Fantasy Football Instant Reactions: Week 17

And down the stretch we come! Week 17 was incredible and was the perfect way to ring in 2024!

Each week, I will provide my five instant fantasy football reactions from the slate of games. What were the key performances, surprises and disappointments from across the NFL? 

Let’s get into Week 17!

Reaction No. 1: Eagles and Chiefs Concerns

Philadelphia and Kansas City continue to reinforce concerns about a deep playoff run. The Eagles suffered the upset of the week with a brutal 35-31 loss to the lowly Cardinals. 

The Eagles’ top-ranked run defense was gashed by Arizona running back James Conner for 128 yards, two total touchdowns and a robust 4.9 yards per carry. Conner also flashed in the passing game with this incredible one-handed touchdown grab. 

The Eagles defense blew a 21-6 halftime lead and allowed 29 second-half points to an Arizona offense that entered the week ranked just 26th in offensive DVOA. 

Kansas City earned a tough 25-17 win over Cincinnati but still showed major issues as they try to defend their Super Bowl title. Tight end Travis Kelce again disappointed, posting just three receptions for 16 total yards, his third straight game with fewer than 45 receiving yards. While rookie Rashee Rice (five receptions, 127 receiving yards) has been superb, there is no other reliable receiving option in the Kansas City passing attack. 

Despite reaching the Super Bowl last season and carrying a combined 21-11 record, both the Eagles and Chiefs have major concerns entering the 2024 NFL playoffs. 

Reaction No. 2: Zero RB Wins Again 

The winner of BBMIV’s $3 million prize reinforced the zero RB zealots’ belief in drafting wide receivers early.  

The combination of Amon-Ra St. Brown and CeeDee Lamb generated 19 receptions, 317 yards and two touchdowns in their Week 17 matchup. 

While Amari Cooper was inactive in Week 17, his 11 receptions, 265 receiving yards and two touchdowns last week were critical in advancing to the Best Ball finals. Throw in George Pickens’ 11 receptions, 336 yards and two touchdowns over the last two weeks, and you have a schematic that many drafters will certainly copy in 2024. 

Reaction No. 3: RB Volume is King 

Chalk one up for the “defenses don’t matter” crowd, as many of the big running back performances occurred in theoretically challenging matchups. 

• James Conner at Philadelphia: 133 total yards, 2 TDs
• Khalil Herbert vs. Atlanta: 129 total yards, TD
• Jerome Ford vs. Jets: 121 total yards, 2 TDs
• De’Von Achane at Ravens: 137 total yards, TD  

Reaction No. 4: Lamar Jackson is your 2023 NFL MVP

While Tyreek Hill and Brock Purdy both had fantastic seasons, the clear NFL MVP is Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson. 

Jackson produced his best performance of the year with five touchdowns in a 56-19 drubbing of the Miami Dolphins. He has completed a career-best 67.2% of his passes this season with 29 total touchdowns and just seven interceptions. The Ravens have secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs and have the best record in the entire league at 13-3. 

Despite starting the season in a bitter contract dispute, Jackson has delivered in the biggest way possible for the Ravens and is now the betting favorite to win his second MVP award. 

Reaction No. 5: Late-Round Tight Ends

I have always been a fan of waiting on tight ends in fantasy drafts, and the list of the top Week 17 scorers at that position certainly support my argument. 

While a fantastic season from legendary players such as Travis Kelce and Rob Gronkowski can provide a huge positional advantage, hitting on that player is extremely difficult. With solid rookie performances from Sam LaPorta and Dalton Kincaid, the #WaitOnTE strategy is something I will carry over to the 2024 fantasy football season.