Amon-Ra St. Brown, Odell Beckham Jr., Christian Kirk & More Expert Fantasy Start/Sit Advice For WRs in Week 17
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images). Pictured: Odell Beckham Jr.
Setting your lineups can be difficult, especially with COVID-19 outbreaks galore and the fantasy football finals upon us.
Below you will find some wide receivers I like, as well as some I don’t like for Week 17 based on matchups, injuries, trends and more.
Be sure to consult our experts' real-time rankings for fantasy football start/sit advice on any COVID- or injury-impacted players.
Fantasy WRs To Start/Sit In Week 17
Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions at Seahawks
St. Brown has seriously turned heads lately. He is coming off of a career game against Atlanta in which he caught nine of 11 targets for 92 yards and a touchdown. He has scored three times and is the WR4 in half PPR over the last four games.
His production stems from his high target volume, due in part to the team losing tight end T.J. Hockenson for the season, as the rookie has seen at least 11 targets in each of the last four games. He is a top play this week, even against Seattle, whose defense ranks ninth-best in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers.
Verdict: Start as WR2.
Odell Beckham Jr., Rams at Ravens
Beckham bounced back after a quiet Week 15 that was mired in a COVID-19 outbreak for the Rams. He caught four of eight passes for 37 yards and a touchdown — his fourth trip to the end zone in five weeks. He should thrive against a Ravens' secondary which has been decimated by injuries and illness.
Baltimore has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to receivers this season and just allowed a 525-yard, four-touchdown game to Joe Burrow last week. Cooper Kupp will continue to be the centerpiece of this offense, while Beckham should put up solid WR2 numbers.
Verdict: Start as WR2.
D.J. Moore, Panthers at Saints
Moore has seen a steady uptick in targets in the second half of the season. Since Week 12, he is averaging 10.75 targets per game and has survived through two difficult matchups against the Bills and Buccaneers. He gets a reprieve this week with the Saints on deck, whose defense has allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to receivers this year. Moore is a low-end WR2 with upside in a positive Week 17 matchup.
Verdict: Start as WR2.
Christian Kirk, Cardinals at Cowboys
Kirk has seen a nice uptick in targets with DeAndre Hopkins done for the season. He caught nine of 12 targets for 94 yards and a touchdown against Detroit in Week 15 and caught seven of nine targets for 48 yards in Week 16 versus the Colts.
This week, the Cardinals face the Cowboys, whose defense has been coasting after facing the the NFC (L)East for the past three weeks. They will likely be more permeable to a Kyler Murray-led passing attack this week, putting Kirk into the low-end WR2 tier.
Verdict: Start as WR2.
K.J. Osborn, Vikings at Packers
Osborn had a surprisingly good game in Week 16 with Adam Thielen's short-lived return. He caught five of seven targets for 68 yards and a touchdown — his third score in four games. Thielen is officially done for the year after re-aggravating his ankle injury and undergoing surgery this week, meaning Osborn will be the WR2 in this offense once again.
He is a high-upside WR3/flex play this week, even with the Packers on deck. Green Bay has been above average against the pass and is getting Jaire Alexander back, though Alexander will likely shadow Justin Jefferson if he plays.
Verdict: Start as WR3/flex.
Terry McLaurin, Washington vs. Eagles
McLaurin has been one of the more disappointing names for fantasy this year. He was drafted as a fringe WR1 but has not scored double-digit fantasy points since Week 11 and is the WR33 in half PPR on a per-game basis through 16 weeks.
He has a highly unfavorable Week 17 matchup on the slate against the Eagles, who rank top two against fantasy wide receivers this season and have only allowed one touchdown to a receiver since Week 13. McLaurin is a WR3 with downside this week.
Verdict: Sit.
Russell Gage, Falcons at Bills
Gage struggled in what should have been a favorable matchup against the Lions last week. He caught four of five targets for 39 yards on the heels of a four-game hot streak. He has been a solid streamer during that span but could struggle again this week against the Bills, who have allowed the fewest fantasy points to receivers this season. Gage is a risky, WR3/flex this week with downside.
Verdict: Sit.
Chase Claypool, Steelers vs. Browns
I thought Claypool would have the opportunity to break out as a reliable fantasy asset this year with JuJu Smith-Schuster going down early, but he has been largely up-and-down all season. He has just five games with double-digit fantasy points and eight games with fewer than ten points — two of which came in positive matchups in the last two weeks.
His struggles this season have undoubtedly stemmed from Ben Roethlisberger's decline, as the aging signal-caller's skill set no longer aligns with Claypool's strengths. He is a tough sell this week against the Browns, whose defense has been above average against receivers this year.
Verdict: Sit.
Darnell Mooney, Bears vs. Giants
Mooney is averaging a healthy 7.3 targets per game this year, but we may have been a bit hasty in proclaiming his breakout given the Bears' overall offensive struggles. He has not crested the double-digit fantasy point mark or found the end zone since Week 12 agains the Lions and is the WR51 in half PPR over the past four games.
Chicago may be getting Allen Robinson back for this game which could siphon some targets away (though it probably doesn't matter much at this point). Mooney is a low-ceiling WR3 for the fantasy finals.
Verdict: Sit.
Joshua Palmer, Chargers vs. Broncos
Palmer has posted two solid games over the past three weeks as the Chargers have dealt with a COVID-19 outbreak. He caught five of seven targets for 66 yards and a touchdown against the Giants in Week 14 with Keenan Allen sidelined and hauled in five of six targets for 43 yards and a touchdown in Week 16 against the Texans with Mike Williams out.
Both Allen and Williams are likely to play this week in this tough Week 17 matchup against the Broncos, who rank eighth-best in fantasy points allowed to receivers this year. Palmer is nothing more than a deep league dart throw.
Verdict: Sit.
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