The Indianapolis Colts will face the New York Giants in Week 17. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding QB Anthony Richardson.
Is Anthony Richardson Playing in Week 17?
Anthony Richardson apparently got a bit banged up in last week’s game. He was listed as DNP on Wednesday’s estimated practice report. Richardson had admitted to some soreness earlier in the week but did not miss any snaps vs. the Titans.
At this juncture, I am not concerned about Richardson’s status for this week’s game.
We’ll continue to monitor the Colts’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit Anthony Richardson in Week 17?
At this point, you know exactly what you’re getting from Anthony Richardson. For better or worse, what he is going to try to do is predictable — you just have to decide if you can stomach it.
On the surface, the Giants sound like a good matchup, partly because they are a bad football team that just gave up 34 points to a Falcons team starting a rookie quarterback for the first time and partly because it’s true.
This defense is a bottom-three unit when it comes to defending the deep pass (yards per attempt, touchdown rate, and completion percentage). I’m not trying to sell you that this defense is better than you think. I am, however, more concerned about them in this specific spot, and isn’t that what we are talking about?
They rank fifth in blitz rate through 16 weeks (31.8%; NFL average: 25.2%), which, as you might imagine, introduces all sorts of downside for Richardson. His passer rating is underwhelming across the board, but it does dip by 20.6% when the opponent brings pressure, so I’m not sure those fun deep ball numbers have been accessed.
Also working against Indy’s volatile QB is facing a top-10 red-zone defense. He had the designed five-yard score last week and is a tank when in close, but if there’s one spot that this Giants’ defense has put up a fight, it’s after they’ve allowed you to get inside their 20-yard line.
Do what you want. I can’t project Richardson’s randomness with as much confidence as I can others, and I’m aware that he’s run for five scores in his past five games. His skill set is certainly more friendly for our game than the one he gets paid to play. I just don’t love this spot for him as much as you might at first blush.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 17 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Anthony Richardson’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 17
As of Thursday, Richardson is projected to score 17.2 fantasy points in Week 17. This includes 169.3 passing yards, 0.8 passing touchdowns, and 0.8 interceptions. It also includes 7.3 rushing attempts for 41.4 yards and 0.7 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
Anthony Richardson’s Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 3:45 AM ET on Wednesday, December 25. If you're in a Superflex league, make sure you check out our Weekly Consensus Superflex Rankings.
Week 17 QB PPR Rankings
1) Josh Allen | BUF (vs. NYJ)
2) Lamar Jackson | BAL (at HOU)
3) Jalen Hurts | PHI (vs. DAL)
4) Joe Burrow | CIN (vs. DEN)
5) Jayden Daniels | WAS (vs. ATL)
6) Baker Mayfield | TB (vs. CAR)
7) Sam Darnold | MIN (vs. GB)
8) Kyler Murray | ARI (at LAR)
9) Bo Nix | DEN (at CIN)
10) Jordan Love | GB (at MIN)
11) Jared Goff | DET (at SF)
12) Anthony Richardson | IND (at NYG)
13) Brock Purdy | SF (vs. DET)
14) Tua Tagovailoa | MIA (at CLE)
15) Matthew Stafford | LAR (vs. ARI)
16) C.J. Stroud | HOU (vs. BAL)
17) Patrick Mahomes | KC (at PIT)
18) Justin Herbert | LAC (at NE)
19) Caleb Williams | CHI (vs. SEA)
20) Aaron Rodgers | NYJ (at BUF)
21) Geno Smith | SEA (at CHI)
22) Russell Wilson | PIT (vs. KC)
23) Cooper Rush | DAL (at PHI)
24) Bryce Young | CAR (at TB)
25) Drake Maye | NE (vs. LAC)
26) Michael Penix Jr. | ATL (at WAS)
27) Aidan O'Connell | LV (at NO)
28) Mac Jones | JAX (vs. TEN)
29) Mason Rudolph | TEN (at JAX)
30) Tommy DeVito | NYG (vs. IND)
31) Dorian Thompson-Robinson | CLE (vs. MIA)
32) Spencer Rattler | NO (vs. LV)