Week 17 Underdog Battle Royale Preview

Week 17 Underdog Battle Royale Preview

Week 17 Underdog Battle Royale Main Slate

As opposed to other DFS sites that base lineups around a salary cap, Underdog uses snake drafts for larger entry fields and each person is divided into six-person groups. When the draft concludes your team is submitted into a 45,324-person field. This is different than other DFS sites as you’re at the mercy of other drafters. Who you have on your team will be based on who other fantasy managers draft, which is why I recommend submitting multiple entries to get that optimal lineup.

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In this article I will feature positional values, stacking options, and games to target. Below each player are additional stacking options for that player and their Underdog Week 17 Battle Royale ADP.

Thanks for checking out another SGPN Battle Royale article Week 17 edition. Good luck this weekend in your DFS slates and in your fantasy football playoff matchups.

Lineup: 1 QB, 1 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 Flex

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Projected Field: 51,048 Entrants

13 Game Slate

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Week 17 Underdog Battle Royale Quarterback Tiers

I talk about it every week and the streak continues. Only one Battle Royale winner has managed to win without a top three Quarterback from that week in their lineup. We can eliminate most of the signal callers from consideration right off the bat as a result.

Tier One:

Patrick Mahomes – QB – Kansas City Chiefs

ADP: 5.3 Stacking Options: Travis Kelce, JuJu Smith-Schuster

Mahomes and the Chiefs take on their division foes the Denver Broncos. The last time these teams played each other, Mahomes went for 352 yards and 3 touchdowns. I don’t see why that can’t be the case this time around as well. The Broncos don’t have a bad defense by any means, but this offense can score at any given moment and at times looks unstoppable. The Chiefs are chasing the number 1 seed in the AFC. They want this game badly and success is probably on the back of Mahomes.


Justin Fields – QB – Chicago Bears

ADP: 10.9 Stacking Options: Cole Kmet

Fields is a gamer and has that dog inside him! He takes on the Detroit Lions for the second time this season.  Earlier this year he went nuclear against the Lions posting 167 yards passing, 147 yards rushing, and 4 total touchdowns(2 passing and 2 rushing). What would the reason be as to why he can’t do this again? The Lions may have gotten a little better on defense but not by much.

Now the bad is that the receiving core for the Bears is just awful. Cole Kmet has shown flashes this season but the Wide Receivers have not been very helpful to Fields. This though may not matter as Fields should have plenty of opportunities to run the ball on the Lions. I’d be a little shocked if he doesn’t score with his legs.


Jared Goff– QB – Detroit Lions

ADP: 33 Stacking Options: Amon-Ra St.Brown, De’Andre Swift, DJ Chark

In the past 5 games, Goff is averaging 2.2 touchdowns and 303.4 passing yards per game. The last time the Lions played the Chicago Bears, Goff didn’t light up the world. He had 236 yards and 1 touchdown. This week should be different because of the Lion’s offense coming alive recently. Amon-Ra St.Brown has been a focal point of this offense and the best stacking option with Goff. De’Andre Swift and DJ Chark are interesting options to stack as well.


Tier Two:

Justin Herbert – QB – Los Angeles Chargers

ADP: 28.8 Stacking Options:  Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Gerald Everett

Justin Herbert will look to get back on track this week when the Chargers take on their stadiums mates, the Los Angeles Rams. Herbert has had some real stinkers the past 2 games. If you look since their bye in Week 8, Herbert has only had 3 good fantasy weeks(*Insert the “Not Great Bob” meme from Mad Men). So why have him as a tier-two QB? He still possesses the qualities you want in a fantasy QB and is surrounded by quality weapons.

The Rams’ defense doesn’t scare anyone nowadays, and they are not very good against the number 1 and 2 opposing team’s WRs. The Chargers have a great duo in Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. This could cause some problems for the Rams. Let us see if Herbert has a bounce-back performance here.


Aaron Rodgers – QB – Green Bay Packers

ADP: 35.5 Stacking Options: Aaron Jones, Allen Lazard, Romeo Doubs

Don’t look now but here come the Packers. They have put themselves into the playoff hunt and will need to win out to have a chance. Rodgers almost always seems to come alive at the right time and that time is now! This week they take on the Minnesota Vikings. If you haven’t been paying attention, the Vikings absolutely suck on defense!

Rodgers should be able to take advantage of this weak secondary in what should be a pretty high-scoring game. With Christian Watson looking like he isn’t going to suit up, Allen Lazard and Romeo Doubs are good options to stack with Rodgers.


Trevor Lawrence– QB – Jacksonville Jaguars

ADP: 27.7 Stacking Options: Travis Etienne, Christian Kirk, Evan Engram, Zay Jones

Lawrence has been on one recently, posting an average of 283 yards through the air, 2.2 passing touchdowns, 22.4 rushing yards, and has added 2 rushing TDs over the last 5 games. This week he takes on the Houston Texans defense that has actually been pretty good against opposing QBs.

They have not allowed any QB to throw for more than 2 touchdowns in a game this season, but I think that changes this week. The Jags are currently 8th in offensive DVOA. They are fighting to make the playoffs and are going to give it their all to win this game.


Tier Three:

Tom Brady – QB – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

ADP: 35.6 Stacking Options: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Leonard Fournette, Rachaad White.


Kirk Cousins – QB – Minnesota Vikings

ADP: 31.3 Stacking Options: Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, T.J. Hockenson.


Week 17 Underdog Battle Royale Tight End Tiers

The Tight End Position in Battle Royales is very important like Quarterback. However, it is impossible to tell who will break out any given week given the volatility of the position. Among Battle Royale Winners, Tight Ends have been selected in the first round more than any other position (5). Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews make up all five of those occurrences, but it’s only happened twice since Week 3. More often than not since then, Battle Royale winners are finding breakouts deep in drafts.


Tier One:

Travis Kelce – TE – Kansas City Chiefs

ADP: 3.5 Pairings: Patrick Mahomes. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Greg Dulcich

Not to beat a dead horse but Kelce is the best TE in the league and you can’t go wrong taking him as a top 5 option this week. His upside is elite and he has a safe enough floor that he shouldn’t kill your lineup as your first pick. The last time the Chiefs played the Broncos, Kelce went for a mediocre 4 catches for 71 yards. That’s not amazing, but he did have 9 targets in that game as well, and if he gets 9 targets again this week, I’d expect 100+ receiving yards and he probably finds pay dirt.


Tier Two:

George Kittle – TE – San Francisco 49ers

ADP:12.7 Pairings: Christian McCaffrey, Brock Purdy, Brandon Aiyuk, Davante Adams, Josh Jacobs

Yet another great matchup for George Kittle is on deck this week when the San Francisco 49ers take on the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders are the 11th worst against opposing TEs, which will bode well for Kittle as he continues his streak of fantastic fantasy games. Over the past two weeks, Kittle has 213 receiving yards and 4 TDs! Yes, you read that right. He’s been nothing short of electric and that has a big shot at continuing this week.


T.J.Hockenson – TE – Minnesota Vikings

ADP: 20.9 Pairings: Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson, Allen Lazard, Romeo Doubs, Aaron Jones.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, Hockenson is soaking up targets in this offense. He added another 16 targets for 13 receptions, 109 yards, and 2 TDs. In another meaningful, and probably high-scoring game this week against the Green Bay Packers, he should find plenty of opportunities for fantasy points. The double stacking of Jefferson and Hockenson could pay off again this week.


Tier Three:

Evan Engram – TE – Jacksonville Jaguars

ADP: 21.7 Pairings: Trevor Lawrence


Dallas Goedert – TE – Philadelphia Eagles

ADP: 31 Pairings: Jalen Hurts or Gardner Minshew, AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith.


Cole Kmet – TE – Chicago Bears

ADP:34.4 Pairings: Justin Fields, Amon-Ra St Brown, Jared Goff


Tier Four:

Tyler Higbee– TE – Los Angeles Rams

ADP: 33.7 Pairings: Justin Herbert, Austin Ekeler, Mike Williams, Keenan Allen.


Week 17 Underdog Battle Royale Running Back Values

Running backs are still king in roster construction as over 65% of all winning lineups have had 2 running backs rostered. It’s hard to pin down an exact reason. An important factor is there are only 12 Running Backs drafted at most in a Battle Royale, with most having between seven and nine.

As a result, it’s very easy to pin down which Running Backs are going to produce as you don’t have to dig as deep as other DFS sites. Keeping that in mind here are some values later on in drafts that I think have elite upside.


Travis Etienne – RB – Jacksonville Jaguars

ADP:16.4 Pairings: Trevor Lawrence

First and foremost, the Houston Texans’ defense sucks against Running Backs. Etienne is in a beautiful spot here and should see a good amount of work. He’s recently bounced back from some down performances and this is the ultimate smash spot! I can see a path for him to finish as a top 3 RB this week. Getting that upside in the third round of these battle royales is pretty valuable.


Rhamondre Stevenson – RB – New England Patriots

ADP: 31.6 Pairings: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle

Let’s forget about last week’s performance for Stevenson and move on to a much better spot this week against the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins rank 14th worst against the run and Stevenson, if healthy, can have a nice rebound performance here. He is questionable for the third week in a row but has been able to play through the injury.

Two weeks ago, he touched the Las Vegas Raiders for 172 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. So let’s just keep an eye on his status for this week but as a 5th-round pick, it is very enticing to take him!


Miles Sanders – RB – Philadelphia Eagles

ADP: 35.4  Pairings: AJ Brown, DaVonta Smith

This is more or less a volume play here but it’s nice value getting Sanders in the last round of drafts. He could be in for a healthy workload this week if Jalen Hurts plays. If Jalen plays, then I’d expect the Eagles’ coaching staff to make sure they are managing how many times Hurts throws the ball. So an increased workload for Sanders is a real possibility. He does currently carry a questionable tag but from what I have read, it looks like he is in line to play.


Brian Robinson – RB – Washington Commanders

ADP: 35.8 Pairings: Terry Mclaurin, David Njoku, Amari Cooper

There are a couple of reasons to like Robinson this week as a last-round pick. Robinson has a great matchup against the Cleveland Browns this week, as they rank 5th worst against opposing Running Backs. Plus we got news today that Antonio Gibson is out for this game. So an increased workload is what Robinson should see this week.

The Commanders are in a win and all but get in scenario here for the NFC wildcard picture. If they are smart, they will ride Robinson for a good portion of this game and give him ample opportunities.


Week 17 Underdog Battle Royale Wide Receiver Values

Just like every other position in the Battle Royale, we are looking for top 5 upside from the players that we draft. The majority of Battle Royale winners have had two top 5 Wide Receivers in their lineup and I don’t expect that to change this week.


Keenan Allen – WR – Los Angeles Chargers

ADP:15.7 Pairings: Justin Herbert, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler

Allen has been on fire over the last 6 games. In that stretch, he has double digits fantasy points in every single game. Now I’m not one to usually chase points, but 6 straight great games isn’t a fluke. Last week he had his best fantasy state line all season and that train should keep on rolling this week against the Rams. 

Herbert has been locked in with Allen and the connection only grows stronger with these two. If he has another game with double-digit targets, then he should finish as a top-10 WR.


DeVonta Smith – WR – Philadelphia Eagles

ADP: 19.8 Pairings: Jalen Hurts or Gardner Minshew, AJ Brown, Dallas Goedert.

DeVonta Smith went off last week against the Cowboys, posting an 8 reception, 133 yards, and 2 touchdown game on 12 targets. That kind of workload in this high-powered offense is very valuable. This week the Eagles take on the New Orleans Saints.

Who will be the QB?

It is still unknown if Jalen Hurts will be the starting QB or if the Stache himself, Gardner Minshew, will get another shot at being the starter. Either QB can get the ball to Smith and with more coverage going towards AJ Brown, Smith should see yet again smile opportunities for fantasy points. I just hope the Saints can keep up with the Eagles so the game remains close and smith won’t get pulled early to avoid injury.


Garrett Wilson – WR – New York Jets

ADP: 22 Pairings: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Mike White(if you so choose).

Mike White is back at the helm this week and that is good news for Garrett Wilson. He posted his best stats lines with Mike White at QB and this week he gets another defense that has been struggling recently. The Seahawks have done pretty well for most of the season on defense but the past few games have been a different story. Garrett Wilson will have plenty of opportunities in this game as I project that he will get upwards of 10 targets. If he finds the end zone, 15 or more fantasy points is almost a lock.


Chris Godwin – WR – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

ADP: 24.3 Pairings: Tom Brady, DJ Moore

Want to draft a Wide Receiver who is averaging 9 targets a game over the last 8 games and is going in the fourth round in the Battle Royale? That is Chris Godwin. His targets are one of the main reasons to draft him as he has become the favorite target for Tom Brady. Mike Evans’s struggles have really boosted Godwin’s upside.

I do expect there will be a game where Evans gets back on track and has himself a big game, but I’m not sure that is this game. Let’s roll with Godwin again until Brady shows us he wants to favor Evans.


Week 17 Underdog Battle Royale Games to Target

While correlation isn’t as important with these smaller lineups as other DFS sites, it is still something the majority of Battle Royale winners have incorporated. In all, 85.7% of Battle Royale winners used some kind of stack in their lineup, most involving a Quarterback with one of his receiving weapons. Additionally, 57.1% of winners incorporated a “bring back” with two players on opposing teams in their lineup.


Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions

Over/Under: 52.5

Quarterback Plays: Justin Fields, Jared Goff

Running Back Plays: David Montgomery, D’Andre Swift, Jamaal Williams

Wide Receiver Plays: Amon-Ra St.Brown

Tight End Plays: Cole Kmet


Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers

Over/Under: 48

Quarterback Plays: Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers

Running Back Plays: Dalvin Cook, Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon

Wide Receiver Plays: Justin Jefferson, Adam Theilen, Allen Lazard, Romeo Doubs

Tight End Plays: T.J. Hockenson


Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Over/Under: 45

Quarterback Plays: Patrick Mahomes

Running Back Plays: Isiah Pacheco, Jerick McKinnon

Wide Receiver Plays: Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, JuJu Smith-Schuster

Tight End Plays: Travis Kelce


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