NFL Sleeper Top Picks & Plays for Week 17 Sunday Featuring Ezekiel Elliott and More!
Only two weeks in the regular season remain, and a big chunk of those games go down today. There’s no Monday Night Football this week, so we’re looking to make the most out of these afternoon games after a very exciting Thursday night slate that saw the legend of Joe Flacco grow larger than life (even if he was falling asleep on the sidelines).
As you may know, we’ve joined forces with our friends at Sleeper to introduce their Sleeper Picks feature. With Sleeper Picks, you can choose from a variety of players and stat lines, choose whether that player will have more or less than the given stat, and combine your picks for a chance to increase your payout. If you build enough, you can even multiply your entry up to 100x! We went two of three on Thursday night, so let’s keep it going into today.
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Ezekiel Elliott, New England Patriots
With Rhamondre Stevenson being placed on injured reserve earlier this week the Patriots backfield firmly belongs to Ezekiel Elliott. Not only has he been getting the carries, but his work in the receiving game has been huge, seeing 25 targets over the last three weeks. The Buffalo Bills are allowing an average of 5.4 receptions per game to the running back position, with Elliott averaging over six yards per catch, so he should easily reach this mark today.
Pick: Ezekiel Elliott more than 27.5 receiving yards (1.77x)
Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans Saints
This mark seems ridiculously low against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On the season, the Bucs are allowing 210 yards per game to the wide receiver position and even if Chris Olave sees the majority of that today, Shaheed isn’t going to be left out. While his target share hasn’t been huge, he is seeing an average target distance of 14.9 yards, good for ninth in the NFL, so he could beat this mark with just two catches. It’s a great matchup in and must-win game, and I think he well exceeds this number.
Rashid Shaheed more than 33.5 receiving yards (1.74x)
DJ Moore, Chicago Bears
With Darnell Mooney already ruled out and Cole Kmet questionable to suit up, this Bears passing offense is going to run through DJ Moore. He may face more double coverage than usual, but he is exceptionally good against man coverage, averaging 2.66 fantasy points per target. The Falcons have given up quite a few points when in man coverage, so even if he gets more attention, he should still be able to exploit them. I’m seeing double-digit targets for him today, putting him well on the way for more than 4.5 receptions.
Pick: DJ Moore more than 4.5 receptions (1.53x)
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Player News
Free agent WR Chase Claypool revealed the severity of the toe injury he suffered in July 2024.
In a social media post, the 26-year-old receiver explains that he “tore a ligament and tendon” in his second toe on his left foot and has “been rehabbing, working out, and recovering everyday for the past year.” This explains his extended absence. Following the injury, Claypool was briefly placed on injured reserve in August 2024 before being released with an injury settlement. He is “back to being the strongest and fastest” he’s ever been and is “excited to step back out on the field.”
Free agent LB Jason Pierre-Paul hopes to sign with an NFL team, ideally the Giants, in “a full-circle moment.”
Per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, “Pierre-Paul still believes he can help a team, that he can be a veteran closer.” The 36-year-old has continued training to remain NFL-ready despite failing to find a suitor for the 2024 season. He logged 22 defensive snaps, playing for both the Saints and Dolphins in 2023. His last sack occurred as a Raven, in a Wild Card Weekend loss to the Bengals in the prior season. Sitting at 94.5 career sacks, Pierre-Paul hopes to reach 100 as a part-time player in 2025.
The CFL’s Toronto Argonauts claimed Shedeur Sanders’ negotiating rights in case Sanders one day chooses to leave the NFL for the CFL.
There is no indication that Sanders is in contact with the Argonauts and we do not expect Sanders to leave the NFL for the CFL at this time. Every year in early July, just before NFL training camps begin, the CFL allows its teams to claim NFL players’ negotiating rights, on the off chance that the player is released or waived by his team and decides to pursue a career in Canada. Per the CFL’s Marshall Ferguson, “the CFL began releasing a few names here and there periodically, but now the full list is available for all to see from each of the nine teams.” Fans can rest assured that their high-profile, fifth-round rookie remains a Cleveland Brown.
Free agent CB Stephon Gilmore wants to play football in “the right situation” this season.
The 34-year-old veteran visited the Cowboys pre-draft but left without a contract. Gilmore is no longer an above-average starter, but he did force eight incompletions and record one interception last year. A playoff contender could benefit from signing Gilmore as an experienced option, but teams tend to not have high valuations on older cornerbacks.
ESPN’s Turron Davenport reports that Titans QB Cam Ward is adjusting to the NFL’s speed and field width while learning how to adjust protection against the blitz.
Ward is learning through trial and error, as many rookies do. The young quarterback is now aware that an open receiver in the NFL looks far different than it did in college, even when targeting a linebacker’s coverage. The NFL’s condensed field spacing has also reportedly required Ward to improve his awareness against the blitz. Per Davenport, Ward successfully showcased a lightbulb moment in this regard, which occurred “during team period when Ward recognized where the pressure was coming from and checked to a different protection to block it up.” Ward also notably signaled an audible to Calvin Ridley and connected with the veteran receiver for a touchdown. These are positive steps for a quarterback who currently profiles as a QB2 in re-draft formats.
Speaking to Rich Eisen about the Steelers’ contract talks with EDGE T.J. Watt, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said the “most likely” outcome is that the two sides agree to an extension that resets the market before the season opener.
Pelissero recently reported that the Steelers do not plan to trade Watt, and Watt’s record-setting goals are well known, so the most recent report makes sense. The team will do its best to ensure team-friendly outs exist later in the deal, but for now, Watt appears to be on track for a hefty payday sometime before September 7th. Pelissero states succinctly, Watt’s expected extension “is going to be north of Myles Garrett—it is going to be upwards of $40 million per year.”