Scott Engel is finishing up his eighth season as the Fantasy Football writer and analyst for Seahawks.com. He is an inaugural member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association's Hall of Fame. Check out more of his work at RotoBaller.com and listen to Scott on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio. In 2019, Scott won his third consecutive championship in his most prestigious Fantasy Football league that includes other experts and high-level players. He overcome a 1-6 start and won his next 10 games, including the playoffs, for his third straight title.
For most people who play Fantasy Football, the interactive game is a year-round subject of high interest. You may have won a deserved championship already, but now thoughts are already turning to the 2020 season. You may also be preparing for an NFL Playoff league, or the very popular NFL.com Playoff Challenge.
We will be getting you set for Fantasy NFL Playoff success in our next edition, but for those still playing this week, we do have some tips. The first one is, talk to your league manager about adjusting the schedule so that your season ends in Week 16 next year. A week 17 Fantasy Super Bowl is a disservice to the league. The best Fantasy team may not win the title it has truly earned when some NFL teams will be resting key players in their final regular season games. If you have made it this far, you should not be without the services of a Lamar Jackson or DeAndre Hopkins, for instance, when you are playing in your title game.
We also take an early look ahead to the 2020 season with our initial one-man view of the first round of a mock draft for next year.
Week 17 Fantasy Football Plays
At every position, when you have a tight decision, you should lean to players that are still competing in meaningful games. There is also the possibility of teams that are eliminated from NFL playoff contention resting some players that are banged up or wanting to give some younger guys a longer look for next season. So there are many risky plays all over the board, which is why Week 17 should be left off Fantasy schedules. The following recommended options, though, should likely be in the mix for enough work to help you win.
Running Backs
Marlon Mack should deliver another strong performance against the Jaguars, who have allowed the most Fantasy Points Per Game to RBs over the past month. … David Montgomery is a quality flex play against a Vikings defense that looked very vulnerable to the run on Monday night. …. Derrick Henry is expected to return from a hamstring injury and should be locked into lineups. The Titans were apparently saving him for their very important Week 17 game with their playoff fate on the line. … Phillip Lindsay flashed his better form again in Week 16, rushing for 109 yards and a TD. He is a viable option again as he faces the Raiders.
Seahawks rookie Travis Homer showed some promise last week. He displayed the ability to run well on the perimeter and he also was involved as a pass-catcher. He should get some flex consideration if you are still playing this week.
Wide Receivers
Maintain your Fantasy faith in Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf as the Seahawks eye their Sunday night showdown with the 49ers. … A.J. Brown has emerged as a must-start in Fantasy Football and should be locked in for Tennessee's important matchup with Houston. …. The Cowboys still have a chance to win the NFC East, and Amari Cooper has played some of his best ball at home this season, where he has five of his eight TD receptions. … Eagles WR Greg Ward is a decent play as Philadelphia tries to nail down a division title. It is a friendly matchup for Ward against the Giants secondary.
Quarterbacks
Carson Wentz is a quality start against a Giants pass defense that has allowed the second-most FFPG to QBs over the past month. … Dak Prescott should bounce back as the Cowboys face the Redskins in a must-win game. … Ryan Tannehill has emerged as a quality Fantasy starter with the Titans and is one of the top plays of Week 17. … Jameis Winston will continue to fling the ball all over the yard against the Falcons.
Tight Ends
Jacob Hollister has progressed quickly as a Fantasy option this season and plays in a game of great importance, so he should get strong starting consideration this week. … Jonnu Smooth has started to surge again recently and like many other Titans, he is a good option for Week 17 … Dallas Goedert is a must-start this week. He caught nine passes for 91 yards and a TD against Dallas.
Engel's Early 2020 Fantasy Football Mock Draft First Round
Pick One: Christian McCaffrey – If you are lucky to draw the No. 1 spot next year, you gain an instant advantage over the opposition. Not only is McCaffrey possibly the best dual threat we have ever seen in Fantasy history, he has also remained durable and dependable.
Pick Two: Michael Thomas – Very few players in Fantasy Football give you peace of mind that they will play at a very high level every single week. Thomas is a Fantasy WR that can anchor a championship squad.
Pick Three: Saquon Barkley – He showed off his superstar skills late in the season, and the Giants offense should be steadier in 2020. There is too much upside not to go back to Barkley after a somewhat disappointing 2019 campaign,
Pick Four: DeAndre Hopkins – Incredibly reliable for play at a high level and is so admirable for how he battles through injuries.
Pick Five: Davante Adams - When you can get Fantasy Football peace of mind, it is very rare. A healthy Adams can challenge to be the best WR in Fantasy next season.
Pick Six: Lamar Jackson – I will go against the usual rule of not taking a QB early here. Jackson is almost like having a RB at the QB position. The position is deep, but not with this sort of rare player. .He scored almost 100 points more than the second-highest producing QB this year.
Pick Seven: Ezekiel Elliott: A very safe first rounder for annually excellent production.
Pick Eight: Derrick Henry – Arrived as a top Fantasy player in 2019. Put it all together to become a consistent force.
Pick Nine: Alvin Kamara – He did not look like he was healthy this season. Expect a big bounce-back campaign in 2020
Pick 10: Dalvin Cook – I would like to rank him higher, as he can actually challenge McCaffrey to be the best Fantasy RB when healthy. But another late-season injury has me concerned about durability again.
Pick 11: Leonard Fournette – Steered clear of injuries and looked more versatile than ever before during an impressive 2019 campaign.
Pick 12: Julio Jones – You wish the TD production was more consistent, but he is so good that even when he does not score, Jones boosts your team to victories.
Early 2020 Selected Seahawks Fantasy Outlooks: Russell Wilson should be drafted as a mid-range QB1 next season. … Tyler Lockett will likely be picked as a high-end Fantasy WR2. … DK Metcalf should be taken as a Fantasy WR3 with the promise to be a Fantasy WR2.
