Fantasy football advice, Week 17: Who to start/sit for Vikings vs. Packers Sunday night
Both these teams are headed to the playoffs, but their prognoses will change heavily depending on Sunday’s outcome.
Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
The last game of the 2015 (such as it is, on Jan. 3, 2016) NFL regular season is an NFC North matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers. The winner of the game Sunday will be the NFC's No. 3 seed, hosting a playoff game a week later. The loser will go on the road as a Wild Card, and there's a chance the two teams have a rematch in the first week of the playoffs.
Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson is on the injury report with ankle and shoulder issues, but there's basically no chance he misses Sunday's game. For Green Bay, running back Eddie Lacy is the only fantasy contributor on the injury report. He'll also be fine for the game Sunday.
The game between the two Sunday will take place in Green Bay, with an 8:30 p.m. ET scheduled start time. Let’s take a look at the fantasy names to consider:
VIKINGS
Start ‘em: There was that one-point game Adrian Peterson had a few weeks ago, but otherwise, he's had a huge second half and should be in all fantasy lineups. ... Blair Walsh is closing the season crazy hot, with 44 fantasy points in his last three games combined.
Start ‘em?: The last two weeks have been the best of Jerick McKinnon's career, with 34 combined fantasy points. He's a risk-heavy flex option. ... Kyle Rudolph is the prototypical TE2: Limited upside, low floor, but enough of a shot at a touchdown that he's worth a look. ... The Vikings' defense is decent, but there's always the risk that the Packers' offense remembers it's, you know, the Packers' offense.
Sit ‘em: A week after his huge 32-point fantasy day, Teddy Bridgewater fell right back to 11 points in Week 16, even as the Vikings put up 49 points. ... Stefon Diggs put up 17 points in Week 15, as much as he's put up in his last six other games combined. He's not worth it.
PACKERS
Start ‘em: Lord help you if you actually trust Eddie Lacy, but he appears to be healthy enough to slot in as a high-end RB2.
Start ‘em?: I'm pulling the trigger. Aaron Rodgers is not currently a must-start quarterback. The truth is, if you have him, you're probably using him, but he's not even averaging 12 fantasy points a game in his last three. ... We keep expecting Randall Cobb to bounce back to the Randall Cobb we've had in the past, but he hasn't reached double-digit fantasy points in any of his last seven games. He's a low-floor flex play.
Sit ‘em: Week 14 saw James Starks put up 22 fantasy points, but he hasn't topped seven in the last six weeks otherwise, and fell to the negative last week. ... Davante Adams and James Jones are both middling-to-worse options at a deep position. Just look elsewhere. ... Richard Rodgers hasn't managed even one fantasy point in either of his last two games. ... Mason Crosby has only cracked double figures three times this season, with no seeming rhyme or reason to when it happens. ... The Packers' defense isn't good enough to stop one of the league's best running backs.
SUMMARY
Start in every league: Adrian Peterson, Blair Walsh, Eddie Lacy
Start if you're desperate: Jerick McKinnon, Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota defense, Aaron Rodgers, Randall Cobb
Bench: Teddy Bridgewater, Stefon Diggs, James Starks, Davante Adams, James Jones, Richard Rodgers, Mason Crosby, Green Bay defense
