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Two of the most underwhelming teams in the NFL are set to face off in an AFC East matchup for Week 17. The two-win Jets will travel to Gillette Stadium to face the New England Patriots. Can the visitors expend their winning streak to three games or fall short?
Most thought the Jets were destined to go 0-16 this year but their surprising upset against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 15 helped them gain momentum. They got some help in Week 16 when all of the Cleveland Browns’ viable receivers were placed on the Covid-19 and managed to hold off a very undermanned opposition. New York only lost by three the last time it faced New England and could make things interesting again.
The Patriots have continued to struggle putting points on the board and have tallied 24 points over the last three weeks. Cam Newton was benched after throwing for just 34 yards against the Bills and could have to make way for Jarrett Sitdham in New England’s final game of the season. Can the second-year signal-caller make the most of the Patriots’ subpar offense?
TV Info
Date: Sunday, Jan. 3
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Channel: CBS
Broadcast map
Notable Statistical rankings (Football Outsiders)
Jets: #32 Overall — #31 offense, #2 defense, #29 special teams
Patriots: #23 Overall — #24 offense, #26 defense, #1 special teams
DraftKings Sportsbook odds
Jets: +3, +143
Patriots: -3, -165
Total: 40
Fantasy football start/sit advice
Jets
Jamison Crowder, WR, $5,000
Crowder has been the Jets’ most dangerous skill player all year and scored a season-high 29.32 DKFP against the Browns over the weekend. New England’s secondary is much better than Cleveland’s but Crowder has a knack for getting open and has the best chance to get the best of defensive backs.
Ty Johnson, RB, $4,300
The return of Ty Johnson is near! Frank Gore has been ruled out for Week 17 with a lung contusion so Johnson has another shot at securing feature back status. He ran for 104 yards on 22 carries the last time he was the top option and provides PPR upside as well. It doesn't get much cheaper than this at running back and Johnson has plenty of upside.
Patriots
Jakobi Meyers, WR, $5,000
Meyers has been the Patriots’ most consistent skill player as of late and is one of the few players New England has averaging double-digits in DKFP. While it’s unclear how he’ll be affected if Stidham replaces Newton under center, no other pass catcher has been nearly as successful as him.
James White, RB, $4,500
It's unclear whether Harris will return for the season finale but if he doesn’t James could benefit more from Stidham being under center. New England can’t be as creative with runs while Stidham is under center but giving him easy screen passes out of the backfield could help him ease into the game. It’s no secret that White is the best pass-catching back New England has. The Jets are sturdy against the run and could stuffle the more one-dimensional Sony Michel.