Week 17 of the 2023 fantasy football season will kick off with a Thursday Night Football matchup between the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets. This game will feature two of the best defenses in the entire NFL, so a low-scoring contest is the most likely outcome. There is still fantasy value to be found with certain players, but managers will need to be cautious with their lineup options.
This week represents the championship round of the 2023 fantasy football playoffs in most leagues, so managers can't afford to make any wrong moves. It's time to go all-in for the best possible starting lineup this week, as it may be the difference between winning the championship or finishing as a runner-up. The following breakdown can help by assessing the potential options on TNF.
Thursday Night Football Week 17 Start 'Em & Sit 'Em fantasy football
When the Cleveland Browns host the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football in Week 17, they will be playing in one of the projected lowest-scoring games on the fantasy football schedule. This means that managers shouldn't expect a ton of offensive production from either team, but certain players still remain in favorable situations as potential lineup options.
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Both defenses make for excellent streaming options in the 2023 fantasy football championship round, but some offensive players are solid choices as well. A probable low-scoring contest with a potentially slow-paced game script doesn't mean that managers should avoid the matchup altogether. Value can be found by breaking down each player's individual situation.
Determining which fantasy players to target in any game is based on a long list of variables. Some of these include recent individual performances, injuries to relevant players, potential game scripts, expected offensive roles, direct weekly matchups, and projected team totals. This helps to reveal which players make the best lineup options each week.
This specific strategy highlights the importance of placing weekly values on all players, rather than basing lineup decisions on season-long outlooks. It is usually more beneficial to target players in the best weekly situations that create the most upside, as opposed to simply starting the best overall fantasy players. This is even more useful with the 2023 fantasy football playoffs underway.
This process can be extensive and complicated, but the Start/Sit Optimizer simplifies it. This useful tool considers all of the factors for any player in a given week to generate lineup suggestions and fantasy projections. Managers who take advantage of it often gain an edge over the rest of their league and can come that much closer to a league championship.
The Optimizer was also used to help generate the following list of players to potentially target and fade in fantasy football lineups on Thursday Night Football for Week 17 of the 2023 NFL season.
TNF Week 17 Fantasy Football Start 'Em Picks
Breece Hall
Breece Hall is coming off his best fantasy football performance of the season last week when he finished as the overall RB1 in all formats. His elite combination of rushing and receiving was on full display, though it came against the Washington Commanders' league-worst defense. The Cleveland Browns present a much stiffer challenge, but Hall's expected volume still makes him a solid Week 17 lineup option.
Jerome Ford
Jerome Ford has regressed in recent weeks after a solid season as one of the most reliable fantasy football running backs. A favorable game script in Week 17 suggests that this could be the game he gets back on track. The New York Jets have arguably been the best passing defense in the NFL this year, but can be beaten in the ground game. Ford should be busy on TNF as they allow the seventh-most fantasy points per game to running backs.
David Njoku
David Njoku has quietly been one of the best overall tight ends during the 2023 fantasy football season. He has finished among the top 12 players in his position in nine of the past 10 weeks, recording at least eight targets in eight of those games. He should be a focal point in the passing game with the Jets ranking towards the middle of the pack in defending fantasy tight ends, in comparison to allowing the fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers.
TNF Week 17 Fantasy Football Sit 'Em Picks
Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco has been incredible in his four games as the starting quarterback for the Browns, ranking as the weekly QB13 or better in all of them. This includes an impressive QB1 finish last week against the Houston Texans. The Jets present a much more difficult task as they have allowed the fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, making Flacco a fade despite his strong form.
Trevor Siemian
Trevor Siemian is not a legitimate fantasy football option in any week, but especially against the Browns' elite defense. They are allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, putting Siemian near the absolute bottom of the weekly positional options.
Kareem Hunt
Kareem Hunt has seen his fantasy value diminish as the 2023 NFL season goes on. He has finished outside of the top 25 running backs in PPR leagues in each of his past seven games, while failing to eclipse 50 scrimmage yards in all of them. Despite a decent matchup against the Jets' mediocre rushing defense, Hunt can't be trusted in Week 17 lineups.
Garrett Wilson
Garrett Wilson is a risky fantasy option in most weeks, carrying with him a high ceiling as well as a low floor. This is demonstrated by his equal number of finishes inside of the top 20 and outside of the top 50 in PPR leagues this year. In a matchup with the Browns' defense that allows the third-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers, Wilson should be left on the bench.
Amari Cooper
Amari Cooper is coming off of an incredible WR1 finish last week in one of the best overall fantasy football performances of any player during the 2023 NFL season. The issue with his outlook in Week 17 is that the Jets allow the fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers by a significant margin. They specifically excel against outside receivers, where Cooper almost exclusively lines up.
Elijah Moore
Elijah Moore has seen his volume decrease since Joe Flacco took over as the Browns' starting quarterback. He has recorded fewer than seven targets in each of his past three games, after exceeding that number in nine of his previous 12 games. He is a clear fade on Thursday Night Football against the Jets' elite passing defense.
