It is about that time in the week where you need to lock in who is going to be in your fantasy football lineups going into this weekend’s slate of games in the NFL. Championship week is upon us and it is important to put in the players that will get you the maximum number of points to help you take home the crown. Here are the players you should start heading into week 17:
Quarterback Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Jared Goff was able to have success last week against the Panthers even in the 37-23 loss to Carolina. Goff finished the day with 355 passing yards and three touchdowns that ultimately led him to a 25 fantasy point outing. The running game for Detroit wasn’t able to get going and that put a lot of pressure on Goff to make quality throws throughout the contest. This week, the Lions will return home to face off against the lowly Chicago Bears.
The Bears defense is allowing the ninth-most fantasy points per game to the quarterback position this month (18.0). The last time out the Lions matched up against the Bears was earlier this season as Goff finished the day with 236 passing yards and a touchdown. With Detroit being at home this time, expect a big day for the star quarterback against a defense that he will be able to exploit.
He will bring you a high-enough ceiling that benefits him as being a start of the week heading into week 17. Detroit will want to get their running game going this time, but Goff should have plenty of opportunities to rack up valuable fantasy points on the day.
Running Back Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars find themselves on top of the AFC South and Travis Etienne’s emergence has been a big part of that. Etienne has been hard to figure out in the fantasy world lately, but he was able to have two back-to-back showing of double digits. Last week, the former Clemson product finished the game with 83 rushing yards on 22 carries.
The matchup this week is exactly what Etienne fantasy owners want to see as the Jaguars will take on the Houston Texans. The Texans currently allow the most fantasy points to the running back position (29.96). In their last meeting, Etienne was the leading rusher for Jacksonville as he was able to rack up 71 rushing yards on 10 carries. He also was able to make a mark in the receiving game with three receptions for 43 yards.
Etienne is a must-start in championship week as he has been able to get back on track these last two weeks. The matchup is too good to be true and expect Etienne to have a big outing against the Texans defense that struggles to defend the run.
Wide Receiver Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Picking which Buccaneers wide receiver to start every week has been challenging, but Chris Godwin has been the most consistent out of the bunch. Since week four, Godwin has been able to average double digit fantasy points as he has been the top target for Tom Brady. He was able to continue that against the Cardinals defense as he racked up eight receptions for 63 yards on the day.
In week 17, Tampa Bay will take on the Carolina Panthers. With a win, the Buccaneers can clinch the NFC South, so all hands will be on deck for this crucial matchup. For Godwin, the Panthers have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers (35.8). Tampa Bay’s offense was shutdown in the matchup earlier in the season as they posted just three points and Godwin had only 43 receiving yards on seven receptions.
Godwin has been able to have a consistent target share with the veteran quarterback and that will continue against the Panthers defense that can be a mix bag this season.
Tight End Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars
Evan Engram has been on a tear in the month of December as he has averaged 21.4 fantasy points per game. Engram wasn’t able to find the endzone last week against the Jets, but he was the leading receivers for the Jaguars offense. The former Ole Miss product finished the day with seven receptions for 113 yards. Like his teammate, Etienne, the matchup is hard to pass up on.
The Texans defense has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to the tight end position (13.3). It’s hard to bench Engram that way that he has been playing in the past month and the end doesn’t seem to be near. Engram has been able to build a connection with Trevor Lawrence as he has been able to increase his volume throughout the season.
It shouldn’t even be a question that fantasy owners who have Engram that they should be starting him when they need him the most during championship weekend in fantasy football.
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