Lions-Vikings Fantasy Football Week 17 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em

With NFL Week 17 already here and the Regular Season just two weeks from its conclusion, franchises are scrambling to make their last-minute bids for the impending playoffs. The NFC North has been one of football’s tightest divisions and we’ll see a Christmas Day tilt when the Detroit Lions (8-7) take on the Minnesota Vikings (7-8) for the second time this season.

The Detroit Lions come into Week 17 following a 29-24 loss to Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The loss didn’t bode well for the Lions considering the Chicago Bears already earned their playoff spot, so they head into this game with a 7% chance remaining to continue their season past Week 18.

The Minnesota Vikings took down the New York Giants 16-13 in Week 16, winning their third-consecutive game for the longest winning streak of their season. With rookie QB JJ McCarthy out and their team eliminated from playoff contention, this game will be about conserving their pride and giving their fans something to cheer about on Christmas.

With the Fantasy Football Playoffs nearing championship week as well, setting a solid lineup will be more important now than ever. Taking a look at this Christmas Day matchup, we’ll see which players are worth starting and sitting ahead of your fantasy matchup.

Lions vs. Vikings Week 17 – Start ‘Em

Must-Start Players: Lions’ RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions’ WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, Vikings’ Justin Jefferson

Vikings’ RB Aaron Jones Sr.

It certainly hasn’t been the redemption season Aaron Jones Sr. was hoping for with the Minnesota Vikings and listed as ‘questionable’ heading into this week, he’s running out of chances to salvage the rest of his campaign. With RB Jordan Mason listed as a non-participant in practice and QB JJ McCarthy already confirmed to miss this game, the weight of the offense could rest on the shoulder pads of Aaron Jones Sr. to help them move the ball down field.

The Detroit Lions run defense certainly hasn’t been what we’ve seen from them in the past and Jones Sr. logged a season-high 21 carries with Mason out in Week 16. Expect Jones to be the star of this offensive game plan if he’s able to go, making for a solid fantasy start given the circumstances.

Detroit Lions D/ST

While the Lions’ defense hasn’t performed up to expectations, they actually rank fourth in ESPN’s Week 17 Fantasy rankings thanks to their matchup against rookie QB Max Brosmer. Brosmer notably started his first career game in relief for McCarthy against the Seattle Seahawks, losing 26-0 and failing to mount much offense. Brosmer went 19-30 on his pass attempts while throwing four interceptions and being sacked four times.

While the Lions hang onto their playoff hopes by a thread, this game should offer the defense an opportunity to let loose on Christmas and make some plays. Not having to see JJ McCarthy twice will prove to be a gift as they should be able to put together one of their better fantasy performances of the season.

Lions vs. Vikings Week 17 – Sit ‘Em

Vikings’ WR Jordan Addison

There’s no secret that the quarterback position has been an issue for the Minnesota Vikings all season. The main fantasy players that have been effected are the wide receivers, two stars in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addision. While Jefferson has become a no-brainer start each week, Addison has had a much more volatile season. While he caught five passes during Max Brosmer’s last start, he’s failed to record as many in the time since.

Furthermore, Addison has surpassed 10.0 fantasy points just twice since Week 8, failing to do so since Week 14. He’s caught four passes over the last two games and although he’s one of the more versatile receivers in the NFL, it doesn’t seem as though his trends will change much with yet another change at quarterback. This Vikings’ passing game will be one to avoid in Week 17.

Lions’ QB Jared Goff

In fighting for a playoff spot over the last three weeks, Jared Goff has been one of the highest-scoring fantasy quarterbacks during that stretch. However, the Lions have lost three of their last four games and you have to start wondering how much fight this team has left with just a 7% chance of making the playoffs. They’re still 7.5-point favorites to beat the Vikings, so it’ll be interesting to see how aggressive this offense gets if they’re up big on the scoreboard early.

Either way, while I expect Goff to have a solid, mistake-free game, I expect the Lions to heavily lean on their running game behind Gibbs and Montgomery in this one. Their run game has been able to flourish against teams like the Vikings’ late in the year, so expect a big day out of the Lions running the ball as opposed to airing it out on offense.

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