Mike's Week 17 Player Grid

Welcome back to my (Mjohnson86) Player Grid. The format will vary slightly from JM’s Player Grid, as we each see things slightly differently and play in slightly different contests, but should complement his thoughts and content very well for those looking to build their lineups for the week. The format of this article will vary slightly from my FanDuel Player Grid, which will be more direct in terms of which players I like. Enjoy!!

The Core

This is a list of players that stand out to me at each position from using my “Checking the Boxes” criteria outlined in my course you can find in our Marketplace. This list is a starting point, from which I build out lineups using game theory and roster construction concepts (which we will also touch on) with the mindset being to find the best plays with big ceilings. Low ownership is a bonus, but not a must. This section will focus primarily on three positions – running back, tight end, and defense – as the other two positions (quarterback and wide receiver) tend to have more dependent tendencies which I try to attack from other angles (which we will get into in the other sections):

Running Back ::

• Ashton Jeanty – Elite talent facing the worst run defense in football with basically guaranteed massive volume.

• Rhamondre Stevenson – If TreVeyon Henderson plays in this game, I would expect his role to be very limited coming off a concussion especially once the Patriots take control. Basically Stevenson is a smash if Henderson is out, and he’s an elite GPP option if Henderson plays.

• Saquon Barkley – The Bills have been gashed on the ground this season and Barkley has quietly been heating up in recent weeks, with two of his best games over the last three weeks.

• Travis Etienne Jr. – One of the best backs in the league in recent weeks has an elite role in a high-leverage game against a struggling defense.

• Chase Brown – Follow the points!! The Bengals should score a lot of points this week and Brown showed last week why everyone drafted him in the second round in August. Elite role, matchup, and game environment.

• Bucky Irving – Talented player in a strong matchup. Salary has dropped to reflect the workload concerns, but Bucky has 30-point upside in this spot where we expect the Bucs to score a lot.

Tight End :: 

• Trey McBride – The best tight end in the league facing the worst defense against tight ends in football.

• Hunter Henry – New England is going to be without at least two of its top receivers, while TreVeyon Henderson and DeMario Douglas are also in question. Henry should be busy in this great matchup.

• Juwan Johnson // Taysom Hill – The Saints offense is playing well and has a solid matchup against the Titans this week. Their running backs and receivers are depleted by injuries, leaving Johnson and Hill as their second and third offensive weapons.

• Michael Mayer – The absence of Brock Bowers leaves Mayer as a talented tight end in a full-time role at min-price.

Defense :: 

• Patriots – Strong defense against a third-string QB who has struggled the last two weeks. 

• Panthers – If looking to save salary this week, I prefer betting on an underrated Panthers defense in a matchup with a Seahawks offense that can be explosive but also struggles at times. 

• Bucs – Week Two of the Quinn Ewers Experience has him set to face a Todd Bowles defense in a must-win game. Tampa makes for a nice low-owned, mid-priced defense.

GPP Game Stack Of The Week

Arizona Cardinals // Cincinnati Bengals

The Cardinals have allowed 40+ points to four of their last seven opponents and 20+ to every opponent during that stretch. Even last week in a game that ended up having limited play volume, the Falcons gave us two very strong fantasy scores. The Bengals enter this game fresh off dropping 45 on the Dolphins and are one of the teams eliminated from the playoffs for several weeks but playing good football right now. Everyone is in play on the Cincinnati side, while Trey McBride is in an elite spot, Jacoby Brissett should have high pass volume again, and one of MHJ or Michael Wilson is likely to post a usable game as well. This is the most obvious spot this week that could turn into a game with 70+ points.

Premium Passing Game Stacks

New England Patriots (NYJ)

The Jets are struggling right now and just got torched by the Saints a week after firing their defensive coordinator. Drake Maye has been playing great football all season, and all of a sudden due to injuries, we get more clarity on which players are likely to be on the field, and stacking around the Patriots becomes more viable while salaries don’t reflect the stronger roles for all the active players. You can certainly involve a running back in these stacks as well, as each of them get involved in the passing game. The Patriots rolling for four or five touchdowns in this spot won’t be surprising at all. 

Jacksonville Jaguars (IND)

Perhaps no offense in the league is hotter than the Jaguars right now, and the Colts’ defense is playing on a short week and has been struggling recently. The Colts may get Sauce Gardner back, but that isn’t something that can immediately fix them and actually probably results in them playing some different schemes than they have been – if Gardner is even at full strength. We saw the Jaguars score 36 on the Colts a few weeks ago in the rain, and now they get them in a dome game on a short slate. The Jaguars are averaging 33 points per game since their Week 8 bye, and I think they go over that number this week.

Unique Combos

Juwan Johnson + Taysom Hill

It is rare that you can get such a large portion of a team’s offense for only $6,900 in salary. The team’s receiving corps is down so much that Chris Olave and Johnson combined for a 50% target share last week against the Jets. Likewise, Taysom Hill had his biggest role of the season due to the team’s top three running backs being done for the season and an apparent lack of trust/excitement in Audric Estime and Evan Hull. This leaves Johnson and Hill in a spot where you are likely getting the primary rusher and two of the team’s top three target earners in a game against the Titans. The Saints are in a spot where they have been out of the playoffs for a while but are not playing for draft position.

Brian Thomas Jr. + Josh Downs

BTJ is still priced at a level where we know he has a ceiling capable of absolutely smashing his price tag. He will have modest ownership on this smaller slate, but nothing out of hand. Meanwhile, Downs is only $4,200 and has been the apple of Philip Rivers’ eye in the two games he has started. Pairing these two gives us a nice mini-correlation from a game where we could see a lot of points and their skill sets pair well. BTJ has the big-play potential to break the game open, which then leaves Downs in a high-volume role as the Colts try to catch up.