As the fantasy football playoffs enter their final week, players across the league showcased both remarkable performances and disappointing outputs. Logically, players like De’Von Achane and Derrick Henry were the show stoppers. Fantasy football stars Jahmyr Gibbs and Saquon Barkley failed to deliver in a big way. This recap covers significant performances from Week 17, highlighting who thrived and who struggled during this critical juncture of the fantasy season.
De’Von Achane, who has proven to be a consistent contributor throughout the season, experienced his lowest output since Week 7 with just 14.2 fantasy points. Despite this undercutting, his star still shines. He’s leading the league with an incredible streak of 16 straight games with at least 12 fantasy points. For his part, Derrick Henry had a huge night, scoring 45.6 points. That would be his third-highest total in a decade-long career that covers 152 games. The contrast in production between these two players serves as a case study in the whimsy nature of fantasy football.
Notable Performances
This had huge implications on the fantasy landscape over the weekend, particularly with a handful of players steering the ship. Chris Olave had been in the spotlight of that victory against Tennessee. He cashed in on that opportunity with 25.9 points by way of catching 8 of his team-high 11 targets, accumulating 119 yards and a touchdown. Ja’Marr Chase excelled, contributing 25.0 points in the Bengals’ matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, underlining his status as a top-tier receiver.
Some players did not live up to expectations in this pivotal month. Kenneth Walker III and James Cook III flopped to the tune of 7.7 and 8.7 points respectively. Their lousy performances came at perhaps the worst possible time. Sports managers required clear outcomes to win in their playoffs series.
Disappointments in the Fantasy Playoffs
For every Patrick Mahomes who crushed it, there was a guy like Jaylen Waddle who tanked your fantasy team. After a promising start to the season, Jahmyr Gibbs seemingly hit a wall, averaging only 6.4 points on Christmas Day in the blowout loss to the Minnesota Vikings. This was his second fantasy playoff game under 10 points, doubts started creeping in on how reliable he would be down the stretch.
Saquon Barkley, back from his high ankle sprain, Mary Anne-dropped the ball, producing just 6.8 points—which was the Giants’ second-most Sunday against the Bills. For teams that need to depend on these star players to win multiple games and make deeper playoff runs, such performances could have fatal outcomes.
Josh Jacobs went through a nightmarish ordeal. As such, he played just 27% of the offensive snaps and posted all of four rushing attempts on Saturday’s 41-24 loss to Baltimore. His cut up appearance and to a really necessary extent his future worth as a fantasy choice. Especially as playoff matchups start to come into focus.
Emerging Players to Watch
Even with numerous letdowns, many of these players are making a name for themselves as assets to fantasy managers looking ahead. Jaxson Dart and Wan’Dale Robinson are currently engaged in a battle for the No. 1 spot at their respective positions. Their next few showings will go a long way in figuring out what their roles — and fantasy value — will be.
Furthermore, Malik Willis is proving to be a dual-threat prospect to keep an eye on. His ability to contribute both in the air and on the ground makes him an intriguing prospect for teams desperate for quarterback production during the playoffs.
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