Colts Vs. Raiders Start/Sit: Fantasy Championship edition
First and foremost, congratulations to all who advanced to your fantasy football league's championship. I'm here to break down the Week 17 matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and Las Vegas Raiders. While it may not seem like a game that will secure your desired championship, there are multiple key players that could play a significant […]
First and foremost, congratulations to all who advanced to your fantasy football league's championship.
I'm here to break down the Week 17 matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and Las Vegas Raiders. While it may not seem like a game that will secure your desired championship, there are multiple key players that could play a significant role in the difference between finishing in the devasting 2nd place and being crowned a champion.
This matchup is intriguing because it doesn't have any of the fantasy MVP's of this past season, the Christian McCaffery's, the Tyreek Hill's, or any of the biggest surprises of the year, the Puka Nacua's, or the Rakeem Mostert's. It doesn't even have a reliable QB option to rely on, as both the Colts and Raiders are starting QBs who weren't their Week 1 starters in Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell. But without all those contributors, this game becomes very important because sometimes, the players who can make or break a fantasy matchup are the one-week wonders.
Raiders Start/Sit:
Aidan O’Connell: Sit
While the Raiders pulled out a miraculous win in Arrowhead last week, it had very little to do with QB Aidan O’Connell. O’Connell completed 9 of his 21 pass attempts for only 62 yards and no touchdowns as the Raiders took down the Kansas City Chiefs 20 to 14.
I can't imagine you made it to the championship game if you have to consider starting O'Connell, but if you are in a pinch and looking on the waiver wire for a QB option this week, I'd pass on O'Connell. Not a high enough ceiling to warrant the risk.
Raiders Defense: Start
The Raiders defense is coming off back-to-back stellar weeks where they were the top fantasy defense in the league for Week 15 and 16. Both weeks, they had two defensive touchdowns that stacked their numbers, which could worry you, but elite pass rushers have had solid success against the Colts this season when Braden Smith hasn’t played.
If he again can't go this week, Maxx Crosby will likely line himself opposite rookie Blake Freeland for most of the game. That wouldn't bode well for QB Gardner Minshew and the Colts offense. When pressured, Minshew has been prone to fumbling and interceptions, which would allow the Raiders defense to attempt to replicate their recent success of getting into the endzone themselves.
Josh Jacobs: Sit
This is the hardest decision for me on the Raiders side of things, as I think this decision is nearly a coin flip. For the most part, I trust the Colts run defense with Grover Stewart manning the middle and the LB duo of Zaire Franklin and EJ Speed.
There's also the risk of Jacobs being a late scratch like last week, as his health situation seems fairly tricky. So, if you have to decide between Jacobs and a closely ranked RB, I would lean toward sitting Jacobs for your fantasy championship this week.
Davante Adams: Start
The Top WRs on opposing teams have given the Colts tons of trouble this season. Even with the Raiders offense not being one to have success passing the ball normally, I think they will identify the Colts young secondary as a weakness that they want to exploit. And Davante Adams is a special talent that can be used in multiple ways. If any member of the Raiders offense is going to have a performance that can lead you to your desired championship, it’s Adams.
Colts Start/Sit:
Jonathan Taylor: Start
Taylor’s first week back from his thumb injury wasn’t great, as the Falcons committed to the run on the day and gave him very little treating room. But he still found the endzone on the opening drive of the game. And with the goal of Michael Pittman Jr. being back this week, it will be harder for defenses to take both away.
With it being championship week, I think a player of Taylor's caliber is hard to bench, as he could easily be a driving force that leads you to a win. So unless you are crazy stacked at RB, I envision Taylor being a top 10 RB this week.
Gardner Minshew: Sit
The Colts heavy RPO system gives Minshew many opportunities to stack up yards on an abundance of pass attempts. This makes him not a horrible option if you are in a pinch at QB, via an injury to a player like Trevor Lawerence, or if you are in a bind because of the news of the Denver Broncos benching Russell Wilson.
Similar to O'Connell, though, I think there will be better options on the waiver wire that lean me towards benching Minshew and looking for a QB with a better weekly matchup. Minshew's sporadic play leads to turnovers at times, which makes his floor pretty low in terms of his fantasy numbers.
Michael Pittman Jr.: Start
The Colts offense resembled a car trying to drive on a flat tire without Michael Pittman Jr. last week. His stability and consistency have been huge for them this season, and if they didn’t appreciate him before their Week 16 loss should do the trick. Head coach Shane Steichen shared that he is progressing well through the NFL’s concussion protocol, which makes me believe he will return this week.
Pittman Jr. dominates the targets on the Colts offense, and it typically leads to him having the most catches. If you are in a PPR (Point Per Reception) league, Pittman Jr. offers a great balance of a high ceiling and a high floor, which makes him a very safe choice to start in your fantasy championship against a Raiders secondary that before the past two weeks has struggled mightily this year.
Colts Defense: Sit
The Colts defense has had so many ups and downs this season; it’s like a roller coaster. If you’ve been able to predict their breakout weeks this year, I’d call you a psychic. Their pass rush has had some big weeks but has also completely disappeared at times. Their secondary has been very turnover-dependent and have allowed the top WR on opposing teams to have huge days throughout the season.
Their play is too random to rely on them during the biggest week of the fantasy season. If you are looking for a waiver wire pickup for the championship, I'd suggest looking elsewhere to fill the spot.
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