Fantasy Land: Stud and Dud for Week 17

In what will be the final installment of the year, we'll give suggestions on who to start in your fantasy league, and who to sit on the bench. We'll try to avoid stating the obvious, like "start Tom Brady" and dig a little deeper for some less obvious choices. But throw all logic out the window for Week 17. Enough with the introduction, let's get started...

Stud of the Week: Kahlil Bell, RB, CHI — I almost suggested starting this guy last week when the Bears played the Packers on Christmas night, and I wish I would have. Then I wish I would've taken my own advice that I didn't actually make. Bell outperformed two of my three running backs while he was on bench, and luckily I still won my championship game. Enough bragging though, Bell showed he can be relied with Matt Forte out for the season and Marion Barber just not being very good, on top of being injured himself. Even if Barber is healthy this weekend, Bell will get the majority of the work after gaining 121 yards on 23 carries and 38 receiving yards on Sunday. This week he draws the putrid Minnesota Vikings defense, which should make for another good day. In that same game, look out for Toby Gerhart, who will start in place of Adrian Peterson and has racked up 100 total yards in three of his last four games.

Dud of the Week: Aaron Rodgers, QB, GB — What??!? Bench Aaron Rodgers? The guy that has 45 touchdown passes to just SIX interceptions this season? Yep, you heard right. This is the ridiculous thing about playing into Week 17. Rodgers owners, who have ridden his right arm to the championship game must now look to sit their stud because he very likely won't play much on Sunday, if at all, because the Packers have locked up homefield advantage throughout the playoffs and aren't playing for their perfect season anymore since losing to the Chiefs two weeks ago. Sorry, folks. Some alternatives could include Ryan Fitzpatrick against the awful Patriots pass defense or Kyle Orton, who is going up against his former team that cut him earlier in the season.

Copyright FREEL - NBC Local Media
Contact Us