NFL

The Perfect Lineup: Week 17's FantasyScore Team

Jim Sannes  —  @JimSannes Dec 30th, 2015
Julio Jones is always an option. But when he's facing the porous New Orleans Saints secondary? Jones is a must-have.

Bummed that season-long fantasy football is done for the season? Well, at FantasyScore.com, you can keep getting your fantasy fix in Week 17, all while playing weekly fantasy football for cash prizes.

If you've never played before and aren't sure who to pick, our fancy algorithms have you covered for Week 17. Take a look at this week's FantasyScore Perfect Lineup.

Quarterback

Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

Ryan has been a source of major frustration this whole season, but a matchup with the New Orleans Saints can be a quick cure. The Saints rank last -- by a significant margin -- in our schedule-adjusted Defensive Passing Net Expected Points (NEP) per play. With Ryan's price down to $5,900, he could provide upside at a low price this week.

Running Backs

Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings

Peterson and the Vikings will square off with the Green Bay Packers for the NFC North title on Sunday night, and Peterson's potential is immense. The Packers rank 27th against the rush, according to our metrics. Any time you can snag Peterson against a defense struggling that immensely is a can't-miss opportunity.

Tim Hightower, New Orleans Saints

Hightower's price has shot up recently, but for good reasoning. He has found the end zone three times in the past three games and topped 100 yards his last time out. The Falcons' rush defense ranks 22nd, according to our metrics, and with an over/under of 52.5, Hightower could continue his impressive late-season run.

Wide Receivers

Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons

If you're going to trot out Ryan, you may as well throw in his unquestioned top option. Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson torched the Saints for a combined 14 catches for 257 yards and 3 touchdowns in Week 16. We've seen what Jones can do against tough competition; a date with the struggling Saints could be explosive.

Eric Decker, New York Jets

You want dependability? Get some Decker in your life. He has racked up 11 touchdowns on the year, and he has either 80 yards or a touchdown in every single game. With the Buffalo Bills' secondary missing key members, don't expect Decker's consistency to let up this week.

Kamar Aiken, Baltimore Ravens

Speaking of dependability, Aiken has been a solid contributor no matter who has been throwing to him this entire year. He has seen at least seven targets each of the past seven games, averaging 10 per game over that span. The matchup isn't easy, but his $6,100 price tag is too low to ignore.

Tight End

Vance McDonald, San Francisco 49ers

In paying up for guys like Jones and Peterson, we'll need to save some cash somewhere. McDonald can be that outlet. He turned 7 Week-16 targets into 5 receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown. McDonald isn't the safest bet by any means, but his $2,000 price helps compensate for that.

Flex

Denard Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars

Robinson's involvement in the passing offense will always make him an option on full-PPR sites like FantasyScore as long as T.J. Yeldon is on the sidelines. Robinson has seen 17 targets the past two weeks, making his price of $3,800 seem far too low.

Defense

Pittsburgh Steelers D/ST

The Cleveland Browns have been a good target this whole year for opposing defenses and special teams. The Steelers are favored by 10 points in the contest, which could put Johnny Manziel in negative game script relatively early. That's the recipe for fantasy goodness.