Fantasy football advice, Week 17: Who to start/sit for Saints vs. Buccaneers

The New Orleans Saints have the same number of wins as the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South, but because the two play one another Sunday, the Saints can't reach the playoffs no matter what they do against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers can lock up the first overall draft pick with a loss.

The Saints shut down running back Pierre Thomas for the season with a rib issue, so they won't have him Sunday. The Buccaneers, meanwhile, only have running back Bobby Rainey on the injury report among fantasy possibilities.

Start 'em: You'd have to think, at a minimum, the Saints will want Drew Brees to end the season on a high note. He'll be throwing a lot Sunday. ... Mark Ingram hasn't been nearly as good as he was during his hot stretch. He's a mid-to-low RB2. ... Even at less than full strength, Jimmy Graham is a must-start tight end.

Start 'em?: The problem with assuming Brees will throw a lot is that even then Kenny Stills and Marques Colston battle one another for targets enough that it's tough to know which to trust. Both are flex options.

Sit 'em: With Pierre Thomas done, Khiry Robinson is the No. 2 option among New Orleans running backs, but it's not worth a lot for fantasy. ... Shayne Graham hasn't had double-digit fantasy production in any of his last eight games. ... The Saints' defense is so, so bad.

Start 'em?: Neither of the Buccaneers' receivers is perfect for fantasy -- Mike Evans scores touchdowns, but he hasn't been getting enough targets to really accumulate in recent weeks, while Vincent Jackson is getting the touches, but not finding the end zone. They're both flex plays.

Sit 'em: The Tampa Bay offense has been terrible. Josh McCown has headlined that awfulness. ... Doug Martin and Charles Sims have formed a terrible pair of running backs. You can't consider either one. ... Brandon Myers has yet to have a single good fantasy game all season. ... Patrick Murray is on an eight-game single-digit stretch of fantasy games. ... The Buccaneers' defense has fallen on hard times, and now faces a strong offense.