Fantasy Football: Week 17 IDP Rankings & Tiers

• Bank on sack slumps to be busted in great matchups: Both Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald are among the best pass rushers at their positions this season, but a quiet few weeks could have IDP managers frustrated. Great matchups this week should help them deliver in the fantasy championship.

• Derwin James drops down the rankings: A shift in usage and a poor matchup should cause fantasy managers to temper expectations this week for one of the top IDP safeties.

• Dominate your fantasy league in 2023: For up-to-date fantasy draft rankings and projections, check out PFF’s fantasy rankings tool!

Estimated Reading Time: 14 minutes

With the final weeks of the fantasy football season upon us and injuries testing the depth of rosters, checking in on weekly rankings to find all the players to target and avoid becomes all the more crucial.

Check the PFF.com rankings page for any updates closer to game time.

Jump to a Position:

LB | ED | DI | S | CB

LINEBACKER

Jordan Hicks (LB19) returned from injured reserve this past week and stepped back into an every-down role. He can be trusted in all IDP lineups going forward. Hicks draws a difficult matchup this week against the Green Bay Packers, who are yielding the second-fewest tackles per game to linebackers this season (14.4). However, Hicks is the lone Vikings linebacker playing anywhere close to a full-time role. While expectations can be tempered, he is still a safe start in most formats.

Khaleke Hudson (LB30) has been on fire since stepping in for Jamin Davis the past two weeks, accumulating 28 total tackles in that span. Hudson did see his snap share increase to a much more reliable 92% in Week 16, which should help him find his way into more IDP starting lineups this week. He faces a difficult matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, who are yielding 15.1 tackles per game to linebackers, which ranks 28th on the season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers‘ parade of injuries at the linebacker position continued this past week, losing Elandon Roberts on top of Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander this season. The team brought in Blake Martinez and Jaylon Smith, while Myles Jack (LB53) played the majority of snaps in Week 16. Jack is the most trustworthy option for IDP managers in desperate need of a linebacker this week, but the Seahawks — Pittsburgh's Week 17 opponent — have yielded the fewest tackles per game to opposing linebackers (14.4). Jack is also unlikely to be in an every-down role, keeping him from being startable in most formats.

EDGE DEFENDER

Myles Garrett (ED1) hasn’t recorded a sack in four weeks but continues to be the highest-graded pass rusher in the league this season (94.6). Garrett will face off against Jets offensive tackles Carter Warren and Mekhi Becton, who have endured struggles this season, both ranking outside of the top 40 players at their position in pass-blocking grade. The Jets are starting quarterback Trevor Siemian, who, to his credit, has been better at avoiding sacks than Zach Wilson, but Garrett should still be able to finally break his sack-less streak with the potential for an even bigger game than most weeks.

Khalil Mack (ED13) has been great this season, ranking fourth in the NFL in sacks (15) and 13th at his position in pass-rush grade. Mack hasn’t recorded a sack in three straight games and could be in for a difficult matchup this week working against Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles, who owns the third-best pass-blocking grade at his position (84.4) this season. Bolles has allowed just two sacks across 15 games. Helping Mack’s case for this week are his positive pass-rush metrics, strong playing time and a relative unknown at quarterback with Jarrett Stidham getting the start this week.

INTERIOR DEFENDER

Aaron Donald (DT1) has only a half-sack across his past six games and certainly hasn’t delivered his usual production for IDP managers. Helping Donald’s case this week is that he’ll be facing off against the New York Giants‘ interior offensive line, featuring three players who all rank outside of the top 100 in pass-blocking grade among 122 players with at least a 20% snap rate. Donald’s 91.3 pass-rush grade ranks second at his position, while his 78 total pressures are far and away the most among interior defenders, which is a much better indicator that Donald is still among the best in the league. He should deliver in Week 17 against Tyrod Taylor and the Giants' poor offensive line.

SAFETY

Derwin James (S17) drops down the rankings this week after a shift in usage in Week 16 where he worked as the team’s primary nickel/slot cornerback and came off the field for a handful of snaps throughout the game. It’s unclear whether this will be his new role going forward or if it was something the new Chargers coaching staff wanted to try out, but it is enough to push him down the board. James is still among the most efficient tacklers at his position, ranking fifth in that regard (11.7%) among players with at least 50% of snaps played. James’ limited role last week also didn’t hurt his production too much, as he still led the team in tackles (eight). This week’s matchup against the Broncos ranks around the league average, with Denver placing 19th in tackles allowed per game to safeties (12.3). However, the Broncos' quarterback change could further complicate matters, and that's why James is outside the top 15 this week.

Nick Cross (S28) stands out as a potential streamer this week, purely because of his role in Gus Bradley’s defense as the primary box safety. That role has allowed Julian Blackmon to be so productive and consistent as an IDP this year, but with Blackmon on injured reserve, it’s Cross who should absorb that opportunity. The Las Vegas Raiders, who yield the 26th-most tackles per game to safeties (11.6), aren’t the best matchup, which is why Cross is outside of the top 24. But for managers in deeper leagues who need a potentially solid tackle floor, Cross is an option this week.

CORNERBACK

Desmond King II (CB5) now has 22 total tackles over his past two games and is locked into a starting role as the Texans' primary slot cornerback, averaging 94% of defensive snaps over the past two weeks. King’s role and efficiency have been the key recently, a similar trend as earlier in the year with Tavierre Thomas in that role, when he earned an elite 13.6% tackle efficiency. King has surpassed Thomas' elite number from earlier in the year, albeit on a smaller sample size. King’s 15.6% efficiency is bound to regress, but IDP managers need him to keep it up for only one more week to help secure a fantasy championship.

Mike Hilton (CB6) is in a great spot to produce big tackle numbers this week, going up against the Kansas City Chiefs, who have allowed 14.4 tackles per game to cornerbacks this year (fourth). Nate Hobbs (CB1) is coming off an 11-tackle game against the Chiefs last week, playing almost exclusively in the slot, which is exactly the role that Hilton has played this season. Hilton does come off the field slightly more than Hobbs, but there is still a ton of potential for production this week for an IDP cornerback who has been solid all season in a slightly limited role (81%).

KEY

• DNP: Did not participate in team's most recent practice due to injury
• LP: Limited participation in team's most recent practice due to injury
• D: Player is doubtful to play due to injury
• Q: Player is questionable to play due to injury
• TNF: Player is playing on Thursday Night Football. Set lineups accordingly.
• SNF: Player is playing on Sunday Night Football. Set lineups accordingly.
• MNF: Player is playing on Monday Night Football. Set lineups accordingly.
• UK: Player is playing on Sunday morning’s London game. Set lineups accordingly.
• WW: Potential waiver-wire target (see Weekly IDP Fantasy Report).