Fantasy Black Book Lineup & WR RPV: NFL Week 17

Week 17 is traditionally the highest pay lines of the entire regular season. The main reason being defenses let up offense runs supreme. The other being the fact some backups at minimal salaries will make significant impacts allowing for the rostering of more star players than usual. It’s a challenge finding which games are relevant to invest in when so many starters are sitting and teams are looking ahead. If a team isn’t fighting for their playoff life, you can’t guarantee their studs will see four quarters. It’s an equal challenge to determine which secondary players will see enough action to make an impact.

Here are the top 20 salaried WR’s on FanDuel ranked with RPVPD for Sunday’s Main Contest:

It’s hard to know where the TD’s will come from in New Orleans. Although Michael Thomas is the cheaper option, but Brandin Cooks is the top value on the board and offers higher TD upside. Speaking of TD’s, even with a salary over $8K, Jordy Nelson is a stud. So is Mike Evans, especially with Cameron Brate out of this week. Doug Baldwin is coming off a huge game and should see steady volume again with Tyler Lockett out for the year. The 49ers can’t stop the Seahawks offense. If you want to run Brees out there without Cooks, Baldwin is a perfect price pivot.

I know the Titans are bad against the pass and his ownership will be low, but I just can’t go back to the DeAndre Hopkins well for a second consecutive week after Week 16’s epic failure. Julian Edelman’s salary is too high for his lack of TD upside in just a ½ PPR format. Alshon Jeffery will see the most attention, making teammate Cameron Meredith the more appealing Bears WR against the Vikings. Kirk Cousins will certainly be airing it out Sunday, but DeSean Jackson is a risk the way the Giants have limited WR TD’s. As much as I’m the president of the Tyreek Hill fan club and he can score points without a single reception, the Chiefs aren’t getting him the ball enough to make him a sound investment. Jeremy Maclin and Travis Kelce however will make significant contributions.

BLACK BOOK LINEUP WEEK 17

QB Drew Brees NO $8.2K

Brees in the dome trying to spoil the Falcons potential by week is a must start. He put up 376 yards last time they faced each other.

RB Devonta Freeman ATL $8K, Mark Ingram NO $6.1K

Freeman has been very strong over the last month save that one clunker against the Rams. He should do enough in the passing game to return value. It’ so tough to gauge which WR Drew Brees will favor this week that I’d rather take Mark Ingram and hope that residual scoring finds its way into his pocket.  I expect this matchup to have the highest point total of the day.

WR Jordy Nelson GB $8.2K, Brandin Cooks $7.1K, Cam Meredith CHI $5.8K

I will ride the best WR of 2016 into the ground until he’s no longer an option and Jordy Nelson is that guy. Cooks is my TD upside WR in the Saints stack and his RPVPD is tops this week. Meredith has averages 16 pts over his last three games and the Vikings defense has given up 30+ pts in back to back games. 

TE Travis Kelce KC $6.8K

He’s the #1 receiver in the Chiefs offense and is looking to cap 2016 with yet another 100 yard game.

K Will Lutz NO $4.8

High scoring game, in the dome.

D/ST Chiefs $4.9K

This is a top unit facing a team that just lost to the Browns. Clearly they Chargers have checks out.

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Joe Pisapia (@JoePisapia17) is the eight-time best-selling author of the Fantasy Black Book Series for baseball and football. He hosts On Target Fantasy weekdays at 12 noon est, The Fantasy Black Book Tues and Thurs 8-10pm est and Sunday Game Day 8-11am on FNTSY Network Radio.