Week 17 of the 2023 fantasy football season featured big surprises. Who were the big winners and losers? Which players received "A" and "F" grades?
Matt Bowen and Tristan H. Cockcroft offer their analysis, and Seth Walder provides his grades. We also asked NFL Nation reporters to answer questions about what happened in the Thursday, Saturday and Sunday games.
Jump to a topic:
Ranking winners | Ranking losers
Who got an A | Who got an F
Biggest injuries and what's next
Top questions from Week 17
Ranking fantasy winners of Week 17
1. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Lamb dropped a big number on the Lions defense in the Saturday night game, scoring 40.2 points, and we saw his entire skill set in this one. Start with the deep-ball touchdown reception for 98 yards. Convert the route and get vertical. Game-changing play. Look at the underneath throws too, as Lamb caught eight passes for 64 yards on slants and pivots. He ate up man coverage there. Plus, Lamb also displayed his catch-and-run juice. He finished with a season-high 227 yards receiving, catching 13 of 17 targets. And Lamb gets another positive matchup against the Washington defense in Week 18. -- Bowen
2. Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
In a key AFC matchup, Jackson posted his best numbers of the season, dropping 36.34 points on the Miami defense. Jackson was really efficient as a thrower in this one, completing 18 of 21 passes -- with five touchdowns. He attacked every level of the field, as we saw how this offensive system under Todd Monken can create space for Jackson -- vertically and horizontally -- in the pass game. Jackson also added 35 yards rushing, as he delivered for fantasy managers on the big stage. -- Bowen
3. Davante Adams, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
A headache to roster around midseason as well as a player who wasn't even a top-25 wide receiver on the list of players on the most ESPN finalists, Adams probably carried the day for many of his managers who did advance. His 37.6 PPR fantasy point score was his second-best of 2023 and the 22nd of his career with 30-plus, and it provided quite the contrast from his 1.4 points in Week 16. The contrast, however, illustrates his hit-or-miss nature working with rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell, and his Week 18 matchup against the Denver Broncos is a bit tougher than this one was. -- Cockcroft
4. Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets
The opposing Cleveland Browns were Thursday's on-field success story, but Hall was the game's fantasy standout, his 27.6 points leading the way. He continued his volume-driven receiving excellence, catching all nine of his targets for 19.2 of those points using PPR scoring. Hall has been phenomenal in the receiving game since the team's Week 7 bye, with his 74 targets, 61 catches, 466 receiving yards and 131.6 PPR fantasy points in that department by far the position's best during that time. He'll aim to finish strong against the New England Patriots in Week 18. -- Cockcroft
5. Justin Fields, QB, and DJ Moore, WR, Chicago Bears
Fields produced 25.22 points in the Week 17 win over the Falcons, his best numbers since back in Week 5 (32.98). Yes, he made some special off-schedule plays again, and we saw the running ability too, as Fields logged 45 yards rushing and a score. However, I thought he was much more decisive throwing the ball Sunday, posting 268 yards passing and a touchdown, with Moore as his primary target. Moore caught 9 of 13 targets here for 159 yards, including a touchdown on a red zone throw from Fields. That was good for 30.9 points. This combo will take on the Green Bay defense next in Week 18. -- Bowen
6. Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams
The Kyren Williams show rolls on during the fantasy playoffs, as the running back second most commonly found on ESPN finalists' teams (40.4% of leagues) delivered a 30.1 PPR fantasy point score Sunday. It was the fourth time in his six games since recovering from an ankle injury that he scored 20-plus points, and he has amassed 22-plus touches in each of his past five contests. It's that hefty volume, coupled with his underrated talent, that makes him a locked-in, top-shelf fantasy play, and that'll remain true in Week 18 against the San Francisco 49ers. Remember, the 49ers have clinched a playoff bye, so they might not lean heavily on their starters in that game. -- Cockcroft
7. Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
He played a big part in the Chiefs' 25-17, AFC West-clinching victory, scoring a career-high 29.5 PPR fantasy points. A pair of 35-plus-yard runs, both of which were clocked with a max speed greater than 18.5 mph, per NFL's Next Gen Stats, fueled a large portion of it, as Pacheco totaled 165 yards from scrimmage after entering the week dealing with a shoulder issue. He probably won't be needed much in the regular-season finale, as the team leans more on backups in Week 18 against the Los Angeles Chargers. -- Cockcroft
8. James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals
Among Week 17's biggest surprises was the Cardinals' 35-31 road upset of the Philadelphia Eagles, one in which Conner played a huge role. His 27 touches paced the team, he had three goal-to-go rushing attempts as well as an end zone touchdown, and he ultimately scored the game-winning touchdown with 32 seconds to play. Conner has scored at least 17.9 points in each of his past four, with three exceeding 22 points, and he'll wrap up his season with one of the most fantasy-friendly positional matchups: the Seattle Seahawks. -- Cockcroft
Ranking fantasy losers of Week 17
1. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions
Although he was started in 88.8% of ESPN leagues -- and bear in mind that he's on a finalist's roster in 32.1% of leagues -- the rookie disappointed Saturday against what was an elite-performing Dallas Cowboys defense. Five of his 15 rushing attempts resulted in lost yardage, and the Lions eased up on him accordingly in favor of David Montgomery during the second half. Gibbs' 5.3 PPR fantasy points represented a season low. If you survived his quiet day, know that at least he gets a rematch with Week 16 opponent the Minnesota Vikings, against whom he scored 24.0 points last week. -- Cockcroft
2. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
A shoulder injury threatened his status entering the week, and clearly limited him in this game, as he played just 74% of the Bengals' offensive snaps after having played 90%-plus in nine of his first 12 games of the season. Chase's 7.1 PPR fantasy points let down managers who started him in 62% of ESPN leagues on Sunday. With the injury limitation and tough matchup against the Cleveland Browns, he'll be a WR2 at best for Week 18. -- Cockcroft
3. Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints
Although his matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was a good one, Olave was hardly involved in what was an easy W for his Saints. Quarterback Derek Carr attempted only seven passes (of 32 total) that traveled at least 10 yards downfield, none of them to Olave, and the team held a 13-plus-point lead for the final 43 minutes of play. Olave's 5.6 PPR fantasy points, his fewest since Week 4, seems an aberration, at least from a usage standpoint. His Week 18 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, however, is one of the league's toughest. -- Cockcroft
4. Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills
Diggs remained ice cold in the Week 17 win over the Patriots, producing just 7.1 points while catching 4 of 7 targets for only 26 yards. Diggs has now scored fewer than 10 points in each of his past four games, and he hasn't logged a reception of 20 or more yards since Week 12. Without the explosive plays, in an offense that is trending to a more run-heavy approach, Diggs will remain a WR2 for the Week 18 game at Miami, which will decide the AFC East title. -- Bowen
5. A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
After four straight games with double-digit targets, Brown saw just five Sunday in the loss to the Cardinals. It was a quiet day for Brown, as he caught four passes for 53 yards. Brown finished with just 9.3 points here, and he's still looking for his first touchdown reception since Week 12. Brown, and the Eagles' offense, will attempt to rebound in the Week 18 game at the Giants. -- Bowen
5. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
He has statistically suffered as a result of additional defensive coverage with the Chiefs' other receivers struggling to make things happen. Kelce scored just 4.6 PPR fantasy points on Sunday, his third straight week beneath 10, which is his longest such streak since Weeks 5-8 of 2014. With the Chiefs wrapping up the AFC West with their win, there's little reason to push Kelce for more in Week 18. -- Cockcroft
6. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
Ekeler saw 14 touches on Sunday in the loss to the Broncos, but he logged only 50 total yards, finishing the day with 4.0 fantasy points. Ekeler has now failed to top the 10 point mark in five of his last seven games, and he simply isn't finding the end zone. With just one touchdown over the last seven weeks, Ekeler has produced sub-par numbers in a Chargers offense that is a shell of what we saw to start the season. -- Bowen
Injury impact
Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
What we know: McCaffrey left the game with a calf injury in the second half versus the Commanders, and he did not return. Before leaving the game, McCaffrey posted 13.1 points, logging 91 total yards on 18 touches.
What's next: If McCaffrey can't go in Week 18, Elijah Mitchell could be in line to get the start versus the Rams. Mitchell, who is rostered in only 13.4% of ESPN leagues, rushed for 80 yards and a score on 17 carries in the win over Washington. -- Bowen
Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
What we know: Kamara suffered an ankle injury in the second half against the Bucs, and he did not return to the game. He produced 49 total yards -- on 12 touches -- before the injury.
What's next: If Kamara is down for the Week 18 game versus the Falcons, veteran Jamaal Williams would take over the lead role in the Saints' backfield. -- Bowen
DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
What we know: Smith suffered a leg injury late in the fourth quarter in the loss to the Cardinals, and he did not return to the game. Smith caught 3 of 5 targets for 30 yards Sunday.
What's next: We will monitor the status of Smith throughout the week. If can't play in the Week 18 game at the Giants, the target volume should elevate for both A.J. Brown and Dallas Goedert, with Julio Jones seeing more snaps as well. -- Bowen
Who earned an A this weekend?
Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams
He recorded five catches for 118 yards, but 80 of them came on a pure effort play from Nacua to break the tackle attempt by Adoree' Jackson. As a result, Next Gen Stats determined Nacua recorded 67 receiving yards over expectation, the highest number of any player in the early Sunday window. -- Walder
Rasul Douglas, CB, Buffalo Bills
In what ended up being a one-score game, Douglas' contributions were massive for the Bills. The Buffalo corner recorded two interceptions, defended three passes and allowed just 24 receiving yards on two receptions on six targets over 24 coverage snaps. The Patriots amassed negative-16.6 EPA on plays when targeting Douglas (and lost by six actual points). -- Walder
Who earned an F this weekend?
Andre Dillard, LT, Tennessee Titans
He recorded a 58% pass block win rate in the Titans' blowout loss to the Texans, which is bad enough. But the lowlight came in the second quarter when Dillard was beaten on back-to-back plays by Will Anderson Jr., with each time resulting in a sack. -- Walder
Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers
The No. 1 pick's rookie season keeps getting worse and worse. The Panthers were shut out by Jacksonville on Sunday -- despite the Jaguars starting C.J. Beathard -- and Young's numbers were brutal. He completed 19 of 32 passes for 112 yards along with six sacks, an interception and a minus-6% completion percentage over expectation. Young's plays cost Carolina negative-27.5 EPA, according to NFL Next Gen Stats data. -- Walder
Lingering questions from Week 17's games
Kyren Williams hasn't slowed down all season, finding the end zone three more times against the Giants in Week 17. What can we expect against the tough 49ers' defense in the regular season finale?
The first times the Rams and 49ers played in Week 2, Williams ran for 52 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. He also had six catches for 48 yards and a touchdown. Williams has also had success against tough defenses this season. On Sunday, Williams had his seventh straight game with at least 100 scrimmage yards, and he faced the top two defenses in the NFL at the time (Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens) during that stretch. It also remains to be seen what the 49ers defense will look like as San Francisco clinched the NFC's No. 1 seed on Sunday and therefore do not have any seeding implications to play for. -- Sarah Barshop