Rachel Wold
NFL Week 17 will present the final opportunity for all 32 teams to compete, though only some franchises still have a shot of making it to the postseason.
Still alive in the playoff scenario — just by a hair — are the Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks. Every member of these three teams will need to be on their A-game. But for some of these clubs, spoiler opponents wait in the wings.
Meanwhile, 17 teams have already been eliminated from the postseason. But, that does not necessarily equate to gloom and doom for star players looking to end 2017 on a personal high note.
Here are our stud and dud predictions for NFL Week 17.
Stud: Matt Breida, running back, San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers have been trending up, along with Breida’s numbers. The rookie running back impressively rushed for 74 yards on 11 carries and scored a rushing touchdown in his last outing against a tough Jacksonville Jaguars defense. Now, Breida has an enticing matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Despite their division-clinching 11-4 record, the Rams are giving up 119.2 rushing yards on average per game at a rate of 4.6 yards per attempt. Breida is primed to outshine fellow back Carlos Hyde in what could result in another underdog 49ers’ victory.
Dud: Josh Gordon, wide receiver, Cleveland Browns
Gordon’s stats have been on the decline over his last couple of games and we expect nothing different in the Browns’ season finale. Week 17 delivers a brutal road matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are on a mission to win the AFC. Gordon will be facing a scary Steelers defense that has allowed only 14 wide receiving catches resulting in just 174 receiving yards and two touchdowns the last two games. Gordon and his rookie quarterback will not fare well under these conditions.
Stud: Vernon Davis, tight end, Washington Redskins
Davis and the Redskins head to MetLife to square off with the Giants for their final game, and the tight end should have a rock star performance. He could easily build on last week’s 42-yard, one-touchdown game facing a Giants defense that is terrible at stopping tight ends. So far on the season, the Giants have yielded a league-high 13 tight end touchdowns, along with 63 receiving yards per contest. This matchup heavily supports Davis finishing his season on a personal high note.
Dud: Jordan Howard, running back, Chicago Bears
As the Bears attempt to put win No. 6 on the books, Howard will have a tough go of it in Minnesota against the Vikings. The Vikings just got done shutting out the Green Bay Packers, giving up only 71 running back rushing yards. Minnesota’s rushing defense has yielded only 3.7 yards per carry and a mere seven running back rushing touchdowns all year. The two rushing scores Howard produced last week are likely his last of the season.
Stud: Jared Goff, quarterback, Los Angeles Rams
Goff surpassed the 300-plus passing-yard mark last week after having not done so his previous three games. In Week 17 as the Rams attempt to outperform those feisty 49ers, Goff should produce another stellar turnout. The 49ers just allowed Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles pass for 382 yards and two touchdowns. Goff should deliver a thriving performance against the same team he threw three touchdowns against way back in Week 3.
Dud: Derek Carr, quarterback, Oakland Raiders
As far as quarterbacks go, Carr has been one of the bigger disappointments this year. Unfortunately, all the makings are in order for Carr to finish 2017 on a sour note. He and the Raiders have road game against the Los Angeles Chargers, who are fighting to keep their playoff dream alive. Carr will be up against a Chargers defense that intercepted him twice and held him to only 171 passing yards and one touchdown in Week 6. There is little reason to believe Carr suddenly makes an about face.
Stud: Justin Coleman, cornerback, Seattle Seahawks
There won’t be a red Salvation Army kettle for Coleman to jump into this week, but that doesn’t mean he can’t snag another pick-six. Coleman brilliantly intercepted Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in his last game and stands to deliver a repeat performance. The Seahawks host Arizona Cardinals quarterback Drew Stanton, who just threw two interceptions his last game. Coleman and the Seahawks are in a must-win scenario and the error-prone Cardinals offense should be at their mercy.
Dud: Dez Bryant, wide receiver, Dallas Cowboys
Bryant has been underwhelming all season and we don’t see him suddenly turning a new leaf as the Cowboys prepare for hibernation. The veteran wideout has not caught more than five passes in his last five games and has failed to top 100 yards all year. Bryant and the ‘Boys hit the road to play the Philadelphia Eagles, who surrendered only 140 receiving yards and one touchdown to the Raiders in their last game. Those hoping that Bryant will knock it out of the park this week will be left high and dry.
Stud: Kenyan Drake, running back, Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins play host to the Bills in Week 17. This is when Drake and his team serve as potential spoilers for Buffalo to advance to the playoffs. Drake has the perfect opportunity to deliver an off-the-charts performance against the team that has given up the most running back fantasy points all season. The last time Drake faced the Bills he tallied 113 total yards off of 22 touches and scored a rushing touchdown. Another big performance from Drake could put the stops on Buffalo’s postseason dreams.
Dud: Todd Gurley, running back, Los Angeles Rams
It is bold to suggest that Gurley will have an off game against any team at this point in the season. But, the Rams would be wise to not run the stuffing out of Gurley now that they have won the division and clinched a playoff slot. Gurley is easily the Rams’ best weapon on offense and the coaching staff may find it in its best interest to limit his play time when the 49ers come to town. Even if not, we should keep in mind that the 49ers have not allowed a 100-yard rushing performance in their last five games.
Stud: Matthew Stafford, quarterback, Detroit Lions
Sadly, the Lions were eliminated from playoff contention last week. But that does not mean that Stafford won’t deliver the spoils in Week 17. He and the Lions host the same Green Bay Packers that awarded Stafford his highest passer rating (132.4) of the year the last time the two teams met. In Week 9, Stafford threw for 361 yards and two touchdowns and the Lions beat Green Bay 30-17. Look for more of the same from Stafford facing a defense that has allowed a 67.8 percent completion rate.
Dud: Adam Thielen, wide receiver, Minnesota Vikings
Thielen’s production as of late has dramatically tapered off. This trend stands to continue when the Vikings host the Chicago Bears in Week 17. The Bears defense has been incredibly stingy and has allowed only two wide receiving touchdowns in its last four games. Thielen has not scored since Week 14 and might not remedy that situation if the Vikings plan to limit his touches to preserve him for the postseason.
Stud: Travis Kelce, tight end, Kansas City Chiefs
If there was ever a week to predict a monster performance out of Kelce, it would be in his upcoming game against the Denver Broncos. The 28-year-old tight end completely owned Denver in his last meeting, tallying 133 yards off of seven catches and scoring a touchdown. On the season the Broncos have yielded a generous 63.3 yards per game to their opposing tight ends. This makes for a prime breeding ground for Kelce to feast once again.
Dud: Jameis Winston, quarterback, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Winston and the Buccaneers bid good riddance to the season when they host the New Orleans Saints. This is when Winston and his offense should be challenged once again by a team that beat them 30-10 in Week 9. The Saints defense has been on a ferocious streak and has tallied six interceptions in its last three games. On the season, opposing quarterbacks are completing just 59.8 percent of their passes. And career-wise, Winston has scored only five times in his total five games against New Orleans.
Stud: Dion Lewis, running back, New England Patriots
Many that play fantasy football have become frustrated with quarterback Tom Brady’s lack of passing yards. That is because Lewis is stealing much of the work on the Patriots offense. Just last game Lewis rushed for season-high 129 yards and one touchdown at a pace of 5.4 yards per carry. He will surely be leaned upon once again when the Patriots host the New York Jets. The Jets have given up 148.5 total yards on average per contest to their opposing running backs over their last four games. Lewis will eat.
Dud: Devonta Freeman, running back, Atlanta Falcons
Freeman was a disaster in his last performance when he rushed for a mere 36 yards on 11 attempts against the Saints. Now, he looks to deliver another dismal outing when the Carolina Panthers head to Atlanta. The Panthers kept Freeman bottled up the last time the two parties met when he managed only 46 rushing yards. The Panthers have been formidable against the run and have ceded only 89.9 rushing yards on average per game and seven total ground scores. This is not exactly ideal for Freeman’s Falcons, who are in must-win mode.
Stud: Patrick Robinson, cornerback, Philadelphia Eagles
As the Eagles attempt to finish 2017 with the best record possible, Robinson should make an impact when Philly hosts the Cowboys. The season has unraveled for Dallas, and quarterback Dak Prescott has hit a sophomore slump. Robinson could easily make things difficult for Prescott, who has thrown four picks versus zero touchdowns in his last two games. If Robinson can manage an interception, he will achieve a career-best in this stat.
Dud: A.J. Green, wide receiver, Cincinnati Bengals
Green is certainly a guy in need of a better team. But as the season closes out, he and the Bengals head to Baltimore to face the Ravens. They feature a defense that completely shut out the Bengals and picked off quarterback Andy Dalton four times in Week 1. Green was held to five catches for 74 yards during that meeting. The chances Green finds the end zone this week are not good. Baltimore has given up only 15 passing touchdowns all season. We simply cannot trust Green to deliver when his quarterback is playing so poorly.
Stud: DeAndre Hopkins, wide receiver, Houston Texans
It does not make a difference who is throwing the ball in Houston, because Hopkins is a total stud. Through the good and the bad, Hopkins is a scoring machine no matter who his opponent is. It just so happens that Hopkins ends his season with a friendly matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts are giving up the fourth-most receiving yards (265.7) on average per tilt. Win or lose, Hopkins stands to build on his league-high 13 receiving touchdowns, which also marks his personal career-best.
Dud: Leonard Fournette, running back, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars head to Tennessee to take on the Titans. This is a team that had Fournette’s number in Week 2 when the rookie running back rushed for only 40 yards on 14 attempts. Though, he did score. But, this is where we predict Fournette falls short just when the Jags need him the most. The Titans have been brutal against the run and have given up only four running back rushing touchdowns all year. Fournette sure looks to be poised for a disappointing outing.
