Fantasy football 2017: Which players could get rested in Week 17?

The fantasy football season might have wrapped up in Week 16 for many players, but there’s still a contingent that plays into Week 17. This is where players face possibly the biggest challenge of the entire year — figuring out which teams are going to rest starters ahead of their playoff matchups. This can be a tricky game, and getting your lineups right is all the more crucial with the fantasy championship on the line.

First off, let’s go over the playoff standings and narrow down which teams still have something to play for.

The division winners are all set, while the wild card field has four teams in must-win scenarios (Titans, Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers).

The Seattle Seahawks need a win and Falcons loss to clinch the No. 6 seed.

As you can see, there’s still a lot up in the air in the NFC, especially with an out-there scenario where the Panthers can jump from No. 5 to 2.

Out of those teams in the playoff picture (and discounting the non-contenders just playing out the string), only the Eagles, Jaguars, and Chiefs are locked into spots and truly have nothing to play for. The Rams can go either No. 3 or 4, but it doesn’t sound like Sean McVay is all that bothered by his seeding.

Pittsburgh Steelers right tackle Marcus Gilbert told a radio station Ben Roethlisberger and Le’Veon Bell will not play this weekend. There has been no official confirmation, but that is something to keep on your radar. The Steelers can clinch home field with a win and a Patriots loss, but the Patriots are hosting an atrocious Jets team this weekend.

So that leaves us with four teams most likely to rest their starters ahead of the playoffs. Let’s run down the positions and how this could affect fantasy football in the regular-season finale.

Andy Reid already confirmed that rookie Patrick Mahomes will get the start, so that clears this up, at least. With no chance to improve their No. 4 playoff seeding, the Chiefs are more or less taking it easy. Mahomes will be a borderline QB2 against a still-stingy Denver Broncos pass defense.

Chances of sitting: 100 percent

McVay has been talking about this situation all week, largely confirming that he will rest some starters. It makes sense for the Rams, who can’t get a first-round bye and are playing next week regardless. Goff is only 196 yards away from 4,000 on the season, but they seem comfortable getting some rest before their wild card matchup.

Chances of sitting: 100 percent

If the Steelers sit Roethlisberger, it’s a big loss for fantasy owners. He has been a consistent presence the second half of this season. He’s not putting up monster totals with regularity, but he’s been a high floor player, even without Antonio Brown. If he does not play, Landry Jones would get the start and is not a good start outside of 2-QB leagues and flex QB leagues.

Chances of sitting: 50 percent

Foles was pretty atrocious in last week’s Christmas night game, but the Eagles did just barely enough to beat the Oakland Raiders and secure the No. 1 overall seed. Still, his performance hardly inspired confidence, so there’s a decent chance Foles gets plenty of reps Sunday while the Eagles try to figure out their offense without Carson Wentz.

Chances of sitting: 40 percent

The Jags already won the NFC South and secured the No. 3 seed, so they have nothing to play for beyond pride — which is why they’re definitely playing after last week’s humiliation in Santa Clara. Led by the old-school, hard-nosed stylings of Doug Marrone and Tom Coughlin, the Jags aren’t about to get an easy week off after the San Francisco 49ers destroyed them. Look for them to go all-out as they try to knock their divisional rival Titans out of the wild card race.

Chances of sitting: 10 percent

Much like Goff, Gurley’s situation went from early week toss-up to definitive by the middle of the week. He could also use one more strong game to boost his MVP resume and win the league’s rushing title, but the playoffs are more important for the Rams.

Chances of sitting: 100 percent

Don’t expect much from Ajayi or Blount this week — the Eagles know full well what they have in their veteran duo. Clement could be an interesting DFS play if he ends up leading the backfield in touches, but overall, fantasy owners might just want to avoid this altogether.

Chances of sitting: 70 percent

Bothered by ankle and quad injuries for the past month, Fournette is the one Jaguar starter most likely to get some rest in Week 17. There’s a chance he gets a handful of carries to reach the 1,000-yard mark (he’s only 29 yards away), but the Jags will probably just make do with a T.J. Yeldon/Chris Ivory platoon.

Chances of sitting: 60 percent

It’s been a monster season for Bell, who is third in the NFL in rushing and second among running backs in fantasy points. Stevan Ridley would start in place of Bell if the Steelers elect to sit him.

Chances of sitting: 50 percent

As noted below, Hunt is firmly in the rushing title race, but the Chiefs already sat Alex Smith for Mahomes, and the rest of the starters could follow suit. Maybe they give Hunt a chance to pad his stats before he makes way for the backups, but it’s a dicey situation for fantasy owners. Have Charcandrick West on standby just in case.

Chances of sitting: 50 percent

Watkins is the most likely to sit given his long injury history, but if he starts it’ll be the first time since 2014 he’s played all 16 games. Woods missed several games with a shoulder injury earlier this year and could take it easy for a week. Kupp is a candidate to lead the team in targets if those two players hit the bench.

Chances of sitting: 60 percent

It would be so, so tempting to stack Hill and Mahomes in DFS leagues, but we just don’t know how the starting lineup will shake out, and he’ll still have a tough matchup with the Broncos secondary. As the Chiefs’ only reliable weapon at wide receiver, we imagine Reid only gives him a token start before he goes into mothballs alongside Smith.

Chances of sitting: 50 percent

Both players’ fantasy value took a huge hit with Foles replacing Wentz, and they won’t be recommended options even if they play every snap.

Chances of sitting: 40 percent

With Marqise Lee and Allen Hurns still sidelined by ankle injuries, the Jags don’t have the luxury of sitting their few healthy receivers. Westbrook has emerged as a quality PPR asset down the stretch, while Cole offers speedy game-breaking potential. Both of them will be in play as WR3 options against the Titans’ overrated defense.

Chances of sitting: 10 percent

Same deal as Hunt and Hill — at best, he probably starts and gets a few targets from Mahomes, but it’ll be a surprise if he plays the whole game.

Chances of sitting: 50 percent

Ertz was the one player who didn’t suffer from Foles’ presence, taking advantage of his safety blanket status to rack up nine catches for 81 yards against the Oakland Raiders last week. And Ertz might be the least likely option to sit, because Foles could use a confidence-booster before the Divisional round. Assuming he plays, he’ll be an easy top-five fantasy option at the tight end position.

Chances of sitting: 30 percent