NFL DFS Week 17 — The Sunday Crossword

December 30, 2015, 3:16pm

Danger, Will Robinson! Week 17 presents a most particular DFS challenge, and ferreting out a team’s motivation is almost as important as assessing its players’ skill. Only Washington is locked into its playoff seed, but not every other playoff team may try hard. Ditto for the ones with long vacations on their minds. Pittsburgh and the Jets have the most to play for and I expect many DFS players to load their lineups with players from these squads. Minnesota and Green Bay are playing for the division, and both squads need to give it their best. Conversely, I don’t think that Arizona and Seattle will want to show the other side a thing.

And now the other games. This is where you are going to make your money. Some team will try while its opponent does not. But who and where? The pot has been stirred in Philly with Chip Kelly’s firing, and their game with the Giants feels like a track meet. I wonder if anyone will make a tackle in the New Orleans/Atlanta tilt. Chicago, San Diego, Baltimore—the list goes on. How will they do? Random teams and players are going to do well and somebody is going to take them, but good luck trying to predict it.

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I’m spending money on running backs; in fact I’d like three of them. And I’d be happy with any of the four most expensive runners. Ditto for wideouts, but their cost is nearly $2K more/player, leading to a rapid fall-off in quality for the rest of your squad. Tight ends look like a total crap shoot, so Gronk ($7,400) is more attractive than usual, and I expect many tickets will start there.

We’ve got a full boat of teams, and all play on Sunday. For once, the DraftKings Millionaire Maker GPP is stacked with every option, and here are some players for DFS consideration:

Cam Newton ($7,500) – This week he’ll get the help he needs

Tom Brady ($7,400) – After Gronk, will there be anyone else to throw to?

Ben Roethlisberger ($6,900) – If he plays like that again, the Steelers are going home

Matt Ryan ($5,500) – The matchup all the other quarterbacks want

Ryan Fitzpatrick ($5,400) – His dream season needs one more victory

Todd Gurley ($7,400) – Put up a buck-thirty-three last time he faced San Francisco

Adrian Peterson ($7,200) – The measuring stick

DeAngelo Williams ($7,100) – All hands on deck

Tim Hightower ($5,500) – All the work you could want against a poor Atlanta run defense

Bilal Powell ($4,500) – Four weeks in a row 14+ points; now is not the week to break the streak

Antonio Brown ($9,300) – Needs Big Ben to play better

Odell Beckham ($9,000) – Sure will have a lot to prove

Julio Jones ($8,500) – Marquee matchup against New Orleans

Brandon Marshall ($7,900) – One more good week and he’s in the playoffs for the first time

Sammy Watkins ($6,700) – Would love to ruin the Jets’ day

Jordan Matthews ($4,700) – Finally playing like we thought he would

Jordan Reed ($6,500) – We all want him, except Washington might not play him

Zach Miller ($4,600) – Might be the Bears’ top receiving option

Zach Ertz ($3,600) – 17 targets last week!

Austin Seferian-Jenkins ($4,200) – Working his way back to you, babe

DEF

Denver ($4,000) – Not expecting much fight out of San Diego

Cincinnati ($3,300) – Would really like a bye

NY Jets ($2,800) – Motivated, but Rex Ryan and Buffalo will be too

Minnesota ($2,200) – There will be sacks against that terrible Green Bay offensive line

My DraftKings Ticket

Ryan Fitzpatrick, DeAngelo Williams, Tim Hightower, Julio Jones, Brandon Marshall, Jordan Matthews, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Bilal Powell, Vikings Defense

Craig Clark is a Daily Fantasy Sports expert who appears weekly on the Harris Football Podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @pcclark59.