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Week 17 fantasy start/sit advice

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson passes against the Chicago Bears in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

The fantasy football playoffs have hit the championship game for any league that is still playing. I’m here to help. In the following column, I will take a look at 10 really close calls for Week 17. These players are likely fringe starters currently on your bench or in your lineups. Some of these players have been every-week starters for you — until now. Others have been on your bench or even the waiver wire, but they now have the perfect matchup to exploit.

Remember, Week 17 is going to get weird. You’re going to see players like Mark Sanchez and Josh Johnson for the first time and they’re going to make things very screwy. The following teams have already clinched a playoff spot and/or are locked into seeding: Giants, Cowboys, Steelers, Texans. My advice is to avoid all players on all of those teams in DFS and to tread carefully in season-long. Sure, a team like the Giants has hinted they will play to win, but that doesn’t mean they’ll keep their starters in the entire game. Game flow will determine that. If said team falls behind big or takes a huge lead, it could be time for the reserves.

On the flip side, if a game features two teams that are already eliminated from the postseason, said teams might be inclined to give their rookies and younger players more action. This is a strategy that makes a lot of real-life sense but can be a fantasy nightmare. The Cardinals, Rams, Bills, Jets, Bears, Vikings, Colts, and Jaguars all fit that bill. Don’t be as scared of the teams who are already eliminated but playing a team that they can decide the fate of. Your best bet is to target the games that mean the most.

As always, I’m here to help on Twitter as well. Send any start/sit decisions or players you want help with to @DanSchneierNFL and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Let’s get after it and win leagues by making the tough calls.

Start

Russell Wilson, QB, Seahawks vs. 49ers

Wilson hasn’t been the QB1 that many expected when they invested an early-round draft pick on him in August, but once again, he’s catching fire at the right time. Over the past two weeks, Wilson is the QB1 overall in fantasy with seven touchdowns to just one interception. He has also added 579 passing yards and an additional 48 on the ground. This is common for Wilson, to catch fire during the final stretch, and 2016 is just a little bit of history repeating itself.

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