3 Lessons Learned After Week 17

Photo: Kirby Lee, USA Today Sports

OK, let’s do this one last time. Week 17 was bad enough with speculation about the teams resting players. We got production out of most of our stars, though. Some a bit more than others. But there are still some roster decisions to make. If you’re still fighting in Week 18, I’ve got three takeaways from the wild week of action to help you set your lineups.

Quarterback: Dak Prescott, Cowboys

Week 17 Results: (Projected) 17.8, (Actual) 14.4

My opponent in Week 17 had Dak Prescott. I was encouraged about my chances through the first half as Dak threw two picks by the half, and Dallas’ only score was on the ground. Prescott still managed to stay in the Top 16, but his trend of interceptions is a concern.

Prescott has turned the ball over in six consecutive games. Four of those contests have resulted in multiple interceptions. Some might think Dak has lost a step or will be a liability for their fantasy squad. However, at least for this week, Prescott won’t let you down.

Advice for Week 18:

Prescott is still a top-12 quarterback for Week 18. Their personnel issues may be an issue for them in the playoffs, but the Cowboys offense shouldn’t have an issue against Washington on Sunday.

I can see why the Cowboys have been after Odell Beckham, signed T.Y. Hilton, and there have even been rumors of a Terrell Owens return. They need more options. Actually, they need better options. It’s all fun and games when we invest in concentrated offenses. CeeDee Lamb and Dalton Schultz account for 45.1% of Prescott’s looks. But they’re also the ones Dak looks to in critical situations.

Dak’s favorite targets can’t always be wide open, so their quality varies from down to down. His trust in his top receivers can (and has) been his downfall, as they’ve been on the other end of all but one of Prescott’s picks. But overall, he’s been one of the more accurate quarterbacks in the league.

Since his Week 7 return, Prescott is fifth in completion percentage over expected. He’s sixth in on-target rate and tenth in adjusted completion percentage per PFF. The tough part for him is only two of his top targets are above a 50.0% contested catch rate (Lamb and Schultz). His lacking personnel may be an issue in the playoffs, but he’s in a good spot for Week 18.

It’s now public knowledge that the Commanders are out of the playoffs. We’ll see about their motivation in Week 18, but they were 21st in dropback EPA allowed against the Browns. Washington was missing two of their starting defensive players on Sunday, but they were 25th over the month before. With Tony Pollard (hopefully) returning from injury and Ezekiel Elliot not having the burst he once had, the offense may still rest on Dak’s shoulders.