NFL

5 Daily Fantasy Football Matchups to Exploit in Week 17

Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse the slideshow

Pittsburgh Steelers Rushing Offense

Those who used DeAngelo Williams last week are likely far more pleasant than those who invested in the Pittsburgh Steelers' passing offense. Williams turned only 23 touches into 153 yards and 2 touchdowns. He could be in line for similar production in Week 17.

The Cleveland Browns are a defense we have been targeting this whole season. They rank 31st against the rush, according to numberFire's metrics, and the Steelers come in as 11-point favorites. With Williams having the clear stranglehold on the team's rush attempts, this is just an easy one to pinpoint.

This lack of efficiency for the Browns' defense has translated to big outings for opposing running backs. They have seen eight separate backs rush for at least 90 yards, and that includes guys like Dexter McCluster and Ronnie Hillman. Running backs in far worse situations than the one Williams is in have blown up, so it's not hard to see him capping 2015 off with a bang.

Unfortunately, Williams isn't going to come at lower ownership. I would assume he'll be somewhere above 20 percent in tournaments, though I'm writing this early in the week, so this perception could change closer to Sunday. That isn't an issue in cash games, but it does bring some additional thought when it comes to our tourney lineups.

When paying up at running back this week, people are likely to gravitate toward Williams or Devonta Freeman, as both are in superb matchups. That could actually play to Williams' advantage.

Because it has been so in vogue to target the Saints of late (and rightfully so), that could draw additional eyes Freeman's way. This isn't wrong by any means, given the Saints' defensive struggles, but I believe that Williams has similar upside to Freeman. If Freeman can draw even a bit of ownership away, that could make Williams an even better play.

Because there are no Thursday contests this week, it'll be harder to get a true gauge of ownership. If -- at the end of the week -- more people are endorsing Freeman, then I'd go with Williams. The reverse is also true if you can afford Freeman's price tag. Both are in great spots, and if you can get one below where his ownership should be, then the upside will only increase.