The Green Bay Packers‘ outlook for fantasy football tries to get a feel for the value of QB Jordan Love, while the Minnesota Vikings‘ fantasy preview takes a look at their run game around a banged-up roster.
What players from this NFC North showdown can you trust in your starting lineup in Week 17?
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
- Spread: Vikings -1.5
- Total: 46
- Packers implied points: 23.8
- Vikings implied points: 22.3
Quarterbacks
Jordan Love: You would think that a developing QB with multiple TD passes in six of seven games would have me at least moderately excited, but Love simply doesn’t.
The Packers have some nice developmental pieces on their offense and is one to watch moving forward, but against a Vikings defense that is trending in the right direction, it’s not for me.
Love is too sporadic with the deep passes and too reliant on them to make me comfortable rolling him out there in an important spot in anything but a picture-perfect matchup.
He ranks third in bad pass rate this season, posting a higher rate than luminaries like Zach Wilson and Kenny Pickett. He’s better than those guys, but the floor is similar, and that is too scary for me to consider him as a viable streamer in any single QB format.
Running Backs
Aaron Jones: He has returned starting-worthy fantasy numbers in both of his games back and by accounting for 88.8% of the backs’ rushing yards last week in the close win over the Panthers, Jones’ role as the lead Packers RB is as clear as it has been all season.
I have him ranked as a mid-level RB2 thanks to the role, though I am a little concerned about what we saw in the first meeting back in Week 8. Green Bay running backs had 13 carries for 40 yards with a long run of seven yards.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
The versatility of Jones along with the scoring equity that he holds due to a variety of injuries at the receiver position makes him a must-start in most formats. I think it’s unlikely that he wins you a week with a breakout performance, but it’s just as unlikely that he flames out and costs you a chance at glory.
The best fantasy teams this time of year are often the ones that can avoid potholes and wait for the opposition to leave the door open at some point.
AJ Dillon: A broken thumb didn’t stop Dillon from vulturing a touchdown last week, but with his seven carries picking up just 12 yards, it’s clear that he is well behind Jones on the depth chart.
Dillon is nothing more than a handcuff at this point of the season, and with Jones healthy, that makes him dead weight. Feel free to move on or target a Flex player with more single-touch upside than Green Bay’s inefficient backup RB who carries an inconsistent role into a poor matchup.
Ty Chandler: Minnesota’s new lead back has scored in consecutive games, and while his eight carries last week won’t jump off the screen at you, consider that he’s accounting for a vast majority of the Vikings’ rushing yards.
If that doesn’t say “lead back,” I’m not sure what does. A role like that is difficult to come by these days, and with the Vikings expected to control this game, that touch count should improve dramatically.
I have Chandler ranked as an RB2 this week, and I feel good about having him elevated to that status for the final game of the fantasy season.
Alexander Mattison: In his return from an ankle sprain, Mattison was hardly used. He saw just two carries and wasn’t targeted a single time.
Minnesota hinted that they want Chandler to take the reins of this backfield, and they backed up that talk in Week 16. I think Mattison probably gets more work this week than last, but not nearly enough to matter in any format.
Wide Receivers
Jayden Reed: The rookie continues to battle injuries to his toe and chest, so keep tabs on Reed’s status via the PFN Fantasy News Tracker as we near lineup lock.
He led the team with 83 receiving yards (more than double the output of any of his opponents) in the first meeting with the Vikings despite ranking third on the team in targets.
In that game, Minnesota simply had no answer for Reed. He averaged 13.8 yards per target, a rate that dwarfed the 4.3 number that his teammates posted.
Assuming that Reed is a full go, he’ll be ranked as my top Packers receiver and a strong Flex play. Should he sit, the door is wide open when it comes to targets in this offense, and that likely results in no one receiver being ranked near where I’d put Reed.
Christian Watson: A hamstring injury delayed Watson’s season debut, and another one has cost him three straight games. The Watson profile is encouraging long term in a Green Bay offense that is hoping to build around Love (15.0 yards per catch, scoring once every 5.7 touches for his career per the Week 17 Cheat Sheet).
However, consistent hamstring issues for a receiver who relies heavily on speed is an obvious red flag.
MORE: Fantasy News Tracker
My feeling was that Watson was being drafted too high this past summer due to an unsustainably efficient rookie campaign. But after an injury-marred season, there’s a chance that his ADP drops to a level in which I’m willing to invest in come 2024.
Romeo Doubs: We’ve seen the scores come in bunches for Doubs this season (three through three weeks to open the season and in four of five games out of the Week 6 bye), but with no more than five targets in four of his past five games, there are some smoke and mirrors to consider here.
If two of three banged-up Packers receivers are active, Doubs isn’t near my Flex radar. However, if two sit, his name gets submitted into the backend of the Flex discussion in a game in which I expect Green Bay to be playing catch-up in.
Justin Jefferson: Last week, the best receiver in our game today posted his fifth WR1 finish of his eight-game season and looked fully healthy in doing so.
With Jefferson operating at 100% capacity, I’m not worried about the lack of reliable secondary options in this offense — you’re playing him with the confidence in which you drafted him. He’s very capable of deciding your matchup for you against a Packers defense that has experienced more downs than ups as of late.
Jordan Addison: After his breakout Week 15 in Cincinnati (six catches for 111 yards and two TDs), Addison saw some early usage against the Lions but departed with an ankle injury and is unlikely to play this week.
Active or not, I don’t think it matters in terms of your starting lineup.
K.J. Osborn filled the production void last week (five catches for 95 yards and a touchdown), but with Jefferson looking to be the fully elite version of himself and Mullens being intercepted on 8.7% of his attempts over the past two weeks, I’m not exactly comfortable with betting on secondary options that don’t have consistent target-earning on their NFL résumé.
This is an offense that has some serious talent and will be one worth investing in this summer, but not one that I plan on being overweight in for Week 17.
Tight Ends
Tucker Kraft: The Packers are the perfect target for a TE streamer this time of year — they are a team that is still technically alive in the playoff chase and is trying to develop a young quarterback who is navigating a variety of receiver injuries. What more could you ask for?
MORE: Tucker Kraft Is the Top TE Streamer for Week 17
Kraft’s athletic profile has a way of shining through on a consistent basis (27+ yard catch in three straight games and in four of his past six), something that few offer at the position outside of the elite.
The Vikings’ defense is trending in the right direction, but that’s not enough to worry me about a prospect like this in a strong role!
T.J. Hockenson: If you survived Week 16 around Hockenson’s knee injury, congrats! He’s been among the elite producers at the position all season long, and your ability to navigate a playoff matchup despite an in-game injury speaks to the depth of the roster you’ve built.
This week is going to be easier — kind of. You’re going to be functioning without your elite playmaker at the tight end position (out for the remainder of the season), but at least you know it going into the week.
You have time to formulate a plan, a plan that doesn’t include a direction replacement on this Vikings roster.
Among the players that are available options, these are my favorites that are available in many leagues …
- Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers (at Broncos)
- Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans (at Texans)
- Tyler Conklin, New York Jets (at Browns – Thursday)
Trending Start/Sit Searches
Did you know that we have a Start/Sit Optimizer here at Pro Football Network? It’s completely free to use, and it allows you to enter up to six players to find the best option to plug into your starting lineup.
It also allows us to see the most popular trending searches, so we’ve jotted some of them down to help provide some clarity.
Should You Start Gerald Everett or Tucker Kraft?
I actually think both of these tight ends are viable streaming options, and I would be thrilled to land either off of the waiver wire if I had lost T.J. Hockenson.
If both are still free in your league, I prefer Gerald Everett, due to an advantage in role. He has seen over 23% of backup QB Easton Stick’s targets come his way.
I don’t think it’s crazy to feel confident in both of these waiver wire adds for your fantasy Super Bowl. TE streamers rejoice!
Should You Start Javonte Williams or Ty Chandler?
Javonte Williams has been a stable source of production in the team’s pass game, and I expect that role to be sustained — even with QB Russell Wilson relegated to the bench.
To be honest, I’m not confident that either of these backs return great value this week. Both offenses are down valuable pieces, and the lack of balance is a major concern.
Williams has a little more explosive potential in his profile, and in a matchup where a single splash play could make the difference, he gets the nod for me.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!