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The NFL Sleeper Cell Week 17: The Season Finale

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The NFL Sleeper Cell Week 17: The Season Finale

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by
The Turf Team
December 31, 2017

Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes

NFL SLEEPER CELL FANTASY LEAGUE

PRE-WEEK 17 LEADERBOARD

8. Meg Schneider – 241.76

6. Kevin Morin – 326.22

5. Ryan Kelly – 385.3

4. Jake Bridges – 429.14

3. Ned Donovan – 536.17

HOW IT WORKS

Each week our writers will make one sleeper pick each, in the hopes of that guy pulling through and exploding for a big week. We’ll note reasons why we like that player over another so on and what not. Each writer will accrue points every week from their pick, but there’s a catch.

Since it’s about sleepers, we’re going to take the DraftKings ownership percentage and subtract that amount of points. For example, if you select Drew Brees as your pick and he scored 50 points, but his ownership is at 50%, you’ll only score 25. If your Running Back, Wide Reciever, Tight End, or Defense’s ownership is under 5%, your points will multiply, 5% is multiplied by 1.5, 4% by 2, 3% by 3, 2% by 4, 1% by 5, and less than 1% by 6. For Quarterbacks, the multipliers are halved, 4% by 1.25, 3% by 1.5, 2% by 2, 1% by 2.5, and less than 1% by 3.

At the end of the season, the top 2 writers with the most points will split a $100 prize pool $75/$25.

WEEK 17 PICKS

10. Charlie Forray – 99.39

Alex Collins – RB, Baltimore Ravens

(This is all Charlie sent in. Don’t hate it.)

9. Joanna Krupnick – 238.76

Dion Lewis – RB, New England Patriots

I’m on the Vineyard right now, so it’s a Patriots pick. Against the Jets? Yeah, I’m all about Dion Lewis.

8. Meg Schneider – 241.76

Martavis Bryant – WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

I think he’ll get some good playing time this week. Steelers are fighting for that no. 1 seed.

7. Andrew Wilhelm – 293.02

Kenyan Drake, RB, Miami

I haven’t had the best season but I’ve had the most success with MIA RBs. So, naturally, we should end the season with an MIA RB.

6. Kevin Morin – 326.22

Derrick Henry – RB, Tennessee Titans

Demarco Murray is out and Tennessee is vying for a playoff spot. Getting the start, I’d expect Henry to be in the mix regardless of down and situation. The Jags D is solid in the passing game, but their run D has declined a bit.

4. Jake Bridges – 429.14

Jacoby Brissett – QB, Indianapolis Colts

*Sigh*

Final pick of the year! I have to admit, even though I lost all my steam after my disastrous Nathan Peterman pick, I really enjoyed doing these. And I really regret not jumping on that Keelan Cole train. UGH.

Ok, so this week, I am going back to a position that has given me the highest highs and lowest lows this year: the quarterback. While I did pick Peterman, I also picked Jared Goff in Week 1 and Bortles last week, which got me some nice points. This week, I’m going with Indianapolis signal caller Jacoby Brissett as he takes on the Houston Texans. The Texans have allowed the 3^rd most fantasy points to opposing QBs this season, and I’m assuming this unit has long since checked out on this season. Brissett has some nice weapons with TY Hilton for the deep shots, Jack Doyle for the underneath mess plus ol’ reliable Frank Gore to pick up the easy yards and loosen up the coverage. Last time these two faced off, Brissett had one of his best games of the year throwing for 300 yards and 2 TDs. The only game that was better for him was against Cleveland. Finish strong!

3. Ned Donovan – 536.17

George Kittle – TE, San Francisco 49ers

Well, we’re at the last week of the season and so I have to hit a home run if I have ANY chance of winning this thing in the final minutes. Here we go.

George Kittle. Who is that? Well, he’s the TE for the 49ers, and he’s had a solid season despite being owned by just 4% of people in ESPN leagues. Since Garoppolo took over? He’s had a nice increase of comfortability with his new QB and last week hauled in a TD despite the WR2 and WR3 only having 1 catch apiece. It looks like Jimmy G learned a little something from his time in the Pats organization. Look for him to hit the Rams in the mouth with Kittle. George may not be Gronkowski, but Garoppolo is going to use him similarly. Red Zone plays, 1st down markers, all will start with a first look at the big guy in the middle.

2. Andrew O’Neill – 589.42

RB James Conner, Pittsburgh Steelers

In Week 1, I picked Joe Mixon and proclaimed that rookie RBs are my favorite kind of RB. There have been quite a few making a splash this season, from Alvin Kamara in New Orleans to Christian McCaffrey in Carolina, to Dalvin Cook in Minnesota before his season was cut short by injury.

Enter James Conner. The Steelers will rest star players this week, including LeVeon Bell, who is the reason you haven’t heard Conner’s name all year. Here’s a kid from Erie who played at Pitt and was drafted by the Steelers. He’s a tough and capable runner getting a chance to put it on tape against the 0-15 Cleveland Browns.

There’s a sweet John Connor/Terminator joke in here, I just can’t see it with the Browns standing in the way…