The fantasy football championship round has arrived for a vast majority of leagues heading into Week 17. The plethora of injuries across the league is going to force managers vying for a league title to turn to some sleeper options to help them win the ultimate prize in their fantasy universe.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the top sleeper options — like Derek Carr, Khalil Herbert, and Demario Douglas — for your fantasy lineup heading into Week 17.
Week 17 Fantasy Football Sleepers | Quarterbacks
Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints (@ TB)
For the New Orleans Saints to have any opportunity to sneak into the playoffs, they need their quarterback to show up in a big way over the final two games of the season.
Carr has been very productive through the air over the last three games, with eight touchdown passes while topping the 300-yard mark last week against the Los Angeles Rams.
Carr finally appeared to click on an elite level with WR Chris Olave, who had a season-high 123 receiving yards and nine receptions on Thursday night.
If Carr and Olave can exploit a Tampa Bay Buccaneers secondary that has given up an average of 264 yards per game — which is the most in the league — then Carr could sneak inside the top 15 at the QB position for Week 17.
Week 17 Fantasy Football Sleepers | Running Backs
Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears (vs. ATL)
There is no way to sugarcoat this … the Chicago Bears’ rushing attack has been a complete headache in 2023.
After seeing a combined 15 carries over the last three games, Herbert saw a season-high 20 carries for 112 rushing yards against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
If D’Onta Foreman is inactive for a second straight game, then Herbert could be a viable Flex option for desperate fantasy managers in Week 17.
Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans (@ HOU)
The Tennessee Titans’ season may be lost, but the organization appears to be making it a point to get a closer look at rookie RB Tyjae Spears over the last four games.
He has topped 10 total touches in four straight games, leading to three fantasy outings with 11+ points in PPR formats.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
One big aspect of this production has come from his work in the passing game, where Spears has caught an average of four passes per game over the last four games.
Expect Spears to continue to see plenty of work against a Houston Texans team that has struggled to put up points over the last three games.
Week 17 Fantasy Football Sleepers | Wide Receivers
Demario Douglas, New England Patriots (@ BUF)
After a bit of a disappointing performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15 — three receptions for 33 yards — Douglas bounced back in a big way with five catches for 74 yards on eight targets on Sunday.
Douglas was trending in the right direction prior to entering concussion protocol heading into Week 13, catching 5+ passes for four straight games from Weeks 8 to 12.
Expect another busy day at the office for Douglas heading into their matchup against the Buffalo Bills.
Adam Thielen, Carolina Panthers (@ JAX)
Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young is coming off one of the best performances of his rookie season against the Green Bay Packers, throwing for over 300 yards for the first time all season and two scores on Sunday.
While Adam Thielen has definitely seen a significant drop in target share over the last five games, he was still pretty productive, with six receptions for 94 yards on eight targets against the Packers.
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ banged-up pass defense has struggled in recent weeks, which puts Thielen back into the WR3 conversation for Week 17.
Week 17 Fantasy Football Sleepers | Tight Ends
Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers (@ DEN)
Don’t look now, but a player who has benefitted quite a bit from WR Keenan Allen missing the last two games and the switch from Justin Herbert to Easton Stick under center has been TE Gerald Everett.
Everett has seen a minimum of eight targets in three straight games and has managed to catch 17 of his 24 looks in the passing game during that span.
While the Broncos’ defense has certainly been trending in the right direction, they still struggle against opposing tight ends this year, giving up an average of 13.6 fantasy points per game — which is the most in the NFL.
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