Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

—Written by Ryan Boser
—Edited by Allie Fontana

Here’s a look at 10 fantasy football matchups that just might help you and your fantasy team come away with a victory in Week 17.

 

1.  Josh McCown, QB (Chicago Bears) vs. Minnesota Vikings D/ST

In his first start under center for the Chicago Bears, Josh McCown was unexpectedly serviceable on Christmas night against the Green Bay Packers. He completed 19-of-28 passes for 242 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He also flashed surprising athleticism, adding 38 rushing yards. This week McCown will face a Minnesota Vikings pass defense that’s allowed multiple touchdowns to 10 straight opposing signal callers. Don’t be surprised if McCown channels some of his 2003 magic on the nine-year anniversary of this play.

2.  Dan Orlovsky, QB (Indianapolis Colts) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars D/ST

Dan Orlovsky has experienced both towering peaks and bottomless valleys in his four games as the Indianapolis Colts starting quarterback. His loftiest moment came in Week 13, when he completed 30-of-37 passes for 353 yards, two touchdowns and one interception against the bottom-ranked secondary of the New England Patriots. The Jacksonville Jaguars decimated defensive backfield is on par with the Patriots at this point, having just given up 350 yards and a touchdown to the aging Matt Hasselbeck. Orlovsky has shown the ability to exploit a favorable matchup and deserves consideration as a plug-and-play option in his final game as the Indianapolis starter.

3.  Ben Tate, RB (Indianapolis Colts) vs. Tennessee Titans D/ST

The Houston Texans have absorbed more than their fair share of injuries this season. Houston’s playoff position (No. 3) is locked in, and it stands to reason that Arian Foster could spend the majority of Sunday afternoon in a baseball cap. Backup Ben Tate boasts an outstanding 5.3-yard per carry average, and he should see an expanded role against a Tennessee Titans run defense that has hemorrhaged 357 combo yards and three scores to opposing backfields over their past two games. Back in Week 7, the one-two punch of Foster and Tate combined for 338 combo yards (104 of which belonged to Tate) and three scores. Tate has the potential to become an unlikely fantasy Super Bowl hero.

4.  Pierre Thomas, RB (New Orleans Saints) vs. Carolina Panthers D/ST

As expected, Pierre Thomas has seen an uptick in usage with rookie running back Mark Ingram sidelined. He’s touched the ball 12, 10 and 11 times in the New Orleans Saints last three games. Although he’s not delivering game-changing numbers from a yardage perspective, Thomas has scored in two straight, and he has an excellent opportunity to stretch that streak to three this week against Carolina. The Panthers rank near the bottom of the league against opposing backs in both rushing and receiving yards, and they’ve surrendered nine scores to the position in their last eight games.

5.  David Nelson, WR (Buffalo Bills) vs. New England Patriots D/ST

Buffalo Bills wide receiver David Nelson hasn’t scored or topped 60 receiving yards in any of his last four games, so it would take an unbelievably good matchup to consider him in Week 17. Enter the New England Patriots. No team is worse at defending opposing receivers than New England. Through 15 games, 36 different receivers have scored and/or reached 70 receiving yards against them. That list includes Nelson, who caught six balls for 84 yards back in Week 3. The 6’5” slot receiver is a viable fantasy WR3 this week.

6.  Nate Burleson, WR (Detroit Lions) vs. Green Bay Packers D/ST

Nate Burleson faces blatant indifference from opposing defenses that largely focus their attention each week on Calvin Johnson, and Detroit’s No. 2 wideout has been cashing in on the advantage. He has scored and/or topped 80 receiving yards in five of his last seven games, due in large part to a healthy eight-target average over that stretch. Matthew Stafford is red hot, and the Packers bottom-five fantasy pass defense could rest players this week, which means that Burleson has an excellent opportunity to deliver solid fantasy production.

7.  Kyle Rudolph, TE (Minnesota Vikings) vs. Chicago Bears D/ST

Minnesota’s tight end of the future has become their tight end of the present in recent weeks, as he’s logged more snaps than Visanthe Shiancoe in back-to-back games. While Rudolph is not doing much in the yardage department, the rookie has scored three times in his last five games. Moreover, only the Buffalo Bills have given up more touchdowns to the position than the Chicago Bears (nine). Rudolph is a deep sleeper, however there are some nice trends working in his favor this week.

8.  Joel Dreessen, TE (Houston Texans) vs. Tennessee Titans D/ST

Owen Daniels is battling a knee injury and like teammate Arian Foster, could spend the majority of Sunday afternoon on the sidelines because Houston is already locked into their playoff position. Although backup Joel Dreessen hasn’t topped 40 receiving yards since Week 5, he’s scored in three of his last five contests. The Tennessee Titans rank in the bottom third of the league in defending the tight end position, and Dreessen scored when the teams met earlier in the season. If Daniels is deactivated, upgrade Dreessen from a long shot to a viable deep-league option.

9.  Seattle Seahawks D/ST vs. Arizona Cardinals Offense

In their past four games, Seattle’s suddenly opportunistic defense has totaled 11 sacks, nine interceptions, one fumble recovery and three touchdowns. They should continue to pile up the numbers this week against John Skelton, who’s averaged more than two interceptions per start. What’s more, he’s taken nine sacks in the last two weeks, so there will be big plays available to Seahawk defenders.

10.  Kansas City Chiefs D/ST vs. Denver Broncos Offense

Although Kansas City has been a lousy fantasy D/ST for the majority of the season, Tim Tebow has been very charitable to opposing defenses in recent weeks. Tebow was picked off three times last week, he’s lost a fumble in four straight games, and he’s taken at least four sacks in his last three outings. The Chiefs have rallied around interim head coach Romeo Crennel and Kyle Orton, so expect an inspired effort against their division rival in Week 17.