Last week was successful in cash hitting on both RB positions David Johnson and DeAngelo Williams and also choosing to play Blake Bortles over Ben Roethlisberger. Perhaps paying up for Kansas City was a mistake and Martavis Bryant had his worst game of the season. Regardless we were able to make it above the cash line and I won the majority of my head-to-head contests as well.

Moving forward, Week 17 is historically a week of chaos. It can be difficult to sift through the teams who still have a lot to play for and what teams are already looking towards next year. In theory the top WR options all have great matchups this week but two stand out to me in Odell Beckham Jr. and Julio Jones. I opted to build around both of them for my cash lineup this week and also put a large emphasis of getting exposure to the PHI@NYG game.




Value Plays


QB – Eli Manning, NYG ($7500) vs. PHI

With both teams pushing the pace, Eli Manning makes a great value play at quarterback this week at $7500 on FanDuel. The Eagles have been giving it up to everyone as of late and I expect Odell Beckham Jr. to eat in this one coming off of suspension. Manning will soak up those numbers and more than outperform his salary in cash games. The Redskins already have the division locked up so there is little to play for but the Giants have no plan to rest starters.

QB – Matt Ryan, ATL ($7600) vs. NO

New Orleans is essentially a plug and play matchup this season. The Saints are giving up 28.4 fantasy points to the quarterback position over the past four weeks and Julio Jones will be attempting to chase down the NFL record for receptions and receiving yards. The two were in synch last week against one of the leagues top defenses in Carolina and this week will have far less resistance. Matt Ryan at $7600 is a very fair consideration in cash.

RB – Frank Gore, IND ($6600) vs. TEN

With a quarterback situation in complete disarray and the Colts needing a win to have a chance a playoff berth, expect Frank Gore to leave it all on the field in Week 17. The worry is that Tennessee will stack the box but this team has clearly moved its focus to its run at the number one overall draft pick. They have completely given up and I would be surprised if Gore doesn’t get his on volume alone as a home favorite.

RB – Rashad Jennings, NYG ($5800) vs. PHI

A running back has finally separated themselves in the Giants backfield as only two running backs in the NFL have more yards in the past three games than Rashad Jennings. He has averaged 19 touches over that span and should see plenty of scoring opportunities against the Eagles in a game with shootout potential. The Eagles have been in the bottom five against the run the past four weeks and have little motivation to improve on the road in Week 17. Jennings is vastly underpriced $5800.

WR – Nate Washington, HOU ($5300) vs. JAC

Cecil Shorts has already been ruled out of this game battling a hamstring injury. In the three games Shorts has not played this year Nate Washington has four total touchdowns. In a game that could shootout, and in a format that is touchdown heavy on FanDuel, you could do worse than Nate Washington at $5300 against one of the leagues worst defenses.

WR – Martavis Bryant, PIT ($7100) @ CLE

Everyone will be off him this week after his dud of a Week 16 but I believe the performance will stand out as an outlier on his season. It was the first game all year he had under 7 seven targets and he has averaged 9.5 targets per game in his last six including last week. Pittsburgh still has a ton to play for, fighting for their lives in the playoff race and Cleveland will not be able to hold down Bryant and this offense. Bryant (illness) is listed as Questionable so make sure you check the Inactives Sunday morning before locking him in your lineup.

TE – Zach Ertz, PHI ($5700) @ NYG

Don’t look now but Zach Ertz has 30 targets in his past two games. He has emerged as Sam Bradford’s clear favorite target and is facing a Giants team that has been one of the worst at defending the position all season long. The pace will be high in this game and the Vegas total is one of the highest of the week. Ertz will be a top punt option at tight end with not a lot of attractive choices at the position.

WR – Jeremy Maclin, KC ($7100) vs. OAK

Maclin has been an elite cash play for more than a few weeks now. His volume in the offense cannot be ignored as he leads all wide receiver in total and red zone market share. The Chiefs will be motivated as they are still battling for a division title with Denver and Maclin will be heavily involved.