"It's Week 17, which means that aside from the fact the Bills, Rams and Browns are playing typically meaningless year-end football, the bell has tolled on the large majority of fantasy seasons.
Those who saw the glory are trying to figure out what to do with their winnings, while those who went the way of the buffalo are left wondering what might have been had they not cast their lot with Peyton Manning and Darren McFadden.
But there is a select breed of fantasy footballer who opts to solider on beyond the customary Week 17 deadline, daringly taking their season to the limit in the spirit of true boldness. Either that, or they didn't examine their league's settings closely enough in August.
The point is, the season is not over for all fake footballers. Those who are left find a Week 17 landscape akin to a mindfield. Slight injuries will hold out players who'd otherwise go full warrior, while clubs locked into their playoff seed will take many fantasy breadwinners out of the huddle and into over-sized coats on the sideline.
So who can you trust if your league is on the line one week later than it probably should be? Let's find out.
In: Tony Romo and Felix Jones. The exact kind of players who would be sitting out this week had their team already clinched a postseason berth, Dallas' run/pass battery can be started with relatively little hesitation against a Giants defense that's had trouble stopping anyone not named Mark Sanchez of late.
Out: the Green Bay Packers. Both coach Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers have hinted the 14-1 Pack will take it easy against the Lions, and aside from perhaps Brandon Saine and James Jones, there isn't a safe Packer out there this week. Jermichael Finley (knee), James Starks (ankle) and Randall Cobb (groin) could all see zero snaps.
In: the New Orleans Saints. Coach Sean Payton said Wednesday he plans to go "full speed" against the Panthers as the Saints attempt to earn a first-round bye. His statement can be (mostly) taken at face value, as the Saints took a similar approach to Week 17 last season. Aside from Mark Ingram (toe) and Lance Moore (hamstring), most Saints can be expected to play enough to make a difference in fantasy leagues. "
