Sit/Start Week 17: Reviewing All Fantasy Relevant Players In Every Single Game

Game Info

Kickoff: Sunday, January 2nd at 4:25 PM ET

Location: Lumen Field, Seattle, WA

Betting Odds: SEA -7,  42.5 total via Oddsshark

Network: FOX

Writer: Bryan Sweet (@FantasyFreakTN on Twitter, @bsweet0us on Reddit)

Detroit Lions

Quarterback

Jared Goff (Sit), Tim Boyle (Sit)

There are still questions as to whether or not Jared Goff will be able to suit up this weekend when the Lions travel to Seattle.  Goff missed last week’s game with a combination of a nagging knee injury and landing on the COVID-Reserve list.  Goff has had a stretch of four above-average games for him, but he’s still not among the league’s top-12 fantasy QBs.  These two teams have no playoff aspirations and Detroit might want to see more from Tim Boyle after his performance last week as he nearly led Detroit on a last-second game-tying drive against Atlanta.  Goff has a higher ceiling than Boyle but neither has a high enough floor to trust in your fantasy championship.  Bench whoever starts for Detroit this week.

Running Backs

D’Andre Swift (Start, RB2), Jamaal Williams (Sit), Craig Reynolds (Sit)

It looks as if D’Andre Swift is going to return after a multi-week absence as a result of a shoulder injury he suffered in Week 12 and he should become the featured offensive weapon immediately.  Swift has been a solid contributor every week because of his trusted receiving ability and his ability to generate tough yards on the ground.  With Detroit’s season essentially over, the team may elect to save some wear and tear on their star RB especially given how well Craig Reynolds has played in Swift’s absence.  Jamaal Williams looked good in his return from the COVID-Reserve list last week, so there’s a chance all three RBs get playing time this week.  Swift should still be able to produce RB2-level numbers but the combination of it being his first game back and the presence of Reynolds and Williams caps his ceiling some.  Neither Reynolds nor Williams looks like they’ll get enough playing time to contribute much, so pass on them in Week 17.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Amon-Ra St. Brown (Start, WR2), Kalif Raymond (Sit), Josh Reynolds (Sit), Brock Wright (Sit)

Fantasy managers who drafted Amon-Ra St. Brown and waited on him this season have been handsomely rewarded as St. Brown has produced at a WR1 level for the past three weeks.  St. Brown took over as the team’s top offensive weapon that was without Swift and T.J. Hockenson and has shown he can be trusted with a large role.  Since Week 13, St. Brown has had no fewer than 11 targets in any game and has at least eight receptions in each game as well.  Swift’s return may pull a percentage of St. Brown’s targets but he’s earned the trust of whoever starts at QB and should be in line for another WR2 for fantasy managers as they chase their league championship.

The rest of Detroit’s receiving options are less than enticing and there is some concern about who will be available once you get past Kalif Raymond.  Josh Reynolds was placed on the COVID-Reserve list earlier this week and is in danger of missing the game this week as a result.  Raymond has barely registered in the boxscore despite Swift and Hockenson being out, and now Swift looks primed to return which won’t help despite the questions surrounding Reynolds.  If you don’t have Swift or St. Brown, it’s best to avoid the rest of Detroit’s skill position players this week.

That includes current starting TE Brock Wright who’s seen more action with Hockenson sidelined.  Wright has seen a total of nine targets over his past three starts and isn’t much more than a tertiary option in the offense.  Pass on Wright this week, too.

Seattle Seahawks

Quarterback

Russell Wilson (Start, low-end QB1)

It’s been a very uncharacteristic season for Russell Wilson as he’s struggled through injuries to himself and inconsistent offensive line play as he’s headed for the worst fantasy output of his career.  Wilson isn’t far off his career averages in the passing game other than TDs but is well below his expected output on the rushing side of things which is where he gets a lot of his fantasy value.  Wilson has just 154 rushing yards on the season through 12 games  – well below his career average of 29.9 yards per game.  Detroit has been prone to giving up good games to QBs but did contain Kyler Murray in Week 14 and will look to do the same to Wilson this week.  Wilson has enough weapons on offense to carry him to a low-end QB1 finish, but I can’t see Wilson finishing much higher than that.

Running Backs

Rashaad Penny (Start, RB2), Deejay Dallas (Sit)

It’s been a bit of a revolving door at RB for Seattle but the investment in Rashaad Penny looks like it might finally pay off.  Penny has eclipsed 135 rushing yards in two of his past three starts and has three TDs over that span.  Granted those big games were against Houston and Chicago, but Detroit is not any better than those defenses this season which should give fantasy managers who have to rely on Penny this week some hope of another good game.  Deejay Dallas sees enough snaps to keep Penny from reaching his full potential but he should be able to return RB2 numbers against an overmatched Detroit defense in Week 17.

Dallas is good for Seattle to give Penny a breather now and again and provides a bit more in the passing game but likely won’t see enough opportunities to produce fantasy numbers worth considering this week.  Pass on Dallas.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

D.K. Metcalf (Start, WR2), Tyler Lockett (Start, WR2), Freddie Swain (Sit), Gerald Everett (Start, low-end TE1)

The recipe for cooking up Seattle’s passing game includes healthy doses of D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett with a dash of Gerald Everett.  Metcalf and Lockett are 1a and 1b in this offense and for the first time since the two of them have been together Metcalf has more targets on the season than Lockett.  Lockett provides the big plays when Wilson elects to take a deep shot and Metcalf provides a reliable option when Wilson gives him a chance to make contested catches.  Metcalf has the edge in TDs (9 to 5) while Lockett has the edge in receptions and yardage (65-1,053 to 64-846).  There’s not much to distinguish between these two in any week and both can pop off for a WR1 week but I’d expect both to be safe options for fantasy managers in their league championship and return WR2-production with WR1 upside.

Everett has been a nice complement to Metcalf and Lockett and gives Wilson a big target over the middle of the field and near the goal line.  Everett has become the team’s top TE and has a chance to sneak into the bottom of the TE1 tier against a defense that has struggled to contain TEs this season.  Are there better options than Everett this week?  Sure, but he’s not a bad option once you get past the top five or six guys this week.

The WR sharing the field with Metcalf and Lockett this season has primarily been Freddie Swain, but his presence on the field hasn’t translated to production.  Swain has managed just 37 targets this season and is no more than the fourth option in the passing game right now.  Swain almost has to find the end zone to return a fantasy-relevant day and it’s too hard to predict if he’ll score or not.  For that reason, it’s best to pass on Swain in Week 17.