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It’s championship week for fantasy football teams, so don’t forget to scour the waiver wire in search of a last-minute gem. And although the Indianapolis Colts quarterback situation may not be settled for the future, the other side of the ball might provide help as we look at the fantasy football defense rankings for Week 17.
And it comes down to the opponent. The New York Giants have been the gift that keeps on giving during the Christmas season, and this week they meet the Colts. While the Colts haven’t been a very serviceable fantasy football defense this season, it looks like they may have a chance to change the narrative when it matters most.
Top Fantasy Football Picks
The Colts have finished in the top only four times this season. And the most recent came way back in Week 9.
But Giants head coach Brian Daboll said the Colts do good things on defense, according to giants.com.
“(Colts Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Gus) Bradley, he's done it for a long time,” Daboll said. “Gus has been in this league for a long time. “(They’ve) got two really good interior players, and they have a good team defensive scheme. They play their certain style that they'd like to play with. Every team in the league is a good football team.
“(They’ve) got a lot of good players, (and) good coaches. They did a heck of a job, I know it ended up being 38-30 against Tennessee, but they really started out the game really strong. It was 38-7 with three minutes left in the third quarter going into the fourth. So, I think (Colts head coach) Shane (Steichen) has done a nice job. So has Gus (Bradley).”
One interesting thing about the matchup is the Colts will likely see Drew Lock behind center for the Giants. Lock missed Week 15 against the Ravens but returned against the Falcons last week. He had an MRI on Monday because of a shoulder injury, but Daboll said he should be OK to face the Colts. Lock has thrown four inteceptions and just one TD pass in his last three games. There’s a real chance for a Colts’ pick-six in this contest.
The Colts roll with fantasy football standouts like Kwity Paye (seven sacks) and rookie Laiatu Latu (four sacks) at defensive ends. In the interior, DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart have combined for 10 sacks while linebacker Zaire Franklin leads the NFL with 151 total tackles. On the back end, safety Nick Cross and slot cornerback Kenny Moore are tied for the team lead with three picks each. Cornerback Jaylon Jones leads the Colts with 12 passes defensed.
Another good fantasy football defense to consider is Philadelphia. The Eagles have a challenging matchup against the Cowboys, but they face more urgency to perform after last week’s stunning meltdown against the Commanders. Remember the Eagles’ defense produced five turnovers in that game. But the offense didn’t do enough with them.
Standout cornerback Darius Slay said the team is ready to play again, according to philadelphiaeagles.com.
“We just really focus on whoever our next opponent is,” Slay said. “Whenever the playoffs get here, that's when the playoffs get here. Because at that time, the record doesn't even matter anymore. (We're) zero-zero. So, that's all we really focused on.”
Teammate Saquon Barkley added, “”It sucks. But at the end of the day, it is what it is, you know what I mean? We want to go out there and win every football game. That's the mindset and that's our mindset of the team.”
Other Standouts
Another salty unit for Week 17 is Miami. The Dolphins have a road matchup, but it’s against the weak Cleveland Browns. The Dolphins get a chance to feast on the below-NFL-level play of Browns quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. In Thompson-Robinson's four career starts, the Browns have scored of total of only 34 points. Ick.
This is another situation where you have to ignore the fantasy football season to date. The Dolphins have only two top-10 appearances in 2024.
One area of concern for this unit is the Dolphins inability to play well on the road. Head coach Mike McDaniel said it’s simply a matter of doing it, according to dolphins.com.
“Naturally you have to win in all atmospheres and against all different opponents,” McDaniel said. “But the bigger thing is, when you're trying to play football so that in the inevitable situation that you face every season, an elimination game, whether it's to get in the playoffs or it's in the playoffs, you want to be tooled with a team that can succeed or execute in those types of situations. I think the list is long when you're talking about all the things that this team has to do that it has yet to do, but the formula is the same. You're in a stadium, there's two football teams, and you have to be the best one with the most points that day.”
It’s also OK to ride with the Chargers this week. They’ve had four stellar weeks this season (1, 8, 9, and 13), and this could be another one against the sluggish Patriots’ offense.
Fantasy Football Sleepers
Although the Panthers have improved offensively in recent weeks, it’s OK to take a chance on the Buccaneers fantasy football defense for Week 17.
Another good look for a sleeper is Las Vegas. The Raiders get a crack at the practice-squad-level offense of the New Orleans Saints.
Fantasy Football Week 17 Defense Rankings
1. Indianapolis Colts (IND) @ NYG
2. Philadelphia Eagles (PHI) vs. DAL
3. Miami Dolphins (MIA) @ CLE
4. Los Angeles Chargers (LAC) @ NE
5. Buffalo Bills (BUF) vs. NYJ
6. Seattle Seahawks (SEA) @ CHI
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (TB) vs. CAR
8. Las Vegas Raiders (LV) @ NO
9. Minnesota Vikings (MIN) vs. GB
10. Jacksonville Jaguars (JAC) vs. TEN
11. Green Bay Packers (GB) @ MIN
12. Tennessee Titans (TEN) @ JAC
