2023 NFL DFS Week 17 Contrarian Plays: Top DraftKings & FanDuel Picks
NFL Week 17 is fully underway and it’s time to look at building some winning DFS lineups for Sunday main slate GPP tournaments. We know the masses are going to focus on the two games with the highest point total. Just take a look at our DFS Ownership Projections. While it’s fine to eat some of the chalk and get explosive players like Christian McCaffrey into your lineups, you also need to hunt down some of those lower-owned players who are expected to pop in order to really move the needle in a large-field, multi-entry GPP. Welcome to the NFL Week 17 Contrarian Corner where we try to do just that.
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Top FanDuel & DraftKings NFL DFS Week 17 Contrarian Plays
C.J. Stroud, QB Houston Texans
What a great spot for C.J. Stroud to remind everyone why he is going to win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award this season. After missing the past few weeks due to a concussion the Texans QB returns with a home matchup against the Tennessee Titans, one of the worst pass defenses in football. He has a healthy Nico Collins at his disposal and the emerging Noah Brown in the slot to take on this Titans secondary. Given the Texans poor rushing attack and the Titans ability to stop the run it wouldn't shock me to see Stroud throw 35+ times in this game.
Isiah Pacheco, RB Kansas City Chiefs
Pacheco has been cleared from concussion protocol and will return to the Chiefs lineup this week to face a baby soft Bengals run defense. The Chiefs passing attack has not nearly been as explosive this season as in previous years which has led them to run the football a lot this year and Pacheco is an absolute battering ram that also makes plays in the passing game. Remember what Ty Chandler did against the Bengals a few weeks ago? Yeah, Pacheco could make that kind of impact this week at single digit ownership.
Cooper Kupp, WR Los Angeles Rams
Puka Nacua was questionable all week and while he is expected to suit up here against the Giants that injury designation has me eyeing the only slightly more expensive Cooper Kupp this week in a great matchup against a young and inexperienced Giants defense. Kupp was very close last week to having a monster game but was unable to hold onto two passes that may have ended up as touchdowns against the Saints.
Darren Waller, TE New York Giants
How about a little contrarian game stack? The Los Angeles Rams are one of the worst defensive teams against opposing tight ends this season and we saw Waller have some success with Tyrod Taylor as the team's QB earlier this season. If the Giants are going to pull off the upset then a big game from Waller is likely one of the contributing factors here.
Player News
Panthers signed fourth-round RB Trevor Etienne to a four-year contract.
Etienne doesn’t figure to factor in much as a runner early behind Chuba Hubbard. But since neither Hubbard nor Rico Dowdle have a rich history of catching the football, it’s possible that Etienne winds up playing a third-down role for the Panthers early. That’ll depend mostly on if the coaches trust him in pass protection. It will likely take injuries ahead of him for the undersized Etienne to be a fantasy factor in his rookie season.
Seahawks signed fifth-round WR Tory Horton to a four-year contract.
They also officially agreed to terms with seventh-round RB Damien Martinez and seventh-round WR Ricky White III. Horton and White will probably battle for a spot at the end of the roster behind Cooper Kupp, Jaxson Smith-Njigba, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar has predicted that Horton will wind up as the main return specialist for Seattle this year in a recent mailbag. White and Jake Bobo will probably be in a true dogfight for the final spot in the wideout room.
Ravens signed EDGE Kaimon Rucker.
One major trait that stands out in Rucker’s game is his speed off the ball. If you’re playing him on the outside, he can really win those bull rush battles. His speed also helps him consistently get to the quarterback, posting an 81.8 pass rush grade in 2024. Rucker really blew up in 2023, where he recorded 61 total tackles and 8.5 sacks. He plays with a high motor, and his combination of speed and bend on the outside is impressive. His 32 ⅝-inch armspan has given him the advantage to win those one-on-one battles. He is active with his hands, and he doesn’t rely on one move. As a run defender, there are times where he relies on his speed. Meaning, he’ll lack the upper body strength and sometimes get beat right away. Rucker also isn’t as physical off the ball consistently. Overall, Rucker has consistently improved over his collegiate career, recording 18 sacks over the last three seasons. A fractured fibula left Rucker unsigned through the early part of post-draft free agency, but the Ravens are apparently comfortable enough with the injury to take a chance.
Packers OL Elgton Jenkins did not report to Green Bay’s offseason program.
Channel 3000’s Jason Wilde, a long-time Packers beat, cites a league source as saying Jenkins wants a reworked contract as compensation for being moved to center this offseason. Jenkins has no guaranteed money remaining on a four-year, $68 million extension signed prior to the 2022 season. This will be his age-30 season, as to this point he’s authored a stellar career spent only with the Packers.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports a 2026 comeback is “extremely unlikely” for Derek Carr.
Carr is reportedly “already making other professional plans.” Whatever those entail, they apparently do not involve using retirement as a quick dodge off the Saints roster. We’ll probably get rumors for another year or two about Carr, who would have been playing his age-34 season had he not retired suddenly on Saturday. But there’s no reason to expect him to return to the field at this point.
Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson said he won’t play in 2025 under his current contract.
Hendrickson showed up in street clothes at the Bengals’ offseason practice Tuesday and spoke to reporters about his contract dispute with the team. Hendrickson, who has reportedly had “no communication” with the Bengals front office this offseason, said he would refuse to suit up under his current deal, which includes a $15.8 million base salary for 2025. He did not say whether he would sit out training camp or regular season games. Hendrickson reportedly wants upwards of $30 million as he enters his age-31 season. He could be traded in the coming weeks, though that could prove tricky for the Bengals considering they want a first-round pick in exchange for the excellent pass rusher. Pro Football Focus graded Hendrickson as the NFL’s fifth best pass rusher in 2024.