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The biggest fear of playing for a Fantasy title in Week 17 is having to set a lineup without your best players.

But if that fear that really rattled you, then you probably shouldn't have joined the league in the first place.

Week 17 finals are unforgiving, and there won't be a bigger example of that than if you have any Saints or Cowboys who helped you reach the final game.

New Orleans will be the No. 1 seed in the NFC after upending the Steelers. It means they won't leave the Superdome again until the Super Bowl, at which point they'd play in Atlanta's dome. Sean Payton has rested his starters in meaningless Week 17 games before and almost certainly will do so again. Get ready for a lot of Teddy Bridgewater, Dwayne Washington and, if you're lucky, Tre'Quan Smith.

Dallas wrapped up the NFC East, clinching a home playoff game, but they have no chance of getting a first-round bye. If Jason Garrett stays true to the form he showed at the end of the 2016 season, we probably won't see any of Ezekiel Elliott and very little, if any, of Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper and other prominent Cowboys stars when they play at the Giants in Week 17. However, team owner Jerry Jones made it clear that he intends for his healthy starters to play. Elliott even said after the game that the Cowboys can't afford to take a week off. Still, don't expect a full game. 

But wait, there's a little more.

Because the Seahawks emerged victorious, they clinched a road playoff ticket and have a meaningless Week 17 game. Resting starters would be out of character for Pete Carroll, however — he's never rested his starters, and Russell Wilson has started every game of his career.

Everyone else with playoff hopes has to roll out their starters to try and win in Week 17. That includes the Chiefs, who need a win over the Raiders to clinch the top seed in the AFC; the Chargers, who can still win the top seed if they win and the Chiefs lose; the Texans, who have clinched a playoff spot but land the AFC South and a home playoff game with a win over the Jaguars; and the Rams, who have to win in Week 17 to keep the Bears from leap-frogging them for a first-round bye. The Steelers, Ravens, Eagles and Vikings are also very much alive, and the Titans host the Colts in a winner-take-all game.

Early waiver wire pickups for Week 17

  • C.J. Anderson (29 percent owned): Any question as to who the Rams will lean on in Week 17 versus the Niners if they opt to rest Gurley again? San Francisco has allowed a score to a running back in five straight games.
  • Darren Sproles (19 percent owned): Sproles played the most snaps of any Eagles running back and seemed to be the one they counted on in clutch spots. As flex options go, Sproles isn't a bad choice at Washington.
  • Jeff Wilson Jr. (67 percent owned): Matt Breida suffered another ankle injury and did not finish the matchup against the Bears. If he's held out, Wilson would get the start at the Rams.
  • Rod Smith (7 percent owned), Darius Jackson (0 percent owned): If Elliott sits as expected, these two will take on the Cowboys rushing workload against the Giants. New York has given up a touchdown to a running back in 14 of 15 games.
  • Brian Hill (0 percent owned): If Tevin Coleman misses Week 17 because of the groin injury that forced him from Sunday's game, Hill stands alone as the Falcons' primary running back against the Bucs' weak run defense.
  • Teddy Bridgewater (2 percent owned): A good quarterback should get a chance to play four quarters against a rough defense in the Panthers. Count Bridgewater among the low-end streaming quarterbacks for the final week.
  • Chester Rogers (4 percent owned): Rogers re-emerged Sunday following the concussion to Eric Ebron, picking up targets both in the middle of the field and in the red zone. When he was a prominent part of the offense earlier in the year he was a PPR hero. He should be again if Ebron misses the game against the Titans.
  • Marques Valdes-Scantling (42 percent owned), Equanimeous St. Brown (1 percent owned): The Packers' swan song comes at home against the Lions. It should be a successful game for all Packers involved, including these guys, both of whom eclipsed 12 PPR Fantasy points at the Jets. St. Brown must clear the concussion protocol this week in order to make the game.
  • Zay Jones (25 percent owned): Jones has nine targets in three of his last four games and should be in line for more with the Bills receiving corps getting thinner on Sunday.