INDIANAPOLIS — It's the end of the regular season for the Indianapolis Colts — and, for some of you, it's the final chance at fantasy football glory for the 2020 season.
If you're in a bind and you need some points in your final week of championship action, which Colts could help you today in their Week 17 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars?
(Weekly positional rankings from FanDuel. Ranks as of Saturday.)
QB Philip Rivers
» FanDuel Week 17 Position Rank: QB16
» Jaguars vs. QBs: 30th (23.1 FPPG)
» Week 1 matchup against Jaguars: Rivers had a mediocre performance fantasy-wise back in Week 1 against the Jaguars, finishing with 14.8 points; he had 363 passing yards, but just one touchdown and two interceptions.
In this crucial matchup the Colts, in which the team must win to keep its playoff hopes alive (and, of course, get a bit of help elsewhere), I'd look for Rivers to have a huge performance through the air. I also think revenge will be on his mind for his two-interception performance back in Week 1. He's not likely a QB1 candidate by any means, but if you're in a two-quarterback league and you need some points today, I wouldn't hesitate putting Rivers in your lineup.
RBs Jonathan Taylor, Nyheim Hines
» FanDuel Week 17 Position Rank: Taylor RB2, Hines RB22
» Jaguars vs. RBs: 29th (25.9 FPPG)
» Week 1 matchup against Jaguars: It was Hines leading the way against the Jaguars back in Week 1, as he finished with 19.3 points off the heels of both a rushing and receiving touchdown. Taylor, of course, entered the game as the No. 2 at the position behind Marlon Mack, who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in that contest; Taylor finished with 8.9 points.
Taylor is now projected as the second-highest-scoring running back in football this week, and for good measure, as his stock just continues to rise. He had two touchdowns last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and is undoubtedly the Colts' No. 1 back. In this crucial matchup against a defense that struggles against the run, I'd 100-percent start Taylor if you've got him, and I'd also give consideration to putting Hines in at your flex spot if you're in a bind.
WRs T.Y. Hilton, Michael Pittman Jr.
» FanDuel Week 17 Position Rank: Hilton WR19, Pittman Jr. WR51
» Jaguars vs. WRs: Tied-24th (32.1 FPPG)
» Week 1 matchup against Jaguars: Hilton had just 5.3 points back in Week 1 at Jacksonville (four receptions, 53 yards), while Pittman Jr. had just two receptions for 10 yards and one fantasy point scored.
Hilton and Pittman Jr.'s seasons have changed quite a bit since that Week 1 matchup against the Jaguars; now Hilton is pretty much a must-start if you've got a spot open at your second or third receiver. The Jaguars have struggled teams with two legit receiving threats, and I see that being an issue for them once again in this one against Hilton, Pittman Jr. and Zach Pascal.
TEs Trey Burton, Jack Doyle, Mo Alie-Cox
» FanDuel Week 17 Position Rank: Burton TE24, Doyle TE26, Doyle TE36
» Jaguars vs. TEs: 31st (12.6 FPPG)
» Week 1 matchup against Jaguars: Doyle had three receptions for 49 yards for 4.9 points back in Week 1, while Alie-Cox had two receptions for 20 yards for 2.0 points; Burton was out due to an injury.
The Jaguars just got absolutely destroyed by Bears tight end Jimmy Graham, but after some early-season struggles, have actually done a decent job limiting huge performances to opposing tight ends. We'll add this caveat once again: there's no telling which Colts tight end between Burton, Doyle or Alie-Cox could have a big performance on any given Sunday, so it's hard to tell you which guy to start today.
Colts Defense/Special Teams
» FanDuel Week 17 Position Rank: DST8
» Jaguars vs. DSTs: 26th (10.0 FPPG)
» Week 1 matchup against Jaguars:
This will definitely be one of those matchups you'll want to start the Colts' DST. The Jaguars have played the quarterback shuffle throughout the season, and will be starting Mike Glennon in this one. Their star rookie running back, James Robinson, and top wide receiver, DJ Chark Jr., have already been ruled out due to injuries. So, factor all of that together, on top of the fact this Indy defense will be extremely hungry to make plays in such a crucial moment to end the season, and I don't see why you wouldn't want to go with the Colts' DST this week.
Weekly NFL Fantasy Rankings from numberFire, a FanDuel company. Visit FanDuel to play daily fantasy sports contests.
