Week 17 of the NFL season has arrived, which means it’s time for the fantasy football championship! Do you have tough lineup decisions to make in this must-win matchup? I’ve got you covered.
Let’s break down my Week 17 start ’em, sit ’em fantasy football wide receiver picks.
Start ‘Em: Deebo Samuel (49ers) vs. Lions
Something tells me if Deebo Samuel is on your fantasy team, you likely aren’t in the championship.
However, if you’re an outlier in that scenario, San Francisco’s WR1 is bouncing back at the right time. After a truly horrid stretch in the second half of the season, Samuel was fantastic against the Dolphins, racking up 121 total yards and a touchdown en route to a 25-point day.
Deebo saw his second-highest target total (nine) of the season, playing his most offensive snaps since Week 11. He’s a WR2 with strong upside against a Lions secondary that allows the fourth-most fantasy points to receivers.
Sit ‘Em: Khalil Shakir (Bills) vs. Jets
After a strong two-week stretch, Shakir came back down to earth against the Patriots, catching just two balls for 22 yards.
The third-year speedster has been Josh Allen’s top target all season. The problem? Allen is now dealing with an issue in his throwing hand, although the severity is unclear. Buffalo is also set to take on a Jets secondary that allows the second-fewest fantasy points to receivers per game.
Considering all of those factors and Shakir’s relatively low ceiling despite being a No. 1 receiver, I think it’s best to pivot away from him this week.
Check out my main Week 17 start/sit picks article here!
Start ‘Em: Xavier Worthy (Chiefs) at Steelers — Christmas Day
A switch has flipped for the rookie over his last two games.
Worthy’s big play upside has been on display all season long, just alongside plenty of growing pains and inconsistent involvement in the offense. However, over Kansas City’s last two outings, the speedster has hauled in 13 of 22 targets for 111 yards and a touchdown, also carrying the ball six times for 40 additional yards and a score.
Worthy has played at least 80% of snaps in three straight games, and the recent return of Hollywood Brown appears to have unlocked some space for him to take advantage of. Fire up the rookie as a solid WR2 on Christmas despite the tough matchup.
Sit ‘Em: Jerry Jeudy (Browns) vs. Dolphins
With Jameis Winston under center in Cleveland, Jeudy’s full potential as a receiver was finally realized, as the 25-year-old put up WR1 numbers on a consistent basis.
With Cleveland making the change to Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Jeudy is now virtually unplayable. That’s not the fifth-year receiver’s fault, it’s just the unfortunate reality of the Browns’ offense with DTR as the signal caller. Jeudy saw his targets drop from 14 against Kansas City with Winston at QB to just three against a vulnerable Bengals defense.
He cannot be trusted in lineups against a strong Dolphins secondary.
Those are my start ’em, sit ’em Week 17 fantasy football wide receiver picks! Stay tuned for more fantasy advice later this week.
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
