For the fantasy football owners who are maximizing their seasons by playing through Week 17, they will face unique circumstances. Teams are locked into seeding, and those with players who are dealing with nagging injuries may lean more toward benching than playing through it in order to keep the long term in mind.
Fantasy football waiver wire: 3 team defenses to target for Week 17
Waiver-wire action is once again in full swing during the fantasy football playoffs. We take a look at three team defenses to keep track of for Week 17.
Donald Miralle
But that can create favorable opportunities as much as it can throw a wrench into the strategies that got owners all the way to the championship round. Let's examine, for one last time in 2013, defenses on the waiver wire that can be counted on for the Super Bowl of fantasy football.
San Diego Chargers (vs. Kansas City Chiefs): The Chargers are one of the many teams playing for their respective seasons on Sunday, and they have the best scenario for doing so. Their opponents, the Kansas City Chiefs, are the only team locked into their seeding for the playoffs. There is nothing to gain or lose from them playing in Week 17, whereas the Chargers have everything to gain, and everything to lose.
With that comes the likelihood that the Chiefs rest their starters, something Andy Reid has already hinted at doing. If that's the case, the Chargers will gladly prefer containing the likes of Chase Daniel and Knile Davis over Alex Smith and Jamaal Charles. If that remains the case, the Chargers are a prime option on the waiver wire, and they can be had in 77 percent of Yahoo! leagues.
Miami Dolphins (vs. New York Jets): Fantasy owners flocked to the waiver wire in Week 16 to grab the Miami Dolphins defense with a matchup with a Buffalo Bills team piloted by backup quarterback Thad Lewis. Unfortunately, the Dolphins got gashed on the ground, but kept fantasy owners in contention by allowing just 19 points and forcing an interception.
The Dolphins find themselves in a similar situation to the Chargers, in that their season is over if they do not win on Sunday. They won’t face a team like the Chiefs that will likely rest its starters, but the New York Jets have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing defenses this season. During the teams’ last meeting, the Dolphins held the Jets to three points and forced three turnovers. Owners can start them again with confidence if they picked them up last week, but for those who missed out, they are still available in 66 percent of Yahoo! leagues.
Indianapolis Colts (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars): Noticing a theme here? This is the charm of Week 17. Teams that will normally carry viable fantasy options present the risk of doing a vanishing act. The Colts are the opposite, and will be playing for seeding. Should they lose, they will face the Chiefs, but with a win and a Bengals loss, they get the Ravens, a higher seed and a better chance to play a home game in the AFC Championship if they get that far.
The Colts are the heavy favorites versus a Jacksonville Jaguars team that has improved throughout the season, but are still considerably outmanned. The Jaguars put up just three points and threw three interceptions in their Week 4 matchup, but it's worth noting that Blaine Gabbert started at quarterback that day. Chad Henne is a definite upgrade, but with Cecil Shorts out of action and with a less than 100 percent Maurice Jones-Drew, the Jaguars will be shorthanded. The Colts are a defense that can be had on the cheap, as they remain available in 70 percent of Yahoo! leagues.
