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Daily Fantasy Football Top Stacks for FanDuel and DraftKings Week 17 – 12/31/17

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (13) before an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions in Indianapolis, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016. (AP Photo/R Brent Smith)

Daily Fantasy Football Top Stacks for FanDuel and DraftKings Week 17 - 12/31/17

Welcome back to the insanity that is Week 17 in fantasy football. Not only do we have injuries to deal with but we also have a ton of scenarios where teams will be sitting players or at least limiting their snaps. Let’s go through some of those situations before getting to my top stacks for GPP’s.

Jordy Nelson & Devante Adams - Both receivers have yet to practice this week as Adams has not been cleared of his concussion and Nelson is dealing with a shoulder injury. Both are not expected to play this week leaving some extra targets for Randall Cobb, Geronimo Allison, and Trevor Davis.
Melvin Gordon - He missed practice Wednesday and was limited on Thursday as he is dealing with an ankle injury. Stay tuned for the final injury report but the Chargers will definitely want to get him on the field if possible as they still have a shot at making the AFC playoffs.
DeAndre Hopkins - He has been ruled a game-time decision by the coach as he is dealing with a calf injury. Some reports have already been floating around that he will sit out but being that he is only four catches away from 100, I would think he will do everything to get on the field on Sunday.
Julio Jones - The usual with Julio who was limited in practice throughout the week with multiple injuries(ankle, thumb) but is fully expected to play
DeMarco Murray - Dealing with a torn MCL and was sidelined in Wednesday and Thursday practice. He is doubtful to play although the team is hoping he can play through it. If he is out, Derrick Henry would get the bulk of the work and becomes a terrific value this week.
Michael Thomas - Was a limited participant in Thursday’s practice and will be a game-time decision with his hamstring injury.
Joe Mixon - I slated to return to his starter duties this week which would take away the value that Gio Bernard has offered in his absence.
Reports from the Steelers are that Le’Veon Bell and Ben Roethlisberger will sit out this week as the scenario for them to get the #1 seed is unlikely as they need a win and a Patriots loss. This would give Landry Jones the start at quarterback and a likely committee approach at running back between Fitzgerald Toussaint and Stevan Ridley.
The Rams reported they will sit Jared Goff and Todd Gurley this week and limit starting receivers Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, and Sammy Watkins.
The Chiefs announced they will be starting Patrick Mahomes at quarterback but did not announce any other starters sitting. Even if Tyreke Hill, Kareem Hunt, and Travis Kelce start the game it would be very likely they see limited snaps.
The Eagles have locked up the #1 seed in the NFC but did not announce that they will sit any starters as it would be a big time gap until their first playoff game. I would not roster any of the starters in this situation as they will most likely only see the first half of the game if that.

There will likely be more news later on Friday or even Saturday so be sure to check out the multiple sources available to get the current news. You can also join us in the DFSR chatroom Sunday morning for the latest news or check out my Twitter feed(@Jager_Bombs9). Also, be sure to check out the DFSR Game by Game Podcast to hear James and Doug go over each and every game and the relevant news, notes, and top plays.

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Washington Redskins

Quarterback - Kirk Cousins
Primary Target - Jamison Crowder
Secondary Target - Josh Doctson

Neither of these NFC East teams has anything to play for but it could very well be Kirk Cousins final game as the Redskins quarterback so I fully expect to see him play the entire game, especially as the team wants to finish strong in a division game. He is coming off a big game where he was just one yard short of the 300-yard bonus on DraftKings and also tossed three touchdowns. The floor is always there with Cousins who is among the leaders in pass attempts this season and the upside is crazy this week against a depleted Giants secondary as Landon Collins is on IR and both Eli Apple and Janoris Jenkins have been suspended by the team. That is great news for Cousins and the passing game as the Giants already rank 25th in DVOA vs. the pass and 31st in DK points per game allowed to the quarterback position. Jamison Crowder played through an injury last week and on limited snaps, ended up catching all four of his targets for 47 yards and a touchdown. With another week of recovery, I expect him to get back to a full workload this week and he makes a nice stack with Cousins. If there is word that Crowder could be limited, I love pairing Cousins with Josh Doctson who seen a season-high 13 targets last week and ended up with 61 yards and a touchdown. Cousins has also shown a propensity to throw to him in the endzone, especially without Jordan Reed in the lineup. This stack is risky as the team has absolutely nothing to play for and that could also help keep the ownership down while the upside is through the roof.

Indianapolis Colts

Quarterback - Jacoby Brissett
Primary Target - T.Y. Hilton
Secondary Target - Jack Doyle

Brissett has disappointed lately but it was to be expected as he had four terrible matchups against the Jaguars, Bills, Broncos, and Ravens who all rank Top 15 in DVOA vs. the pass with the Jags and Ravens ranking #1 and #2. To close out the season, he and the Colts get a near elite matchup vs. the Texans who have allowed the seventh-most passing yards per game(246.3) this season and rank 32nd, 28th, and 26th in DK points per game allowed to quarterbacks, wide receivers, and tight ends respectively. Brissett also tore apart this defense back in Week 9 as he completed 20 of 30 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns. It was T.Y. Hilton going off that game catching five of his nine targets for 175 yards(huge 80-yard play included) and both of Brissett's touchdown passes. He and tight end Jack Doyle sit tied for the team lead with 6.9 targets per game this season with Doyle getting 18 and Hilton 19 over the past two weeks. All three players are cheap on both sites this week and make a tremendous high-upside stack that allows you to jam in some higher end plays at other spots in your lineup.

Los Angeles Chargers

Quarterback - Phillip Rivers
Primary Target - Keenan Allen
Secondary Target - Antonio Gates

To close out the article, I wanted to touch on one team that has a ton on the line this Sunday. Not only do the Chargers need to win but they also need the Jaguars to beat the Titans. Both games on are on the afternoon slate this week so you can fully expect a 100% effort from Rivers and company. Their top running back, Melvin Gordon, is also dealing with an ankle injury and is questionable to play which could lead to Rivers tossing it up 40+ times once again this week, something he has done in two of his last four games. Keenan Allen is by far the top option in the passing game and has tallied double-digit targets in eight games this year and sits fifth overall on the season with 147(9.8 per game). He is also fourth in the league with 1,260 receiving yards and the only issue this season has been the touchdowns as he sits with just five. The Raiders have been tough on wideouts ranking 9th in fantasy points per game allowed but they also rank 27th in DVOA vs. the pass so the upside is most definitely there this week. Antonio Gates seen a bigger role last week with Hunter Henry placed on season-ending IR and while his price is not minimum price this week(on DK), he is still in play. He has always been one of Rivers top redzone targets and has big upside once again. The only risk here is that he was absent from practice with an illness but is fully expected to play. Fire up the Chargers this week.

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