NFL Week 17's absence of a Thursday game means no ownership percentage reports ahead of the weekend. Now those playing the Sunday slate must dig deeper to inform their decisions on the right mix of high-owned and contrarian plays for tournament contests.
Nothing too new for this weekly column, which this season has published pre-TNF and used DFS Report's Thursday night ownership percentages as an immediate gauge thereafter. Last week's projections fared well against DFS Report's post-Thursday ownership data by nailing the highest-owned TE, top two at RB, and one of the top two at both QB and WR. Once more unto the FanDuel breach!
MORE DAILY FANTASY: FanDuel tournament lineup | Cash game lineup | Play FanDuel!
Who will be the highest owned QBs in Week 17?
Matt Ryan ($7,600/QB13) should get the Saints bump like many before him, and he just played his best football against Carolina. It also helps that Julio Jones is close to making history. QB savings will be a necessity in many lineups that budget for Jones and this should be a popular stack. Drew Brees ($8,400/QB4) quelled concerns about his foot injury's impact on performance, and ownership should skyrocket for both QBs in a Falcons-Saints matchup with Vegas' highest point total of the week.
Projected DFS ownership, Week 17 RBs
David Johnson ($7,700/RB6) has paced the field recently in both ownership and production. Even in a rout where Arizona sat studs early, owners didn't get burned by the rookie. Many figure to return despite a $400 price bump, which still lands Johnson outside the top five RBs. Seattle's defense doesn't deter the fantasy community quite like it used to. DeAngelo Williams ($8,200/RB4) also figures to ride enough goodwill from last week to drive ownership despite a price increase.
Who will be the highest owned WRs in Week 17?
Between the monster Week 16 and narrative on chasing single-season receiving records, Julio Jones ($9,300/WR1) should overcome price to top WR ownership this week. The incoming "Leagued Wrapped Up" crowd carries fond 2014 memories of Odell Beckham Jr. ($8,900/WR4) and the sub-9K figure helps draw ownership, especially against a reeling Eagles team.
Projected DFS ownership, Week 17 TEs
Greg Olsen ($6,600/TE3) has been supplanted by Jordan Reed as head of the "Not Gronk" tier in FanDuel TE pricing, and now sits $800 behind Reed. Olsen has rewarded shares with incredible consistency relative to the position this year. People will fade Reed's usage in a meaningless game and lock in Olsen's floor. Rob Gronkowski ($8,100/TE1) should still get plenty of run in a dicey week elsewhere for top-10 tight ends.