Javonte Williams or James Conner: Who should I start in Week 17 Fantasy Football?

Javonte Williams and James Conner hold similar fantasy football values during the 2023 NFL season. They both profile as back-end RB2's or Flex options in fantasy lineups most weeks, while topping the depth charts as featured running backs for their NFL teams.

With the 2023 fantasy football playoffs already underway and the championship round taking place this week in many formats, managers must make sure their lineups are fully maximized.

One decision that many of them may be debating is whether to plug Williams or Conner into their Week 17 lineups. The following breakdown can help make the decision easier by analyzing their weekly situations.

Is Javonte Williams a good fantasy pick in Week 17?

The Denver Broncos are undefeated during the 2023 NFL season in games where they give Javonte Williams at least 18 touches.

The problem is that they have only done so five times and all of them came during a seven-game stretch when they posted an excellent 6-1 record. Williams has received just 14 touches in each of his past two games since then, both of which were losses for the Broncos.

Fantasy football managers are hoping that the Broncos have recognized this glaring trend and get back to feeding him as often as possible.

This offensive strategy has not only helped them achieve wins but has also resulted in massive fantasy football performances for Williams. He has finished among the top 12 weekly running backs three times in those five games, with three of his four touchdowns this year.

Williams will hopefully get the opportunity to get back to a larger workload in Week 17 against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Considering Russell Wilson and Courtland Sutton aren't playing this week, it's reasonable to believe that the Broncos try to lean on their ground game. The Chargers allow the tenth-most fantasy points per game to running backs, so if Williams gets the touches,he could be in line for a big game.

Is James Conner a good fantasy pick in Week 17?

The Arizona Cardinals have heavily featured James Conner in their offense whenever he has been fully healthy. In all seven of those games this year, he has recorded at least 16 touches.

Besides being limited by injuries this season, Conner has quietly been a reliable fantasy football running back and is currently on a hot streak.

Conner is on his best stretch of the 2023 fantasy football season so far, finishing among the top ten weekly running backs in PPR leagues in each of his past three games.

He has also finished among the top 20 running backs in six of his nine completed games this season. This suggests that when he is healthy, he is still among the most reliable weekly lineup options.

Up next for Conner is a difficult Week 17 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. While their defense has been torched by opposing passers this year, they are still one of the best in the NFL in defending the run.

This includes allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs. It will be interesting to see if Conner's strong form can overcome a challenging weekly situation.

Javonte Williams vs. James Conner: Who should I start in Week 17 fantasy football?

According to the Start/Sit Optimizer, Javonte Williams makes for a better running back option than James Conner in Week 17 fantasy football lineups.

This valuable tool weighs every possible variable for any player in a given week to generate fantasy projections and lineup suggestions. In this particular scenario, it favors Williams for a higher output.

The Optimizer's predictions for this comparison highlight the importance of matchups in any fantasy football week.

While Conner has been in better recent form, Williams has a far superior matchup that should be much more favorable to his overall output. The absence of Sutton this week also implies that Williams could be more involved as a receiver this week.

All of this played a role in the Optimizer projecting more production in rushing and receiving for Williams, though Conner is expected to have a higher likelihood of scoring a touchdown. This makes Williams the preferred option for Week 17 fantasy football lineups.