Week 17 Thursday Fantasy Football Takeaways: Joe Flacco, Jerome Ford, David Njoku, Breece Hall, Trevor Siemian and More

Week 17 of the NFL got rolling with the Cleveland Browns clinching a playoff spot with a 37-20 win over the New York Jets on Thursday night. 

Let’s take a look at some of the top performers from the contest.

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Top Cleveland Players

Joe Flacco proved a lot of doubters wrong when he ripped through the tough Jets’ defense on Thursday. Flacco was 19-of-29 on the night, going for 309 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.

Most fantasy leagues are in their championship weeks, and if you decided to start Flacco, he might have helped you win the title. If you play in week 18, Flacco is very likely going to be started, granted he plays. He's making a strong claim to be a starter for some team in 2024.

Running back Jerome Ford enjoyed arguably his best outing of the season. He rushed 12 times for 64 yards and caught 2-of-3 targets for 57 yards and a pair of scores. 

Ford has had a bit of an up-and-down season, but he looks to have earned himself a significant role for next season. Ford will be a nice starting option for fantasy owners in week 18 and then a decent option to play or bet on in the postseason.

Kareem Hunt only tallied 31 yards on 10 carries, but scored to produce a decent fantasy score for the owners that started him.

Hunt will remain a decent starting option in deeper leagues for those of you playing in week 18. He probably did enough this season to earn himself a roster spot going into the 2024 season.

With Amari Cooper out with an injury, tight end David Njoku stepped in and served as the team’s top pass catcher. Njoku caught 6-of-8 targets for 134 yards, but didn’t find the end zone.

The tight end is another guy who could help a lot of fantasy owners win the championship this week, and he’s a great option for week 18 (if he ends up playing) and in the playoffs. Njoku has at least 90 yards in three of the past four games, and has four touchdowns over that span.

Elijah Moore had a solid outing before leaving with a scary head injury. He went for 61 yards and a score on five catches and six targets.

It seems unlikely that Moore would be able to play in week 18, and hopefully he will be an option in the postseason. 

Top New York Players

There weren’t too many Jets that enjoyed strong games on Thursday.

Running back Breece Hall rushed 13 times for 84 yards and caught all nine of his targets for 42 yards and a touchdown. It was his second straight game over 100 total yards, over which time he’s now scored three times.

In PPR formats, Hall is a guy who could definitely help lead owners to a win this week. He’ll be hard to keep out of lineups in week 18 after what he’s done of late. Hopefully with Aaron Rodgers back on the field next season, Hall can enjoy a more consistent and productive season.

Trevor Siemian started at quarterback for the Jets. He threw for 261 yards after completing 32 of his 45 passes, but only tossed one touchdown. Siemian threw one interception.

Siemian should have only been a starting option in deeper formats, and he probably didn’t do enough to guide fantasy teams to a win. It’s possible he starts again in week 18 if Zach Wilson isn’t ready to go.

No other New York player reached 50 total yards on the night.

Garrett Wilson was the closest after catching half of his 10 targets for 50 yards, but went backward a yard on one carry. 

It’s been a tough season for Wilson, and he went from a must-start player to one that was starting in about 70-75% of leagues. Hopefully he’ll regain his fantasy star status with the return of Rodgers next season.

Tight end Tyler Conklin had a solid night for the Jets. He hauled in all five of his targets for 45 yards. It was just the fourth game in which he’s reached five catches. 

Like any pass catcher for the Jets, he will benefit from more consistent play from the team’s quarterback, which again, is hopefully coming next season.