If Sunday's Minnesota Vikings-Detroit Lions matchup isn't the game featuring the most disappointing pair of NFL teams this season, it's only because the Washington Redskins-New York Giants matchup that kicks off the same time is. A year after the Redskins were a surprise division winner, the the Giants only one game behind, the two teams have combined for only nine wins this season. The Giants started the season 0-6; the Redskins have lost their last seven. The two teams play Sunday at 1 p.m. ET in New Jersey, and this is a look at the fantasy players that could matter:
Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 17: Redskins vs. Giants
Despite starting 0-6, the Giants are now three games ahead of the Redskins in the NFC East, but neither team is going to look back on this season fondly.
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Redskins
Start in every league: Alfred Morris, Pierre Garcon
Start if you’re desperate: ...
Bench: Kirk Cousins, Santana Moss, Aldrick Robinson, Logan Paulsen, Fred Davis, Kai Forbath, Defense/special teams
It’s been an up-and-down second half for Morris, who has scored single-digit fantasy points four times in his last six games. He’s still a top-flight running back and should be fine, but it’s been less inspiring of late. ... Garcon has been a top-flight receiver of late, with 273 yards, two scores, and 38 fantasy points in his last two games. He’s been Cousins’ favorite target, and it hasn’t been close.
Cousins had an uninspiring fantasy day against a friendly defense in Week 16. He’s not worth running out there. ... While Garcon went for 144 yards Sunday, Moss, Robinson, Paulsen, and Davis combined for 43. If you aren’t the top Washington option, you aren’t an option. ... Forbath converted three field goals Sunday for the first time since week 6, and he’s 32nd in fantasy points among kickers. ... Even against an offense that has allowed more points to fantasy defenses than any other all season, the Redskins’ defense is impossible to use. It has scored more than 10 points only once all season, and that was all the way back in Week 4.
Giants
Start in every league: ...
Start if you're desperate: Andre Brown
Bench: Eli Manning, Rueben Randle, Hakeem Nicks, Jerrel Jernigan, Josh Brown, Defense/special teams
Man, these early games are rough. It’s not until the afternoon games that fantasy owners are really going to get active. Sunday, Brown is the most viable Giant, and he’s recovering from a Week 16 concussion. It appears he has passed the concussion protocol, in which case it’s a nice matchup against the Redskins’ defense; if he’s out there, he ought to be fine.
Manning hasn’t scored more than 15 fantasy points since Week 1, and is only a week removed from a five-interception day. He’s unusable. ... The Giants’ receiving options -- Randle, Nicks, Jernigan -- are too inconsistent to run out there in any but the most desperate situations. ... Brown has had a few big days this season, but he had has six different games with no field goals this season, and three more with only one. ... The Giants’ defense has risen from record-settingly bad to just subpar, but it isn’t enough to consider using them.
• Week 17 fantasy football position rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | D/ST
