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.
Be sure to check out the rest of the NFL DFS Coaches and DFS Watch List throughout the week!
| NFL DFS Watch List | DFS Playbook | QB Coach | RB Coach | WR Coach | TE Coach | D/ST Coach |
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
Jaguars signed No. 2 overall pick WR/CB Travis Hunter to a four-year contract.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Hunter’s $46.65 million contract is fully guaranteed and his "$30.57 million signing bonus is paid entirely upfront. The latter aspect makes him “the first non-quarterback not drafted first overall to receive his entire signing bonus upfront.” Securing such a deal makes sense for a player who could lead his team in overall snaps this season. Good on the Jaguars for giving it to him.
ESPN reports that Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro reaffirmed that the state will not provide funding for new sports arenas.
Per the report, Shapiro hopes to bring more sports, including NASCAR, to Pennsylvania, but is “very worried about the overall budget.” The state refrained from financially supporting the Sixers, who “decided to partner with Comcast Spectacor, their current landlord, to build a new arena in South Philadelphia.” Both the Eagles and Steelers could someday be impacted by Shapiro’s decision but the Eagles’ Lincoln Field lease runs through 2032. Per the report, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie is “‘torn’ over the idea of replacing the stadium or staying put in the home where they raised their only two Super Bowl championship banners.” It’s unclear whether renovations, strictly speaking, would fall under Shapiro’s “new” stadium policy, but there should be ample time to resolve the issue.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson said “I’m all good” when asked about his shoulder injury and availability for training camp.
Richardson said he expects to be ready for training camp, which aligns with a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport from a few weeks ago that said Richardson is “expected to be fine” by the start of camp. Richardson downplayed his most recent injury, saying it was “not really even a bump in the road” and that he has “hit the ground running again.” The former No. 4 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft is expected to battle Daniel Jones for the Colts’ starting job this summer, and is shaping up to be the underdog in the battle given last year’s performances and time lost due to injuries this offseason. He’ll get a fair shake at the job, but he’s far from a lock to be handed the keys in Week 1.
Raiders.com reporter Levi Edwards said WR Dont’e Thornton Jr. “has already become a top target” for Geno Smith.
Edwards writes, Thornton is “using his speed to get vertical down the field,” towers “over smaller defenders in the middle of the field and [uses] his acceleration to create separation consistently.” Questioning Thornton’s 2025 fantasy impact is reasonable. In a best-case outcome, Thornton would likely be operating as the No. 4 receiving weapon behind Brock Bowers, Jakobi Meyers and Ashton Jeanty, leaving him with an unreliable target share. Still, this is the second positive report on Thornton in as many weeks. Perhaps, the Raiders found a starter in the fourth round. Stay tuned.
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan said Darius Slayton has formed a “really quality connection” with Russell Wilson.
Raanan notes that Malik Nabers has been sidelined, but Slayton’s “really solid” spring showing, coupled with Jalin Hyatt’s minor leg injury, bodes positively for Slayton’s grip on the No. 2 perimeter role. If Hyatt can get healthy and improve his play, he could challenge Slayton in-season, but for now, it appears as though the Giants’ steady 28-year-old field-stretcher will continue doing his thing. He can be treated as a volatile, likely matchup-based flex option.
Saints waived RB Xazavian Valladay.
The Saints also waived S Tra Fluellen and correspondingly signed CB Jayden Price, TE Seth Green and OT Barry Wesley. Cam Akers’ recent signing made Valladay obsolete, while also putting Kendre Miller, Devin Neal and Clyde Edwards-Helaire on notice.