Deangelo Williams Week 17
For the Win is here to help you set your fantasy football lineup. Here are USA TODAY Sports’ rankings for every position. To supplement that, we’ve compiled our list of studs, duds and sleepers for Week 17…
DeAngelo Williams has been in the league for a few years, and is at the end of a two-year deal with Pittsburgh. This could mean he will be a free agent over the summer. He spent most of his career in Carolina, with the last two in Pittsburgh. DeAngelo Williams, stats and updates at CBSSports.com. Williams ran twice for two yards in Pittsburgh's 30-12 playoff win against Miami on Sunday. The Steelers jumped out to an early lead.
STUDS
QB Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
The Falcons haven’t had much success slowing down opposing quarterbacks this season. In fact, only the Browns have allowed more fantasy points to quarterbacks. Brees should cap off yet another prolific season with a huge game.
RB Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons
Freeman absolutely gashed the Saints defense in the first matchup between these teams. He needed only 14 carries to top the 150-yard mark. The Falcons are still playing for a first-round bye, so you don’t have to worry about Freeman resting before the playoffs.
WR DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans
Hopkins has disappointed all season, but you can trust him against a bad Titans secondary that allowed the Jaguars’ struggling offense to produce its best performance of 2016. Bill O’Brien has said Houston will not rest starters in Week 17.
QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
Rodgers looks like the best quarterback in the NFL right now, and he’ll be going up against one of the league’s worst pass defenses. Detroit has allowed three or more passing touchdowns four times this year. Rodgers should make it a fifth.
DUDS
RB Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams
Gurley’s dud of a season will end in disappointment, as the Rams are taking on a Cardinals run defense that has allowed only 3.6 yards per attempt this season. Keep him on your bench.
QB Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins
It’s hard to trust Cousins at this point in the fantasy season. He’ll lay an egg every so often, and the chances of him doing so again are good one of the league’s better pass defenses coming to Washington. The Giants have allowed only 14 passing touchdowns in 2016.
TE Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans
The Texans defense is playing its best football of the year headed into the final week of the regular season. They’ve shut down almost every opposing tight end they’ve played this season, including Walker, who caught only two passes for 34 yards when these teams played in October.
WR Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders
Cooper will likely draw Chris Harris Jr. in coverage, and Derek Carr’s injury might convince the Raiders to focus on the running game in Week 17. IF that is the case, Cooper won’t get a lot of targets and he’ll have a tough time shaking Harris when Matt McGloin does look his way.
SLEEPERS
RB DeAngelo Williams, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are locked into the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs, so Pittsburgh will likely rest starters. That includes Le’Veon Bell, so it’s time to get Williams off your bench or to pluck him off the waiver wire. He’s got a great matchup against a Browns defense that has struggled all season.
QB EJ Manuel, Buffalo Bills
You’d have to be mighty desperate to even consider Manuel at this point in the season. But with teams resting starters, Manuel isn’t the worst option. The Jets secondary has been horrid all year, so there’s a good chance Manuel takes advantage of this opportunity and produces a big game.
WR Paul Richardson, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle placed Tyler Lockett on IR this week, which means Richardson is now the team’s lone deep threat. He’ll have plenty of opportunities to show off his speed against an overmatched 49ers secondary.
TE Jesse James, Pittsburgh Steelers
The start-anyone-playing-the-Browns strategy has worked for fantasy owners all season, and that won’t change in Week 17. Yes, the Steelers are resting their key starters, but James won’t be one of them. And the Browns have allowed the most touchdowns to tight ends this season.
D'angelo Williams Week 17 Picks
If you are in a fantasy football league that runs all the way to Week 17 to decide a champion, you might be desperate for players to fill your roster. And if you have been relying on the Pittsburgh Steelers to power your team, you need to make some moves. But whether or not you have been starting the Steelers’ stars all season, you still need to get out there and snatch up these backups because they are set for big performances against the Cleveland Browns.
Deangelo Williams Wife
Jones has one start on the season against the New England Patriots. In that game, he threw for 281 yards and one touchdown against a defense far more formidable than the one he will face on Sunday. The Brown are No. 21 in the NFL in passing yards allowed, so if you are scrambling for a fill in at QB this week, Jones is a solid bet to approach 300 yards and get a couple of scores.
D'angelo Williams Week 17 Kicker
Williams has said he’s ready to go out and have some fun this week in place of Le’Veon Bell. In the first two games of the season, when Williams was the workhorse back he averaged just over 150 yards from scrimmage in each game. Don’t look for Williams to get 25 touches, but don’t rule out 100 yards from scrimmage a touchdown as Pittsburgh grinds it out against a bad Cleveland run defense.
Deangelo Williams Survivor
The best weapon in the passing game that Jones is going to have is Eli Rogers. He, along with Demarcus Ayers both make sneaky good fantasy plays this week. Neither guy has overwhelming size or deep speed, but both players are very capable of taking a short throw and turning it into a long gain. Rogers is the safer pickup and should have a strong game.