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The wide receiver position can be difficult to predict in fantasy football. Even great WRs can see their weekly scores swing wildly due to fluctuations in target volume, difficulty of the matchup, and level of play of the quarterback throwing the ball to them.
And there aren't a ton of players that are must-starts in 100% of leagues. Outside of guys like Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Nico Collins, most of the league's wideouts have at least a few bust games under their belt so far.
We'll try to recommend the best players set up for boom weeks and those we think might disappoint in Week 17. Keep in mind, that there's not much analysis to do for extremely obvious decisions, so we'll focus on players who have at least some questions surrounding them right now.
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Week 17 Starts - Fantasy Football Booms
Courtland Sutton - WR, Denver Broncos @ Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals have a terrible defense, Sutton is a very good receiver, quarterback Bo Nix has been playing well, and Cincinnati's defense is bad. We mentioned the Bengals' defense being bad twice because it's been really bad. And it helps that their offense has been extremely productive as well.
#ProBowlVote Courtland Sutton pic.twitter.com/FKiDHrQm3K
— Bryce 🎸 (@MileHighMims) December 16, 2024
We fully expect this matchup to become a shootout, and Denver's top receiver should benefit from that in a big way. He's the WR16 on the season, and though he's somewhat cooled off after his team's bye week in Week 14, he's still a great option as a starter.
We wouldn't be surprised if this was the second game this season where the seventh-year pro catches at least two touchdowns.
Darnell Mooney - WR, Atlanta Falcons vs. New York Giants
Mooney ended up being just a fine start last week, catching five of his six targets for 82 yards. This was despite quarterback Michael Penix not having a great day in his first start -- he completed just 18 of his 27 pass attempts for 202 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception. It wasn't the QB's fault, though.
Brutal red zone INT from Michael Penix. Just a classic rookie mistake of thinking Kyle Pitts could catch a football. He'll learn.pic.twitter.com/8zwhJRLB85
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) December 22, 2024
Pitts was fully responsible for the pick, potentially robbing the team of a touchdown opportunity. And wide receiver Drake London (hamstring) dropped a crucial pass in the red zone as well. It looks like London will play in the game, though, and Commanders' cornerback Marshon Lattimore will likely shadow him around the field.
Drake London had an impressive game, and it's unfortunate that the drop will cloud his performance. He made tough hands catches all day, and he has been cooking off these glide motions. Peep Kyle Pitts up top getting held, but no call. pic.twitter.com/C7FECOdzrN
— Tre’Shon (@tre3shon) December 2, 2024
This could lead to Mooney being the primary target yet again for Penix, who might rightfully be wary of throwing passes to Pitts again. And Washington's secondary isn't quite as good outside of Lattimore.
Malik Nabers - WR, New York Giants vs. Indianapolis Colts
Nabers (toe) wasn't present at practice on Thursday. His issue reportedly isn't serious, though. This recommendation will assume he plays in the game. Nabers has been consistently putting up double-digit PPR fantasy points games in recent weeks, and he'll get a nice matchup with the Indianapolis Colts, who have struggled against highly athletic receivers for years now.
crazy good balance from Malik Nabers pic.twitter.com/ptfEuAxfOX
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) December 22, 2024
He's a remarkable talent stuck in an awful situation, but he's been getting fed the ball plenty of times and has produced well despite the team around him. He and running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (ankle) have been the only things about their offense that have worked this year.
He should continue to see a significant portion of the team's targets and be fed the ball in creative ways. We're fine starting him as a WR2.
Calvin Ridley - WR, Tennessee Titans @ Jacksonville Jaguars
One of the worst pass defenses in recent memory (specifically the last 25 years) will have their hands full, as they do every week, against Ridley. The former Jaguar caught three of his five targets for 78 yards and a touchdown last week. He's been inconsistent this year, but quarterback Will Levis was a big part of that, and he was benched for backup Mason Rudolph two weeks ago.
Gorgeous deep ball TD from Mason Rudolph to Calvin Ridley.
Brian Callahan feeling vindicated early. pic.twitter.com/yqjQSSgDVa
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) December 22, 2024
It's hard to get much of anything going on offense when you have Levis creating some of the worst turnovers ever to be seen by human eyes. That's not the case anymore. Ridley should have a great revenge game. If you made it to the championship with him on your roster, we'd even be comfortable starting him in 10-team leagues. He has massive boom potential in Week 17.
Other Obvious Starts: Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers, CeeDee Lamb, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jaxon Smith-Njigba. A.J. Brown, etc.
Week 16 Concerns - Fantasy Football Busts
Marvin Harrison Jr. - WR, Arizona Cardinals @ Los Angeles Rams
Despite the 29.0 PPR fantasy point explosion he put up in Week 2 against the same opponent that had many in the fantasy football community crowning him as the next great NFL wideout, things haven't panned out for Harrison this year. He's just the WR36 in full-PPR scoring this year. It's been a shocking outcome for someone seen as such a sure thing coming out of college.
"I've seen a lot of drops, a lot of leaking out of his routes, no suddenness to his in and out of cuts... I think he's got a long way to go... quite honestly I've just been disappointed."@Coach_JayGruden weighs in on Marvin Harrison Jr.'s rookie season 👀 pic.twitter.com/suE8QZAlOX
— Underdog (@UnderdogFantasy) December 26, 2024
His athleticism simply hasn't been good enough to help him put up good numbers. That's a serious issue. His lack of testing at the NFL combine should have been a major red flag. Perhaps fantasy managers will learn to stop drafting rookies in the first two rounds of fantasy drafts. Until Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty comes along, that is.
The Cardinals are now eliminated from playoff contention, and Harrison is barely a WR3/FLEX. In leagues with 10 or fewer teams, he's not a good start. And if you're in the championship, we hope you have someone better to start in his place.
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