Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (concussion) has been cleared to play in Week 17 against the Giants. While the matchup is favorable versus a New York squad that currently has the No. 1 pick in next year's draft, Pierce doesn't typically garner enough attention to warrant starting in season-long fantasy. The 24-year-old has caught two passes or less in eight of the 14 games he's played, although he's managed five touchdowns on the season as Indy's deep threat. The speedy wideout leads the NFL in average depth of target (aDOT) by a wide margin at 21.58 yards per target, so he's always got a good chance to break off a chunk play, but the volume likely won't be there. Anthony Richardson is in danger of missing the contest and if Joe Flacco is under center, then Pierce's targets could be a bit more accurately thrown. However, he's still only a boom/bust WR6 for Week 17 regardless of QB, and not a preferred option in fantasy championships.

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense is coming off a lackluster performance against the Dallas Cowboys last week. This defensive unit allowed backup quarterback Cooper Rush to carve them up for nearly 300 passing yards. The Cowboys put up 26 points as the Bucs secondary really had no answers all night long. The hope is that things get better against the Carolina Panthers in Week 17. However, the Panthers have been clicking lately on offense and put up 23 points during their last meeting in Week 12. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect an elite performance from this defense. There's certainly worse options for a defense in Week 17, so the Bucs should be ranked as middle of the pack.

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Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier garnered double-digit carries in back-to-back weeks for the first time all season after last week's 11-carry performance. Unfortunately for fantasy, the 11 carries came with just 22 scoreless yards of production, although he did manage to snag one pass for nine yards. With Michael Penix Jr. making only his second career start in Week 17 and the Commanders allowing the second-most fantasy points to RBs on the season, Allgeier looks primed for another double-digit effort, even if some comes simply from giving Bijan Robinson a breather. The 24-year-old does receive some goal-line work, but has just three TDs in 15 games, so without big yardage totals the BYU product figures to be nothing more than an RB4 or low-end Flex play with slight upside were he to find paydirt.

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Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange is tough to trust in fantasy championship lineups in Week 17 against the Tennessee Titans. The sophomore tight end put up just two catches for 22 yards and fumbled last week against the Las Vegas Raiders after an 11 catch, 73 yard performance against the New York Jets in Week 15. That all came after a one catch, 21 yard performance in Week 14, the last time he faced the Titans. Strange also has been dealing with a shoulder injury for the past few weeks, which limited him at practice on Wednesday and Thursday, but he fully practiced Friday and has no injury tag heading into Sunday. For fantasy managers looking for a tight end to stream this week, Strange is just too unpredictable and a bit banged up to boot to put in fantasy lineups in Week 17.

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Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts caught a single pass last week, the fifth time in the last seven games in which he's caught just one pass or fewer. Bijan Robinson, whose involvement in the passing attack has diminished recently, has 27 targets over the last seven games compared to Pitts' 24. As the fifth option in an offense that has a quarterback making only his second career start in Michael Penix Jr., Pitts makes for quite the gamble in Week 17 against a Commanders defense that has been fairly good at limiting production to TEs, not having allowed any single tight end to surpass more than 66 receiving yards on the year. The former first-round draft pick has theoretical upside, but hits his floor more often than not, so should not be trusted at this critical time of the fantasy season. The 6-foot-6 pass catcher is a low-end TE2 for Sunday's matchup in Washington, D.C.

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Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III caught three of four targets in Michael Penix Jr.'s first career start last week, but totaled only 19 yards on those receptions. The 28-year-old has had a pretty reliable target share in this offense all season, working as the third option behind receivers Drake London and Darnell Mooney but ahead of tight end Kyle Pitts. While the yardage totals won't typically amount to much and he's scored only once all season, the sixth-year pro's usage can be somewhat useful in PPR formats. With Penix Jr. making only his second career start this Sunday, McCloud's short 6.08 aDOT could again come in handy if the young QB is looking for a safety valve. Unless desperate, however, fantasy managers vying for championships shouldn't be relying on the Clemson product as he projects as a WR5/6 on Sunday.

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New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard caught two of his five targets for 20 yards in a Week 16 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Lazard will look for a bigger performance on the road against the Buffalo Bills in Week 17. The Bills represent a middle-of-the-road matchup for Lazard as they are allowing the 14th-most fantasy points per game to the position this year. Lazard could see a larger role heading into Week 17 as the Jets have listed Davante Adams (hip) as questionable. While Adams expressed optimism that he would be able to take the field, Lazard would slot in as the team's No. 2 receiver if the former ultimately can't play. Fantasy managers will want to monitor the situation leading up to Sunday as Lazard could be used as a sneaky flex option if Adams is ruled out. Lazard went for 114 yards and a touchdown back when the Jets faced the Bills in Week 6.

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New York Jets tight end Tyler Conklin was productive in a Week 16 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, catching five passes for 59 yards. He will look to keep rolling in Week 17's road matchup against the Buffalo Bills. The Bills have been solid against tight ends this season, allowing the 15th-fewest fantasy points per game to the position. Conklin has 12 catches over his past three games but he hasn't shown much of a ceiling in fantasy this year, leaving him as a low-end TE2 heading into Week 17.

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New York Jets running back Braelon Allen saw just three touches in a Week 16 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He will look to bounce back in a road matchup against the Buffalo Bills in Week 17. The Bills have struggled to contain opposing running backs this season, allowing the third-most fantasy points per game to the position. Allen is now sharing backup running-back touches with fellow rookie Isaiah Davis, making both players difficult to trust heading into Week 17.

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New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson caught six of seven targets for 54 scoreless yards in a Week 16 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. With just one touchdown over his past six games, Wilson will look to finish the final two games of the season on a high note, starting with a Week 17 road matchup against the Buffalo Bills. The Bills have been average against opposing receivers this season, allowing the 14th-most fantasy points per game to the position. Fantasy managers rostering Wilson will want to monitor the status of Davante Adams (hip) heading into the weekend. Adams is listed as questionable with a hip injury. If he ultimately ends up playing, Wilson can be considered a low-end WR1 in fantasy but if Adams does suit up, Wilson downgrades to a low-end WR2. Stay tuned.

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New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (knee) injured his knee but played the entire game in a Week 16 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Despite the injury, Rodgers practiced fully all week and is listed without an injury designation heading into Week 17 against the Buffalo Bills. The Bills have been tough on quarterbacks this season, allowing the 12th-fewest fantasy points per game to the position. That being said, Rodgers was solid when these two teams met earlier in the season, throwing for 294 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He sets up as a low-end QB2 in fantasy heading into Week 17.

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Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates is afforded one of the better matchups of Week 17 when he lines up against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. The 25-year-old has been excellent this season -- driving through all but one of his 59 extra-point attempts and knocking in 23-of-26 field goal tries across 15 games. Coincidentally, all three of his missed field goals have come over the last four contests. He gets a 49ers defense this Monday night, which has been tough on opposing offenses but is one of the more favorable ones for fantasy kickers. San Fran is letting up the twelfth-most points per game to opponents in 2024, and Detroit should come out swinging as they're still fighting for first place in the NFC North. Bates ranks as RotoBaller's K2 ahead of this weekend's action.

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New York Jets running back Breece Hall appears to be over his early-month knee injury as he practiced fully all week heading into a Week 17 matchup against the Buffalo Bills. The Bills have been generous to opposing running backs this season, allowing the third-most fantasy points per game to the position. Hall has found the end zone three times over his past four games but a struggling Jets offense is a bit of a concern for him. Fantasy managers should treat Hall as a high-end RB2 heading into Week 17.

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Cleveland Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins is struggling through a tough season as he has made just 16 of his 25 field-goal attempts. He will hope to finish out the final two games of the season on a high note, starting with a Week 17 home matchup against the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins have been generous to kickers this season, allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game to the position. That being said, Hopkins' struggles paired with Cleveland's issues moving the ball on offense make him a low-end fantasy option heading into Week 17.

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Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor ran for a season-high 218 yards and scored three times last week. When Taylor is in the backfield, he monopolizes the touches and typically handles a workhorse load, logging 20-plus carries in eight of the 12 games he's played in. The only competition he faces is usually from quarterback Anthony Richardson, which is partly why the 25-year-old hadn't scored a rushing TD since Week 8 prior to last week's outburst. Richardson hasn't practiced all week due to back and foot ailments, and if he were to miss the game it should provide a boost to Taylor's chances of finding paydirt in back-to-back weeks. Regardless of QB, Taylor should handle a heavy load against a Giants rush defense that is bottom-third in the NFL in allowing fantasy production to RBs, making him a mid-range RB1 in this matchup.

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Detroit Lions running back Craig Reynolds won't be a recommended fantasy option this Monday in his team's meeting with the San Francisco 49ers. The 28-year-old had been used sparsely this season until Week 16, when he was thrust into a backup role to fill in for injured backfield mate David Montgomery (knee). Reynolds handled four carries -- commanding one target -- in Detroit's 34-17 win over the Bears, working behind teammate Jahmyr Gibbs. He received one more touch than Jermar Jefferson -- out-rushing him by five -- and played twice as many snaps than the latter's five in the victory. While the Lions' RB situation could be fluid from week to week behind Gibbs, Reynolds is currently listed as the team's second-string rusher and deserves to be rostered as a high-end handcuff. He clocks in at RotoBaller's PPR RB48 ahead of this week's slate of action.

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Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams will square off with the San Francisco 49ers in a difficult matchup this Monday night. The Alabama product has been a bit all or nothing in 2024 but vastly improved from his prior two seasons in the pros. He's currently third-best in the league, with a ludicrous 18.94 yards per reception. Volume and consistency have been Williams' bugaboos this season, but he's been better lately -- commanding seven or more targets and five receptions in four of five contests. He'll line up against a staunch 49ers defensive unit in Week 17 that's tied for the fewest fantasy points allowed per game to wideouts (29.3). Fantasy managers could be displeased with his performance if the former first-round pick doesn't break free for a long score in the Monday night clash. Still, Williams should be involved as the passing attack's third option at worst, and this meeting projects with a favorable 50.5-point over/under. He comes in at RotoBaller's PPR WR29 in this week's ranks.

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Cleveland Browns tight end Jordan Akins will step in as the team's starter after David Njoku (knee) was ruled out of Week 17's game against the Miami Dolphins. Akins draws a plus matchup against a Miami defense that is allowing the 14th-most fantasy points per game to tight ends in 2024. While Akins should play a full complement of snaps, he will be tough to trust in a Dorian Thompson-Robinson-led passing attack. Akins sets up as a TE3 who should only be started out of desperation in fantasy heading into Week 17.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin is coming off a somewhat quiet, but clean outing against the Dallas Cowboys last week. McLaughlin connected on all three of his extra point attempts and his lone field goal in the loss. McLaughlin is now 8-of-9 on field goal attempts over his last four games. He'll now head into a game against the Carolina Panthers in Week 17. McLaughlin knocked down four field goals last time these two teams played in Week 13. The assumption is that this game will be a high-scoring affair, which makes McLaughlin a viable kicking choice for Week 17.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Trey Palmer has moved into the third wideout role heading into the Week 17 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. The Bucs are without Sterling Shepard (foot, hamstring) for Sunday's game, which means Palmer should get more looks. Palmer hauled in two of his four targets for 31 yards during last week's loss to the Dallas Cowboys. A majority of his playing time came after Shepard exited the contest, so it might've been a bigger night if he had played the whole game. Regardless, it's going to be tough to trust Palmer for fantasy purposes. He hasn't done much this season and isn't guaranteed a ton of targets with Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan both healthy. Possibly, Palmer could offer desperation flex value in deep leagues for Week 17.

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