Noah Brown or DeMarcus Robinson: Who should I start in Fantasy Football Week 17?

Noah Brown and DeMarcus Robinson are two of the most intriguing WR options in Week 17 of fantasy football. With Robinson coming off a huge performance for the LA Rams and C.J. Stroud returning at QB for the Houston Texans, there is a to consider for both WRs.

With this being Super Bowl week in most formats, this is the last chance most players are going to get to win the big game or finish on a high. As such, no stone can be left unturned in your quest for fantasy perfection.

WRs are always a tough call, as the decision of who to bench and who to start can decide your matchup. Let's take a look at the fantasy outlooks for both these receivers, starting with Noah Brown:

Is Noah Brown a good fantasy pick in Week 17?

Is Noah Brown a good fantasy pick in Week 17?

Noah Brown is a very talented receiver but is not top of the depth chart for the Texans. This hasn't seemed to matter all that much in fantasy football, with Brown putting in a string of impressive performances in Houston's surprise package of a 2023 season.

Brown has had some issues with injuries this season, but when fit, he has looked elite and Texans fans are excited about their future with him and C.J. Stroud. Brown has recorded 32 receptions for 559 yards and 2 TDs, good for 83.8 points in HPPR leagues. Considering he has played nine games this season, that's quite impressive.

Noah Brown has a high ceiling and has put up three 18-25 point weeks (HPPR), however, has had a few poor weeks as well. While the early season issues were due to him being behind Nico Collins and Tank Dell on the depth chart, Week 16's poor outing was more due to Stroud's injury and a bad day all around for the Texans.

Brown logged a full practice on Friday and is expected to be good to go against the Tennessee Titans in Week 17. This is a tough game to call, but if the Titans pull ahead, they will try to stymie the Texans and run down the clock via Derick Henry in the running game.

Sportskeeda's Start/Sit tool projects Noah Brown to record 7.9 points in Week 17, which highlights the myriad of questions regarding the Texans' offense. Is Stroud truly ready to return? Can the Texans offense get it together with so many injuries? Will Collins take the majority of the targets? These are real concerns for Brown in Week 17, so he is a gamble with a high ceiling and a dangerously low floor.

Is DeMarcus Robinson a good fantasy pick in Week 17?

Is DeMarcus Robinson a good fantasy pick in Week 17?

DeMarcus Robinson has come out of nowhere in fantasy football and stole the show for the LA Rams in Week 17 against the New Orleans Saints. Having not been a real feature in the Rams' offense until Week 13 against the Cleveland Browns, Robinson has now scored 4 TDs, one in each of the last four games.

He has, however, been somewhat TD-dependant, and without those scores, he would have had a low floor. Robinson has recorded 13.50, 12.10, 13.70 and 17.20 points in those games and he looked very good in his 82-yard performance against the Saints.

Puka Nacua is questionable with a hip injury and did not practice on Friday. This could mean that DeMarcus Robinson sees an uptick in volume, however, so could Cooper Kupp and Tutu Atwell.

The Rams play the New York Giants in Week 17 and if they take a big lead, they will lean on Kyren Williams and their running game. This would be bad news for Robinson.

Sportskeeda's Start/Sit tool projects Robinson to record 8 points in Week 17, which underlines his dangerous floor. DeMarcus Robinson needs a TD to put up a relevant score and expecting him to deliver one is a big gamble at a clutch time of the fantasy football season.

Noah Brown or DeMarcus Robinson: Who should I start in Fantasy Football Week 17?

Looking at the numbers, there is very little between these two receivers. The issue is that neither are the main target for their offense and both the Rams and the Texans throw the ball to a lot of different targets.

If you are choosing between them, presuming C.J. Stroud takes the field, Noah Brown should be a better pick. Brown has a higher ceiling than DeMarcus Robinson, who might struggle to get into the end zone for a fifth consecutive game.

Noah Brown or DeMarcus Robinson: Who should I start in Fantasy Football Week 17?

The below breakdown gives an idea of what to expect from these receivers and highlights the risks of starting either of them.

Noah Brown or DeMarcus Robinson: Who should I start in Fantasy Football Week 17?

Given the above figures, it might be worth taking a look at other options available on waivers for WR.