | BUF (vs. NYJ)
48) Rashod Bateman | BAL (at HOU)
49) Quentin Johnston | LAC (at NE)
50) Jalen Coker | CAR (at TB)
51) DeMario Douglas | NE (vs. LAC)
52) Xavier Legette | CAR (at TB)
53) Wan’Dale Robinson | NYG (vs. IND)
54) Christian Watson | GB (at MIN)
55) Nick Westbrook-Ikhine | TEN (at JAX)
56) Elijah Moore | CLE (vs. MIA)
57) Marquez Valdes-Scantling | BUF (vs. NYJ)
58) Calvin Austin III | PIT (vs. KC)
59) Joshua Palmer | LAC (at NE)
60) Robert Woods | HOU (vs. BAL)
61) Parker Washington | JAX (vs. TEN)
62) Tim Patrick | DET (at SF)
63) Ray-Ray McCloud III | ATL (at WAS)
64) John Metchie III | HOU (vs. BAL)
65) Keon Coleman | BUF (vs. NYJ)
66) David Moore | CAR (at TB)
67) Devaughn Vele | DEN (at CIN)
68) Michael Wilson | ARI (at LAR)
69) Tre Tucker | LV (at NO)
70) Kendrick Bourne | NE (vs. LAC)
71) Mike Williams | PIT (vs. KC)
72) Marvin Mims Jr. | DEN (at CIN)
73) Andrei Iosivas | CIN (vs. DEN)
74) Olamide Zaccheaus | WAS (vs. ATL)
75) Kayshon Boutte | NE (vs. LAC)
76) Jalen Tolbert | DAL (at PHI)
77) Malik Washington | MIA (at CLE)
78) Brandin Cooks | DAL (at PHI)
79) Tyler Lockett | SEA (at CHI)
80) Demarcus Robinson | LAR (vs. ARI)
81) Adonai Mitchell | IND (at NYG)
82) Alec Pierce | IND (at NYG)
83) Dontayvion Wicks | GB (at MIN)
84) Allen Lazard | NYJ (at BUF)
85) Van Jefferson | PIT (vs. KC)
86) KaVontae Turpin | DAL (at PHI)
87) Darius Slayton | NYG (vs. IND)
88) Ricky Pearsall | SF (vs. DET)
89) Jamison Crowder | WAS (vs. ATL)
90) Tyler Boyd | TEN (at JAX)
91) Troy Franklin | DEN (at CIN)
92) Kevin Austin Jr. | NO (vs. LV)
93) Mack Hollins | BUF (vs. NYJ)
94) Tutu Atwell | LAR (vs. ARI)
95) Jalen Nailor | MIN (vs. GB)
96) JuJu Smith-Schuster | KC (at PIT)
97) Michael Woods II | CLE (vs. MIA)
98) Justin Watson | KC (at PIT)
99) Devin Duvernay | JAX (vs. TEN)
100) Greg Dortch | ARI (at LAR)
101) Dante Pettis | CHI (vs. SEA)
102) Lil’Jordan Humphrey | DEN (at CIN)
103) Curtis Samuel | BUF (vs. NYJ)
104) Jahan Dotson | PHI (vs. DAL)
105) Cedrick Wilson Jr. | NO (vs. LV)
106) Tylan Wallace | BAL (at HOU)
107) DJ Chark | LAC (at NE)
108) River Cracraft | MIA (at CLE)
109) Luke McCaffrey | WAS (vs. ATL)
110) Jalin Hyatt | NYG (vs. IND)
111) Ja’Lynn Polk | NE (vs. LAC)

Jets at Bills Trends and Insights

New York Jets

Team: The Jets have two Sunday wins this season. Only six teams since 2017 have ended a season with two or fewer, and those teams combined to win one Thursday game (these Jets have two Thursday wins).

QB: Aaron Rodgers joins Tom Brady (seven occurrences) and Drew Brees (one) as the only 40+ year-old QBs with three straight games of 250 passing yards and zero interceptions.

Offense: New York converted both of their red zone trips in Week 1 in San Francisco – they haven’t cashed in all of their chances in a single game since.

Defense: This defense wasn’t given a chance on Sunday. The Rams’ average starting field position was the 46.6-yard line (the previous highest average starting position against New York this season was the 37-yard line).

Fantasy: Davante Adams has four straight games with 65+ receiving yards and a touchdown catch – only three receivers have had a longer such streak at age 30 or older (Terrell Owens, Cris Carter, and Muhsin Muhammed).

Betting: The Jets have covered consecutive road games (both in Florida) after going 2-9-1 ATS in their previous 12 contests away from home.

Buffalo Bills

Team: After averaging 45 points per game over a two-week stretch, there were a total of 45 points scored in Buffalo’s win over New England on Sunday.

QB: Is aggressive Josh Allen back? Over the past three weeks, the MVP front-runner owns an 11.2-yard aDOT (four games prior: 5.9).

Offense: The Bills scored a touchdown on their fourth-lowest percentage of drives in a game this season, while the Patriots matched their highest touchdown rate of the season.
The Bills beat the Patriots

Defense: In December, opponents are seven-of-seven on fourth down against Buffalo.

Fantasy: James Cook has 42 red zone touches this season compared to 35 last year – he’s scored 16 touchdowns this season compared to six last year.

Betting: After covering six of seven games, the Bills are 1-2 ATS over their past three games. They have seen six straight games decided by more than five points off of the spread.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face the Carolina Panthers in Week 17. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding RB Rachaad White.

Is Rachaad White Playing in Week 17?

White is not listed on the injury report this week, so barring any setbacks, he is on track to play this weekend.

We’ll continue to monitor the Buccaneers’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.

Should You Start or Sit Rachaad White in Week 17?

It would appear that the time is finally here. The Buccaneers have succumbed to Fantasy Football Twitter and finally optimized their backfield.

OK, so that’s probably not an accurate portrayal of what went on here, but if last week is an indicator of things to come, we are finally getting what we want out of the running game in Tampa Bay.

In the disappointing loss to the Cowboys, Bucky Irving out-carried Rachaad White 16-3, while White caught seven of the eight passes thrown his way. We made it!

White didn’t do much against the Panthers in Week 13 until he doubled his rushing total with a long rush in overtime to set up the game-winning field goal. His ranking fully hinges on how you think this game plays out.

I believe that the Bucs roll, and if that is the case, White managers are going to be swimming upstream. I’ve got Irving ranked as a strong RB2 while White is more of a middling Flex option, understanding that I’m projecting a more grounded attack for the Bucs in the second half.

Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 17 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.

Rachaad White’s Fantasy Points Outlook in Week 17

As of Sunday morning, White is projected to score 12.7 fantasy points in PPR formats. This includes 10.8 rushing attempts for 40.3 yards and 0.2 touchdowns. It also includes 3.5 receptions for 27 yards and 0.2 touchdowns.

Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.

PFN Insight on the Panthers’ Defense

Young’s improvement has given hope to a franchise mired in a streak of six straight double-digit loss seasons. Panthers fans deserve to cling to any shred of hope they can find, but Sunday’s win was a reminder that Young and the offense will need more support from the defense before Carolina can ever become a contender again.

The win over the Cardinals was mostly offense-driven, as the Panthers recorded a 70.5 (C-) grade on defense. That was actually Carolina’s sixth-best performance of the season, yet still didn’t crack the top 20 for Week 16.

Carolina’s highest grade of the season is a C+. This has been by far its worst season in the last six years, grading as an F and considerably below what they did in 2023.

The Panthers are even worse than the Jaguars in that they don’t rank in the top 20 in any statistical category that goes into Defense+. They rank last in EPA per rush (-0.07), third downs (47.7%), and pressure rate without blitzing (24.3%).

For more insight on all other team defenses, head to our PFN Defense+ Metric Analysis. 

Rachaad White’s Fantasy Ranking

Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 7:25 AM ET on Sunday, December 29. If you’re in a Superflex league, make sure you check out our Weekly Consensus Superflex Rankings.

Week 17 RB PPR Rankings

1) Saquon Barkley | PHI (vs. DAL)
2) Jahmyr Gibbs | DET (at SF)
3) Derrick Henry | BAL (at HOU)
4) Bijan Robinson | ATL (at WAS)
5) Josh Jacobs | GB (at MIN)
6) Jonathan Taylor | IND (at NYG)
7) Chase Brown | CIN (vs. DEN)
8) Kyren Williams | LAR (vs. ARI)
9) De’Von Achane | MIA (at CLE)
10) Bucky Irving | TB (vs. CAR)
11) James Conner | ARI (at LAR)
12) James Cook | BUF (vs. NYJ)
13) Tyjae Spears | TEN (at JAX)
14) Breece Hall | NYJ (at BUF)
15) Joe Mixon | HOU (vs. BAL)
16) Zach Charbonnet | SEA (at CHI)
17) Aaron Jones | MIN (vs. GB)
18) Jerome Ford | CLE (vs. MIA)
19) Brian Robinson Jr. | WAS (vs. ATL)
20) D’Andre Swift | CHI (vs. SEA)
21) Rico Dowdle | DAL (at PHI)
22) Tyrone Tracy Jr. | NYG (vs. IND)
23) Isaac Guerendo | SF (vs. DET)
24) Rhamondre Stevenson | NE (vs. LAC)
25) Rachaad White | TB (vs. CAR)
26) J.K. Dobbins | LAC (at NE)
27) Alexander Mattison | LV (at NO)
28) Jaylen Warren | PIT (vs. KC)
29) Isiah Pacheco | KC (at PIT)
30) Kimani Vidal | LAC (at NE)
31) Tank Bigsby | JAX (vs. TEN)
32) Javonte Williams | DEN (at CIN)
33) Kendre Miller | NO (vs. LV)
34) Najee Harris | PIT (vs. KC)
35) Travis Etienne Jr. | JAX (vs. TEN)
36) Ameer Abdullah | LV (at NO)
37) Kareem Hunt | KC (at PIT)
38) Devin Singletary | NYG (vs. IND)
39) Tyler Allgeier | ATL (at WAS)
40) Audric Estimé | DEN (at CIN)
41) Ray Davis | BUF (vs. NYJ)
42) Raheem Mostert | MIA (at CLE)
43) Antonio Gibson | NE (vs. LAC)
44) Kenneth Gainwell | PHI (vs. DAL)
45) Craig Reynolds | DET (at SF)
46) Cam Akers | MIN (vs. GB)
47) Ty Johnson | BUF (vs. NYJ)
48) Blake Corum | LAR (vs. ARI)
49) Roschon Johnson | CHI (vs. SEA)
50) Braelon Allen | NYJ (at BUF)
51) Patrick Taylor Jr. | SF (vs. DET)
52) Jeremy McNichols | WAS (vs. ATL)
53) Isaiah Davis | NYJ (at BUF)
54) Jaleel McLaughlin | DEN (at CIN)
55) D’Onta Foreman | CLE (vs. MIA)
56) Jamaal Williams | NO (vs. LV)
57) Cordarrelle Patterson | PIT (vs. KC)
58) Emanuel Wilson | GB (at MIN)
59) DeeJay Dallas | ARI (at LAR)
60) Chris Brooks | GB (at MIN)
61) Pierre Strong Jr. | CLE (vs. MIA)
62) Ke’Shawn Vaughn | SF (vs. DET)
63) Keaton Mitchell | BAL (at HOU)
64) Trey Benson | ARI (at LAR)
65) Raheem Blackshear | CAR (at TB)
66) Sean Tucker | TB (vs. CAR)
67) Israel Abanikanda | SF (vs. DET)
68) Michael Carter | ARI (at LAR)
69) Samaje Perine | KC (at PIT)
70) Ezekiel Elliott | DAL (at PHI)
71) Mike Boone | CAR (at TB)
72) Khalil Herbert | CIN (vs. DEN)
73) Dare Ogunbowale | HOU (vs. BAL)
74) Jaylen Wright | MIA (at CLE)
75) Kyle Juszczyk | SF (vs. DET)
76) Trey Sermon | IND (at NYG)
77) Chris Rodriguez Jr. | WAS (vs. ATL)
78) Sione Vaki | DET (at SF)
79) Hunter Luepke | DAL (at PHI)
80) Dameon Pierce | HOU (vs. BAL)
81) Alec Ingold | MIA (at CLE)
82) Tyler Goodson | IND (at NYG)
83) Hassan Haskins | LAC (at NE)
84) Kenny McIntosh | SEA (at CHI)
85) Jordan Mims | NO (vs. LV)
86) Rasheen Ali | BAL (at HOU)
87) Ty Chandler | MIN (vs. GB)
88) C.J. Ham | MIN (vs. GB)
89) Michael Burton | DEN (at CIN)
90) Julius Chestnut | TEN (at JAX)
91) Eric Gray | NYG (vs. IND)
92) Dylan Laube | LV (at NO)
93) Adam Prentice | NO (vs. LV)
94) Patrick Ricard | BAL (at HOU)
95) Carson Steele | KC (at PIT)
96) Keilan Robinson | JAX (vs. TEN)
97) Darrynton Evans | BUF (vs. NYJ)
98) Blake Watson | DEN (at CIN)
99) Clyde Edwards-Helaire | KC (at PIT)

Panthers at Buccaneers Trends and Insights

Carolina Panthers

Team: The Panthers have won a game that wasn’t decided in overtime or by less than a field goal once since the beginning of last season (Week 3 at Raiders: 36-22).

QB: Splash plays? Bryce Young has a 30+ yard completion in four of his past five games and a 10+ yard rush in five of his past six.

Offense: The Panthers have turned 13 of their past 14 goal-to-go situations into touchdowns.

Defense: Sunday was the seventh time this season in which the Panthers allowed points on the majority of opponent drives.

Fantasy: Adam Thielen has caught 5+ passes in all four games this month and has scored in three of his past six, but he has just two games this season with 60+ receiving yards.

Betting: The Panthers are 4-11 ATS in their last 15 road games. Carolina covered in Philadelphia in Week 14 – they haven’t covered consecutive road games since Weeks 11-14 in 2022.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Team: The Buccaneers are 4-3 since Week 9 with a +53 point differential. Over that stretch, the Chiefs are 7-1 with a +28 point differential, the Rams are 6-2 with a +12 point differential, and the Steelers hold an identical 4-3 mark while being outscored by 14 points.

QB: Baker Mayfield’s touchdown pass under pressure on Sunday night was his first since his TD pass in Week 1 against the Commanders.

Offense: Odd but true – the Bucs are just 1-3 this season when scoring a touchdown on 100% of their red zone trips and 7-4 otherwise.

Defense: From Weeks 8-12, Tampa Bay allowed their opponents to convert 53.8% of third downs. Since then, that rate has plummeted to 30%

Fantasy: Jalen McMillan has three straight games with at least four catches and a touchdown reception – over the past 20 years, only three rookies have topped that streak (Odell Beckham Jr., Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Tank Dell).

Betting: The Buccaneers are just 1-6 ATS in their past seven home divisional games (the lone cover, however, was in Week 17 of 2022 against the Panthers).

The Philadelphia Eagles will face the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding WR DeVonta Smith.

Is DeVonta Smith Playing in Week 17?

The Eagles gave several veterans Wednesday off. Smith was listed as DNP with rest and a back injury, but the rest designation carries the day here. Smith is fine, as evidenced by his return to full practice on Thursday.

We’ll continue to monitor the Eagles’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.

Should You Start or Sit DeVonta Smith in Week 17?

Smith went from GOAT to goat in a hurry last week after he dropped a pass that would have likely kept the Eagles in a great spot to compete for the NFC’s one seed and eventually resulted in a soul-crushing loss to the Commanders.

That series of events hurt Philadelphia fans in a significant way, but the game as a whole was fine for forward-thinking fantasy managers. Smith has cleared a dozen expected PPR points in three straight games (he didn’t have one such performance in his previous six) and has 6+ catches or a touchdown in five of his past seven.

The interesting part of Smith’s profile is that what we perceived as his greatest skill has been removed from his role. Over his past four games, his aDOT sits at just 6.7 yards, essentially half of where it was in the previous three games (13.3).

With time, that’s resulted in an increase in efficiency (85% catch rate over the past two weeks, and that includes the bad drop last week that he catches at least 95% of the time) and could well be the norm for the remainder of the regular season as the Eagles try to figure out how to best maximize their weapons.

Smith was held to just two catches in the Week 10 meeting with the Cowboys, but I’m comfortable projecting him to double or triple that output, given his new target diet. This season, the Cowboys are the worst team in the league in terms of completion percentage and yards per attempt on those short passes. Philadelphia fans aren’t usually ones to forgive and forget, but I think Smith can work his way back into the good graces with a big Week 17.

Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 17 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.

DeVonta Smith’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 17

As of Sunday morning, Smith is projected to score 12.5 fantasy points in PPR formats. This includes 4.4 receptions for 58.1 yards and 0.4 touchdowns.

Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.

PFN Insight on the Cowboys’ Defense

After a string of positive performances, the Cowboys’ defense came crashing back down to earth in a tough test against the Buccaneers’ offense. Dallas recorded a 66.7 (D) grade, its lowest since Week 6.

Each of the Cowboys’ four lowest grades have come at home this season, a continuation of the team’s vexing troubles at AT&T Stadium. For the season, Dallas has the worst Defense+ grade at home but the seventh-best on the road.

The Cowboys have typically generated a solid level of pressure with Micah Parsons available, but Sunday bucked that trend. Dallas generated its second-lowest non-blitz pressure rate on the season (14.7%), contributing to a tie for its second-worst third-down conversion rate allowed (50%).

The unit will rank nowhere near the heights of the Dan Quinn era. Having been a top-five unit for each of the last three years, falling to the bottom 10 is a massive drop-off and shows the value Quinn brought to the franchise.

For more insight on all other team defenses, head to our PFN Defense+ Metric Analysis. 

DeVonta Smith’s Fantasy Ranking

Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 7:25 AM ET on Sunday, December 29. If you’re in a Superflex league, make sure you check out our Weekly Consensus Superflex Rankings.

Week 17 WR PPR Rankings

1) Ja’Marr Chase | CIN (vs. DEN)
2) Puka Nacua | LAR (vs. ARI)
3) Amon-Ra St. Brown | DET (at SF)
4) Justin Jefferson | MIN (vs. GB)
5) Mike Evans | TB (vs. CAR)
6) Nico Collins | HOU (vs. BAL)
7) Terry McLaurin | WAS (vs. ATL)
8) Davante Adams | NYJ (at BUF)
9) Tyreek Hill | MIA (at CLE)
10) A.J. Brown | PHI (vs. DAL)
11) Tee Higgins | CIN (vs. DEN)
12) Brian Thomas Jr. | JAX (vs. TEN)
13) Courtland Sutton | DEN (at CIN)
14) Ladd McConkey | LAC (at NE)
15) Drake London | ATL (at WAS)
16) Jaxon Smith-Njigba | SEA (at CHI)
17) Malik Nabers | NYG (vs. IND)
18) Cooper Kupp | LAR (vs. ARI)
19) Garrett Wilson | NYJ (at BUF)
20) Jauan Jennings | SF (vs. DET)
21) Zay Flowers | BAL (at HOU)
22) Keenan Allen | CHI (vs. SEA)
23) DJ Moore | CHI (vs. SEA)
24) Jakobi Meyers | LV (at NO)
25) Jordan Addison | MIN (vs. GB)
26) DK Metcalf | SEA (at CHI)
27) George Pickens | PIT (vs. KC)
28) Calvin Ridley | TEN (at JAX)
29) Adam Thielen | CAR (at TB)
30) Khalil Shakir | BUF (vs. NYJ)
31) Jameson Williams | DET (at SF)
32) Josh Downs | IND (at NYG)
33) Deebo Samuel Sr. | SF (vs. DET)
34) Jayden Reed | GB (at MIN)
35) DeVonta Smith | PHI (vs. DAL)
36) DeAndre Hopkins | KC (at PIT)
37) Xavier Worthy | KC (at PIT)
38) Marvin Harrison Jr. | ARI (at LAR)
39) Jalen McMillan | TB (vs. CAR)
40) Jaylen Waddle | MIA (at CLE)
41) Darnell Mooney | ATL (at WAS)
42) Jerry Jeudy | CLE (vs. MIA)
43) Hollywood Brown | KC (at PIT)
44) Rome Odunze | CHI (vs. SEA)
45) Romeo Doubs | GB (at MIN)
46) Michael Pittman Jr. | IND (at NYG)
47) Amari Cooper | BUF (vs. NYJ)
48) Rashod Bateman | BAL (at HOU)
49) Quentin Johnston | LAC (at NE)
50) Jalen Coker | CAR (at TB)
51) DeMario Douglas | NE (vs. LAC)
52) Xavier Legette | CAR (at TB)
53) Wan’Dale Robinson | NYG (vs. IND)
54) Christian Watson | GB (at MIN)
55) Nick Westbrook-Ikhine | TEN (at JAX)
56) Elijah Moore | CLE (vs. MIA)
57) Marquez Valdes-Scantling | BUF (vs. NYJ)
58) Calvin Austin III | PIT (vs. KC)
59) Joshua Palmer | LAC (at NE)
60) Robert Woods | HOU (vs. BAL)
61) Parker Washington | JAX (vs. TEN)
62) Tim Patrick | DET (at SF)
63) Ray-Ray McCloud III | ATL (at WAS)
64) John Metchie III | HOU (vs. BAL)
65) Keon Coleman | BUF (vs. NYJ)
66) David Moore | CAR (at TB)
67) Devaughn Vele | DEN (at CIN)
68) Michael Wilson | ARI (at LAR)
69) Tre Tucker | LV (at NO)
70) Kendrick Bourne | NE (vs. LAC)
71) Mike Williams | PIT (vs. KC)
72) Marvin Mims Jr. | DEN (at CIN)
73) Andrei Iosivas | CIN (vs. DEN)
74) Olamide Zaccheaus | WAS (vs. ATL)
75) Kayshon Boutte | NE (vs. LAC)
76) Jalen Tolbert | DAL (at PHI)
77) Malik Washington | MIA (at CLE)
78) Brandin Cooks | DAL (at PHI)
79) Tyler Lockett | SEA (at CHI)
80) Demarcus Robinson | LAR (vs. ARI)
81) Adonai Mitchell | IND (at NYG)
82) Alec Pierce | IND (at NYG)
83) Dontayvion Wicks | GB (at MIN)
84) Allen Lazard | NYJ (at BUF)
85) Van Jefferson | PIT (vs. KC)
86) KaVontae Turpin | DAL (at PHI)
87) Darius Slayton | NYG (vs. IND)
88) Ricky Pearsall | SF (vs. DET)
89) Jamison Crowder | WAS (vs. ATL)
90) Tyler Boyd | TEN (at JAX)
91) Troy Franklin | DEN (at CIN)
92) Kevin Austin Jr. | NO (vs. LV)
93) Mack Hollins | BUF (vs. NYJ)
94) Tutu Atwell | LAR (vs. ARI)
95) Jalen Nailor | MIN (vs. GB)
96) JuJu Smith-Schuster | KC (at PIT)
97) Michael Woods II | CLE (vs. MIA)
98) Justin Watson | KC (at PIT)
99) Devin Duvernay | JAX (vs. TEN)
100) Greg Dortch | ARI (at LAR)
101) Dante Pettis | CHI (vs. SEA)
102) Lil’Jordan Humphrey | DEN (at CIN)
103) Curtis Samuel | BUF (vs. NYJ)
104) Jahan Dotson | PHI (vs. DAL)
105) Cedrick Wilson Jr. | NO (vs. LV)
106) Tylan Wallace | BAL (at HOU)
107) DJ Chark | LAC (at NE)
108) River Cracraft | MIA (at CLE)
109) Luke McCaffrey | WAS (vs. ATL)
110) Jalin Hyatt | NYG (vs. IND)
111) Ja’Lynn Polk | NE (vs. LAC)

Cowboys at Eagles Trends and Insights

Dallas Cowboys

Team: The Cowboys are 10-3 in their last 13 regular season games played on or after November 19 (they are 9-10 otherwise).

QB: The Cooper Rush experience may not be perfect, but the numbers don’t lie — in 2024, the splits by starting QB:

• Win%: Rush (57.1%), Dak Prescott (37.5%)
• Non-TO%: Rush (87.8%), Prescott (85.1%)
• Red Zone TD%: Rush (55%), Prescott (45.5%)

Offense: Dallas has scored on at least half of their drives in consecutive games after having one such performance this year prior.

Defense: Opponents have scored a touchdown against Dallas on 26-of-29 goal-to-go trips this season and are a perfect 13-of-13 since Week 9 in such situations.

Fantasy: Brandon Aubrey has more 55+ yard made field goals this season (six) than the Cowboys have 55+ yard plays during the regular season since the start of 2023 (five).

Betting: Over tickets have cashed in four of Dallas’ past five road covers

Philadelphia Eagles

Team: Can they get lucky win #13 this week? This franchise has hit that total three times, and they’ve won the NFC in each instance (2004, 2017, and 2022)

QB: Philadelphia’s one-seed shots took a huge shot on Sunday – none of the QBs on the three favorites in the NFC have a greater drop in QB+ from home to road than Jalen Hurts.

Offense: Philadelphia was just three-of-16 on third down against Washington (18.8%), their second-worst rate of the season.

Defense: The Eagles forced a turnover on 38.5% of Commander drives last week and found a way to lose. In their first seven games this season with a double-digit forced turnover percentage, Philadelphia was 7-0 and had outscored their opponents by 93 points.

Fantasy: Saquon Barkley ran for 109 yards in the first quarter against the Commanders on Sunday, giving him the most in a first quarter since 2011. Who did he unseat? Saquon Barkley in 2019 – against the Commanders – on December 22 (2019).

Betting: Overs are 8-3 in Philadelphia’s past 11 home divisional games.

The Las Vegas Raiders will face the New Orleans Saints in Week 17. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding RB Ameer Abdullah.

Is Ameer Abdullah Playing in Week 17?

Abdullah is not listed on the injury report this week, so barring any unexpected setbacks, he is on track to play this weekend.

We’ll continue to monitor the Raiders’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.

Should You Start or Sit Ameer Abdullah in Week 17?

Abdullah punched in a touchdown and caught five of six targets – it’s gross, but he’s been reasonably usable in four of his past six games. Alexander Mattison is the better bet to lead this team in the rushing production, but he’s done nothing to earn a featured role. As long as Abdullah is at least given the chance to reach 12-14 opportunities (carries + targets), there is low-end PPR appeal here.

This should be a competitive game (not a fun game, a competitive one), and that is the exact environment in which Abdullah gave us 85 yards and a touchdown last week. I’m not forecasting a repeat performance, but he’s at least a warm body if your roster is really hurting for viable options.

Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 17 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.

Ameer Abdullah’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 17

As of Sunday morning, Abdullah is projected to score 10.7 fantasy points in PPR formats. This includes 4.3 rushing attempts for 18.4 yards and 0.1 touchdowns. It also includes 4.7 receptions for 31.9 yards and 0.1 touchdowns.

Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.

PFN Insight on the Saints’ Defense

Although the Saints had an ugly season overall before Dennis Allen’s firing, the defense stood out as an issue. Allen was the former DC under Sean Payton, and when his defense ranked well below its sixth-place finish from last year (and 13th in 2022), the writing was on the wall.

Since his firing, New Orleans had alternated top-six weeks with bottom-15 performances. However, they finally had two poor performances in a row after recording another stinker on Monday night vs. the Packers.

The Saints recorded a 65.7 (D) grade at Lambeau Field. That was their second-worst of the season and the worst by any defense in Week 16. Only the 51-point catastrophe in Week 6 vs. the Buccaneers graded out worse for New Orleans this season.

The Saints got run over again and now rank 31st in EPA per rush (-0.06) and 30th in success rate (53.6%) with two weeks remaining. They still stay in the top 20 thanks to a top-10 pass defense by success rate and EPA per play, though they post their fifth-worst pass defense game of the season by EPA per dropback (-0.11).

Ultimately, the cellar-dwelling run defense places a pretty firm cap on New Orleans’ defensive ceiling, particularly since the injury-riddled offense isn’t strong enough to force defenses to play from behind and abandon the run.

For more insight on all other team defenses, head to our PFN Defense+ Metric Analysis. 

Ameer Abdullah’s Fantasy Ranking

Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 7:25 AM ET on Sunday, December 29. If you’re in a Superflex league, make sure you check out our Weekly Consensus Superflex Rankings.

Week 17 RB PPR Rankings

1) Saquon Barkley | PHI (vs. DAL)
2) Jahmyr Gibbs | DET (at SF)
3) Derrick Henry | BAL (at HOU)
4) Bijan Robinson | ATL (at WAS)
5) Josh Jacobs | GB (at MIN)
6) Jonathan Taylor | IND (at NYG)
7) Chase Brown | CIN (vs. DEN)
8) Kyren Williams | LAR (vs. ARI)
9) De’Von Achane | MIA (at CLE)
10) Bucky Irving | TB (vs. CAR)
11) James Conner | ARI (at LAR)
12) James Cook | BUF (vs. NYJ)
13) Tyjae Spears | TEN (at JAX)
14) Breece Hall | NYJ (at BUF)
15) Joe Mixon | HOU (vs. BAL)
16) Zach Charbonnet | SEA (at CHI)
17) Aaron Jones | MIN (vs. GB)
18) Jerome Ford | CLE (vs. MIA)
19) Brian Robinson Jr. | WAS (vs. ATL)
20) D’Andre Swift | CHI (vs. SEA)
21) Rico Dowdle | DAL (at PHI)
22) Tyrone Tracy Jr. | NYG (vs. IND)
23) Isaac Guerendo | SF (vs. DET)
24) Rhamondre Stevenson | NE (vs. LAC)
25) Rachaad White | TB (vs. CAR)
26) J.K. Dobbins | LAC (at NE)
27) Alexander Mattison | LV (at NO)
28) Jaylen Warren | PIT (vs. KC)
29) Isiah Pacheco | KC (at PIT)
30) Kimani Vidal | LAC (at NE)
31) Tank Bigsby | JAX (vs. TEN)
32) Javonte Williams | DEN (at CIN)
33) Kendre Miller | NO (vs. LV)
34) Najee Harris | PIT (vs. KC)
35) Travis Etienne Jr. | JAX (vs. TEN)
36) Ameer Abdullah | LV (at NO)
37) Kareem Hunt | KC (at PIT)
38) Devin Singletary | NYG (vs. IND)
39) Tyler Allgeier | ATL (at WAS)
40) Audric Estimé | DEN (at CIN)
41) Ray Davis | BUF (vs. NYJ)
42) Raheem Mostert | MIA (at CLE)
43) Antonio Gibson | NE (vs. LAC)
44) Kenneth Gainwell | PHI (vs. DAL)
45) Craig Reynolds | DET (at SF)
46) Cam Akers | MIN (vs. GB)
47) Ty Johnson | BUF (vs. NYJ)
48) Blake Corum | LAR (vs. ARI)
49) Roschon Johnson | CHI (vs. SEA)
50) Braelon Allen | NYJ (at BUF)
51) Patrick Taylor Jr. | SF (vs. DET)
52) Jeremy McNichols | WAS (vs. ATL)
53) Isaiah Davis | NYJ (at BUF)
54) Jaleel McLaughlin | DEN (at CIN)
55) D’Onta Foreman | CLE (vs. MIA)
56) Jamaal Williams | NO (vs. LV)
57) Cordarrelle Patterson | PIT (vs. KC)
58) Emanuel Wilson | GB (at MIN)
59) DeeJay Dallas | ARI (at LAR)
60) Chris Brooks | GB (at MIN)
61) Pierre Strong Jr. | CLE (vs. MIA)
62) Ke’Shawn Vaughn | SF (vs. DET)
63) Keaton Mitchell | BAL (at HOU)
64) Trey Benson | ARI (at LAR)
65) Raheem Blackshear | CAR (at TB)
66) Sean Tucker | TB (vs. CAR)
67) Israel Abanikanda | SF (vs. DET)
68) Michael Carter | ARI (at LAR)
69) Samaje Perine | KC (at PIT)
70) Ezekiel Elliott | DAL (at PHI)
71) Mike Boone | CAR (at TB)
72) Khalil Herbert | CIN (vs. DEN)
73) Dare Ogunbowale | HOU (vs. BAL)
74) Jaylen Wright | MIA (at CLE)
75) Kyle Juszczyk | SF (vs. DET)
76) Trey Sermon | IND (at NYG)
77) Chris Rodriguez Jr. | WAS (vs. ATL)
78) Sione Vaki | DET (at SF)
79) Hunter Luepke | DAL (at PHI)
80) Dameon Pierce | HOU (vs. BAL)
81) Alec Ingold | MIA (at CLE)
82) Tyler Goodson | IND (at NYG)
83) Hassan Haskins | LAC (at NE)
84) Kenny McIntosh | SEA (at CHI)
85) Jordan Mims | NO (vs. LV)
86) Rasheen Ali | BAL (at HOU)
87) Ty Chandler | MIN (vs. GB)
88) C.J. Ham | MIN (vs. GB)
89) Michael Burton | DEN (at CIN)
90) Julius Chestnut | TEN (at JAX)
91) Eric Gray | NYG (vs. IND)
92) Dylan Laube | LV (at NO)
93) Adam Prentice | NO (vs. LV)
94) Patrick Ricard | BAL (at HOU)
95) Carson Steele | KC (at PIT)
96) Keilan Robinson | JAX (vs. TEN)
97) Darrynton Evans | BUF (vs. NYJ)
98) Blake Watson | DEN (at CIN)
99) Clyde Edwards-Helaire | KC (at PIT)

Raiders at Saints Trends and Insights

Las Vegas Raiders

Team: The Raiders are seeking their first winning streak since Weeks 15-16 last season.

QB: Aidan O’Connell averaged a season-best 10.7 yards per first down pass last week against the Jaguars (13-of-18 for 193 yards).

Offense: After picking up eight-of-14 third downs against the Dolphins in Week 11, the Raiders are just 19-of-67 since (28.4%).

Defense: Las Vegas forced Jacksonville to punt on 58.3% of their drives, their best defensive showing of the season.

Fantasy: Brock Bowers, on Sunday, joined Evan Engram (2023) and Zach Ertz (2018) as the only tight ends in the 2000s to have four double-digit catch games in a season.

Betting: Seven of Vegas’ past eight road games have finished at least seven points off of the closing spread.

New Orleans Saints

Team: In Week 11, the Saints scored 21 points in the final quarter prior to their Week 12 bye. In the 16 quarters since that point, they’ve totaled 47 points.

QB: Spencer Rattler is dealing with a skeleton roster and spreading the ball out. Of his first nine targets, four different players saw multiple opportunities.

Offense: The Saints have been out-scored 35-0 in first halves over their past two games (they held the lead at halftime in each of their five games prior).

Defense: The Saints are 4-1 this season when holding a team to a sub-36% conversion rate on third downs (1-9 otherwise).

Fantasy: The Saints had four players get 3-8 carries, and five players catch 2-5 passes – this is a small offensive pie that is being cut into far too many pieces.

Betting: The Saints are 4-4 ATS at home this season – they haven’t had a winning ATS year at home since 2017.