Washington head coach Jay Gruden will keep his healthy starters in the lineup for Week 17, according to Tarik El-Bashir of Comcast SportsNet.
Washington will play its starters Sunday, still presents fantasy risk
With nothing to gain in the standings, Washington will play its usual healthy starters on Sunday. We break down the fantasy implications.
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It is a perplexing move, as Washington is locked into the NFC's No. 4 seed regardless of whether they win or lose on Sunday. Gruden added that health is a factor when entering the playoffs, but momentum is as well, according to El-Bashir's report. As a result, starters like Kirk Cousins, Jordan Reed, DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon should be considered likely to suit up for Week 17's contest against the Dallas Cowboys.
Fantasy impact: Though his starters will play, it remains unclear how short of a leash they will be on. A way to mitigate dealing with health and momentum would be to limit the reps of starters and treat Week 17 as a preseason contest instead of a regular season game. Because that possibility exists, it’s tough for fantasy owners to trust anyone in the Washington lineup, even high-upside players like Cousins, Reed and Jackson.
Situations like Washington is exactly why many fantasy leagues don’t last through Week 17, and fantasy owners who have to play through it will have another storm to navigate.
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